Well, ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to be reviewing a lesser known animated film that was released just a few months after Disney’s The Lion King back in the fall of 1994. Not only that, but some of you have heard if a former Disney animator named Don Bluth, yes? Well, just a recap, he apparently became dissatisfied with how the Disney animation company was handling making stories (or so the story goes), and, along with some other animators, left Disney to form their own animation company known as Don Bluth Studios, or something like that. Over the years since then, before 2000’s Titan A.E. ended up being the last full-length feature film that Bluth, be of course directed films like An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Anastasia, and a few others. Well, while making animated films of his own, Don Bluth made an animated film that was/is said to be one of his worst animated films to date. Not only that, but it should also be noted that this is the last Don Bluth directed film to have Dom Deluise voicing a character, as well as Phillip Glasser, and Charles Nelson Reilly (the former, and latter playing in Don Bluth films An American Tail, and All Dogs Go To Heaven respectively). That being said, is today’s review one of Don Bluth’s worst films, or are critics, and maybe even audiences being too harsh on this film? Let’s find out by delving into my review of A Troll In Central Park.

Plot: Stanley (Dom Deluise) is a kind-hearted troll that lives in a troll kingdom, where flowers, and other plants are forbidden. However, when the evil troll queen, Gnorga (Cloris Leachman) , discovers that Stanley is secretly making, and planting flowers with his magical green thumb, she sends him to Central Park in New York, intent on exiling him to a place where “nothing grows,” not realizing that flowers, and other plants do in fact grow there too. After Stanley lands in New York, and eventually befriends two kids, Gus (Phillip Glasser), and his sister Rosie (Tawney Sunshine Glover), he learns to love life in Central Park. But when Gnorga, and her husband Llort (Charles Nelson Reilly) discover how happily content Stanley has become in his new environment, they make it their mission to find Stanley, and get rid of him once and for all. Can Stanley, and his new friends defeat King Llort, and Queen Gnorga before they succeed in using their magical powers in an attempt to turn Stanley into stone, and ridding the world of him?

I will say this, as I go into my review for this film. Before rewatching this movie recently, I will say that I remembered a few things from watching this film before as a kid. First, I remember that my first time seeing this film, if I recall correctly, was on the weekend of Mother’s Day 1995. That same weekend, my family, and I visited Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, CO. I was in kid’s church, and then got lost at one point, washing my hands over, and over again, for some odd reason. In the process, I made my parents such, and worried, to the point where one of them was grieved when they found me, and basically asked me not to do something like that again. Anyway, I also remember a some other firsts from that weekend, and seeing A Troll In Central Park. The second thing was, if I also recall correctly, hearing about trolls, and creative magical powers, like, in this film, the villain wanting to turn others into stone that got in her way. Oh, and there were a couple other firsts from at least watching this film for the first time. That being that I remember hearing the name Stanley for the first time. Yes, I would hear names like that, and Rosie, and Gus later on in life, but still. Finally, I remember hearing the word “coward” for the very first time in this film (yes, that is, due to one character calling another character a coward at one point in this film).

So, with all those being memorable aspects in my experience with A Troll In Central Park, does this film hold up today? Sadly, no! In fact, I can see why A Troll In Central Park is considered to be one of Don Bluth’s weakest films to date. To begin, this film may have either worked as a short film, or in a different setting. I do have another confession to make. When I first saw the 2002 Disney film Lilo & Stitch as a teenager, I felt like while the beginning of that film was strong, with there being aliens, and outer space, it started off strong. However, I felt like things went downhill when we met Lilo, and her older sister, Nani. Again, that was teenage me. About a decade later, I realized how much stronger the story of Lilo & Stitch was even after the very beginning, and realized the point more of why that film was made the way that it was. However, with A Troll In Central Park, I got a completely different feeling, for the most part. I felt as if the beginning was interesting, and had the potential for a good setup. However, when Stanley gets sent to Central Park in New York City, even as an adult, and as adults, I’m sure many of us. An agreement that once that happens, the story most definitely does go downhill, for the most part. That being said, there is so much filler in this film. If you can name me some of those moments that felt necessary for this film, please let me know! Also, seeing as this film has Don Bluth as the director for the film, the very same guy who directed The Secret Of NIMH, The Land Before Time, and some of those films? Wow, he sunk really low this time around. I’m not sure if Bluth was pressured to rush the production of this movie, or something else happened. Either way, as a result of whatever happened, A Troll In Central Park ended up squandering the potential to be a good, or even great film. I’m not sure if this film should have been set in a different time period, or the execution of the story just needed to be more interesting somehow, even if set in modern times. What’s more is that unlike the majority of other animated films that Don Bluth directed, the story for this one doesn’t feel even remotely as engaging, strong, or even interesting as most of his other films that he directed. Oh, and another thing! For those of you that just watched this film as kids, or even rewatched it recently, you know how there are a couple points, where Rosie, one of the kid characters, who is likely six months to a year old, gives Stanley a peck on the cheek, and Stanley either gets twitter patted by either going flying in the air, his ears slightly wiggling, or things like that? Okay, regardless of whether this film had been release in 1994, or 2000, or even in more recent years like 2016, or this year of 2022, that’s probably rather creepy, wouldn’t you say? Yeah, I get that Gus, and Rosie were the first humans that Stanley met upon arriving in New York City. Still, did we really need a scene, or scenes like those? Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if scenes like those factored into this film performing poorly at the box office. For crying out loud, A Troll In Central Park didn’t even make $1,000,000 like many other films do. Additionally, the animation is just so so. There were points where the animation is really good when it is good. However, the animation almost looks like something that could have been drawn by a child around maybe 5-10 years old. The characters are also not that interesting! What’s more is that Gnorga, and Llort seem very similar to villains like Yzma and Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove. Unlike Troll, however, at least New Groove had the male, and female villains written up much better, and were much more likable. As for the story overall, it feels like it was definitely an animated film made mostly for kids than for adults. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue. But here’s the thing! Don Bluth had a track record of making very mature films, be it ones like The Secret Of NIMH, Titan A.E., and others like them. The same can’t be said for A Troll In Central Park, unfortunately. Finally, as far as cons go, none of the characters seem to change, and/or mature emotionally. Yes, characters, like Stanley, for instance, do get certain tasks done, whether reluctant to do so, or not. Even so, not even in Stanley do we not see much of character growth, or a character arc.

