2018 year end mini-reviews.

The year finally draws to its close, and once again, here's my chance to talk about some films I've neglected to mention, or didn't have much to say about them (It's hard to give everything a thorough write-up). So enjoy my mini-reviews, and I'll see you in the next year.

The Favourite movie review.

At one point in The Favourite, a room full of wealthy aristocrats take wagers and cheer raucously as prized ducks take part in a makeshift race. Why? For no other reason then they can. Seeing it play out, it is absolutely ludicrous, but perhaps no more so than many of the most outlandish moments of the film, the latest dark comedy from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, a director able to concoct such Gonzo high-concept premises, he lacks nothing in originality.

But despite that originality, I've always found his films incredibly forced and inhumanly candid in their humor, which gave them this very cold and distant touch, especially with last year's The Killing of a Sacred Deer that completely put me off. The Favourite, on the other hand, proves an interesting deviation, as he isn't writing his own script this time, and thus has the benefit of fresh blood to fuel his approach. And such is an approach that absolutely pays off for The Favourite, that while easier to digest is still unmistakably a Lanthimos joint, one teeming with rich dry humor and wickedly entertaining venom.

Mary Poppins Returns movie review.

Mary Poppins is one of my very favorite movies of all time. In fact, it may be the quintessential example of the perfect movie musical. Loosely based on the stories by P.L. Travers, it's one of the most effortlessly charming films I've ever seen, a perfect mixture of musical bombast and enchanting whimsy, showcasing an amazing soundtrack, and the title nanny a practically perfect performance from the legendary Julie Andrews. As far as I'm concerned, it's the single greatest film that Walt Disney ever had a personal hand in. But it also wasn't an achievement without hurdles.

Travers became notorious for butting heads with Disney in the film's early stages, attempting to stifle its spoonful's of sugar, and for years tossing relentless criticism for its deviations, showcased in the watered-down 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks. As a result, Travers refused any sequels Walt and the company wanted to make, but fifty years later finally coercing her estate to let them go ahead with one in the form of Mary Poppins Returns, with Chicago director Rob Marshall leading the charge, and Emily Blunt taking over for Andrews. Finally, we have the chance to see if we can adore it in grateful chorus, or in short we have a ghastly mess. Personally, I'm inclined to believe the former.

Brief thoughts on Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.

If anyone had the right or experience to make a great motion-capture film, it was Andy Serkis. Having spent extensive time perfecting the performance art with Gollum and Caesar, and studying under a filmmaking titan like Peter Jackson, it seemed only ideal. Now on Netflix, we have his second directorial feature (actually his first as well), Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, a retelling of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, wherein he surrounds himself with an army of effects artists and talented craftsman bringing this world to life. That said, it's something of a half-life at that.

Bumblebee movie review.

Hasbro's Transformers toys are among the most popular and enduring of brand names, widely loved for their unique shapeshifting nature, and lucrative from a marketing standpoint. Unfortunately, they've become somewhat infamous in recent years, specifically for inspiring Michael Bay's continually dwindling franchise, that continues to sink lower into false-grittiness, detestable human characters, and a general incompetence in filmmaking. But in hindsight, another great failing is that with each passing entry, it gets further away from the audience it was always meant to cater to; kids.

With each entry, they've become more cynical and mean-spirited, losing the lightness that the toys, as well as the TV shows inspired in their wake, had always brought out in those who played with them. And following Bay's exit from the franchise, we now have a prequel entry - and soft reboot - that attempts to return the series to its roots, by exploring one of its most enduring characters, Bumblebee. And while it may have its own little stumbles along the way, I... actually didn't hate this movie. Bumblebee is such a pleasant surprise, and a richly needed rebirth for this series.