Incredibly steeped in Irish mythology and folklore, it’s a visually distinctive and emotionally affecting story of a boy saving his sister, and by extension his family. Beautifully animated, it lives up to the reputation of Cartoon Saloon.
Relentless, gripping, and epic in scale. Beautiful wide vistas of Spitfires chasing Messerschmitts. Tight and claustrophobic in the bowels of sinking ships. Thrilling and tense.
A fantastic performance by Judi Dench, who disappears into Philomena. Steve Coogan is, well, Steve Coogan. He did write an entertaining film.
Essentially a feature-length variety show from 1979, with a parade of cameos, a slow pace, and, of course, the charm of the Muppets.
A modern masterpiece, from the songs to character design, animation, and plotting. It really bounces along at quite a clip. The ballroom scene hits you over the head, but even Be Our Guest showcases the possibilities of computer animation. Almost perfectly executed, fascinating advances in animation, and a well-told story.
Viewed: 4 March 2022
Directed by: Joe Dante
Listed in: Movies, netflix
A live-action cartoon, every setup exists only for the next gag. It can’t be taken seriously (what convention is held on Christmas Eve!?), its logic is absurd, and it revels in chaotic energy. Gremlins is ridiculous and kind of perfect.
A colossal achievement, hard to believe this is 85 years old. Watch all the raindrops in the climatic fight! They make it a little easier with only three realistic humans, but then they add more and more cartoon animals. It's never one chipmunk, it's 16! Amazing.
The story and concept are the strongest part. Dragged down by an uneven production. It feels low-budget and never finds enough creativity to overcome it. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is good.
Exquisitely made, thinking man's Fifty Shades of Grey.
Fantastic bureaucracy until the elevator descends into the basement and into indulgent fantasy. It’s such a singular version of the world I just want to keep exploring it and it’s witty details. Full of wonderful one-liners, throwaway gags, and perfect casting.
Well told, maximalist film, full of heart, songs, and particle effects. Overstuffed and fast, a worthy addition to the canon.
Viewed: 18 Feb 2022
Directed by: Don Hahn
Listed in: Movies, disney+
Disney's own telling of it's animation renaissance. The documentary has access to everybody involved at all levels, and it seemed like everyone was willing to talk pretty candidly. It is a success story. A captivating documentary, well made with good interviews and nice footage.
A perfect, cynical, economic masterpiece. Bruce Willis at his peak. And definitely a Christmas movie, it's in the foreground.
It feels like it would be rewarding to go through frame by frame, soaking in all the details and so many Legos. It takes the best aspect of legos and blends it all together, Batman partying with Lando, Doubledoor and the rest. I love the lego movie.
Bizarre, but entertaining enough. The endearing performances carry the film along, while it gets lost in the abrupt shift in tone. It was surprising, it has that going for it.
A worthy sequel to the Lego Movie, just as earnest, now with twice the pop-culture references. Lord and Miller were able to find a great story again. Same great visual style with a little more fluidity to the character design.
Like seeing a fire, starting from the smallest spark, going room to room, destroying everything in it’s path, before it takes down the entire house. Damn. Robert Patterson keeps digging. No hole is too deep for him to keep digging.
In one scene a fisherman is falling asleep while Deadliest Catch plays on an TV on the ship and it is very appropriate. Interesting at times, but better served as a 15 short looping in a gallery, then a 90 minute feature.
Predation, protection, and the power of the dog. Evocative and beautiful, and then it just takes off in the second half, Jane Campion weaving everything together to a fantastic payoff. Great.
Sweet, hilarious, over-the-top farce, with a great cast that somewhat loses the thread by the end. How did I miss this for so long?
Difficult to watch a little girl navigate such adversity in magical realist Louisiana.
Viewed: 31 Dec 2021
Directed by: William Lau
Listed in: Movies, owned
Very close to an almost-final Disney quality. The animation is atrocious. But if you close your eyes and just listen to the marxist story it's one of the best.
