Tiny Toons Looniversity: Spring Break

6.5/10

In this spring break special for the Tiny Toons reboot on Cartoon Network/Max (coincidentally or not the original also had a spring break special), the Tiny Toons crew go to visit their families for spring break. 

This is alright. Everything comes together in the end for a satisfying, heartfelt finale and there's some decent humor, but this is a weaker entry when compared to several episodes of the show. For a longer special, it doesn't go big enough. Though Looniversity has some good storylines, the show has become more reliant upon teaching lessons and, due to the university setting, a more grounded use of characters, resulting in more relationship/character oriented stories. One can miss the more free-form stories and comedy of the original.

Kinda recommended. Kids will probably be fine with it. If you like the show, you'd probably be satisfied. 

Hamster and Gretel- Season 1

8.5/10

In this new Disney Channel cartoon from Phineas and Ferb co-creator Dan Povenmire, elementary school-aged girl Gretel (voiced by Povenmire's daughter Melissa) and her hamster Hamster (SNL alumni Beck Bennett) are granted superpowers by aliens and become superheroes. Meanwhile, Gretel's brother Kevin (Love, Victor's Michael Cimino), who was standing right there and got diddly squat, ends up in the thankless job of being the guy in the chair and trying to coral his young and impetuous sister.

If you've seen P&F or Milo Murphy's Law, it's the same kind of humor. Stuff that's clever enough for adults and goofy enough for children. What we get is a bunch of varied and enjoyable villains of the week, who are a fun bunch with goofy gimmicks. Though the episodes are mostly self-contained, the show does a decent job of building the world upon existing characters (I thought the villain Professor Exclamation (MadTV veteran and prolific voice actor Phil LaMarr) was a little one note at first, but he and his single-minded inability to be chill and get over his tragic origin (which is kinda silly) got sorta interesting to watch.)

The three main characters make the show. Kevin is a solid straight man/fall guy who has to deal with helping his sister amongst the various insanity thrown at her There's something about Gretel that's just so darn contagiously optimistic. At first I thought Melissa's casting was just a case of nepotism, but her voice really grew on me. It's got a unique quality. Funniest character hands down is Hamster. He's the one who's surprisingly cool and laid back. Bennet's naturally deep tone is accentuated here and he manages to make delivery that is always in the same tone be consistently funny. Originally the writers had him as a guy of few word like P&F's Ferb, but I think they quickly realized what a personality expert one-liner they had on their hands.

Highly recommended. Show is just fun. On the Povenmire scale, it's below P&F and above Milo Murphy's Law.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

7/10

In this Netflix sequel to the popular 2000 claymation film, the chickens are living a happy existence away from man but now must deal with an ominous new modern chicken farm being built nearby.

At the very beginning I was a little hesitant. The plot's bones felt a little predictable with the story being the chickens breaking into a chicken farm instead of out of it (they even state the obvious fact in the movie) and there being a subplot of a child and parent at odds and having to understand each other. Luckily, the predictability didn't become an issue once we get to the farm. DotN feels like it's from a 70's dystopian sci-fi film if it was made for kids. What happens in the fortress is dark but hidden under an extravagant/colorful facade, and how they contain the chickens is a little freaky. If you miss the "dark" children's films from yesteryear than this might be for you.

The movie is fairly entertaining. The humor is mild but there are a few good moments, including one joke that is pure genius.

Since this is an Aardman film, the claymation looks great. Everything is colorful and all the characters have distinct body shapes to them. Visually the cinematography is active and feels like how'd you shoot a live-action film. (The intro to the main villain is so well paced with its build up.)

Recommended. Not saying this is the best kids movie ever, but it is something your children may have fun with and the captured chicken scenes really stand out.

Wish

7/10

In the new Disney animated film Wish, the island kingdom of Rosa is ruled by the sorcerer king Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine). People give him his dreams (LITERALLY) in return for him using his magic to bring them to reality someday (which he does sporadically throughout the year). Teen Asha (voiced by the West Side Story remake's Ariana DeBose) becomes disillusioned with the system and wishes upon a star for things to change. An anthropomorphic wishing star named Wish falls from the sky and helps her to make things right.

The best part about this is the story. Rather than being another adaptation of a classic fairy tale, this is a completely original story of the type, and it's a rather original idea at that. How the whole wish storage works was creative and done well, and I really gelled with the movie's emphasis on the importance of wishes. The third act is really where it comes together with an emotionally resonant climax.

However, there are flaws to the narrative. I fear this is a Fox and the Hound/Great Mouse Detective/Atlantis level Disney film and not a Frozen/Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast level one. This is one of the most exhibition heavy Disney films (at least in the first half) and parts can be a bit dry, a term you don't usually associate with Disney. The natural comedy/song flow doesn't work here. The songs pop up at unnatural times where you just want the story keep going, another thing you'd never think you'd hear about Disney. These issues do dissipate by the aforementioned third act.

