Beebo Saves Christmas

7.5/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

Annie Live!

8/10

If the name didn't tip you off, this was a live filmed presentation of the popular musical Annie, about orphan Annie (played by Celina Smith) whose life changes when she meets billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Harry Connick Jr.).  

To the best of my knowledge, they don't change much from the original music. I've forgotten how pretty simple the story is but that is rather its strength. Annie has a rather nostalgic quality to it: an unrestrained innocence and optimism.

Musical contains all the original songs except "You Won't be an Orphan for Long," which to be fair is no one's favorite. After two theatrical films and one made-for-TV, I'm so pleased to see a filmed adaptation of Annie not cut out "We'd Like to Thank you Mr. Herbert Hoover." It's a pretty fun number. Annie Live includes a few songs created for the original Annie movie as well. (Sorry if you're a fan of "Dumb Dog" or "Let's go to the Movies," you're out of luck.)

Great cast in this, especially the main trio of Smith, Connick, and Nicole Scherzinger as Warbuck's assistance Grace Farrell. Smith definitely has the pipes and brings the traditional determination associated with the titular orphan. Scherzinger brings the expected class and warmth to her character. I don't think anyone thought of Harry Connick Jr. when they think of Warbucks, but man does he nail the character's self-determination and controlled businessman personality. (He's no Albert Finney, but who is?) The only weak point is Taraji P. Henson as orphanage manager Miss Hannigan. She's too cartoonish. Every line is delivered as a high with no mediums or lows. She does do a great job with the singing, I'll give her that.

The whole thing was performed solidly. This isn't one of those live musical performances like Grease or Hairspray that got ambitious with what it was trying to do (which is completely understandable given the COVID situation); it's a modestly made production. I liked how they handled it. This used a larger stage than your traditional theatrical production and made good use of the wide are by being able to switch between backdrops and movable set pieces. The dancing and ensemble players all did well, too.

Recommended, it doesn't do much new when it comes to Annie but does it well and is just a genuinely fun way to spend a few hours.

Army of Thieves

7/10

This Netflix prequel to Army of the Dead tells how safe/safecracking enthusiast Sebastian Schlencht-Wohnert (played by Matthias Schweighofer, also the director) would become professional safecracker Ludwig Dieter. Not a perfect movie, but I had a fun time.

I like that this is a very different film than Army of the Dead and is trying to be it's own thing. (Say what you will about how Zack Snyder handles films, but I've realized from interviews that when it comes to him creating shared universes he always gives complete respect to the other directors' visions and in case of the zombies' verse gives ample control of other director's films to the director.) The zombies are barely referenced (this takes place in Europe far from the outbreak in Las Vegas). The kills in Amry of the Dead that are gone. This isn't an action horror/ heist film, this is a pure heist comedy movie.

As for the plot itself, it's generally entertaining. There's nothing that original about it, but it's fun and confidently directed. The middle act could've been shorter. The film's major strength and weakness is Sebastien. Promoting supporting comic relief to a lead role always has the risk of the character being overextended and becoming tiresome. (I think most of us agree that Fat Amy pulled focus in Pitch Perfect 2 and 3. The original worked because of the ensemble not just her, gosh darn it!) That's kind of the issue here. The character and the actor's performance proves that Sebastien is interesting and likable enough to take center stage. However, way too many lines are given to the guy. If Schwighofer (man, the names were a pain to spell this time around) just exercised restraint, this would've been a stronger work.

Kinda recommended. This is a nice way to spend your time, it's just not something you have to see immediately.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

9.5/10

In the third installment of the original Ghostbusters universe, Callie (played by Carrie Coon) and her two kids move into the house of her late, absent father. There they find his link to the titular ghost trapping team.

I'm pleased to say that this is the best Ghostbusters film since the original. (Not to knock the other two. They were entertaining but had their flaws.) It understands what worked for the first two films (which the reboot didn't understand): great humor juxtaposed with a serious threat and a sincere dedication to the backstory of said threat. (This is directed by original director Ivan Reitman's son Jason who clearly is doing his all to be reverent toward the franchise).

But this film also realizes that changes needed to be made. The biggest mistakes of 2 and the reboot were just recycling the story beats. After 3 whole films where the characters have to start or restart their careers while going up against skeptics, this movie refreshingly skips that. I mean, we're here to see people fighting ghosts and not having to sit through the minutiae. We also finally get a film happening someplace other than New York. And you can't do much more different than the large city than a small country town used here. The rustic landscape looks really good. (Also, it's got to be a lot more cost effective to film in the county than than the city.)

The best change about this is that it's more character-driven and sentimental than the other films, tackling character emotions with a depth never before seen. The movie also provides an excellent nod to Egon, whose actor Harold Ramis sadly passed away. There are three characters that standout: smart, but socially awkward Phoebe (McKenna Grace), the Egon of the film, talkative podcaster Podcast (Logan Kim), and good-natured science teacher Gary Guberson (Paul Rudd). Phoebe and Podcast make the film as both their actors nail their delivery. They have excellent chemistry together and sell being two eccentrics whose friendship is built on neither being judgmental of the other.  Rudd excels in being goofy and charming.  

Love the cinematography and special effects for this. I don't think I've seen a movie come so close to feeling like it was made during the 80's. Also, the opening and ending to this are so excellently done. The former in particular is something you could show in film school on how to properly shoot a scene.

I do admit the editing could've been better. This is one of those films where it's definitely clear more stuff was shot, but it got cut. There's a few characters in this that feel like they were supposed to have more to do then barely show up. There is one person in particular, whose usage is so disappointing, it probably would've been easier if he or she was cut. Though I do like the finale, I do admit it ends abruptly. 

Even before I saw the movie, I heard complaints that there were too many nostalgia throwbacks. When I watched the film, I thought "Huh, I'm not seeing it." Then the third act hits and you're hit by a flood of references, like the reference dam opened. However, I still wouldn't call this a dealbreaker. There's too much to enjoy in this for the nostalgia baiting to bring it down.

Highly recommended. I think this is the type of Ghostbusters that people have been waiting for for a long, long time.

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.

The Simpsons in Plusaversary

 

6/10

In this five minute special made specifically for Disney+ Day, Homer Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) and other residents of Springfield hang out with various Disney-owned characters.

This entry is sadly weak. There are three pretty good jokes in this but as a whole the writers surprisingly couldn't do a lot with all these Disney properties. Also, the whole thing ends in an odd place that just doesn't work.

On the plus side, I'm impressed how the Simpsons managed to feature multiple big name Disney cartoon characters. I'm really surprised the company gave the go ahead, especially considering that it features these children's characters hanging out and in Moe's Tavern and actually drinking beer. The best part is probably seeing Goofy (Hank Azaria) hang with Homer as they weirdly work well together.

So, yeah, this isn't must-see Simpsons. However, it's an interesting curiosity if only to see Disney+'s equivalent to Warner Bros.'s Space Jam: A New Legacy in terms of shameless self-promotion.

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.