The Little Mermaid (2023)

8/10

In this remake of the 90's movie, Ariel (played by singer/sonwriter/actress Halle Bailey), a mermaid princess, is fascinated with the above world and falls in love with Eric (Jonah Hauer-King), a human prince. In order to become a human herself, she makes a deal with the devious sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy). The condition is that she must get true love's kiss within three days or else.

Given that this is a Disney live-action remake, yeah... you got the regular criticism. They mostly retell the same story, but the script and direction can't quite match the magic of the original with live scenes unable to improve upon their animated counterparts. Sebastian (voiced by Daveed Diggs) is just thrown in without much of a good introduction and Ursula needed more screentime to let her breath. Also, attempts to bring some slight messages about man harming underwater ecology feel hamfisted and trite. 

That all having been said, I still found this to be a good film and one of the better Disney remakes. (Don't worry Pete's Dragon. You're still my favorite.) This is clearly a movie where everyone's trying, and sure there are valid criticisms about moments, but there is a genuine pleasantness and fun to it. The creators attempt to try some new things visually, and the musical numbers manage to look good and draw you in without being exact carbon copies of the original and make up for things they couldn't do in animation. 

The strongest part in this is that the movie does a better job of building the relationship between Ariel and Eric than in the original. More time is given to given to letting them interact and fleshing out Eric's character, showing why the two characters work together. 

Another strength is great casting all around. The best thing about this movie is DEFINITELY Halle Bailey. She completely embodies the essence of Ariel. She brings this youthful energy and innocence that completely works. I think Disney learned their lesson from the Beauty and the Beast remake with Emma Watson and cast a lead actress that truly can sing. Heck, Bailey's voice is even stronger than that of original voice actress Jodi Benson.

There's a five year difference between Bailey and Hauer-King (admittedly I'm not the first review to say it online and I may be regurgitating, but I think it needs to be stated), plus Bailey is shorter and acts younger than Hauer-King, resulting in an awkward age gap. Given the controversy that in the animated movie Ariel was 16 and Eric was 18 (yeah, look it up), you'd think Disney'd be more careful about that.

I owe Melissa McCarthy an apology. She's been more of a personality actress than a character actress, and I thought she was cast because she was a big name. I was completely wrong. McCathy knows what makes Ursula tick and pulls off the delivery bringing a humorously, wicked and larger-than-life performance. If you were disappointed with how unfaithfully Jafar was portrayed in the Aladdin remake, this is a breath of fresh air. 

Only casting  that doesn't quite work is Awkwafina as Scuttle. (NOT a gender-change issue.) Maybe it hurt her that she voiced a Disney character not too long ago and there's a comparison. In Raya and the Last Dragon, she felt like she was the character. Here, it feels more like stunt casting with Awkwafina as Awkwafina. 

CGI is a mixed bag. All background aspects of the underwater world look excellent, but the combination of live-action actors with the mermaid actors never look quite natural. I think the director realized that too. In the animators' defense, this was a huge undertaken what with all the underwater scenes. (There's a reason Disney has put off adapting one of their most recognizable IP until now.) There was a clear effort to be economic with the amount of mermaid animation they had to do. So unfortunately, don't expect a lot of mermaid group scenes. The underwater kingdom is kinda sparse and feels like it it's made up mostly of Ariel's famly. The animators do do an impressive job of making hair look like it's flowing in the water.

Sebastian's new design that's more faithful to what crabs look like is controversial, I do say. I like the eyes, but the mouth movements don't work for me. Altogether, I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. 

Whereas the original film took place in a European fairy tale land, this takes place on a tropical island nation. Admittedly, some will miss the original look, but I feel the change in location allows a lot of tropical colors that makes the movie work.

We get three new songs in this from original songwriter Alan Menken with Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda replacing the late Howard Ashman as lyricist. It's funny, I felt that this movie did a better job as a remake than either B&B or Aladdin, but those two each had a new song here that was pretty good and none of the new ones here pop. In fairness, Ariel's new song does work great when you watch it on film. The visuals, lyrics and Baille's performance makes this one of the strongest moments. But, you won't be remembering the song much afterwards. Doesn't help that Eric's new song wasn't suitable for Hauer-King. He seems to have pipes, but the tempo didn't fit his voice. Also, all three songs don't feel like they're in the same tone as the originals. If you're a fan of "Daughters of Triton" or "Les Poissons," they've been cut.

Recommended. Yes, the original is better, but this IS an entertaining film and worth seeing for Baille, McCarthy, and the musical numbers. Your kids will probably have a good time with this.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom

7/10

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (original French title: Asterix & Obelix: L'Empire du Milieu), now on Netflix, is the fifth of the live-action films based on the popular and long-running Asterix the Gaul comics (known for their combination of slapstick and satirical humor) and the first of said films (not counting the animated ones) not based on one of the original stories. This stars Gauls (the ancestors of the French and Belgians) Asterix (played by Guillaume Canet) and his friend Obelix (Gilles Lellouche) who live in the only village that hasn't been occupied by the Roman Empire thanks to a magical potion the druid Getafix (English)/Panoramix (French) (Pierre Richard) brews that gives people super strength. In this installment, the friends travel to China in order to help Princess Fu Yi (Julie Chen) regain control of China from the forces of the prince Deng Tsin Qin (Bun Hay Mean) and Julius Cesar (Vincent Cassel).