The best element of the story is probably Magnifico. I think Disney got the note that people miss the classic straight-up evil/not hidden Disney villains. They give him a backstory that explains why he is the way he is, but if you're tired of all the three-dimensional/tragic villains these days, the movie doesn't lean too hard into that at all. Magnifico is portrayed as an unabashed egotist which makes him come off at times as little funny and others times as threatening or delightfully despicable. Unlike most Disney villains that want to acquire something, his whole motive is holding on to what he already has. You also see him morally descend, which is a little different for Disney baddies ('cept maybe Gaston, but he never tried to be benevolent in the first place). However, I thought his losing it s*@! felt a little too rushed. He's also, I believe, the first Disney villain since the Queen of Hearts to be married. His wife Queen Amaya (Life in Pieces' Angelique Cabral) has a solid purpose for being in this story, but I'm not loving the dialogue they gave her in this; felt weak.

Admittedly, Asha is a little in the cookie cutter vein of Disney Princess/similar female protagonists, but I felt they gave her a personality and motivation that was tailored to the scenario. DeBose did a fine job of making the character empathetic to others and determined. 

Likable supporting/comedic cast in this. Asha's talking goat Valentino (voiced by Alan Tudyk who's become a Disney movie regular for the last decade), is one of the funnier animal sidekicks (has some of the better one-liners). As always, Tudyk is great with the delivery. However, he's using the same voice he used for Clayface on Harley Quinn. If you've seen the show, it's hard not to disassociate. Asha, has a large friend group who all have distinct personalities. Going back to the pacing issues, it would have been nice if they had more screen time. 

All the credit should be given to the animators on this. Apparently this was a combination of 2D watercolor animation and 3D models in what is an impressive output. The film does look like an old-timey fairy tale illustration brought to life. The background animation is gorgeous. However, it takes a while to get used to the movie's look. The coloring is something one's unused to, and and the 3D models juxtaposed against the background don't immediately feel like they're filmed in the same place. When seeing characters from a distance, a couple times it felt like I was watching a recent Dragon Quest video game, and not a Disney movie. But again, one assimilates. The design for Wish is pretty cute and he's probably going to sell merchandise.

The songs by Ben Rice and Julia Michaels don't have the usual Disney magic. Thing is none of them are bad, but they're not memorable. (Too be fair, the villain song ain't too shabby and one of the last songs is pretty good.)

Most of the main cast are also superb singers. One thing you can't criticize about the songs is that they give DeBose the chance to show off her powerful singing voice. Pine is also a surprisingly good singer maybe not as strong as some of the others, but he manages to actually survive singing alongside DeBose.

Recommended. Yes, this isn't top tier Disney and it could've been improved, but this is still a very watchable and enjoyable Disney film. The opening box office for this wasn't great which is too bad because the animators and writers really put a lot of heart into this.

The Naughty Nine

6.5/10

In the Disney Channel/Disney+'s The Naughty Nine, kid Andy (played by Winslow Fegley, who's name you might not know but he's been a lead or at least main character in a surprising number of films recently) doesn't get a present from Santa Claus (Lethal Weapons' Danny Glover) because he's on the naughty list. Feeling cheated, the self-serving Andy decides to assemble a crew of other kids on the list in order to break into the North Pole and get the presents they wanted.

What follows is an average Disney Channel story. The characters, the moral lesson and the plot are alright. However, the film never reaches as high a beat as it could have. The idea of a Christmas heist film is a good one, and one watches it and cannot ignore the wasted potential and think how this could've been done better. Still, this is from the jaded adult mind. I don't see your children being so picky.

This is a Disney Channel movie in which there isn't a theatrical film-level budget, but the budget is higher and the creators put more effort in than you expect. The North Pole/Santa's Village doesn't look half bad. (Would've preferred more variation with the various buildings, but I'm probably nitpicking.) Sets, effects, and costumes are all colorful. The outfits in this especially stand out.

The child actors here are on average just okay. The two actors who play Andy's parents I felt weren't so great. (Though in fairness, it could be the script and direction. They're the type of parents who aren't aware of their child's wrongdoings and they come off as kinda dumb.) The advertisements for this stress that Danny Glover is in this, but he isn't in it that much, it's the situation where the famous actor clearly came in for one day's worth of filming.

Recommended specifically for children. For adults, you've probably got other films that are a better way of spending your time, but this will probably pique children's interest.

Goosebumps- Season 1

7.5/10

In this the second show to be based on the popular children's horror series by R.L. Stine, a group of teens accidentally open a secret room unleashing a collection of cursed objects upon their town.

I give the creators credit for doing something other than the same ol' with the Goosebumps style. Instead of the more colorfully shot tales like with the original stories and the films that star children, this has the leads being teens and the story being told with bleaker lighting and somewhat more grounded writing. The show has more weight and story than your regular Goosebumps. I rather liked the whole backstory of the secret behind the accursed objects and other forces. This took a few risks for a Disney+/Hulu family program. However, the show still manages to be macabre and scary without crossing content lines. (Parents be forewarned that the very last episode is more violent than the entirety of the rest of the show.)

