[CRITICAL] LIKE ANIMALS

First of all, the viewing conditions must be specified : we have seen LIKE ANIMALS in a room packed full of children aged 5 to 10 years of age, who absolutely love the film, judging by the discontinuity of their laughter, and their propensity to repeat 3 or 4 times some of the punchlines.

Therefore, although we have not appreciated, it is clear that the primary objective of the long film by Chris Renaud (Me, Ugly and Nasty, The Minions), to entertain its audience, seemed perfectly achieved.

After we have presented the foundations of his universe or rather high concept – what happens to the animals when the humans are not there – LIKE BEASTS tells the story of Max, a Jack Russell terrier whose relationship with his owner Katie is strong and well installed. Unfortunately for him, a second character (Duke, a Briard wandering) will upset his daily life, and take his place of favorite pet with his mistress. Of provocations, acts petty, the two dogs try to get rid of one another but will mostly move away, unconsciously, to their homes. The film then follows a side of their ” adventures “, at the option of socializing with other animals from the outside, and the other the quest that leads Gidget and other pets of the same building, to find. A scenario enough excuse taking roughly that of Toy Story, but that it will miss components of emotion, nostalgia and storytelling capable of cementing together the many specifics of a universe and the characters of money-quite original, though they are fully in our reality.

Although having a fantastic material to use (the versatility of a setting like New York, the specifics of each breed of animal, the construction of a parallel society coherent), AS BEASTS chooses not to retain that which can cause of the humour and absurdity : the contrast between the appearance and the behavior in each animal, the use by animals of the objects of our daily life, the distortion of the reality of the animal or human through the prism of the high-concept, anthropomorphism playing on all these tables, the interactions detonating between characters if singular, then the dialogues, the voice acting partners, and the gags, burlesque, and so on.

Out precisely, it is impossible to operate indefinitely this component humorous from an overly limited number of characters… therefore, we are witnessing a multiplication of animals, which seems to have been the only possible solution to keep the high pace – although the justification of their presence was dutifully dodged. The history of the characters, their logical belonging to the world of film, screenplay, dialogues, intelligently functional and / or emotion that they would make to the story are not what define them, in contrast to their ability to renew the situations, interactions, or humor. A feeling of artificiality explodes, therefore, through this ” wealth “, and ends by smothering the film in a non-sense quite damaging. For this reason, if someone can explain the relevance and the meaning of the scene, from the factory to sausages…

Watch the movie in original version with the voice cast consisting of the great Louis C. K. (Louie), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Kevin Hart (Get Hard), Lake Bell (Man Up) or Ellie Kemper (Kimmy Schmidt), we may have found this slight addition of missing character (mostly) to Philippe Lacheau , or Willy Rovelli to give a semblance of consistency to the characters.

The other hand, there is a real substantive problem. Even good spectators in French, if sealed to the values and moral american, it must be recognized that in not arriving to generate any change in behavioral between the beginning and the end of the film, LIKE BEASTS, lack terribly to justify the evilness and selfishness/self-centeredness of his characters. If behave like a true douchebag in a megalopolis such as New York should certainly correspond to a certain reality, past their shells of cynicism and humor that lends them the writing, the actors do not emerge that the more antipathetic to each other. So there are despite all a message : do evidence of hysteria and/or be an asshole, arrogant, this will force your interlocutor to go in your sense … … … YEAH. All the more disturbing that it is a moral insidious.

“The pace is undeniable, the whole is catchy and fun, but it is, in As Beasts this aspect very superficial… Until the discomfort. “

The scenes of Scrat in The ice age, hilarious, but completely disconnected from the narrative, LIKE BEASTS seems to have assembled his scenes, according to the results of the most acclaimed of its target audience, thus retaining a majority of moments cartoonesques failure to follow a basic specification of consistency. Thus, the rhythm is undeniable, the whole is “catchy” and “fun”, but remains in spite of all this aspect is extremely superficial : whether it’s the characters, the emotion, the story, or the message… all this leads to the discomfort.

In the same style, we suggest that rather Zootopie, without doubt, a more serious and less accessible to young people, but O how much more relevant and rich in tracks of readings.

Georgelechameau

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