Why Cats is a fascinating failure...Brief thoughts.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats has been a staple of the Broadway musical scene for decades, debuting in 1981 to a mixed reception, but has garnered a massive following in the years since. It remains one of the most popular musicals of all time, standing as the fourth longest running Broadway show, and garnering $3.5 billion dollars in sales. It's those reasons why a film adaptation felt obvious, but through several failed attempts, including from Amblimation before the studio's closure, it isn't until now that we finally get it, brought to us by Les Miserables director Tom Hooper... and it's a trainwreck. Simple as that. There's no graceful way of putting that.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker movie review.

When Disney bought out Lucasfilm in 2012, their first major move was to greenlight an upcoming Episode VII, which resulted in the J.J. Abrams directed The Force Awakens, pleasing both critics and Star Wars devotees still burned by the prequels, crafting a sweeping story that felt both familiar and fresh, brought to life by stellar new characters and an abundance of spectacle.

Cut to two years later for The Last Jedi from director Rian Johnson, a movie I also loved, even if it was and still is a polarizing movie for how much it tinkered with the fabric of Star Wars, leading to a vindictive outcry from the most toxic of Wars fans.

And so, cut once more to two years later, where this new Star Wars trilogy comes to an end, coaxing J.J. Abrams back for one more adventure, to close off the epic Skywalker saga. It doesn't help, for The Rise of Skywalker is a crushing disappointment as a final chapter.

Also, potential spoilers are to follow in this review, so for those wishing to go in blind, read at your own risk.

2019 Catch-up reviews.

I haven't felt like writing much as I used to do. In what I assume is a natural ebb and flow, I've felt less compelled to trace down my thoughts on *every* new movie I get a chance to check out, certainly not helped by an ever-hectic personal life, and in the future, I may feel less compelled to give as many movies an essay like examination. However, just because I'm writing less doesn't mean I'm seeing less, and I do have a number of films to offer thoughts on. So before the conclusion to the galaxy far, far away eats up my attention, I'm going to do some catch up on some films I've checked out over the year, which you should see if you get the chance. Enjoy, everyone!

Frozen II movie review.

It's only been six years, but Frozen feels like a lifetime ago. Releasing in the middle of Disney Animation's ongoing Revival era, the film was another callback to Disney's storied fantasy musical heritage, and arguably its greatest since the classics of the Renaissance. At once a sweet and funny little adventure, it also served as a successful deconstruction of Disney's oldest tropes, directly subverting and course correcting some of their mixed messages of the past. Being a musical, it also helped that it had a spectacular soundtrack, with people still refusing to let it go.

Surprisingly to everyone, including Disney, it became a monumental pop culture phenomenon, inspiring a bevy of spin-offs and merchandising possibilities, that helped Disney establish their newfound position as a global superpower. And despite the rarity of seeing Disney Animation tackle a sequel, perhaps the dollar signs made Frozen all too irresistible, as we now rejoin the continuing adventures of Elsa and Anna, as they venture into the unknown in Frozen II, an ambitious follow-up that, nevertheless, is a bit of a fixer-upper.

A Disney+ double feature: Lady and the Tramp and Noelle.

I have to say I'm ashamed of myself. In my weak state of mind, I did something I promised myself I wasn't gonna do...

I tried out Disney+.

In a world where Netflix and Amazon dominate the digital streaming marketplace, the Mouse House just couldn't resist putting their names in the Goblet of Fire, launching their own service with their own content for viewers to consume. If anyone were to do it, Disney made the most sense, boasting thousands of movies and TV shows across their eight decade history. Whether it be their own in-house live-action and animation studios, or their acquisitions like Star Wars, Marvel, and the films of Fox (The Greatest Showman is officially a Disney musical now).

That said, I was always hesitant to sign up for it. Even though Disney is one of my most nostalgic childhood staples, I'm growing increasingly wary and cynical of them as a corporation. But even then, I knew my curiosity couldn't be contained, and I had to give it a try. Where else can I binge the entirety of Darkwing Duck?

And like Netflix and Amazon, Disney+ came with its own original content, including two movies on launch day. To start, I immediately turned my attention to those, so before I commit to my mass Darkwing Duck marathon, let's talk about them.

Brief thoughts on Parasite.

Several times in Parasite, a man deflects during conversations about topics he doesn't understand, using the phrase "It's so metaphorical!" Scratch beneath the pseudo-intellectualism, it's easy to pick apart his vague response, highlighting how truly out of place he is in the environment he occupies, and yet with how casually his responses are dealt out, others are so oblivious to his awkwardness, maybe because it's easier to live in simplicity than in rationality. That comprises only one chunk of the weighty ideas juggled by Parasite, the latest from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, coming in late in the year as one of 2019's greatest surprises, and easily a contender for its best film.

Brief thoughts on The Lighthouse.

Newcomer Robert Eggers made quite the name for himself with The Witch, one in a string of intriguing low-budget horror fare from distributor A24. Regardless of *my* unimpressed thoughts on the film, I can't commend Eggers enough for the trend he helped set, migrating horror away from jump scare factories, in favor of richer, more eerie fare. As such, I'm sure most had high hopes for his follow-up film The Lighthouse, in which Eggers migrates to the psychological horror, covering the deterioration of two men in unwilling isolation, after their station is struck by a storm. The Lighthouse is certainly a film loaded with secrets of its own, one that, compared to Eggers' freshman effort, leaves me fascinated to spill its beans.

Brief (conflicted) thoughts on Joker.

The Joker has long been the greatest enemy of Batman, the embodiment of chaos in its purest form. While conceptually a simple character, his methods of exploiting the fragile insanity of human nature, as well as his prevalence for anarchism, has made him an eternally iconic character for the ages, especially when brought to life by the likes of Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and unfortunately Jared Leto. But away from Batman, is there a chance the Joker could stand on his own? If the latest incarnation is evidence, realized by Joaquin Phoenix, the possibility's certainly there.