Though a more serious Goosebumps, the writers are having fun. There's a decent amount of humor to balance the tone.

The main teens though maybe not the most standout characters, are all good enough. This is another one of those "teens with parental problems" shows. The show doesn't do much new with the formula. I'm so tired of every series/movie starring teens having emotional trauma issues. I get it, a lot of people in this world don't have super parents, but seeing this done ALL the time is exhausting and kinda depressing. Can't we just have teens going on an adventure that focuses on just the adventure and not their problems? At least the parental issues in this aren't as strong as they would have been if this was more of a teen/adult show.

Standout in this is Justin Long (who'd have guessed at the start of his career that he'd become so associated with horror?) as the teens' teacher Mr. Bratt. He gives a pretty lively, offbeat performance. Childrens Hospital's Rob Huebel (who I'm surprised isn't in more things as he's good with drama or humor) is also pretty watchable as a semi-ineffectual school counselor.

Recommended. Goosebumps purists may not love the somewhat radical changes, but this managed to deliver something new without feeling like its completely discarded the elements of the books.

Villains of Valleyview- Season 2

6.5/10

The second season of the Disney Channel sitcom continues the misadventures of the Maddens, a retired supervillain family, as they live in modern suburbia.

Best part of this continues to be the friendship of the polar opposites bad girl Amy Madden/Havoc (played by Isabella Pappas) and the sunny Hartley (Kayden Muller-Jansen). They work so well off of each other. The rest of the cast remains strong, the humor is still decent and something kids will probably enjoy, and I like the effort they put into the costumes.

Though the family loves each other, the writers lean in even more on the insult humor between each other even more this season. Parents may not love the example it sets, and besides that, it gets a little tiresome.

Youngest child Colby/Flashform (Stuck in the Middle's Malachi Barton) continues to feel unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, Barton delivers his A-game, but as the youngest the writers always feel at a loss as to where to put him. He doesn't get to associate with many his own age and is mostly relegated to B-plots where he interacts with his parents.

The show started with the characters trying to change their ways and seeing the value of good, but this season went in a weird place. The way they portray villains as being mostly lineages has resulted in them being shown  a little as a mistreated class, which seems to disregard the importance of moral choices. A little weird for my tastes and again not a great message for kids.

Kinda recommended. I think your kids will really like it. As a show by itself, it's got a lot of good things going for it, but it's also hampered by its weaknesses. 'Course I might be giving a Disney Channel show too much thought.

Once Upon a Studio

8.5/10

In this short Disney special, the characters lining the animation cells on the walls of the Disney Studio come to life and come together for a photo.  

Now this is how you do an anniversary special! OUaS really covers all of Disney history. Not just the popular characters but the ones from EVERY single Disney movie. 'Course some get more spotlight than others but directors/writers Dan Abraham and Tent Correy make the effort to give the less famous guys lines and have them mingle with others.

The nice thing about animation projects with short run times is that more effort can go into the animation as the budget isn't spread around as much. It also all looks standard big budget Disney. What is so impressive is that all the characters feel like they were scooped out of their respective time periods as their animation and design are all tailored to their original periods.

Recommended. I mean it's light entertainment that's basically "remember this," and I guess it's not required viewing. However, it is an enjoyable 9 minutes and a big treat for animation fans.

Monster High 2

6/10

In this made-for-TV Nickelodeon sequel, Draculaura's future practicing witchcraft is threatened when witches attack Monster High. Plus, Clawdeen's attempts to make the monster world more progressive is threatened by returning student Toralei Stripes (played by Salena Qureshi).

First film was stronger. I miss a bit of the humor from that one. The main villain pales in terms of personality and motivation in comparison to the last movie's one. MH2 is all about the three main leads trying to stop the war between vampires and witches. They talk a lot about the reasons why to be sympathetic with witches, but we don't get to see enough benevolent witches, so it's hard to see how peace can be achieved when the understanding is one-sided.

That all having been said, I do credit the writers for putting effort into the plot. This could've been complete fluff and general Nickelodeon hijinks but the movie has a clear message about getting along and diversity. Thought was given into the whole history of the witch/vampire war and the whole affair does feel like a genuine threat to monster kind.

Songs, except for one that pits Clawdeen Wolf (Mila Harris) against Torali, aren't very memorable, but I wouldn't say any are bad either.

Sorta recommended. Not the greatest children's movie ever made but decent, and kids will probably like it.

Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, too!

 

7/10

In this made-for-streaming/DVD movie, the Mystery Inc. gang is called in to investigate the disappearance of the Justice League and search the Hall of Justice which is haunted by a phantom. There they team up with Superman's famed pet Krypto.

