Hot Frosty

Grade: B-

In this new Netflix Hallmark-esque romcom, a snow sculpture named Jack (played by Schitt’s Creek’s Dustin Milligan) is brought to life by a magic scarf and falls in love with the widowed Kathy (Mean Girls’ Lacey Chabert).

This movie has garnered itself a bit of attention with its basic premise of what if Frosty the Snowman was hot (and heterosexual and bi ladies and gay and bi men, the advertising is not false; you briefly see Milligan shirtless, and he does not skip gym day). Writer Russell Hainline (who has 3 different Xmas romcoms made from his scripts this year; good for him) runs with this silly idea with a decent script by the standards of these of these films.

The romance is standard, but the script is having more fun than you would expect. Honestly, Jack’s interactions with the local townsfolk are more entertaining than his courtship of Katie. 

There is more comedy than expected with one joke that made me chuckle a little. They hired a couple of comedy veterans to play the comic relief: The Office’s Craig Robinson and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Joe Lo Truglio as the town’s ego-driven sheriff and simple-minded deputy, respectively. They really are the most entertaining part as they do the most with their characters and have the best delivery.

Milligan was prime casting: a handsome guy who knows how to do comic delivery. Chabert, however, is just okay, doing a basic performance.

Kinda recommended, if you don’t like Hallmark-style films at all, this will not do much to change that, but I do feel it is stronger faire for what it is, and effort was put into the setting and humor.

Red One

Grade: B+

In this new Christmas movie, Santa Claus (played by J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped. His bodyguard Callum Drift (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is forced to team up with underworld tracker Jack O'Malley (Captain America's Chris Evans), who was used to locate Santa’s location, to find him.

This is sort of like the movie Constantine. It sounds like a concept that will be done in a very basic manner, but you are surprised to find out that the directors/writers put more effort into it than expected.

Director Jake Kasdan, who directed the recent Jumanji movies, brings the kind of energy he brought in those. The action scenes are well choreographed, and the movie is well placed. Also, the build up to final bad guy is built up to surprisingly well.

More importantly, it feels like Kasdan and the writers had fun with the idea of juxtaposing an action/spy movie with a Christmas movie, with ideas that could've been too obvious in theory that work in practice. What I liked best about this is that instead of going with a more colorful children's type of film, that could've had candy cane fighting staffs, a Santa's village with bright colors and traditional-looking elves in security outfits, this feels a lot more inspired by classical/mythological Christmas that's been getting more popular with the spread of Krampus. I appreciate that this includes a Christmas-related folkloric being that hasn't really been given emphasis in film before, and not just go with only Krampus again (there are actually a lot of other anti-Clauses and other Christmas-related figures throughout world history than you think; Alsac Lorraine has Hans Trapp, a scarecrow that eats children, for instance. No, he isn't in this. Yes, I'd like to see that one day, too).

The "guy-on-the-naughty-list-finds-his-Christmas-spirit-and-his-humanity-again" has been done plenty of times, and I cannot lie that Jack's character progression isn't the most obvious and least entertaining part of this, but I do give the writers credit for realizing that. Red One is kind of the movie Chef in that the redemption story is lean and mean and doesn't bog itself down with obvious "the-character-has-briefly-turned-away-from-what-he-has-learned" tropes. Also, Callum as Jack's conscious honestly gets through to him using some discussions that haven't been done in these films before.

Evans is a highlight of this, as he’s always good at playing the cocky guy. It is also appreciated that while he’s a criminal, they do make him three-dimensional enough and his apathy understandable instead of an over-the-top Ebenezer Scrooge-type.

Johnson on the other hand doesn’t fair as well. He’s being “serious Rock” here and not “charismatic Rock”. He feels wasted, and also it feels a little odd that his character, for a morally good person, is so unpractically aggressive and threatening to Jack, before he even has the chance to refuse to spill information.

