4Tifier

This is definitely the weakest film in the franchise as it feels more like a filler episode in a TV series more so than a powerful standalone film. But what this movie truly does wrong is strip away what happened in the ending of the third film in order to make this first film happen. So while this is a good film overall, I can't forgive PIXAR for squandering the perfect ending that was Toy Story 3 to make this film happen.

This is what Toy Story 4 should have been. The first half of this film is definitely less "traditional" PIXAR. More casual, sarcastic, aimless, doesn't take itself too seriously, and the plot and movie are for the most part just "happening" without any emotional weight. But by the second half of this film, we get into some pure, perfect, PIXAR magic! It was incredibly enjoyable and fun to watch and worked very well! Definitely recommend it if you're a huge fan of the Toy Story franchise! But if you didn't like Toy Story 4 that much, you're likely better off not watching this film. ________________________________________________ DETAILED REVIEW: Toy Story 4 was what DLC is like to a video-game. Not at all necessary to fully enjoy the game, and sometimes you're even better off without it. But it's a nice addition and expansion that allows you to explore other avenues of the story and world that you couldn't otherwise in the main game. Toy Story 5 is the exact same way. The post-trilogy films for Toy Story step away from what were foundational to the original trilogy, and instead hyper-focus on specific elements or characters and their respective arcs while essentially ignoring everything else. The Toy Story Trilogy was surprisingly heavy, deep, philosophical, literal life-or-death high-stakes from the start, and featured an ensemble cast where every character had an important part to play. But this is not what Toy Story 4 or 5 has been about. Instead, both 4 and 5 primarily revolve around individual characters and bringing a full close to any "loose ends" from previous films. In 4, it was Woody reconciling his fierce loyalty to Andy and realizing that Bonnie is not Andy. For 5, this is Jessie, and a large part of her arc has to do with the abandonment issues she developed from her first owner, Emily. And while this movie wraps up this plot beautifully, it also respects the second film in a way that doesn't completely change or overshadow what it established. And while these movies are beautiful in their own right because of how they hyper-focus on individual lead characters from previous films, because they step so far back from what made the original trilogy what it is, you still can't help but get the feeling that 4 and 5 were ultimately... unnecessary. Again, a great expansion upon the base story, but not at all needed as the original trilogy was perfectly made and wrapped up. But I'd say the biggest weakness of this film was it's first half. It was very hard to actually care about the characters or the plot when it felt so casual, sarcastic, and ultimately aimless and generic. It felt like watching a modern Dreamworks or Illumination film where you're just cruising mindlessly through the movie without any emotional investment. Again, in short, if you go into this film just expecting an expansion upon Jessie's arc, you'll have a great time! But if you're watching it to relive the magic and feelings of the original trilogy, you're more than likely better off just watching the original trilogy.

While it sorely lacks world-building and suffers from dialogue that has far too many hollow one-liners, the movie offers a surprisingly emotional and deeply philosophical reflection story on the human condition. And what it lacks in world-building and fleshed-out dialogue, it makes up for in visual spectacle galore through cutting-edge CGI that still hold up well nearly 2 decades later!

Watching TRON: Ares is less like watching a movie and more like watching a highlight compilation of a TV show on YouTube. You get nothing but the highlights, but it's hollowed out due to the lack of plot and character development that's clearly been left out. Unlike in the original TRON and TRON: Legacy, TRON: Ares tries to cover a lot more ground than its predecessors in terms of all the characters, sub-plots, and world-building it tries to do all at once. Not only this, but the movie feels like it was originally scripted to be a TV show with how much more it's trying to cover. But for the most part, the rushed plot development doesn't help the movie out. It only makes the movie feel so rushed and underdeveloped; leaving you with the same kind of feeling you get when you read a 2 minute synopsis of a book over actually reading the book. It leaves you with data and an understanding of what happened, but no emotional impact or investment into the actual story, it's characters, or what the author was trying to convey. If they had made this movie into a TV series instead, it honestly would have done much better as it would have given Disney more time to really bring the story they wanted to tell to life. But if they needed to keep it a movie, they could have easily gutted so much of the characters and sub-plots that were ultimately unnecessary (Eve's friends and coworkers, in particular). In short, TRON: ARES leaves a lot to be desired and prioritizes spectacle, ensemble, and fan service over truly fleshed out and well developed story-telling. And while neither of the two predecessors were well-known for world-building, either, they at least left you with the sense that the movie you watched had a complete and emotionally impactful story that actually mattered and was worth remembering. Something that ARES sorely lacks.

