FreedomFighters

After watching "The Angry Birds Movie" and being severely underwhelmed despite the talk of it being one of the "better" video game movies, I was admittedly a bit nervous going into "Ratchet & Clank" because, not only did I hear negative things, but I also have to say that I was nervous because "Ratchet & Clank" is a video game series I have some experience with (not a ton, but a basic knowledge at least). So, going into this, I had no idea what to expect, but I was a bit surprised honestly. The film has quite a bit going for it, thanks to the gorgeous animation, solid voice work, occasionally clever jokes (and nice PlayStation easter eggs), fun-enough action, and especially the faithfulness to the source games. Sure, the movie does "kid-ify" things just a little bit with some juvenile humor and a rather basic, cliché story, but overall, "Ratchet & Clank" is a fun enough film and it's definitely better than you'd expect a video game-based film to be. It won't win awards for originality or reinvent the wheel, but it's an entertaining watch for children and fans of the franchise.

I'm usually not quite as specific with my film reviews as I am with my game reviews, but I'm gonna sum things up even quicker here: after 14 years, it's everything we could've hoped for. Gorgeous animation, the same great characters we know and love, some nice new characters, interesting and clever writing and a few nice surprises help round out this fantastic sequel the world has waited plenty of years for. Now, Pixar, a quick word: I want to say, just because you made a video before the film thanking us for waiting for the film, that doesn't repair the damage. If you plan to make a third one, PLEASE don't make us wait 14 more years. Please and thank you.

You know, after reviewing "The Angry Birds Movie" and being juuuuuust a little negative towards it, I'm so happy that I can follow that up by reviewing an animated masterpiece. "The Iron Giant" really is that, a masterpiece. It's a film with animation that still looks breathtaking nearly 20 years later, it's a film that handles mature themes of death and relationships in a way that'll have you think twice about the idea of "all animated films being kiddy flicks," it's a film that's hilarious but also exciting, it's a film with brilliant characters like the charming Hogarth, the witty Dean, and the sinister and complex Mr. Mansley, but most importantly, it's a film that shines through with its title character, the Giant himself, a character that's both badass and adorable, and easy to love. It's a film that has stood the test of time, and it's a film that deserves to be watched not only by fans of animation, but by fans of films in general. It's a true masterpiece of filmmaking, and if there's anything I can criticize, it's that it took me until now to finally watch the film. Don't make the same mistake I did. Watch "The Iron Giant." And if you've seen it already...well, good, but go watch it again! It's truly a breathtaking film.

You know, it honestly blows my mind that this is one of the highest-rating video game-based films on Rotten Tomatoes. I have to wonder if that speaks to the quality of video game-based films in general (I've only seen a select fews), because if THIS is really one of the BEST out of them, I'm terrified to watch any of the others! "The Angry Birds Movie" is lucky that it at least looks pretty, because there is almost nothing else going for it! There's not ONE character in the movie worth rooting for (I can't even remember their names)! There's not one joke in the movie that doesn't feel like it's going on for way too long (specifically the bird peeing)! Why is the damn movie so mean-spirited, even for something called "Angry Birds?" What the hell kind of lesson does this teach kids? That anger is all you need to succeed? Come on! And speaking of which, for a movie geared at kids, why are so many of the jokes in here so un-kid-friendly? This isn't even a movie I can recommend for families, because the jokes aren't even family-friendly! This is a movie I recommend if you're really hating yourself and you want to test your patience for an hour and a half. This is a movie where I don't sympathize with the characters, but I sympathize with anyone who had to sit through it. Yet another giant pile of dreck from the kings and queens of dreck, Sony Pictures Animation.

Admittedly, I tried not to get myself too hyped for this film. I'm a casual Marvel fan, yes, so Marvel Cinematic Universe films already aren't the films I look forward to the absolute most in a given year, but I definitely like to watch them every once in a while. However, after "Age of Ultron" disappointed me (even though I still enjoyed it), I didn't want to get my expectations too high for this because I didn't want to be let-down. Thankfully, I wasn't. "Avengers: Infinity War" has it all: high-stakes action, emotion, visual splendor, great acting and cinematography, and a script that thankfully never loses focus, even though it's focusing in on a large group of characters. Even as someone that hasn't seen every MCU film, I felt like I could follow this one very easily. I'm sure by this point, most of you have seen this already so I don't REALLY need to tell you to see it, but if you haven't, give it a look! "Avengers: Infinity War" is well worth the hype!