But are there good things in this film? Well, there are couple things. First off, having a villain that hates good things of the world seemed like a nice idea. It was also good to have some very nice messages about not being afraid to do what’s right as well. Oh, and there were a few funny parts throughout the film too.

And that’s my review for A Troll In Central Park. Yeah, after rewatching this film again, I can see why the film didn’t do well in theaters, is considered not all that good. The storyline isn’t that good, the characters are hardly interesting, and the film’s hardly even memorable. I would say only see this movie of you’re wanting to see an animated film for additional entertainment. Even then, only young kids will like this film, while adults may not be as fan of it. Or so may probably be the case.

Final Grade: D+

Ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to be reviewing a romantic comedy that I got the privilege to see shortly after seeing Black Adam a second time around. Not only that, but it stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd, and a few other people. Who knew that George Clooney, and Julia Roberts would be starring together after being in most, if not all of the Oceans films together? Well, they were probably in some other films in between those, and this film, yes? Well, please let me know either way! That said, let’s talk about the more recent romantic comedy, Ticket To Paradise.

Plot: After two law school graduates by the name of Lily Cotton (Kaitlyn Dever), and Wren Butler (Billie Lourd) make a trip from the US to Bali, Lily falls in love with a seaweed farmer named Gede (Maxime Bouttier). After getting engaged 37 days later, and Lily informs her divorced parents (George Clooney, and Julia Roberts) of their engagement, her parents fly to Bali in an attempt to stop the wedding, and preventing their daughter from making the same mistake as they did with their former marriage. Will they succeed, or will Lily, and Gede still get married in the end?

Well, even though this film may have some cliches here and there, Ticket To Paradise also know how to go fresh with some elements. First of all, it was cool for films like this one to have good messages such as how to not be afraid to change plans in life from time to time. Not only that, but there are also excellent messages about how it’s better to not be controlling of your children. Yes, it is good to set boundaries, and give sound advice. However, this movie does a great job of showing how it’s also better to give situations a chance, particularly when they may not make sense, but could still be good in the long run. Oh, and to top it off, the film does great with showing how, even if one wants to keep certain people from making the same mistakes as they themselves made, you still can’t control them. The characters are also also likable, and mostly, if not fully well developed. That is especially when it comes to the relationships in this film. Lily, and Gede, especially have a relationship that’s believable. Even Clooney as Lily’s father, David, and Julia Roberts as her mom, Georgia, despite the pair being a divorced couple, still have very good chemistry together when they’re onscreen. In some ways, the relationships could potentially feel like those found in say a Hallmark movie, or a Disney film, or something like that. In other ways the relationships can also feel very realistic as well. That reminds me, as you watch this film, I would be curious to see if you would feel if say Ticket To Paradise may have borrowed elements from Disney films like Pocahontas, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, or especially Tarzan, but set in reali life, and with real people. With all that said, that’s what helps a romantic comedy like Ticket To Paradise very unique, and likely even stand out from other movies, be it romantic comedies, or even dramas for that matter. In addition to these, who wouldn’t be excited to see Julia Roberts, and George Clooney back onscreen again? It was also really cool to even see Kaitlyn, and Billie Lourd come back onscreen again after they both were in Book Smart back in 2019. Yes, one of the main differences this time around is that those two characters didn’t play as best friends to each other, while they were in fact best friends this time around. Also speaking of Book Smart, I’m sure quite a few of us can appreciate the fact that Kaitlyn Dever didn’t play a lesbian character this time around like she did in the 2019 film. Praise God! Additionally, Ticket To Paradise excels at showing how cultures in many other nations are different from those of the US. I mean Bali, as portrayed in this film, does well with showing how much simpler life seems to be. After one watches this film, it wouldn’t be surprising if one were to move to Bali afterwards just to enjoy still working, but not allowing that to feel quite as stressful as jobs seem to be for many Americans here in the US. Not to mention that a lot of people in Bali, especially in this film, seemed to really, really care for those around them, you know? Lorne Balfe also has a fun, and upbeat musical score.

Still, there were a couple flaws in this film as well. First of all, there were one, or two characters that felt a little unnecessary, and seemed to sideline the main core of the story. Thankfully, it was only for a few minutes, but still. Also, scenes like the ending, while mostly likable, still felt a little bit like a cop out, and possibly even seemed to reverse some of the good core messages of this film, one or two in particular. Whether the filmmakers may have realized that too late, or not, you got me. Yes, it was possibly nice to see Ticket To Paradise make some potential nods to some Disney animated films from earlier years. Nevertheless, that could feel like a double-edged sword at the same time, you know?

And that concludes my review for Ticket To Paradise. Even if this film could have been tweaked in some areas, Ticket To Paradise is overall a film that is sweet, cute, uplifting, funny, and overall a fun film that is worth one’s time. Yes, there were some scenes that may not have been the best to incorporate in here. Still, Ticket To Paradise is a film that one could enjoy watching once, and hopefully even watch multiple times after that. Either way, definitely see Ticket To Paradise, and see what you think!