The best part of this is the look. The movie’s takes on Santa’s sled and the reindeer are solid reinventions. (Not loving the elves, but it is a choice, and I give the filmmakers props for trying something new). Going back to this being more mythological Christmas-inspired. This has one of the most traditionally cozy-looking Santa villages (remember when they used to make Christmas-themed buildings for model trains? It is like that), and honestly I feel it is one of the best renditions.

The editing can be a little choppy at times, but it isn’t a deal breaker.

Recommended. Admittedly, having to go through the “message-of-the-film” moments again may kill the rewatch value, but this is a fun time. If you liked the recent Jumanji movies, you will probably like this.

Arcane- Season 2 (Final)

Grade: A

The events of last season have their fallout as tensions between Piltover and Zaun heighten and Jinx (voiced by Fallout/Sweetpea's Emma Purcell) goes on the run pursued by her sister Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and a determined Cait (Kaitie Leun, Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movies).

It was a long wait between seasons, but we finally got it, and I found it to be worth the wait. Events get crazier, and we get a lot more storylines that are high concept. Since the characters have already been introduced, the writers get the luxury to make this a more fast-paced entry.

There are a lot of complaints that this season is too fast paced, and I confess that this could’ve been split into two. Admittedly, too much may be going on and too quickly. The creators cannot give every element and character as much focus as they should. Plus, a lot of cast do not get to interact as much since some of the storylines are so separated. (The relationship between inventor Jayce (Fire Country/Lucifer's Kevin Alejandro) and politician Mel (the Frasier reboot/The Neighbor's Toks Olagundoye) is barely touched on).

Of course, it's the multifaceted characterization that still makes this work. The large cast continues to be diverse and interesting. There are few shows that get you to like and feel for characters as you do for this, and even if they are antagonists or just make bad decisions, you get where they are coming from. One of the episodes that made me say "they're doing this storyline again!" worked because of the characters.

The briefly introduced general Ambessa (EastEnders' Ellen Thomas) becomes a major player. She's one of those confident warrior types that are very verbose about the art of war and is one of the most cunning people in the room. Singed (Mistresses' Brett Tucker), the underworld doctor and a minor character last season, also gets more to do. There is more than what meets the eye to the guy. Plus, figuring out his goals and actions makes him super captivating. (There may be a lot of complaints online, but no one seems to have issue with Singed).

The destructive Jinx continues to be one of the main draws. What's nice is that she just isn't doing the same "sister-issues" stuff she did last season. She does not really know what to do after what happened in season 2, and it is nice to see her being genuinely pathless, not knowing what she wants anymore, which allows her quieter and more personal moments (though its Jinx, and she still blows things up a lot). Ella Purnell is still killing it as her, fluctuating between devil-may-care and self-hating. To think she got the role right before her career started taking off, back when Hailee Steinfeld was the only big, big name on this (not to disrespect the various experienced actors involved).

Cool street urchin Ekko (Blaze and the Monster Machines' Reed Shannon), continues to get the short end of the stick as he is once again underutilized, but at least he gets his very own focus episode.

Some character actions do feel a little forced for the plot. Cait’s decisions change really quickly here.

I appreciated that the last season of the show didn’t go crazy with random shock deaths. Unfortunately, this did not carry over here. Several deaths feel unearned and too random in the manner that has been popular with shows since Game of Thrones.

The animation is still some of the best ever done for television. (Apparently, this is the MOST expensive animated show ever). Again, colorful and beautiful . The animators even get a little experimental for certain scenes. There isn’t as much time spent on the settings and their details and nuances due to the faster-paced plot, but there are more creative-looking places and devices.

Recommended. Season 1 was stronger, I do not deny, and I’m not saying there are no legitimate criticisms, but this is still highly engaging television and knocks a lot of other shows out of the park.

Agatha all Along

Grade: B+

In Disney+'s limited series follow-up to Wandavision, amoral witch Agatha Harkness (played by Kathryn Hahn), is back. On a quest to restore her lost powers, she travels on the Witches' Road, which grants the desires of whichever witches complete its challenges, alongside the mysterious young warlock Teen (Hearstopper's Joe Locke) and her new coven.

