Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:28 pm Posts: 484 Location: San Diego, CA
Gender: Male
Juuchan pretty much summed it all up, but I'm gonna throw in my two cents as well.
*WARNING: SPOILERS*
I gotta say that I was also pleasantly surprised at this movie. Some of the stuff I was worried about at first either turned out to be the opposite or weren't an issue due to the story so I'm pretty glad I remained optimistic.
Story
Rather than having just one centralized plot-line throughout the whole movie, this movie was actually the combination of multiple stories into one big adventure/mystery where everything was connected and important to the progression of events, so I give it massive props for creativity. It starts of with the pups growing up and wanting more freedom (particularly Runt) while the parents are divided in giving them this freedom so it's got a "coming of age" aspect. Then it turns into one of those classic "haunted house that everyone gossips about and avoids" spook stories with the introduction of the cave and Tony's back story to it, which brings in a new aspect to the story with the two wolves he was with returning to the cave to find out the mystery for themselves, although this part wasn't all that important compared to the others. The mystery to the cave, in turn helps the coming of age aspect because it becomes the main point behind Runt's character development. Then when the mystery is revealed it makes a whole new turn and becomes a story about a troubled past and the search for the answers to that past, which explains the spooky mystery aspect. The explanation for the ghost was pretty cliche, but this was one instance where it actually worked. I also thought Daria's story could have been something Disney would have done. Although I hated how the fate of Daria's pack after the "leader" was swept away at the end was just ignored.
Characters
As stated by Juuchan, this movie was all Runt and his and Daria's aspects of the story gave him great character development. Daria was also a great character and her back story makes you feel a bit sad for her but it, and her journey with Runt shows how strong her willpower is. Humphrey is the parent that wants to let this kids grow up and have their freedom, but goes out of his way to look out for them when they get in any situations. The same can be said for Kate except she's the protective mother instead, so they serve as a pretty good example of the differing parents. Tony helped provide the back story to the legend of the cave and Winston was there mainly to question the validity of his story so their roles were fairly small, but important nonetheless. Lilly, Marcel, and Paddy should not have been in this movie because they didn't do anything (Humphrey could have easily done Lilly's part). I just wish they had put some more focus on the members of Daria's pack, especially their leader.
Everything Else
The animation seemed to be a little better, at least for me, but I'm sure others won't see any difference. Same position as Juuchan regarding the music. The fighting, chasing, and dramatic scenes were still pretty lame, but the story line made up for it. I didn't have any problems with the voice acting.
This movie is definitely the better sequel out of all the A&O sequels. So glad most of my initial expectations turned out to be wrong!
_________________ I'm so ugly. That's okay 'cause so are you.
Eyyup just watched the Sawtooth Cave sequel and it was actually good! After finding myself enjoying the Wolf Games sequel I was more optimistic about this sequel and I'm happy with the way it turned out. (: They made a very likeable storyline this time and I'm glad we got to see much more of the original characters. The new characters were interesting too and I really liked them. And oh lord- all the "adult" references! The jokes in this film were actually funny to me and a cool touch that wasn't really found in the other films. I was surprised that the writers put in some of the jokes they did but it's a pleasant kind of surprise, and if they make further sequels I would love to see more of that. All in all it was a very enjoyable 45 minutes and I'm really glad this story had a nicely defined start to finish. This sequel came a long way from the first sequel.
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:40 pm Posts: 1650 Location: Back at home in VA
Gender: Female
Wow, this topic is DED when there's no new "Alpha & Omega" movies out... Anywho, here's some news that I learned about, in case you've missed it:
- The next "sequel", "Family Vacation" will supposedly be out in August 2015. It apparently got a TV showing in Mexico last month [March], but I read that on Wikipedia, so it may or may not be true. Not sure what else the film itself will be, but I bet we'll get a trailer and/or sneak peek in the next couple of months.
