Ferdinand
1.5/4
Starring (voices): John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Cannevale, Anthony Anderson, Peyton Manning, David Tennant, Lily Day
Rated PG for Rude Humor, Action and Some Thematic Elements
Adapting the charming "Ferdinand the Bull" short from 1938 was a bad idea. A very bad idea. The subject of a bull who would rather smell flowers instead of fight is interesting but limiting. To make up for this, the filmmakers add in odd characters and subplots that range from one-dimensional and boring to unbearable and annoying. Occasionally, the movie is downright sick. I don't know about you, but that's not my cup of tea.
Most bulls are apparently eager for the challenge of going up against a matador and bathing in the glory of the fans. Not so for Ferdinand (Colin H. Murphy). He'd rather smell the flours and cares nothing for violence. After his father (Jeremy Sisto) is selected for the bullfight and doesn't return, he escapes and ends up living a peaceful life with his owners Juan (Juanes) and Nina (Day). There he grows up into a two-thousand pound hulk (Cena) who still loves flowers and is boundlessly optimistic. Due to his enormous size, Juan and Nina decline to take him to the Flower Festival. Ferdinand goes anyway, but an unfortunate run-in with a bee ends up with him wreaking havoc and being kidnapped. He's sent back to the farm where he was born and is picked to fight against the famous matador El Primero (Miguel Angel Silvestre).
The good thing about this movie, the only good thing, is John Cena. I'm not a WWE fan, but I've taken notice of Cena in a few of his brief appearances in other films, such as Amy's first boyfriend in "Trainwreck" or as Matthews in "The Wall," which made my Top 10 list last year. Cena gives the title character an positive outlook and earnestness that's actually infectious. It's impossible not to like this sensitive, oversized bull.
Unfortunately, he's saddled with an eclectic supporting cast made up of characters I never want to see again. For example, his goat friend Lupe (McKinnon) who wants to train him is meant to be lovable and funny but is in fact annoying and borderline creepy. The trio of helpful hedgehogs are boring. The only memorable bull is Valiente (Cannevale), who's a cliché but is well voiced by Bobby Cannevale. The worst of the lot are the prima donna German stallions, who are so unbearably annoying that they bring the movie to a dead halt whenever they show up. Worse still, they get a completely pointless dance-off with the bulls that does nothing but ruin the movie's pacing and make you hate horses.
When I said the movie is occasionally sick, I meant exactly that. There's material here that no kids movie should contain, such as a totally inappropriate joke about incest. And the material revolving around the chop house is sure to give kids nightmares. This includes a chase scene through the factory that plays out like a sitcom from hell. The chase through downtown Madrid isn't much better; it lasts too long, isn't the least bit exciting and contains some shameless product placement for Segway. In fact, the only things that work as intended are John Cena's performance and the Ferdinand/Nina relationship. Everything else is crap.
Going to the movies is a tough sell these days, with improved home technology, increased expenses and limitless material available through the internet. If Hollywood keeps making focus group-driven cash grabs like this, the movie theater will die out far faster than it should. My advice is to save money on gas, tickets and snacks and buy a copy of "Spirited Away." It is a masterpiece filled with beauty, intelligence and joy. Everything that "Ferdinand" is not.
If you still go and see this movie, you can no longer complain about the lack of quality family entertainment.
Starring (voices): John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Cannevale, Anthony Anderson, Peyton Manning, David Tennant, Lily Day
Rated PG for Rude Humor, Action and Some Thematic Elements
Adapting the charming "Ferdinand the Bull" short from 1938 was a bad idea. A very bad idea. The subject of a bull who would rather smell flowers instead of fight is interesting but limiting. To make up for this, the filmmakers add in odd characters and subplots that range from one-dimensional and boring to unbearable and annoying. Occasionally, the movie is downright sick. I don't know about you, but that's not my cup of tea.
Most bulls are apparently eager for the challenge of going up against a matador and bathing in the glory of the fans. Not so for Ferdinand (Colin H. Murphy). He'd rather smell the flours and cares nothing for violence. After his father (Jeremy Sisto) is selected for the bullfight and doesn't return, he escapes and ends up living a peaceful life with his owners Juan (Juanes) and Nina (Day). There he grows up into a two-thousand pound hulk (Cena) who still loves flowers and is boundlessly optimistic. Due to his enormous size, Juan and Nina decline to take him to the Flower Festival. Ferdinand goes anyway, but an unfortunate run-in with a bee ends up with him wreaking havoc and being kidnapped. He's sent back to the farm where he was born and is picked to fight against the famous matador El Primero (Miguel Angel Silvestre).
The good thing about this movie, the only good thing, is John Cena. I'm not a WWE fan, but I've taken notice of Cena in a few of his brief appearances in other films, such as Amy's first boyfriend in "Trainwreck" or as Matthews in "The Wall," which made my Top 10 list last year. Cena gives the title character an positive outlook and earnestness that's actually infectious. It's impossible not to like this sensitive, oversized bull.
Unfortunately, he's saddled with an eclectic supporting cast made up of characters I never want to see again. For example, his goat friend Lupe (McKinnon) who wants to train him is meant to be lovable and funny but is in fact annoying and borderline creepy. The trio of helpful hedgehogs are boring. The only memorable bull is Valiente (Cannevale), who's a cliché but is well voiced by Bobby Cannevale. The worst of the lot are the prima donna German stallions, who are so unbearably annoying that they bring the movie to a dead halt whenever they show up. Worse still, they get a completely pointless dance-off with the bulls that does nothing but ruin the movie's pacing and make you hate horses.
When I said the movie is occasionally sick, I meant exactly that. There's material here that no kids movie should contain, such as a totally inappropriate joke about incest. And the material revolving around the chop house is sure to give kids nightmares. This includes a chase scene through the factory that plays out like a sitcom from hell. The chase through downtown Madrid isn't much better; it lasts too long, isn't the least bit exciting and contains some shameless product placement for Segway. In fact, the only things that work as intended are John Cena's performance and the Ferdinand/Nina relationship. Everything else is crap.
Going to the movies is a tough sell these days, with improved home technology, increased expenses and limitless material available through the internet. If Hollywood keeps making focus group-driven cash grabs like this, the movie theater will die out far faster than it should. My advice is to save money on gas, tickets and snacks and buy a copy of "Spirited Away." It is a masterpiece filled with beauty, intelligence and joy. Everything that "Ferdinand" is not.
If you still go and see this movie, you can no longer complain about the lack of quality family entertainment.
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