Legend of Vox Machina- Season 2

8/10

In season 2 on Amazon Prime, the members of the adventuring group Vox Machina go up against the Chroma Conclave, four powerful dragons who are attacking cities.

This is definitely a stronger season than the last, which mostly had a real Castlevania vibe to it. This had more of a traditional fantasy feel, and I appreciate that. There is a lot more this time around as the characters are taken to multiple locations and face multiple challenges. Whereas the first season focused primarily on Percy's backstory, here we get to delve into the backstories of most of the other characters ,and they're pretty good. (There is a generational trauma storyline, and admittedly I think they have gotten a bit old hat by now. Every TV/movie writer seems to be doing lousy parents these days.) 

The animation continues to look really, really good. Like the last season, when this show gets violent, it gets graphically violent. However, where the last season felt like it was trying too hard, here the violence is paced well.  

Recommended, this was just a pretty well crafted story with a distinct, compelling cast of characters.

Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special

7.5

In this Harley Quinn special, we follow Harley (voiced by the Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco), Poison Ivy (Childrens Hospital's Lake Bell), Clayface (Alan Tudyk), and Bane (James Adomian) on Valentine's Day.

This is a generally entertaining special. Wouldn't say it's one of the top entries from the show, but you get some pretty fun lines and DC references throughout. There's a good amount of creativity in this and the various plots, except maybe Clayface's, keep your interest.

This does have two weak points. The whole schtick of Harley being too enthusiastic, making bad decisions and not listening to Ivy has gotten a bit tired. Also, Clayface does better as part of an ensemble than as the lead of his own subplot. Tudyk's hack actor dialogue is amusing in small doses but becomes tiresome when unrestrained.

Overall, recommended. More off-kilter shenanigans. If you like the Harley Quinn show, then you'll probably like this.

Star Trek: Lower Decks- Season 3

9/10

This third season continues the misadventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos.

I'm impressed at how this show has managed to maintain quality. Okay, no single episode has been as funny as the Badgey and ascension episodes from season 1, but the show remains consistently funny, creative, and does a wonderful job of working with and poking fun at Star Trek tropes.

The stories this season even feel like a step up from season two, and bare in mind that that was also a good season. Episode seven in particular is one of the show's most creative episodes. Though still primarily episodic, this is the season with the most reliance on an overarching storyline resulting in a really satisfying finale that is on par with season one's.

One of the best things about the third season is that the characters grow. Both ensigns Mariner (voiced by Space Force's Tawny Newsome) and Boimler (Scream/The Hunger Games films' Jack Quaid) get some much needed character development. Both the former's need for control and the latter's lack of faith in himself were starting to get old, and I'm glad the writers were realizing that too. Consistently, the two funniest characters remain the tough but secretly sensitive security officer Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) and the constantly upbeat Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, one of those actors who pop up frequently in various comedies).

Highly recommended. This remains one of the most entertaining and well written animated adult comedies currently on.

Westworld- Season 4

7.5/10

Taking place several years after the events of season 3, a group of Hosts make a play against humanity.

The first episode had me a little worried. There was the fact that you're not shown the immediate fallout of season 3 and the story wasn't completely enticing. However, once things get rolling, it gets really interesting. This is probably the darkest season and a LOT happens. I'm going to avoid any details for fear of spoiling, but this is a really interesting season. I was kept guessing what would happen next. Again, the look of the show, cast, and music are all great. 

Though I liked it, this season could be stronger. Some of the more interesting supporting characters from last season like Caleb's criminal compatriots and the main villain they spent so much time with and left open to return are completely gone. Plus, there's the show's tendency to squander characters. Expect to be frustrated here.  

Though this is was a very interesting season, I admit that this is also the most straightforward of all the seasons. This feels the less like the writers are throwing you around, but the feel of wonder you got from the look of Westworld and the sense of mystery in 1 and 2 and the look of the future world in season 3 is gone here. Also, the finale is very controversial (season 4 is taking the show's tendency of trying to hard to be clever to the umpth degree.) I honestly am not quite sure how I feel about it. It's a power move, I'll give you that.

