Transformers One

Transformers One; Surprisingly fun with some great vocal performances. Animation looked great and if you look past the sheer lunacy of this being an origin story (do Transformers grow up?), the jokes land well and the core story comes across with emotional resonance. More than meets the eye; B

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie; Filled w/decades of references, demonstrating depth of available content, movie really economizes its characters for a short run time that appeals to the youngest viewers while offering adults a hit of nostalgia and fun. Launching a new universe; B+

Pinocchio

Pinocchio; Expertly crafted and filled with wonder and charm, an update or remake of a film oddly out of time. Hanks’ acting comes across hammy and ridiculous but the other cast members make the most of their roles. Many segments look good but not a wish we needed to (re)make; B

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers; A fun romp stuffed chock full of cartoon cameos and nods to animation history. The premise is funny and the voice actors have the comedic timing to keep up with the cartoon lunacy. Not cinematic level material but perfect for a streaming feature; B+

The Bubble

The Bubble; Some exceptionally enjoyable & hilarious actors, along with some Apatows, make a silly thing about a silly time when we were in early stages of Covid-19 protocols. Mocks actors for their faux hardships while being partially reflective of what we all went through; B-

The Prom

The Prom; Technicolour transfer of stage musical seems hand picked for Murphy’s Glee pedigree. A-list cast + musical veterans excel and revel in their roles, while pushing the focus of the film’s LGBTQ2 couple off screen to a degree. Still, loads of fun numbers for everyone; B+

The Lion King

The Lion King; Impressively spectacular photorealistic animated remake looks stunning. The original was already cinematic in its shot selection, so it hews closely to the angles and imagery. Voice cast excels and delivers lines both familiar and surprising with much delight; A-

Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4; Introduces some fun, new characters which only goes to show how much this series needs to be retired. Animation is top notch and would be better applied to new, original material. And Randy Newman’s music has overstayed it’s welcome by about 4 movies; B+

Keanu

Keanu; Enough potential to warrant further Key & Peele movies but not enough humour to sustain the premise for a feature length film; B-

The Angry Birds Movie

The Angry Birds Movie; Surprisingly relevant depiction of colonization as told through physics video game bird characters. Who knew? B-

Hotel Transylvania 2

Hotel Transylvania 2; Mildly entertaining with next to no new elements. Family tale misses opportunities for humour and sweetness; C+