It's nice to finally get an Asterix movie on Netflix in America, and one which is prominently displayed no less. There's a ton of these films but since Asterix isn't big the way he is in France and other countries he doesn't get much love stateside. Some of the movies are completely unavailable and the others often require Internet research to determine the various streaming platforms they're all on. 

'Course there's ultimately the question of whether this movie's good or not regardless of the fact that America's finally giving the franchise a chance. The Asterix films can be inconsistent. I've seen the first 3 live-action ones and the first is okay, the second is pretty good, and the third was a disappointment. My final verdict on this one: It's not perfect, but it's funny.

There are jokes in this that either don't work (there's a weird visual gag involving a box that the writers had an undeserved confidence in) or the French sensibility or topical humor doesn't cross the cultural divide, but a lot of the jokes do land, including one laugh-out-loud moment for me. A lot of the stuff in this film that works is based on the fact that it's an adaptation of a children's humorous comic. The whole thing is just plain silly humor and a lot of jokes juxtaposing modern cultural references with ancient times, and it sounds like the latter could get old but it never really does.

What helps make the comedy work is that the entire cast knows what kind of movie they're making and go all in on the silliness. The guys playing the villains especially seem to be having fun mugging for the camera. There's like six of them and yet their scenes never feel overstuffed, and each one has a distinct personality.

Surprisingly, one of the weaker parts of this are the two leads. The writing for Asterix and Obelix feels a little off. Asterix especially doesn't feel quite like himself. He's always been a a positive fellow who likes his lot in life. Here he comes off a little selfish and is questioning stuff that has been staples of his characters. The first ten minutes of the film don't make a great impression due to his personality alone. (The movie does take a little time to really get going. If you watch, I suggest you give this at least 30-45 min. before you decide to give up.)

The sets are all really nice and colorful. The movie's filmed in France, but the production crew seemed to be doing their best to make the setting is somewhere else.

Since this is French, expect this movie to be a bit more liberal with content. Parents should understand that though this is considered a family film, there are sexual references including a brief usage of the word "orgies." I can't quite put a finger on anything specific, but anyone who's actually Chinese or of Chinese ancestry may not be thrilled with how fast and loose the movie makers play with Chinese culture.

This is one of those movies that are hard to recommend or not. Some will find this definitely funny and a nice lighthearted affair. Others may be frustrated with the parts that don't work or just don't get the film as a whole. This is probably a better recommendation for kids (provided their parents are okay with the content) as I think they'll probably be less picky and like the goofiness of it all. If you're curious about the Asterix franchise, I don't know if I can say this is the perfect entry point. I'd recommend either Asterix and the Vikings, if it ever comes back to streaming in the U.S., which is the one that feels the most like a traditional American kids' film, and the animation is pretty good, too, or The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, the best in my opinion and currently for rent on a few streaming platforms, helmed by the original creators, and has this unique feel to it you could only get in the 70's. (Admittedly, there is one brief scene in the movie that is unarguably racist.)

Muppets Mayhem

9/10

This Muppets limited series(?) on Disney+, has aspiring music executive Nora Singh (played by Youtube personality Lilly Singh) overseeing Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem recording their first album.  

I have to admit that I was surprised that they were creating a show specifically about the band from The Muppets Show and other projects (without even other Muppets characters like Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, etc.) Don't get me wrong, we all like Animal (performed by Eric Jacobson), but the band as a whole were mostly background characters that were good for a few jokes but never had strong characterization. (Quick, how many of you remember what Lips (Peter Linz) the guy who plays the trumpet looks like. How many of you even remember there was a guy who plays the trumpet?) Plus, it doesn't help that their groovy rocker attitudes make most of them, except again for Animal, too similar. It's like if you made a Peanuts show that only featured Franklin, Pigpen, and Frieda, the girl who boasted about her naturally curly hair, had their own show. There just isn't enough about their personalities to make one feel confident they could flourish on their own.

I was so pleased to see how wrong I was. First of all, the creators were smart enough to put all the weight on the Mayhem. Like The Muppets Christmal Carol was really Michael Caine's Scrooge's story with the Muppets, this show makes the wise choice to make this Nora's story with the Mayhem. She brings the story and they bring the comedy.