- Probably the biggest news is that "Family Vacation" will not be the end of the adventures for Kate, Humphrey and the pups! Here's the article from KidScreen earlier this month:
Quote:
Alpha and Omega are set to bound into new adventures, following a partnership between Splash Entertainment and Lionsgate that will see three new animated films based on the wolf-driven franchise start hitting the market next year.
With the first film set for an early 2016 release, the 45-minute movies will follow the misadventures of Alpha Kate and Omega Humphrey and their three wolf pups, Claudette, Stinky and Runt, as they learn life lessons in the great outdoors.
Under the terms of the deal, Lionsgate will distribute the three films in the US, Canada and the UK, while Splash Entertainment will handle international distribution in other territories.
Executive producers overseeing the production are Ken Katsumoto, EVP of Lionsgate Family Entertainment, and Liz Young, president of Splash Entertainment.
Lionsgate launched the original Alpha and Omega feature film in 2010, which grossed more than US$50 million at the worldwide box office. Since then, the franchise has expanded to include several direct-to-home entertainment sequels, including Alpha And Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure, Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games and Alpha And Omega: The Legend of Saw Tooth Cave.
The next film in the franchise Alpha And Omega: Family Vacation is scheduled for release in August.
Splash Entertainment created a feature film division last September. Its newest productions include an animated family film Norm of the North and the miniseries movies Kulipari: Army of Frogs.
Unfortunately, this means that the previous production company, Nest Entertainment [and its former Disney animator director, Richard Rich] are out. This just makes the release of "Family Vacation" seem bittersweet in a way. However, I am hoping that the new company, Splash Entertainment [I've never heard of them, but I bet I can look them up!], can continue the legacy and hopefully improve the series. They can honestly only go up from where they've already been, right?
So, thoughts? Comments? Hopes or worries? Let's discuss!
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:28 pm Posts: 484 Location: San Diego, CA
Gender: Male
(Have not been on here in several months. My how things have changed!)
Quote:
With the first film set for an early 2016 release........ The next film in the franchise Alpha And Omega: Family Vacation is scheduled for release in August.
Um........huh?
I honestly don't know what to think or how to feel about all this. On one hand I'm glad that the franchise is being continued, being that I absolutely loved the first movie and the most recent sequel was the best one so far, but on the other hand I'm not overly thrilled about it since the other sequels were pretty disappointing. I would say my expectations for this next movie are below Sawtooth Cave, but above the others
Juuchan17 wrote:
Unfortunately, this means that the previous production company, Nest Entertainment [and its former Disney animator director, Richard Rich] are out. This just makes the release of "Family Vacation" seem bittersweet in a way. However, I am hoping that the new company, Splash Entertainment [I've never heard of them, but I bet I can look them up!], can continue the legacy and hopefully improve the series.
And this is why what I just said goes the same way for the change of the production companies. This could potentially make the series better since Nest Entertainment didn't make many changes to make the sequels better, so Splash may be more willing to switch things up after learning from Nest's mistakes. But at the same time the producers at Nest were the ones that knew pretty much everything about the franchise so Splash may end up going through the grueling process of having to figure the series out on their own by creating their own style, which; as some AS users know; have ruined some great franchises.
Juuchan17 wrote:
They can honestly only go up from where they've already been, right?
To put it simply, wrong!
My advice; hope for the best, expect the worst.
_________________ I'm so ugly. That's okay 'cause so are you.
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:40 pm Posts: 1650 Location: Back at home in VA
Gender: Female
WolfTrain4014 wrote:
Um........huh?
I honestly don't know what to think or how to feel about all this. On one hand I'm glad that the franchise is being continued, being that I absolutely loved the first movie and the most recent sequel was the best one so far, but on the other hand I'm not overly thrilled about it since the other sequels were pretty disappointing. I would say my expectations for this next movie are below Sawtooth Cave, but above the others
I'm not really too thrilled about this fourth sequel, though we do have DVD box art and a few noticeable returning characters [mainly Fleet and I think Brent from "The Great Wolf Games", who, surprisingly enough, are voiced by the same person]. Release date is supposedly August 4, 2015 [according to Amazon].