Man, this movie had so much potential! A great concept (a robot learning how to feel, with small social/political commentary mixed in), a capable director in Neill Blomkamp, a charming lead character in Chappie himself, great CGI, and a strong performance from Dev Patel, who played the main human Deon. So, what in the world went wrong? Well, right idea, wrong execution, apparently. While it certainly has its moments, and those positives that I mentioned are there, the film won't coast by on its entertainment value, and unfortunately, it's a very flawed movie. Though the film, conceptually speaking, is great, it gets lost in a state of clichés, absurdity, and a lack of focus. A movie like this shouldn't be a "turn your brain off and enjoy it" kind of movie, but unfortunately, that was the only way I was able to enjoy it. Beyond the clichés, many of the characters were flat-out unlikeable, and the stunt-casting of Die Antwoord felt like Neill throwing in names for the sake of throwing in names. I'm sorry, I wanted to love "Chappie," but this film only makes me wonder if Neill will ever strike lightning again like he did with "District 9."

Admittedly, when "Alice in Wonderland" came out in 2010, I enjoyed the film. Sure, it was a flawed Hollywood blockbuster, but it definitely had some good things to it. When I heard that a sequel was coming out, though, I didn't get my hopes all that high. Sure, the first film was solid enough, but was it worth making a sequel? And six years after the first one at that? Well, I recently checked out said sequel and, admittedly, it wasn't all that bad. Sure, some of the humor falls flat, the plot is utterly ridiculous, and Johnny Depp provides an uninteresting performance, but the film is visually sound, has some decent characters, a solid performance from Mia Wasikowska, and surprisingly, the film actually has some legitimately exciting (and emotional) moments. No, it's not a great film, and it's nothing amazing, but all in all, it's a decent little film, and even despite my rating, I still recommend giving it a shot to see if the wholly ridiculous, nonsensical plot adds to the charm of the film for you, or if it just feels frustrating.

You know your movie's bad when even the unintentional comedy doesn't work. Honestly, you don't even need to sit through the whole thing to know why it's so bad. Awful story, hammy acting, headache-inducing cinematography, horrific CGI that makes early films look great, everything about it is just wrong. Don't do it. Please. Don't.

Normally, I'm not one to disagree with the critics if they like a film. I may occasionally disagree with critics that gave the film lower scores, and I've definitely given more than a few good scores to films that have gotten low scores from critics. However, I've rarely given lower scores to films that got good marks, because usually I can kind of gauge why critics enjoyed a film and apply that myself. This, however, is an exception. The live-action recreation of "Beauty and the Beast" is most certainly well-crafted and well-intentioned, the visual design is wondrous, the music is nice, the acting is good, and the film as a whole is faithful to the original, classic animated film. That, however, is also the film's biggest downfall, because unfortunately, there IS a such thing as being "too faithful," and it honestly felt like I was watching a tit-for-tat, shot-for-shot retelling of the original animated film, without many attempts at taking unique angles to the "Tale As Old As Time." If you found some enjoyment in it, fine by me, I'm glad you liked it, but me personally, I just couldn't get into this like I did with the original animated film. And it's really hard for me to judge it on its own merit when it honestly makes me want to fall asleep. I'm sorry, I wanted to love this live-action redux of "Beauty and the Beast," but it was just too hard to fall in love with.