The showrunner is Jac Schaeffer, who also helmed Wandavision, and this really feels like one of the most seamless transitions from one MCU product to another. Some may be annoyed that the majority of the episodes is just one trial after another without any big story threats, but this still makes for an entertaining piece. Characters are strong, the show is imaginative, and it excels at plot payoff and timing on info dissemination.

However, pacing may bug people. It feels like certain moments and other elements appear haphazardly and aren't done as effectively as they could.

Also, know how what was happening in Wandavision was rather dark? This is a lot more. I can't say this is as dark as that "one" plot point of Moon Knight, but this feels like the most nihilistic of the MCU Disney+ shows (yes, even more than Secret Wars). One can't help but ask "What happened to you Schaeffer? What made you like this?"

This includes a certain team from the comic. If you don't like it when comic movies/shows simplify characters, make them more grounded, and take away some of the over-the-top aspects of them, you won't like what they did here (. Honestly, why even use the characters if you have no love for them. (Admittedly, Disney is trying to make its MCU shows more cost effective and some of the appearances of said characters would've cost dough. Also, this is a team that not everyone knows, so a lot of you probably won't care).

If you feel that Agatha may be too much like Loki, don't worry. Whereas there is part of Loki that wants to be the hero, and he puts up a face to hide his security, Agatha remains a confident, me-first sociopath who's always thinking of a quick way to come out on top. Not that the show doesn't show that she has a human side, but it doesn't try to glide over what she has been or done or suddenly soften her. 

Hahn (who I'm guessing is one of the major reasons this show got made) continues to have this presence about her. Agatha may be awful but Hahn makes her very entertaining as she wisecracks and proves she's the cleverest one in the room.

The cast all around is pretty good. Aubrey Plaza is on the same level as Hahn as Rio Vidal, a mysterious witch that has a past with Agatha. Plaza is the queen of being weird and wild, but she really proves her acting job as she can show her more human side with just a look. Patti Lupone who is a theater star, but doesn't get a lot of high profile show/movie roles these days, is lively as a fortune seeing witch, and Debra Jo Rupp returns as the neighbor from Wandavision, and retains her trademark buoyant personality. SNL's Sasheer Zamata is a witch and high priestess in this. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of hers back on the sketch show. She really wasn't working for me. (Though to be honest, it could be the show may not have been using her properly. Wouldn't be the first time). But she was killing it here as a person with a confident personality and the one who likes Agatha the least. Honestly, I felt Zamata was underutilized here.

Recommended. I don't have quite as high opinion of this as many others online, but it does make for a solid watch that doesn't get boring, and definitely feels more confident and stronger than the recent likes of Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and Secret Invasion.

One Piece Fan Letter

10/10

One Piece Fan Letter is a special created in honor of the 25th anniversary of One Piece, one of the longest running anime of all time and, is lossely based on the novel Osaki Tomohito (Straw Hat Stories). It takes place at the Seabody Archipelago a while back in the storyline where the characters begin the second half of their journey. Rather than focus on the leads, Fan Letter follows average Joes and their reactions and feelings about the Straw Hat Pirates, including a girl who idolizes Nami, the crew's navigator, and wants to give her a letter, a group of Navy officers, and the owner of a bookstore.

What has contributed to the success of One Piece is its sheer world building with a healthy emphasis on characterization and a message of seeking hope in a hard world. It is how detailed the island-based of One Piece has gotten that a special focused on the little people of this world who aren't part of the main action feels so real and defined. The special does a remarkable job of introducing its moderately sized cast in its twenty-five minute run time. Fan Letter truly embodies the heart of One Piece as we truly get the characters dreams and motivations, and the way the script manages to tie in how the Straw Hat Pirates have influenced them without directly meeting them is so well done. 

Naturally, this appeals more to those who are fans or are at least able to keep up with the basic plot of One Piece. It'll feel natural to them, but this might not be the best fit for newbies. However, one could kinda get the main characters' actions here even if one is unfamiliar with the world.