Recommended. I know I listed a lot of negatives, but that's because I can't get into what works. I found this to be the second strongest season. This just felt more focused and captivating than the last two one.

Dragonball Super: Super Hero

8/10

In this the second DBS film (with screenplay by original DB creator Akira Toriyama), The Red Ribbon Army (from the original Dragon Ball) has rebuilt itself, created new, powerful allies, and are seeking vengeance against Goku and his allies, with Piccolo being the first they set their eyes upon.

If you're walking into this expecting another film like the previous installment the action and lore-heavy DBS: Broly, DON'T. This is more like the first of the DBZ comeback films Battle of the Gods. You get two-thirds of old-school, original DB-style comedy with an impressive battle in the final act. If you love DB for the action, but aren't big on DB's humor, this may not be for you. I, however, had a good time. I thought this was pretty funny and liked the goofy, light-hearted comedy and the unique tone Toriyama brings.

Not to say the fight scenes are anything to scoff at. I wouldn't say they are as good as Broly, some of the best action I've ever seen in animation, but they're not that far off either. The fights are all really impressive, grand, and really well animated. This is the first DB title to use 3D-cell shaded (21/2-D) models, and I thought it worked pretty well. Speaking of the show's appearance in general, I love the look of of the backgrounds and buildings in this. Everything looks really good. 

Be forewarned that the movie sidelines lead Goku and Vegeta, the best fighters in the series. To be honest, I'm not hating the decision. It's a fun shift from the norm to focus on some of the supporting characters. Piccolo really does carry the film. He's basically the serious, competent guy who has to deal with everyone else's eccentricities. 

I also like the new villains in this, they're all pretty entertaining, particularly eccentric and morally complex scientist Dr. Hedo. The two main androids in this Gamma 1 and 2 are admittedly just a reuse of the old trope of the cocky guy/takes-things-seriously guy duo, but they're still decent characters. 

Recommended. I'd say this is my third favorite DBZ movie (below Broly and Battle of the Gods). It may be a step down from the last film, but if you like it when DB is just trying to have fun, I think you'll like this.

The Wonderful Summer of Mickey Mouse

6/10

This third season-oriented Mickey Mouse special on Disney+, differs from the first two, which contained three separate stories. Here, Mickey and friends recollect their day and what led to a terrible mishap at the fireworcks.

I admit, I'm a little let down by this one. These Mickey Mouse stories can be so creative, nuts, and fun. However, this one felt pretty basic. The story lines were all traditional comedy-of-errors slapstick that were kinda predictable. Don't get me wrong, there were still moments of some really fun old-school style visual humor that The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse is known for. The animation and character design is on point, and Chris Diamantoupolous' MM voice remains hilarious. I also liked the 40's/50's-esque song at the beginning. (Plus, there is more screen time for the walrus mayor, which is an amusing-looking fellow with a fun voice.) It's just that ultimately there are stronger Mickey Mouse entries.

Your kids may like this, but there are plenty of better World of Mickey Mouse cartoons you can check out first.

The Cuphead Show- Season 1

7/10

In this new show based on the video game Cuphead, brothers Cuphead (voiced by Tru Valentino) and Mugman (Frank Todaro) live in a world reminiscent of 1930's cartoons. They constantly end up in a series of misadventures, while the Devil (Luke Millington-Drake) keeps trying to get Cuphead's soul.

My hats off to the animation. Yeah, it can't quite match the feel of the old-school type, but does a really strong job. Backgrounds are watercolor. There are film scratches and slight shadows are applied to characters to give the impression of them being cells placed on a background. (I can't take credit for noticing that last bit. The guys on the Youtube Channel Double Toasted brought that to my attention.) You even get some stop-motion backgrounds reminiscent of the stop motion-cave that Popeye walked through back in the day. (Again, Double Toasted.) Like the video game, there is a concentrated effort to maintain the feel of the 1930's, like the character designs, costumes, buildings, etc.

However, the stories are not as strong as the animation. To be clear, the stories are alright. They're traditional comic stories. But, in an era where children's cartoons have become more ambitious and tried new things, this feels surprisingly regressive. The plots are often traditional shenanigans and worn-out situations that have been done before, like a character overhearing something and misinterpreting what was said. Nothing special.  