Illumination Entertainment has made a number of films I definitely enjoyed, such as the "Despicable Me" series, and considering that I enjoyed "The Secret Life of Pets" despite initially thinking it would be terrible and dubbing it as just "Toy Story with pets," I was very excited to see where "Sing" would take me. Ultimately, "Sing" wasn't a huge leap forward from "The Secret Life of Pets" thanks to its slightly all-over-the-place story, the somewhat unlikeable protagonist, and the fact that Illumination's trademark humor isn't really on display here. However, I'd be lying if I didn't say that "Sing" had some beautiful animation, great music, solid vocal performances, heartwarming moments, and other charming characters that helped keep it afloat. Sure, it's a flawed film, and it won't rank as one of Illumination's best, but "Sing" is still an enjoyable entry in the company's filmography, and it's definitely worth giving a shot.

It's not everyday I get to watch a film that's considered a "classic" or an "old film," but sometimes, Netflix comes through in the clutch with some great older-films, and I just happen to pounce on the opportunity to see them before they go away. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was one of those cases, and I'm glad I checked it out. Beyond its historical significance as the first film where animated and live-action characters share the screen at the same time, the movie is just too entertaining: it's funny, it's got memorable characters, very clever visual gags, great fanservice (when else do you get to see Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny on screen at the same time?), and some really solid dialogue ("I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way" is still an iconic line). Sure, some elements are a bit underdeveloped to me (how are humans and toons co-existing together?), and I'm still trying to figure out how this got away with a PG rating, but all in all, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is a great example of a historically-significant film that also happens to remain very entertaining.

I've enjoyed the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite some time now, and while I wouldn't call myself the universe's biggest fan by any means, I've always enjoyed my time watching the films, and I can still sit through and enjoy even some of the MCU's weaker films, like "Avengers: Age of Ultron," for example. "Black Panther" was a film that had me excited from the get-go, honestly even more so than the extremely-hyped and much-anticipated "Avengers: Infinity War" (don't get me wrong, still looking forward to it, just keeping my expectations in check). I'm so happy that "Black Panther" didn't disappoint me, and it's personally one of my favorite films in the canon thus far. I loved the film for how it focused so much on character-building than just throwing baseless action scenes into the fray, and I also felt the characters in the film were some of the most memorable, well-written ones in the MCU thus far. The design of Wakanda (and the film as a whole for that matter) is breathtaking, the acting is superb, and the film succeeds at being both emotional and often quite humorous. This is another very strong entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, and it's absolutely worth watching!

Even when Pixar comes out with the occasionally weaker film, they still manage to make something entertaining, and while they've definitely released some films recently that wouldn't rank alongside their best films (I'm looking directly at "The Good Dinosaur" when I say this), there's always some excitement going into their films that they are just gonna blow everyone away. With "Coco," they've once again created something truly special. Beyond the beautiful, heart-wrenching storytelling, the lovable, well-written and hilarious characters, the absolutely breathtaking animation, and the wonderful songs, "Coco" succeeds for its incredibly respectful and wondrous portrayal of Mexican culture, and the way it handles the themes of family, life and death, and how these themes are interwoven so perfectly so as to create an adventure that is as entertaining as it is emotional. Sí sí, "Coco" es magnífico!!! Believe the hype, and go watch this film!!!!!

While I'm generally familiar with Disney's "post-Renaissance" films from the 2000s on (especially the more recent ventures), "Meet the Robinsons" was one of the few post-Renaissance films I didn't really catch when it first came out. Sure, it looked cool, and I remembered trying to watch it once as a child, but I fell asleep during it (I was really young and it was late at night and all that), so seeing that it was on Netflix gave me the itch to give the film a shot and see what it had to offer, and sure enough, it was a solidly enjoyable flick! Charming and emotional with great characters and some decently inventive animation, "Meet the Robinsons" twists and turns in plenty of interesting ways and makes for some very fun family entertainment. Sure, you can tell this was one of Disney's first CGI ventures because the animation hasn't aged well in certain areas, and you can tell this was a film from Disney's post-Renaissance slump because there's definitely some pretty cliché moments, but with so much humor and emotion, there's definitely a lot to love about "Meet the Robinsons" and it's definitely worth giving a shot.

There was a slight glimmer of hope in the first 15 minutes that this wouldn't be as bad as everyone said it was. Boy howdy, was I wrong. This was painful...just absolutely painful. Don't even think about watching it. Don't make the same mistakes I did. I'll never understand happiness ever again.