The animation in here is really fluid. I particularly enjoyed the look of the compact town of Seabody and the general, can-only-happen-in-an-animated-fantasy-world, look of the island.

Highly recommended. This is brimming with sentiment and love for the show and has a tight script. Really, just an enjoyable, pure time.

Suicide Squad Isekai- Season 1

8.5/10

In Suicide Squad Isekai, the new SS anime on Max, government official Amanda Waller sends Task Force X, a secret force consisting of captured supervillains, to a magical fantasy world in another dimension in order to forge relations in order to access resources.

Wit Studios and director Eri Osada do a superb job of adapting the Squad members to anime. They really nail the larger-than-life cast of eccentric characters. Harley Quinn looks how an anime version of her would in your imagination. They make the interesting choice of keeping Clayface in human form most of the time, but it works and helps humanize him, plus I like his fashionable style of attire. He also works surprisingly well as a guide for the others as he's familiar with Isekai, the Japanese genre where someone ends up in a fantasy world, and he is having fun with the situation. Soldier Rick Flagg works as a great straight man who has to deal with both his teammates' anarchy and the politics of this fantasy world. However, I feel that the character who made the most seamless transition into anime is anti-hero Peacemaker, who is quite willing to kill in the name of peace. It hasn't been uncommon for anime to have a character who's dedicated to their creed or dogma to the point of absurdity, and Peacemaker fits the bill.

The show is highly entertaining, as these wild, chaotic, foul-mouthed characters run amok amongst and in juxtaposition to a fantasy world with a far saner populace. SS fighting monsters and magic works surprisingly well. Also, the humor ain't half bad either. 

Some may be disappointed that the show focuses more on the SS than the actual fantasy world. The fact that I've haven't mentioned the place's name yet is that they never even bother naming it. It feels basic fantasy with limited world building. (Honestly, you could say this about a lot of Isekai anime these days in general. A lot of the worlds feel similar. I miss previous decades where fantasy worlds would look so different from each other.) This isn't to say that this is a deal breaker. I felt that there were just enough original characters that the investment level was met. (The harsh, serious queen of this world proves to be interesting in the long run.) 

It may bug some that the team behind this wasn't ambitious with the roster. The SS comics have had a ton of characters over the years, but with the exception of Clayface the show sticks to only ones who were in the live-action movies. Also, Clayface's constant movie referencing, though it does cement the character, can get a bit old after a while.

Animation in this is very impressive. (Wit Studios is a subsidiary of the famed Production I.G., the studio behind Ghost in the Shell). Character designs are interesting and varied, the animation is colorful, and most importantly, the fight choreography is so fluid. SSI may also have one of the best opening and ending credits this year. (The former is really stylish and the latter is delightfully nuts).

Highly recommended. The violent insanity may not work for some, but many will find this to be a wild ride. It's definitely something different.

Descendants: The Rise of Red

6.5/10

In the fourth Descendants film (on Disney+ and Disney Channel in August), former villain and pirate Uma (played by Black Lightning/A.N.T. Farm's China Anne McClain) becomes the new headmistress of Auradon Prep. She decides to give a second chance to the kingdom of Wonderland, which has been sealed off from the rest of Auradon, and invites Princess Red (Gabby Duran and the Unsittables' Kylie Cantrall) to attend. Her mother The Queen of Hearts (actress/singer Rita Ora) uses the opportunity to sneak in her troops and stage a coup. Red, who doesn't want to be evil like her mother, and Cinderella's daughter Chloe (Malia Baker) use a time travel device to go back in time in order to stop the event that turned The Queen of Hearts evil.