It doesn't help that the cup brothers aren't the most engaging. They're miscreants who constantly disobey and make bad, selfish decisions. To be clear, they're immature boys, so I wouldn't say they ever make me straight up dislike them the way it would if they were adults, but still they can get annoying with their constant need to not listen stick their hands in it. 

Doesn't help that that Cupman and Mugman's voices and personalities aren't what I (and I'm guessing others) would have in their head based on the video games where there were no dialogue. (They have old timey Bronx-style voices.) Fans of the game may be disappointed with the adaptation here. There were so many colorful villains in the Cuphead game, but not a lot of them are used. Sadly, the show doesn't have much interest in the use of some of the more fantastical/high concept ones. Of the villains they do use, at least two of these groups of villains are the types who say 'Youse' and aren't that interesting. I think that kinda defines the most disappointing part of this, the creators seemed mostly interested in writing about 30's city scenarios. Remember how those old cartoons could feature things like books coming to life or really weird, out-there stuff happening? There isn't much of that here. (Though, there's a ghost episode that's pretty fun.) Also, if you liked the villain King Dice (voiced here by Wayne Brady), who was the second most prominent villain throughout the game and appeared throughout, he's surprisingly only in one episode here. 

Sorta recommended. It's not a stellar show, but generally entertaining. Kids will probably get more mileage out of this.

Cat Burglar

6/10

In this interactive short Netflix cartoon, Rowdy (voiced by James Adomian), a burglar who is also a cat, tries to steal a painting from a museum protected by guard dog, as in a guard who is also a dog, Peanut (Alan Lee).

To it's credit, Cat Burglar really does serve as a tribute to classic Warner Bros./Tom and Jerry slapstick. I especially like the background work and the addition of slight film defects to enhance the old school feeling. There is some pretty solid physical and visual humor. But as a whole, Cat Burglar really doesn't leave that much of an impression or maintain much interest. Doesn't help that due to the interactive portion, you help the bad guy. Peanut is likable, and I feel bad acting against him the way this cartoon does.

Also, not sure of who the audience is supposed to be. This is technically TV-14, but the traditional cartoon violence doesn't feel that objectionable. 

But, I guessing you're curious about the interactive part, so without further ado let's get to that. This isn't a choose-your-own adventure style interactive show where you choose the characters' actions. Rather, when Rowdy attempts an action, you have to answer three either-or-questions. You get a single one wrong, then Rowdy dies. Frustratingly, you still have to answer the second or third questions even though you've already failed. Rowdy only gets three lives, then you have to start over. However, starting over isn't as bad as it sounds. You don't have to rewatch the intro, and segments are shortened. Plus, you're just not going through the same bits every time. There are multiple scenarios that could pop up, keeping things fresh. Still, the new content doesn't completely validate the trivia sections. They are just too quick. Admittedly, a lot of the trivia isn't too hard, so the time limit makes sense for creating a challenge. Still, having to make a choice so quickly isn't much fun. I especially think that younger viewers would have trouble.   

It's an interesting diversion, but not much else. Check it out if you're curious, but you don't need to see this.  

The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse

8/10

This comedy special from Disney+'s show The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse features three Mickey Mouse stories involving winter. 

This special keeps the elements that made the short cartoons from WWoMM and its predecessor Mickey Mouse (show name, not the character) so entertaining, possessing a a 30's/40's throwback feel with clever visual humor and straight-up creativity. The cartoons here effortlessly mesh whimsy, slapstick, weird, smart jokers and the occasional refreshingly dark bits. There's a little something for everyone to like here. Well, maybe not everyone. If you're just not a big fan of old school cartoon physical comedy, you might be bored by this, because that's the most of what the special is. The animation is top-notch in terms of fluidity and physicality of characters. 

Segment breakdowns:

First segment- 7/10: Mickey (voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos) causes chaos when working at a factory in the clouds. Creative slapstick and I liked the whimsical old-fashioned fantasy design of the cloud world, but it quite isn't as substantive or memorable as the other two entries.

