Alright, now we shall review one of the newer films that was released in theaters just a few weeks ago, and is currently still in movie theaters. I will confess that I had not originally intended to see this film since it is a “horror film,” which I don’t normally watch that genre. However, since a friend of mine really loved it enough to see it again, I went ahead and saw it with him. So now, let’s review Black Phone.
Plot: When a young boy named Finney (Mason Thames) gets kidnapped by a child kidnapper, and serial killer called the Grabber (Ethan Hawke), it is up to Finney to try to find a way out of his new prison before he becomes one of the fewer children to eventually end up dead like the other kids that have died in the past. Now, with his brains, and his sister Gwen’s (Madeleine McGraw) ability to see visions of situations like this, can these two work together for Finney to escape from the Grabber once and for all?
Well, though not exactly one of the best films, Black Phone at least has a few things to enjoy about it. For one, it does a good job of showing how there are in fact serial killers in the world, and how kidnappings, and things like that happen all the time. It was also good to have a main character praying to God from time to time, even if there were one, or two times where those moments felt a little convoluted.
However, even if this film received mostly positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, that doesn’t make Black Phone one of their best films. Even if it wasn’t for some of the potential horror elements that occur in this film, the film doesn’t feel all too pleasant. For one, some of the family members in this film act very abusive at times. Okay, I understand that that’s common in real life especially nowadays. But come on, do we really need to have movies, and media like that to throw that in our faces? Also, is it really necessary to have a character throw cuss words at God while praying? Again, it’s understandable that maybe the filmmakers might have possibly had the character be honest about her struggles, and anger with God, but still. Also, what was with the supernatural element at different points when the main character is in prison? Okay, I understand that maybe the main character kid needs motivation to try to escape, but still. And yes, it was good to have this film be suspenseful. However, either with the scary, and creepy music that plays throughout this film, or maybe the serial killer wearing a creepy mask, or things like those, Black Phone seems to go a little to over the top with the suspense element. You can have suspense, but there’s a way to do so in a more pleasant way like with L.A. Ambulance, or some film like that, you know? Oh, and the kids in this film are not always pleasant to watch onscreen.
And that’s my review for Black Phone. Yeah, after watching films like Black Phone, I think I remember why horror films aren’t exactly the best genre of film to watch. The movie is way too creepy at times, a lot of characters are mean-spirited, and it has some elements that seemed to be a little unrealistic for this type of film. I would say that if you want to see a more pleasant, and suspenseful film like L.A. Ambulance, a 007 James Bond film, or movies like those. Any of those might be more fun than a film like Black Phone any day.
Well everyone, welcome to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going back to even old, old school, even earlier than we did with the last film that I reviewed. This time, we will be going back to the late 1970s, when Paramount Pictures released a musical film that addressed high school characters, the whole deal with cliques, and other topics like those. Oh, and need I mention some rather fun music as well? This film, if I’m not mistaken, was one of John Travolta’s biggest debuts in his acting career, if not also Olivia Newton-John’s as well. So, without further ado, let’s discuss the 1978 musical, Grease.
Plot: When an American greaser named Danny Zuko (John Travolta), and an Australian named Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) meet at the beach in the summertime, they begin to fall for each other. But when Sandy’s family decides to stay in America, and enroll her at Rydell High School, where Danny also attends, the question remains, will Danny, and Sandy stay in love, or will their love for each other turn out to only be a summer fling?
I definitely remember having fond memories of this film, from seeing the Broadway version of this film at Country Dinner Playhouse as a teenager, to performing in a couple numbers like “Hand Jive,” and “We Go Together” in a couple musical theater classes in high school, and things like those. Now, years later, I decided to revisit the film, and see what I think of it now. Well, first of all, the words “people are complicated” can be applied to this film. I mean especially when it comes to the main characters of this film, you have them making really dumb choices, and acting a certain way because of being afraid of what others around them may think. As a result, you have people that are very complex more often than not, especially when it comes to characters like Danny Zuko, or even Sandy Olsson, for instance. In addition to all of this, most of the songs are really catchy. For one, the songs help develop most of the characters, even if there were a couple that may have sidetracked from the main plot of the film. I mean who wouldn’t want to sing along with, or even reenact songs like “Hand Jive,” “Grease Lightning,” “”You’re The One That I Want,” or songs like those in this film? And yes, the people in this film song really well, especially main leads John Travolta, and Olivia Newton-John. Definitely interesting how thirty years later, the former would voice a dog in the 2008 Disney film, Bolt, as well as sing a duet with Miley Cyrus for one of the songs for that film, eh? As for the choreography, man is it fantastic. I’m not sure how long it took for this cast to get their steps down. Man, did it pay off one way, or the other. Grease also does a great job of portraying real life in a really fun, and creative way. Honestly, had it not been for the songs in this film, would this film have been just as fun? Maybe not. But hopefully it would have still been good. Finally, Grease is great at teaching very good lessons like not being afraid of what others think, being willing to spread your wings no matter what that may mean, and being willing to think of others more than yourself.
