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Reviews
Encanto (2021)
Bait & switch
If you're watching this in hopes of clever lyrics and catchy tunes then forget about it. Lin-Manuel Miranda is prominently, cynically high up in the credits for no good reason as the songs have absolutely none of the Moana magic. My guess is that Disney licensed his name to add cachet to this muddled corporate cash grab.
Disney relegates Encanto to the digital dustbin of also-ran garbage with an inauthentic, paper-thin plot that is as forgettable as it is seemingly endless while you're watching.
Cowboys (2020)
A shallow beauty
Rotten Tomatoes tricked me on this one. Like other reviewers here I was struck by the beautiful backdrop to this ultimately unsatisfying story that artfully avoids delving into the more meaningful issues surrounding mental illness. If you lose interest at any point I'd recommend walking away entirely to avoid wasting more time - the downward spiral gets steeper as you go.
For something real and gripping amid breathtaking scenery try Free Solo instead.
The Wonderful World of Disney: Ruby Bridges (1998)
Not a good intro to racism
As a parent I wish I had been warned before watching this with the young ones. It is not appropriate for kids who can't handle an hour and a half of drooling caricatures shouting mean things at a little girl. We were expecting something with intelligent talking points instead of a glorified ten minute YouTube presentation blown up into a poorly scripted TV movie. If your kid doesn't have an interest in or understanding of America's civil rights movement then consider something like The Boxtrolls instead.
In the tradition of recent Disney+ fare, phoned-in performances undermined what was left of this travesty.
Noelle (2019)
Soulless tripe
Noelle is the worst of all Christmas tropes all jumbled together. Written by committee? Check. Sponsored by Apple, Hilfiger and a Phoenix megamall? Check. And you can bet your bottom dollar the producers or writers live in Phoenix, or there's some monetary incentive provided by the city for its senseless inclusion in this catastrophic failure that is, to date, the worst and most corporate Christmas movie I've ever seen.
Save yourself the aggravation and enjoy Elf or Jingle All The Way with your loved ones instead.