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!

Well, everyone, this is it! After today, we are one more movie review away from the halfway point. Once we get there, you guys may, or may not be surprised by what I end up doing for that review! But before we get to that point, we are going to be reviewing an action adventure film that was released just last month. Starring Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, and a few other people, the movie is the one, and only, Beast.

Plot: A widowed father (Idris Elba), and his two daughters (Iyana Halley, and Leah Sava Jeffries) head down to the Mopani Reserve, where they are greeted by an old friend of Nate’s named Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), who is a biologist, and Mopani manager of the reserve. But this surprisingly doesn’t just end up being a simple fun reunion. There’s trouble on the reserve in the form of something, or someone, that has been massacring some people, and villages. Can Nate, Martin, and Nate’s daughters find who, or what has been causing this trouble before any more damage is done on the reserve?

Now, I don’t recall hearing about this film, or seeing any trailers for it until maybe a month before it’s release. So now that I’ve seen it, did it turn out okay? Actually, yes, it did. For a live-action film that was only an hour, and a half, Beast was very good. First of all, the movie hardly, if ever, drags at all, even in the beginning. I mean yeah, the beginning might drag a little bit, but not by much. Additionally, it’s almost like we have a film that feels somewhat like a combination of older movies like 1996’s The Ghost & The Darkness, 2004’s Flight Of The Phoenix, or even 2005’s Sahara. If some of you reading this review haven’t seen either of those films, I would highly recommend that you do, and you’ll hopefully know what I’m talking about. Anyway, there’s an incredible amount of depth to the main characters, most notably Nate, and his daughters, Meredith, and Norah. We even get to see some more light shed into Nate, and his late wife’s relationship. Yeah, how often does something like that happen, especially when it may affect a character mostly in more negative ways than one, you know? What’s even more is that there is the main carnivore, who happens to be a vicious lion in this case. I mean sure, on the one hand, you end love to hate him as much as say other carnivorous villains like animated Shere Khan in 1967’s The Jungle Book, live-action Shere Khan in either the 1994, or even 2016 live-action remakes of The Jungle Book, or even the lions that constantly attacked an African village in 1996’s The Ghost & The Darkness. In this case, however, there is a bit of a twist as well. That being that you probably also find yourself sometimes even sympathizing with the vicious lion of this film. Hard to believe? Well, then know this! If, or when you end up seeing this film, let’s just say that you may, or may not be surprised by how cleverly written the situation with the lion of this film is. In addition to these elements, we get to have a good understanding of how difficult living life on a reserve can be, especially in certain places like Africa. Speaking of difficulties of life, Beast can also show both the beauty, and difficulties of life at points. It was also really good to have a taste of African culture, despite this film focusing more on the suspenseful aspect most of the time. Speaking of suspense, the amount of action, and suspense in this film make this film very engaging from a little after the beginning of this film to end. Yeah, it’s very good that this film helps establishes the characters that it needs to before we get into the thrill ride portion of this film. As for the acting, how could we especially not mention Idris Elba as the main character, Dr. Nate Samuels? His performance is phenomenal in this film. The same definitely goes for Sharlto Copley, and everyone else who did their respective performances. One additional thing to mention is that Beast does an excellent job of helping people to analyze any dangerous situation that he/she may come across, and learn how to survive such a situation, despite not being easy to do so. Finally, there is the climax of this film. Wow, it is a really creative one that has excellent twists, and one that you may be shocked by to a degree. However, no matter how shocking the climax may be, if doesn’t deter from how enjoyable it is nonetheless. Actually, one other thing! Did I forget to mention that this film is one of the rare to few R-rated films to NOT have that many cuss words in it? Okay, sure there was a lot of blood in this film. So that may be part of the reason why. Even so, how often have we heard of an R-rated film, or even PG-13 rated one for that matter, that has hardly had any crude language in it, especially in today’s day, and age of films? Just saying!