This is weirdly like Ted Lasso. Having possibly learned from the recent The Muppets and Muppets Now which felt more mean-spirited and jaded than classic Muppets (it's like they asked themselves, "Hey, what if we made Miss Piggy more toxic?! Surely there can never be a cap on that?!) this one is fully positive with supporting messages for the children. The humans are surprisingly fleshed out by Muppets standards. The band members are more simple, naturally but more characterization have been given to the them than ever. They may've made Sgt. Floyd Pepper (Matt Vogel), the one with the big red moustache, become a contender for Fozzie and Beaker's positions as the Muppet most likely to evoke an empathetic response.

Doesn't hurt that the show is pretty funny. It kinda feels like earlier Muppets films where some of the jokes did feel they were aimed at both adults and children in what is a family friendly affair. The show manages to make drug jokes and jabs at similar content without ever being specifically about drugs and such. (However, there are two movie references that I'm surprised Disney+ plus greenlighted. Parents, be prepared for your kids asking what that R-rated movie the Muppets mentioned was.) It is possible adults may get more out of this than children. Some kids, especially younger could get bored by the more dialogue-heavy pacing.

Though I'm mostly unfamiliar with Lilly Singh, I thought she was pretty good for someone without a lot of acting experience. She makes for a fine straight man having to deal with the unintentional antics caused by the band. Saara Chaudrey also entertains as Hannah, Lilly's social media influencer sister. There are also a lot of celebrity cameos, some of which you may be pleasantly surprised by.

Props should be given to the Muppets performers. Dr. Teeth (Bill Barretta) and Lips particularly have this liveliness to them. Needless to say, Animal, oh he of simple words, is the most entertaining of the characters. All the band members are entertaining, but there is one flaw to Janice's voice. As the hippiesh one, she's always been fun, but her voice has always been a man trying to sound like a hippie or valley girl, which works fine but when there's a lot more of it, the voice kinda ingratiates. We also get a new Muppet in this (there are surprisingly few Muppets other than The Mayhem; maybe it was to keep the focus on the band or maybe they were trying to save money) that I won't spoil, but is a fun design and character.

Highly recommended. This is honestly one of the strongest Muppets products out there.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always

7/10

In this Power Rangers 30th anniversary special on Netflix, members of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, recovering from a tragic event, try to stop the evil plans of Robo Rita (voiced by original voice actress Barbara Goodson), the evil energy of original PR Rita Repulsa reconstituted within a robot body (makes more sense when you see the special, still goofy but it makes more sense). 

Man, this was surprisingly dark for the original franchise. I mean it's still Power Rangers, it doesn't veer too far off-course from the campy nature of the show, but it's the first entry in a while to show a human die, and I don't think it, though the series has dabbled with more serious plot points from time to time, especially during the ABC Family years, has had the characters handled as maturely as this. (Also, the continuity is unexpectedly on-point for a show that's been going almost non-stop since the 90's.) The whole thing is a lot more compelling than it has any right to be, even serving as a tribute to late Yellow Ranger actress Thuy Trang who perished in a car accident. 

Unfortunately, the special wasn't able to include the entire original cast due to them either declining to appear or being on probation or deceased. (To make it clear, original Green Ranger Jason David Frank, who sadly committed suicide, was still alive at the time this was made. He just declined because he was working on something else.) But, the special manages to snag actors who played replacement Rangers in later episodes in order to fill any absentees' boots.

If your memories to the very original MMPR are shady or nonexistent, most of the cast are not great actors. David Yost as original Blue Ranger Billy is definitely the weakest and has trouble seeming natural. Original Black Ranger Walter Jones does the best with the material and comes the closest to believably selling their character. Charlie Kersh, who plays the daughter of original Yellow Ranger Trini, is also one of the better elements in this.

Nice to see they got Goodson back instead of a replacement actor, which they've done before. She hasn't done the voice for decades, but she's still got it and brings Rita's trademark cackley voice. The Rita here is so much more evil and convincing as an evil threat.

It's PR, so naturally the budget isn't much, but I give the creators kudos for effort. Unlike most PR shows, which are built off of the Japanese Super Sentai shows, this has completely original footage and costumes. I'm rather impressed by the design of Robo Rita, which is a smidge off-putting. (Also, kudos to the designer's hutzpah for retaining Rita's infamous cone brassiere.) The costumes for the Putty Patrollers, Rita's foot soldiers from the original show (which are still comical but can come off as a bit menacing this time around), are accurate-looking but the fabric in the head areas noticeably bunch up some times.  

Kinda recommended. I mean it's Power Rangers, this probably appeals more to younger kids or nostalgic adults (i.e., me). By the show's standards, though, it's as high quality as it can get.

The Owl House- Season 3 (Final)

8/10

This final season is only three hour-long episodes. (From what I've read, they were lucky to get that. Viwership was alright, but certain Disney suits felt the show didn't fit well within the brand. I'm worried that this may be the end at least for now of serialized fantasy/sci-fi shows on the Disney Channel. All it's current animated programming is episodic and leaning more on the comedy side.) In it, Luz Noceda (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles) and her friends try to find a way to return to the Boiling Isles, which has been taken over by the Collector (Fryda Wolff), a god-like child who doesn't really get right and wrong.