This is a movie that starts out promisingly, I even initially thought it would be better than Descendants 3. The first act does an effective job of setting up the characters and plot. The second act has fun introducing the past younger versions of various famous Disney characters. However, things start falling apart by the end. Characters seem to be forgotten and tossed to the side, but it's especially the ending that feels lackluster. It doesn't have the traditional big emotional moment and spectacle you'd expect for the finale; it just kind of ends. The weirdest thing is that this doesn't go where you think it'd go based on comments and set up earlier as well as the usual tropes for person-goes-back-in-time-and-meets-their-younger-parents stories. People online were speculating that scenes were cut, but the executive producer gave an interview and apparently that wasn't the case. They intentionally made these weird decisions. Also, it's a time travel movie, so it's always a headache figuring out the rules.

The strongest part is the growing friendship between Red and Chloe, the core of the story and only part that is done without complaint. Red has the better characterization and personality, but Chloe has the better progression as the privileged princess learns everything isn't always black-and-white. However, I feel it's because of the filmmakers' dedication to this storyline above all else that other aspects fell to the wayside and supporting characters were treated like chopped liver.

This has a completely new director and writers from the original trilogy. There is a bit of change in tone here as this entry feels a little darker and more serious (by Disney Channel movie standards I mean). It works when it comes to the stakes; The Queen of Hearts is much more dangerous than any previous villain in these films. However, I felt things got a little unpleasant for a movie where people in bright colors sing and dance. Whereas the villainous not-great parents in previous movies where portrayed as comical, the ones here are straight-up verbally abusive. I honestly think this might hurt replay value, because some may just not want to go through the hard moments over again. Also, I feel there are less "fun" scenes as in the past. I feel the writers were too obsessed with "the hero's journey and struggle" than remembering this is a kids' movie and just trying to have fun. (This movie is weirdly like Disney Channel's Teen Beach 2, a sequel that went darker, made things weird with time stuff, and feels slightly disconnected from its source.)

On the visual side, you can't fault this. Again, this movie has a budget that's not theatrical level but not exactly shabby. In fact, I think this one might have had a slightly higher budget than the previous films. A lot of the sets look great (Wonderland is pretty impressive) and has this childish sort of fantasy fun to them. Admittedly, the places that feels like they were filmed on location fail a little in comparison and Merlin Academy (Auradon Prep before it became Auradon Prep) feels a little too simple and austere. 

Again, this movie continues a one of the trademark parts of the franchise: the costumes. Again we get delightfully over-the-top and colorful outfits with the villain ones going with this leather sorta child's version of cool and edgy. While the lead characters' outfits are good, they are not quite as distinctive as those of the original stars. However, there is one standout: the Queen of Hearts' outfits. They're flashy and delightfully over-the-top with a dress front designed to resemble a rose. (Though, I don't think her hair style when worn long really with the rest of her look.)

Again, the Descendants continue to have surprisingly entertaining song and dance numbers, provided they're kids' pop. The choreography really goes all out. The dancing for the villain songs in particular hits a lot harder than you'd expect for a children's film. Some of the songs are just okay, but there are some pretty catchy ones, especially the villains songs. The song for Uliana (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' Dara Renee), Ursula's younger sister, is particularly catchy and The Queen of Hearts' song is one of the best instances in quite a while of a song providing the exposition.

As has been the case again, we've got a pretty good cast here. Cantrall is likable as the rebellious but well-meaning Red and has a great singing voice. However, it's Ora who's the star player. She really hams up the Queen's coldness and has the best singing voice in all of the franchise. She slays her number.

This is one of those movies that is hard to rate and recommend or not. Some will enjoy the look and musical numbers of the whole. I think kids in particular will be less picky and happy with what they get. However, I think a lot of people will also be frustrated with the experience. I know Disney Channel movies aren't known for their well-thought out plots, but I am genuinely confused with the writers' reasoning and their potential disdain for a traditional  story structure.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

 

7.5/10

In what is considered the last film in the DCEU, Aquaman/Arthur Curry (played by Jason Momoa) is now the king of Atlantis and has to juggle between that position and as a family man. Soon, all that Aquaman holds dear is threatened when his vengeful nemesis Black Manta (the 2021 Candyman's Yahya Abdul Mateen II) returns with a dangerous new weapon and plot. In order to track him down, Aquman must recruit Orm (Insidious/The Conjuring's Patrick Wilson), the villain of the first film and Aquaman's half brother.