And that’s my review for Beast. If you want a decent R-rated film for today’s day and age of films, then all the more reason to see Beast. I was surprised by how well-written it was, from the development of characters, humans, and animals alike, the twists that occur throughout the film, and other aspects too. Not to mention that there was hardly any crude language in this film, except for a little bit here and there. Also, if you want to have a film with complex characters in it, even when it comes to the animals of this film, then all the more reason to see Beast. So yeah, definitely go see it in theaters if you can. Rest assured, it is definitely worth the experience on the big screen, to be sure.

Final Grade: A+

Alright, everyone, only two more reviews until we get to Movie Review # 500. Man, does time fly! Well, in the meantime, we are going to be reviewing a newer Disney/Pixar animated film that was originally going to be in theaters back in March of this year, but the company decided, for some reason like COVID, or something like that, to release it exclusively to Disney+, followed by DVD, and Blu-Ray a few months later. Honestly, let’s hope that Disney/Pixar won’t keep up this practice for the rest of their animation career, even after the more recent Lightyear flopped shortly after being released a few months ago. That all being said, let’s talk about Disney/Pixar’s Turning Red, shall we?

Plot: Set around a temple in Canada, owned by Mei (Rosalie Chiang), and her parents (Sandra Oh, and Orion Lee) in 2002, Mei is now turning 13 years old. After starting to get overly emotional about changes in her life, she turns into a giant red panda, something said to have fun in her family for generations before her. Now, can she, and her family figure out how to rid this curse from Mei once and for all?

First of all, for those of you who haven’t seen this film yet, you may be wondering, did this film deserve to only be a Disney+ exclusive film rather than first going to theaters even in the US? Well, let me put it to you all this way. Although Turning Red wasn’t exactly one of their best works, it still was good enough that it should have been in theaters first. But let’s start off with the areas where Turning Red could have improved. First of all, hearing music from around the 2000s, at least aside from the fictional band, 4-Town, is most likely going to feel a little dated years from now. Well, even when hearing newer music from the fictional band, 4-Town, that’s in this movie, those songs are most likely not going to be all that memorable in the end. Additionally, Turning Red could likely move at a little too fast of a pace at times, to the point where we don’t get to see some of the characters quite as well as we, the audience would like. Again, an extra 15, maybe 20 minutes, if not more, could have maybe helped out with aspects such as this. Oh, and there’s for sure Mei’s mother, Ming Lee. First of all, I would like to point out how Mei’s parents seem to be very complete opposites in terms of how they see the world, and deciding how Mei should handle things in life. Quite honestly, Mei’s parents could potentially remind any of us of say the the parents of Merida in Disney/Pixar’s Brave (which of course was released ten years ago). I mean think about it, both films have a strict, and overbearing mother, who wants their daughter to see, and do things properly, and wants to see their kids see, and do things a certain way, while also wanting the best for them. As for the fathers, neither of them are afraid to give their daughter room to grow. However, here’s the difference between how it’s handled in 2012’s Brave, and 2022’s Turning Red. In a film like Brave, having the overprotective mother, and the not as strict father was executed better. I mean think about it, even though Merida did still feel frustrated especially by how her mother, Elinor, was raising her, and handling certain situations, we at least actually get to see her side on why she acts the way that she does. Same can go for the father, Fergus. Yes, Elinor did end up being in the wrong in some aspects, and could have still handled situations with her daughter Merida better than she did. Even so, at least we get to see quite an amount of depth with her, Merida’s father, Fergus, Merida herself, and most of the cast. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the parents here in Turning Red. I mean we get a little bit of that, but it could have been handled a little better. Anyway, another flaw is that the film seemed to put a little too much emphasis on the ancestor worship deal, and Chinese mumbo jumbo “bs” as well. Okay, sure a film like the 1998 Mulan did have some of that kind of stuff too, but at least it put more of an emphasis on other aspects of the film, you know? The climax also may have felt a little rushed as well. Sure, it was fairly well-written, but it could have still probably improved. Finally, did we need to have Ming Lee making a scene, and making false accusations to people that she shouldn’t have at different points? Seriously!