Brief thoughts on Abominable.

It's been a while since I've felt like writing anything. Why not now?

After taking an extended break, Dreamworks Animation returned strong earlier this year, concluding their How to Train Your Dragon saga. Such was a big film that the studio was hopeful for, given the company's string of unfortunate underperformers in recent memory, and now being under Universal ownership, and supervision by Illumination's Chris Meledandri. After that film performed so well, I'm sure the studio hoped that their follow-up, Abominable, would be able to as well.

I mean, it didn't... but it's the thought that counts.

It Chapter Two movie review.

Published in 1986, Stephen King's It was a skin-crawling horror saga, following a group of friends on their quest to rid their town of an ancient shape-shifting monster, that feasted on their fear. Having been previously adapted into an ABC mini-series, the novel eventually inspired a 2017 film adaptation. Under the direction of Andy Muschietti, the film solely tackled the novel's first half, following the group as children in the 1980's. I was genuinely surprised by that film, finding it equally scary and emotionally fulfilling, and on its own would have made a great standalone film.

However, that still left the unadapted adult sections, making this one of the few justifiable instances of splitting one book into separate films. Once again under Muschietti's leadership, and recruiting much of the same team of the first, along with some stellar character actors in the adult roles, maybe Chapter Two of King's story could do just as well. But not everything floats down here, namely a sequel that can't, and in some instances doesn't try, to match that standard.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood - Brief Thoughts.

Quentin Tarantino is one of our most idiosyncratic directors, a master of conversation and snappy writing, coupled by his slow-burn suspense that's been a staple of his movies, from Reservoir Dogs to The Hateful Eight. Tarantino's talent has always been high, owed perhaps in no small part to his love of classic cinema, even in its most nitty-gritty. He's an unashamed lover of film and its classic Hollywood hallmarks, drawing from the auteur-driven golden age of the late 60's and 70's. And in his ninth film, we lay witness to his very own love-letter to that age, a story told Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.

The Lion king (2019) movie review - 400th Post.

The Lion King is my favorite film of Disney's Animation Classics. It's a jaw-dropping, absolutely beautiful movie, that combined the magical charm of Disney with the sweep of an epic Shakespearean story, to tell a simultaneously mature and whimsical tale of heritage lost and regained. It's a stunning showcase of hand-drawn animation, bringing the African savannah vividly to life, and features an amazing soundtrack. It was such a mammoth hit, it remained Disney's highest grossing film for 20 years until Frozen.

But Disney is in a busy period right now, where they've given some of their most popular animated films a live-action update, this year alone already giving us Dumbo and Aladdin. The quality has varied, but in the case of this new take on The Lion King, at least that had the guidance of director Jon Favreau, who already made high marks with 2016's The Jungle Book, a film that itself could stand independently of its inspiration. Maybe this could recapture the epic magic of that original film. Unfortunately, the second time out, the mighty Lion's roar feels very tired, feeling cheaply wheeled out like a run-down circus show.

Mid-Year capsule reviews.

With how often I've been seeing movies this year, and how busy I've been with other priorities, it's not always easy for me to find time to write my thoughts on a movie down. In fact, even for some movies I like, I'm not always compelled to give detailed thoughts (not everything is deserving of 1,000+ word write ups). But over the summer, I've seen a fair share of films. Some good, some bad, some great, and some horrible. And for those I haven't gotten around to until now, I'll go ahead and give some of them some token acknowledgement, with the mid-year return of capsule reviews. Enjoy!

Midsommar movie review.

The 2010's have seen a resurgence in the independent horror film, specifically auteur-driven horror, making for a refreshing deviation from the jump scare fodder that, until recently, had a chokehold on cinema showtimes. One of the companies to thank for this is A24, who in recent years have released several effective horror films, or at least if they weren't, they were at least more ambitious than the usual slasher thriller, with titles like The Witch and It Comes at Night.

But for my money, their biggest hit was newcomer Ari Aster's Hereditary, a deeply unsettling and terrifying movie that merged familial grief with psychological and supernatural dread, that I still attest is the decade's finest horror film. Now a year later, Aster is back with another unsettling horror, this time set amongst the summer solstice festivities of a Swedish village in Midsommar. This is definitely from the same man responsible for Hereditary, an even more ambitious, unsettling, heady, and at times surprisingly comical calling card, cementing him as a new master of the genre.

Toy Story 4 movie review.

The Toy Story films are some of Pixar's greatest entries. Since putting the studio on the map back in 1995, the classic original film was followed up by two strong sequels in 1999 and 2010, considered by many among the few sequels as good as, if not better than the first. As their audience has matured, and are likely raising their own children, these films have grown up right alongside them, lacing in progressively mature and thoughtful ideas and character depth, becoming a franchise that only seems to improve thanks to the existence of its sequels.

In fact, even though the franchise had seemingly reached a natural stopping point with Toy Story 3, I guess there was more potential to be mined from this franchise. At least, that's what Pixar believed, with the release of this summer's Toy Story 4, a movie that by all accounts shouldn't work. Strong though the Toy Story franchise is, 3 just felt like a perfect ending, and with the added stigma of being the fourth entry, it screamed easy cash grab. But by some miracle, Toy Story 4 utterly shatters the fourth entry curse, continuing to add onto the legacy and depth of its franchise, with another witty, clever, heartfelt, excellent sequel.

"To Infinity and Beyond!" A Toy Story Retrospective: #3.

Toy Story 3 had a tumultuous life before it saw the big screen. With their contract ready to expire, Disney's contingency plan was to take Pixar's IP, and create direct-to-video sequels under the Circle 7 Animation banner, 3 being among them. This just seemed wrong, as Pixar's characters were nothing without their home studio bringing them to life, but if Pixar were to find a new distributor, it would threaten to take away the independence they'd enjoyed under Disney.