Final Grade: B+

Alright everyone, welcome back to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going to be reviewing the latest DC Comics superhero film that stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He stars as the title character of this film. Presenting the one, and only, Black Adam!

Plot: Set in a futuristic world in a fictional city called Khandaq, a single mother (Adrianna Tomaz), and her son (Bodhi Sabongui) retrieve a legendary crown that was worn by the last powerful ruler of the kingdom back in 2600 BC. Now, after a citizen (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) with special powers is resurrected from the dead after being dead since that time, all three, along with a justice society group, must team up to stop a madman (Marwan Kenzari) from achieving the crown, and using it to destroy Khandaq once and for all.

Well, I will say that over the past few years, a lot of the more superhero films have had more flaws than those of the Marvel superhero films. Be it Batman Vs. Superman, and films like those, most of them were not that great. So, was Black Adam any better? Well, yes, and no. Black Adam may be a decent film, but not exactly one of the best films out there. First of all, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may have done a mostly great job as the main character of this film. At the same time, however, he seems to be a little too serious this time around. Okay, I can get that in a fictional story, when one is dead, and then resurrected, it could change that person, or creature. Still, the character of Black Adam seems to hardly any personality. Sure, he may have growth as the film progresses. Still, he could have been developed more. As for the four members of the Justice Society, a couple of them seem to be fairly well fleshed out. However, the other couple characters, while we know about say their talents, and abilities, they stint on much more character development aside from that. Some of the climax may have dragged on by a bit as well. As for the storyline, though it was good, didn’t seem to be quite as engaging, or as strong as other action films, be it superhero films, or just regular action films. There were also some action scenes that seemed to drag on a little more than they should have in the end. In addition to all of this, there were times when the movie makers could have maybe gone with a musical score during certain scenes as opposed to, well, having a song montage. Okay, some of those songs were good, but maybe not the best thing to use during those scenes, you know? Finally, there were messages in this film that seemed to not be the best ones to incorporate in Black Adam.

Still, the visuals are one of the many pros for Black Adam as well. I mean whether they be gold shields, any magic electricity shooting out of certain characters, or things like those. Oh, and how could one not like some of the slow motion capture moments, even if some of those may drag on from time to time? As for the acting, it was mostly good. Still, again, that could have been a little better especially from The Rock. Honestly, after you see this film. I wouldn’t be surprised if people were to watch this film, and then say afterwards that they liked his roles in films like some of the Fast & The Furious films, voicing Maui in Moana, or any other roles that were not Black Adam for that matter. Also, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate was great. He does well as someone who might as well be a wise sage in this film. Not only that, but he still has the same charm, and charisma that he had when say he played James Bond in a few of the 007 movies. Additionally, for what amount of growth that Black Adam did have, at least he ends up learning some good lessons that I’m sure many of us could learn as well. Finally, if you want to see a superhero film that seems to incorporate elements from movies like the Indiana Jones franchise, or Tomb Raider, or films like those, then all the more reason to see this film, especially if you can do so for free.

And that’s my review for Black Adam. Even if it wasn’t exactly a bad film, it does seem to feel weaker due to elements that seemed to drag it down a ways. Some of the characters were a little bland, the main character is not quite as likable until later on, certain elements didn’t seem to quite fit in, and there were some other things too. Nevertheless, I would recommend it if you can see this film at a cheaper price, or, better yet, for free. Yes, especially for those of us who are superhero fans, it is worth seeing once. Still, the rewatch-able factor may not be there as much as in other films. Either way, see it at least if you want to see the continuity of the DC League superhero stories!

Final Grade: C

Ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to be reviewing a film that was based on a Children’s book series by the names of The House On East 88th Street, and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, which were both written by author Bernard Waber. The book series featured a crocodile that lived in a Victorian home, and is later befriended by humans that move into his home. So now, let’s dive into the movie adaptation that was inspired by this children’s book, which is also titled Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.

Plot: When a young boy named Josh Primm (Winslow Finley), and his parents (Scoot McNairy, and Constance Wu) move into a new Victorian home in New York City, little do they suspect that a crocodile, with an amazing singing ability, named Lyle (Shawn Mendes), already occupies the home. Although reptiles are technically forbidden from living in apartments, will Lyle survive with this new family? Also, will the new family be able to learn a thing, or two, from this crocodile?

Okay, first of all, for a movie adaptation, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is very good. I never read the book series for this film. However, from what I heard, this film was still very faithful to the book, even if the film took some liberties. Still, there were some areas where Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile could have been a little better. First of all, there there were one, or two points where this film to have a little bit of filler moments, and made the movie drag a little bit as a result. Fortunately, it wasn’t even close to that bad, but still. Anyway, the villain of this seemed a little cliche, and not all that memorable. Additionally, besides the theme song for this film, “Top Of The World,” the songs of this film, which were written by Matthew Margeson, along with Benj Paul, and Pasek, while not bad, weren’t all that memorable. They’re still fun, but still could have maybe been a little better. Finally, the middle to end this film might have felt a little rushed. It was still very good, but could have maybe been handled a little better. Not to mention that some of the characters, aside from the main ones, aren’t quite as memorable as you would like.