"Sinners" is like experiencing a multi-course meal at an experimental fusion restaurant that just opened up. For the most part it all surprisingly works well together, and creates a very memorable and enjoyable experience. Other times, the delivery and full potential of the dishes isn't realized. And would you ever go back again? Most likely. Food and restaurant analogies aside, "Sinners" is a much needed breath of fresh air in a cinematic landscape that is overly saturated with sequels, spin-offs, adaptations, and poor quality original content. And after watching this film, you're left feeling like you experienced true art, and not just some corporate product made cheaply by executives. The only weaknesses of this film is that some of the core elements and subplots are not fully realized or developed. For a horror film, I was left a little disappointed by the lack of horror in this film; how quickly some of the horror sequences were cut short just as they were getting good, how some horror sequences felt more like they belonged in a horror parody than a genuine horror film, and how quickly the story progressed forward once the plot became more centralized around the horror aspect of the film. It at times felt like the director was forced to put horror scenes into the movie and just wanted those scenes to be over with to get back to the story they actually wanted to tell. If they took more time developing the horror in this film, and fully flesh out certain horror sequences, it would have been a lot better in my opinion. In short, despite some underdeveloped horror, it was still a great film overall that I highly recommend to filmgoers.

In the wake of modern cinema, I've grown mostly tired of remakes and reboots that have no means of existing. And to be quite frank, when I first saw the trailers for this live-action remake of "How to Train Your Dragon", one of my favourite movies from my childhood, I was healthily skeptical. Especially when it seemed like they were going to be making many unnecessary changes in favour of "the modern message" by adding senseless diversity and flipped gender stereotypes for the sake of it. But after seeing the movie for myself, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by this remake as it did what I never thought it would do; keep to the original as much as possible, and have the changes it does make makes sense and adds to the story while still honoring the core messages and "spirit" of the original. One of the biggest changes is actually very quickly addressed in the beginning, where it's shown in the beginning that the diversity present on Berk isn't just for the sake of it. It's because the island of Berk consists of united tribes of the best dragon hunters from all over the world who came to Berk. Why? Because it was the closest island to where they know the dragon's lair is, and they all want to stop the dragons once and for all for the sake of the people they left behind to hunt the dragons. And that honestly makes so much sense, and adds far more weight and lore to the story and its characters than the original's "We're vikings! It's an occupational hazard!" (I.e. We're here because we're stubborn and that's it!) This is one of the few examples of changes this movie makes that just makes more sense than the original. So I really have to give my hats off to Dreamworks for making a very good live-action adaptation. They made the excellent and respectable choice of only making changes that would make sense and add to the story instead of take away from it. And that's something I hope a lot more studios do for their live-action remakes. Unlike a recent one about a colourful and fluffy creature that completely detracts from the original message, spirit, and core of its predecessor to the point where it's just significantly worse...

While newcomers to the franchise will require some major suspense of disbelief in order to fully enjoy this film, every element of the movie from its acting, writing, design, and Easter eggs makes this an enjoyable and fulfilling experience for horror fans of all ages. ________________________________________________ The first thing I want to commend the creators of this film for is its ingenious writing. As a writer myself, I can fully appreciate the dedication the writers of this film had to ensure that the events unfolded in a natural way that made perfect sense while also developing the world and characters in ways that can connect with general audiences. It's also clear that Scott Cawthon himself had a clear hand in it with the full dedication to the lore as well as the trademark bits and tropes that he's well known for in his games. Of course the main character had to become a security guard at Freddy's. Of course they had to find out the place was haunted and save their sister. But the way it all came about in the movie was not forced in the slightest. Every moment set up the next series of events perfectly while also developing the characters in a natural and relatable way. I think its safe to say that the writers of this film learned from the recent "Power Rangers" film as well; allowing the character development to take centre stage while the main events became the climax. And it works perfectly. Nothing in this film feels overdone or forced. And that will pay off in the long run if they choose to develop the film franchise further. Now, of course, the choice of design in this film was spectacular. Not only are there numerous Easter eggs scattered throughout the film that parallel scenes players of the games will find (the layout of the security room from the first game, the couch/lamp/TV setup in Mike's house that mirrors Sister Location, etc.). But of course, the most important factor was the animatronic characters, and this was pulled off flawlessly. Blumhouse made the perfect choice by using no CGI for the animatronics; only using performers in suits with animatronic parts in the suits, or full-on animatronics. This made the sequences with the animatronics far more impactful, engaging, and of course scary! In conclusion, even for viewers that are completely unfamiliar with the franchise, they will find this film to be very well written by any standards; especially with the concept of this film in mind. But for fans of the franchise, it is a perfect Five Nights at Freddy's film by all accounts with no major or critical flaws.

There's truly nothing redeeming or worthy of praise in this movie. It's almost as if this was made by an amateur YouTuber in a year and not by a professional studio. The story is also completely stripped of its original values and lessons of childhood and adulthood, and replaced with a montage of (more) shallow and overly competent female characters being girl bosses surrounded by incompetent and emotional men.

This was definitely the more impressive of the Scream sequels I've seen in a long time. And that's not even saying a lot since Scream certainly has the best sequels out of all the other horror films. This one, however, really shows how successful their formula is with how fresh, cliche, and self-aware the movie can be all at the same time, and still be an interesting and entertaining experience. But I also think the best part about these movies is the bonds between the main characters. It really helps add weight to all the things that happen when you genuinely want to see the characters survive and continue to work together to catch the killer and survive. That being said, the movie definitely suffers from being very unevenly paced in an attempt to keep the audience interested and keep introducing new plot points and developments. That, and to ultimately deliver on the kills everyone's there to see. Yet overall, the film does an excellent job with carrying on the series and showing why Scream has continued to survive and deliver on excellent sequels again and again.

