Kung Fu Panda 3: Mastering Your Craft

Kung Fu Panda 3 is an animated martial arts film directed by Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh Nelson. The plot sees ancient bad guy Kai (J.K Simmons), break free of the spirt world and return to the mortal plane hell bent on stealing the chi of every Kung Fu Master thereby destroying his old nemesis Oogway’s (Randall Duk Kim) legacy once and for all. There is only one Panda who can stop him.

I enjoyed this film quite a bit, it might have been my favourite since the first. I enjoyed the intensely personal journey at the heart of the story. Though you have all this end of the world end of kung fu stuff going on all around, the heart of the film is Po (Jack Black), coming to terms with you he is and finding his place in the world.

I think the journey that Po goes on, the inspiration for the series, is masterfully done and is a true achievement for the creatives involved. The progression feels natural and earned, when Po meets his birth dad Li (Bryan Cranston), it feels earned after all the soul searching he did in the second film. Truly his is a masterpiece of storytelling across multiple films and a beacon for how to do sequels.

I also enjoyed that the focus was not souly on Po, yes, he is the main focus, but this film gave those around him the chance to shine as well and shine they do.

Overall, this is the perfect end to the trilogy and feels like a much-deserved end, the character work and development is nothing sort of a master class and Black nails the emotion.

Pros.

The journey

The ending

The emotional heart at the core of the film

Giving the side characters a chance to shine

The voice acting

Cons

The villain is a bit weak, but it is such a minor issue.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ralph Breaks The Internet: Maturing

Ralph Breaks The Internet is an animated adventure film directed by Phil Johnstone and Rich Moore. The plot follows Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), as they explore the internet. To Vanellope who is bored of the same old races in her game sees the internet as a wonderland of new opportunities whereas Ralph sees it and worries about losing his friend.

I think in many ways this is a step up for the first film, with a few issues just keeping it shy of getting the perfect score.

I enjoyed the personal feel of the film and thought Ralph’s arc of questioning his place in the new internet world and seeing it as a threat to the only friendship he has ever had feels earned after the events of the first film. The character actions make sense and feel like a natural next step for the Ralph, the emotional journey is handled in a deep and mature way which I also think is to the films credit.

I think the film uses the Internet in an interesting way that feels creative and full of imagination; I particularly enjoyed the scenes with the Disney Princesses and thought that they were the standout moments of the film. The new characters introduced here also standout Shank (Gal Gadot), is the perfect mentor character to Vanellope and already feels like an ingrained part of this world.

My issues with this film comes from the way it is paced. We get the same scene/ message over and over again, yes, they’re not exactly the same, but from a character development point of view they’re unnecessary and serve no purpose. To that point there are defiantly a number of sub-plots and underdeveloped side characters in this film that are used in a blatant attempt to pad the films runtime; which at close to one hour forty minutes seems far too long.

Overall, a solid sequel that builds nicely on what the first film sets up.

Pros.

The Disney Princess scenes

Using the internet in a novel way

The character development

Feeling natural and not like a tacked-on sequel

Cons.

Pacing issues that become very noticeable.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs: Eat It Up

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is an animated family film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The film follows Flint (Bill Hader), an inventor who dreams of becoming a famous scientist. One day Flint invents a machine that can make food rain from the sky, everything seems to be going well, until the machine starts to malfunction.

I have been meaning to watch this for some time and a few nights ago I did, I have to say for the most part I enjoyed it, but there were a few issues that kept it from being great.

Firstly the imagination is commendable, I thought it was wonderfully unique and I have never seen anything else like this. The animation is also great, I thought it looked distinctive and well proportioned; the food also looked really appetising.

Secondly, this film has a lot of heart. I thought it handled the theme of fathers and sons really well and the final scene between Flint and his father was moving and brought a tear to my eye. However, the same flair for emotion wasn’t carried over into the other characters and Flint’s relationship with the other characters particularly Sam (Anna Faris), was weak and unconvincing.

My main issue with this film was the humour, it really didn’t land for me. Humour is subjective I know, but the humour in this film skewed towards kids and I didn’t find any layers to the comedy that might have appealed to me or other age groups.

Overall, a good effort with a lot heart, but the childish humour and the poor character development stop this film from being as good as it could be.

Pros.

The father son relation between Flint and his dad

The animation

The imagination

Cons.

The comedy

The poor side characters and weak interpersonal relationships

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Pirates Of The Caribbean, Curse Of The Black Pearl: Yo Ho

Pirates Of The Caribbean, Curse Of The Black Pearl is an action adventure film directed by Gore Verbinski. The plot sees a ghostly pirate crew go searching for the key to remove their curses, the only things standing in their way are a blacksmith, a lady of means and a dazzling pirate captain.