Nevertheless, the pros triumph over the cons for this film. To begin, there’s the deal with the animals either talking, or not talking. Now, as we know, Columbia Pictures came out with another live-action film back in 1999 by the name of Stuart Little, which, like this film, also featured all live-action humans, and CGI animals. Here’s the difference! While both the humans, and animals speak in Stuart Little, only the humans speak in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, and non of the animals do talk. The only form of communication that we get from the animals is the singing from Lyle the Crocodile. After giving it some thought, I’m sure we can agree that maybe this might have been a smart move on the part of the filmmakers, wouldn’t you say? It’s also great to know that even if there were moments where this film felt dragged, and sometimes even rushed, you can tell that the filmmakers did put as much heart into it as possible. Also, again, “Top Of The World” is most definitely the catchiest tune of this entire soundtrack. Though the rest of the tracks aren’t quite as memorable, they’re still fun to listen to. Oh, and another thing regarding the music, who wouldn’t enjoy listening to Lyle the crocodile singing some well known songs from time to time? In addition to all of this, many of the characters that are developed very well are also handled well. This is especially true with one of the characters going in one direction that one doesn’t expect. Allow me to explain. Basically, throughout the course of this film, you’ll most likely expect this character to go one direction only to find that one going in another, and with good results. Finally, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile seems to incorporate some good messages, most notably ones about being willing to think about the feelings, and perspectives of others more than your own.

And that’s my review for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Even though some aspects of this film could have been improved, it is still enjoyable overall. There is a song that stands out from the rest of the soundtrack, there is a good amount of heart in this film, certain moments, and characters are handled well, and some of the storyline as well, and the film is overall very good. If the book is better, then you should still see the movie version. Regardless of how close this film follows the book, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a film that is most definitely worth seeing. Man, if only Columbia Pictures were making more movies like this, and Stuart Little. Honestly, if we can slowly, but surely have more movies like these films with live-action humans, and computer-animated animals, like back in the 1990s especially, and have plenty kid heart put into them, I think people will realise what real art in the world of movies is like even more so. Also, let’s also keep up with NOT having any gay, or lesbian elements in films like these. Definitely see this film version of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, and see what you think!

Final Grade: B

Alright, so today, we shall talk about a murder mystery film that stars Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Chris Rock, John David Washington, and some other people.

Plot: Taking place fifteen years after WWI, and shortly after a female (Taylor Swift), and her father are murdered, doctor, and war veteran Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale), and his buddy, Harold Woodsman (John David Washington), along with their new female friend, a nurse named Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie) must solve who the culprit is once, and for all.

Okay, first of all, I will say that perhaps they could have maybe been a little more creative with this one by maybe having the story be that one of the people gets murdered, while the other one nearly gets murdered, and they still solve who attempted the murder. Still, for what we have, this is a very good film. First of all, after the semi disappointment of the remake of Death On The Nile, along with the remake for Murder On The Orient Express to a degree as well, Amsterdam is a murder mystery film that seems to be a film that maybe we needed for once. For one, this is a mystery film that has comedy. Sure, some of the humor may be crude, and the foul language being a little over the top like most R-rated films nowadays. Still, like I said, we have some comedy in this murder mystery film. Characters like Christian Bale’s character, Dr. Burt Berendsen, especially bring really comedy to this film. There’s also a really good storyline with this film. In fact, if you were not a fan of say remakes of Death On The Nile, or Murder On The Orient Express, then fear not. Amsterdam is a film that you’ll most likely consider superior to either of those, and maybe some other murder mystery films that have been released as of recent years. The score by Daniel Pemberton is also really good. Definitely captures the type of music from that time period, especially the kind that you would hear in a place like Amsterdam during this time period in history. Additionally, in an age when many movies take place in the modern day period, how could we not want a film that takes place at an older time in history. Not to mention that there could be a lot to learn from this film, like secret businesses, and plots that were going on during an era like WWI, and things like that.

Although those help make this film really good, there are some shortcomings for this film as well. First of all, the beginning of the film may feel a little too fast paced. In fact, there are some characters from the beginning that we could have gotten to know a little better, and yet didn’t. Not sure if this was time constraint, or something else. You got me. Finally, there’s an additional thing to mention for the characters. Besides the main characters Woody, and Burt, some of the characters end up lacking screen time. I’m not sure if this might have been because of the makers trying to cut some scenes, or some other reason. Either way, some of the additional characters end up getting sidelined, and don’t get developed as well as they could have been. There were also some elements of the story that didn’t seem to work as well, and seemed to be put in there just for the sake of doing so.

And that’s my review for Amsterdam. Is is a very fun film that, though sad at times, could feel a little heartwarming at times too. The characters are fun, and the story is very good, and fun overall. I would say see Amsterdam, and see what you think!

Final Grade: A-

Alright, so today, we are going to review an action film from over a decade ago. I surprisingly saw the second film back in 2013, but I don’t recall seeing this first film that I was unaware of as well. I got it for my birthday earlier this year. So now, it shall be reviewed FYI, the second film will hopefully be rewatched, and reviewed in the very near future.

Plot: When Duke (Channing Tatum) and his squadron of G.I. Joe soldiers discover a plot by terrorists , led by the Cobra Commander (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), to release a technology called nano mites on American soil, cities, and across the world. At the request of General Abernathy/Hawk (Dennis Quaid), it is now Duke, and his team’s mission to find the mastermind, and destroy the nano-mites once and for all.