Thankfully, that never happened, as once Bog Iger took over from Michael Eisner as Disney CEO, one of his first acts was to buy Pixar outright, making the Disney castle their home forever. As a result, Circle 7 was scrapped, and so were the sequels. But... Toy Story 3 still sounded very enticing, and with their original creators back in control, this could be a continuation worth exploring. Coming at the end of their four year run of perfection, it was precisely that, sending its beloved characters off on a rich, entertaining, and appropriately bittersweet final note... at least, at the time.

Dark Phoenix movie review.

Before the MCU became the global titan that it is, Fox's X-Men film series laid the template for the modern superhero film as we know it. Beginning in 2000 with Bryan Singer's film, the series went through a twisty road of highs and lows, including the ill-advised Origins that almost cratered them. But with the addition of the new prequel entries, soon the franchise found its footing again, hitting its peak with Days of Future Past.

X-Men has always been the most elusive of Marvel's comic properties, the one series so successful, that Marvel themselves couldn't buy them back to be part of the MCU. But as they do, Disney eventually acquired Fox as a studio, so they can finally be part of that universe. But Fox still has two more films from that original timeline left to release, with this June's Dark Phoenix being the one to close off the original X-Men team storyline. And it's unfortunate, because this film sends them off not with a bang, but with a pathetic whimper.

"To Infinity and Beyond!" A Toy Story Retrospective: #2.

Pixar has always been a studio driven to perfectionism, and there's no better evidence of that - for better or worse - than Toy Story 2. As the film moved through various stages of production, including its home video release being shifted to theatrical, when the studio screened a rough cut, they felt they couldn't release the film in the state it was in. Against Disney's insistence, they scrapped a majority of the film, and reworked everything they'd tossed out from scratch.

Just to put things into perspective, this was nine months before the film's intended release. A tired John Lasseter, just off A Bug's Life, and his team worked themselves to the bone, sometimes to psychological breaks, and developing repetitive strains during production. Regardless of the film's quality, I can't condone that kind of crunch, and I'm certain Pixar regrets it for the effect it had. But by some sort of miracle, what should have been a nightmare, did in fact create another outstanding work. Toy Story 2 is every bit the incredible film as its predecessor, and in some areas may actually surpass it.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters movie review.

I didn't have many nice things to say about Gareth Edwards' Godzilla. I famously derided the film for how often it kept Toho's legendary atomic lizard and the monster mayhem offscreen, but even if I didn't have a problem with that, the fact that it kept cutting away to focus on aggressively boring human characters (led by a wooden Aaron Taylor-Johnson) made me grind my teeth in frustration, failing to be the Spielberg-esque creature feature it desperately wanted to be.

But cut to five years later, and Legendary Pictures have used it as a springboard to a larger shared universe, pitting Toho's many monsters against each other across various films, including in spin-off Kong: Skull Island. Going back to the Godzilla well, and with Edwards replaced by horror director Michael Dougherty, this sequel, King of the Monsters, should be an improvement. In some ways it is, but otherwise it's all status quo. A lot of the same issues that plagued the first film make a return in this follow-up, but with unique blunders tainting the final product.

"To Infinity and Beyond!" A Toy Story Retrospective: #1.

The staff of Pixar, including director John Lasseter, all had one ultimate goal in mind: creating the first full length computer animated feature. Under the guidance of Disney, and retooling an originally planned Tin Toy Christmas special, they finally earned their chance to do just that. Produced under the name Toy Story (a working title that stuck), their original effort - mainly by influence of Jeffrey Katzenberg - was a terrible affair that was the complete joyless antithesis to their optimistic spirit.

But that was never deterred, as they reworked the film from scratch, steering it closer to the vision THEY saw as best for the film, and in 1995, their hard work paid off, as their debut feature became a smash hit with audiences, soon forming one of the most beloved franchises of all time. As Pixar has evolved, however, it's easy to take for granted just what an achievement this movie was. I know I've taken it for granted, but upon revisiting it, there's just no denying what a magnificent movie this is, and through sheer virtue of its power, it still remains superior to every imitator that comes its way.

"To Infinity and Beyond!" A Toy Story Retrospective: Introduction.

In 1986, computer science icons Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith co-founded the newly independent Pixar Animation Studios. Once employees working under the banner of George Lucas, the innovators and top of the field technicians broke many boundaries, pioneering the now ubiquitous practice of computer generated effects, ushering in a new wave of creative freedom and experimentation.

But their ambitions went far beyond stained glass knights or terraformed planets, as under the backing of Apple founder and tech giant Steve Jobs, and with the creativity of budding animator and director John Lasseter, they hoped to take what they learned, and create what would become the first full-length computer animated film.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 movie review.

Three years ago, Illumination gave us a glimpse of what our pets do when we're not around in The Secret Life of Pets. Despite the fact that it was an almost shameless Toy Story rip-off, it was really popular with audiences at the time, garnering positive word of mouth, and nearly a billion dollars worldwide. I myself still believe it to be Illumination's best film, but I think that's not out of its own merit, but simply because of how aggressively mediocre their output as a studio is.

In fact, that film's success speaks greatly to Illumination's true superpower: They are killer businessmen. Having been trailed out over a year before its release, and aimed at as broad an audience as possible, it's no surprise why it was so successful, but that did little to hide what a carefully calculated product it felt like, certainly not helped by them shoving a poster for their next film Sing in our faces. Nevertheless, it was a huge moneymaker, so it's no surprise to see them back with a sequel to their hit film. I'm of two minds on this movie. While in some ways it is more inspired than it's predecessor, it's also a lot less consistent as it progressively runs on fumes.

Aladdin (2019) movie review.

Aladdin is one of the best, most fondly remembered films from the storied Disney Animations Studios lineup. It's a beautiful movie with dazzling color and design work, anchored by an endearing love story, and features unforgettable songs. But more often is best remembered for its humor, mainly off the back of Robin Williams' virtuoso voiceover as the Genie. It may not have been innovative like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were, but it's aged and held up just as well.