Second segment- 8/10: Mickey, Goofy (Bill Farmer), and Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) stay at a cabin in the mountains and things soon go awry. The best one. It's the old school MG&D-face-trouble routine (such as the classic cartoon shorts where they were firefighters or fought ghosts), but it feels fresh as most of the bits are pretty funny and the situation keeps getting more and more absurd  

Third segment- 8/10: Mickey and Minnie's skating routine keeps getting interrupted by Goofy's ill-fated attempts at ice-fishing. Again, we got a worn out cartoon premise: a character's activities keeps getting interrupted. And again, they manage to keep it fresh. A lot more humor is wrung out of ice skating than you'd expect. Mickey as a character gets his best moments here. I can't deemphasize how good Diamantopoulos is at making Mickey sound funny.

Recommended. You and your kids should probably have a fun time with this.

Hilda, the Mountain King

9/10

In this Netflix movie follow-up to the Hilda series, which is also based on the original Hilda graphic novel Hilda and the Mountain King, the adventurous girl Hilda (voiced by Bella Ramsey) has been turned into a troll and taken to the mountain of the trolls. She desperately tries to get back home while security in her town of Trollsberg has built up due to a wave of anti-troll fervor. 

This has that same unique charm and old-fashioned comics-esque feel of the show. Story is well-written. The movie especially does a good job with Hilda's Mum (Daisy Ridley), really selling her desperation for reuniting with her daughter. Hilda's been switched with a troll child, and I'm pleased that this isn't a case of their minds being switched. One's now a troll and one's now a human. Mind-swapping is such a cliche and by avoiding it we don't have to waist time with characters figuring out what's going on. Speaking of the trolls, though they've frequently been shown in the show, this movie really sheds light on the world of them, and I like the imagination and their various designs.    

Though you can see some stuff and the ultimate message coming, the movie does it well enough that you don't care. I thought the it did a pretty good job of warning kids of the dangers of fear and intolerance. 

If you liked Hilda's friends Frida (Ameerah Falzon-Ojo) and David (Oliver Nelson), don't expect to see as much of them as you'd like. They have roles to play and decent screen time, but they feel like they're going off on subquests. To the best of my knowledge, they were created for the show, so Hilda would have some kids her own age to interact with and you kinda need a bigger cast for an entire season of the show. They're not in the graphic novels. The creators appear to have stayed true to the original story while having the unenviable task of having to incorporate elements from the show, meaning they couldn't have Frida and David do anything to radically alter the story beats. 

This is a direct continuation to the season 2 finale cliffhanger. You'll have a lot clearer understanding of what's going on if you watch it.

The animation is just like the show's: colors are a bit muted and odd for my taste, but I love the design and the comic come-to-life feeling to it. The opening credits are a really well done sequence.

Overall, this is a wonderful film. It might be the end of the show. I'm unclear on whether their final third season deal was for an actual season or it was substituted for this film. If so, this was a great place to end on.

Snoopy Presents For Auld Lang Syne

7/10

In the first Peanuts special in a decade (found on Apple+), Lucy (voiced by Isabella Leo) becomes depressed after her grandma cancels her Christmas visit and decides to lift her spirits by throwing a New Year's Eve party.  

Peanuts has already tackled, and sometimes retackled, all the major holidays before (there's three other Christmas specials besides the first one), but it makes sense for them to revisit New Year's. The original special was decent, but doesn't leave that much of an impression (how much of it do you remember?), and is up there with the less memorable and less shown holiday specials alongside Arbor Day and Memorial Day. Heck, the Arbor Day one shines more than the New Year's one. (I also feel guilty now that the Memorial Day one has pretty much been forgotten. Was it a bit dry and the humor a little off? Sure. But, the heart was in the right place, gosh darn it!)  

The special is decent. It has one of the most heartfelt endings of all the Peanuts specials. It was also a nice change of pace to make the main focus Lucy. Yes, she's one of the main Peanuts characters, but if you look at ALL the specials, she's rarely ever the lead. She adds to what's going on, but the story is rarely about her. You really do feel her insecurities in this. You also get a subplot about Snoopy's siblings visiting that's a little sweet.