Okay, first of all, I didn’t realize that this was based off a comic book story if some kind. How interesting that we have a film with no superheroes with super powers for one of the rare times in the comic book world. Second, G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra is surprisingly another very good action film. First of all, we should appreciate the fact that there are some cliches that many action films have been known to have more often than not, that this film manages to avoid in more ways than expected. Also, the designs of the villains from the Cobra organization are surprisingly really cool. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people were to decide to dress up especially as one of those characters for Halloween, or some event like that. The underwater lair, one of the areas where the Cobra organization gathers, is really cool too. There are also some really funny lines on here as well. Honestly, if you liked action films like 2008’s Get Smart, or any of the Marvel superhero films that were released from 2008’s Iron Man, and onward after that, especially the comedy element of those films, you’ll more than likely enjoy this the comedy from G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra as well. The comedic lines are spot on, and any funny moment that occurs throughout this film is perfectly timed as well. Also, how could you not like the cast for this film, from Channing Tatum to Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans, Arnold Vosloo, and some others? The only thing that I will say is that if there ever came a time for Arnold Vosloo to play a good character in a film, he should. Okay, don’t get me wrong, he’s played plenty of great villains from the mummy in the Mummy films, one of the terrorists in one of the seasons of 24, a villain in Agent Cody Banks, and probably quite a few more. Still, if anyone can name me a film in which Arnold Vosloo played the role of a good guy, please do. Additionally, most of the plot twists are very good too. There was one twist that probably didn’t work quite as well, but more on that when I discuss the cons in this film. Oh, and one other thing to mention is that you’ll more than likely love how the different relationships are handled in this movie.

However, as I mentioned a moment ago, G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra is not without it’s fair share of flaws. For one, there were one, or two strange plot holes in this film. Also, as I mentioned, there was a plot twist that occurs near the end that didn’t seem to work quite as well as some of the other plot twists in this film. As a result, in this case, this film could probably have some flawed messages by the end of this film. The origins of the nano-mites could have potentially been explained a little better. Finally, there were some aspects of the ending that didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Well folks, that concludes my review for G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra. It’s certainly a good movie. However, there were points where this film a little more potential than it got in the end. I would say that if this film went through one, maybe two more rewrites, this film would have probably been better than it was in the end. For the film that we got, it is still worth checking out, despite not quite being one of the best action films out there. I would say definitely see this film if you’re interested in a very good action film for the sake of seeing some good action, comedy, and some likable characters.

Final Grade: B-

Hi everyone! It is great to see you all back on the blog site again! Today, we are going to be traveling back to the time of the early 2000s, the year 2000 itself, as a matter of fact. What’s more is that we will be going into the world of DreamWorks Animation. You know, the company that came out with animated films like the Shrek movies, the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, the Madagascar trilogy, Flushed Away, Shark Tale, and all those animated films. However, we will not be reviewing any of those animated films. Instead, we will be reviewing what is called a stop motion animated film. It was a film that was released before movies like Shrek, and Madagascar came around in the first place, when DreamWorks still believed in making both hand-drawn, and computer-animated, or, occasionally, claymation films before going full on with the two latter types of animation. Oh, and did I forget to mention that , first of all, DreamWorks teamed up with companies Aardman, and Pathe for this particular film, and, second, this particular animated DreamWorks movie was released just three months after the company released their second hand-drawn animated film, The Road To El Dorado? Yeah, much like how in 1998, which gave us DreamWorks animated films Antz, and The Prince Of Egypt in October 1998, and December 1998 respectively, 2000 also had two animated films released that same year, with The Road To El Dorado, and Chicken Run getting released in March 2000, and June 2000 respectively. How about that!?! That being said, let’s talk about the 2000 DreamWorks animated/claymation film, Chicken Run, which starred Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks, Lynn Ferguson, and many other stars.

Plot: Set in London, England, in the 1950s, Ginger (Julia Sawalha), the leader of the chicken coop, a Scottish assistant to Ginger named Mac (Lynn Ferguson), Babs (Jane Horrocks), who loves to knit, and quite a few other hens live on a farm run by greedy farmers Mr., and Mrs. Tweedy (Tony Haygarth, and Miranda Richardson respectively). The farm is set up like a Nazi prison camp. Though the chickens can’t fly, can they still find a way to escape with the help of new friends that come to their aid in the form of a former circus rooster star named Rocky (Mel Gibson), and two rats named Nick, and Fetcher (Timothy Spall, and Phil Daniels respectively) before the Tweedy decide to make pot pies out of the chickens?