This film had an interesting history. Images of it leaked a while back but no official confirmation of its existence was given by the WB. The last released SD movie Trick or Treat had a difference in tone and animation style from the other SD made-for-DVD movies released since 2009. Krypto, too! has the original character designs which makes one hypothesize that it was created first. (They produced two of these films a year for a while.)  When it comes to David Zaslav and WB Discovery's controversial cuts since the studios' regime change, Batgirl has got all the publicity for being the completed title that got shelved and never shown, however it looks like SD got hit the hardest. The Scoob prequel was shelved as well as the incomplete pre-school show being made. Another in-production SD made-for-DVD movie was canceled as well. (It would've brought the Hex Girls back and had songs. 'Tis a shame.) It's reasonable to assume that this movie had also been shelved (though there's no official info.) However, an interesting thing happened. The full film was leaked online. It was quickly pulled but not much later its release was announced. Perhaps the leak produced enough views to entice the studio to change their minds.

This is likely the last of the SD made-for-DVD movies for a while based on recent trends. (These have been going on since '98. I fear that ending this universal cornerstone along with Hasbro ending the long running Power Rangers series in the form as we know it may be the harbinger of the unraveling of reality and some dark, looming event. Or it can simply be the fate of media in a changing business environment if you want to get boring about it.) It's a good film to go out on. Wouldn't say it's one of the best in the series, but it's definitely one of the better ones. 

Definitely one of the funnier ones. Dialogue's on point. There are a few really solid self-pokes on legitimate critiques of the DC and SD. (There is one point where I thought to myself "Yes, you're completely right about that! Thank you!") Lex Luthor (voiced delightfully by Charles Halford) is a main part of the cast as he's stuck in the building with the rest of the gang and has to team up with them. He's a sarcastic, grumpy and arrogant interpretation, and he's an interestingly new type of dynamic for the team as they don't usually have a foil to work off of.

Story is also one of the more unique SD plots. The conclusion to the mystery is satisfying. We also get an entertaining group of suspects. 

Admittedly, the plot in the middle act is a bit light, but kids probably won't be as critical. There is a subplot with Jimmy Olson (prolific voice actor James Arnold Taylor) that is arguably problematic and uncalled for but doesn't pop up much.

As it's always been, the 2009-2023 animation remains colorful and smooth. (Though I still hate that they don't include whites in the characters eyes because that's what the original Scooby-Doo Where are you? did in order to be "retro.") Loved the design of the phantom. It has a cosmic/molten lava-like feel to it. Considering that they did a team-up a few years back with the "Brave and the Bold" version of Batman and other DC characters, the change in character designs might be nitpick for some who prefer continuity. But, what can you suspect with a continuity as long as SD?) 

Recommended. This is definitely a fun time for kids or adult SD/DC fans.

Spy Kids: Armageddon

6.5/10

In this fifth Spy Kids movie on Netflix, Tony and Patty Tango-Torrez (played by Connor Esterson and Everley Carganilla) do not know their parents are spies, but that all changes when evil forces target a dangerous item the family is harboring.

This is a... Spy Kids. Definitely. Story's not high art, but it is something your kids will probably enjoy. Since this movie is introducing yet ANOTHER duo of spy kids, the whole part about the kids finding out their parents are spies has become old hat. You know where things are going and you're waiting for the action to kick up. However, once that exhibition is done you get what makes the films work: silly action with colorful and campy vehicles, gadgets, and villain appearances. I really do like director/co-writer Robert Rodriguez's designs in these film. Surprised they haven't made more toys and action figures off of his ideas. They have this simplicity to them but are never too basic.

This is strangely enough a retread in that this movie is focused around video games like SK3-D was. However, the plots are different just enough that I don't mind. (To be honest, I think they do a better job with the concept here.) I also appreciate that Rodriguez uses this movie as a warning against media over-reliance and the importance of honesty in an easy to digest lesson for the kiddos.

I'd rank the film beneath 1 and 4-D and above 2 and 3-D. The latter two just didn't have much in the plot department. Weirdly, Rodriguez puts more emphasis on the stories for the films where the characters are introduced.

If I'm not mistaken, the kids are the youngest they've ever been. Which is a bit of a downside considering how very young Carganilla is. There is nothing natural about her acting. Esterson's a little better but not by much. Shazam!/Chuck's Zachary Levi and Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez are the parents. They're both charismatic actors, but they cannot make the dialogue work. Faring better are D.J. Cotrona as the head of the spy agency and Game Night's Billy Magnusson as the villain. Cotrona gets the inherent silliness of a serious guy in a ridiculous world. Wouldn't say that Magnusson is the best villain in the franchise, but he is one of the better ones. For a simple movie, you get where he's coming from. Magnusson was clearly hired because he can do camp and has this child-friendly feel to his energy and delivery.

Kinda recommended. Younger kids will probably love this. Parents may dislike this or be neutral. Rodriguez has always focused on making kids films for kids and has never worried about adult references or maturer storytelling. I salute him for sticking just to the core audience.