I feel that the DCEU is gonna out on at least a decent note. There is nothing about AatLC that breaks the mold, but it is a fun ride. Got some decent jokes in this and entertaining sci-fi/fantasy fight scenes. The best part of this is the depiction of Atlantis/the underwater world in general. The design looks really eye-catching.

The last film focused on a lot of drama about the court/royalty-side of Atlantis. There was all this backstory about Aquaman and setup for the whole kingdoms of the ocean that it did feel a little bloated and soap opera-ish. I like that this film is leaner and focuses more on the adventure. However, this movie did not need to be so long. A lot of the story is Aquaman and Orm pursuing Black Manta to a location, fight a threat and rinse and repeat.

The core of this is Aquman's relationship with Orm. They work well off of each other with Aquaman being a chill jokester and Orm being the uptight but intelligent one. Though Orm was a straight up #$@! who wants Aqua Man defeated in the last film, he was given enough dimension to show why he was the way he was, and this film does a good job of bridging that gap to where he's working with his half-brother. (In fact, the two movies flow into each other really cohesively. Unlike the Shazam sequel, this actually pays off the previous setup.) Orm's seen his dreams and expectations destroyed, so he is still arrogant but more accessible and since his actions, though twisted, were for protecting his kingdom, his ability to see the bigger picture makes working his half-brother seem reasonable. That having been said, it does feel questionable of the filmmakers to try to freshen up Orm's image considering that he's killed many innocents.

Fresh off the Boat's Randall Park has the honor of being one of the most entertaining performances in both the Marvel films and the DC films as Dr. Stephen Shin, a scientist forced to work with Black Manta and constantly worried about what he is doing. He brings the perfect combo of humor and humanity.

I did miss the chemistry between Aquaman and his love interest Mera (Amber Heard). She's barely in this, and it feels like they basically substituted Orm for her as someone more serious to work off of Aquaman. Director James Wan claims the story was always going to focus on the brothers, but considering the recent controversy about Heard, one cannot but feel that there is a different reason for her absence. If the latter is true, one cannot wonder if they couldn't have just recast.

Recommended. AatLK a good time-waster and popcorn film. 

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.

One Piece (2023)- Season 1

9.5/10 

In this live-action Netflix adaptation of the manga by Eiichiro Oda, which already has a popular anime adaptation, Monkey D. Luffy (played by The Imperfects' Inaki Godoy) decides to become King of the Pirates by finding the One Piece, the fabled treasure of former Pirate King Gold Roger (Michael Dorman).

Giving how hard it is to adapt manga/anime, I was pleased to see how well this show turned out. It might have helped that Oda himself supervised this and even dictated a few rules the show had to follow. The creators also really understood the source project and they made the concentrated effort not to make the show lean too light or too dark. Naturally, this adaptation changes things. Considering that the anime and manga have hit over a 1000 episodes, things had to be truncated or cut, but the show manages to be its own thing (and a smidge more appealing to American audiences) while staying loyal to all the broad strokes and all the really crucial elements.

One Piece feels like this decade's Star Wars or MCU, something both younger and older viewers will enjoy. The show is a combination of over-the-top fantasy action, silliness, and true emotional moments. If the show feels too goofy at the beginning, I recommend you stick through to the second half which is more background heavy. One Piece can get dark. One moment you have someone in the silliest costume you've ever seen and next thing you're hit with a truly tragic recollection that IS A LOT. For a world filled with weird characters,  the show is shock-full of pure emotional drama that makes you feel for the characters. Episode seven had me tearing up a little.

One Piece is a pirate show meets a superhero show meets a fantasy show. If you'r unfamiliar with the original, this is something that will feel really unique for you. What makes this show so memorable is its distinct world building. This is based on one of the longest running manga out there and it makes good use of the lore to provide various added details in order to make the world feel lived-in. 