Alright, so for those of you who read my review for The Great Escape, you may recall me mentioning that sometime after I put Chicken Run on the docket for me to rewatch sometime this year, that I came to discover that Chicken Run was loosely based on The Great Escape, yes? If you do, you may also recall me telling about how I wanted to see The Great Escape because of that, yes? Well, just a reminder that I wanted to see The Great Escape for this purpose, save it for one of the special reviews, and then rewatch, and review Chicken Run shortly after. Because of this, I wanted to rewatch Chicken Run shortly after seeing The Great Escape, even though the review of the film didn’t quite immediately follow my review of The Great Escape as originally planned. Oh well! Definitely better late than never. With all of that out of the way, I will say that I remember watching this film quite a few times at least for the first couple years after I got to own it. Now that I’ve got to revisit it, and see it through adult eyes, does Chicken Run still hold up twenty-two years later, and counting? I’m delighted to say that yes, it does. First of all, when I was a kid, soon to be a teenager, I thought that Chicken Run was just a fun animated films with chickens trying to escape a farm run by evil farmers. And yes, of course the film has that plot setup. However, what I was surprised to discover somewhat shortly before planning to revisit Chicken Run was that this film was set in the 1950s, and that we had a story about chickens trying to escape a farm that was designed just like a Nazi concentration camp, and that Mr., and Mrs. Tweedy were basically acting like German Nazi soldiers running the camp. Really creative, when you think about it, is it not? And that’s what the storyline is overall, creative. First of all, having chickens basically symbolizing the Jews, or even American prisoners of war during WWII has a clever premise in and of itself. And of course you have the Tweedy parents being these evil prison Nazi guards, along with a chicken named Mac (how interesting, considering The Great Escape had a character named Mac, with a Scottish accent, who was a make, not a female, in that case), a chicken that was part of the Royal Air Force named Fowler, and a lot of other creative characters, and details to go along with this film. As far as characters went, it was also great that even though there were many chickens in this film, this film decided to focus on at least a few, and flesh them out. They are likable, especially characters like Ginger, Mac, Bunty, and Babs. Babs especially is likable. She also has some really hilarious lines. If you liked those types of characters, such as Dory from 2003’s Finding Nemo, or Mittens from 2008’s s Bolt, you’ll like Babs for her sweet, and playful nature, and lines that are often funny, and memorable. And how could we not mention Rocky the circus rooster, or even rats Nick, and Fetcher being memorable characters as well? What’s even more is, you know how at the bottom of the DreamWorks logo, you have the initials SKG? Well, those letters stand for the last names of the founders of DreamWorks; the famous director Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg (who used to be one of the creative heads at Disney until his feud with former Disney CEO Michael Eisner in the mid-1990s), and David Geffen. The reason I bring this up is because, well, one, many of us hopefully at least know Steven Spielberg for making films like Jurassic Park, Minority Report, and great plenty more, yes? He really seemed to especially help put his creative mind behind a great many of these DreamWorks films, animated, or live-action. Chicken Run was certainly no exception. What makes Chicken Run an incredible movie is that it does well at acting like a great fable that represented the difficulties of life especially for prisoners in Germany in decades like the 1950s, and even earlier. The script for this film is also brilliant, whether it be jokes about vultures, or even a couple of the animal characters bringing up the Scripture, Matthew 21:22, that says, “Ask, and you shall receive,” and one of those characters saying that’s Biblical, and from an animal character of all characters, for example. Seeing that this film was release almost a year and a half to couple years after The Prince Of Egypt (which, as many of us hopefully know, was based off the Biblical event of Moses’ life), it should come as no surprise that such a line was inserted in a film that came shortly after like Chicken Run. As mentioned before, the rest of the dialogue is charming, witty, and quotable more often than not. It’s also nice that, seeing as DreamWorks seemed to believe in inserting foul language, and crude humor back when these earlier films were being released, it was also nice to see that for once, DreamWorks didn’t insert words like the “s” word, or the “h” word in this film. Of course, how could we also not appreciate that Chicken Run was one of the rare to few animated films from DreamWorks, along with 2002’s Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, to be rated G instead of PG, and rightfully so? Additionally, what also makes Chicken Run really well done is how, though this may feel like a kid’s movie on the surface, you realize, as you watch it, that all ages, be it kids, teenagers, or adults, are bound to enjoy it, for seeing fun talking chickens, jokes, and lines overall that land well, and a story that can either be lighthearted, or rather dark, and gritty at points. And the tone doesn’t even feel off whenever the tone of this film may change from time to time. There’s also the score by John Powell, and Harry Gregson-Willliams. Wow, though the score may not quite be worthy of winning an Oscar, these guys clearly went all out with this score. I mean talk about really capturing the type of music from this time period, and overall really capturing the emotions of the audience in the process. I would say that since John Powell also made good scores even for animated films like 2010’s How To Train Your Dragon, 2011’s Rio, and many more animated films, Powell should become legendary like Alan Menken, Hans Zimmer, and some of those composers. It was also good to not have quite all of the animals talk, as the two dogs that are owned by the Tweedys are the only animals that don’t talk. The stop motion animation is also really good. Even when objects like the sky are captured, the animation for this film is still really great. One other thing to mention is that Chicken Run could potentially feel rather thought-provoking at points. Oh, and there’s the ending for this film. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say that, like the endings for done of DreamWorks earlier films, you’d be surprised by certain aspects of this ending. The only thing that could have maybe made Chicken Run slightly better is that Rocky’s character arc could have probably been handled a little better than it was. It was still good for what it was. Still, it could have maybe been rewritten a little better.

And that’s my review for Chicken Run. Now, you all may be wondering, if the Best Animated Feature award had been invented earlier than 2001/2002, could Chicken Run have won that award? Well, there were other good animated films from 2000, like Disney’s Dinosaur, Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove, and DreamWorks The Road To El Dorado. Still, Chicken Run may yet be the best of these bunch for it’s creative premise, likable, and memorable characters, a mostly quotable script, a fantastic musical score, and quite a few other great things about it. That being said, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Chicken had won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, had that category come around earlier than 2001/2002. Also, one has to wonder, why aren’t films like The Prince Of Egypt, Chicken Run, or even The Road To El Dorado talked about as much as DreamWorks films like Shrek, and How To Train Your Dragon, and some of those animated films from DreamWorks? Well, they should be, since they’re all worth seeing. That said, if you haven’t seen Chicken Run, make a point to. Even a couple that’s in their dating stages before marriage is bound to likely love this film. Also, if you liked animated films with mature storylines like 1996’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, 1998’s The Prince Of Egypt, or even 2016’s Zootopia, for example, Chicken Run will more than likely be up your alley.

Final Grade: A

Alright, alright, I know that there is another film that I watched before this film that I plan to also review. Forgive me if you think that I’m putting that review off just for the sake of doing so. Not the case. After giving it some thought, I figured that I’d just review the following film before we get to that one. So that being said, let’s talk about Don’t Worry Darling, starring Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, and some other people.