After "Cars 2" was much weaker than the first film, so much so that it was Pixar's first rotten-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes (even though I still enjoyed it), many of us scratched our heads and wondered why Pixar was going to make a third film. Oddly enough, though, I actually find it to be my favorite of the "Cars" films. Beyond the typically beautiful animation, I appreciate that Pixar actually took the series back to the racetrack, focused on Lightning more, and made the film a bit more mature, kept the film from feeling like too much of a retread, and actually adding some legitimately emotional and tense moments in the film. Is it one of Pixar's best? No, definitely not. Is it still an enjoyable film? I think so! And even if you aren't too interested in the series, it's worth checking out to see what side of the fence you sit on here.

Sometimes, a good stop-motion film is what we need. Stop-motion animated films never fail to inject a much-needed "weird" charm and delight audiences with something more than just a traditional "kid's flick." Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride" does exactly that, injecting whimsy, weirdness, and dark humor in a film that's definitely quite enjoyable. With animation that absolutely pops off the screen, some nice music numbers, wonderful emotional scenes, and fantastic characters, "Corpse Bride" is a well-crafted animated film that overcomes it's slightly clichéd structure, occasionally groan-inducing jokes and sometimes-creepy character animation to become an enjoyable animated film. It's not for everyone, and I wouldn't advise showing it to a young child, but all in all, this is certainly worth checking out!

As someone that's seen a good portion of the DreamWorks CGI films, this was one that I was, at the very least, interested in. The mere concept of Alec Baldwin playing a talking baby had my attention for a minute. Unfortunately, it's clear after seeing the film that the concept alone isn't enough to sell this film. "The Boss Baby" often reminds me of why I love animated films, because the actual animation itself is gorgeous and extremely inventive. The film is so cleverly-designed and so beautiful to look at that it reminds me of why I love the medium. Unfortunately, the film also reminds me that breathtaking visuals are nothing without good writing, and they won't do enough to distract from a cliché-riddled plot, unlikeable characters and an extremely lack of funny jokes. It's a shame that all of the cleverness about the film was in relation to the animation, and not the writing. If you're a hardcore DreamWorks fan that has very young children, I would hesitantly say maybe give this a shot, but for anyone else, just skip it. It's definitely one of the weakest in the DreamWorks chronology.

When I first saw commercials for this film back in 2015, I immediately scoffed at it. I wondered how many blatant "Alvin and the Chipmunks" spoofs studios would keep churning out until they realized we wanted something better. Then, I read the reviews and saw that this had a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and couldn't believe it. A live-action/CGI hybrid with a 98%? I had to see it to believe it. And I have to say, I most certainly believe it now. "Paddington" has a charm to it that's lacking in a lot of live-action/CGI hybrid films today: instead of focusing on the typical toilet humor and "dumb" jokes, this film is actually witty, clever, and wonderfully-written, and unlike a lot of similar films, it's one of those films where you actually care about the characters because they're so well-developed. The film is also beautifully shot and wonderfully inventive with its visual effects, and even if there are a few crazy moments in the plot, the film has too much irresistible charm to make up for it. If you're looking for a children's film from the heart, made with real passion, look no further than "Paddington."

Back in early 2016, I was honestly dreading the thought of another "Spider-Man" movie. Sure, I love the web-slinger, but I was just thinking "oh, great, another one." This was, of course, before I saw "Captain America: Civil War" and became excited for the film thanks entirely to Tom Holland's performance in the film. Having finally seen the film after months of hype, I can say that, in my humble opinion, this is my personal favorite Spider-Man film. I was so enthralled by the action, the performances (special shoutouts to Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton and Zendaya), the characters themselves, the writing, the visuals, everything. It was a really enjoyable film, and while it changes quite a few things in comparison to other Spider-Man movies, I think this is a good thing, because it helps the film to feel fresh, instead of just being another "Spider-Man" movie. If you've been itching to see "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and haven't gotten to, I highly recommend it.