You can definitely feel the time constraints in this. The amount of time for this world that had gotten pretty character heavy was limited and not every person you may like will have a spotlight on them (Amity's sibling get pretty much zilch in this). Sadly, witch Eda (Just Shoot Me/Hot in Cleveland's Wendy Malick), one of the biggest characters in the show doesn't get to do much.  It's clear the writers weren't able to address everything they probably had in mind (in particular, the mystery of the Bat Queen's past is never addressed, and if you thought there might be more to the story about Eda's curse, you get butkiss.) The show is able to give you enough explanation of the Collector and the show's main villain Belos (The Americans' Matthew Rhys) that's it's satisfactory but basic. I get the feeling we would've gotten flashbacks and lot more filling in of the details if this had been a full season.

What this season is able to accomplish, it does very well and should please those who like this show. We get some great character work, especially in the first episode. Luz really goes through a heroes' journey as she struggles with her choices in the show. We finally get to spend some time with Luz's mom (Elizabeth Gullion), and they do a great job with developing her as a strong, supportive mother. If you're one of those viewers who felt there was a clear divide between her actions at the beginning of season one, and her portrayal in the second season, the show explains the reasoning behind why she sent Luz to camp, and you get a surprisingly emotional backstory behind the mother's actions.

The third episode is the big action-packed finale, and man does it nail it. (Second episode is decent. I would've cut the the A-plot and have the third episode split into the second and third, giving the third more room to breathe.) This finale is peak epic imaginative fantasy. The animators and design team were clearly giving it their all in the look to this. Be sure to watch the streaming version on Disney+ or Youtube (it's there legally on the Disney Channel channel) and not on broadcast. They cut the epilogue short for time. I saw it on the Disney Channel and originally felt a little disappointed. Imagine my surprise to later find out there was 7 MORE MINUTES. You really need to see the full epilogue which is such a wonderful send off to the world of the Boiling Isles.

Highly recommended. Though this clearly wasn't the ideal story creator Dana Terrace wanted to tell, the show still bowed out an entertaining and pretty emotional note.

Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur- Season 1

8.5/10  

In this Disney Channel/Disney+ show based on the Marvel comic (and surprisingly spearheaded by Lawrence Fishburne who's the executive producer), young super-genius Lunella Lafayette (voiced by the Madea Halloween movies' Diamond White)  fights crime under the alias of Moon Girl with Devil Dinosaur (animal noises by voice actor Fred Tatasciore), her pet T. rex who came from a portal she opened.

While it takes some shows many episodes to lock into place what they want to be (and sometimes over a season, looking at you Parks and Recreation and Legends of Tomorrow), Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur had everything locked down since the beginning in what was an extremely confident and engaging first episode. 

I'd kinda like to call this the Kim Possible of this decade, since it's a fun affair starring a girl hero with colorful characters (in fact, KP and MGaDD share a showrunner). Lunella is a plucky, determined  and three-dimensional character. Due to Devil Dinosaur being huge and a lot of scenes taking place at Lunella's home or school (most people don't know her secret identity), he doesn't get quite as much screen time as you'd expect for him being in the lead (don't get me wrong, it's not like he doesn't have episodes focusing on him), but he's delightful when he's on. The guy's kinda like a big puppy dog and the animators do a great job with his facial expressions. There's a third member of the team, Lunella's friend the social media-savvy Casey Calderon (Sneaky Pete's Liby Barer). She's just as enjoyable as the leads. Both her voice and animation have this gutsy liveliness to her.

Moon Girl lives in the Lower East Side of New York and her neighborhood is a really vibrant melting pot. The show also hosts a series of villains, more often original creations than not, that are fun bunch of distinct classic cartoony-types (also like what you'd find on Kim Possible).

The animation is so stylish. If you're one person who gets tired of cartoons these days looking too similar or not taking any risks, you'll be pleasantly surprised with this. MGaDD has a very distinct type of character animation, especially the line work, that kinda has a comic/graffiti pop art feel to it. There's also an impressive selection of songs in this (Moon Girl likes to fight with music playing).

Most of these episodes revolve around Lunella, who means well, but her over-confident reliance in science to solve all her problems can be her downfall resulting in her having to learn a lesson. Don't get me wrong, the morales are good for kids, but Lunella causing a large portions of the threats in the show can get a bit old. Next season, you could at least have more episodes featuring other characters having to learn lessons. Also, it bugs me that Lunella's father looks and acts so young. I thought he was her older brother at first.

Highly recommended and great viewing for your kids. My wording really isn't doing justice to the heart put into the show. This is definitely a worthy successor to the ranks of the best humorous kids superhero cartoons, such as Darkwing Duck and Kim Possible.

Star Wars: the Bad Batch- Season 2

8/10

In this second season, the members of the genetically unique clone squad known as the Bad Batch continue taking whatever jobs they can to support themselves while trying to stay out of the eye of the Empire.

