Tag: Animated Features

ELEMENTAL (2023) – Review

When thinking of the animation process, we naturally think of giving movement to characters created by artists using pencil, clay, puppets, and now, most prominently, pixels. Sure, that’s a literal interpretation, to “breathe life” into these renderings. A big part of this art goes beyond the main figures as the talents must create a “world” for them, one that can mesh with their designs and the story itself. With the most recent hit animated feature, we’re taken on an dizzying trip in multiple worlds, many which resemble our home. Expanding on classic cartoon shorts (“Flowers and Trees” certainly springs to mine), the creative minds at Pixar Studios have imagined settings for objects “humanized”, from the motor maniacs of the CARS series to the “interior concepts” of the emotions of INSIDE OUT and the afterlife of SOUL. In this new release, we’re sent into a place without “us”, Instead it’s variations of the “big four”: earth, wind, fire, and water, hence its title ELEMENTAL.


The story begins with a brief history of one part of the quartet, fire. Actually, it’s a “fire family” who arrive at Element City’s version of Ellis Island, where they’re given the name “Lumen”. The couple, Cinder (voice of Shila Omni), who is “with child”, and Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) head straight to the Fire Town district and convert a condemned building into “The Fireplace”, a general store/deli for “heat stuffs”. As the years pass it becomes a neighborhood fixture as the Lumen daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) is groomed to “take over the family business”. She’s even put in charge of the big annual “red dot” sale when a burst pipe nearly destroys all the stock in the basement. And even worse, the flooding brings a “by the book” city inspector, the “water-born” Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), who may get the store shut down. Luckily Ember controls her temper and convinces Wade to ask his boss, the big stormy cloud Gale (Wendi McLendon-Covey) to grant a temp reprieve if they can track down the water backup. The duo works together to find and fix (for the moment) a busted overflow reservoir from the flume-like transit train. But as they team up on the repair mystery, the unthinkable happens. Ember and Wade develop feelings for each other. So what will their family think of this forbidden romance? Is there any way to make it work? And will these emotional complications distract them from another possible disaster that could jeopardize the entire city?

As opposed to most of the other major feature animation studios, the filmmakers of Pixar don’t do a lot of “stunt casting”, the practice of getting high-profile “star names ” to voice their creations. Rather, they once again, find those vocal performers that convey the nuances of their roles. That’s the case with relative newcomer Lewis, who certainly brings the “fire” to Ember (sorry), especially as she loses her temper and succumbs to “retail rage” (guessing that’s a “thing”) when trying to run the family “biz’ and wrangle the often clueless customers. But she also delivers a tenderness, and yes, warmth as she aids her loving parents and later as she ignites that spark between her and Wade. As the, at first, overbearingly officious Mr. Ripple, Athie is very funny as the twitchy and easily exasperated “meter reader” who is quick to “turn on the waterworks” (really, the tears careen from his eyes like Niagra Falls). And he undergoes a change after meeting Ember, more than making his fluid fingers boil, as he becomes emboldened and learns to stand tall and fight for his new paramour. The talented animation artist Del Carmen proves quite adept and endearing as the Lumen patriarch, the tough and tender “girl daddy”. As for the Ripples, comedy legend Catherine O’Hara is bubbly (yes) and delightful as Mama Brook. Much of the same can be said of the terrific McLendon-Covey as Wade’s blustery boss who is equally devoted to keeping Elemental City running smoothly and safely and her favorite sports team the wondrous Windbreakers.

Once more the artistic assembly at Emeryville, CA has carefully crafted an amazingly beautiful story set in a marvelously clever and beautifully rendered fantasy world. Elemental City is truly a dream come true, recalling the familiar expanses of the Big Apple while branching out into amusing bits of whimsy (gotta’ get the big coffee table “art of” book to savor all the signage). Oh, and that’s not meant to detract from the astounding character designs and movement. Ember, along with her fire family and friends, recall a flickering flame as her limbs and head are in constant flutter along with her facial features (I would focus on the wavering noses and eyes), all held together by clothing made of a nonflammable material (perhaps a bit of hard leather). Wade and his water world move about as though they were translucent balloons almost bursting with liquid rolling forward on a trickling rolling stream (with interior bubbles always on the move), and given heft by rubbery bits of clothing (he’s gotta; have a nice work shirt and tie). Gale and the gasses float about and burst into smaller clouds before reforming with their outer edges twisting in the breeze. But what about Earth? They’re solid (literally) with heads made of dirt clods with noses and eyes as roots and grass for hair. Without a script it’s all lovely “eye candy”, so the writing quartet has concocted a witty script that tries to capture the themes of lovers who aren’t supposed to unite (lots of WEST SIDE STORY along with other racial/culture clashes) and delivering a not-so-subtle message about xenophobia, as the Lumen family is often treated with fear and anger (“Their kind is dangerous”). These subjects are worthy of tackling in this medium, but it often takes away from the story’s flow as the big “action crisis” is jettisoned for the film’s middle act and feels dropped into the finale to give it a shot of disaster danger (complete with a big chase). After the recent non-stop thrills of the Spider-Verse, the pace may seem a bit too languid, but it’s a big improvement over the lackluster LIGHTYEAR of the previous year. It doesn’t quite have the emotional wallop of many of the Pixar classics, but there are lots of visual delights and clever storytelling to be enjoyed in the bubbly and nearly boiling ELEMENTAL.