So with Disney hip-deep in their live-action remake phase, it was inevitable that Aladdin would see new life in this format, finally brought to us in 2019, via Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie. Alas, I find myself in a similar mindset that I was in with Beauty and the Beast two years ago, in that while the pieces can be enjoyable, this new take ultimately struggles to justify its existence under its predecessor's shadow.

Rocketman - Early access review.

Pinner born musician and songwriter Reginald Dwight - better known by his stage name Elton John - is one of the most influential artists to ever live. Alongside lyricist Bernie Taupin, he's created some of the greatest songs of all time, spanning five decades since his debut album Empty Sky, and is currently in the midst of a farewell tour before his well earned retirement. But more importantly, having led such an incredible life, and touchdown ready to bring him back around, his story is prime material for a juicy biopic. Being as jaunty and fantastical as any of his albums, Rocketman mostly does justice to the wild, crazy, and sometimes tragic extended journey of its legendary figure.

Brief thoughts on John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.

It's been a rough few weeks for retired assassin John Wick. Starting with a brutal, but riveting revenge flick, the original John Wick was an entertaining rush of pure action bliss, especially off the back of Keanu Reeves' stellar title performance. But that wasn't the end for John, soon evolving into a saga as a debt to an old ally pulled him back in, but at the end of that second Chapter saw him disowned with a bounty on his head. Now he'll have to run for his life as every assassin has their crosshairs set on him, in the weaker, but still incredibly rousing Chapter 3 - Parabellum.

Tolkien movie review.

The impact and legacy of author J.R.R. Tolkien cannot be understated. A lover of fantasy and academics, in 1937 he published The Hobbit, a simple, adventurous fantasy tale, soon followed by The Silmarillion, and the classic Lord of the Rings trilogy, a mammoth achievement in literature that changed the face of fantasy forever, has never been out of print since, and directly inspired Peter Jackson's spellbinding cinematic trilogy.

But Tolkien was a firm believer that even the best and happiest of fantasies are also the saddest ones. Though Tolkien was not a fan of allegory, he had no shortage of sadness and struggle in his personal experiences to draw from, forming lifelong friendships, finding love, serving his country in war, and living an incredible life that itself felt like a fantasy. So with that, you'd expect this biopic - of his early life before The Hobbit - to be just as enchanting and engaging. But stripped of all fantasy, it lacks that imaginative spirit of its title figure, and simply feels tired.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu movie review.

I absolutely adore Pokémon. The brainchild of Game Freak founder Satoshi Tajiri, the series has spun-off into a multitude of RPG video games, trading card games, and the long-running anime that I grew up watching religiously. Even as my devotion cooled off in my adulthood, it's one of the few childhood obsessions I've retained to this day. In fact, my dream movie has always been a live-action Pokémon, a pipe dream I'd given up seeing realized until the runaway freight train Pokémon Go! restored interest, paving the way for Legendary Pictures snatching up the film rights.

As a result, It wasn't long before we'd see a film become a reality, but about what was the question? The answer came inspired by Game Freak's Nintendo 3DS spin-off Detective Pikachu, brought to us by Goosebumps director Rob Letterman. Going into this movie, I had a lot riding on it. I don't think I've ever been more emotionally invested in a movie before seeing it. There was a real chance my dream project could have been a nightmare. So imagine my surprise, that even though it wasn't the "great" movie I'd hoped for, it was still great fun to watch, satisfying (almost) every hope I'd expected it to fulfill.

Brief thoughts on Booksmart.

We live in a world where proper comedy movies are becoming not only a rarity, but a disappointing return in investment. Despite the likes of Game Night, more often we find the comedy scene is dominated by those of Holmes and Watson, especially with former comedy icons branching into more serious output. But every so often, one does show real promise, and with coming of age films centered on young women making a comeback, why not combine the two for a sweet, but also genuinely hilarious romp? That's what we have in Booksmart, which I'm among the lucky few to see early.

Avengers: Endgame movie review (SPOILERS!)

It does feel like a thousand years ago, doesn't it? Since Marvel's once impossible idea for an ambitious crossover universe gradually became a beloved reality. And 11 years later, the first saga of that universe finally comes to an end. It's been a journey filled with emotional baggage, satisfying character growth, and a liiittle bit of punching. But part of the journey is the end, and the end may not always be happy.

That was certainly so in our last Avengers crossover, where Earth's mightiest heroes failed to stop the tirade of Thanos in the Infinity War, leading to cataclysmic losses. But they wouldn't be the Avengers if they didn't, y'know, avenge, and in the culmination of their epic 22-film journey, they're back for a gigantic, hilarious, exciting, and above all satisfying send-off, here in the Endgame.

But before getting into my thoughts...

SPOILER WARNING!: There's a lot I want to say about Endgame, but to do so will require me to drop potential and major spoilers, so for the purposes of this write-up, I won't even attempt to hold myself back. So if you haven't seen Endgame, stop reading and come back later.

So... I saw Avengers: Endgame. (No spoilers)

Here's the thing. Today, I fully expected to post a review with my full thoughts on Marvel's latest big Avengers crossover, the ten-years-in-the-making Endgame, that culminates their currently 22-movie long roster, and brings the Infinity Saga to a definitive end. But I won't. At least not today.

And it's not that I didn't have thoughts. I'm frankly worried that if I get going, you won't be able to get me to stop. But there's no adequate way for me to do that without dropping spoilers, even if they're the most seemingly insignificant ones. I also feel like I need to see it again in order to let my thoughts fully process. So I'll instead wait a week until most people have gotten a chance to see it, followed by my full, SPOILER HEAVY thoughts on the movie.

But if you really want to hear what I thought of it on first impressions, I'll give you a brief summary. First, you better be familiar with EVERY entry of the prior MCU, for even the most seemingly insignificant details yields surprising resonance and finality for this film. And believe me, it'll be worth it to get the incredible impact and emotional heft that this movie packs.