My Adventures with Superman- Season 1

8.5/10

In this new Superman cartoon on Adult Swim and Max, a fresh-out-of-college Clark Kent/Superman (voiced by Hunger Games/Scream's Jack Quaid) and Jimmy Olson (Jury Duty's Ishmel Sahid) meet Lois Lane (Zoey's Extraordianry Playlist's Alice Lee) when they all intern at the Daily Planet.

Though on Adult Swim, MAwS is really a family/children's show. (Kids aren't watching broadcast television nowadays, and from what I've heard, Adult Swim gets better viewership due to an older audience.) This show also seems to be a reaction to recent darker Superman and other DC projects. MAwS has a classic bright and optimistic Superman feel to it. Heck, it's a lot lighter than the 90's Superman cartoon. (Remember that episode where Clark tries to help that guy on death row for a woman's murder? I'm still surprised they were able to get away with all that dark subject matter on children's television.) Not to say the show doesn't have any stakes. Deaths are referenced in the show, but they're backstory deaths. MAwS is about Superman saving people.

The lifeblood of this show is the relationship and trust and support between the three friends. Jimmy, who's a big mystery guy, like as in Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, is especially wholesome and fun to watch. That having been said Lois can be really selfish or hypocritical at times, but I wouldn't call it a dealbreaker. Also, he's not in this much, but the Daily Planet's sports writer Steve Lombard (voiced by the Ninjago show's Vincent Tong) is really fun. He has this goofy, overinflated bravado about him.

A lot of credit should be given to this show being able to repackage the same old story of Superman in a new way. Some fans may be annoyed that a lot of villains had their natural powers converted to weaponry, but it is a unique take. I appreciate that this show focused on multiple names from Superman's and DC's rogues gallery and that there's no Lex Luthor this season (he's so overexposed, and you can only do so many plotting evil businessman storylines.)  

One big annoyance of the show is that any character that doesn't trust Superman is incredibly one-note without any nuance or at times even rationality to their reasoning.

The animation is very anime-style inspired (even the end credits feel more like an anime end credits than a western one), and it all looks really good. The line work in this is top notch. Animation allows you to do a lot more with Superman fighting and the plentiful action scenes are all smooth. I especially liked some of the reinvisioned designs for some of the antagonists.

Highly recommended. This show is genuinely entertaining, old fashioned Saturday cartoon fun.

Pretty Freekin Scary- Season 1

7/10

In this Disney Channel show, middle schooler Frankie Ripp (played by Eliana Sua who was Hobbs' daughter in Hobbs & Shaw) dies before she's supposed to. The Grim Reaper or GR (Murdoch Mysteries' Siobhan Murphy) sends her back with two Underworld employees, the ever cheerful Pretty (Kyan Samuels) and the dour Scary (Leah Mei Gold). (Are they dead or were they never human to begin with? No idea. The writers don't seem to worry so neither should you.)

So, this sort of your traditional Disney Channel live-action show. The jokes and story aren't high art, but they're suitable for a kids' s program and are good goofy fun. I kind of like the sheer suspension-of-disbelief everyone has with Frankie suddenly popping back up from the dead with two new "foreign exchange students." (That's, right she doesn't immediately come back the moment she died. I'm pretty sure it was implied she was buried and everybody is way too chill with it. The government isn't looking into it or anything.)

By "sort of your traditional Disney Channel live-action show," Pretty Freekin Scary should be given credit for being well-planned out. This has a full storyline going behind GR's motivations for sending Pretty and Scary. Sure, there are other Disney shows with ongoing stories, particularly the superhero ones, but most of those are told in bits and often don't last the whole season. Here, everything is heading towards a clear purpose.

Best part of this is Sua; her Frankie is just so darn congenial. There is also a main antagonist to this show, and I've got to say, the actor is having a blast with the roll.

Gold and Samuels, especially the latter, do a fine job but admittedly it feels like Frankie isn't given enough time with them to bond. The writers like to pair her up with her goth friend Nyx (Emma Shannon). The duo's personalities are also one-note in the first half, but they become more engaging as the show goes on.

Going back to Nyx, she's likable enough, but there is a problem with her existence, having a quasi-anti-societal goth and Scary, who's not a people person, and both of whom have dry wit feels a little redundant. (Although, the writers do push Nyx more toward being a traditional friend as the show goes on.) In all honesty, I thought the recurring character of Layla Mueller (Adora Sheikh), Frankie's former best friend interacted better with her than Nyx. Unfortunately, the writers soon get bored with her and she disappears. (In fairness, maybe they realized the large cast of kids was too much.)

Also not loving GR. Murphy is fine in the role but her hiding info. for no rational reason other than to drag out the mystery is frustrating. The fact that's she bossing Frankie around all the time does not make one adhere to her.