I'll be honest with you, when I saw the trailer to this film, I thought it looked hilarious, and I was admittedly very excited for the film. Now that I've seen it, however, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. "Sausage Party" had an interesting concept and some clever jokes here and there, but after a while, the humor kind of just staled out for me. After a while, it felt like the humor just devolved into a glut of curse words and food puns, which for a movie this risky, just wasn't enough. And when it did try to be risky, it basically made uncomfortable race and sex-related characters that felt more creepy than funny. Oh, and don't get me started on the animation. I'm appalled that the film came out in 2016, because the animation looked absolutely horrendous. I'm sorry, but "Sausage Party" was not great. It could've been far worse, but unfortunately, it also could've been way better.

The DC Extended Universe has been off to a rough start. "Man of Steel," while entertaining, was nowhere near "spectacular," "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," no matter how much you liked it, was a gigantic disappointment, and while I've yet to watch "Suicide Squad," it kind of seems like everyone I talk to about it tells me to avoid it. So, along comes female director Patty Jenkins with her version of "Wonder Woman." And to the surprise of many, including myself, the film is actually pretty great! Obviously, it's got all the things that make a superhero movie great (a great story, good writing, interesting characters, cool action, and strong performances, specifically Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman), but for me, the film was successful for a number of other reasons. For starters, while it definitely had the actions we all expect from this kind of movie, the film definitely wasn't afraid to build its story and its characters and take the necessary time to develop them. But also, where a lot of superhero films may get caught up in franchise building, "Wonder Woman" did an incredible job standing on its own despite being part of the DCEU. In fact, outside of some very small references at the beginning and the end of the film, you could've told me that this film wasn't part of the DCEU and I would've believed you. All in all, "Wonder Woman" is a huge success and it's definitely the film the DCEU needed. Let's hope it stays this way as we continue on.

Sometimes, it feels like asking for a film trilogy to be entirely great is too much. The first movie might get it right, and the second is nice, but the third tends to be the point where things fall too far. Not with the "Planet of the Apes" reboot series. "Rise" and "Dawn" were incredible films, and now "War for the Planet of the Apes" proves to be an outstanding conclusion to this fantastic trilogy. Emotional, action-packed without feeling mindless, brilliantly written, beautifully shot, fantastically acted (especially by Andy Serkis), the film has it all. If you see one film in 2017, make it "War for the Planet of the Apes." ...why are you still reading this? Go see the movie already!

With how much I loved "The LEGO Movie," I was definitely excited when I heard that Batman, one of the first film's funniest characters, was going to get his own film. Having finally seen it, I was definitely entertained, but I felt there were a few flaws. Sure, the animation was great, the writing was solid and the film as a whole was clever and packed with fun references, but the film was nearly as charming as the first, and considering that this film didn't really use the "LEGO" part nearly as well as the first one did, I think it could've easily worked as a differently styled "Batman" film without the "LEGO" part. In some ways, I feel like the "LEGO" thing was merely a means to cash in on Batman's popularity. Even so, it's definitely an entertaining cash-in, and I would definitely suggest giving it a look.

I'll be completely honest here and say that I didn't read the "Captain Underpants" book that much when I was a kid. I read some of the first book, and a little bit of "The Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants," but otherwise, I went into this film not knowing much. Thankfully, I walked away extremely satisfied. "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" is DreamWorks to the core, but in this case, it works: it's hilarious, it's well-written, the animation is great, and the characters are extremely memorable. Regardless of your personal enjoyment for the books, "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" is a great film that's well worth watching.

I don't know how Disney does it, but they just continue to impress with their animated films. Every time a new one comes out, I think to myself "but the last one was so good! How could they even come close to that?" And then, my expectations are exceeded. Such is the case with Disney's 56th animated film "Moana," which is a fantastic film with a fun story that, while not terribly original, is told well enough to make it feel fresh. On top of that, the characters are great, the music is catchy and memorable, the film is funny, exciting, and heartfelt, and the **** boy, the animation. This is one of the most beautiful animated films I have seen, and watching it all in action just feels so, for lack of a better word, magical. There's no other way I can say it, go see "Moana." And if you end up loving the film after reading this review, well, "What can I say except, 'you're welcome?'"