As the grand culmination of a long in-the-making saga, it is everything I hoped for it to be, and plenty I wasn't expecting it to be, but was pleasantly surprised by. It is exciting, emotionally powerful, incredibly fun, hilarious at times without upsetting the grim nature, and sends a number of its characters off with a perfect, satisfying note. Even at three hours, this feels like an absolute breeze, and thankfully gives each of the characters a healthy amount of time and equality in the main narrative, with the cast bringing their absolute A-game, some with their best work of the franchise thus far.

Incidentally, there is no post credits clip (quite appropriately I say), so you can leave as soon as the credits begin, but I'd suggest at least staying for the mid credits, which by themselves were emotionally stirring. Of course, it's only one small part of what makes this such a great time at the movies, and easily one of the finest outings of the MCU.

Penguins have the Teen Spirit to break The Curse of La Llorona.

This isn't sponsored, I promise, but I do genuinely love AMC's Stubs A-List program, allowing me to see up to 3 movies weekly on most of their available screens, spread across several days, or all on the same Saturday if I so wish. It's been a great help to me recently, and actually encourages me to break out of my usual wheelhouse, and check out movies I'd otherwise skip out on. That doesn't mean I actively go out of my way to watch everything (even for free, I have no desire to see Unplanned), but I love having those options available if I so choose.

But one con about the program? Being weary of your stamina. If choosing to watch all three films in one day, the amount of tonal whiplash can be rough on you. It's pretty jarring to go from Wonder Park straight into Climax. And this week was no different, in which I saw three wildly different movies appealing to very different audiences: Conjuring spin-off The Curse of La Llorona, Disneynature documentary Penguins, and debut director Max Minghella's Teen Spirit. Just for fun, I thought about reviewing all three simultaneously, to embody the utter tonal shifts in my viewing experience.

Brief thoughts on Missing Link.

Laika have quickly established themselves as the Pixar of stop-motion, branching out into stories of wildly different styles and genre with each film, but all held together by their unmistakable stamp of quality. They've excelled well in creating great family films, but even so, they've usually skewed towards a dark nature, often with a macabre vibe to them. Even the comparatively light Boxtrolls had an off-kilter sense of humor. Which is why it's surprising, pleasantly in fact, coming off the heels of Kubo and the Two Strings, for the studio to deliver a more mainstream appealing family film in Missing Link, becoming another thorough delight from the studio.

Hellboy movie review.

In 1993, artist and comic book writer Mike Mignola created the popular Hellboy character, the anti-hero son of the Devil, summoned to earth, and now spends his life fighting demons and monsters under the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. The character has gained a steady and passionate following since. Ten years after his solo series launching, he'd even garner an entertaining live-action film adaptation, headed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman, that was followed up in 2008 by its sequel The Golden Army, which managed to be even better.

But in the years following, as del Toro was entangled in his doomed enterprise on The Hobbit, and studio interference wormed its way to the front, it seemed unlikely that a third entry would follow. With both del Toro and Perlman stepping away, things shifted instead to an R-rated reboot, now with David Harbour playing the title character. But losing that original dynamic, what this new interpretation of Hellboy offers us loses that original spirit, and feels less like a rebirth, and more like an obligation.

Brief thoughts on Pet Sematary.

One of the darkest of Stephen King's novels, Pet Sematary has already been adapted to the screen before, the original Mary Lambert film (which I haven't seen) celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. But time has not been kind to that movie for many fans of King, and in the wake of King's recent golden age with It, it seemed a perfect candidate to resurrect. Maybe this time it'll work. Sometimes remade is better.

And I can definitively say "no," in this case it wasn't, because this new Pet Sematary is a cluster of wasted potential.

Brief thoughts on Dumbo (2019).

1941's Dumbo is by no means a classic, cobbled together as a quick means of recuperating money lost on Fantasia. But it is still a short, sweet little movie in spite of its aimlessness and horribly dated stereotypes. And with Disney in the midst of their live-action remake trend, it seemed a perfect candidate for such treatment, as being freed from the shackles of expectations, it could improve the original story, and perhaps offer some redemption to director Tim Burton, who himself started this trend a decade ago with Alice in Wonderland. Alas, while it's a fine film, it's not the return to form I hoped for him.

Brief thoughts on Gloria Bell.

In 2013, Chilean director Sebastian Lelio released Gloria, starring Paulina Garcia as a woman finding happiness in her 50's. Interestingly enough, however, is that following A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience, 2019 sees him revisiting familiar territory. That's because Lelio himself remakes his earlier film in English, renamed Gloria Bell and starring Julianne Moore in the title role. Having not seen the original film, I came in fresh with no idea what to expect, but upon exiting, I felt richly rewarded and deeply engaged with its quaint, sometimes rocky slice of life storytelling.

Shazam! movie review.

Seeking to compete against Marvel at its own game, the DC universe has went through massive retools to stay afloat. The dour grimness of Batman v Superman instantly rubbed audiences the wrong way, leading to progressively lighthearted stabs at their source material with choppy quality control. After all, this is the same studio that followed Wonder Woman with the behind the scenes nightmare Justice League. Now instead of trying to sort out the kinks of the intertwined stories, DC has wisely decided to scale back and treat their films as stand-alone entries with brief outside references.

Following Justice League, DC's new approach officially got started last December with James Wan's Aquaman, an entertaining improvement that I've nevertheless forgotten about since. But the more drastic change in course comes in the form of this April's Shazam!, based on one of their earliest superheroes, originally named Captain Marvel (subsequently, they've stopped calling him that). And with a more lighthearted, comical tone, this stands as a solid representation for where the DCEU can go from here. Shazam!, by default I'll admit, stands as the universe's second best entry following Wonder Woman.

Us movie review.