Props should be given to the set, costume, music, and VFX departments. Going back to the uniqueness of the world of One Piece, they did a surprising job of making an over-the-top manga not based in reality with cartoonish-looking characters somehow work. (If you're a person who eschews anything childish, then this show may not be for you because most of the characters' appearances may be too silly for your tastes. Remember, One Piece was originally created for an adolescent audience even if it attracted older readers/viewers.)  There's a lot of detail in some of the sets, like mansions or ships. I liked the sunsety/orangish-yellowish colored lighting to the whole affair. The costumes and makeup manage to somehow make the majority of the most outlandish concepts work. Bear in mind I said "the majority." There are a handful of costumes that no matter what you do it looks too ridiculous in live-action. Music really accentuates the scenes.

One of the best decisions in this show is the cast. Great across the board. Given the large budget, a wise decision was to avoid any big names (with the exception of Ian McShane in a brief narrator bit at the beginning.) We get a great introduction to a bunch of talented actors, many of whom only have a few credits to their name. Godoy is quite a find. Luffy is the type of anime character that is childishly naive but optimistic; a type of personality that is hard to do in live-action for Western audiences. However, Godoy manages to sell the character and sells his blind optimism as well as the moments he is mad. I also particularly liked Taz Skylar who plays Luffy's allly Sanji. The guy sells coolness and quick wit.

Casting really knocked it out of the park with the villains. They really picked the perfect people to look like how they died in the manga but also all had delightfully over-the-top performances.

As much as I love this show, it does have a little abridgment/conversion nitpicks. Multiple chapter story arcs are condensed into a hand full of episodes, resulting in the wraps to each of Luffy and his crew's exploits feeling a bit rushed, and you don't get quite the closure you had in the manga. I commented that Godoy did a good job, but the parts where he's weakest feel like they're the parts where the writers or Oda felt the need to replicate the scene from the manga.

Fans of the manga won't get every single detail they want. Though you see all the main villains, several of their lackeys are cut for time. The ones that are more expensive/complicated to make are most likely to meet the chopping block.

Highly recommended. Everyone's saying this is the first anime adaptation to get it right, and they're not wrong.

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.

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 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.

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.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

8/10

In this movie based on the popular tabletop game (the second attempt at doing so after the failed 2000 one), a group of thieves plot to steal from their enemies.

This was definitely a satisfying film (actually a more solid popcorn film than either the recent Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Shazam: Fury of the Gods). This all comes together with solid plotting, three-dimensional characters across the board, a fleshed out world, and some decent humor. The movie actually manages to throw in a narrated flashback beginning without feeling too weak.  

This is directed/co-written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who directed the comedy Game Night. I wouldn't say this is as funny as that movie, but it's definitely having fun. Given that fantasy stories can all run together after a while, the duo definitely felt like they were trying to make sure there were some distinct moments in this which pay off. There's one of the most memorable chase scenes I've seen in a while. Plus, the dragon you may've seen in the trailer is a solid design. There's plenty of dragons in film and television, but you don't see a lot of plump ones.

The viewer is thrown into the world. There isn't real effort given into explaining the various races, organizations, etc. (I did a lot of Googling after this.) However, it works. It makes the world feel lived in by not overexplaining (the characters know the environment they live in, why would they state the obvious.) You're never thrown too much at once, and you get the gist of everything. The movie focuses on basic concepts people can understand, thieves steal, evil magic people do evil magic stuff, etc., etc.

Solid casting in this. Chris Pine as lead thief Edgin manages to show off more of his comic side. In what is probably her biggest starring role in a big movie, Michelle Rodriguez as thief Holga doesn't do anything much out of her wheelhouse but manages to keep being charming and badass. Pine and Rodriguez have excellent chemistry together and really sell themselves as old friends and partners. Rege-Jean Page as Paladin Xenk doesn't appear in the movie as much as the trailer makes it out, but when he does appear, he's definitely the funniest character, someone who's super nice and benevolent, but also super literal and straight-laced to the point it can bug others. 