I felt that this was stronger than the last season. Some may be annoyed that this is more episodic-heavy, but it worked for me. The various situations the characters are thrown into keep things fresh. (The only weak spot would be the episode Retrieval. Not bad but it's the type of story that's been told plenty of times.) Not to say there is no ongoing plot. The show continues to look at how the clones were decommissioned after Revenge of the Sith but before A New Hope. The plight of these soldiers and how they were disposable pawns works surprisingly well as an analogy to the treatment of vets. Though a lot of the stories were misadventures, when things get serious, the writing especially pops; the last two episodes make for a hell of a finale.

I think the writers realized the cyborg Bad Batch member Echo (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) had the least amount to do last time around, so he gets some development as the one clone who feels they should be acting against the Empire and not just hiding. Tech (also Dee Bradley Baker cuz' y'know clones), the very smart and logical member, is getting a lot more time to shine and it works.

The various locations and background designs make for a real sci-fi visual delight.

Recommend. Can't say the show is as engaging as much as the recent live-action ones, but it's a well written and animated affair.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

 

8/10

In this sequel to the first film (which was ELEVEN years ago, I'm surprised Dreamworks is revisiting the property two, but rumor has it they're trying to revive the Shrek franchise), adventuring feline Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) is on the last of his nine lives. When, he hears word of a magical wishing star, he goes forth to find it, but several other parties are also after it.

The last PiB movie was just okay. It was stronger than Shrek 3 and 4 and the montage bit was comedy gold, but it was something you watched once and had no interest in revisiting. So, I was surprised at how much better this one was. It was like the creators of Last Wish made notes of everything that didn't work the last time around.

This is one part a fantasy adventure story. Last Wish has more action to it than any other film in the Shrekverse, and the only one where the fight scenes stand out.  

Problem with the last PiB was that the quest wasn't that memorable. Here though, a lot of thought was put into the enchanted forest that Puss and company journey through. It's more creative than you'd think and has a pure unadulterated, children's fantasy feel to it that I haven't seen in a long time.

This new film revamped the the physical look a bit, which to be honest, was really needed for the human characters. The original Shrek came out during the early days of 3D animation when some films tried to make the characters realistic looking before it became the trend to go with more stylistic designs. These resulted in humans whose appearances haven't aged well. They can look kinda off-putting and uncanny valley-ish. In Last Wish, the people look decent. This movie combines 3D with sort of a 2d-ish cell shadingesque effect that makes everything look stylish and results in action scenes that work really well. 

A lot of thought went into the plot this time around. Dialogue is strong and funny, but it's really all about the characters' personal journeys. Puss has a very solid personal storyline this time, the most solid since the first two Shrek films. (Although I think it's a good story, a lot of people online love it a lot more than me. Maybe I'm dead inside. Ehhhh, I'm not going to let it bother me.) Another thing the filmmakers realized was missing from the last entry was a comic relief character. Perrito (What we do in the Shadows' Harvey Guillen) is basically the Donkey to Puss' Shrek. The super-good-natured, optimistic character has been done before, but Guillen brings such a positive warmth to the dog that he never feels cookie cutter. The relationship between the main trio, Puss, Perrito, and Kitty Southpaws (Salma Hayek), returning from the last film, feels really natural. 

Remember when I said that one part of the film was a fantasy adventure? The other part of this is basically a "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" scenario. What really makes this movie and keeps it interesting are all the other characters, with varying levels of antagonism and varying motives, who are also after the star. Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and The Three Bears are really likable. Wolf (Narcos' Wagner Moura), is the only antagonist in the Shrekverse who's a real physical threat and the only one who's ever been really intimidating. The other foe in this hasn't been shown much in the trailers, so I'll let you find out who they are, but they are definitely one of the funniest parts.

For those with younger kids, be forewarned that this has a lot more death and violence than your typical Shrekverse film.

Highly recommended. Again, the best Shrekverse movie since the first two. I'd rank it below 2 and above 1. It's just a really well told and entertaining story.

Matilda the Musical

 

8/10

This adaptation of the stage musical and the second film adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl is about Matilda (played by Alisha Weir), a super smart, nice girl with lousy, awful parents (Stephen Graham and Oblivion's Andrea Riseborough), who gets sent to Crunchem Hall, where she ends up in conflict with the harsh and controlling headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson).

This was directed by Matthew Warchus, the stage director of the original musical. Though directors don't always make a successful transition to screen when adapting a musical (like with the Producers, it just seemed to utilize basic shots of the same choreography from the musical without much utilization of what the camera and editing could do), but I'm proud to say that Warchus is up there with the guys who did The Music Man and 1776 when it came to making a successful jump to screen; a really successful jump to screen, mind you. If you compare some modern musicals to those of the golden age, you may notice that the musical numbers often don't match the energy, choreography, or amount of detail put into the scene. This is not the case with Matilda. These have some of the best looking, shot and choreographed numbers in recent years. So much effort went into making these scenes feel engaging. This also has one of the most consistent catchiest song tracks in a musical in recent years. The songs by Tim Minchin are very catchy. Sure, there are weaker ones, but there isn't a single straight up bad one in the bunch. If you loved the stage version, be forewarned that from what I hear they had to cut several songs for time, including most for both the parents for time. So, sorry if you liked them. 

