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Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (2015)
Claws Out
French CGI anime-style cartoon that debuted in 2015. I had seen bits and pieces of the show here and there, and I remember someone at a church Halloween party was dressed as Marinette, but I only recently got into the show, and I was hooked from the first episode. The animation is gorgeous! The facial expressions are just so big! The animation is fluid! A lot of CGI shows these days tend to look cheaper, but this looks very movie quality, almost on level with Pixar. For me, this show really hearkens back to when I was a kid and watching shows like "Kim Possible'' or "Batman: The Animated Series". A weekly superhero series with a new "villain of the week". So what is the plot of this show? Marinette and Adrien are two teenagers in the city of Paris who are chosen by a Chinese master to become holders of beings called kwamis, which power the source of their superpowers called Miraculous. Adrien's miraculous is his ring, and Marinette's is her earrings. The main villain is a man named Hawk Moth, who wants to obtain their Miraculous for himself, for reasons I'm not going to spoil, and I'm also not going to spoil Hawk Moth's true identity, but if you haven't figured it out by the end of season 1, you weren't paying attention. Hawk Moth uses his own miraculous for evil, and to feed off the negative emotions of Paris' citizens and gives them superpowers to get revenge on the person who wronged them, with the stipulation that after their revenge is gained, they will steal Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous and bring them back to him. This is pretty much the formula for every episode. Someone will be wronged, usually by Chloe, Hawk Moth will give them superpowers, they'll terrorize, Marinette and Adrien will transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, they'll fight the villain, they'll win, turn them back to normal, and Hawk Moth will basically say "I'll get you next time." The biggest thing about the show is the dramatic irony in the writing. Marinette has a crush on Adrien, not knowing he's Cat Noir, and Adrien has a crush on Ladybug, not realizing she's Marinette. This can be delightful frustrating for the viewer, as several times the ship comes close to sailing, but something ends up screwing it up. Another great thing about the show, is that, while it is primarily focused on Marinette, and the fact that is technically a female-led superhero show, it never makes a big deal out of it. It's like how Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were equal partners in the team, even though Kim was technically the leader. It never flaunts or shoves down your throat that it's a female led show....unlike a lot of other things that have been doing that lately. (Supergirl, Captain Marvel, Dark Phoenix, etc.). This makes it a show that boys can enjoy as well. While the season 1 and 2 episodes are essentially the same thing over and over, but with a new villain, the episodes after that start to give more insight and backstory into the lore of the world and expand upon the abilities of the kwamis. I really like this show, and hope that Disney, who now owns the show, sees the potential in it as well, and gives it more seasons.
Clouds (2020)
Ugly Cried
This is going to be a very personal review. I knew this movie would be hard to watch, as I had an uncle who passed away of leukemia in 2013. I knew this movie would tug at my heratstrings. I was able to make it through the film without crying...until the last 10 minutes or so. When Zach starts being unable to finish his performance at his prom, and the audience of his friends, family, and complete strangers finish the song for him....that was the moment I started bawling. Absolutely beautiful. I cried even harder when I learned Zach passed away around a month before my uncle. My uncle was in his mid 20s when he passed, so they were around the same age. I volunteered in a cancer ward at my local hospital for 2 years as part of my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (the "Mormons".) I have a few medical conditions myself. Heart murmer, COPD, skeletal issues and a few learning disabilities that make me look and act younger than I am. I love stories of people with similar struggles, and this was one of them. I'm taking a star off for an unnecessary sex scene. There is NEVER a reason to have a sex scene in ANY movie.
Grade: A- 9/10 4/5
Sean Chandler Talks About (2013)
Energetic movie reviews
Sean's ability to rank and review is amazing! Has a great personality, and his show is so feel-good.
Hamilton (2020)
The World Turned Upside Down
This is a very well done production. It feels like you are in the theater with the audience, but with even better seats! This is a spectacular film with catchy musical numbers, a compelling plot, and a sense of patriotism desperately needed right now! A few minor gripes:
James Madison was our shortest president at 5'4''. The actor they chose to play him is easily 6 ft. That took me out of it a bit. But this is a very emotionally powerful film that makes you appreciate this country and how much the Founding Fathers sacrificed to give us our freedom
Grade: A- 9/10 4/5 stars
My Spy (2020)
Sacrifices script for trying to be trendy
This is a done-to-death premise with films like "The Game Plan",
"The Spy Next Door", and "The Pacifier." The difference, is that each of those films did this premise much better. (The Pacifier, being the best one, in my opinion.) I did get a few laughs from Dave Bautista, and it started out kind of entertaining, but around the 45 minute mark, it just fell apart. So much of the script is focused on being "trendy" and "woke", and for most of this movie I was cringing. There's a scene where Bautista's character is on the dance floor, and in theory, this should be really funny, since there was a similar scene with Vin Diesel in "The Pacifier", but here, it's just him dabbing and doing other cringy "trendy" things that aren't relevant anymore. The film also thinks that if it acknowledges it's own lazy writing, it's lazy writing will be excusable, but if any thing it just makes it even more infuriating. The biggest facepalms were when Kristen Schall's character brings up the wage gap (which is a myth, btw), and there was another "woke" moment that I can't remember now, but I was facepalming and groaning so much.