Through his career, Jordan Peele has made a reliable name for himself in the realm of comedy, be it his stint on MadTV, and his Key & Peele sketch show with Keegan-Michael Key, along with their tag team film Keanu. Needless to say, it sure seemed like a career 180 when he decided to try his hand at the horror genre, let alone craft one that would go on to earn a Best Picture nomination. But that's precisely what he did with Get Out, a sort of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner with hypnosis, merging dark comedy and societal satire with the unnerving claustrophobia of a horror movie.

It was a breath of fresh air for horror, which in the last decade has finally veered away from incessant jump scare factories, favoring those valuing thoughtful stories and genuine frights over cheap 'Boo" effects. Two years and a Best Screenplay Oscar later, Peele returns with his follow-up, another venture into the horror genre, but rather than opt for another dark satire, veers into the familiar doppelganger horror trope. In his second movie, he continues to evolve as a filmmaker, both becoming an outstanding storyteller and visualist, standing right alongside his original debut. It's Us.

Climax and Wonder Park mini-reviews.

Recently, I haven't always had the immediate desire to write many actual reviews. Partly because of busy personal conflict, but also because - to be frank - not every new release merits an expansive review. Factoring in the intense whiplash I often feel with my AMC Stubs A-List subscription (going from Boy Erased to Ralph Breaks the Internet is a trip), it can be easy to lose focus.

But every so often, I still feel like penning some thoughts down, and after having the most bipolar double feature you could possibly imagine, I thought it would be amusing to compare. Not only that, but I'll be doing my best to lay out more thoughts on future viewing experiences, if not given full review status. So let's dissect this.

Captain Marvel movie review.

Marvel's Cinematic Universe has been very slow to broaden their character diversity. While Black Panther showed great steps taken in putting focus on black superheroes, it's taken decidedly longer for a woman to take center stage. That's a bit dubious when your roster has Black Widow, who's been attached to the universe almost since the start, and yet is still awaiting her own solo entry. It's made more pronounced since we live in a post-Wonder Woman world, where the comparatively flimsy DCEU did justice to such an iconic character, succeeding in their fourth film what's taken Marvel over a decade to act on.

But 21 movies in, that realization is finally upon us. The name Captain Marvel has been the calling sign of a number of gifted individuals, but perhaps the most fondly remembered is Carol Danvers, the subject of Marvel's latest blockbuster event, and a last warm-up before Avengers: Endgame. And much like the history of Danvers, it's a very rocky road in order to bring such an icon justice, but eventually it succeeds. As much as I enjoyed this movie, it doesn't quite live up to the power of its lead character.

Another journey to The Hidden World of How to Train Your Dragon.

It's been a month now since I first saw The Hidden World, the final chapter in Dreamworks' How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. Back when I originally reviewed it, I put forth the argument that this could be the greatest animated trilogy ever made. I still believe in such an argument, but back then, I knew I was probably too blinded by hyperbole to allow myself a level-headed approach, so I let my thoughts simmer before solidifying anything, even intentionally disregarding any grades in the meantime. Now that I've had some time to cool myself on it, and give the film a much needed second look, I feel like I can definitively cement my feelings on it. While it may be the weakest of the three, it's still a stellar closing chapter to what is an otherwise fantastic series.

My official predictions for the 91st annual Academy Awards.

Chalk it up to my usual apathy, but I just don't see a lot of excitement coming from the build up to this Sunday's annual Oscar ceremony. I should be more eager, given certain categories will be up in the air, with multiple viable contenders having a shot at the win. The thing is, it's not the usual race that leaves me apathetic. It's that I have no intention of watching the ceremony at all.

In an attempt to give their ratings a boost, AMPAS, under the new leadership of John Bailey, has continually backpedaled on one terrible decision after another. Starting with plans for a Best Popular Film category, a thinly veiled attempt to pander to the masses with films the snobbish Academy deem unworthy of legitimate recognition, such as Black Panther. Then there was the debacle with former host Kevin Hart's homophobic tweet resurfacing, and Hart, rather than show any maturity or regret for it, actively doubled down on defending his words. Then there was the decision to cut most of the Original Song nominees, last year's acting winners not being invited to present, and four technical categories that were going to be presented during commercial breaks. Disgraceful!

Say what you will about Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Dick Poop and all, but at least she had a heart for her job. John Bailey has no soul, let alone a heart. Everything about this year's program feels like money-grubbing, calculated, pandering cynicism incarnate. Apparently we have no time to let deserving people take to the stage and give a heartfelt speech, but we do have time for useless crap like Adam Lambert and Queen opening the show. It's some of the most embarrassing showmanship I've seen since Adam Shankman's disastrous 2010 hack job, and AMPAS would do well to get their act together in time for next year's telecast, starting with ousting its president and finding someone who actually knows what they're doing.

Anyway, now that I'm done ranting, let's predict who's going to win.

Alita: Battle Angel movie review.

It's been a lengthy journey to the big screen for Battle Angel Alita, a popular cyberpunk manga series published between 1990 and 1995, set in a post-apocalyptic scrapyard world. The series garnered a wealth of curious eyes in the years since, earning itself a passionate fandom. One of these fans happened to be director James Cameron, with whom this story begins. Cameron became obsessed with the series after being introduced to it, scooping up the film rights, and pledging to bring it to the big screen.

Obviously this took longer than expected, given Cameron's lengthy 12 year hiatus after Titanic, and instead of Alita, put his full force behind Avatar, and eventually its upcoming sequels, again placing Alita on the back burner. Clearly Cameron wasn't going to have the free time to bring it to life as its director, and in his place, we have Mariachi-man Robert Rodriguez to take charge with Cameron's blessing, bringing Alita: Battle Angel to the screen at last. And for a story as fascinating as that, I just wish the finished film could have been so as well.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World movie review.