Understand that the musical adds a little bit to it that makes it darker than either the original book or the Nineties Danny Devito one. (If you're wondering how the musical compares to that one. They follow the same story points basically, but Devito focused more on the broad, dark comedy, whereas this focuses more on the darker and more British elements.) The parents and Trunchbull's abuse may be harsher than you'd expect. 

Excellent cast with a lot of great singers, especially the child cast. Alisha Weir gives a great performance, and I'm sorry Mara Wilson fans, but she just does a better job. Emma Thompson under a lotta makeup, plays an absolutely abhorrent but fascinating Trunchbull. I don't know if you can really compare her performance to Pam Ferris in the Devito version. They were both good in different ways. Whereas Ferris was a bulky and physically imposing schoolyard bully, Thompson is more psychologically imposing and even more authoritarian. She's also more unhinged, and for a kids film this does a surprisingly good job of establishing or at least hinting at a psychological profile for the woman.  

Highly recommended, the dark tone might be a bit much for very young children (my sister tried to explain to her niece why Matilda's parents were mean to her), and not everyone might be into the Dahl style of playing it dark and broad, but overall this is a very enjoyable and well made musical.

Disenchanted

7.5

In this sequel to Enchanted, Giselle (played by Amy Adams), originally from the magical and animated kingdom of Andalasia, and her husband Robert (Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey) move from New York City to the suburb of Monroeville. Dealing with the stresses of a new baby, the move, and her now teenaged stepdaughter Morgan's resentment of said move, Giselle ends up making a wish that turns the suburb into a fairy tale land. Unfortunately, since Giselle is a stepmother, the spell starts turning her into a traditional fairy tale "evil stepmother."

So, yeah, this isn't on the same level as the first film. The more adult humor and moments are gone and the dialogue and emotional tone isn't quite as on point. The musical numbers aren't as lavish or as well-shot. The animation is kinda shabby for Disney and doesn't compare to the animation from fifteen flippin' years ago. However, the issues are mainly that the movie can't quite recreate the feel of the first. By itself, it's still a fun film and does a lot better than expected for a sequel that came out over a decade since the original. (Think of this like the more light-hearted TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze when compared to the first TMNT film.) 

I think the idea of Giselle dealing with the long term difficulties of living in the real world is an admittedly predictable idea of where to take the story. However, the route the movie goes down feels fresh. The idea of Giselle turning bad is really the best part. Amy Adams was already great at playing an upbeat Disney princess, but she proves how good an actress she is as she knocks the other identity out of the park. I was a little worried about how the villain (besides evil Giselle) would turn out as I thought the weakest part of Enchanted was Susan Sarandon's rather one-dimensional evil queen. I'm pleased to say I'm relieved. Though Maya Rudolph's evil queen Malvina isn't the most complex character, she is enjoyable and has a lot more screen time in which to get to know her. One of the best parts of the film is evil Giselle and Malvina fighting against each other for dominance.

The relationship between Giselle and Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) is the emotional backbone of the film and it's done really well delivering a very satisfying climax. The whole final act itself is really good and a lot more satisfying with the action, stakes, and visual spectacle.

Too bad the movie doesn't really know what to do with Robert, who's sidelined Kristoff in Frozen II-style, and King Edward (James Marsden), who's still funny whenever he's onscreen but isn't in this much because the story just doesn't have much room for him.

The songs are done by the king of Disney songs Alan Menken with lyrics by Wicked/King of Egypt's Stephen Schwartz. The songs mostly aren't on the same par as the original film, but they aren't bad and I appreciate they're ability to mimic the old school Disney-fairy tale style (though there's an I-have-a-dream song that is a little too on the nose if you ask me). The biggest issue people bring up about Enchanted is that it has Wicked/Frozen's Idina Menzel, but she doesn't sing a word (in fairness, from what I've heard, she did have a song but it got cut.) Disney has clearly made the effort to remedy this as she gets two songs, including one that really shows off her pipes (too bad it doesn't compare to her songs from both Frozen films). Now, back when I said the songs mostly weren't on the same tier, this "mostly" is referring to the exeption of the song Badder which is both entertaining and a real earworm. (I've been listening to this online on repeat since yesterday.) The last film never got a villain song (heck we haven't had a true Disney villain song for a while), and this movie makes up for it. It's a duet between Adams and Rudolph and they both kill it, especially Rudolph who I didn't realize was musically talented. It's really too bad that the audio is off in the film and the music is loud enough that it's hard to hear the lyrics. I recommend you turn on the subtitles or listen to the song in the end credits where the audio is correct.