3 Out of 4

ELEMENTAL opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, June 16, 2923

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE – Review

(from left) Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

As I mentioned in last week’s review of the big D&D flick (which topped the box office charts), the 2023 Spring season of game and toy based-movies has finally reached its biggest destination, or at least until Mattel’s “power couple” arrives. And much like last week’s trio of releases, it’s a nostalgic ‘deep dive”, going back over 40 years. Mind you this duo and their giant video game franchise hit the big screen 30 years, in live-action, and is now considered a loopy bit of campy fun. Ah, but there’s no more glued-on phony facial hair in this one because it’s all rendered in lush computer-generated animation by one of the more successful not-Pixar studios of the past couple of decades. But can they jump (and gobble and drive) from the minions to tackle THE SUPER MARIO BROS> MOVIE? And…start…


Before we get to meet the guys, we’re transported to a weird world of ice where an army of fierce fightin’ penguins meets their match in the Kupa turtle army led by the menacing, fire-breathing Bowser (voice of Jack Black). Meanwhile, back in the Big Apple, scrappy plumber bros Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) have opened up their own repair biz but don’t get any respect from former boss Spike ( Sebastian Maniscalco) or even their own family. And after a disastrous first gig, they’re thinking about throwing in the (very wet) towel. But then Mario sees that their neighborhood is being flooded by water rising through the sewer grates and manhole covers. It looks like the city crews can’t get a handle on it, so the boys join the fight. Unfortunately, the water sweeps them further down, below the streets, into a long-neglected sub, sub-area. That’s when a weird glowing pipe sucks in the brothers. Luigi lands in a dark scary land, near of graveyard and a nearby black castle with a lava moat. Mario drops into the Mushroom (his least favorite food) Kingdom where he meets the helpful Toad (Keegan_Michael Key), who tells him that the best way to find Luigi is to ask the land’s ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) for help. But she’s got her hands full with the news of the approaching Kupa army and Bowser (who wants to wed her). She believes that they must join forces with the Kong Kingdom and so the trio travels there. Their king, Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen) will only help if Mario can defeat his son, the reigning “maze-fighting” champ Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) in the big arena. But even if he’s victorious over the hulking brute, will Mario reunite with Luigi, before Bowser claims this strange land and sets his sights on the world above?


The all-star cast sounds as though they’re having a blast voicing these iconic characters that were probably a big part of their childhood. Pratt (who does a bit of the Italian dialect in an early sequence) is properly heroic and confident as Mario, even as his training and a certain ape pummel him. Day is the shakey, in-need-of-protecting kid brother who finally finds his inner warrior thanks to the love of his big bro. Taylor-Joy is an approachable princess, kind of a big sister or sitter to the duo, who is far from the typical storybook “damsel in distress”. Key is full of squeaky-voiced charm as the ever-helpful Toad. Armisen brings a bit of off-kilter snark to the rascally Cranky Kong. Bowser is given a gravely-voiced gravitas by Black (I keep thinking of Mickey’s nemesis Pete), who makes him into a soulful lounge lizard at the piano for his anthem love ballads for “Peaches”. Sure, they’re terrific, but the stand out for me was the perfect casting of Rogen as an agitated aggressive grumpy gorilla, who boasts while he bashes, but is capable of “niceness”. Seth’s familiar chuckle just sounds right coming out of the mouth of the muscular barrel-tosser.

Oh, the aforementioned animation house is the French branch of Illumination. This isn’t their first licensed property (the Seuss stories), so they ably adapt the pixel people into full fluid moving cartoon stars (there was a Saturday morning cartoon in the late 80s). As this is a co-production with Nintendo, the classic character designs are closely followed, somehow making the story work between the more “realistic” Peach to the “bigfoot-style” brothers, the 30s take on the Kongs, and the funny fiendish Bowser and his reptile crew. The use of 80s pop-tunes seems to work within the tale’s action beats. Bits of the gameplay (coins, boxes, and ‘shrooms) are cleverly dropped in, along with some witty bits of slapstick and dialogue. Special kudos to the color stylists who created some eye-popping rainbow-hued backdrops and props. This isn’t a huge ground-breaking achievement in animation history, but it moves along at a good pace for both kids and their folks making this “family fare” that’s better than most world expect. Maybe I wouldn’t use that “s” word, but I’d say that smarty, stylish, and silly work for THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE. And Santa, how about a solo Donkey Kong spin-off flick, ‘puh-leeze’?!

3 out of 4

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is now playing in theatres everywhere

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH – Review

Now, what would make this most “magical time of the year” more magical? How about a return visit from several of our favorite fairy tale friends? Oh, but hold up, this new release isn’t another animated romp with those two green lovebirds and their donkey BFF. But you’re close as its focus is another pal of theirs. It’s not his first solo outing, rather it’s a long-awaited (eleven years) follow-up. And talk about magic, it’s the big goal of him and all the other characters in PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH. En Garde, kitty-cat…


After a brief prologue telling us about the legendary “wishing star” we’re tossed into the midst of a raucous party thrown by everybody’s “favorite fearless hero”, Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas), And wouldn’t you know it, the owner of the “locale estate” makes an unexpected return. The ensuing “throw-down” with his security team awakens the sleeping nearby “mountain giant”. Naturally, only Puss can take it on, but the battle to save the village lands him in a doctor’s office. That doc (or is he a vet) informs Puss that he just died. Ah, but he’s gifted with nine lives and that was only…number eight. The “prescription” is to high-tail to the quiet confines of Mama Luna’s Cat Rescue Haven. Ah, but that’s not for Puss, so it’s off to the cantina for lots of “dairy shots” and an encounter with a sinister bounty hunter, the Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura). Puss barely escapes with his last life and heads to Mama Luna’s (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) where he’s “domesticated” and buries his swashbuckling attire. He also befriends a feisty pup posing as a cat, Perro (Harvey Guillen). It’s not long before adventure finds him as the place is invaded by the “crimin’ family” of Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo), who think that Puss has the secret map to the aforementioned “wishing star’. After the quartet leaves (they don’t recognize the tamed Puss), he, along with Perro, tracks them to the lair of evil collector “Big” Jack Horner (John Mulaney), just as his “trackers” bring him that mystical map. But before Puss or Goldie’s team can swipe it, the map’s nabbed by Puss’s former “flame”, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). After an awkward reunion, Pussy, Kitty, and Perro dash away to the star’s location, the “Dark Forest”. Of course Goldie, the Bears, and Jack (with his “Bakers’ Dozen) are hot on their furry tails. Can the heroic trio reach the star before the others? And will Puss use its power to restore his eight lives?