Recommended. Wouldn't say it's one of THE best live-action kids shows ever made, but it's definitely watchable. Kids should like the cast who are all game.

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie

6.5

In this special on Apple+, Marcie (voiced by Arianna McDonald) deals with her introvertedness getting in the way of her goals and responsibilities.

This special does a really heartfelt job of showing children it's okay to be introverted and how to deal with it. Charlie Brown's not in this much, but there is one scene where the special does a great job of reminding us that he's probably one of the most likable fictitious characters out there.

However, this didn't need to be 39 minutes long. There are too many scenes of Marcie having difficulty. Admittedly, this does nail her struggles but also beats the issue to death. Also, kids have short attention spans.

Like the previous Apple+ specials, this still feels like Peanuts diluted. The characters feel more two-dimensional. Peppermint Patty and Marcie have really been Flanderized, reduced to just "the sports one" and "the brainy one." Part of the original strip's success is that through Charlie Brown's insecurities it related with a lot of people. However, the rougher aspects of the original are gone.

Also like the previous specials, this looks great. The scribbly line look of the Peanuts kids feel really strip accurate. The bright colors are not faithful to the classic specials, but they are so colorful, I forgive them. The 2d-animation has never looked better for Peanuts like it's on a film budget.

Kinda recommended. Does deliver a great message for kids and does it well, but it's slow and a poor imitation of classic Peanuts.

Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie

 

5.5/10

This movie version of the popular French cartoon series is a retelling of the show except it's a musical now (I guess to spice things up; best not to worry about it). It's currently on Netflix in the US. In this, young teenagers Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste are gifted with magical jewelry known as Miraculous which turn them into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir.

This feels like one of those late 80's or 90's animated movies that were not by Disney or Don Bluth. Story feels very basic. Even emotional moments feel very simple. (In fairness, I believe this is for younger viewers.) A lot of this involves Marinette's insecurities which feel very manufactured. There are moments with jokes and other scenes that feel like a little effort when in, so this isn't a complete no-one-tried effort, but nothing really shines.

One may ask why retell the same story instead of coming up with a new adventure? I wouldv'e preferred more creativity, but I can understand why they might want to make this accessible to newcomers. Also, the show was still in production, so I can also see why they wanted to avoid continuity issues.

Visually this movie is excellent. Yeah, this doesn't have a Disney or other American studio budget, but this is the second most expensive French film ever made. One part of what made the show so successful is its fun look to its heroes and villains and their outfits, which clearly sells dolls, and a fanciful depiction of Paris. The larger budget here gives the animators a chance to include a lot more detail. The scenery is so picturesque and the bright use of color is so well done here.    

The songs are pretty innocuous; again that basic animated movie feel. Also, a lot of the songs sound the same. The English singing voice for Marinette (at least I think the speaking and singing were separate people) is, I'll give you that. The background score for this, well at least in the third act, is more effective than the songs themselves.

Not recommended for adults by themselves, unless they're big fans of good animation, but children will probably like it. If your kids are already fans of the show, there will probably be no complaints. Again, this has a bright and colorful look that will definitely catch a lot of younger eyes.

Haunted Mansion (2023)

6/10

It's been twenty years since the first Haunted Mansion movie which didn't do that well. (Never understood the hate for it. I liked it. Can we at least agree that Terrence Stamp was great in that?) Now, Disney has made a second attempt at doing a film based on its theme park attraction. In this, Ben Matthias (played by Lakeith Stanfield), a down-on-his-luck former astrophysicist dealing with tragic events in his life, becomes involved, based on a previous interest in ghosts, with breaking the curse on Gracey Manor.

This is one of those movies that have some good ideas and moments but fail to reach a cohesive whole. The editing is rather circumspect.

There are many decent lines but not all of them land. 

I like that this movie was more faithful to showing actual elements from the attraction and when you see the ghosts they're definitely fun and one of the highlights of the movie. They can even be a little scary but not too much for kids. You also get them early enough, so that you don't have to wait for them. However, the emphasis is on the human characters more than the ghosts, and I think that was a mistake. The movie's always more entertaining when spooky things happen.

The mansion and and the main antagonist The Hat Box Ghost (voiced by Jared Leto) both have interesting backgrounds to them. Ben's past is pretty emotional and well written. However, all the current goings on just aren't as intriguing or cohesive. There's one subplot involving a ghost that you think would be resolved, but it isn't.

I think that a problem with this is that the movie has too many characters to focus on. Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson would be a dream team, but they're not. Part of it is the writing for their characters not being the best to work with, but also there just isn't as much personal interaction between the talented actors as you'd think. Sure they're in a lot of scenes together, but they don't do that much together if you get my drift. 

Lakeith does a great job as Ben who's one of the best written parts. He really is a tragic, three-dimensional character, and a fairly solid guy once his mettle is tested. Second best character is Tiffany Haddish's psychic Harriet. Her character has the second most going on next to Ben. Haddish may be the best actor in this as she really sells a someone who's often trying to put on a confident face. 