Ugh... I really wish they'd get some new art of Kate for these covers. Every cover she's on [save for the original movie's DVD/Bluray] is basically her stock character vector... and it's boring. Heck, Humphrey has more expressive vectors than she does. Needs more Daria though [because she's not in this movie and that makes me sad.].
Oh, and there's finally a trailer too. I'm not sure how promising it is, but I think I like where it's going:
My thoughts: [Read after watching the trailer] Hidden text : click to show
Ooh, wolf trappers. That's an interesting choice for danger in a world with wolves. Sounds fan-ficcy to a point, but I really do want to see where this goes. Also, why are Daria's guard porcupines on the journey but Daria's not? Also-also, WHY IS FLEET HERE? Doesn't he have a dad and a sister that he's leaving behind... or is he just in the movie because he's growing fond of Claudette?
I will say that I like the parallels to movie one with the train scene, so that's good. Also, I like the group dynamic with all the pups, Kate, Humphrey, Brent and the porcupines, plus Paddy and Marcel... Hopefully they'll all play a part that's useful in the plot this time around, maybe working together as a team, or in this case, a family?
So... what do you think of Nest Entertainment's final piece in the Alpha and Omega saga? Early reviews seem positive and good, so that's something. Let's discuss!
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:40 pm Posts: 1650 Location: Back at home in VA
Gender: Female
Elliotdragon wrote:
This autumn Alpha and Omega will be 5 year old.
Wow... and to think it's got four more movies on its belt, and at least three more in the future!
Anywho, just letting curious people know that the 5th film, "Alpha and Omega: Family Vacation" is officially out on DVD [and for download on Amazon, iTunes, etc.]. It's also in Redbox kiosks with the 3rd film, "The Great Wolf Games" [which makes sense, since Brett and Fleet are in both films; gives some context to him before you see the new movie, right?], for the price of a single rental, which isn't a bad deal. I actually plan on checking it out this week, so expect a review by this weekend!
- Juuchan17
EDIT: 8/6/15 - So... I rented that two-sequel DVD from Redbox and just finished watching it... I think I want my money back and my 40 minutes.
I'm not saying that it was all completely BAAAAAD, per se, but was it better than "Howl-iday Adventure"?
Just to discuss most things, I'll put Spoiler Tags up... because I go into MAJOR SPOILERS.
STORY: Hidden text : click to show
The basic plot is simple - Humphrey and Kate take their pups on a family vacation to Alfred Creek Falls [I guess it's in Idaho? Yes, Idaho and Sawtooth actually play a large role, despite the setting of the original movie being in Canada.], but the pups miss their friends - Stinky misses Brett and Agnes, Runt misses Daria's porcupine gals [I forgot their names... and I'm surprised he didn't miss Daria. I am disappoint, movie.], and of course, let the ship sail as Claudette misses Fleet.
The pity party doesn't last long as the threat of wolf trappers seems to be following the family on their journey, and with some teamwork and some old friends [and some in strange places], the family gets to where they need to be.
Uh... I like the threat following the pack being a realistic sort of danger, but I'll go into these two guys later in the character section.
Also, this movie should have been called "Alpha and Omega: Journey of Coincidences". Seriously, we'll get back to that.
CHARACTERS: It's the same characters we know and love... I guess?
Hidden text : click to show
The pups did get some better interactions with each other, and to me, Stinky did get some development. He proclaims himself as the next Alpha wolf, has a "bromance" with Brett [yes, that is what they called it... TWICE], and has ideas that his parents think are silly. Still, even when he gets hurt, he wants to push forward. That's actually quite a good gesture to the type of leader he wants to be, but even his parents know that he has a lot left to learn.