After more than a decade away from the role, Banderas still charms us with his over-confident swagger, though it’s tinged with fear over the cat’s looming mortality. Oh, he belts out the opening tune nicely. Hayek goes toe (er…) paw to paw with him with her fierce determination and supreme ‘smarts”. Guillen is a sweet, endearing sidekick to the bickering exes. Mulaney’s a terrific pompous kingpin with no moral compass, always ignoring a tiny cricket creature who implores him to “do right”. Pugh, Colman, Winstone, and Kayo are a great mix of the classic fable tinged with a Guy Ritchie-still cockney hoodlum squad out for a “pinch”.

Luckily the film looks as great as it sounds thanks to the sprightly directing duo of Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. They’ve smartly moved away from the “close to reality” designs of the SHREK series and gone for more caricatured humans, especially Horner, Mama Luna, and the Doc. Ditto for the new supporting critters with an expressive trio of bears and a really scary wolf who’s doubly deadly with a pair of sharp “mini-scythes”. The backgrounds are lush and the colors truly pop (particularly as Horner uses his “unicorn horn” arrows). Making the story seem to burst out of the screen is the filmmakers’ approach to the big action set-pieces, as the characters become jagged-edged projectiles and their settings give way to a deluge of speed lines and flares of color bursts, perhaps inspired by anime and the “Spider-Verse”. The tiniest of tots make get spooked by the bounty wolf, but they’ll giggle at the antics of the new “PIB Team player” (he dubs them “Team Friendship”), Perro. Though he’s down to his final one, there’s still lots of life, and laughs, left in PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH. Go, go gato!


3 Out of 4


PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH opens in theatres everywhere on Wednesday, December 21, 2022

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO – Review

Aside from the serious somber Oscar contenders, and a few action blockbusters, the end-of-the-year holidays see the release of many family-friendly animated fantasies. And this pre-Thanksgiving weekend delivers a new version of a familiar children’s classic. Of course, some of that familiarity may come from its having a “new take” just a few months ago. Now, this spin is a bit more “low-tech”, as the former was a mix of live-action and “motion capture” magic, this one is done with stop-motion animation (fittingly often called “puppet animation”). Plus it adheres much more closely to the somewhat “dark” nature of the book. Which is a good match with its co-director/producer. who has helmed many a sinister fantasy fable. And just to drive that point home, his name is in the title, GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO, to make sure we know this “ain’t” your Uncle Walt’s lil’ “wooden boy”.


Now it begins in a setting we somewhat recall, An affable insect, Sebastian J, Cricket (voice of Ewan McGregor) guides us into a quaint, quiet Italian village. Then he tells us of the town’s elderly widower, woodcarver Geppetto (David Bradley) who shares his shop/home with his young son Carlo. Life is sweet until the boy is killed by a bomb accidentally dropped by the many planes that fly over. Oh, so this is not set in the pre-flight 1800s, eh? Yes, it’s happening during the 1930s reign of Mussolini. Well, a distraught, boozing Geppetto decides to recreate his boy as a wooden puppet and chops down the tree where Sebastian abides. Late that night, after the carving is complete, Geppetto “sleeps it off” as the magical wood sprites merge into an enchantress (Tilda Swinton) who bestows life onto the toy. The next morning he introduces himself to his startled, scared papa. Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) is more than a “handful”, spewing endless questions and wrecking the work area. The decision to send the lad off to school causes panic among his neighbors who treat the lad as an unholy monster. But Pinocchio catches the attention of the monkey Spazzatura (Cate Blanchett), who takes him to his master, Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz). He decides to make the boy his star attraction in his failing traveling carnival show. Later, when it’s known that Pinocchio is almost immortal, he’s drafted into the army by the town government liaison, Podesta (Ron Perlman), befriends his son Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard), and even performs for “Il Duce” before rescuing his pop from a ravenous sea monster.

Well, this is loads of fun, though it has a real somber “edge” to it, so it’s perhaps not ideal for the wee ones. Knowing the title director, some sinister imagery is expected…and delivered. As I hinted earlier, death plays a big role, from Geppetto’s early loss to the title hero, who pops out of a coffin several times, much to the chagrin of some shiny black-clad bunnies who’s rather be playing poker. And that’s part of the black humor of the piece, from flying cutlery to the steady punishment of the narrator who’s flattened frequently over the last act. Perhaps most surprising is the subtle political themes, as fascism almost swallows the hero (before the sea beast gets a chance). But then this harkens back to the filmmaker’s earlier masterwork PAN’S LABYRINTH, but this time mixed with a touch of the Frankenstein mythos (another obsession for Mr. del Toro). Mind you, the storybook look is there, gloriously rendered in stop-motion much as with the Rankin/Bass TV specials and the recent work from the Laika Studios (CORALINE). Much credit is due to the talented roster of artists, spearheaded by the co-director, stop motion maestro Mark Gustafson. But it would be merely pretty images (no, it’s beautiful) without the witty, often caustic script/adaptation by del Toro, Patrick McHale, and Matthew Robbins which had me chuckling throughout. The icing on the cake might be the delightful, toe-tapping songs from composer Alexandre Desplat which are propelled by stellar vocal talents. Who knew that Waltz was such a crooner, nearly as good as McGregor? But delivering most of the songs is Mann, who never goes for the maudlin, and instead makes the title hero are real hellion, menacing his papa as he engages in a dance of destruction. I’ll admit that I was one of the few critics that didn’t eviscerate the recent Disney remake, but this is one incredibly surprising spin on the oft-told tale, Perhaps not for the entire family, but the movie present for older, and more dark-humored fantasy fans, is GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO. And I’m not gonna’ “knock on wood” when praising it.