Recommended. Again, this isn't the perfection of the first film (with the exception of the one weird out-of-nowhere poop gag; what was with that?), but it is enjoyable and one that's good for family night.

Monster High the Movie

6/10

(Not my demographic but my curiosity gets the best of me.) In this new movie on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ inspired by the popular doll line, half-werewolf/half-human  Clawdeen Wolf (played by Miia Harris; not a typo, there's two i's), who has to hide in the human world, is invited to attend Monster High, but must keep her human side secret or face expulsion.

This is your typical just-okay kids film. Also, a typical Nick channel film in that it's not quite a Disney Channel film. (I know the Disney movies aren't high cinema but there is always that little bit of budget and promising young acting talent that can be found in them.) All the background monster characters are just actors in very basic-looking bright color makeup. The story relies a little too heavily on the Clawdeen and her roommate Draculaura's personal crises. As a children's film this could've tried to have a little more fun and and take itself less seriously. The adult monsters' prejudice and overbearingness is laid on pretty thick. Though, I do give the filmmakers credit for not going the basic children's film route and adding a tinge of darkness to it. The ending wraps things up a little too quickly and neatly.

The movie does have it's fun points. There are a few good jokes in this that did more with the element of the macabre than expected for Nickelodeon. The most entertaining part is the smart but socially awkward, on account of being created fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot). Their lines always sparkle.

Balagot really stands out as the best actress in a sea of actors that are decent but don't shine. Kyle Selig has his moments as one of their teachers. On the other hand, the guy who plays Clawdeen's dad delivers the only truly weak performance in this.

There are songs in this; they're are alright. Not bad but not memorable either.

I know I listed a bunch of cons about this, but it is a perfectly serviceable film for your children. Nor is it something that will aggravate if they rewatch it multiple times. 

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.

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!) 

Sing 2

7.5/10

In the sequel, koala Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) takes his theater colleagues to the big city to put on an equally big show.

Admittedly, the movie rehashes the basic plot points of the first one. The animals try to put on a performance but face obstacles, Buster makes things difficult for himself by telling a lie, and all the performers have to deal with their own personal struggles.

Also, the various storylines either go very quickly (the subplot about reclusive lion music star Clay Calloway (Bono) really feels like the script is trying to break a record for speeding through the plot beats) or feel stretched out (too much time is given to wolf financial backer/antagonist Mr. Crystal (Bobby Canavale)).

However when you get down to it, the story is told decently enough and has a general sense of fun throughout. The big show they're creating really is imaginative, eye-catching, and well thought out. I would love to see something like that if it existed in reality.

Cast remains strong. (McConaughey really feels like he's giving his all to voice a character and not just do his regular style.) The three new characters brought in, Black Panther's Leititia Wright's Nooshy, a street dancing cat, the aforementioned Calloway, and Crystal's daughter (Halsey). Credit should especially be given to Halsey who's a singer and doesn't usually act. Like McConaughey, she's really playing a character, and when she sings, it feels like she's singing as her character and not herself. I am disappointed that Buster's sheep friend from the last film didn't return, but the cast is already crowded as is.

I was impressed with the animation. The designs of the flashy and/or ornate city buildings look really good. Surprisingly good direction and storyboarding. Many a non-verbal movement and shot feels well-thought out; much is said without a single word a times.

The song selections for this jukebox musical are all pretty good.

Kinda recommended. I can't say this is one of the most robust children's movies made. Nor does it do much to differentiate itself from it's predecessor. However if your kids liked the first, they'll probably like this. This movie feels like it came from a good place and it's a decent time waster. 

Encanto

 

9/10

This new Disney movie follows the Madrigals, a family gifted with magic powers. However, the magic seems to be fading. Mirabel (voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz), the only family member not gifted with powers, takes it upon herself to find out what's causing the trouble.  

This is definitely one of the more different Disney movies. There's no main villain, including a last act twist one. This is a surprisingly character-based film. I'm impressed by the sheer amount of world building in this. A lot of thought went into the characters and the backstory of the magic. That having been said, the movie does suffer from from having to juggle one too many family members; Mirabel's cousins felt like they had more dimension to them than her own sisters. 

This is a Disney movie, so it's no surprise this is well animated. The detail is strong enough that I could see the hairs on the back of a character's neck.

The songs are from Lin Manuel-Miranda and their really good. Now, I wouldn't say they're Hamilton level. Also, I wouldn't say the totality of the songs are as catchy as some of the best known entries, Disney such as Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. But that's just in comparison to other works. Again, really good songs that should entertain you. Also, "We Don't Talk about Bruno" is a true earworm. 

Highly recommended. This is something the entire family can enjoy. 

Home Sweet Home Alone

5.5/10

In the 6th Home Alone installment streaming on Disney+, Max Mercer (played by Archie Yates) predictably finds himself home alone for Christmas when his family and extended family misses him when they go on a trip. He ends up protecting his house with the usual HA traps from couple Pam and Jeff McKenzie (Rob Delaney and Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper) who are trying to retrieve a valuable doll he took from them.