However, not every joke in this lands. The special doesn't quite have that classic Peanuts delivery and pacing. Also, NO RERUN!!! For the unfamiliar, he's Linus and Lucy's younger brother. He hasn't been in that many specials or shows, but during the last five or so years of the strips in the 90's he basically became Schultz's favorite character to write about. (I bothered to keep reading in the 90's for I am a true follow of Peanuts!, unlike you false believers!) He's a fun character, and they totally act like he doesn't exist. You even just see Linus and Lucy's stockings on the mantle. The animation company that created this used  Rerun in those two recent Snoopy shows, they know who he is. (Order of the Knights of Rerun we ride at dawn to smite the infidels in the name of our patron saint!) What really makes this frustration is that this special includes the far more ancillary Tapioca Pudding (Harley Ruznisky) who first and last appeared in 1986 and unlike Rerun has never, ever been in a special before.

Really liked the character animation. I don't think that the squiggly line appearance of the characters from the strip have ever been so accurately replicated. I don't know how I feel about the backgrounds. I like how colorful and striking they are, but the lack of solid lines on a lot of thingsfeels a little off.

Kinda recommended; imperfect but touching. It's not one of the the top Peanuts specials, but it's in the upper third or so. (Glory be to Rerun!) 

South Park: Post-COVID

8/10

This is the first of the South Park movies being made for Paramount+. (Feels more like a special; it's only 59 minutes long and the animation doesn't seem any different from the show. But, they're calling it a movie, so alright.) Taking place forty years after the show where COVID has just ended, the characters reunite when a tragedy occurs and they become embroiled in a mystery.

The humor really pops here. The setting of the future is really used to its full comic potential. They do something particularly creative and amusing with what adult Cartman's life is like. 

The one weak spot is that like a lot of recent South Park episodes this film features a little too much of Stan's dad Randy (voiced by Trey Parker). Show creators Parker and Matt Stone seem too enamored of their creation. The basic assumption seems to be "Randy being dumb and selfish" = "Funny." Randy is simply overextended by now and his bits definitely feel like more of the same.

Overall, this is one of South Park's more solid entries and fans of the show should like this. It's definitely fun to see the kids as adults.

Beebo Saves Christmas

7.5/10

In this animated CW Christmas special starring Beebo (voiced by Ben Diskin), the toy who's appeared in the show Legends of Tomorrow, the titular fuzzy character gets a form letter in reply to his letter to Santa. Fearing that something is wrong he goes to find Santa Claus (voiced by Ghostbusters' Ernie Hudson).

This was a rather well made Christmas special. Not one of the greatest of its kind, but it definitely gets the job done. Script is lighthearted, and most importantly, smartly written. You think the special may go down the path of the traditional tropes of people getting too caught up in the modern age and forget the importance of Christmas, but I was pleased to see this have a less suspected endgame. 

Beebo makes for a pleasant lead. They make him upbeat and optimistic but never naive or simple-minded, so when he reacts to things he never feels cutesy or saccharine.   

Strong vocal cast, including some experienced actors. LoT alumni Victor Garber lends his rich voice to the position of narrator. I don't think anyone's really pictured Hudson as Santa, but he lends a fresh take on the Yuletide figure.

Only weak point of this are the songs. They're not particularly strong.

Recommended. This is something that can entertain and is appropriate for the whole family. It's too bad this didn't get much advertising from the CW. This definitely deserves more attention. 

Animaniacs- Season 2

8/10

This second season of the reboot on Hulu brings more Warner siblings shenanigans and mice Pinky (voiced by Rob Paulsen) and the Brain (Maurice LaMarche) continue trying to take over the world.

Again, the writers on this do a very good and funny job. The Animaniacs reboot has a sense of smart humor to it that a lot of children's comedies don't (rather fills in the gap left by Phineas and Ferb.) There are a couple of particularly fun jokes in this where the show gets self-referential. That having been said, the writers squeeze in a LOT of references. I'm worried that a lot of children won't get what's going on and lose interest. (Yeah, the original show had these too, but they were more subtle. It wasn't like the original writers felt like they needed to insist on references.) The Trump jokes are getting old.

I've seen people online say this was stronger than the last season, but I'm not quite sure. I thought that one had a few more original ideas. The second half is definitely stronger than the first. 