3.5 Out of 4

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO is now playing in select theatres

LUCK – Review

Okay parents, the countdown to the return of the school year is close to single-digit days. Really, hard to believe, eh? Well before you start stockpiling blender ingredients for a celebratory beverage, you’ve still got to keep them entertained in the hazy last couple of Summer weekends (naturally the temps are still soaring almost everywhere). So, that may warrant a multiplex trek for some matinee fare for them. If they’re leaning toward the animated features, then it’s almost certain they’ve caught up with the Minions (maybe more than once). And if the kiddos are very “pre-K” the PG-rated superhero slapstick of DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS may be a tad overwhelming. Ah, but there is a PG alternative (very rare) opening this weekend. It’s the feature animated debut of a new “player” in the field, though a few familiar faces are behind the scenes. Like the film’s heroine, these “newbies” are hoping for a big “heapin’ helpin'” of good, good LUCK.


Now that heroine is an energetic eighteen-year-old woman named Sam Greenfield (voice of Eva Noblezada), who we first see helping her eight-year-old BFF Hazel make an online music video to the early Madonna tune “Lucky Star”. The two live in a group foster home and Sam is hoping the project will take her pal’s mind off of her upcoming “weekend visit” with some possible parents. Sam’s been through it many times before, with lots of letdowns, and now she’s aged out. The house’s supervisor takes her to her new apartment in the city, just blocks from her new job at a “plants and crafts” retail store. Believing to be “cursed” with bad luck, Sam almost misses her first “work day” due to multiple calamities (“alarm failure”, “locked in the bathroom”. “drops toast which lands jam side-down”, etc.). Happily her affable boss Marv (Lil Rel Howery) “cuts her some slack”. That night Sam can’t get a table at the neighborhood eatery, so she shares a sandwich with a friendly black cat at the curb. The kitty dashes, leaving behind a sparkly penny. Sam keeps it, intending to give it to Hazel for her art project. The next morning things go extremely well, making Sam think that the coin has reversed her luck. And then she drops it “you know where” in the store restroom. That night Sam returns to the diner hoping to see the cat once more. When he strolls over she tells him what happened. And he talks back! Bob (Simon Pegg) leads her on a merry chase, ending in an alley where he drops down into a magical glowing portal. Sam follows and soon finds herself in the “Land of Luck” where she and Bob begin a hectic quest to retrieve that “lucky penny” and restore the balance of luck in that dimension and in Sam’s world.

Oh, the new studio I mentioned earlier? It’s Skydance Animation a branch of Skydance Media working out of Madrid (formerly Llion Studios). And the familiar name behind the film is none other than John Lassiter. The marketers are hyping the flick as being from the “minds behind TOY STORY”, but not mentioning that he was booted out of Disney Pixar during the MeToo movement. And this irked lots of SA staffers. But how’s the flick itself? Well, he couldn’t have picked a more mediocre first effort there. Perhaps it earned the “G” rating due to its complete lack of “bite”, really it’s toothless and so bland. Eh, aside from some truly unneeded scatology in which we learn that “Bad Luck Land” has a whole subdivision dedicated to canine excrement. Plus we get a long “hold shot” of a drone just grabbed from a sewage treatment plant, looking as though it’s been dipped in Chocolate (oh that it was). And just somehow the main “hero’s objective” is more convoluted than the last two MISSION IMPOSSIBLE flicks (also from Skydance BTW). Oh, the visual look conforms to the generic script, with human characters whose eyes take up two-thirds of their heads leaving them with teeny mouths barely readable. The giant dragon (voiced by Jane Fonda making her animation debut) has an interesting “molded plastic” vinyl toy feel (ready for the merch). However, Bob the Cat is “meh”, along with his voice as Pegg gives out his Scottish brogue from the Trek reboots and makes us think of Shrek. But that’s not the end of the “homages” (more like lifts) as Jeff the Unicorn (voiced by Flula Borg) seems to somehow be a close relation to the bouncing Germanic pig from the SING series (and what’s with the bushy “trash-stash”). The closest the tale has to a “baddie” is Whoopi Goldberg’s “The Captain” who comes off as a mildly annoyed librarian. Here’s a heads up for the talented Mr. Howery: perhaps steer clear of smiling guys wearing name tags as you’re recalling your FREE GUY role. If the film looked interesting it might make the endless 105 minutes seem less of an unending slog as it mercilessly spins its wheels (they’ve got to get another “device”…c’mon). The very smallest viewers may be entranced for a bit by the colors and the animals, but the best bet for adults might be streaming so they can drop “in and out’ of this listless drek. Otherwise, they’ll feel as though they’ve completely run outta’ LUCK.

1/2 Out of 4

LUCK opens in select theatres and streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning on Friday, August 5, 2022

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU – Review

(from left) Kevin, Gru (Steve Carell) and Stuart in Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, directed by Kyle Balda.

As we enter the “middle Month” of Summer, moviegoers will finally get to see another “franchise flick” that’s been sitting on the shelf for well over two years now, much akin to the high-flying pilots that have dominated the box office. In fact a major fast-food chain offered toys based on the title characters back in June of 2020, though I’m betting those meals were still pretty happy. As you guessed this is an animated feature looking to fill the screens as that Space Ranger blasts away to a streaming service. And this is a most unusual movie for a “tent-pole” picture as it is both a prequel and a sequel…of a spin-off. Yes, it’s another look at the beginning of everybody’s favorite super-villain “wannabe” and the aides that assist him (when they’re not causing chaos) in MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU.