HSHA suffers from being a rather basic children's film, which like all the sequels just couldn't quite match the magic of the original. (To be fair, I think HA3 is underappreciated.) Though this definitely has a bigger budget and cast behind it than the last two made-for-TV versions that you may not have even known existed, this movie still has a very-made-for-TV feel to it. It doesn't help that Max is a straight up rude brat, not simply rough around the edges like the original Kevin McCallister. 

To make it clear, I'm not saying this is a downright bad movie, just mediocre. I see a lot of people online hating this, but I think it's fault is being unable to make the material sparkle rather than bad writing. This is written by SNL actor/writer Mikey Day and College Humor alumni/SNL writer Streeter Seidell (they co-wrote the popular David S. Pumpkins sketch) and it feels like they were trying. There are some fun lines in this and one laugh-out-loud moment near the end. Also, the movie does have a sweet scene in this that actually manages to fill the expected HA touching moment quota without falling into the hole of simply replicating the misunderstood old man moment that 2 and 3 did. 

I'll give the writers this, they definitely knew how to handle the setup. Rather than predictably spend a lot of time watching Max getting frustrated with his family like in the first film, they go through it quickly, because we all know how this goes. (Admittedly, we barely get a feel for what Max's father is like.) I'm also pleased that this avoids the bullying older sibling trope that appeared in the first three films. The script also does a surprisingly valid job of explaining why Max isn't picked up by the cops when his parents realize he's missing. 

The best part of this are definitely the foils the McKenzies. Of all the pretenders to the Wet Bandits' thrown, I've got to say that these are probably the franchise's best home invader replacements. (Not to knock the quartet from HA3, again underrated, who weren't half bad themselves.) The movie breaks from formula by making them sympathetic and not villainous crooks like in previous entries. Heck, a lot more time is spent on the McKenzies and their family than Max. Which I prefer because they're more interesting than the lead and have the best lines. (Though, I admit that the subplot about Jeff's brother's family visiting for Christmas wastes time and could've been cut.) They're practically the protagonists, and Max is kinda the antagonist. Delaney does a good job as a guy who's slightly awkward, and Kemper is even better as she brings her traditional energy to the more driven half of the couple.    

The slapstick and traps in this isn't half bad if not as memorable as the first film, especially considering that you just can't go as violent as you could in the 90's.

The movie features a pleasant number of guest appearances from established comedic actors. (Say what you will about this but casting's not it's weak point.) Kenan Thompson shines as a real estate agent. They link this movie to the original with a brief appearance from Kevin McCallister's brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) (I'm not spoiling anything; he's in the trailer) and his role fits in organically, plus he's fun. 

Overall, this isn't a must see. However, your kids will probably like it, and there's nothing disagreeable with the film. If a family member was watching this or it's decades later and my memories have gotten hazy, I'd probably watch it again. If you're a Rob Delaney and/or Ellie Kemper this will probably be up your alley.

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.

My Little Pony: A New Generation

8/10

This new MLP movie on Netflix (intended to sell the new toyline and kick off a new show) takes place in the land of Equestria, presumably long, long after the events of the Frienship is Magic TV show. Magic no longer exists in the land, and the three different types of ponies no longer co-exist and each live apart from each other in fear and distrust.  One earth pony Sunny Starscout (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens) meets and befriends a unicorn Izzy Moonbow (Kimiko Glenn), and the two team up to bring magic back to the land. 

Friendship is Magic became an unexpectedly big hit because it went above and beyond what you'd find in your usual girls cartoon in terms of world building, writing, and characterization. To the best of my knowledge, none of the show's writers worked on this. So the question, is this new world on the same level as the FiM? No, it doesn't quite have the magic it did. Feels a little simplified. It particularly shows in the ponies living in three specific places whereas the show made it clear that many towns and cities existed. (To be fair, the movie's only an hour and thirty minutes, and you can only do so much.)

However, this movie doesn't trail behind the original show by that much. Effort definitely went into this. The script is fun and there are several good lines. Thought is given to the world here. The pegasi mountain city is the most impressive. 

Some genuine heart is given to Sunny's storyline. Her loyalty to the memory of her father, who taught her that all the ponies once lived in harmony, and desire to get the ponies to all get along feels honest and earnest. 

The computer animation in this ain't too shabby. This was originally supposed to be a theatrical release before COVID hit and there is clearly a decent budget. My compliments to the scenery designers; being MLP, the animators are given carte blanche to be as colorful and whimsical as they want. (There is one scene with a tree in a field of flowers that's really pretty.) The direction and camera angles felt very basic. Though, there is one shot in the first act that bridges sudden changes in mood really well.           

Songs are decent. None of them are memorable, but they're not bad.

Recommended for kids or general MLP fans. Again, not on the same level as FiM. Not the most unique work, either. But it is a well made, good-natured work.