With its narrative resemblance to last year's Madagascar, the latest zoo-animals-gone-native adventure, The Wild, makes you suspect that both projects benefited from the same uncredited script doctor. The animation, however, is a different matter: where Madagascar was all sharp edges and blocky slabs of uniform color, The Wild is filled with softness and texture. When a breeze stirs the coat of Samson the lion, the hairs lift and separate just like the real thing.
The plot is at once familiar and unexpectedly original as Samson (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland), along with a gaggle of noisy friends, escapes from the fictitious New York Zoo in pursuit of his cub, who has stowed away on a ship bound for Africa.
The rescue mission allows a domesticated Samson to finally get his beast on; it also allows for inspired voice work from Eddie Izzard as a snooty koala bear and William Shatner as a menacing wildebeest with plans to reverse the predator-prey dynamic.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BVI
Some of the film's images, in fact -- like a pair of sewer-dwelling alligators with hideously pockmarked hides -- are shivery enough to inspire night terrors in all but the most precocious toddlers.
But while the kids are giggling at gambling pigeons and psychedelic chameleons, parents can enjoy a screenplay sensitive to the travails of single fatherhood and the evils of oppression. In The Wild, the most valuable weapons are honesty, tolerance and the ability to be oneself.
The Wild
Directed by: Steve Williams
With the voices of: Kiefer Sutherland (Samson), Jim Belushi (Benny), Greg Cipes (Ryan), Eddie Izzard (Nigel), Richard Kind (Larry), Janeane Garofalo (Bridget), William Shatner (Kazar) and Patrick Warburton (Blag)
Running time: 94 minutes
Taiwan Release: Today
May 18 to May 24 Pastor Yang Hsu’s (楊煦) congregation was shocked upon seeing the land he chose to build his orphanage. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the only way to access it was to cross a river by foot. The soil was poor due to runoff, and large rocks strewn across the plot prevented much from growing. In addition, there was no running water or electricity. But it was all Yang could afford. He and his Indigenous Atayal wife Lin Feng-ying (林鳳英) had already been caring for 24 orphans in their home, and they were in
On May 2, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), at a meeting in support of Taipei city councilors at party headquarters, compared President William Lai (賴清德) to Hitler. Chu claimed that unlike any other democracy worldwide in history, no other leader was rooting out opposing parties like Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). That his statements are wildly inaccurate was not the point. It was a rallying cry, not a history lesson. This was intentional to provoke the international diplomatic community into a response, which was promptly provided. Both the German and Israeli offices issued statements on Facebook
Even by the standards of Ukraine’s International Legion, which comprises volunteers from over 55 countries, Han has an unusual backstory. Born in Taichung, he grew up in Costa Rica — then one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — where a relative worked for the embassy. After attending an American international high school in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, Han — who prefers to use only his given name for OPSEC (operations security) reasons — moved to the US in his teens. He attended Penn State University before returning to Taiwan to work in the semiconductor industry in Kaohsiung, where he
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday delivered an address marking the first anniversary of his presidency. In the speech, Lai affirmed Taiwan’s global role in technology, trade and security. He announced economic and national security initiatives, and emphasized democratic values and cross-party cooperation. The following is the full text of his speech: Yesterday, outside of Beida Elementary School in New Taipei City’s Sanxia District (三峽), there was a major traffic accident that, sadly, claimed several lives and resulted in multiple injuries. The Executive Yuan immediately formed a task force, and last night I personally visited the victims in hospital. Central government agencies and the
RSS