Grade: D 4/10 2/5 stars
Knives Out (2019)
Overrated
For the most part, this is a pretty good movie, but it doesn't really get going until the second half. However, once again, Rian Johnson cannot keep his politics out of the script. (And this is coming from someone who for the most part will defend "The Last Jedi." (minus Admiral purple hair Holdo)) So much of it is focused on debates about immigration, and other politics. Why couldn't this have just been a mystery movie? When it satirizes the mystery stuff, it's done well, but, again, the political commentary is eye-rolling and distracting. I will say, Chris Evans was robbed of an Oscar nomination. His performance is by far the best one here, and this is a pretty star-studded cast! (It's kind of funny to hear him cursing, and at one point saying the F word, because of how many times he told people to watch their language in Avengers: Age of Ultron. That's some dang irony!) Daniel Craig's Southern accent is hilariously bad, and even the film points that out. I don't know if that was intentional, or if they just put Craig in this for name recognition. Either way, it was kind of weird. The political stuff is most likely why this nearly has a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and why it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, even though the film itself is just kind of average.
Grade: C- 7/10 3.5/5 stars
Feel the Beat (2020)
School of Rock, but dancing
This is defintly Sofia Carson at her best. Her character in this movie is so unlikable and mean, borderline the villain in fact, which is a nice change from the teeny bopper DIsney Channel characters she usually plays. I would actually like to see a movie where she is 100% villain. I know she was Sandman's daughter in that Spider-Man episode, but I want a full movie where she's like a full psycho evil classic villain.
Ok, so plot-wise, this is pretty much beat for beat (no pun intended) School of Rock, but with dance instead of rock band, but not nearly as funny. It's predictable, yes, but still enjoyable. it feels very 90s in some parts, but I think that was kind of the point. The young kids in this film also give very believable performances. I thought this was a fun movie. Netflix lied about the rating, though. They have it listed as TV-G, but it is definitely a PG-13. Mild language, some suggestive content, some...teenage situations, let's say. It's about the same level as School of Rock (which is also PG-13) in terms of content. I hope Sofia gets more roles that show her range. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, cast her as a villain. (Evie from Descendants doesn't count. She wasn't actually a villain, she was just vain.)
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
Scoob! (2020)
Too much innuendo and agenda
This is...entertaining, I guess? It's more of a Blue Falcon movie than it is a Scooby-Doo mystery. The title should have been "Scooby Doo and the Blue Falcon", "Scooby-Doo and the Blue Falcon Adventure", or something along those lines. The best joke in this movie is 10 minutes in, involving Ruth Bader Gisnburg being a Slytherin. That got the hardest laugh out of me. I did enjoy some of the jokes that make fun of how dated the show is. ("It's like Shaggy was written by a middle aged man who thinks saying "like" a lot is how hippies talk"). I didn't appreciate some of the crasser humor that earned this movie the PG rating. Jokes about "dropping F bombs" (meaning Falcon bombs), "Just Falcon Around", Tinder being misunderstood to be an app that delivers firewood and Velma being a bit of an SJW by shouting "toxic masculinity!" These are jokes that might fit in a Dreamworks movie that came out in the early 2000s, but they certainly don't belong here. They should have focused more on being a Scooby Doo mystery, but this is more of a Blue Falcon crossover movie. It's entertaining, but only for a one time watch.