The story does take us back, waaay back to the golden days of 1976, when a major metropolis was under seige by the criminal genius gang known as the “Vicious Six” As the story begins we’re watching the getaway of member Belle Bottom (voice Of Taraji P. Henson), who’s just grabbed a rare map, and is helped by the other members of her team (Jean-Clawed, Stronghold, etc.). Safe at their lair, the leader of the Six, Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin) lays out the journey to a remote tropical jungle where they will acquire a magical device known as the “Zodiac Stone”. Ah, but the mission doesn’t go as planned. Belle double- crosses Knuckles, snatching away the stone, and dropping him into the murky nearby waters. Meanwhile, pre-teen Gru (Steve Carell) endures grade school so he can get back home and hatch new plots in his secret headquarters under the suburban home he shares with his distracted Mum (Julie Andrews). Oh, that’s where his army of minions also live supervised by the main trio of Kevin, Stuart, and Bob (all voiced by Pierre Coffin). Checking the mailbox, Gru is ecstatic to get a reply letter from the Six (maybe he’ll replace Knuckles). Ah, but upon his arrival, Belle calls him a child and dismisses him, though not before he leaves with the Z Stone. And later he’s kidnapped along with his prize, as his main minions look on in horror. Just who has taken young Gru and the stone? Can the minions catch up to him for a rescue, or will the still fuming Six (now Five, really) get to him first?

I suppose we can consider this fifth flick (2nd Minions after 3 DESPICABLE ME entries) a twelve-year celebration of the series that really put Illumination Studios on the map (and partnered them with Universal). And despite most of the work being “farmed -out” to their European branch, the quality is consistent with their other efforts. Carell is still an engaging riff on the “Cold War” spy flick masterminds and the minions still engage in lots of slapstick coupled with their “baby-talk gibberish”. But it’s starting to wear more than a bit “thin”. Too many “passing gas” gags (!) and bare yellow bottoms, though the very-youngest viewers can’t get enough (for the post-school crowd, we’re filled to the brim). The new voices are a welcome addition with many classic film “baddies” and even action heroes getting brief bits (Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo). Especially welcome is Arkin who appears to be doing a parody of his WAIT UNTIL DARK killer creeper. Henson’s has lots of funky fury,, though the character isn’t given much to do. Parents may appreciate the 70s pop songs and that era’s fads and fashions (flared hair, pet rocks), which are re-created in pastel candy colors. But the entire end product proves that three isn’t always a “magic number” as a trio of directors and writers have the story moving in sluggish spurts with odd detours ( a long subplot of the minions learning martial arts skills from a Michelle Yeoh acupuncturist seems “tacked on” for the overseas Asian markets). Plus it feels as though the producers were “beaten to the punch” as the recent animated caper THE BAD GUYS explored similar themes more vividly while this flick languished on “the shelf”. And it’s odd that one of this film’s biggest laughs comes from the use of a rotary phone ( a red one, not THE BLACK PHONE). And. like many recent animated features, the action set-pieces slow down long enough for the characters to give out a long scream into the audience’s face as their eyes “bug-out’ in fear. The constant use of this “technique’ is exhausting. The “pre-K’ set may still have “giggle-fits” at this yellow “pill-shape” destructive demons, but most animation afficianados will hope that MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU will end its ascent. Of course, another DESPICABLE ME is in the works for 2024, so…


One and a Half Out of Four

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU is now playing in theatres everywhere

LIGHTYEAR – Review

SCI-FI ACTION ADVENTURE – The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure. Also featuring the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Keke Palmer, Efren Ramirez, Peter Sohn, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi and Isiah Whitlock Jr., Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

This weekend’s big new studio release is another bit of a Summer celebration (as if there aren’t lots of such warm weather happenings). Is it because it’s an animated feature? Sure, it’s the first big one of the season, but there are other, major reasons. Well, it is a prequel to a much-beloved nearly thirty-year-old franchise. Oh, but most importantly, it’s from the fine folks at Pixar. And why are they cheering down at their HQ in Emeryville, CA? If the main title had a “sub-heading” that followed a colon, that might state “Escape from Streaming”, maybe. At long long last, A Pixar flick is heading straight to the multiplexes, and not premiering on the Disney+ streaming app, after more than two years (ONWARD opened in early 2020 just before everything closed). And this is a big epic blockbuster that deserves the widescreen treatment since we’re headed to (say it with me) “infinity and beyond”. It’s the “pre-toy” saga of everybody’s favorite Space Ranger, the hero known as LIGHTYEAR.

Speaking of the “T” word, an opening title card informs us that this is the movie that young Andy saw before he got his new favorite plaything a year later, in 1995. The action begins as a huge interplanetary transport cruiser lands on a distant world, far from Earth. it is piloted by former Space Ranger ‘Buzz’ Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and his BFF Alicia Hawthorn (Uzo Aduba). And. wouldn’t ya’ know, it’s a very hostile planet with serpent-like vines grabbing at the duo (and an unlucky cadet), and the ground trying to swallow the entire ship. The trio barely makes it back to the cockpit, allowing Buzz to rocket them back into the cosmos…almost. A jutting mountain cliff damages the engine, forcing him to land on a vast mesa, high above the dangerous ground level. After much effort, Buzz and the ship’s crew believe that they have repaired and re-charged the crystal that powers the vessel. But just to make sure, Buzz will make a test run in a small jet-style explorer. All seems to go well until the crystal fails in his final approach to the return airstrip. Only minutes after he took off, Buzz is stunned to see that the crew is building a city. And Hawthorn is now the commander (and has a few grey streaks). She tells him that six years have passed while Buzz feels he’s been away for mere moments. He throws himself into preparing for another test run, as Hawthorn gifts him a robot cat named SOX (Peter Sohn). He begins a series of flights with the same result: he doesn’t age while Hawthorne starts a family. Eventually, she’s not there to greet him upon his return. Instead, her job has been filled by the “iron-fisted” Commander Burnside (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), who tells him that the tests are over. Ah, but SOX has solved the crystal problem, so Buzz steals a fighter, which leads to him meeting a ragtag trio of cadets on the surface and facing off against an army of aggressive robots and their black-cloaked master.