Still, none of those things make this film horrible. In fact, there are quite a few positive aspects of this film. First of all, Disney/Pixar DID NOT LUT IN A GAY, OR LESBIAN THING IN TURNING RED. Yeah, Disney/Pixar, again, that may have factored into Lightyear not performing as well at the box-office. Seriously, please just go back to making potentially good stories, and not have these gay, or lesbian deals, you know? I say that not only to Pixar, but also Disney period, and other companies. Please, please, please, and thank you! Anyway, the animation is beautiful on the characters, especially on Mei when she’s a red panda. The designs of the town were also really good. The movements of the characters, especially on Mei as a red panda, were really great too. Oh, and one more thing to mention about the animation. It was also cool to see the characters have looks that looked somewhat similar to the designs of an anime character. It’s also cool how this film tackles the subject of puberty, change, and quite a few other mature themes as well. Honestly, with this film having a somewhat more realistic tone that it did, this film could have easily been a live-action movie. However, making this film one of Disney/Pixar’s films helped to make the film more fun, and taking quite a few liberties that may not have worked quite as well if it was a live-action film. It was also a good way to hopefully prepare kids in today’s world for issues such as these when they reach times like middle school, and onward, you know? Also, who wouldn’t want a father like Mei’s dad? Oh, and there was the ending. Let me just say that you’ll love the ending, while also being pleasantly surprised by certain aspects of the ending. Finally, the message about learning to embrace who you are, and growing up are very good messages to live by. I mean embracing who you are when it’s a good thing, that is.

And that’s my review for Turning Red. Yeah, the story could have been better, and there were aspects in which Turning Red could have improved. Still, it would’ve been worth seeing in theaters, and there are plenty of positive aspects that make this film worth seeing. So, if you haven’t seen this film yet, I would say definitely do so if you have Disney+, or want to rent this on DVD/Blu-Ray. I think people will love both the fantasy elements, as well as the overall realistic tone as well. So yeah, again, see it, and see what you think!

Final Grade: B-

Well everyone, this is it. After today, we are three film reviews away from Movie Review # 550. For now, when we get to that time, let’s just say that you may, or may not be surprised by what I end up choosing to do for that one. Well, in the meantime, this is the 547th review in my blog, and overall movie reviewing for the past 6-7 years. It is the latest Marvel superhero film that has been out for almost eight weeks now. It is the one, and only, Thor: Love & Thunder.

Plot: Sometime after the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has begun to have a difficult life. But one day, Thor decides to get back into action after hearing news that a villain, known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) is on the prowl, and desiring to kill all the gods in the universe, following a horrible incident with one of them. With help from ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and their friend, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), it is up to the trio, and some new Allie’s to stop Gorr, and save the universe once and for all.