Now, all of these things sound great, do they not? Still, I have to admit to you all, Grease could have maybe been a little better in a couple regards. First off, some of the side characters may seems. Little one note at times. This isn’t the case for all of them, but some of them seem to feel a little underdeveloped at times. Not only that, but there were times where this film tried to develop them, and it didn’t seem to work as well as they hoped. That being said, Grease did seem to have some side plots going on that seemed to work better in films like 2014’s God’s Not Dead, for example, but for some reason not as well here. Because of that, this musical film should have been a little longer than say one hour, and fifty minutes. Now, an U saying that Grease should have been three hours long like a film such as 1971’s Fiddler On The Roof, or some film like that? No! Still, Grease should have had a little bit longer of a running time just to help flesh out the side characters a little more than they did in the end, you know? Also, as most of you know, Grease is rated PG. Yeah, definitely a good thing this film was rated that, and not something lower like G. The reason being is because there are some moments that could potentially make this film a little too adult even for a PG-rated film. Yeah, I understand that some things will go over some kid’s heads, but how do we know that some kids might not ask questions about some moments in this film that they shouldn’t know about quite yet, you know?
And that’s my review for the 1978 musical film, Grease. Even though there were a couple areas that could have improved for this film, Grease still makes up for those with providing good lessons, having a lot of fun songs, great lead characters, despite some of the side ones feeling a little bland at times, and an overall fun, and creative story. If you haven’t seen Grease yet, I would highly recommend that you see it at least once, if not multiple times after that. You may yet be surprised by how enjoyable Grease is in the end with all the great things that I mentioned before. Again, definitely see it, and see what you think!
Good morning everyone, and welcome to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going to be reviewing an animated film from back in the early to mid-2000s. And not just any animated film, but one of the rare to few animated films that I had at least seen once in theaters, but haven’t seen again all the way through since then (except for watching bits, and pieces of it on TV). Oh, and another thing I should mention is that today’s film was released when 20th Century Fox, and Blue Sky was a newer company, and had released their first animated film, Ice Age back in 2002. So now, released three years after Ice Age, in 2005, let’s discuss 20th Century Fox/Blue Sky’s Robots.
Plot: When a young robot named Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor) hears about an inventor named Bigweld (Mel Brooks), leader of a city called Robot City (also called Bigweld Industries), he dreams of growing up to be just like him. So when Rodney makes an invention of his own, and has his chance to do so as a young adult, and even travels to Bigweld Industries, will Rodney become a great, caring, and compassionate inventor just like Bigweld?
Now, I remember first seeing the trailer for Robots on, I believe it was Shark Tale when that film was released just a few months before Robots. After hearing that 20th Century Fox/Blue Sky Studios was releasing their second animated film since Ice Age three years before, I was very excited to see this film. Once I saw it when it got released in March 2005, I definitely remember enjoying it quite a bit. So why I didn’t get it once it came out on video, you got me? Did I find myself liking films such as DreamWorks Madagascar, or Star Wars Episode 3, or films like those more so than Robots? You got me!
So now, it is time for me to analyze this film after finally rewatching it seventeen years later. I will say that watching it again, while I am mostly surprised with the outcome of this film in more good ways than not, I will say that Robots does have a few issues. First of all, some of the humor may be a little too adult for kids, most notably when it comes to this scene where the fart jokes are prevalent. Apparently, seeing as films like this, and Shrek, and some of those films were big into those back then, it should probably come as no surprise that even a film Robots had them. Robots also has some pacing issues at times as well. Like many animated films released around this time frame, and before, Robots had a running time of around 90 minutes. Yes, that did help make this film well-paced in quite a few aspects. Still, the 90-minute running time also seemed to make this film feel a little too rushed at times, particularly when it came to not developing some of the characters as well as they could have. As a result, this makes a couple characters in particular a little bland, and not giving some of the relationships in this film room to blossom as well as they could have been. Now, does that mean that they’re bad characters, the that those underdeveloped relationships are bad? Absolutely not! Still, with one, or two more rewrites on this film, even those aspects could have been a little better. Finally, there’s the designs on some of the characters. Okay, just hear me out for a moment. The quality of animation on the robot characters is for sure decent. Still, the designs of the characters might feel a little bit like something from a kid’s TV show like Roly Poly, or some film like that. Okay, the animation on the characters is far better than in a show like that. It’s just, again, the animation designs on the characters could have improved. Well, hey, at least Fox/Blue Sky Studios seemed to improve even on those aspects with films that would be released in later years like 2008’s Horton Hears A Who, and 2011’s Rio, for instance.
But do those flaws make this film bad? Again, no! There is still plenty to enjoy. First off, even if the story has a few pacing issues here and there, there is still heart to this story. Though some characters may feel underdeveloped, there are many others, like the main characters, that are done really well. Even the villains of this film are great. Yeah, these types of villains may be a little too similar to the ones from say DreamWorks Shrek 2 (which was released the year before), but at least that doesn’t keep us from enjoying these types of villains whenever they’re onscreen. There are also some fairly good character arcs especially near the end. Oh, and that’s another example of how character development could have maybe been tweaked a little more is that some of the character arcs, though good, could have maybe felt a little more satisfying. They were still good, but could have been done a little better. Anyway, how could you go wrong with voice casting with say Ewan McGregor, Mel Brooks, Halle Berry, Amanda Bynes, and of course Robin Williams to name a few? As for the humor, besides some of the crude humor, there were some really brilliant, and funny moments that were not so crude as well, most notably when it comes to a scene that occurs during the climax of this film. The world building was also fantastic. In fact, it some of it could potentially remind one of say a place like Montressor Spaceport in the 2002 Disney film Treasure Planet, but with everything being on Earth, or whatever kind of planet, or universe this film takes place in. Overall, the way that everything is set up in this world is just creative, and fantastic to look at. The score by John Powell is fantastic as well. As for the soundtrack, though it could feel a little outdated at times, it is still very fun to listen to. Finally, the movie does great with teaching lessons about not giving up, when easy to do so, and to have love, and compassion for others no matter what.
And that’s my review for the 2005 Fox/Blue Sky Studios film, Robots. Well, even if this film may have felt somewhat ahead of it’s time, we should understand that Fox/Blue Sky Studios was newer to the animation industry at the time, and maybe they were trying to get their feet wet so to speak. Well, with Robots only being the studio’s second film, that is probably understandable. And hey, at least the studio came a long way before shutting their doors last year. Well, at least we had films like this, the Ice Age films, Rio, Epic, and films like those. I would say that if you want to see an animated film with plenty of heart, story, and creativity put into it, definitely see Robots. It’s not perfect, and does have a few things that might feel a little outdated. Still, this film is worth checking out for the many fun things that this film does have. Well, again, definitely see it, and see what you think!
Good morning, everyone! Welcome to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going back into the animation world known as Disney/Pixar. But we won’t just be reviewing any Disney/Pixar film, no! This time, we will be reviewing the newest one from the library that happens to be based off of the very film that started this particular animation library in the first place. Yes, of course, we’re talking about Toy Story. But we won’t be reviewing Toy Story, we will be talking about the spinoff film, Lightyear, which was just released last month. Now, I must confess that I hadn’t originally planned on seeing this film that I will mention after this introduction, and briefly talking about the plot of this film. Regardless, let’s talk about Lightyear.
Plot: When Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans), and his commanding office, and good friend, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) land on fictional planet T’Kani Prime, and try to explore it, they attempt to retreat after discovering dangerous life forms. But circumstances force Buzz, Alisha, and the rest of the Space Ranger team to be stuck on the planet. Now, with the invention of a new technology called the hyperspace fuel, can Buzz find a way to get his team off planet T’Kani Prime, and back to the planet Earth once and for all?
So, I will get this out of the way right off the bat. I was not originally planning to see this new Disney/Pixar film. The reason being, well, as some of you may know, this new Lightyear film was said to have a lesbian scene, and lesbian kiss scene. Yeah, but the best idea to put that in a film that is supposed to be geared to kids, teens, and adults, you know? Anyway, after having conversations about this issue with one, or two other Christians, and one, or two other Christians surprisingly going through with seeing Lightyear, I went ahead, and saw it just a couple days ago. First of all, I will say this. Thankfully, there is no lesbian kids scene, only the lesbian relationship. And thankfully, the couple has a kid, who grows up marrying someone of the OPPOSITE sex. Yes, that may be a mini spoiler alert, but I figured it might still be worth mentioning anyway. So, I guess that makes the situation a double-edged sword? Here’s another thing to be grateful for. The lesbian situation is only there for a few seconds, and then we focus on the rest of the story, just like was the case with the similar situations in films like the Beauty & The Beast remake, or the 2020 Disney/Pixar film, Onward. And hey, at least Lightyear hasn’t been all too successful. So maybe if movies like this don’t do as well as previous Disney films, maybe Disney will finally get the message to not include stuff like any gay material in future Disney films? One can hope! Putting that whole deal aside, the other flaw that this film had was that the climax of this film could have probably been handled a little differently than it was in the end. The climax is still good, but it might have felt a little rushed at the same time.