Plot: Set in the fictional city of Victory, California, Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh), Bunny (Olivia Wilde), and other housewives have their respective husbands who go to work everyday at a company called Victory Headquarters, followed by the wives preparing meals for themselves, and their husbands, and/or kids every night after work. However, after some time goes by, Alice begins to suspect that because the wives are strictly forbidden from venturing to Headquarters, that the husbands are hiding something. Will this be true, or will it turn out to be Alice’s imagination in the end?

So, I don’t know if this was based on a book, or if director Olivia Wilde was making a whole original screenplay. However, Olivia Wilde’s work here was okay. It’s not bad, but okay. First of all, we should be grateful that Olivia Wilde didn’t have any gay, or lesbian characters in this film like with Booksmart back in 2019. It was also cool to see Olivia Wilde play one of the main characters in this movie, Alice Chambers’ best friend, as a matter of fact. There was also some really cool action in this film as well. The movie also did a great job of showing how it is not always good to be trusting of people 100% of the time, and that people need to investigate situations whenever possible. Oh, and the performances from Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and many more were definitely very well done.

Still, this film could have improved in quite a few ways. There were some scenes that seemed to drag a little too long at times. Some of these included a few sexual scenes. During those scenes, I can recall having to look away from the theater screen for a couple minutes, if not more. If you’re not a fan of scenes like those, you will more than likely do the same. Putting aside some of those inappropriate scenes, most of the characters besides people like the main character, Alice, aren’t all that likable. Not only that, but it’s almost like many of the characters that surround Alice seem to drag her down, rather than build her up. Seeing as we need more films with characters building each other up rather than criticizing others for making choices that one may not agree with, the way that this film was set up in that regard wasn’t exactly the best. The setup of this story doesn’t seem to feel all that well setup. Well, let me ask you guys a question. Some of you have read a novel by the name of The Giver, have you not? Well, I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if Olivia Wilde may have drawn inspiration from stories like that one to make this film. Here’s the difference, besides that world not being in color, and the outside world world actually being in color. The Giver was also a novel, and took more time to set up the world that it had. As a result, Don’t Worry Darling almost feels like an inferior version of The Giver. Not to mention that we don’t seem to know how this alternate world in Don’t Worry Darling came into existence in the first place, you know?

And that’s my review for Don’t Worry Darling. Yeah, setting aside the fact that there were a few sexual scenes in this film, the film is still not all that great. The world building could’ve been better, none of the characters seem all that likable, except for Alice Chambers, and the story was just o we all okay. I would say that if you want to see this film, wait until it’s on video at Redbox, or On Demand, or someplace like that where it’s cheaper, and just see it then. Otherwise maybe just go, and check out something better to watch, or read like Lois Lowry’s The Giver, or some story like that.

Final Grade: D+

Ladies and gentlemen, there’s been a slight change of plans. I know that I said that I was going to review another film right before reviewing this one. However, circumstances occurred that had me reschedule watching that film from last night to maybe sometime this week, or in the next week, or two, sometime like that. That being said, we will go ahead and review Gigi & Nate now in that movie’s place. So, let’s discuss Gigi & Nate!

Plot: During the 4th of July weekend, an impulsive teenager named Nate Gibson (Charlie Rowe) gets bacterial meningitis after diving into a lake. The family must now move from the fictional Happy Days, North Carolina to Nashville, Tennessee, where he can be helped due to him now becoming quadriplegic. Although initially becoming suicidal, he, and his family discover an organization that has service animals for those with disabilities. After adopting a Capuchin that could be helpful for Nate, will these two become best of friends, and will Nate have the desire to live again?

So, after seeing this film, I found myself wondering, why was Gigi & Nate given a PG-13 rating instead of say at least a PG one? Was it because there were a couple scenes that involved drinking? Was it due to there being one, or two inappropriate scenes? Or was it because of the subject matter being a little heavy handed for young children? Well, you got me. All I know is that not only could teens, and adults, enjoy this film, but young kids could potentially also enjoy it, at least minus a couple of the drinking scenes, and a couple other ones. Yes, the subject matter could feel rather adult, and heavy handed. Still, what kids wouldn’t enjoy seeing especially a Capuchin monkey onscreen, you know? The movie is also very funny, especially when you have either the monkey, the family dog, Banjo, or other animals involved. The storyline is also really good overall. I mean here you have a family who ends up going through some rather big changes in their lives. Not only that, but some of the family members end up either becoming more humble, end up learning to change their priorities in life, or, sometimes, even all of the above for reasons that I won’t go into to avoid spoilers. The characters are surprisingly also well thought out. Sure, there were one, or two that could have maybe had more screen time, but still very well-written other than them. It was also very surprising to learn one of the ways in which one could become quadriplegic in the first place. Oh, and the relationships are also well-handled, whether it be Nate with his parents, Nate, and his siblings, or any other relationships that he has over the course of the film. It was also nice to have a movie in which some of the characters actually take responsibility for their actions rather than playing the blame game when certain mistakes were made, or bad situations would come up. Seeing as a lot of movies, and TV shows have allowed characters to play the blame game instead more often than not, a film like Gigi & Nate proves that we need more films just like it with more humble characters who will take responsibility when necessary. The only other downside to this film, aside from one or two characters feeling a little underdeveloped, is that the climax, one could say, if this film could have maybe been rewritten a little differently than it was in the end. It wasn’t bad, b it could have still been a little better.

And that’s my review for Gigi & Nate. I didn’t realize that this film was INSPIRED by a true story. Well, either way, I would highly recommend this film. I would say show it even to kids, but have them leave when certain adult scenes come up, and have them come back into the movie theater, or room after that. Gigi & Nate provides some great lessons about being humble, taking responsibility for his/her own actions, and lessons like those. If you haven’t seen Gigi & Nate yet, then do so when you can. The film serves as proof that we need more films just like it, especially in this day and age.