Last season, the writing on the Brain got a little off, having him be more immoral than amoral by doing a couple things that felt a little too far for him. I think the writers got feedback as he's a lot closer to form here. I'm especially impressed with the writing of the Pinky and the Brain segments this season. The writers really managed to play around and do more with the old formula of two mice always failing to rule the world than you'd expect.

Even though this show cut most of the other segments and their characters from the original Animaniacs, I like that the writers have made the effort to build their own recurring characters within the Warners and P&B segments. Intensely success-driven and sour CEO Nora Norita (Stephanie Escajeda) really comes into her own here. She steals most of the scenes she's in with some pretty expressive facial animations. She even manages to outshine veteran players Ralph (Franke Welker) and Dr. Scratchansniff (Rob Paulsen).  

Animation-wise, the yellowish tinge to the Warners' faces has been noticeably lessened, but not quite gone. Still don't know why the animators can't go straight white like the classic designs.

Overall, highly recommended for adults. I know I said I felt the last season was stronger, but the difference isn't by much. This is just a lot of fun.  However, I'm honestly not convinced kids' attentions can be kept through all the references.

Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog

 

8/10

In Straight Outta Nowhere (yeah, I don't know why the Scooby franchis is doing a Straight Outta Compton pun either), Scooby-Doo (voiced by prolific voice actor and original Fred, Frank Welker) is affected by a strange frequency compelling him to seek it out, leading him and and the Mystery Inc. gang to the town of Nowhere where they meet Courage the Cowardly Dog (voiced by Marty Grabstein). Soon the cast find themselves attacked by giant cicadas.

For those too old or too young, Courage the Cowardly was an early 2000's show about the titular dog who'd encounter scary or unwanted situations. I'm kind of surprised a crossover hasn't happened before. (I mean earlier on. This is a property that's been dormant for a while, so it's a little surprising they're dusting it off now.) Scoob and Courage have so much in common, they're both good-natured but easily frightened dogs. (But there's also enough difference between how the two act that it doesn't feel like they're the exact same characters.) The two of them work so well off each other. Beside, it's just nice to see Courage back. One major strength of the character is that he is just so big-hearted. He's a delight to follow throughout. And it's nice to see Muriel (voiced by Thea White who sadly died after recording), probably the kindest, gentlest of all animated elderly women. She gels surprisingly well with the Mystery Inc. gang.   

In fact, the whole movie does a good job of paying homage to Courage's show. (This is definitely more of a Courage entry than a Scooby one.) The Scooby made-for-DVD movies/Courage style blend together unsuspectingly well. It helps that the producers/director learned a lesson from Scooby-Doo and the 13th Ghost and Return to Zombie Island: that if you incorporate a property with supernatural characteristics it's a bad idea to not use said supernatural characteristics. No Daphne being a killjoy and explaining everything away here.  

Now if you're a fan of the darker, creepier Courage episodes, you may be disappointed. This film follows the recent trend of the Scooby movies focusing on the humor and not putting much emphasis on spookiness or the foe being threatening. In fairness, Courage had its fair share of lighter episodes, so the tone still feels like the show. Plus, the jokes work though I think a lot of adults may find the last scene a little too frivolous.

In the earlier seasons of Courage, the star would occasionally speak in dog gibberish peppered with the occasional short sentences or single words. As the show went on, Courage ceased speaking at (to the best of my memory anyway, been years since I saw the show.) I believe the writers realized he worked better as more of a visual character. However, this movie has Courage revert back to speaking. Feels weird now, like Oscar the Grouch being orange or Grimace having four arms again. 

The animation in this is pretty good for a non-theatrical film. The design really blends the two properties really well. The opening credits are one of the better looking ones in a while. There is a song in this that feels completely out of place. Really stops the momentum of the entire film.

Recommended. This has a lot to offer for Courage fans. I think kids will really enjoy the wacky highjinks in this.

Descendants: The Royal Wedding

7/10

In this animated special, Mal (played by Dove Cameron) and King Ben (played by Mitchell Hope) from the Disney Channel's Descendants movies are having their wedding. 