This looks swell with some fine creature and costume design. Some computer graphic effects are more obvious than others. Fans of D&D may be frustrated that all the leads are human or humanoid with minimal aesthetics and the same applies to the majority of background characters. (You see only one dwarf in this.) In fairness, by not spending a lot of money on CGI or prosthetics for the main characters this probably made it easier for the filmmakers to financially justify the big special effects moments in this.

Highly recommended, this is just one of those adventure movies where everything works and comes together.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods

7.5/10

In this sequel, Billy Batson/Shazam (played by Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) and his team of superpowered foster siblings, who mostly turn into adults when they go into action, have to go against the daughters of Atlas, dangerous goddesses who have beef with humanity and the Shazam team.

I know that there are those online who miss the more human drama of Billy and company from the first film, but I won't lie, I'm okay with this focusing more on the adventure and comedy. My biggest problem with the first film was that it was a tonal mismatch. This one feels a lot more consistent. The best part of the last movie was that you saw a kid become a superhero, and this one realizes that and completely rolls with it. This time you see the characters as adults a lot more than as kids and seeing grown-ups act goofily makes for a good time. (Admittedly, if you liked the child actors, this will be a letdown. Billy actually gets the least amount of screentime here.)

The movie doesn't break the superhero mold, but it's having fun. The humor's pretty good and it really doubles down on the fantasy aspect, which does surprisingly well working with old tropes and makes for some good spectacle.

Like the last film, there are some dark moments. Again I felt there were too forced and more nihilistic than "fun dark." (I feel that one of the biggest weaknesses writers have for superhero or supernatural films or shows these days is that they feel that random civilian casualties to fill up time makes for good storytelling.) However, visually they don't get as graphic as before.

The movie didn't need to be two hours and ten minutes. It's not like it ever felt slow (there's no having to wait through Billy's character-growth/bullying scenes to get to the superhero stuff like in the first movie.) It's just that they threw a lot at you, and they could've cut some bits down.

Strong costume/set/creature design in this. Everything looks nice.

Levi is the main draw of the film, he has excellent timing. Unfortunately, they do have him act too dumb and immature at times (to put things in perspective, Billy is supposed to be almost eighteen). Another show stealer is Meagan Good as the adult form of the youngest child Darla. She does such a great job acting like a child. One of the biggest points of criticism from the last film remains, which is that Shazam really doesn't act like Billy, who is more composed and mature, and I'm afraid that Good also doesn't quite match the mannerisms of child Darla (Faithe Herman). On the other hand, Ross Butler and D.J. Cotrona do a great job of portraying adult versions of their respective child counterparts.

The one young actor who gets the most screentime is Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), and he again does a fine job as the snarky, funny one. The West Side Story remake's Rachel Zegler also puts in a strong performance as a new student at school who befriends Freddy.

Djimon Honsou as the Wizard gets a lot more to do. Whereas the last time the character had to be all busy, here you get more time to get to know his personality, and he's surprisingly funny and works really well off of one of the characters in this movie, which I won't spoil.

This is the first of the DCU films to feature original villains. While I won't deny I wouldn't mind seeing some of the classic Shazam rogues given a chance (sorry Mister Atom, your time may never come.) I'm especially disappointed that we didn't get the threat that was promised in the last movie, but the Sisters of Atlas, while not great (they can be a little one note) aren't too shabby either, and they at least leave more of a presence than some failed superhero movie villains like Thor: The Dark World's Malekith. Helen Mirren, who plays the sister Hespera, as a supervillain is something I didn't realize I've always needed. The woman's got a commanding presence and she does a wonderful job of reacting when things don't go the way she expects. The one scene where Levi and Mirren were working off of each other is probably the best scene. Lucy Liu as the sister Kalypso is unfortunately saddled with the weakest character in the movie. She delivers the role as written but is given nothing to work with.

Recommended, not the most unique superhero or fantasy movie, but it's a generally good time, and I'm far more likely to rewatch this than the first film.

Legend of Vox Machina- Season 2

8/10

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

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

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

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

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.