Well, let’s get this right out of the way…Buzz has a different voice with “Tim the Tool-Man” re-imagined as the “one true” (yup, my childhood hero) Captain America. But it’s not a huge leap as this Buzz is so different from the often delusional “action figure” in Andy’s room. And Evans is just perfect as a swaggering SF movie hero, who, honestly can also be a bit of a doofus. He says that his “self-narration” helps him focus, but it just adds to his child-like charm. But that’s not to take away from some of the big adult decisions Buzz must ponder in the story’s thoughtful, but still exciting finale. Aduba is a great “straight woman”, big sister, and a nurturing matriarch to him as Alicia. She’s in stark contrast to the energetic and often bombastic “next-in-line” Burnside given a snarling growl by Whitlock. They all take a backseat in the cockpit to the film’s big scene-stealer SOX whose mellow tones and “robo-talk” (bee-bop-boop) are courtesy of the gifted Sohn. Still, there’s lots of comedy to spare thanks to the wonderful trio of misfit space cadets who often baffle Buzz. Keke Palmer is sprightly upbeat and determined as Izzy, who offsets the often surly and grumbly Darby voiced by Dale Soules. The duo gives great support to the dim, “Inkpen-obsessed” Mo whose vocal stylings come from comedy “jack-of-all-trades” Taika Waititi. And I can let spill that the “big baddie”, Zorg (hey, he’s in the franchise’s “merch”) is given gravelly gravitas by James Brolin.

This could be considered a bit of a “direction change” from the Pixar artisans, as this plays almost like a straight adventure film, though a lot of humor is sprinkled throughout. Sure there are several nods to the TOY STORY films, but it earns its PG-13 rating with lots of suspenseful action set pieces and some truly scary alien “creepy-crawlies”. First-time director Angus MacLane (he co-directed FINDING DORY) wass up to the challenge of putting a “new spin” on a now-iconic movie character, as this version of Buzz had to look more like the “human” designs of Andy and his family rather than the “plastic-modeled” product we’ve seen since 95. And it had to be similar to the cinema of that year leaning more into STAR TREK (the features and TV shows) than STAR WARS (still a couple of years away from the prequel trilogy). It’s at first jarring to see Buzz out of his “purple swimming cap”, but it helps bring out his humanity. It also helps that the overall character designs are so appealing, especially the animation “acting” of Mo and the usually “exploding” Burnside. Ditto for the look of the film, from the “monster world’ to the different ships and spacesuits. Extra credit to MacLane for his work on the script with Matthew Aldrich and Jason Headley, which mixes the action melodramatics with a subtle affectionate satire. Sure, some will miss the old “play pals”, but most fans (even the older teens) will find lots to like in imaginative, inventive LIGHTYEAR. This “blast-off” is truly a blast.


3 Out of 4

LIGHTYEAR opens in theatres everywhere on June 17, 2022

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE – Review

(L-R): Linda Belcher (voiced by John Roberts), Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), Tina Belcher (voiced by Dan Mintz), Louise Belcher (voiced by Kristen Schaal), and Gene Belcher (voiced by Eugene Mirman) in 20th Century Studios’ THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With Memorial Day looming, many moviegoers may not “feel the need, the need for speed” (though most will, I’d bet), Perhaps instead, they’ve got a “hunger, a hunger for…”well, I got nuthin”. Wait a minute, a nice grilled hamburger usually will stifle those cravings. Although, will they want to sink their teeth into an animated one? Much as the studios did with “The Simpsons”, “South Park”, and “Beavis and Butthead”, they’re raiding the tube for a brand new animated feature film. Now, this cartoon hasn’t been around nearly as long as the first one mentioned, but it’s been a staple of the Fox Network’s “Sunday Night Animation Domination” for the last eleven years. And now we’ll see if its many fans have a big box-office appetite for THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE. Order up…


Oddly, the story doesn’t really begin with the beloved Belcher family at the diner. Instead, we’re flashing back six years to a “dark and stormy” night at the scene of a crime, the boardwalk at the “Wonder Wharf” amusement park overlooking the ocean. Then we spring ahead to now (actually close to the upcoming three-day holiday). A lot is happening in and above the diner down the street from the big “WW” (you see there’s a family apartment space upstairs from the grill). The Bob behind Bob’s Burgers (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) is furiously whipping up a special breakfast burger to impress the loan officer at the nearby bank. He and his wife Linda (John Roberts) want to get an extension on the place’s business loan. Meanwhile, their three kids are hyped about their upcoming summer break from school. Tina (Dan Mintz) wants to start a summer romance with that special guy, Genne (Eugine Merman) wants to perform with his band on the Wharf’s outdoor stage, and Louise (Kristen Schaal) wants to impress the “mean girls’ with her maturity (“I’m no baby!”). The banker isn’t awed with Bob’s masterpiece meal, and tells him that the loan will “come due” within the next week. Bob is worried, but Linda reminds him of the big crowds streaming into Wonder Wharf over the weekend. Great, except…a water main breaks in front of their diner, leaving a huge sinkhole at its entrance. Oh, and the big hole reveals the result of that six-year-old crime. The kids decide to solve that crime, while the adults try to put their diner on wheels to get some of the Wharf’s crowds. Will their combined efforts somehow save the family business, or has Bob flipped his last meat patty?