Okay, first of all, I have heard some people say that this movie seems “woke” from the trailers in terms of people like Jane Foster becoming a powerful superhero like Thor. However, in a case like this, this is one of those situations where one should say “Don’t judge a movie by it’s trailer.” Why? Well, I won’t give anything away, but let’s just say that, once you actually do see this fourth installment of the Thor movie series, you’d be surprised by the circumstances that cause Jane Foster to have superhero power abilities in the first place. Anyway, though not quite one of the best sequels, Thor: Love & Thunder is definitely a very good sequel. First of all, how could we not appreciate hearing some old rock n’ roll tunes from time to time? Sure, maybe they do go a little over the top with those at times, but it’s fun when more appropriate. Anyway, most of the characters are very well-written, especially Thor, and Jane. Additionally, Thor: Love & Thunder is surprisingly really funny at times. That is especially when there is the narrator that narrates at certain points of the film. Now, I know what you might be thinking. You’re probably thinking, “How could a narrator possibly be hilarious, especially in a film like this?” . Well, let me tell you, the way that he does it is so funny. I honestly felt a little jealous of him for being able to pull that stunt at some of those points in the film. Chances are some of you might feel that way too. Oh, and there are the visuals. They are amazing. We’re talking beautiful color palettes, and CGI backgrounds that could match those of 2002’s Treasure Planet, or 2009’s Avatar, for example. It’s also nice to have a villain that’s more complex, and sympathetic than probably many villains either in the Marvel Universe, or in other films period. Yes, you still love to hate Gorr the God Butcher. Still, at the same time, you’re more than likely to understand where he’s coming from as well. In addition to all of this, the movie flows at a very good pace. In fact, it hardly, if ever drags. Oh, and it’s obvious that there was so much heart put into this film. There are also some really amazing messages in this film, ones that especially us adults could definitely learn, or even relearn. There is also the ending for this film. Again, not going to give away what happens. However, I will say that you may find yourself feeling ambivalent about certain aspects of it, as well as liking other aspect of the end of this film. Finally, there are some really well done symbolic moments in this film. If you want a good film with some really good symbolism in this film, then all the more reason to see Thor: Love & Thunder.

However, there were a few flaws in this film as well. To begin, as mentioned before, the film did seem to go a little too overboard at times with the rock n’ roll music. Again, there were times where that was fun, and more appropriate. However, there were others where that probably wasn’t the best idea, and should have gone with a musical score. Additionally, there were some of the characters from previous Marvel films that were in the film, but didn’t seem to feel quite as useful this time around. I mean some of those minor characters seemed to serve al little bit of a purpose, but could have maybe played more of a role, you know? Also, there were some moments either with characters, or at least circumstances in this film that didn’t seem to feel right. It was almost like Thor: Love & Thunder was trying to create some plot twists that didn’t seem to fit as well this time around. Oh well!

And that’s my review for Thor: Love & Thunder. Even though the film wasn’t perfect, you can tell that there was some heart put in this film. The CGI is amazing, most of the characters are well-written, and there are plenty of things that make this film very entertaining. If you haven’t seen Thor: Love & Thunder yet, I would highly recommend that you do ASAP. Again, while flawed in some aspects, this film is most definitely worth seeing.

Final Grade: B+

And now, for the third movie review for this week, we are going to be reviewing a live-action film that is, oddly considered part of the horror genre for some reason. Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, and some other people, the movie is Nope, made by Universal Pictures.

Plot: Set in Aqua Dulce, California, a ranch owner named Otis (aka OJ) Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) notices strange activity around his ranch that causes some of the horses to disappear from the Earth. Now, it is up to OJ, his sister Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer), a tech guy named Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), and some other people to discover the mystery behind the disappearance of their horses, and other farm animals before they get screwed over for good.

Unlike with Black Phone, I was very excited to see this film. Does Nope seem like a horror film? Well, apparently it’s classified as such. However, Nope feels much like one of those films that is said to be a “horror” film, but feels more like a suspense thriller, or something along those lines. Anyway, Nope is also very thought-provoking, and intriguing at times. OJ, and his sister, Emerald, are also very likable. Additionally, especially when tense moments come around, Nope can feel really suspenseful throughout the film. The score, which is composed by Michael Abel, definitely helps those moments be even more epic. Finally, it was definitely nice to have the captors be much more mysterious this time around.

Still, Nope was a decent film. First of all there were some characters that could have easily come off as potential creepers. Also, while the brother and sister duo are likable, and possibly the most memorable in this film, the same cannot be said entirely about the rest of the cast. I mean even when something terrible is about to happen to any of them, you don’t seem to feel, or care all that much when it does happen. Yeah, that might sound a little cruel, and harsh, but still. Additionally, the climax could have probably been handled a little better than it was in the end. There were also some things that felt like they were left unexplained. Oh well.