Madcap tomfoolery, pleasant enough diversion. The car didn’t like it. The battery died in the first minute of the film and didn’t get jump started until the second act.
Beautifully made with some spectacular sequences. Oscar Isaac brings a real intensity that is matched by the morality-play-American-dream story.
James Caan is great. Bob Newhart is fun. Zooey Deschanel can sing pretty well. Will Ferrell gets into some fun situations.
Nicolas Cage plays a man whose life is defined by loss in a high-concept take on the Portlandia food scene. It subverts expectations in ways that work and don't.
Amazing. Masterfully made, wonderfully acted by the perfect cast. When it gets going, it doesn't stop. Ticking like a 1968 Swiss watch.
Dumb and fun, it knows what it is and delivers. From Princes of the Universe to some surprising nice cinematography. Grade-A 1980s schlock.
It has its moments, brief glimpses of a risker and better film. This is just a teaser. Never showing enough of a thousand year lifespan. Show 1835 in São Paulo. Show wars in ancient Greece. Show people so old our time period is inconsequential. The Old Guard is just middlebrow.
The third act turning of the screws is a masterpiece. Truly suspenseful. There is no way out.
A Charming throwback, full of spectacle. Ryan Gosling knows how to pull those heart strings.
Viewed: 09 Nov 2021
Directed by: Brett Haley
Listed in: Movies, hulu
A quite thin, performance driven story. It sets up emotional beats and it hits them. Whimsical fantasy setting (most of all the price of out-of-state UCLA tuition). It's fine.
What an amazing vision. Extremely imaginative and very holistic. The visuals are so strong. The songs are so strong. There are some real bangers in there, rattling around in my bones. It's a blast.
Nearly every decision seems perfect. The animation is gorgeous. Everything about it is awesome.
Viewed: 16 Oct 2021
Directed by: Bong Joon-ho
Listed in: Movies, hulu
A masterful circuitous path, twisting and turning to end where it started. Like Mother… like Son.
Viewed: 15 Oct 2021
Directed by: Amy Seimetz
Listed in: Movies, hulu
Slow, the production does a lot with a little. The biggest mystery is the pizza delivery. Why would you continue delivering pizzas?
Stylish and entertaining with some very funny moments. For a film that mostly takes place in a single warehouse, it could do a much better job establishing the space.
Heartwarming and beutifully made with all of that Ghibli charm. Plus Miyazaki’s favorite things: aircraft, trains, and ocean views.
A well-made documentary about a dying mall, that is a more fascinating look at Alabamians than a treatise on American retail. It’s not the mall, it’s the people.
Uneven throughout. There are long sections where we wondered "Where's Annie?". Good performances and songs, but overstuffed and strange. Probably better on the stage.
Ponyo is missing that studio Ghibli spark. It had all of the elements, but it felt more like it was going through the motions. In it’s favor, it had the imaginative chaos of a child’s story.
It's fine. The animation style is hyper-textured, every surface is fuzzy or glittery. It's most impressive that it incorporates Troll dolls into a fairly cohesive jukebox musical.
A gory physic warfare horror film about identity and doubt, where one bleeds into the other, with incredible collateral damage. Lives up to the Cronenberg name.
The perfect concept for an action/adventure/thriller film. You can set up any set-piece and logic doesn't matter! Shoot baddies all day! Jet around the world! Movies are dreams, man! For a certain kind of movie, Nolan is hard to beat.
Viewed: 04 Sep 2021
Directed by: Spike Lee
Listed in: Movies, netflix
The principle performances are great, the last act is strong. It plays it broad at every opportunity and I never found it engaging.
Starts weak, ends stronger. Not all that funny. The dog is sweet. A pleasant enough diversion.
No surprises. CODA hits every emotional note there is. If it weren’t for the novelty of the situations I would have turned it off.
Offensive satire that is mostly on the right side the line, crossing it at times. Fun throughout with some great performances.
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