It's an okay story, nothing big, but it does alright when it comes to the character relations and personalities. The ending comes from a positive place. The death of Carlos' actor Cameron Boyce is referenced to in a far more emotional way than you'd expect from the Descendants franchise. Also, they have Audrey (Charmed's Sarah Jeffrey) as a stressed-out, excessive wedding planner and she's probably the best part as she's funny to watch.

However, the special accentuates one of the cringiest parts of the movies: the insistence that two teenagers get engaged and then married. I think they're still in high school. Not a good message for kids saying you should find love and marriage at such a young age. 

The character animation looks off and basic with simplistic clothes and movement. The lips don't even seem to match the dialogue. They kind of look like the cheap cartoons that appeared really early in the morning on Saturdays before the regular Fox Kids, Kids WB, etc. programming blocks came on, such as that Sherlock Holmes show that took place in the future, Liberty's Kids, Archie's Weird Mysteries. In fairness, the animators were going for a far more challenging type of character design than the basic Kalish style you find today. This is more the type of design you'd find during the eighties and nineties. The colorful backgrounds fair better.

A new song was written for this. Not memorable, but I felt it was a nice work.

The special seems to reunite all the actors from the films, but they're not all great at voice work. I think Jeffrey does the best work here, probably since she has the benefit of being the comic relief and getting to just have fun with her lines, while most of the other characters are expected to deliver the plot and the conflict. 

If you have a kid who loves the Descendants, they'll like this. Again, it's alright. Not particularly good or bad. 

 

The Loud House Movie

6.5/10

For the unfamiliar, Loud House is a Nickelodeon cartoon going into its sixth season about Lincoln Loud (voiced by Asher Bishop) who lives with ten sisters, each with very distinct personalities. In this movie on Netflix, the family travels to a Scotland town where they discover they're the heirs of the rulers to the place.

From an adult perspective, this movie is just alright. It feels like a very basic daily cartoon story. (Also, it's sorta like the plot to the first Munsters movie.) It's not like anyone behind this is slacking, but there are no big swings either (like compared to the first Phineas and Ferb movie or the Recess movie, which managed to justify the switch from show to film). It's just basic cartoon antics and a lot of stuff that is just thrown at you. Not to mention a few songs that are alright, but you probably won't remember them. (I couldn't remember the first one right after it endend.) The adult mind will probably question a lot of stuff that happens in this that you're just supposed to accept. Basically, the movie doesn't stand out when compared to a lot of its animated brethren and definitely won't have much of a multi-generational crossover.

But the kids, especially the fans of the show, will probably like this. A lot of this feels right up a child's ally. The film definitely has an old school family comic strip feel to it. The various sisters and other characters amuse with their unique quirks, especially the baby Lily (voiced by Grey Griffin) who is frankly an adorable, spirited girl. I also rather liked a new character in this, Angus (voiced by Doctor Who/Broadchurch's David Tennant), the guy who introduces the Louds to the town and its lore. He's just really nice and supportive.

I wouldn't say the animation is big budget theatrical quality, but it definitely feels that the animation is a step above show quality. Going back to the comic strip comparison, the design also really has that feel, and I rather like the line work in this.

I can't recommend this to any adults (it's one of those kids films that will be forgotten amongst all the other ones out there), nor is it something a parent might want to pay attention to when their kids have it on. But, I don't think it'll drive parents crazy. It's a child-pleaser and in that regards I think it succeeds.

Love, Death & Robots- Season 2

9/10

It's the return of the adult animated anthology show that's the modern equivalent of Heavy Metal. (The show in fact initially evolved from the creators' original attempts to create a new Heavy Metal movie.) 

This season has been cut a little under half with only six episodes, unfortunately. Would've liked more, but can't complain with what I got. A lot of people have been complaining about the episodes this season, but I haven't had any trouble. I thought the shorts were interesting enough. I love how varied this show gets and no two stories are alike. My favorites are the future dystopian tale Pop Squad, the horror installment The Tall Grass, and the macabre Christmas story All Through the House. The Drowned Giant, about a dead giant found washed up on the beach, has a truly original concept, but I admit this segment suffers from a narration that tries too hard to be philosophical.