And now dear reader, a confession (you can just the ‘size’ of it): I have never watched an episode of the “Bob’s Burgers” TV show. Zip. Nada. Not a one. Yes, I’ve watched “The Simpsons” since they were leading viewers out of and into commercial breaks on “The Tracy Ulman Show”. And I was a faithful fan of the much-missed “King of the Hill” and “Futurama”. But this Fox show just didn’t grab my interest. Perhaps it’s because of my problems with the character designs. I quickly got used to the “bug-eyed” (as Jennifer Tilly called them) creatures that populated Springfield, USA. The Belchers and their pals might be best described as “fish-eyed” with tiny orbs stuck on the sides of their cantaloupe-shaped heads. Although, I have great respect for many of the voice actors, H. Jon Benjamin mainly for the bungling lead of “Archer” on FX. And on a side note, I was puzzled as to the reason Kevin Kline lent his voice to the stuffy landlord of the Belchers. But I’ve digressed from a big point mentioned earlier. I don’t think a moviegoer should have to do “homework” prior to seeing a new film based on another “media source”. You shouldn’t need to read the novels or comics, see the stage play, or even see the previous film in a franchise to enjoy a new film. I adored the “South Park” feature without having seen a whole episode. And I was mildly entertained by the films based on “Downton Abbey” and “The X-Files”. I can’t say the same for this, as it is strictly for fans. I couldn’t get into the rapid-fire rhythm of the dialogue, plus the many female characters voiced by men were distracting. The animation “acting” was serviceable, as were the backgrounds’, but a CG-boosted last act chase seemed monotonous and a weak attempt to inject some movie-style action into a very ‘talky” tale. There are two or three musical numbers, but the tunes don’t resonate and the “in-unison” dance moves would’ve helped a stage version close quickly (I’m sure someone is planning a big splashy Broadway version). So, if you love the show, you’ll no doubt be floating above your seat, and I’m happy that your devotion is being rewarded. The rest of us will be tempted to check the time (don’t do it, ugh) as we wonder what the fuss is all about. So like most eateries, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is not for everyone’s tastes (my t-buds weren’t ready for it’s…seasonings). Check, please!


1.5 Out of 4

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is now playing in theatres everywhere

TURNING RED – Review

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAYHEM – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” 13-year-old Mei Lee, a confident-but-dorky teenager, is surviving the mayhem of middle school with a little help from her tightknit group of friends. Featuring the voices of (from left to right) Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, Rosalie Chiang as Mei, Ava Morse as Miriam, and Hyein Park as Abby, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Well, it looks like we’ve just about made it to Spring break, so it’s time to celebrate with a brand new flick from the wizards at Pixar set in…well, school. Or at least half of it is. You see the story’s heroine really divides her time between home and school, middle school. In Toronto. In 2002. Yes, after getting lots of 80s nostalgia we’re now getting a coming-of-age tale set in “the ‘aughts”. Aw, don’t feel too ancient…just yet. Whoah, you may say, didn’t our Pixar pals tackle this a few years ago (seven, actually) with INSIDE OUT. Sure, but as the title states, it was about what was happening in the main character’s interior, with different emotions calling the “shots” in her noggin. This tale is much more, for lack of a better term, exterior. You see, this young woman’s changes manifest in her outward…appearance as her emotions and hormones have her TURNING RED. And furry. And extra-large.

As I mentioned earlier, this (fuzzy) tale begins waaaay back in 2002 on the not so mean streets of Toronto where we meet a very busy thirteen-year-old lady named Meilin, AKA “Mei” and Mei Mei” (voice of Rosalie Chiang). She actually loves school, not for the classes (though she’s an academic ace), but because that’s where she hangs with her “squad”, her “BFFs”. There’s tomboyish Miriam (Ava Morse), “laid back” Priya ( Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and always excited Abby (Hyein Park). What really “bonds” them is their shared adoration of the awesome male quintet singing group “4Town’ (yes five guys of course). Oh and their shared crush, a slightly older teen (he’s 17) named Devon who runs the register at a nearby “mini-market”. After the final school bell rings, Mei is off to help her mom Ming (Sandra Oh) who manages a Chinese temple (and its souvenir shop) dedicated to their ancestor Sun-Yi who had a mystical connection with nature (especially one animal). When the last of the tourists leave, the two head to their connected home for dinner with dad Jim (Orion Lee). It appears to be a tranquil evening of homework until Ming discovers Mei’s “secret love” and publicly embarrasses her (oh the talk in the school hallways tomorrow morning). The upset Mei finally drifts off to sleep and awakens to discover that she’s changed. Not emotionally but very physically…into an eight-foot-tall red panda. She’s unable to hide it from mom, who somewhat was expecting this. It seems that this “unusual puberty symptom” has been passed down to all the women in her family, going back to the aforementioned Sun-Yi. But it can be controlled. Come the next “red moon” in a few weeks, Ming and her own mom and sisters will conduct a “ritual” to trap the “panda spirit” in a purple jewel or ruby. Mei just has to keep calm and limit the “changes”, otherwise the panda’s wild nature will “take over”. So can she keep her cool, even around her buddies? Even when they find out that 4Town is making a concert stop there? Oh, it’s near the end of the month. It surely won’t conflict with the “moon ceremony” will it?