I have been a fan of the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies since I was young, I saw all the films from 2 onwards in the cinema, they were a big part of my early life. Yes, they dipped in quality after 3, rather dramatically so, but there is still a lot of quality to be found in the early entries of the franchise. I decided to rewatch the very first film and see if it still holds up; conclusion, it does.

The reason this film works so well is twofold, firstly the writing is sharp and well thought-out. Things are mentioned early on that come to be important later on and on repeat viewing this becomes all the clearer and you see the merit more. The character dialogue sparkles and the chemistry between the three leads is really built on and developed.

The other part of the reason is the scene stealing performance by Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow for better or for worse is one of the most significant pop culture characters of the last 20 years, he has appeared everywhere from spoof movies to videogames and it is all because of the fact that Depp’s’ performance stole our hearts and captivated our imaginations.

Overall, this is a great adventure film that stands the test of time, my one complaint is that there is no reason it should be as long as it is, and it really should have been cut down in editing.

Pros.

The sense of fun/mischief

Depp’s performance

It makes pirates cool again

The trio work well together

Cons.

It is way too long

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Peanut Butter Falcon: The Next Champion Of The World

The Peanut Butter Falcon is an adventure film directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. The plot follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young boy with down syndrome who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler just like his hero. However, in order to do that he needs to escape from the old people’s home that he has been forced into and venture into the great unknown on a voyage of self-discovery.

This is one of the most touching films I have ever seen, I kid you not there were a good few time when I had a tear in my eye. This one will hit you right in the feels. I think part of what makes this film so easy to connect to is its characters. They’re unlikely heroes, in a more simplified sense underdog.

I think Gottsagen was great throughout, he was easily the most loveable character and you will want to see him become a wrestler so much. I also thought this fatherly connection with Shia LaBeoufs’ character of Tyler was also incredibly well done. The two make a great pair and are incredibly endearing together. This was the film that made me stand up and take notice of LaBeouf as a serious actor.

Overall, I think this is a very lovely film and is the sort of film we need right now when times seem so dark. It will have you smiling and cheering throughout. A must watch for sure.

Pros.

Gottsagen

LaBeouf

Johnson

The relationships between the 3

A small appearance by Yelawolf

Cons

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Wreck-It Ralph: Win The Game

Wreck-It Ralph is an animated adventure comedy film directed by Rich Moore. A classic arcade game villain Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly), decides he wants to reform and be a good guy, when he realises that his fellow video game character won’t accept him unless he has a medal he sets out to win one.

As someone who has played video games all his life I appreciated the references and appearances in this film. I found them to be delightful and the nostalgia factor of them never really wore out.

I thought a lot of the emotional beats in this film had been done before and I wasn’t very impressed with the storytelling or the characters, that is until about 15 minutes from the end. As Ralph is about to self-sacrifice to save his friends a powerful wave of emotion hit me hard and I realised that I had been caring this whole time, I had formed attachments to these characters.

I think the message of the film about accepting yourself for who you are is really well done and is communicated in a good way. I think children need films like this as I could have a strong positive impact on their self-esteem.

Other than Ralph and his best friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), I thought a lot of the other characters were weak and I lose interest when they were on screen; they took away from the A storyline.

Overall, this is a film with a good heart and a message everyone can relate to, the writing is a little shoddy in places and the side characters aren’t great, but Wreck-It Ralph still manages to be moving in its own way.

Pros.

The message

The surprising emotional payoff

Ralph and Vanellope

Cons.

The terrible side characters

The writing wasn’t good across the board

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Artemis Fowl: Judi Dench As A Fairy Commando

Artemis Fowl is a family fantasy adventure film directed by Kenneth Branagh; based on a series of YA novels. The plot follows young Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw), as he must recover a priceless object, that is the very key to life for the Fairy world, so that he can save his father Artemis Fowl Sr (Colin Farrell).

So going into this film I had heard a lot of bad things, I had heard some people say that this was the worst film of the year so far. However, I have to say I enjoyed this film a lot, more and more as it went on. What you’re about to read might be the only positive review of Artemis Fowl out there.

Firstly yes, I admit none of it makes sense and it is incredibly dumb, but if you can turn your mind off you will find it is some of the best, escapist fun this year. The dialogue is corny and hammy, but it only adds to its charm. Basically it boils down to this, if you want to see Judi Dench dressed as a Fairy commando saying, “top of the morning to ya”, then you will enjoy this film, if that sounds bad then this is not the film for you. For me it was one of the best moments of the film.

