The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

 

7/10

In Sponge on the Run, SpongeBob SquarePant's beloved snail Gary (both characters voiced by Tom Kenney) is snailnapped. SpongeBob and his pal Patrick the starfish (Bill Fagerbakke) hit the rode to rescue him. 

This film has its highs and lows. There are a lot of funny bits, including a couple clever ones and a couple that were as delightfully bonkers as found in the previous film Sponge Out of Water. But for every joke that lands, there is one that doesn't and that's often too obvious or has been done before. 

In fact, the strongest bits happen in the middle of the film. The opening starts slow and spends too much time reintroducing us to the characters. The end part just kinda stalls, plus the conclusion is too obvious and feels like it's been done before. 

The script follows the structure of the original SpongeBob SquarePants Movie a little too closely. We got SpongeBob and Patrick on a roadtrip. We have our characters dealing with a god of the seas, King Poseidon (voiced by The IT Crowd/What We do in the Shadows' Matt Berry) this time. The plot involves Plankton's attempts to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula. (All three films have done this last one. I mean, I know that happens a lot in the show but not every episode.) The lack of originality is disappointing given how creative Sponge out of Water was.

The film is further hampered by flashbacks which serve solely and cynically to plug the upcoming spinoff show Kamp Koral. They bring the momentum to a halt. 

The movie looks great. It's entirely in 3D, and the shift from 2D works amazingly well. The animation never goes too detailed and captures the cartooniness that make the SpongeBob designs work. The textures in this are impressive. Plust, the whole thing is colorful to boot. 

Keanu Reeves seems to be having fun playing a wise sage named Sage. I'm glad they brought back Berry, who voiced a dolphin in the last film, He plays an amusingly self-involved antagonist. Sure, Berry uses the exact same voice in every role, but he's downright trademarked the suave-voiced, comical narcissist. I never get tired of him. 

This is the weakest in the SB trilogy. I already mentioned that this doesn't touch the second one. Though the first film suffered from a weak first two acts, it still was more confident in what it was and better paced than Sponge on the Run (which I encourage you to see if you haven't; it's this generation's Yellow Submarine). 

I know I pointed a lot of flaws, but as a whole, this is generally entertaining. The good bits make up for the weak bits. This will probably entertain your kids. And as I said, visually it's definitely something to see.  

Wandavision

10/10

In Wandavision, former Avengers Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) and the Vision (Paul Bettany) move to a small idyllic town  to live in anonymity. But something is very off. The world is operating according to rules of sitcoms throughout the years, including black-and-white episodes and laugh tracks. Also if you saw the end of Avengers: Endgame, there is another large glaring question about this whole situation.

I absolutely loved the show. After the tremendous finale to all the films in the Infinity Stones saga and some main actors exiting, I was afraid that Marvel could've exhausted itself or not know where to go next. Wandavision completely proves me wrong. It is a unique and creative combination of sitcoms and The Twilight Zone. On one hand we get some really spot-on odes to several nostalgic comedies, right down to the styles, sets, filming techniques, and aspect ratios. On the other hand, we get the next big "mystery box" show as we're slowly introduced to what is going on. This is the first MCU to actually go scary (main MCU not the TV branch like Hellstrom). It also givea Inifnity War/Endgame a run for their money for darkest entry. However, the show never quite violates the general audience feel that the Marvel films are known for.    

As weird as the show gets, it never loses the human touch and is actually one of the more emotional entries in the MCU. It's nice to get time to fully focus on Wanda and Vision. They've really only been in a handful of films in which they were never the leads. Yet, the characters were strong enough that you quickly began to root for them. Now they finally get their due. This is primarily Olsen's movie as Wanda, and she absolutely kills it in what is an Emmy-nomination-worthy performance. She nails all the nuances of each acting style of each era absolutely and the emotional segments. Bettany also gives a great performance, though do to a lot of this having him act like a TV dad, he doesn't have as many times to be as eloquent as he has been in the films. (Though when he does, he's wonderful.) Best new face award goes to Katherine Hahn as Wanda's neighbor Agnes. In fact, this show just has a great supporting and recurring cast overall. There are a few faces I'd like to talk about, but I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't heard about them.

I've already mentioned how the show went to lengths to recreate the sitcom feel, but even the non-sitcom stuff looks great. Like The Mandalorian, this show has a large budget and almost looks film quality. Each sitcom includes its own theme song written by Frozen's Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, all which do a wonderful job of fitting their respective time periods. Also, we get a good ending theme and credits, which is a nice surprise in an era where they don't get much love.