And that’s my review for Nope. Honestly, even though it’s classified as a horror film, it’s nice to see that this film seemed to feel more like a suspense thriller than horror one. Honestly, I wonder if, due to the fact that it was made by Universal Pictures, the company might have a policy about making films like this more of a suspense thriller, and less like an actual one. I mean seeing as the Mummy films were considered horror, but felt more like action adventure than anything else, that may be saying something for the company overall, and for films like the Mummy movies, Nope, and films like those. I would say that if you want to see Nope, definitely consider it. Honestly, seeing as I found myself having more enjoyment than with a film like Black Phone recently, I’m sure that most, if not all of you, might say the same. But we shall see. Again, see Nope, and see what you think!

Hi everyone! Welcome to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going to be reviewing the latest film that stars Brad Pitt in it, and in which he had a bigger role than he did with a film like The Lost City earlier this year. And of course Brad Pitt stars in yet another action movie this time around. So now, let’s discuss Bullet Train.

Plot: A former assassin, and mercenary nicknamed “Ladybug” is hired to recover a briefcase that’s on a bullet train in Japan. Can he recover it before getting caught by “twins” “Lemon” (Brian Tyree Henry), and “Tangerine” (Aaron Taylor-Johnson)?

Alright, so, was this one of Brad Pitt’s better roles in an action film? Well, in some ways yes, and others, not as much. First of all, it was great to see Brad Pitt be in a better role, especially when you compare Bullet Train to another action film like The Lost City (which came out earlier this year), and think about how Pitt was a minor character who was there, and then just randomly out of the picture all of a sudden. Thankfully not the case this time around! Anyway, the action in this film is stunning, and well-choreographed. There are also quite a few funny moments that are spontaneously scattered throughout the course of the film. Some of the characters are really funny as well. I mean this film may not quite be an action comedy, but one could say that it sometimes could come close to something along those lines. The cinematography is also amazing at times, especially when it comes to either sunrises, or sunsets. Yeah, for a movie that takes place mostly on a train, that seems to be saying something. It’s also fun to hear some epic music whenever we get introduced to new characters in this film. And finally, the acting is also really good, especially from Brad Pitt, Joey King, Hiroyuki Sanada.

Still, the film does have some flaws as well. First of all, the story feels rather underdeveloped. Honestly, I’m not sure that a running time of one hour, and thirty-three minutes. Bullet Train might have needed an extra thirty minutes, if not more to flesh things out more than they were in the end. The characters didn’t necessarily seem interesting entirely. Some of them aren’t poorly written, but they could have been better.

And that’s my review for Bullet Train. It’s not the best action film, but definitely a decent one for sure. Definitely one to watch if you have the chance to see it for free through AMC Stubs, or something along those lines. Definitely check out this film, and see what you think!

Final Grade: B-

Good morning everyone, and welcome to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going to be reviewing the sequel to the 2015 animated film, Minions, which of course was the prequel to the Despicable Me franchise. So, let’s see what new adventures Gru, and the Minions have now in between the events of Minions, and the very first Despicable Me film, shall we?

Plot: Set in 1976, and after the events of the first Minions movie, 11-year-old Gru, and the Minions gang discover an artifact called the Chinese Zodiac, an object known to cause people, and creatures to develop special powers. Now, once the Zodiac goes missing, it is up to Gru, and the gang to the location of the Zodiac before it falls into the wrong hands.