The largest difference between this season and the last is that the nudity and hard violence just for nudity and hard violence have been cut. Some people may miss that content, but this still isn't family fare if that's what you're worried about.

The show is as visually impressive as the last season. Money is clearly put into this as all the segments look great. There is a a lot of variation in style.

Highly recommended. Another creative season and something different from other animated TV fare. Even if the episodes aren't to your taste, they're short, so you're not wasting much time taking a chance on them. 

Justice Society: World War II

6/10

In this film, the Flash (voiced by Matt Bomer) accidentally runs so fast that he ends up back in time in World War II where he encounters the Justice Society. 

JSWWII starts off promising enough. The JS members all have their personal stories, a few interesting things are thrown at us, and you get that old school war-era comics feel.   

Unfortunately, come the halfway point the whole thing becomes lackluster. The conclusion to the characters' arcs, though having weight feel a bit by the numbers, and you realize that they just do a lot of talking. Plus, everyone feels like they're going through the motions of the animated DC film formula.

The film loses the focus on the Nazi threat and the WWII theme that movie is supposed to be about. We end up with a villain that is terribly underwhelming and with hints at a background of his that is never actually revealed. 

The lack of originality to the ending really gets to me. Not one but two elements from the finales of two early 2010 DC animated films appear here and feel almost stolen. 

It doesn't help that since this movie takes place in the Forties, the movie resurrects a long forgotten plot point from the original forties' Wonder Woman run: Steve Trevor (Chris Diamantopoulos) constantly trying to get WW (Castle's Stana Katic) to marry him. This element doesn't age well. They give Trevor a better reason for this here than in the forties, but it still feels unhealthy. Also, out of the old forgotten plot elements, why bring back that one? I mean classic Wonder Women comics had the Amazons riding kangaroos. I want to see kangaroo riding, gosh darn it! (In fairness, there's a lot worse they could go with. The Wonder Woman comics don't age well. Practically every issue of William Moulton Marston's original run involved bondage and that is not an exaggeration.)

I have no complaints with the visuals. This uses the same rotoscope-esque animation style in Superman: Man of Tomorrow and it still looks pretty slick and good, especially for a made-for-DVD/streaming film. The credits go with a retro look that I liked.

Overall, I wouldn't say this movie is bad, but it ends up being forgettable. It doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from the many other animated DC works.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

8/10

The Mitchells vs. the Machines on Netflix is about the titular Mitchell family who are on a road trip to drop off daughter Katie (Broad City's Abbi Jacobson) at college. The trek is also intended by father Rick (Danny McBride) to help mend a rift between him and his daughter. Then, wouldn't you know it, the robot apocalypse hits. 

You may've seen the trailers for this (when it was supposed to be in theaters) under the title Connected, which is kind of weird the name changed. It's not uncommon for movies to alter their titles during development, but it's usually done before public advertising/the trailers.  

This has a very predictable, basic plot structure to it. The first fifteen minutes are the weakest. However, once the family hits the road everything picks up, and the predictability becomes excusable. This movie becomes enjoyable with a decent and goofy sense of humor. 

The parent-child relationship in this is very predictable and obvious, but it is done competently and hits the appropriate emotional points at the right moments. One thing I can't excuse so much is that there is one supporting character who's story just ends; the type of character where enough time was given to them that you'd think hey'd get proper closure, but they don't. 

Poking fun at machines rebelling against their masters has been done before, but the writers are able to mine a lot of jokes from the material. There are a couple major battles, and they're the highlight of this. The first one is definitely the most creative part of the film. The second one is just really good looking and well choreographed. I particularly like the robot and other evil technology designs in this.

To be honest, the whole movie looks good. It looks like 2D animated characters rendered in 3D. The character design feels reminiscent of a comic strip. However, there is one aspect that bugs me. The film includes a lot of 2D effects, think like doodling on a notepad. They felt like overkill. To quote Family Guy, "It insists upon itself."  

The voice cast is pretty good. I was particularly pleased with Danny McBride, who tends to play variations of the same character type, doing something completely new, and he definitely sells the character. 

So, overall I recommend this. Again, perhaps not the most original type of story, but it's definitely a good time for you and your kids.