I adored the style of this film, it reminded me of something like Percy Jackson or the Vampires Apprentice it perfectly captured that fantasy coming of age angle and I for one would love to see more from this universe.

Overall, this is the most fun I have had with a movie in a long time, if dumb, strange, stylish, manic fun sounds like something you would enjoy then definitely check this out!

Pros.

Judi Dench

Colin Farrell

The dumb fun

The style

It is hilarious, maybe not in an intentional way

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Rugrats Movie: Back In The 90’s

The Rugrats Movie is an animated adventure comedy film directed by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgein. The movie carries on the plot of the TV show and shows the introduction of new character Baby Dill. The plot details Tommy’s (Elizabeth Daily), struggle to adapt to having a new brother and no longer getting all of his parents’ attention, this struggle ends up with the kids in the woods depending on each other to survive.

I grew up watching the Rugrats cartoons on video, and I have seen all the movies countless times before. However, as a rewatched this recently it was almost as though I was seeing it for the first time. There are quite a lot of deep emotions on show in this film a lot of thoughtful topics being broached, that as a kid I would not have picked up on but watching it now I appreciate.

I enjoyed what this film had to say about having siblings and about familial bonds, whether it reflects your life or not, I think there is at least a small amount of relatability that we can all take away from it. I was genuinely surprised about how insightful this film was at times, it gives you far more to think about that your standard kids film.

Overall, I thought this was a fun film that reminded me why I liked the cartoon, I also enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t always an easy watch and that as an adult there was a whole other subtext to it that put everything in an entirely new perspective, there is certainly a hidden depth to it.

Pros.

The brother’s relationship

Capturing what I loved about the cartoon.

Funny jokes.

Surprisingly insightful.

Cons.

The supporting characters really didn’t have much to do.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Road To El Dorado: Streets Paved With Gold

The Road To El Dorado is an animated adventure film directed by Bibo Bergeron and Don Paul. The plot sees two rouges Tulio (Kevin Kline) and Miguel (Kenneth Branagh), head down to South America around the time of the Cortes Invasion. The two are there to try and find the treasure of the city of El Dorado, one there they pretend to be Gods; funny shenanigans ensue.

This was a personal favourite of mine growing up, I watched it religiously. I recently watched it again to see if it holds up and I am pleased to say it does. Much like when I was a child, I enjoyed myself and found a smile never too far from my face.

I have been noted as saying I like animated films with talking animal sidekicks, I tend to find they’re my favourite characters, this film however negates that by having two leading characters rather than just one. The interplay between the two men is just what I would enjoy out of a relationship like Mulan and Mushu in that film, I buy the relationship and I think it is funny.

I love the South American inspired colour pallet and design choices of this film, much like I said about Pocahontas I feel like when I film taps into this sense of culture and identity it really brings it alive visually.

I thought all the characters were great, but Rosie Perez did end up stealing the show as Chel, she was very lovable and her relationship with the two men was always amusing.

Overall this film stood the test of time for me, so I hope you can watch it and enjoy it too. It is definitely one of DreamWorks’ hidden gems.

Pros.

The design and the animation.

The characters, particularly Chel.

A great voice cast doing good work.

The songs and the humour.

The bad guy felt threatening, as one should.

Cons.

None.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mulan: Every Animated Film Needs Eddie Murphy

Mulan is an animated action and adventure film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. The classic Disney plotline see resilient character Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), take up her family’s mantle of fighting in the Imperial Army, so that her elder father doesn’t get drafted. The only issue is that women are not allowed in the Imperial Army, so she must pretend to be a man, a feat she manages while accompanied by a wise-cracking dragon and a lucky bug.

I fondly remember watching this film when I was young, and I enjoyed it even more when I rewatched it. This is to me the perfect example of ‘Disney Magic’, there is something about the songs and the hand drawn animation that calls to me and makes me smile. However, it also makes me worry about the new remake coming out; as I strongly believe that it will be losing its’ heart.

I think the songs make this film, again another reason the song less remake troubles me. ‘Make A Man Out Of You’ to paraphrase, is one of my favourite Disney songs of all time and I think it perfectly captures the spirit of the film and is catchy and memorable.

I also enjoyed the characters Eddie Murphy as Mushu is perfect casting he manages to make the character immediately likable whilst also endearing and funny. Mulan herself is inspiring and shows that we can all be a little bit bravery and that we can all be heroes; I think she is one of Disney’s best role models. Finally, I enjoyed the villain Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer), I thought he was everything a good villain should be, intimidating, menacing and memorable.

Overall, a Disney Classic that still has a place in 2020. It more than holds up and is still a lot of fun to watch!

Pros.

The humour.

Mulan herself.

The action.

The villain.

The songs.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke