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The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)
I was surprised at how good it was
Fans of Bob's Burgers will absolutely love this movie, because it plays out like one long episode, with just the right amount of everything; catchy songs, fantastic animation that upgrades from the original, and witty humor that had me laughing more often than I thought. Its a wholesome family dynamic getting up to usual shenanigans, and doesn't force a life lesson down your throat. I would absolutely watch this movie again, its ALMOST a perfect movie adaptation to a TV show, and holds up well among the ranks with films like the Simpsons movie. I also love seeing a 2D animated movie on the big screen, what a rarity these days!
Centaurworld (2021)
It definitely might surprise you
This is one of those shows that definitely fits in the category of blowing your expectations out of the water. It's really hard to get into just exactly why I love this show without spoiling it, but I'll do my best to tell you instead who its best for.
If you love musicals, you'll love it. The songs are great, I actually find a lot of them to be true bangers and I listen to them regularly. The acting is supreme, and their singing is just as amazing.
If you enjoy a blend of wacky, unpredictable humor mixed with dark tones and serious themes, you'll enjoy this too! It takes time to guide the viewer between moments of endearing hilarity and more serious tones that really delve deeper into how certain characters work, or even better, how the worlds they live in tie together.
And most importantly, if you love cartoons, you'll love Centaurworld. The animation is flawlessly amazing, its bouncy and creative and never gets old. The expressions are hilariously fluid, nothing feels over-done or unnecessarily recycled, its all very fresh and beautiful.
This show is a sort of weird mix of My Little Pony, Adventure Time, Over the Garden Wall, and I've even heard some people compare some of its underlying darker themes to shows like Bojack Horseman. In general, it has a lot to offer, and very rarely feels like its wasting your time, even if not all of the jokes land. My only criticism is that I wish it had more gradual build-up and development of the characters as they lead towards the ending episodes, but we can only hope the magic and mystery continues in a second season!
The Croods: A New Age (2020)
Good, but not AS good
I hate being the grumpy old fart that complains about the first movie always being better than the second, but I just didn't consider this the perfect sequel. To be fair though, the trailers didn't lie to me, I kind of expected this quirky, wacky story from the start, and I can't say I hated it! It's just not anywhere near as good as the first.
Without spoiling anything, I feel like the first movie manages to tell a better story from the perspective of a family from an age before our time, as they come to see a new world from way outside their comfort zone and learn to appreciate adventure and exploration. This movie tries to follow the same suit, instead teaching a more "modern" family this lesson, but it felt WAYYY too different from the first movie, too outlandishly energetic to fit in with the first one's message, and maybe just a bit too... ridiculous?
I dunno, its still not that bad either way, but it wasn't my cup of tea! Enjoyed what I saw, but I don't think I'll be watching it again anytime soon. Still, kids will love it, families will enjoy it, and your dog might watch it too, if its into that sort of thing.
The Mitchells vs the Machines (2021)
Its better than you'd ever expect
I didn't know what I was getting into when I saw those trailers. A gorgeous-looking film from a great company, but the plot seemed REDICULOUS. And you know what? It still is, and you'll probably love it.
There's so many laughs, there's a lot of heart, and you'll fall in love with every member of the Mitchells, right down to their wacky little pug. Try not to take the film too seriously, its a family movie through it all, and you'll have the best time ever if you just go in blind and with no expectations.
Onward (2020)
Creative, fun, and emotional
I didn't come into this movie expecting to nearly cry more than once. Somehow, despite not feeling so strongly about it through the trailers and reviews, I walked out having traveled on a journey of laughter, smiles, fear, even some tears.
I have no idea why people rated this movie less than what I give it now. This movie has given almost everything it could and put heart into the journey it takes our protagonists on, as we see the true development of family bonds while they attempt to bring back their father along the way. The only gripes I may have with this movie is that much of it might feel very long if you're not a fan of traveling scenes, which there are MANY, but they all have reason, good dialogue, funny moments, or skip to the good parts.
Please give this movie a chance if you were skeptical at first like me. I guarantee this is perfect for the family, and may even jerk a few tears from you like it did with me. It teaches very important lessons along the way, and above all, everything in the story ties together so well by the end that you'll be amazed at the great work the writers had done for the movie.
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin (1997)
Absolute classic for Winnie the Pooh
There's just something about the magic of older Pooh movies that the new ones cannot capture as well. As a longterm fan who grew up with Winnie the Pooh, I've seen all the movies and all the shows, and even as a kid, this movie was by far my favorite. You already know its for kids, so I won't dwell on that long, but to me it also feels like a heartwarming family movie, something I myself wouldn't mind watching even just by myself for the nostalgia.
The movie, while not perfect, is very warm and fuzzy just like our favorite yellow bear, as they discover that their beloved friend Christopher Robin has "gone missing," and the entire cast panics and ventures out to find him. The map they are provided leads them astray in all sorts of mysterious places, both beautiful and dangerous or scary, which often discourages the cast into wanting to give up hope.
This becomes a theme of the movie overtime, with each character, including Pooh himself, learning to overcome their biggest fears, obstacles, and challenges along the way, teaching children how to believe in themselves even at the worst of times. "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think," the lesson of the movie reminds us.
This movie is also full of very charming music, and one song in particular is so beautiful and sad that I still cry to it sometimes or use it to lull me to sleep. I can't help but adore this movie for all the things it does right.
There are some faults that keep me from giving it a perfect 10, however; specifically, I was never the biggest fan of how the movie ends. Without giving too much in-depth spoilers, I feel as though they could have wrapped up the movie a little bit better, as their eventual finding of Christopher Robin leaves the entire contents of the movie to be questioned if it even happened at all. But the message does still hold up: sometimes a child's biggest fears can seem like more than fantasy to them, and even the smallest of things can become overwhelming when looked at the wrong way.
Overall, I'd rate this movie 8/10, or a nice 4/5, with much of my points coming straight from my nostalgic love for Pooh. The movie does what you'd want it to by being what a Winnie the Pooh movie should be, and is perfect for children while also being enjoyable for adults too. I hope you find a love for this cute movie as much as I always did.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Worth my time - Super creepy!
I never grew up with those Scary Stories books as a kid, but I was sure to read a few of them before I went in to see this movie, and I can safely say that the movie adapts the stories very well. The plot, while simplistic and done by other movies a dozen times, still was entertaining and made me curious to hear more, and there were occasional twists that left me surprised. Its a really good movie, and I'll get into why.
The acting is mainly why I came to see this movie. I saw a small featurette on how the costumes were made and acted out, I saw the people put on the suits, I saw the CGI artists telling us that most of the actions were done by real people. This movie is VERY well made. My favorite character (no spoilers given) is someone who can crawl around on his back and twist 180 degrees, acted out by a man who can ACTUALLY do those things. Its obvious the directors put a lot of care into this movie, and I know they had fun with it. Even after seeing all the costumes and actors, I still was thoroughly creeped out by the final product.
I myself am not a big fan of horror, and as such would literally never touch this movie again after having seen it through once, but I don't regret seeing it. Its probably very exciting for big fans of the book series, and I wouldn't be surprised if a sequel was on its way.
Warning: This movie is NOT for children. I know the books were ages 8+, but those stories were written, not filmed. The graphics in this movie are too much for young kids if they were too much for even me. Ages teen and up is a better option for you. This movie, without spoiling, contains some very moderate violent gore/gore-like features, spiders, uncanny valley, MANY jump scares, and a few varied chase scenes. It could be triggering for certain people, but the movie isn't all based around fear, and is quite a thriller on its own too. Definitely worth checking out.
The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
Its fine, but not fantastic
I think this is a common theme for Illumination these days, but the Secret Life of Pets delivers an experience that I can only describe as "Yeah, it was. . . decent." Its cute, well-animated, nicely voice acted, and delivers a decent experience of fun gags here and there, but its probably boring for anyone over the age of maybe 10.
That's not to say that you'll HATE it if you're any older, but believe me, there's a dozen better kids movies out there that parents and adults would love more than this one. Its. . . eh? It's just one of those painfully average "eh" movies, a boring plot and boring characters for the most part, but entertaining enough to make it feel somewhat worth the trip. I really like the scenes in the sewers with the viper, and I loved the bunny villain as well. He had a spunky personality that I could appreciate. But other than that, definitely not Illumination's best or worst, just dead center as a "sure, alright" sort of movie.
The AristoCats (1970)
Cute and nostalgic, but not Disney's best classic
Yes, I know, this was a different time period and movies since then have gotten substantially better, but I still want to be blunt: The AristoCats isn't the best that was there. I LOVED it, don't get me wrong, all the songs and characters were adorable and I had a great time throughout. But it feels less like a movie and more like a really long, entertaining but otherwise silly cartoon.
The entire time, I would think about how these scenes in the movie all sort of felt "looney-toon-esque," dare I say it, and while that isn't a bad thing in the long run, it does affect how the movie portrays itself. There's not too much of a message, there isn't many heart-gripping or tense scenes in the movie, and its not overly complicated in terms of plot. But its cute! And its fun, great for kids, and is totally fine to watch as a quick period of entertainment. Again, its like a really long cartoon, and thats fine.
But lets be honest, there are better Disney classics out there. This movie is similar in plot to Lady and the Tramp, a movie I'd much prefer over Aristocats any day (no offense, kitties), and there are also movies like Dalmations and the Lion King and overall handfuls of 2D animated classics that outrun Aristocats by miles. So if you're really looking for something intense, memorable, or something with a more movie-feel, you're better off trying a different Disney classic. Best to save Aristocats for the more chill Saturday afternoons with your kids/
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Absolutely worth my time
Despite having never been TOO big of a Godzilla fan in my life, at least not to the extent of many people, this movie delivered a good time. I feel like it was a major step up from Godzilla (2014), which to me was already pretty damn good of a movie. This one was by no means perfect, but it was dramatic and intense and had scenes that made me smile, frown, jump a little in my seat, and leave me begging to see more.
The CGI graphics are PHENOMENAL. The team clearly knew what they were doing, everything was recorded well and seemed so real. A movie that felt like even the staff had fun making those scenes. The actors were great too, though I feel that anyone will be more attached to the titanic monsters that capture the spotlight more than anyone else.
If you're thinking of going to see it, then do. If you like Godzilla, or if you even just like loud, well-designed action movies with fantasy monsters, you HAVE to see this one.
T-34 (2018)
Didn't understand a word, still loved it
I don't speak Russian or German, lets get that out of the way. Not a single word, aside from the occasional curses or counts of numbers, registered in my head throughout the movie, and I was too stubborn to use subtitles either. But judging this movie based on what I saw, not what I heard, it was one of the best movies I've seen in a while. The story was easy to follow for someone who didn't speak the language, which meant the movie did a great job showing, not telling. And by god did it help make it a hell of a lot better. I was in love since the beginning, and was hooked with our main character AND our main antagonist all throughout.
No, I don't think this movie was blatant Russian propaganda. Its a perspective, a fictional one at that, but a perspective nonetheless. I didn't see any less or more pandering to its home country than I've seen countless times in American movies. It wasn't an issue to me in the movie, and I didn't let it take away from my enjoyment even if it was a part of it.
Without spoiling the movie, I believe this is for action-lovers, not necessarily for people looking for something serious-paced. Yes, it is serious in tone, but its still a fictional war story vaguely based off of other stories. Its entertaining based on action, character, ideas, and visuals, not on getting the message of "war is hell" across. Most of the movie doesn't even take place in the midst of the war anyways, its more primarily set on a smaller and more followable conflict, so the movie takes more time to focus on a specific plot rather than the stories of millions of war soldiers.
I don't usually like war movies, but I loved this movie. There's fun to be had in it, and I regret not using subtitles when I did, because I'm sure I would have loved their dialogue even more when added with the visuals. Still, I found the movie to make very good use of my time. If you're not sure whether you'd like it or not, watch at least the first half hour of the movie and see what you think from there.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
Best game-to-movie title by far
Let me start off by stating the obvious: most video games turned into movies don't end up well. We've all seen it, we know it and cannot deny it. For many reasons, video games just don't translate very well into a movie's limited runtime.
That being said, while Detective Pikachu was far from perfect, its the downright best example I've ever seen of a video game turned into a movie, and I think it really shows. It does have flaws, especially within plot simplicity, but it makes up for this with visuals, characters, and creative ideas. I consider it predictable, but in a way that makes you still want to see the ending even if you know how it's probably gonna go. Its a movie that I didn't want to skip, because every second of it did not waste my time. Every portion of the movie still does use its time wisely in some way, and no jokes are forced out of complete nowhere to ruin the moment or dissipate the tension.
For a kids movie, this movie does hit a little dark, but in a way that won't freak your kids out. There are minimal scenes that I'd consider iffy for a kid to see, since most of it is cartoon violence, just more realistic due to graphic standards. Overall, kids will still like it for the action (and, obviously, for Pikachu), while older people and longterm Pokemon fans will love it for even more.
IMPORTANT: This movie is amazing, yes, but I do feel it should be mentioned that this movie is VERY geared towards Pokemon fans. This movie doesn't waste time explaining certain contexts to you, it expects everyone to understand things that usually only Pokemon fans would know. Having played Pokemon for 12 years, I have no problem with this, and I understood everything in the movie. My uncle who joined me, however, said that he barely understood some parts. If you take your kids to see this movie and don't have a lick of knowledge about the franchise, you might be lost for a while in the story. Do I think its not worth seeing in that case? No, I still believe its worth a chance for anyone to see, but its good to keep in mind that the target fanbase it panders to is more prominent than anything. Its not pandering to kids, nor adults, just Pokemon fans alike. Keep this in mind when you consider seeing the movie.
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
HILARIOUS and fun!
What I love most about this movie is how free and easygoing it is, in my opinion. It's funny, but the jokes don't barrel you over repeatedly, they give you enough time to have your laugh over one joke before going to the next. There's a fair amount of drama and action, but its important to the plot, and builds up interesting tension before the climax. Everything in this movie is very well strung together, beautifully acted out, and I fell in love with most all of the characters before the movie even came to the halfway point. The ONLY negative side I could ever give to this movie was that it felt so short, and I was left wishing it could last just a little longer, even if the movie already is 90 minutes. But they added in everything they could, it was all that was needed to impress and I can heartily say that anyone who hasn't seen this movie is missing out on a lot of fun.
Movie warnings: It contains gore, mild/moderate horror themes, sexual innuendos, blurred-out nudity, violence, and plenty of cursing, so this movie is probably not for children. The jokes will fly over their heads and the visuals will scare them. But teenagers and adults will love this movie; I recommend watching it in a group so you can have a barrel of laughs with all your friends, because it is just too good to watch alone.
Shrek Retold (2018)
Absolute masterpiece
Let's address the main focal point here: over 200 fantastic, creative, ambitious people, combined of all ages, huddled together and decided to contribute into making an hour and a half long Shrek-inspired movie of their own. What's great about this movie is that it's not a direct copy of Shrek itself, rather a creative retelling. Visually, you will find plenty of similarities to the original as well as differences, and even music, audio, and actors will shift rapidly, almost endlessly. One moment, things might be in fantastic quality, and the next, you're watching the most hilariously poor quality movie portion you've ever seen. But don't let me describe all the pros to you, its worth watching to see for yourself. Consider it a comedy, and don't take it too seriously to begin with, and I'm confident you'll love it!