Now, as some of you know, I gave the first Minions movie a mediocre review when I rewatched, and reviewed that film about a month, or two, ago. Again, it wasn’t a bad film, but could’ve likely been better. That being said, was Minions: The Rise Of Gru any better? Well, I’m delighted to say that, though this sequel had some flaws, Minions: The Rise Of Gru was definitely an improvement, and proof that sequels can sometimes be better than their respective predecessors. First of all, sure, we already knew the Minions origin story from the first film. However, because of that, at least we have a better idea of where they’re coming from when difficult times strike them, and their master, Gru. Additionally, yes, there were some running gags just like there were in the first film. And with the main characters including the popular Minions, that’s expected. Here’s the difference between this sequel, and the first film. While the first film focused way too much on the running gag, having too crude of humor at times, and things like that, it’s a different story here. Yes, some of the humor might have been crude in the sequel. However, the audience will be surprised to find that the jokes, and overall humor, are much cleaner, and funnier this time around as well. Not only that, but the story seems to feel a little stronger, and much more engaging this time around. You can tell that the writers were obviously trying to improve on this sequel in every way, either because not nearly as many people seemed to like the first film, or some other reason like that. The characters are also improvements, for the most part, as well, even Gru, and the Minions. There are also some good newer characters as well. Oh, and there rare also the villains, consisting mostly of the Vicious 6. Now, even if not all of the members of the Vicious 6 were entirely fleshed out, they were really cool, and most definitely seemed to have more depth to them. Yeah, that’s more than one could say about Scarlett Overkill in the first Minions film. Additionally, there’s some really fun creativity for this film, especially when it comes to around the middle, and near the end of Minions: The Rise Of Gru. This is especially true when it comes to the climax of this film. I won’t give away what happens at this point of the film. However, I will say this, the climax makes the movie a little darker, and more exciting at the same time. Finally, the animation is really good for this film, especially when it comes to designs of the characters, or even water, and other objects.

Still, Minions: The Rise Of Gru is not without flaws. First of all, when it comes to the villains, most notably those of the Vicious 6, even though they’re more developed than Scarlett Overkill, and you love to hate them even more as a result, some of them could have still been fleshed out more, and had more depth to them. Additionally, there were some major plot holes throughout the film as well. Finally, what was with one of the people in the Vicious 6 villain organization being a nun? Oh, not just that, but that nun also sometimes saying “Hallelujah” before getting ready to do some evil deeds with the other members of the Vicious 6 at times? I’m sorry, but that seems to feel rather too random in this case. I understand that there are corrupt leaders in the church even today. However, that doesn’t stop this deal with the nun character in this film feeling out of place for this film, you know? That being said, I would like to take a moment to make a comparison between Minions: The Rise Of Gru, and the 1996 Disney film, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. Now, for those of us who saw that film, we may know that there was another corrupt leader in the villain of that film, Judge Clause Frollo. Still, in that case, it worked much better for a couple reasons. One being that that film was set during the Middle Ages. For those of us who are brushed up on history, especially when it comes to the history of the church back in that time period, we should know that there were way more corrupt leaders in the church back in that time period than there seem to be today. So it works much better. The other reason being that while Frollo represented the hypocritical, and Pharisee side of the church, the Archdeacon basically showed the loving, caring, and compassionate side that showed what loving God, and others was truly about. All to say that while it worked better with that situation in Hunchback Of Notre Dame, it feels more random, and out of place with Minions: The Rise Of Gru.

And that’s my review for Minions: The Rise Of Gru. While it was mostly an improvement from 2025’s Minions, there were still one, or two ways in which the first Minions movie was a little better. Apart from those, Minions: The Rise Of Gru is better in almost every way. It’s more solid, fun, engaging, and has more heart to it than the first film seemed to. In all honesty, I can see why it has done well at the box office. I would say that if you haven’t seen Minions: The Rise Of Gru, but want to, definitely go see it, and hopefully have a good time with it!

Final Grade: B

Good morning everyone! Today, we are going to be diving into the DC realm of superheroes. But there’s a twist this time. Instead of having a full-on adult themed version like Batman Begins, Wonder Woman, or something like that, this film is going to surprisingly be an animated film that is more family friendly, and features Clark Kent (aka Superman) having a dog named Krypto, who also has super powers, and there being a new cast of animals as well. Made by Warner Bros. animation department, Warner Bros. Animation Group, and released on July 29th, 2022, movie is DC League Of Super Pets. Was this film any better than the last animated film that I just reviewed, or worse? Well, we shall find out momentarily.