Now, some viewers may have trouble with the first few episodes if antiquated television pacing isn't your thing. But rest assured, the show focuses more on the reveals and less on sticking to format as the show moves on. Surprisingly, prime fodder for nineties sitcoms, like Full House or Family Matters, aren't used. Also due to the large number of faces in this, some of the characters don't get enough time as you like. Also, I think that one or two characters' screentime may have been cut due to possible scheduling conflicts or not wanting to take health risks after production was paused due to COVID, which is definitely unsatisfying.

I highly recommend this, especially if you're a Marvel fan.

Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob

 

6/10

In The Sword and the Scoob, the Mystery Inc. gang visit an English town. While they're there, they encounter the sorceress Morgan Le Fay (voiced by Grey Griffin), who sends them all the way back in time to the age of King Arthur. (Considering all the situations and known figures that've been thrown Scooby's way, I'm not surprised at this concept. Rather, I'm wondering why the franchise hasn't done this before.) 

This may sound weird, but I feel bad for not liking this more. I definitely see kids liking this and can see several adult SC fans liking this more than me. The screenwriters/directors came from a positive place. The film is crammed with jokes and goofy bits. They continue going with the kooky version of Daphne seen in the last direct-to-DVD film and the show Be Cool Scooby-Doo, and I love this interpretation of the character. The opening and the big reveal at the finale are in fact some of the stronger/more creative things I've seen in the series. 

However, I can't get myself to like this more. I think that the majority of the film didn't feel strong enough. I don't think they did enough with the Camelot concept as they could have. Way too much focus is given to King Arthur (Jason Isaacs) and Merlin (Nick Frost). Arthur especially is mined more for material than he can provide and would've worked better in smaller doses. With the exception of Daphne, who gets a fun segment, the Mystery Inc. gang isn't given enough to do.  

The animation seems better to me than the last film but something still feels off when compared to the rest of the recent film series. (In fairness, animation production may have been affected by COVID-19). The characters, especially Fred, feel slenderer than usual and there are too many visually unambitious closer shots. But, the animation still remains colorful.

So, overall I think this is a so-so movie, but  like I said I think your kids will enjoy it, and it won't ingratiate upon you when they watch it. I also think that it's creative enough that it ranks above a lot of the many more formulaic entries in the SD film series.  

Tom & Jerry

 

8/10

In Tom & Jerry, Kayla (played by Chloe Grace Moretz) lies to get a job in event planning at a swanky motel. Jerry the mouse is spotted living there. With a big wedding coming up, the hotel wants him out, so Kayla, hoping to prove herself, hires cat Tom to help kick him out.

First off, Tom & Jerry fans will be happy to know that you get prime grade, classic Tom and Jerry slapstick. I can't help but think that the producers/director remembered the backlash against the nineties T&J film, which had the characters talking and was more of a Disney-wannabe musical. (I just found out that Spin City's Rich Kind voiced Tom. Huh.) So, this movie really captures the feel of Tom and Jerry's style of mostly silent physical humor. 

But what about the rest of the story? I know a lot of people online are complaining about movie, but I'm not seeing it. Don't get me wrong, it's an unambitious, basic kids' storyline, but it moves smoothly. I was generally entertained and invested in what was happening. It definitely works a lot better than many other cartoon-turned-live action films, such as Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Smurfs. That having been said, I admit that the plotline about the engaged couple with communication problems is very predictable. Also, this is a case of another children's film forcing in a poop joke just because. Unsurprisingly, the bit doesn't work.

I really appreciated that they kept Tom and Jerry's classic designs. I think the filmmakers also learned from the backlash to the original Sonic design in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Just keep it classic. Tom and Jerry aren't made realistic looking or fully 3-D. (The characters are computer animated, but made to look old-school cartoony, such as with the Peanuts Movie.) Not only that, they don't go with the main animals being the only animated animals, which you often see. Every single animal in this  is animated. I mean the amount of effort they put into this is impressive. You'll just see animals in the background. Even skeletons or pieces of meat just hanging in a kitchen are animated. Now, that's commitment.     

As for the rest of the movie, it looks good. I liked the warm color scheme.

The acting is hit-and-miss here. Michael Pena, who I don't always like in everything, is fun as the antagonist events planning manager who doesn't trust Kayla. Rob Delany provides some good lines as the head of the hotel. On the other hand, this isn't Moretz's best work. Her voice seems to be locked into one tone. In fairness, she's the actor trying the hardest to fit with the old-school cartoon feel of the film. Her facial expressions are appropriately broad, but she has a limited number of them, and I don't know if they always fit the right scenario. Pallavi Sharda and SNL's Colin Jost as the engaged couple are just kind of there. Especially Jost, sure he does a decent job of delivering jokes for the news section of SNL, but as an actor, he's the blandest blander who ever blanded.