The How to Train Your Dragon series are some of my favorite animated features of the last decade. Inspired by Cressida Cowell's books, and through directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the first film was a tremendously sweet, entertaining, and dazzling adventure that appealed equally to kids and adults. Cut to four years later, where DeBlois took sole director's credit for its sequel, that despite grounding itself with a darker tone, was an incredibly rich expansion with more than a few gut-punching wallops that improved upon the original.

This has largely been owed to the unbreakable friendship between viking Hiccup and dragon Toothless, that has been the focal point and anchor of every entry, especially with how the two matured into their new roles as leader of their respective kinds. But such a friendship has also seen its trials, many which continue into the third entry, and definitive ending to the saga, The Hidden World. Going into this film, I was very excited, but it was also a bittersweet excitement given how I've come to love these characters, and so the film had a lot of expectations to meet. And while I want to give the film some more time (and another watch) to sink in before solidifying anything, I will be bold as to say this... that this could stand as one of the greatest trilogies ever made.

My Top 15 Most Anticipated Films of 2019...

With 2018 put to bed (finally), it's time to look ahead and play our favorite game, "Will Next Year Be Better?" One can only hope it will, because for the first time in a while, I'm feeling apathetic about it. Maybe it's just leftover cynicism, but the year doesn't inspire too much confidence in me. But I'm all for being proven wrong, and seeing that it will be a remarkable year full of wonderful films. I've already seen a couple strong improvements this year. Then again, I've also seen Serenity, so...

Anyway, as always, a countdown of the films I'm most looking forward to in the upcoming year, while keeping my hyperbole in check.

My only rules of exclusion are as follows: It must have either a confirmed release date, or at least have a trajectory to open this year (for this reason, I've left off The French Dispatch and Chaos Walking). It also must have premiered after this list's publication, and I must not have already watched it. Lastly, if it made the list or honorable mentions last year, it won't be eligible for inclusion this year (which explains where Bernadette went).

This list caters mainly to more well known films releasing this year, as independent fare or films releasing during festivals tend to fly under the radar. My personal anticipation may change down the line, but if a film you're looking forward to isn't on here, I either haven't heard of it, I know it exists but it just missed out on the list, or I have little to no anticipation for it (Hopefully King of the Monsters isn't the drudge Godzilla was).


Here are the lucky honorable mentions:
25. Zombieland: Double Tap

24. The Personal History of David Copperfield

23. Frozen 2

22. The Goldfinch

21. The Woman in the Window

20. Ford v Ferrari

19. It: Chapter Two

18. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

17. Under the Silver Lake

16. Yesterday


And now, audience, the top fifteen...

The Top Ten Best Films of 2018.

It's not always easy in the real world. In cinema, everything feels so simple, tidy, perfect. Outside, it's much messier, cynical, and at times spirit breaking. We all go through natural peaks and dips in mood, and I certainly had mine across the year. In fact, for the first time ever, I almost wanted to drop my reviewing hobby altogether, sometimes actively forcing myself to do so out of obligation (and I think some of my write-ups suffered for it). I wanted to feel uplifted, but the lackluster slate just wasn't doing it for me.

But it wasn't all doom and gloom, to be certain. Early in the year, national spirit was high as the Winter Olympics held their bow in PyeongChang in February, giving way to Black Panther becoming a cultural phenomenon, the latest edition of Royal weddings and babies, and greater, more inclusive shifts in the larger political pendulum (even if we still have a ways to go). That's without getting into some of the smaller, but no less meaningful acts of kindness performed by everyday heroes, that remind you of the kindness that people are still capable of. There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric sluaghterhouse that was once known as humanity, and so long as it keeps thriving, we have to believe it'll work out in the end.

And even with the weaker set of films than usual, when we needed them most, they showed up, even offering us greater variety in selection (interestingly enough, compared to my last list with 6 Best Picture nominees, I only included 3 this year). Black Panther being an early heavyweight, but also the smash success of Crazy Rich Asians, and a continually great level of creative diversity as well. Not to mention Marvel finally bringing all the pieces together for its spectacular multiplayer smash-em-up Infinity War, whose momentum they'll be attempting to keep up with Endgame this April. So while the doom and gloom may have been much, at least that escapism could always be relied upon, if not to mend it, than to at least ease it. So here's to those bright spots of 2018, and hopefully 2019 won't let us down.

As always, this best of list is purely as it stands at the moment, as I've still not seen some acclaimed films like Cold War, Burning, or Everybody Knows from Asghar Farhadi. I hope I'm able to watch them all soon, but for now, let's get to the real deal.

As always, some quick honorable mentions. Leave No Trace was one of the most understated and emotionally affecting films of the year for me, a terrific showcase for stars Ben Foster and Thomasin H. McKenzie, as a father and daughter navigating the complexities of social interaction. Sorry to Bother You was by far the year's wildest movie, a thoroughly original and at times scathingly funny satire of our Orwellian corporate overreach and homogenization, and makes the unapologetically bonkers mind of first-time director Boots Riley one to watch. Isle of Dogs saw Wes Anderson return to stop-motion with his same irreverent charm and wit, creating one of the year's most beautiful technical showcases with an outstanding hand-crafted build, and wringing great laughs and sometimes tears from its splendid voice cast. If Beale Street Could Talk was a strong return for director Barry Jenkins, taking a snapshot view of the lives affected by the abuse of authoritative power, and the odd and sometimes esoteric places in which love can be found, and taken comfort from. Eighth Grade was an awkward but no less honest portrayal of the waywardness and anxiety of teenage adolescence, featuring a fantastic Elsie Fisher holding the movie together, as its unspectacular, but no less charming and poised audience surrogate.

And without further ado, the countdown of my top ten films of the year begins.
Now, let's shoot something.

The Top Ten Worst Films of 2018.

Let's. Get. This. Over with!