Final Grade: A-

Well everyone, we’re finally here at the half way point. Today, for my 550th movie review, I decided to change things up a little bit by reviewing a film that I wasn’t very familiar with, but heard was considered a classic. I mean seeing as I had made musicals like The Sound Of Music, and Fiddler On The Roof my 450th, and 500th reviews respectively, I figured it was time to go into a different kind of genre, and into newer territory, you know? So now, without further ado, let’s discuss 1963’s The Great Escape.

Plot: Based on a true story, and set in late -942, during WWII, American POWs have been captive in a Nazi concentration camp. But these Americans have been trying time, and time again to escape, led by people like Captain Virgil Hilts (Steve McQueen). They have secretly tried to dig tunnels, scrounged for tools, and whatever else it’s taken to escape the Nazi prison. So, did they succeed in the end?

Alright, so I have a bit of a funny story of how I came to hear of this film, and became eager to see it. Earlier this year, maybe around the springtime, if not earlier than that, I had remembered that the 2000 DreamWorks animated film, Chicken Run (which yes, I plan to rewatch, and review that film fairly soon, in case anyone’s interested to know that) was reaching it’s 22nd anniversary in June of this year. What’s Chicken Run got to do with The Great Escape, you may ask? Well, shortly after that, I came to discover that Chicken Run was basically The Great Escape, except with mainly chickens as characters, plus of course a married farming couple, and the farm designed like a Nazi concentration camp. So, with that being the case, I decided that because I had never seen The Great Escape before, and I am not quite as familiar with films from decades ago as I am with newer films from the 1990s, and onwards, it was time for me to expand my movie knowledge by watching a film from decades ago like this one. So now, here we are discussing The Great Escape!

So how was the film in the end? Well, I will say, really, really good. first of all, the score by Elmer Bernstein was beautiful, especially in the beginning, and near the end of this film. I’m not sure if this film won an Oscar for Best Original Score, or not. Well, if it didn’t, then it should have, because it was most likely that good. The score helps capture, first of all, the kind of music that played from a time period like that. Not only that, but the score helped to draw the audience into the film even more, whether that be the happier moments, where situations in this film felt uplifting, or even in the sad, and depressing moments, when things go haywire for certain characters. Additionally, for a movie that’s set in one of the more darker times of history, The Great Escape does a surprisingly great job of having a fair amount of light-hearted moments. Yes, the film can be very sad at times, but it surprisingly also has some very funny moments too. The makers of this film do this amazing job of weaving together a string of both tragic moments, as well as funny, and hilarious moments as well. What’s even more is that whenever a character gets shot, and killed in this film, there may may have been one instance in which there was a little bit of blood shown on that character. Other than that instance, you rarely, if ever see any blood gets killed either by being shot, or any other cause for that matter. Compare that in this film to movies, and shows of today, be it movies like Saving Private Ryan, or shows like the newer Hawaii Five-O, or Blue Bloods, where so much blood is shown on a character that’s pronounced dead, one can easily tell how much darker movies, and TV shows have become as of nowadays. There’s that, combined with things like how people in older movies had more good morals back then, while that doesn’t seem to be the case quite as much even with characters in movies nowadays. Okay, people, and fictional characters may still have good morals in movies as of nowadays. It just doesn’t seem quite as common as with films back then like The Great Escape, and many others, you know? Well, moving on! The characters are also well-developed, most notably ones like Blitz (Steve McQueen), Flight Lieutenant James Hendley (James Garner), Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough), Flight Lieutenant Andy McDonald (Gordon Jackson), and many others. This film may focus on quite a few characters in this movie. However, because The Great Escape is nearly three hours long, it works surprisingly well. No matter how much, or very little screen time any of these characters got, you come to enjoy whatever time they are there. You really come to care about them, and want to get behind them. Finally, one has to admire how determined the American POWs were to try to escape the Nazi concentration camp, no matter how many tiles some of them were thrown into solitary confinement for a set amount of time, or whatever else. And how could we not appreciate that the characters came up with creative ways for each of the times that the prisoners would make each and every one of their escape attempts, you know? The only other thing that I would like to mention that isn’t so much something that docks the movie’s enjoyment, but rather something to make others aware of, is that some of the characters, especially the Nazi German soldiers, can end up talking a little too fast that some people might need to turn on the closed caption option just to catch what they’re saying sometimes. Of course, that’s probably how the soldiers talked back then, so how can that be a criticism? Again, just something to be made aware of.

And that’s my review for The Great Escape. It is a really enjoyable film that is for certain worth your time. Truthfully, if you want to watch a film from decades ago that has quite a few great elements mixed in, has an excellent storyline, and some rather memorable characters, and more, The Great Escape is most definitely worth your time. For a film that’s even based on a true story, it makes it worth your time even more. Also, how can you go wrong with celebrities like Steven McQueen, James Garner, James Coburn, Gordon Jackson, among others being in this film? Again, The Great Escape is worth your time, especially if you’re in the mood for an older film, and want to learn more about what life was like during WWII. Definitely see The Great Escape whenever you can. Definitely a film that you won’t regret seeing when it’s all said, and done!

Final Grade: A+

P.S. Can you all believe that The Great Escape will be teaching it’s 60th anniversary come next year, in 2023? Man, how time really has flown from 1963 until now, and soon to be 2023. Well, happy almost 60th anniversary come next year, in 2023!