Plot: Clark Kent (aka Superman, and voiced by John Krasinki), and his white Labrador Retriever, Krypto (aka Super Dog/Bark Kent, and voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) are living the good life in New York City. Clark is a reporter, and journalist at a newspaper company called Daily Planet, and dating a journalist named Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde). But one day, Kent/Superman’s archenemy, Lex Luthor (Marc Maron), and Lulu (Kate McKinnon), a hairless Guinea pig with special abilities following a science experiment, succeed in retrieving a piece of Krypto bite, and beginning to unleash chaos on New York, and the world. Now, with help from Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), Batman (Keanu Reeves), and some new pet friends, including a bill dog named Ace (Kevin Hart), a pot-bellied pig named PB (Vanessa Bauer), and a whole diverse cast of humans, and animals, will they be able to put a stop to Lex Luthor, and Lulu’s evil scheme once and for all?

Let me start this review off by saying that ever since I saw this trailer around the beginning of this year, or near the end of last year, DC League Of Super Pets was surprisingly one of my more highly anticipated films to see for this year. Why? Maybe because I have started to warm up to the superhero genre for the past decade, or two? Maybe because I thought it exciting to see some of our superhero buddies in a theatrical film debut? Or maybe it was seeing some of the superheroes like Clark Kent/Superman having a pet that had cool abilities like flying around. Or maybe it was all of those. One way, or another, I had been stoked for DC League Of Super Pets for the past several months? So was it worth the wait in the end? Yes, without question it was. First of all, for a computer animated film that wasn’t made by Disney, or even DreamWorks, for example, the animation felt mostly, if not fully top notch. Not since movies like Happy Feet, or even Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole, for example, have we had such great animation, especially on the animal characters. Imagine if say Warner Bros., and Disney/Pixar had worked together to make a film. Well, obviously the two companies didn’t. However, DC League Of Super Pets almost makes it feel like the two animation companies could have easily done so. Next, there are the characters. Oh man, when it comes to well-known celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Kevin Hart, for example, they bring so much life, and personality to these characters. Same goes for John Krasinki as Clark Kent, and even for lesser known celebrities like Kate McKinnon as the female villain, Lulu. And for the characters overall, they are definitely well-written, and developed from beginning to end. I mean if you liked films that have involved the DC Super team together, or even the Marvel films with all of the Avengers, chances are you’d most definitely love it when these new Super Per characters are together. They each get fleshed out really well, and you’ll enjoy every moment that they are onscreen as a result. Not to mention that there are a couple of them that get interesting backstories. Additionally, there’s the storyline for this film. Yes, there are a few predictable moments here and there. However, the plot twists that are scattered throughout this film outweigh those predictable moments. For an animated film, that’s saying something. Because of that, the writing for this film ends up being really clever. Why this film hasn’t performed better than it has in theaters is baffling because of that. It is sad to hear that this film might become underrated in the long run. I hope I’m wrong, but still. Oh, and the film also has some funny moments, and really hilarious lines, thanks in particular to comedians like The Rock, and Kevin Hart, and some of the other voice actors. Finally, the film incorporates some good lessons in greed, power, and even jealousy. The only downside side is there being a snippet of a gay couple. Sure, it didn’t last as long, not even close to as king as Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear, but still, definitely not the best idea to incorporate that in this movie.

And that’s my review for DC League Of Super Pets. After seeing this film, it is surprising to see this film underperform at the box office. Especially when compared to Paws Of Fury, and likely even Minions 2: The Rise Of Gru, DC League Of Super Pets could potentially feel like a masterpiece. This is one of those animated films that should get an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Will that happen? Not sure, but this film should. The cast is great, the story is genius, and hardly has any cliches at all, and has some really great animation for a non-Disney film. I would say that if you haven’t seen this film, definitely go see it if it’s still playing at a theater near you. You will be pleasantly surprised, and creative this film with it’s great writing, fun characters, excellent animation, going for it.