I recommend this. I'm not saying this is the best children's film ever made, but it is entertaining for you and your kids and should work for any T&J fans.

Flora & Ulysses

 

8/10

Flora & Ulysses, currently on Disney+ and based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, is about Flora (played by Matilda Lawler), a young girl dealing with her parents' separation, who meets Ulysses, a squirrel with abilities who she is convinced is a superhero.

This is a pretty entertaining, funny, and innovative kids' film. It does a little something new with both superhero and animal films.    

The cast and characters, both primary and supporting, all do really well. Lawler may have a future ahead of her, because she is a pretty good child actor. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, as Flora's new friend William, delivers some of the funniest lines. On the adult front, Parks and Recreation/Sonic the Hedgehog's Ben Schwartz plays Flora's father. Given that he usually plays more energetic, over-the-top characters, it was a nice change of pace seeing him play a more grounded, likable average Joe. Community's Danny Pudi plays an animal control guy hellbent on catching Ulysses. Thought Pudi does recycle the same over-confidant character he's played in Powerless and Mythic Quest, he plays it well and makes a fine foil.

Some kids and maybe adults may lose attention with this. They should like the parts with Ulysses and the other scenes that are just trying to have fun, but the more serious parts dealing with the parents' separation and the characters' personal struggles slows things down. I'm sorry but this movie is about a super-powered squirrel. That's all we're here for.

Also, the lighting in here is surprisingly not as brightly shot as most children's films. Though in fairness, the shoot may have been very overcast.

Despite the pacing issues, I do recommend this. Kids should like Ulysses and the hijinks, and the movie is distinctive enough to be a decent watch for parents.

The Movie Show- Season 1

 

6/10

The Movie Show is a low-budget comedy on Syfy (think like MST3K in terms of production.) In it, two puppets Deb and Wade (performed by the show's creators Adam Dubowsky and Alex Stone) host a public access show about movies which often doesn't go as planned.

The jokes are pretty hit-and-miss. There are some pretty good ones in here. (The Back in the Future sketch is comedy gold). But there are a lot of duds, too. The weakest point of the show is the frequent interview segments involving people in funny costumes. They're usually rather dull.

It doesn't help the show that Wade is a Frankenstein-like amalgamation of every really stupid and self-absorbed TV/movie character trope that ever existed. Though he has his funny bits, he's usually an exercise in obviousness. Deb's a stronger character, but I've never seen such a weak attempt at a man voicing. Dubowsky's voice constantly took me out of this.

Though I can't say this is a great show, I'll be returning if there's a second season. It's not a bad way to waste time. This isn't for everyone, but if you like dumb, light stuff this may work for you. 

The Watch- Season 1

 

8/10

The Watch, based on the City-Watch of Ankh-Morpok subseries from the Discworld books by the late, great Terry Pratchett, is about the titular watch (or basically police men) who must deal with an oncoming powerful threat to their fantasy city.

This show has ticked off a lot of fans of the original Discworld novels, and I can see their point of view. A lot of changes were made. (The showrunners have even taken the effort to cover their bases by stating that this takes place in an alternate universe.) A few of the supporting characters feel watered down, in particular Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler who's changed from an amusing silver-tongued entrepreneur/con man to a more formulaic sassy crime boss. Probably due to budget restraints, the city of Ankh-Morpok has more of a modernized look than expected. 

The show admittedly suffers from trying too hard to create tragic backstories. Don't get me wrong, it's not like Pratchett never tackled serious plot points or tragic backstories, but he knew how to let things breathe and just tell a good story. 

All that said, when you look at the show as a product by itself, it's actually one of the more fun shows out there right now. It manages to capture two elements that made Pratchett work: humor and characterization. The whole thing is pretty funny. The main cast is likable and well fleshed out and acted. The most props should probably be given to lead Richard Domer as scruffy and scrappy Captain Sam Vimes. And overall, the show does feel creative. (Though I admit, they threw a little too many plot points into the final episode. I mean everything is concluded properly, it's just a bit much.)

Overall, I really recommend this. It's fun, plus a quick watch at only eight episodes. If you're a a Discworld fan, I do urge you to judge it on it's own merits and not in comparison to the original.