I will give this movie full points on its amazing visual effects and how much it will impact the film industry going forward. But as a story, this movie fails miserably to be worth the many years wait for a sequel to Avatar 1. The movie unfortunately falls along the same lines of the Star Wars sequels and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchises; lots of visual flair and spectacle, but absolutely terrible story-telling that ultimately a rehash of the previous movie(s) and destroys everything the original(s) established. I didn't expect Disney to do much better with this considering what they've done and are doing with the other franchises they're milking for all they're worth, and unfortunately this movie is no exception. So if you want to watch a movie that has state-of-the-art visual affects and can afford the IMAX 3-D ticket, definitely check this movie out. But for a quality cinematic experience, this film only delivers half of what's to be expected.

Is this movie going to become a timeless classic? Definitely not. Does it have a decent enough story to follow that gives weight to the conflicts and developments throughout the story? Yes! Does it have amazing visual elements that all work well with the world? Absolutely! But most importantly, does it honour what Dungeons and Dragons is all about and keep true to the spirit of this world-renown table-top role-playing game and what makes it so beloved? On that point... Natural 20!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie could have seriously used a 1-up with how this film turned out. The pacing felt like those segments in Mario where you get the Star power-up in the games; fast-paced, little-to-no actual conflict or suspense since everything is too easy, and it's all over before you know it. The worst part was the actors. The vast majority of the English cast did not match their roles in the slightest, especially Chris Pratt as Mario and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong (...really?). Hollywood needs to get out of the bad habit of only hiring A-list celebrities for big projects and bring on actual talent that will get the job well done. The movie's only saving grace is its animation, design, and action sequences. They're definitely very visually appealing to watch while they last, but the lacking plot that doesn't honour what the original games were all about did not make them as intense or impactful as they could have been. In short, if you're a huge Mario fan or a kid that's looking for a cheap thrill, this is definitely it. But if you're looking for a quality cinematic experience, this certainly isn't it.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

A Buzz Lightyear film that wasn’t really a Buzz Lightyear film. While the animation and effects were very impressive, the storytelling fell through in a major way. They were definitely able to take some elements from the Toy Story series and transition it to this film to create parallels between the toy Buzz and the “real” Buzz, yet the overall story heavily derails from what Buzz at his core is; an action hero. Instead of the story being about a grand adventure or stopping a universe-ending evil like Zurg, the story instead resorts to being an overly drawn out version of the “Up” opening sequence. It may have worked with different setups and characters, but not with a character that’s supposed to be an action hero. I get that this film was heavily inspired by the pandemic; with the shutdowns, time moving differently, and everything seemingly passing by as if it never happened, and that can make for a good story. They just chose the wrong setting for it in my opinion.

EPISODE IV Sorry for anyone who has just read the first two words of my review, because I just spoiled this entire movie just by saying those two words! This is by far the most disappointing movie I have ever seen; I would even go as far as saying it is the second-worst Star Wars film to date (the worst being, of course, Episode II). What was advertised as a sequel and a continuation of the Star Wars universe turns out to actually be a copy+paste remake of the first Star Wars movie. I cannot believe Disney and J.J. Abrams would stoop this low just to make a lot of money. But besides this movie being completely unoriginal, it does so much more wrong that makes this movie a 1.5/5 Star film... For starters, the character development is far too quick and shallow. Why does Finn suddenly decide to join the good side? Meh, who cares.... Why does Rae know how to use the Force? Meh, who cares... How do Finn and Rae master any weapon/vehicle she touches? Meh, who cares... Why are Finn and Poe suddenly butt buddies? Meh, who cares... Secondly, the development of the story is based on pure coincidence and luck! Finn and Rae happen to find the Millennium Falcon and happen to fly it better than Han ever could and happen to fly it to where Chewie and Han are hiding who happen to know where the rebel base is where it so happens that Luke's lightsaber is there and Rae happens to find it and remember to past... I could continue, but I think you get the point by now... Third, the villains are absolutely horrible! Kylo Ren is just a discount Darth Vader whose just full of hot gas and Captain Phasma is just a chrome spray-painted Stormtrooper who does absolutely nothing but give the good guys what they want (she doesn't even get that much screen-time). Their costumes are also completely unoriginal. Heck, even the Bounty Hunters who were shown on screen for 5 seconds in "The Empire Strikes Back" had more effort put into their costumes than the main villains of this movie! In conclusion, the writing of this movie is literally a copy+paste of a fan fiction written by J.J. Abrams, and is far from being a proper Star Wars film. Yet it is because Disney advertised this film to be an "original continuation" is why I truly despise this film.

"The Purge: Election Year" is the Purge movie that we've been waiting for; its a movie that is intelligent, political, and full of all the action and suspense we would expect when America goes into anarchy for 12 hours! You'll probably like this movie if you are a fan of the Die Hard series,action films, apocalypse films, and/or conspiracy films.