Wilson as Father Kent and DeVito as history professor Bruce Davis do their best, especially the latter who shines when given a chance, but they're given so little to work with. I honestly feel Devito got a lot of scenes edited or cut, and he probably had a backstory that didn't make it in.

Dawson as the mansion's owner Gabbie is wasted. She's just a nice mom/love interest who isn't given much to do and definitely not proactive enough. She also gets the worse dialogue. There's one delivery from her that's truly awful, and I hope it was due to direction/editing. Chase Dillon as Gabbie's son Travis is one of those child actors who deliver their lines too much like an adult. Something always feels off about him.

I genuinely liked the villain in this. The Hat Box Ghost is an old school genteel, loquacious baddie, and I liked his retro style. 

Visually, director Justin Simien (Dear White People) has a great sense of visuals for not just the mansion, but all buildings. Even Ben's small place has a distinct look to the exterior.

Not recommended. It's not a hard no. It could be a decent watch for the kids, but there's no need to see this and definitely no reason to spend big bucks on it. I'd say the original Haunted Mansion was better. Yeah, Ben's conflict is definitely better than the "dad who's too busy working and has to learn to spend time with his family" conflict, but the original's overall plot was stronger.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

7/10

In Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, the titular Ruby (voiced by To all the Boys I've Loved's Lana Condor) is a Kraken, legendary creature of the deep, whose family have disguised themselves as humans and live in the coastal town of Seaside. Ruby's never been in the ocean and her mother forbids her from entering. However, soon an event will cause Ruby to get in touch with her Kraken heritage.

So, yes, it's the coming-of-age story that was Turning Red but told more simply and not as well. However, by itself RGTK ain't a half bad watch. 

Ruby's likable enough and though this is no Turning Red, her relationship with her mother Agatha (Toni Collette) works well enough. The humor is also decent and the writers were clearly having fun.

The best part is the look of Seaside. It's a very creative looking place that doesn't exist in the real world and is like an American Venice. The design and color for the settings all pop.

At first I didn't think I'd like the character animation. I'm not a big fan of simplistic looks, but I changed my mind on this. All the characters have a unique appearance with differing body and head shapes and the movement animation works gels with the simplicity. Also at first, it bugged me that the Gillmans are able to pass for human when they are blue and have fin ears. However, they explain it away in the movie in a manner that was amusing and worked for me.

Voice acting's alright. The standout here is Schitt's Creek's Annie Murphy as popular new girl Chelsea Van Der Zee. Her voice has this energy to it that jumps off the screen. On the other hand, SNL/Last Man on Eath's Will Forte voices sea captain Gordon Lighthouse, and he doesn't work. Forte's trying but it sounds like he's attempting to be a sea captain rather than actually being a sea captain.

Besides the simplicity of the story, the movie has two weak points that prevents it from being better.: 1) Though Agatha's reasons for not returning to the ocean are explained, it felt like the backstory should've had more detail and tried to hit harder emotionally. 2) The outcome of Chelsea's storyline just aren't as narratively interesting as possibilities you could've come up with in your head.

Kinda recommended. Yeah, it's not perfect and the story goes for basic children's film rather than try to be ambitious, but it's still a fun watch, and I definitely recommend checking out Seaside. This is Dreamworks' lowest grossing animated film at the box office, and it doesn't deserve that. It's much better than the likes of Shark Tale, Antz, Spirit, and Sinbad. Your kids will probably like it; my nieces and nephew had a fun time watching this.

Nimona

 

7.5/10

The new Netflix movie Nimona, based on the graphic novel by ND Stevenson (who also helmed the recent She-Ra reboot) takes place in a city-state that is partly medieval and partly futuristic. In it, Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Rix Ahmed) is on the run after being framed. He's surprised to find himself aided by the mysterious shapeshifter Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz) who wants to be Ballister's sidekick because he's the city's number one villain. 

This almost never got released. Nimona's previous studio was owned by 20th Century Fox and was acquired by Disney due to the purchase. Disney didn't see the need for another animation studio and shut it down (sorry kids, no more Ice Age movies.) The movie was 70-something% complete at the time. Luckily, Annapurna picked it up and completed it.  

Ballister and Nimona are both well-defined and likeable characters who work well together. It's especially fun seeing average guy Ballister reacting to the general chaos he keeps being thrown into.

The movie does a good job of teaching not to judge those who are different and being proud of who you are without feeling it's talking down to the audience. Props should be given to the movie for probably being the first feature-length major animated children's film to feature a gay character (Ballister) as the lead. Sure, we've seen gay characters in other films, but this is the first one where it's front and center.

Humor's pretty good here, and the writers do well in making it fit naturally.

Movie looks sleek, uses a 2D-image-made-3d effect like with the Spider-verse movies. The futuristic/medieval look is unique and it looked like thought was given to the design of the whole place.