Huzzah, it’s another solid effort from the terrific team from Emeryville, CA. Their artists expertly recreate the Canadian city in bright bold colors and designs while giving us their unique adaptation of the fashions, hairstyles, and tech of twenty years ago. And then there are the delightful characters cavorting in front of those backdrops, each giving a distinct body language (and great “acting”) and looks. Miriam seems a bit like the older sister of Guilia from LUCA, after getting a Seattle “grunge” makeover. Priya is tightly reined in, her half-open eyes and curly coif evoke the cult fave MTV ‘toon “Daria” (and we first see her with a “Twilight”-type YA novel). Abby is a riff on the anime over-caffeinated tweens with wide eyes and an always-open mouth baring bright “choppers”. Mei incorporates elements from all of them, ultra-expressive with her buds while “playing close to the vest” with the fam. Her Mom Ming seems “tightly wound” and a bit stiff until her maternal instincts turn her into a whirlwind of action. Her “savvy” business suit chic is echoed by her female relatives (they seem to be always on the red carpet, flashing the “bling”). The vocal cast expertly brings them to life, with Chiang and Oh making an excellent and convincing screen duo. The story celebrates female friendship and gives us an insight into the whole “boy band frenzy” as this is set post NKOTB and N’Sync and pre the K-Pop craze. 4*Town could easily be on the cover of subscriber Lisa Simpson’s “Non-Threatening Boys” magazine (it helps that their songs are created by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell). We see how they provide an emotional release for the young women, strengthening their sisterly bonds with every squeal and scream. This keys into the story’s biggest surprise (a heads up for parents who might need to prepare for the “womanhood talk”) in that it really delves into the biological transition into adulthood while mixing in the whole “magical critter” element. The transformation into “beast’ metaphor has been explored in cinema (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF comes to mind, though it’s more exploitive of juvenile delinquency). The giant is perhaps symbolic of leaving childhood, but it also works in the mother/daughter dynamic. Mei is not a baby who will become a copy of Ming and enjoy the same things and follow the same path (“wild” is independence perhaps). Aside from such serious matters, the film is full of slapstick chaos and even fits in a kaiju homage as it nears its emotional climax. This is truly splendid “all-ages” entertainment exploring family dynamics and the intensity (everything’s extreme “drama”) of pre-teen friendship. TURNING RED is truly a triumph.

3.5 Out of 4

TURNING RED streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning on Friday, March 11, 2022

THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD – Review

Crash (voiced by Seann William Scott), Eddie (voiced by Josh Peck), Zee (voiced by Justina Machado), and Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg) in THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Whoa, talk about deja vu! it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago when I was reviewing a new addition to a much-beloved animation franchise…and it was. And here we go again. I’m guessing that the streaming services believe that the winter weather will keep the “wee ones” indoors during January, along with the various Covid “surging waves”. So yes, like that previous flick, this animated outing will bypass theatres and “drop” on a popular platform. Oh, and there are several other big comparisons that we’ll discuss later. And did I mention that this one somewhat celebrates the 20th anniversary of the franchise? Indeed, as it’s the sixth series entry, though it spotlights a few of the later supporting players, hence its complex moniker, THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD.


After a brief series summary from Ellie the Wooly Mammoth, we’re cavorting through the snowy slopes with twin possums Eddie (voice of Aaron Harris) and Crash (Vincent Tong), which results in an avalanche that wrecks the “family oasis” they share with adopted big “sis” Ellie, her mate Manny, Sabre-tooth tiger Diego, and Sid the Ground Sloth. After they relocate, the twins are given a stern lecture, which, of course, doesn’t “take”. Just past bedtime, the dup decides to go out on their own. Soon, they cause a big crack in the frozen surface which sends them plunging to the entrance to the “Lost World”, the warm underground home of the last dinosaurs, a place Ellie has told them to avoid. And you guessed it, the twins march in and are quickly set upon by the ravenous raptor henchmen of the “big-brained” genius dino known as Orson (Utkarsh Ambudkar). Luckily the brothers are rescued by an old pal, the swashbuckling weasel hero Buck Wild (Simon Pegg). However, their safety is temporary as Buck tells them of Orson’s master plan to rule the “dino paradise”. Even with the help of resourceful zorilla Zee, can Buck and the boys thwart the devious dino and his reptilian army? And is there a chance that Eddie and Crash will re-unite with Ellie, Manny, Diego, and Sid?

Perhaps the bigger question is: Will anybody really care? It’s all a rather uninspired extension of what was once an engaging entertaining franchise. As I hinted earlier, this is only a couple of weeks after the latest HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA skipped theatres and headed right to Amazon Prime streaming, so the somewhat shaky groundwork has been laid. While two of the many series voice actors of HOTEL passed on reprising their roles, none of the ICE AGE originals lent their voices here, save for the always energetic Pegg, whose character was introduced a couple of flicks ago. And yes, Buck is a nice satirical spin on the jaunty action hero, though he’s not really the focus of the flimsy plot. That’s the job for twins Crash and Eddie who are bland and nearly interchangeable, much like a less mischievous, but furrier version of the Katzenjammer Kids (how’s that for an ancient reference). Plus the villains are pretty “blah” too, with vague motivations and a messy masterplan. Zee’s a fun fluffy spin on Lara Croft, but she’s used as an easy “out” for quick escapes while deferring to Buck too often. Perhaps the biggest crime is the booting of the original quartet (Ellie, Manny, Diego, and Sid) to the sidelines, absent for great chunks of the tale. The look of the film is lush with vibrant jungles and shimmering streams, plus the character designs have a toy-like vibe with the raptors being multi-colored gangly goofballs rather than the JURASSIC PARK demons. But everything’s ground to a halt by the stalled story and the lackluster pacing (mammoths move faster). Our old prehistoric pals deserve a better farewell than the tepid, not-so-nice THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD.

1 Out of 4

THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD streams exclusively on Disney+