Final Grade: A

Hi everyone! Welcome to another session here on my blog! Today, we are going to be getting our big game faces on, as we get into some samurai fighting. Oh, but it’s not with humans. This time, we have anthropomorphic animals that pick up swords that will be involved in some samurai training, and fighting. That being said, let’s discuss Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank.

Plot: In a Japanese like land that is famous for samurai fighting, a dog named Hank (Michael Cera) is sent to the fictional city of Kakamucho, a city that’s populated by cats. Though not well received by the cats at first, due to him being a dog, the cats eventually learn to warm up to him. But when Hank discovers that a coup that could threaten Kakamucho forever, it is up Hank to learn the ways of samurai from a reluctant, but humble cat named Jimbo (Samuel L. Jackson), and hopefully save Kakamucho from certain doom once, and for all.

Well, this film, which was made by Paramount Pictures, and Nickelodeon Movies, isn’t exactly one of the worst films out there. However, Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank isn’t one of the best out there either. First of all, there’s the animation. Alright, the animation was okay. However, when compared to animation of other animated films that was made by this company (i.e. 2011’s Rango), the animation isn’t exactly the best in this film. Putting that aside, the storyline wasn’t the best either. I mean the film probably might have been a little too short. The film might have needed a longer running time than 85 minutes, maybe more like 110-120 minutes, if not more. But hey, at least there was a short film attached to Paws Of Fury by the name of Big Nate. There’s also the characters. Alright, alright, the major standouts as far as characters go we’re probably Hank the dog, Jimbo the samurai training cat, and the villain car Ika Chu. The rest of the characters were just decent. They’re not bad, but they could have maybe been given their due more. Additionally, there were some elements that didn’t seem to mesh well in this film, such as ancient practices, and modern times being out together. Yeah, there were points where this film seemed to imply that the movie was set in modern times. However, more often than not, the film seems to act as if it’s set in more ancient Japan, you know? Also, there were quite a few cliches that didn’t seem to be well executed, especially when it came to certain moments that occurred near the end of the movie.

But was this film completely horrible? Absolutely not. There are still some good things that would make Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank worth watching at least once, if not more. To begin, like I said, Hank, Jimbo, and Ika Chu were the major highlights of this film. Ika Chu especially was a great villain in this film. Not to mention that it was nice to finally have a villain in an animated film period that wasn’t even a twist villain like Disney has at least had in the more recent animated films. If companies like Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies, Universal/Illumination, and even DreamWorks continue to take the more traditional route when it comes to creating villains, hopefully Disney will follow suit. Anyway, some of the action was really good too. I mean even if the climax felt a little short-lived, at least the samurai fighting at that moment was still well choreographed, along with all the other action scenes, namely the ones that involved samurai fighting. Oh, and did I forget o mention that Samuel L. Jackson does the voice of the samurai cat trainer Jimbo? Let me tell you, he is hilarious even in that role. Samuel L. Jackson is always great in any role that he does, be it Nick Fury in The Avengers, the cop dude in Pulp Fiction, Jedi Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and films like those. Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank is surprisingly no exception. Finally, it was great to have some surprisingly clever jokes over the course of this film.

And that’s my review for Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank. Although not quite one of the best works of animation, the movie is a decent T watch with fun jokes, a somewhat mature story at times, and some good action. Still, I because this film was just okay, I can see why the film hasn’t performed all that well in theaters. If you want to see it, I would say wait until the movie comes to Paramount+, or On Demand, or somewhere like that. That, or if you have a deal at either Regal, or AMC theaters, where you can see a certain amount of movies a week for free, then see Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank in theaters for free without having to pay money. And hey, at least there have been worse films out there in comparison to this one.

Final Grade: C