Grade: C 7/10 3/5 stars
Artemis Fowl (2020)
Perfectly family friendly
I really enjoyed this movie! I don't get all the hate for it. For the most part, it was pretty accurate to the book. They added in a weird subplot, but that was really the only change, apart from gender-swapping a character, but they didn't really make that an issue. I had fun with this movie. The way everything was shot, the effects, all of it was fun and aestetic. The acting was not horrible. I normally hate on Josh Gad a lot because he seems to be very "Look at me! I'm funny! Laugh!!!" and it's annoying, but here, he delivers the funny lines so deadpan, and that's what makes it funny. (Though, I'm not sure what was with his Batman voice) It seems genuine, as opposed to trying to be funny. Also, not a single curse word the entire movie, and no underlying agenda of any kind. It was just entertainment. The exposition was a bit rushed. (20 minutes in, and they're still giving us information, and a lot of it), but that was really the only issue. Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
Gabby Duran & The Unsittables (2019)
Doesn't make me want to gouge my ears out!
This is one of the funniest newer Disney Channel shows I've seen since Gravity Falls. It has no annoying laugh track, has some pretty dark humor in it (surprising since it's main audience is middle school girls), and is just entertaining. So what's the plot?
Gabby is a middle school aged girl who is sort of ignored by her mom and younger sister. Her principal , whose name is Principal Principal Swift (because he's the principal of the school, and his first name is also Principal) sees something special in her, and reveals that he and his nephew Jeremy are aliens in disguise hiding out on Earth until Jeremy becomes old enough to become king of their planet. Gabby does such a good job babysitting Jeremy on her first day that Swift recommends her to other aliens who are hiding out on Earth. I will say, this is a pretty fun premise. Some of the aliens have very creative designs and powers. There's one alien who was clearly modeled after Eleven from Stranger Things. By far, the best characters on the show are Principal Swift and the Orb. Swift reminds me of Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor from Doctor Who, mixed with Dick Solomon from 3rd Rock from the Sun, particularly with the way he unintentionally makes people feel awkward with the way he misunderstands Earth culture. For example, there's an episode where he's teaching Jeremy about dining out, and based on his previous observations, gets the idea that humans always have to send back the first dish given to them. He annoys the waiter by doing this, and they get banned for life. It's like that one 3rd Rock episode where Dick Solomon adds or takes away from his waiter's tip pile based on how satisfied he is with his service. The dark humor in this show comes mostly from the Orb. She sort of reminds me of GLADOS from Portal. There's an episode where Jeremy is sick, and Earth doctors don't have a cure, so the Orb decides that they should let nature take it's course so she can get his room. Never thought I'd hear that on a Disney show, though I guess if Gravity Falls can have a villain say he's going to murder children, anything goes at this point. If you want a modern Disney show that entertains without some of the lower humor, than check out Gabby Duran and the Unsittables
Mech-X4 (2016)
Pacific Rim and Power Rangers had a kid
Ohh, boy! This show is right up my alley! It's like if you took "Pacific Rim" and "Power Rangers" and mixed them together. It has action, fun characters, and some pretty good humor.
Ryan is a teenager who discovers he has the power to control technology around him, and that these people are called Technopaths. He finds out someone knows about his ability, and built a giant robot suit that only he can pilot. He's told that he, his 2 friends, and his brother, need to work together in the suit to fight the monsters that are being created and attacking the city. Ok, so the CGI in this show for the monsters isn't the best, but hey, it's a TV budget, I'm willing to be forgiving. The monsters actually have some really cool designs. Each monster is a hybrid of two different animals. One's half crab and half baboon, one's half Jaguar and half Stegosaurus, One's part T-Rex, Rhino, and Scorpion, you get the idea. These monsters are really cool, and some are actually pretty terrifying. There's also a lot of wit from the main characters, especially the character of Harper. He's basically this universe's Tony Stark, complete with the same personality. The action is pretty fun to watch, reminiscent of shows like Power Rangers, and there's actually some really good and surprising twists in some of the episodes. This show is obviously a niche, and it's not going to be for everyone, but if you love Pacific Rim or Power Rangers, than check out MECH X4.
Prom (2011)
A rejected DCOM?
Clearly meant to be a Disney Channel movie that they said "Hey, let's release this in theaters so we can make money off of it." (Which didn't work out so well since it only made back about half its budget.) It has all the fabricated drama you'd expect. The acting isn't that great. The plot is a bit convoluted, and the characters are cookie cutouts. This almost seems like a parody film at times. A really bad one.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
It beat Disney and deserved to!
Last year, I said that "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was the best Spider-Man movie ever. I was wrong. This is! It has the perfect amount of action, drama, and comedy. Allegedly, the directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, were fired from the Han Solo movie because their vision was "too comedic." This movie proves they can balance drama and comedy perfectly, and I'm hoping this film opens the floodgates for them with other studios wanting to hire them. The animation took some getting used too as it is computer-animated, but meant to look like a comic book not quite completely CGI, but not quite completely hand-drawn either. What was clever about this very unique animation style was in certain close-up shots you could see the little dots that you would see in the pages of a comic book if you zoomed in with a magnifying glass. This movie already blew my mind, but if it had come out when I was 6, it would have blown my mind even more so. This is the Spider-Man movie I would have wanted as a kid, and I can't help but feel jealous of kids today who are my age when the original Spider-Man movie came out in 2002. The backstories for the various Spider-people are told very well, and even if you're not familiar with all the various iterations of the character, you still don't feel lost. (and this movie barely scratches the surface of the Spider-Man lore. There are still many, many, versions of Spider-Man that can be touched on, and I look forward to seeing them in the sequel). This is perfect for kids and adults! If this is not nominated for an Oscar next year, something is wrong with the Academy. There was absolute nothing about this movie to complain about!
Grade: A+ 10/10 5/5 stars
Aquaman (2018)
Better than it has any right to be
This was fin-tastic! In my "Justice League" review last year, I praised the way they handled Aquaman, and made him cool instead of the butt of the joke that he's been for the past 75 years. He's just as cool here. From the opening battle to the final battle, his awesomeness has no end. The story is pretty good, though I did feel like I'd seen a lot of it before, but it's such a fun journey, that I didn't care. The action sequences, at least when they're grand scale battles with wide shots or pan-shots, look gorgeous. The hand-to-hand combat stuff, not so much. The way those are shot made me feel like I was watching someone play the "Injustice" games. Some of the dialogue is pretty corny, but that's the case with most DC films lately. They're trying to be live-action Saturday morning cartoons. I have no problem with that in the action aspect, but some of the dialogue really needed some re-writes. I usually complain about CGI in Warner Bros. movies saying how it always looks like a trailer for a PS2 game from 2004, but that's not the case here. Ok, there were some parts underwater that were very obviously green screen, but those were few and far between, at least not to the degree of "Wonder Woman" where I could tell when things were CGI. Most of the cast is pretty good, but I do need to complain just a little bit about Amber Heard. During the fight scenes, she was great, but anytime she had dialogue, her lips came up into a sort of sneer, like she was smelling rotten eggs. It didn't matter what the line was. It always looked like that, and it was distracting, and a bit funny. A lot of times it also sounded like she was trying to imitate Scarlett Johansson with the line delivery. In fact, if I closed my eyes, I could almost mistake her for Scarlett Johansson. The movie also had a lot of unnecessary figurative hand-holding for the audience. Every time there was a new location it felt the need to tell you where you were, despite the fact that most people could figure it out from visual context clues. It's obvious we're in Atlantis, it's obvious this is the Sahara. You don't need to have the text on the screen tell us. We're not dumb. We can figure it out in the first 5 seconds of seeing the location. By far the best part of this movie is the directing and cinematography. The wide shots are just gorgeous and the non hand to hand battles are well directed too. For a movie called 'Aquaman' where the main character's power is talking to fish, this was a lot better than it had any right to be. This is definitely, surprisingly, one of DC's best.
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Disney's Lego Movie
If "Incredibles 2'' beats this for Best Animated Film at the Oscars next year, I'm going to be so ticked! I'd say not only is this one of the best animated films of 2018, it's one of the best films of 2018, period. The plot was not predictable, there were lots of in-jokes and Easter Eggs. This is what "The Emoji Movie" wishes it could be. The film doesn't have much going for it in terms of plot, the plot is pretty simple, but I don't think that was the point of the movie. I think this was supposed to be more "Let's see how many jokes we can make in 100 minutes." Do all the jokes work? No. Some of them actually fall really flat, and there were some elements I think could have been expanded more. This is more akin to "Lego" movies than anything else. The scenes with the Disney princesses being exaggerated parodies of themselves is worth the price of admission alone. (It actually makes me want a Disney Princess "Avengers" type movie.) And there are plenty of other jokes for Marvel and Star Wars. This is probably the hardest I've laughed at a movie this year. It's the rare sequel that in some ways is slightly better than the original.
Grade: A- 9/10 4/5 stars
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Fantastic followup
I had mildly low expectations for this movie. I've kind of been over the Harry Potter franchise since Deathly Hallows Part 2 came out, and Fantastic Beasts ended up being a delightful surprise, but I doubted they could make this one as good. They did. Ultimately I was worried that Johnny Depp would ruin the movie because at this point he's almost playing a parody of himself, but for once, Depp does not play Jack Sparrow in a different outfit. The character of Grindelwald is fiercely acted by Depp, and even gives Lord Voldemort himself a run for his money. This franchise got dark really fast. The "Potter" movies didn't got dark until the 4th outing, but this one did not hold back. It earns the PG-13 rating, which was surprising since the first one was more of a fun fantasy romp. It was refreshing to see a film in this franchise where I did not know the general plot going in, since this is not an adaptation of a book, so there were some great surprises. There were some moments where I thought "Ok, that's really stupid" but overall, the story made sense. I really wish these films would stop ending on cliffhangers. I understand about wanting to make another franchise, but unless it has been set in stone that the story will conclude like "Lord of the Rings", don't do that. Each film should feel more-or-less self contained. Let's say this movie doesn't do well enough at the box office to warrant a 3rd one. It ends up being a waste of time. I do hope we get a 3rd one, because I'm excited to see where the story goes, and if my theories from this film are right.
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Nightmares!
The visuals and costumes are stunning. That's literally the only positive thing I have to say about this movie. Everything else about it is bad. It's a shame, because the director has made some really great stuff. (Captain America: The First Avenger, and 1995's "Jumanji".). The main issue was the plot. The plot was all over the place. I remember very little about it. It was a muddled mess of a movie. The acting was way over the top. Keira Knightly usually does so well, but, sadly she is the worst one here. Every single line is over enunciated or overacted. I think doing all those Pirates movies with Johnny Depp rubbed off on her, because it's like watching a female Johnny Depp. The film, rather than telling the story of the Nutcracker, which is a fine story, and if they had stuck with the original story it probably would have been fine, decides to tell a completely different story, that is very, very, loosely tied to the story. I think the only thing it shares with the original story is the title. It was trying to imitate too many other fantasy movies. Wizard of Oz, 2010's Alice in Wonderland, Narnia. It spent too much time trying to distract with flashy visuals, when it should have been focusing on the story and acting, and it suffers greatly for it. This movie has no audience. Kids won't like it, because the scary visuals will scare them, and adults will find it boring. This movie is probably the closest thing to being on acid that I will ever experience. Skip this one. See if a local theatre is doing a production of the original "Nutcracker" instead. And if not, I'm sure there are many taped versions out there that are a better way to spend your time than with this movie.
Grade: D 6/10 2/5 stars
The Grinch (2018)
A review in rhyme
This film was certainly better than the one with Jim Carrey. That one was mean spirited, and he looked down right scary. This one, if you'll put nostalgia aside and just take a look, I think you'll find is much truer to the book. Yes, it's true that this version still has filler plot, but it's luckily just enough, not a whole lot. Now this next statement may cause you to give me guff, but one of my problems was the Grinch wasn't mean enough. In the cartoon and other movie, he's abusive to Max. But in this version, that is something it lacks. The Grinch in this version isn't mean, just kind of a jerk. And I feel that is something that just did not work. But the animation is gorgeous and full of life. The live action version's colors were muted, which caused me great strife. The voice acting by Benedict Cumberbatch was a delight, although at times his voice just did not sound right. "Overconsumerism is bad": The film's message rings clear. Although with all the marketing and tie-ins, the irony seems to be lost here. It's pretty cookie cutter, there aren't many surprises. It did not make my heart grow nor shrink three sizes. It's pretty good animation for a $75 million budget. Though everyone looked a bit like a CGI Muppet. This is still a good attempt by Illumination, for, for all of it's flaws it at least had dedication.
Grade: C 7/10 3.5/5 stars
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
Feels like the show
This is the rare sequel that manages to be on par with the original. This felt like a long episode of the tv show. (That's a good thing). Unlike the first, where they just threw in every Goosebumps monster and villain they could think of, this feels more like watching the characters actually live a Goosebumps story. There were some good laughs, and there were actually a few genuinely scary moments. This has all the fun and cheesiness you'd expect from a Goosebumps property. Although the film did work well with its own original story, part of me keeps hoping that one day they'll do an anthology movie where they adapt at least 3 Goosebumps stories into one movie. There were a few dumb moments in this movie, but they weren't so dumb that I was facepalming or groaning. They fit with the tone of the film, because that's what this film is: Dumb, but fun dumb, not bad dumb.
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
Venom (2018)
Hot Reservoir! This was fun!
I was a bit skeptical when they announced this movie. Could a Venom movie work without Spider-Man? The whole reason the character even exists in the first place is because of Spider-Man. Surprisingly, this movie worked, and it worked well. Yes, the origin story has for the most part been changed, but it still made sense and still worked. Tom Hardy is great in everything he does, and this is no exception. Some of the dialogue is really stupid, and I feel certain scenes could have had more potential, but the stuff that was great was really great. The CGI was terrific, as were the action scenes. The story took a while to get going, but once it did, it really got going. I think this is one of those movies that has enormous potential, but it will never be fully realized, and everything it's setting up will sadly be cancelled. This has happened with "Cirque Du Freak", "Valerian", and others, and I feel this is going to join the "Potential franchise ends up being one and done" club, which is a shame. I want to see more of this!
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
A 90-minute how-to on Satanism
This is going to be a very mixed review. The acting is pretty good, and the story is reminescent of a Goosebumps book, but one thing that was omitted from all the marketing was all the Satanic imagery and themes throughout the movie itself. "Harry Potter" and "Goosebumps" this is not. This is an attempt to sell Satanism to children. There's even a part where the main child character performs a Necromancy ritual. (Yes, you read that right.) Granted, he raises the villain from the dead, and later lives to regret it, but still...the fact that this was shown, step by step, in a CHILDREN'S movie is inexcusable! And there are other Satanic images and themes throughout the movie as well, and NONE of them are subtle. I was extremely disappointed in this movie, because I thought I was going to get a fun "Goosebumps" or "Harry Potter" type Halloween movie, but what I got was much, much darker. I cannot, in good concsience, recommend this movie. Some parts of the movie were enjoyable, (Jack Black and Cate Blanchett had some great back-and-forth insult comedy dialogue and Renee Elise Goldsbury of "Hamilton" fame as one of the villains was a great choice), but I am not going to recommend this movie, and personally, I hope it bombs.
Grade: C 7/10 2/5 stars
Christopher Robin (2018)
More for adults
This was delightful! The detail on the stuffed animals was exquisite, but it's confusing as to why Owl and Rabbit look like a real owl and rabbit, but the others look like stuffed animals. The plot is very sweet and has good intentions, but it is cliche and is also very similar to "Hook". Overworked dad rediscovers childhood joy and learns to be a better father, blah, blah, blah, we've seen this before. It is still done very well, though. What doesn't make sense is that the animal characters do actually speak, and people outside of the Hundred-Acre-Wood freak out when they hear them speak, which is just weird. This didn't really feel like a "Disney" movie. It just didn't have that certain something that Disney movies have. I feel like any studio could have made this. It's still a very cute movie, and a lot of time and care was put into this. The first 15 minutes are more-or-less the style of the books, and there are lots of cute little references to the stories. This definitely isn't a kids' movie, though. It's not inappropriate, kids will just find it boring. There were a lot of kids sleeping at my showing, but the adults sure enjoyed it. Keep that in mind. The average 5-year-old audience may not be entertained.
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
In the same vein as "Lego" movies
This film was hilarious! It's a superhero movie for people who don't like superhero movies, or at the very least, think there are too many too quickly. This film makes fun of everything! The superhero genre as a whole, the actors in the film, the studio, it goes on. And the jokes are well written, smart, and at times pretty subtle. Adults will definetly get more out of it than kids. The songs in the film are catchy and clever, and there are countless blink-and-you'll-miss-it visual gags. Do all the jokes work? No, but none bomb particularly hard, and the jokes that do work more than make up for the ones that don't.
Grade: A+ 10/10 5/5 stars
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Ol' Reliable
As far as plot goes it was pretty much the same as the others. Hard to follow, high stakes, same old same old. But we don't go to "Mission: Impossible" movies for the plot, we see them for the action scenes, and boy did this film deliver! The action sequences were fantastic! Henry Cavill and Tom Cruise have a great dynamic in the film. A lot of the plot seems a bit overstuffed and some characters a bit unneccessary. The humor is unexpected for this kind of film, and it's great. Simon Pegg has some of the funniest lines here. Definitely one of the best entries in the series.
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
A good sequel
I didn't care too much for the second "Hotel Transylvania", so I went in with my expectations pretty low for this one. I was pleasantly surprised. Yeah, it's predictable, but it's a kids movie. There were a few times I laughed. The animation is fast-paced and fun to watch. The plot is at least somewhat interesting this time around. Not all of the jokes worked, (in fact, some were completely out of nowhere and made no sense) but the ones that did really worked. The villains were pretty interesting, and there were a lot of really clever visual gags. It's at least an improvement on the second one, because stuff actually happens in this one. I rather enjoyed this. I would definitely at least rent it.
Grade: B 8/10 3.5/5 stars