Now, is this film one of Disney/Pixar’s better entries? As a matter of fact, it actually is. Though not quite as good as Disney/Pixar films like the Toy Story films (at least 1-3, but better than 4), or say Finding Nemo, for instance, Lightyear is most definitely better than more recent original stories from Disney/Pixar films like Onward, and Soul (both of which were released at different points in 2020). First off, in regards to the whole deal of Buzz Lightyear being voiced by Chris Evans, and not Tim Allen, if one were not to make that comparison, you may yet find that Evans does a good job as this character, despite Allen mastering the role a little better. There are also some additional really fun, and likable characters. Alongside Buzz Lightyear there’s also Buzz’s friend Alisha Hawthorne, her granddaughter, Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, Commander Burnside, and quite a few others. However, there is a side character that you can say basically steals the show. That character being a robotic cat named Sox, voiced by Peter Sohn. Before we briefly talk about this character, let me ask, some of you saw the 2014 Walt Disney Animation Studios film, Big Hero 6, did you not? Well, for those of you who have, you remember the nurse robot, Baymax, do you not? Well, basically, Sox is the Baymax of Lightyear. He’s funny, has a great sense of humor, and is someone that you’ll more than likely want to jump into the screen, and maybe even hug. He can also be good at giving good advice from time to time as well. As for the rest of the cast, they’re also really good too. Each, and every single one of then is fleshed out, and have very unique, and quirky personalities. The movie also does really well with developing the relationships between Buzz, and each, and every one of these characters. Oh, and while we’re on the subject of the characters, how could I not mention the villain himself, Zurg? While, we’re on the subject of Zurg, I’d like for us to briefly discuss the whole villain plot twist that people have said that they’re tired of. So, that said, the villain plot twist may have been overdone a little much in recent years. However, the plot twist is done surprisingly well in this case. I won’t go into detail as to why. Here’s what I will say, however. The plot twist is done in a way that is unique, and clever. Just watch the movie, and let’s just say that you’ll be surprised by what happens with this particular villain plot twist. The origin story of Buzz is also really cool overall. It’s exciting, gritty, and even dark at times. The story of Lightyear can feel grittier than even any of the Toy Story seemed to be. Basically, what we have is a mixture of Star Wars, some Avatar, maybe even some Mission Impossible, and any science fiction story that one can think of mixed into this film. In all honesty, Lightyear could potentially feel at times like it might be a little more for teens, and adults than kids because of that. Oh, and did I forget to mention the score that’s composed by Michael Giacchino? Let me tell you, his score helps make this film superb even more. That is especially when it comes to the more intense moments, and especially the climax of this film, despite the climax not being quite as perfect as it could have been. The animation is also fantastic. I mean specifically when you have say Buzz flying in hyperspace, or having the characters be surrounded by the beautiful nighttime sky, and things like that. It wouldn’t be surprising if some of these visuals looked even better while watching this film in 3D. Finally, Lightyear delivers some timeless messages about never giving up, being willing to accept help from others, and not going solo in life for any situation, and especially being willing to make sacrifices whenever necessary.
And that’s my review for Lightyear. At this point, there’s a part of me that wants to encourage others to see this film. At the same time, since there’s a brief LGTBQ deal with this film, I also understand if a lot of you decide not to see this film because of that. Aside from that, there’s a great plenty to enjoy about this film, from the beautiful animation, an exciting, and gritty story, really fun characters, and of course really great messages. I would say give Lightyear a chance if you want, but, again, I understand if some if you out there decide not to see Lightyear. if LGTBQ becomes a bigger problem in family films in the future, I won’t be surprised if a Disney fan like myself decides to stand my ground, and not see some of the newer Disney releases at least for a while. We shall see. Well, again, see Lightyear, if you want, and see what you think!
Alright, wow, it looks like we are now fifteen movie reviews away from reaching the 550th movie review. Wow, did not expect this to happen quite as quickly. Man, does time fly! Anyway, today, we are going to be reviewing one of quite a few live-action Disney films that were released over the course of the 1990s. Now, obviously, Disney has released quite a few of these over the decades, specifically from the 1950s, and onwards. However, correct me if I’m wrong, but it seemed as if live-action Disney films seemed more common in the 1990s, and maybe even 2000s, especially when it came to more ORIGINAL stories. In the 1990s, at the same time that Disney had their Renaissance period going on with their animated division, they also released a great many live-action films especially in the 1990s, like Iron Will (1994), Heavyweights (1995), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), The Kid (2000), and a great many more. Well, in addition to these films mentioned, and others, Disney also released a live-action film in theaters just a month after the company also released it’s 32nd animated feature, The Lion King. And that’s the film we shall be talking about today. So, without further ado, behold my review of 1994’s Angels In The Outfield!
Plot: When a coach of the California Angels named George Knox (Danny Glover) has had a long streak of losing seasons with his team, all hope seems lost, however, upon discovering to foster boys named Roger Bomman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and his friend JP (Milton Davis Jr.), things may start to look up after Roger, one night, prays for a miracle for the team, and the possibility of him, and JP getting adopted. Will his prayers be answered? Will the Angels start a record of winning streaks? And will Roger, and JP finally get out of their foster home, and be adopted either by Coach Knox, or someone else?
Well, I will start things off bet saying that it‘s good to be shown how much better can be than one might have thought as a kid. I mean I remember watching this film a few times as a kid. However, I don’t think that I recall seeing, and/or realizing how much depth, and meaning there was to a film like Angels In The Outfield. First of all, seeing as there were points where the main character JP was so optimistic to the point where he said that anything could happen in any situation, wow, what a great kid. It just comes to show that kids seem to be more optimistic about life than adults have ever seemed to be, you know? Well, hey, isn’t it any wonder that Jesus compared the faith of any person to that of a little child. Not to mention that Jesus also talked about how we need to have the faith like a child. What’s more is how even main character Roger Bomman, who of course is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, begins to have faith about things like how angels exist, and things like that, you know? The setting was also great, and how could one not love the concept of this story overall? It’s also interesting how we have a movie about baseball, as well as have main characters be kids that live in a foster home. I mean how often have we heard of a movie, particularly a more family-oriented one, having kids be in a foster home, and waiting for adoption? Let’s even keep in mind that Angels In The Outfield was released over a decade before Disney released one of it’s earlier computer-animated films from Walt Disney Studios, Meet The Robinsons, which also had main character kids be in a foster home, but with a different storyline. Yeah, because of that, the film does a great job of putting in a fun sport like baseball, while also inserting in the whole concept of foster homes, adoption, and things along those lines. While a lot of people love movies about baseball, how often would one want to see a movie about foster holes if it wasn’t executed in a more fun manner? That being said, Angels is amazingly clever about the whole foster home situation, with elements like baseball, well, and meaningful characters, and other creative elements along those lines. You also have a fun score from composer Randy Edelman, whose works also included scoring for films like Beethoven (1992), and Dragonheart (1996), among some other films. Yes, his score can be a little repetitive at times even in this film. Still, his score does help keep the film engaging like any good musical score is supposed to do. The characters are also really phenomenal. I mean Coach Knox, the kids Roger, and JP, Maggie Nelson, the foster mom to the two boys, they are all really great characters with excellent character arcs, growth, and any element that helps make for a likable character in the first place. In addition to those characters mentioned, the movie ends up having a really good jerky type of character. Oh, and how could you not love the Angel characters that appear throughout the course of this film? That is especially for Christopher Lloyd as the main Angel character, Al. Lloyd, just like any character that he’s played, most definitely knows how to bring life, spunk, and personality into this character. There’s also the climax of this film. I won’t give away what exactly happens. However, let’s just say that you’d be surprised how creatively well-handled it ends up being. The only potential flaw, is that there are some points in where the story might feel executed in a possibly cheesy way. Still, Angels In The Outfield is great at getting a good message across about believing for miracles, hoping for the impossible, and being willing to be positive about life even when it might seem hard to.
And that is now my review for Angels In The Outfield. It has fun characters, a very well-executed storyline, and some amazing messages that we could use more in both family films, and more adult films alike. And wow, can you believe that this was released during the same summer that the original Lion King film was released? Not to mention that both films had amazing storylines, deep, and powerful messages, and well-thought our characters. If you haven’t seen Angels In The Outfield, definitely make sure that you do dinner rather than later. You will most definitely love this film with all the great elements, and more, that I mentioned before.
Hello again everyone! Hope you all are doing well out there! Anyway, today, we are going to be reviewing a film that was associated with Disney shortly after the 1986 Disney animated film, The Great Mouse Detective, was released. Basically, after that film was successful, Disney apparently had plenty of money that the company decided to buy companies like Touchstone Pictures (or so the story goes). As a result, Disney, Touchstone, and movie directors Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis decided to make a live-action, and animation hybrid film that would include cameos of characters like Goofy, Bugs Bunny, both Mickey, and Minnie Mouse, and more. That being said, let’s discuss Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Plot: Set in 1947, a cartoon character named Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer) is framed for the murder of Marvin Acme, head of Toontown, and Acme Corporation. Now, he must team up with detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), and see if they can find the real culprit behind Acme’s murder.
Now, even though Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of those older movies, I surprisingly never saw this film until maybe 2013, when the film reached it’s 25th anniversary. And yeah, I remember enjoying it quite a bit. Now that I’ve gotten a little older, it’s definitely time for me to say whether or not it still holds up. Well, let me tell you, for the most part, it is a really fun film. First of all, how could you not love Alan Sylvestri’s score? I mean he uses his score to really help capture what life was like in the 1940s, even with the type of music that played back then. Also, the setting of what life was like over all back then is fantastic. Of course we know that cartoon characters don’t really exist in real life. Still, that doesn’t change how fun, and creative it was to have a fictional premise like this one, where real people, and animated characters coincided with each other. Actually, it’s really fun. Oh, and if you can, probably see a film like this before watching another animated/live-action hybrid film like Space Jam 1, or 2. Chances are that if you do, you’ll be less likely to believe that either Looney Tunes, or other cartoon characters exist underground, you know? Now, how about the characters? Well, most of them are really likable. Yes, some people could potentially feel rather ambivalent about someone like Jessica Rabbit, but more on that in a bit. The rest of the characters are great from leads like Eddie Valiant, and Roger Rabbit, who work off of each other really well, to Eddie’s love interest Dolores, to even Judge Doom, who’s played by Christopher Lloyd, and his weasel gang. Speaking of the main villain, and his gang, they are even fun to watch onscreen as well. Honestly, the weasel sidekicks are examples of villain sidekicks, or even sidekicks done right. They’re developed well, and they bring out some good laughs just like other villain sidekicks like Iago (from Aladdin), and Pain and Panic (from Hercules) for instance. Oh, and how could you not like the song that Eddie Valiant performs near the end during the climax. I won’t say what all happens, but he does a great job. Oh, and another thing! How could one not like seeing Bugs Bunny, and Mickey Mouse together onscreen at the same time, or even the same thing with Daffy Duck, and Donald Duck? As for the animation, some of it may feel a little outdated by today’s standards. Still, there are times when the animation does seem to hold up as well. Finally, the acting is great. I mean Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd, and the rest of the gang each do a really great job with all of their performances.
With all that said, are there any downsides to this film? Well, sadly, yes, there are. First of all, the character of Jessica Rabbit can sometimes have this bad habit of throwing in your face how good looking, pretty, and sexual she is. Seeing as kids may have been likely to watch this film, and this film seemed to be geared as a “family film,” I’m not sure that having Jessica Rabbit behave that way was the best idea, you know? Also, there was an additional character that seemed to act rather annoying, and creepy at the same time. Thankfully that character is only onscreen for a few minutes, but still. Also, was having a female cartoon character like Jessica Rabbit, and a rabbit like Roger Rabbit being a couple the best idea? I mean I get that they’re both animated characters. Still, I don’t think that family films should make a habit of having such couples, you know?
And that’s my review for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Even though it could be a little too adult for kids, the movie is still really fun, and creative overall. The animation is mostly good, the premise is fun, and most of the characters are likable. If you haven’t seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit yet, definitely see it, and see what you think!
Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well. Today, we are reviewing a Disney+ exclusive film that is based on a cartoon Disney Channel show that aired apparently from 1989 through 1990. It of course also features two very popular chipmunks. Yes, you guessed it, a movie based on the show, Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers. So now, let’s talk about a film with that same title, shall we?
Plot: Set thirty years after the days of the rescue rangers ended, and each of the members go their separate ways, Chip and Dale (John Mulaney, and Andy Samberg respectively) must reunite once again when their friend Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) is reported to have gone missing. With help from a cop named Ellie Steckler (Kiki Layne), and other cops, as well as reuniting with former members that included a housefly named Zipper (Dennis Haysbert), and a female mouse named Gadget Hackwrench (Tress MacNeille), will our friends be able to find Monterey Jack, or will something horrible happen to him?
Regardless of whether or not this film was based on a somewhat popular Disney cartoon show, is this Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers movie good? Not by a whole lot! Okay, Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers wasn’t exactly horrible, but it wasn’t great either. First of all, the pacing wasn’t quite the best. Additionally, besides the main Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers crew, the characters don’t seem to be all that well developed. What’s more is that the execution of the plot didn’t seem to be all that memorable. Also, for the main villain of this film, why, just why did we have to have that villain of all characters? Seriously, what was wrong with maybe having one of the sidekicks be the main villain instead? Some of the twists weren’t exactly the best either. There were also some relationships that were in the movie that could potentially make one wonder whether or not it was for the best that they were written into this film to begin with.
But again, this movie has it’s redeeming qualities as well. First off, it was good to at least see one, or two additional characters that were NOT part of the original Rescue Rangers crew be fairly well developed. It was also good to have the theme song for the original show be brought back in at some points for this film. Also, how could one not appreciate the very few creative moments that were included in this film (which, definitely see the film for yourself to see any of those creative moments)? And of course there were some very hilarious moments here and there. Oh, and some of the action scenes were very good too. And another thing! It was good that there were both animated, and live-action animals for this film (unlike the newer Tom & Jerry film that was just released last year). Finally, it was good to see Chip and Dale’s relation develop really well for this film.
And that’s my review for the movie version of Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers. It is a film that is not a bad watch if you’re going through picks on Disney+, and want to watch something that’s fairly entertaining. Even so, you might find yourself having a little more fun maybe rewatching the Chip & Dale show, or even another film like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, or some film like that. If you want to see this film, there’s no harm in doing so. Just know that maybe it was probably for the best that this film went straight to Disney+, as opposed to say going to theaters first, or something like that.
Alright, so today, in preparation for Minions: Rise Of Gru, the sequel to the 2015 Universal and Illumination film, Minions, we shall of course review the 2015 film, Minions. Sorry for not reviewing the Despicable Me trilogy that spawned both of these Minions films. I may get to that some other time. Well, for now, let’s talk about Minions.
Plot: The yellow creatures, known as the Minions, try to find a master that will lead them into doing dastardly deeds, without much success. But just as they nearly give up hope, three minions named Kevin, Stuart, and Bob (all voiced by Pierre Coffin) decide not to give up hope, and travel to New York City in the year 1968. Now that they may have found a new master in Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), will their dream of finding a villainous mastermind come to fruition?
Now, for those of you who saw at least the Despicable Me films, but not this one, you could probably figure out where this plot is going, yes? Well, no worries either way. Is this as good as the Despicable Me films? Not really, especially not the first, and second movies. In fact, setting those films aside, Minions isn’t all that great. First of all, the story seems to feel a little too short, and rather lukewarm. What’s more is that none of the characters seem to be all that memorable. Yeah, Scarlett Overkill, the main villain of this movie, seems to be one of the main highlights, along with Gru, as a younger character. And yes, the minions have some memorable funny moments here and there. Other than those aspects, this film has nothing too special to offer. Also, there are some jokes that are most likely too adult, and inappropriate for kids to watch, most notably a scene where I found myself thinking, “Really, did this need to be brought into the film?”. There were also a few plot holes in this film as well. As I mentioned before, the story is probably way too fast-paced, and isn’t all that memorable. Not to mention that the film may feel a little too predictable at times. Not that that’s always a bad thing, but it might have been nice to have a few more twists to keep this film going stronger, you know?
The only things to enjoy about this film are that some of the animation is nice, and of course the villain that’s played by Sandra Bullock. And of course there is some of the cleaner humor in this film. Finally, it was nice to hear some older music from time to time in this film.
And that’s my review for Minions. The only reason for me to recommend this film would be if one, you love the Minion character, and two, if you’ve watched all the Despicable Me movies. Other than that, probably skip this film. I was honestly wondering if it would be worth it to see the second film. However, seeing as the second film looks much more promising, you’ll probably be more open to seeing that one. Well, like I said, see Minions, if you’ve seen the Despicable Me films, and/or you want to see the second Minions movie.
Alright, everyone, today, we are going to review another biopic that is based on true events of musical artists. In today’s case, we will be discussing a film that revolves around some of the life of Elvis Presley. So, without further ado, let’s talk about the movie, Elvis.
Plot: The movie sets around the life of musical artist, Elvis Presley (portrayed by Austin Butler in this movie), who apparently left a great impact on the music industry. From his meeting, and partnership with Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), to his rise to fame, the movie covers a great deal about the star that many of us have come to know and love even today.
So now that this biopic film of another musical artist has arrived, was it as good, or even better than previous ones like Bohemian Rhapsody, or Rocketman? Well, definitely way better than the former, and maybe slightly has a little more edge than the latter, but not by much. First of all, it was great that we only got to have a snippet of Presley’s childhood, while the good majority of the movie focused on his adult years. The acting was also really great. Austin Butler especially pulled off his role as Elvis Presley. And Tom Hanks, how could you go wrong with him? For years, he’s done well in anything he’s played in, from Forrest Gump, to voicing Woody in the Toy Story movies, playing Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, and many more films. And how could we not mention Olivia DeJonge as Elvis Presley’s wife, Priscilla? She was also phenomenal. It was also to know some interesting from what little we did get to see about his childhood. In addition to all of this, how could we not love hearing some of the songs that Elvis Presley wrote throughout the course of this film, be it “Burning Love,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” and quite a few more? The movie also did a great job with elaborating on the characters that revolves around Elvis’ life, especially the main ones like his wife, Priscilla, his manager, Colonel Parker, and the rest of that gang. It’s also interesting how there are some characters will be ones that we love to hate. How sad that ended up being the case for those people that were abusive, and cruel even in real life. It was also great to learn some very interesting history of Presley, and Colonel Parker, especially. Finally, let’s take time to mention how this movie can teach some valuable lessons in regards to the whole thing about being happy. I remember listening to K-Love a while back, and one of the hosts said that Elvis Presley was asked shortly before he died if he was happy, which he responded that he wasn’t. If that was in fact the case, this movie can definitely teach us how attempting to find pleasure in things like drugs, and alcohol is never the best course of action. Just comes to show that Jesus Christ is in fact the answer.
And that’s my review for Elvis. It is a very well done film that is very well-written, and does well with elaborating on Elvis Presley. Did the film need to be around two and a half hours long? Probably not! They most likely could have maybe cut some scenes out if possible. Still, for what Elvis is, it’s worth checking out. Not only is it a well done film with many of Elvis’ good songs, but some really great lessons can be taken away from this movie. Definitely go see it if you haven’t. You’re guaranteed to love it.
Well everyone, we have finally arrived at what is said to be the conclusion of the Jurassic Park/World franchise. Is this truly a satisfying ending, or do we need a little more? Well, let’s find out by talking about Jurassic World: Dominion.
Plot: When a head doctor (Campbell Scott) of the scientific company, Biosyn, orders the kidnapping of Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) in order to use her for “scientific breakthrough,” Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) set out to find, and rescue her before it’s too late, and chaos supposedly unleashed among the dinosaur community. With the help of some newer friends that they meet along the way, can they get the job done?
At this point, I’m sure you’re all wondering again, was Jurassic World: Dominion an improvement from other films like Jurassic Park 3, or the previous Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, or films like those? Well, yes, but not by a whole lot. First of all, there are quite a few times, particularly in the first half, when Jurassic World: Dominion goes from being ultra slow in it’s pacing to really fast in that regard. What’s even more disappointing is that the last half of the movie seems to feel rather rushed. You would think that wouldn’t be the case for a film that’s around two and a half hours long, right? Well, all to say that either this film should have gone through one, or two more rounds of film editing, or it should have been divided into two parts, like say The Hobbit was divided into three movies, or next year’s Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning will be divided at least into two parts, you know? Will fans be feel satisfied by how things turn out near the end? Well, let’s just say that if they are, they most likely won’t be by a whole lot. What’s more is that there were some action scenes that probably lasted a little too long, maybe longer than they should have in the end. Oh, and another thing, there were some elements that carried over from previous Jurassic Park/World films, like Jurassic Park 3, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, that probably shouldn’t have to begin with. Finally, once again, there were some remakes from characters like Dr. Ian Malcolm, that weren’t the best, just like in the first, and fifth films of this franchise.
But is there some good stuff in this supposed final chapter? Well, yes! In fact, the storyline, despite having some problems, was still an improvement from especially the third, and fifth films. As for the action, while it lasted a little too long at times, was still very good in others moments of this film. It was also really great to not only main characters from Jurassic World on in this film, but also to have brought back even some older characters that were in some of the beginning films of the Jurassic Park franchise. Not to mention that we have even antagonists that are much more intimidating, and possibly even more memorable than the ones we got in previous films, especially after the first Jurassic Park movie. Oh, and it was also cool to have this mix of James Bond, and Jurassic Park mixed together. Definitely an unexpected twist! There’s also Giacchino’s score. Oh, and on that note, it was great to have him stay to compose the score the remaining three Jurassic Park/World films. Why the same was not the case for John Williams with the first three films, I’m not sure. Well, maybe the filmmakers learned from how lacking some of the score was in at least the second, and third installments, and they decided to try to keep Giacchino on board if they could? Beats me! Well, it was a great thing that they did one way, or another. The world building was also really great, especially with the forests, the locusts, the vehicles in this sequel. and all of that really great stuff.
And that’s my review for Jurassic World: Dominion. Though not exactly the best conclusion for this franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion does have everything wrap up together in a somewhat satisfying matter. Not the best satisfaction, but still. The characters, both the good, and bad ones are also very memorable this time around too. And yes, overall, while the story could have been better, and some scenes dragged way too much, this is a sequel that is most definitely worth seeing. Still go see Jurassic World: Dominion, if you haven’t, and see what you think!
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 