Usually I begin with a longer preamble before jumping into the year, but not this time. I was no fan of 2018. While the slate did offer up good things, it was a total snooze fest as far as the general sense goes. From my perspective, it seemed like the quality of the output was consistently middling. While it got off to a good start with Black Panther, as it went on, it seemed more stagnant than usual, especially in regards to the summer season (Deadpool 2, Solo, Fallen Kingdom, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Christopher Robin among others), whose output underwhelmed me, and I was oddly more taken by the independent fare around that time.

Or if not, it sure felt that way because 2018 was just horrible in genral. If 2017 was a slight improvement in the world mood, 2018 was a downright regression. Not only was it a wild personal ride that wreaked havoc with my anxiety, but a year with events that served only to stoke fear and hopelessness, with tragedies like the school shooting in Parkland, FL setting a grim tone, the fallout and raging bigotry from the Brazil elections, and the various natural disasters of hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes. That's without mentioning the madness courtesy of US President Trump's insane leadership, where it was one controversy after another, capping the year off by forcing the States into the longest government shutdown in history. Absolutely disgraceful.

So it was a rough year to say the least, and I'm thankful when these worst of lists finally come around, that way I can unleash some pent up anger. But even someone as self-sadistic as myself can't endure every piece of trash, so I've managed to avoid the likes of Slender Man, Death Wish, The Nun, God's Not Dead 3, Blumhouse's Truth or Dare (Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire), or Death of a Nation, the latest propaganda piece from modern day Leni Riefenstahl, Dinesh D'Souza.

Anyway, before getting into the main list, here come the dishonorable mentions. Peppermint starred Jennifer Garner back in her Alias action mode, wasting her on a thoroughly unpleasant and ludicrous vigilante story that bordered on glorifying its bloodshed, with major twists that could be seen a mile away. Venom was an utter trainwreck of a spin-off, getting lost within the utter insanity of its production and unintentional humor, but in regards to its trashiness, it was ultimately too innocent to put in the main ten. A Wrinkle in Time squandered the talent of its cast and director Ava DuVernay, valuing colorful visuals over genuinely deep ideological meditation, instead settling for a stripped down and dull Disneyfied rendition of unadaptable source material. Pacific Rim: Uprising felt like a cheap ABC Pilot rather than a true sequel, pushing aside the original cast in favor of boring newcomers, and ultimately feels cheap and unimpressive compared to its exciting predecessor. Alicia Vikander tried her best to elevate Tomb Raider, but even she couldn't save it from the curse of dull video game adaptations, that at times was so incompetent in filming and scripting, you couldn't believe it had a $100 million dollar budget.

And without further ado, let's leave some films rolling in the street.
Like a turd in the wind.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part movie review.

Not everything is awesome, but The LEGO Movie certainly was. For what many assumed looked like a cynical feature length commercial, it instead was an inspired surprise embodying the insane creative spirit of its toy blocks. An hilarious, sweet, and subversive movie in how it upended audience expectation and classic animation clichés, it was by far one of this decade's funniest movies, launching into breakneck mile-a-minute speed with gags of every sort of variety, soon launching into a riotous solo spin-off with Batman, and then with Ninjago (which I admit I haven't seen).

The film even ended on a funny sequel baiting note, with the arrival of the Duplo Block invaders. And five years later, with the release of the sequel to The LEGO Movie, the second film to the original first film, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, that invasion comes full circle as the second half of that two-part circle. But... is it as awesome as the first? Is it as cool when we're part of the team? I can't say that, but it's still a funny and inspired film nonetheless.

Glass movie review.

Unbreakable is, in my eyes, one of the most underrated films ever made, M. Night Shyamalan's follow-up to The Sixth Sense that starred Bruce Willis as the sole survivor of a deadly train crash, soon discovering that he has incredible strength and resiliency. It was a very grounded, but progressively fantastical deconstruction and celebration of vintage comic book tropes and stories, and featured some of the best performances of Willis', and especially Samuel L. Jackson's career. Back then, Shyamalan had intentions to turn the film into a trilogy, but as he turned to other films and a long slump, that intention seemed unlikely.

That is, until that fire was stoked yet again with Split, that starred a virtuoso James McAvoy as a man with 24 distinct personalities, and its last scene revealed itself to be set within the Unbreakable universe. Two years later, we finally have the culmination of his vision, the crossover Glass that acts as the final installment of his trilogy, as the shattered and unshattered clash in the ultimate battle of good vs evil. But is it the culmination that we really wanted?

Roma movie review.

It's been far too long since we last saw Alfonso Cuaron. One of the most engaging and technically precise international filmmakers working, Cuaron has always been a singular and distinct filmmaking force unto himself, affirming himself with independent fare such as Y Tu Mama Tambien, before truly announcing himself with the likes of The Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, and 2013's nail-biting space thriller Gravity. But despite the high quality of his films, that only makes the wait for them more agitating.

Cuaron is something of a perfectionist, taking careful time to iron out his projects before releasing them (like the 7 years after Children of Men it took to see Gravity), and with each of his films showing incredible technical sharpness as a result. These projects come to feel very personal for Cuaron, and nowhere is that personal touch more keenly felt than his latest film, the Netflix released Roma, set within the titular neighborhood in Mexico City, as it follows the experiences of a family over the course of a year, that sees Cuaron at his most stripped down, and emotionally powerful result yet.

Brief thoughts on If Beale Street Could Talk.

Beale Street is a historic district in New Orleans, Louisiana, an early birth place of Jazz and Blues, where figures like Louis Armstrong have come and gone. But Beale Street, as transcribed by author James Baldwin, is more than its name. Beale Street is a feeling, a sensation unifying the African-American experience, and the commond ground, love, and heritage the people share. It's an abstract concept, but intentionally so, in which Baldwin encourages the reader to find his or her own meaning to the text. And in media form, we have Moonlight director Barry Jenkins bringing to life his meaning to it, finding the sensitive heart and beauty of If Beale Street Could Talk, creating an intimate, but fully engrossing saga of love and struggle