Runt is Runt - playful, a natural tree-hugger [and apparently he learned that climbing skill from watching other creatures doing it; smart pup!], and the most interesting omega in the world. Gosh, I love this character, if only because he still acts like an Alpha but is born Omega [no, they still never explain how pups are born into one or the other group, so... your turn, Lionsgate.].
Claudette... well, they really are pushing this "Fleet x Claudette" shipping, and she does pine for him hard. He does too, calling her "his girl" a couple of times. The opening scene when they mention this is quite hilarious, if just for her and her parents' reactions to her admissions. I'm still not sure if I want to board this ship, but we'll see what the future movies have in store, now that Rich is out.
At least Paddy, Marcel, Fleet and the others got to do something to protect their friends and help each other out. It was a nice touch to their character and to the story for a change. It really gave them a reason to be in the movie.
The villains... these wolf trappers... they aren't really BAD. They're stereotypical dumb hokey hunter-like humans, though they have tranquilizer guns [that look like rifles with bullets]. Sure, the reason they're doing this is to relocate wolves into another part of the country, which isn't completely a bad thing. The one odd thing is that they say wolf pups get more money... and that rubbed me the wrong way. You're just moving them, not killing them for sport or for fur! Don't say stuff like that - you're really making the pup characters have to be protected in this movie!
And there's a surprise... a character from movie one actually gets a slightly bigger role as a aide to the wolves and friends, and though it's unrealistic, it was a nice touch. Coincidental, but still very nice.
ANIMATION: Hidden text : click to show
This movie... was made up of mostly flashbacks, either from movie 2 ["A Howl-iday Adventure"], movie 3 ["The Great Wolf Games"] or from the original "Alpha and Omega".
No, really. It was... a LAZY COP-OUT move, movie.
Granted, they had a reason for doing it. It was trying to give "Family Vacation" good continuity, and I respect them for that, but... it was still lazy. The running scenes were better, but it was still cheapy animation... YES, even with the slightly-better stuff from movie one mixed in, it was awkward.
If I wanted movie one clips in my "Alpha and Omega" movies, I'll just stick the the original "Alpha and Omega".
VOICE WORK and MUSIC: Hidden text : click to show
You know how I mentioned that they had flashbacks from movie one in this movie? Well, EVERYTHING was redubbed to match the current voice cast, as small as it was. The Kate x Humphrey scenes weren't too bad, but the one with Garth, Lilly and Humphrey's trio of friends was just... NO. It was bad, if only because the voices didn't work.
I still like the current cast though, but I hope future movies don't change it up again. The voice work in all of the new scenes were fine.
The score and everything musical is still from movie one [as if they weren't using enough from that movie already...], save for one rather... awkward moment focused on Brett. *shudders* It was very awkward and not funny at all.
OVERALL: Hidden text : click to show
The positives aren't all bad. The pups got some good scenes, the minor characters got to help out and do something, and there was a surprise from movie one that actually felt nice.
HOWEVER... I didn't like the easy cop-out animation with so many of the flashbacks being from movie one, nor did I like how convenient everything was. Everything was connected to movie one, similarly with "A Howl-iday Adventure".
Actually, I'll just say it - THIS WAS WORSE THAN "HOWL-IDAY ADVENTURE". Seriously, it was bad. At least "Howl-iday Adventure" didn't go back into flashbacks for certain scenes that were obvious callbacks to movie one! The ending for "Family Vacation" may have been better, but the bulk of the movie was just HORRID.
FINAL VERDICT: If you want a good "Alpha and Omega" movie, just watch the original... or movie 4. Both of those are much better than this one, in my opinion. "Family Vacation" is basically a skippable mess... just very bad. I hate to say don't watch it... but yeah, it's not worth the cost of admission.
If anyone else sees it, I'm curious to hear your opinions about Richard Rich's final dive into the "Alpha and Omega" franchise and what you think this will do to the future of the series.
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