Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; Does an excellent job respecting the original while providing decent justification for revisiting the themes and circumstances all over again. The new blood meshes seamlessly and fits right in perfectly. Ortega is a draw unto herself, but O’Hara and Keaton are legendary; B+

Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion; Captures essence of ride’s tone, w/equal parts ghostly and comedy. Cast is well chosen & nods to theme park aspects are highlights. Suffers from a jumbled third act and what seems to be edits to character moments and scenes. Wish it were better but still fun; B

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan; Impeccable digital rendering of animals shows no expense was spared, but the F/X animation doesn’t have a story worthy of it. Voice cast is excellent and bring their best to what is a simple, true (??) story that seems to be more fantasy than fact; B-

The Virgin Suicides

The Virgin Suicides; Exhaustingly solemn and emotionally bereft, populated with characters we couldn’t care less about on account that we never truly get to know them. Says very little about a very serious topic, making it seem more of a fashion shoot than tragic reality; D

Jumanji: The Next Level

Jumanji: The Next Level; Twisting conceit of previous film makes for another enjoyable experience that feels familiar yet fresh at same time. Cast plays perfectly inhabiting new roles. Action scenes are much like a video game but it’s the heartfelt moments that surprise most; A-

Dumbo

Dumbo; Solid, family fare, though not that joyous (much like the original). Keaton relishes his villainous role with a zealous turn. Dumbo is animated with cuteness while the story and danger surrounding him is anything but; B+

SmallFoot

Smallfoot; A bizarrely odd imbalance of animated hi jinks, with more songs than the advertisement campaign let on. The characters aren't at all that likeable, creating a disconnect to the story and its messaging. Can't quite seem to find a rhythm but has its moments; B-

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond; Wholly fascinating and frustrating to watch. Revealing and captivating but a little one sided in its revisionist history. Would like to have heard from more of the players today; A-