You can predict a good portion of where the plot movie is going. The villain feels especially by-the-book. Also there is too much of recycling back-and-forth between the same two scenarios: Ballister and Nimona fighting the city's knights and them regrouping back at their hideout.

If you were a fan of the original graphic novel, which was more YA, you might be disappointed by the fact that the story was altered to make itself simpler and more family friendly.

Recommended. The general story is a little obvious but the world and characters are charming. It's not a perfect film, but it's pretty good. Your kids will probably like it. 

The Snoopy Show- Season 3

 

8/10

The third season brings more short adventures of Snoopy the dog (animal noises by Terry McGurrin), his best friend and bird Woodstock (animal noises by Rob Tinkler), his owner Charlie Brown (voiced this season by Ettienne Kellici), and the rest of the Peanuts gang.

Not much has changed from the previous seasons. This continues to be a funny show for kids. I'm again impressed with all the visual gags involving Snoopy and Woodstock. It can't be easy to write for characters who can't talk, but they pull it off really well. Snoopy's reactions are so enjoyable and the animators make it so you get so much from him without saying a word. 

Again, Snoopy and Woodstock remain one of the best duos in animation history. There is just something about the way the two fight a lot but are also so in sync that works. (Unfortunately, you don't get as much of Woodstock as previous seasons.) Again, although this is modern, watered-down Charlie Brown, he's still such a likable kid and brings a lot of heart to his relation with Snoopy.

I feel that the showrunners might have heard the complaints that the show is a diluted version of that ol' Peanuts feel. Although The Snoopy Show still plays it safer than the rougher original where the kids could be a lot meaner to each other and there was more depth, it felt like the writers were trying a little harder to evoke the ol' Peanuts feel.

Animation remains great. It's clean and colorful and really matches the design style of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.

Recommended. This does appear to be aimed toward younger children, but has a lot of clever humor and heart to it.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

9.5/10

In this sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales/Spider-Man (voiced by Shameik Moore) reunites with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and becomes involved with a trans-dimensional task force populated to the gills with various Spider-Men and -Women from across the multiverse.

This really carries the ball passed on from the first film: being a combination of heart, humor, and story. The interpersonal relations are so excellently done here. Whereas the last movie focused on Miles' father Jefferson Davis (Brian Tyree Henry), this film gives more screen time to Miles' mother Rio (Luna Lauren Velez) and her relationship with her son. We also get a lot more screentime with Gwen Stacy than I expected. She's really as much the lead of this film as Miles, and we really get to see more about her life and what makes her tick.

The movie manages to balance the heavier aspects with a lot of fun jokes, more per capita than the last film. This movie lets the writers play as fast and loose with the Spider world as they want due to endless dimensions. They truly have an immense sandbox to play in. There are fair amount of Spider meta jokes to be found; this was clearly made by fans.

The story is pretty ambitious and you probably won't be able to guess where it goes; really, a very creative and well written script. This is darker than the last movie and manages to mine the Spider-Man history of personal drama and tragedy really well. This is one of those two-parter movies, so don't expect everything to be wrapped up here. But, man oh man, does this end on an enticing note.

It may have surprised a lot of people that the main villain in this is The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a mid/lower ranking Spidey villain. He was considered as a bit of a joke by fans when he first appeared in the 80's due to his silly name and appearance, but he's made more appearances in recent years with writers realizing how powerful his skill set is (he can create multiple small portals) and have been making him more of a threat. This movie runs with the characters' history in the fandom and comics and portrays the character as both humorous and threatening.

Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 is one of the primary characters in this and the only Spider-Man who's super serious and never throws around quips. His goals don't align with Miles' and serves as as a pretty solid anti-hero in this.

If you liked the other Spider-People in the last film, don't expect to see a lot of them here. The story just didn't seem to have room.

'Course what everyone remembers the most about the first one was the distinct and quality animation. This movie really manages to surpass that. The animation again is so vibrant and visually creative. Besides, having the world look like it was in the comic book pages, some of the characters from various worlds may have very different animation styles based on said worlds. If you had headaches and eye strain from the fact that the last film was a little like looking at a blue/red 3D image without the glasses, they cut down on that. It's still there somewhat, but it's not as distracting.

I'm impressed with the sheer amount of detail in this. All the worlds feel so lived in. This is the sort of animation a college instructor will use as an example in class.

If there are any weak spots to this, it's its length, running at 2 hours and 20 minutes. There are so many reveals and plot points that the whole thing might get a little exhausting by the end. Also, this movie carries the Spider-Man tradition of struggling with life's setbacks and hardships and the weight of being a hero as often demonstrated by broad quasi-philosophical monologues. It's part of the Spidey routine by now, but there's so much of it that it may weigh the film down for some.

Highly recommended. This is one of the most engaging and creative movies of the year and one of the best looking animated films ever. I think the first film was a little better mostly due to it being a more compact story. But the difference isn't by too much.