I'll be honest, when I first heard that a Lego movie was coming out, I wasn't too confident that it would be very good. Blame it on the fact that I didn't really play with Legos as a kid (most of my Lego experience came from video games), but I thought it would just be an exercise in exploiting a brand name for easy money. Then I saw the movie, and I was absolutely wowed. Beyond the beautiful animation and great voice acting, the film is heartwarming, exciting, absolutely hilarious, and crazily enough, magnificently written all-around. I wasn't sure how I felt when I heard that they were making a gigantic franchise out of this, but let me tell you guys: after watching the movie, this absolutely NEEDS a franchise. There's so many directions you can go in, but also, if those sequels and new films are at least half as good as this film, they will be amazing. I'm telling you guys, if you haven't already, check out "The Lego Movie," because "Everything is Awesome" in this film.

Man, I took a pretty big L with this one. For months before this film's release, I was constantly touting it as "Toy Story with pets" and I was in a constant state of belief that the film was not going to be good. Then I decided to watch **** I was horribly wrong. Sure, it's still "Toy Story with pets," but it's still a surprising good film! It's hilarious, it's beautifully animated, it's exciting, and it's got some pretty memorable characters. I still probably won't be able to shake the "it's Toy Story with pets" vibe anytime soon, but all in all, "The Secret Life of Pets" is an entertaining and fun animated film that family members of all ages can enjoy!

I'll be honest, I was pretty nervous before this film came out: I was praying that Pixar wouldn't mess it up, and thankfully, they didn't! "Finding Dory" is a wonderful animated film that's funny, thoughtful, well-written, wonderfully-acted, visually brilliant, and of course, full of heart. Sure, "Finding Nemo" is still the better film, but "Finding Dory," 13 years later, still manages to live up to its predecessor and stand as a fantastic film that shows us that Pixar's still got it after all these years!

Once again, I'll keep it short with this one, since I can't say much that hasn't been said: "Captain America: Civil War" is an amazing superhero film that is excellently-written, wonderfully-acted (especially by Tom Holland), action-packed and visually strong, while featuring some great character development. Even in an industry dominated by superhero films, "Captain America: Civil War" stands tall among the many superhero movies in theaters nowadays and it's definitely worth watching.

Disney's live-action adaptation of "The Jungle Book" is so far ahead of their other live-action adaptations that you kind of can't even compare them here: "The Jungle Book" is a tremendous film that's faithful to the source material, wonderfully acted, well-written and well-directed, while also featuring some painstaking visual excellence that might even be some of the best of 2016. Make it a point to catch "The Jungle Book," because it's truly a wonder to behold.

There's honestly not much I can say about this that hasn't been said by so many others, so I'll keep it short: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be: it's action-packed, it's well-acted, and it's visually spectacular. Unfortunately, the writing is kind of all over the place and there's way too many flaws with the writing. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not a tremendous film either. It could've been way better, but it could've been way worse. I'd still recommend checking out "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" if you're feeling curious.

Disney has set the bar extremely high with films like "Wreck-It Ralph," "Frozen" and "Big Hero 6," so how can Disney possibly top those films? Well, how about by making a film about talking animals that's all about discrimination, stereotyping and society as we know it? Disney took a leap of faith, and the reward is an animated film that may go down as one of the best of all-time! Brilliant animation, smart writing, fantastic characters, humor, heart, great voice acting, and wonderful exploration of those all-important themes. It's timely, fast-paced and terrific, and it's an animated film that can't be missed. If you haven't seen it yet, just stop reading this review and go watch "Zootopia."

Look, "Deadpool" needs no introduction. What can I say about the film that hasn't been said by everyone else? Not much. But just for a reminder, "Deadpool" is a hilarious, exciting, action-packed film with wonderful visuals and an outstanding performance from Ryan Reynolds. This is NOT a family movie, of course, so parents, don't be deceived by the man in the superhero costume. All things told, though, "Deadpool" is an amazing, fun-filled superhero film that's absolutely worth watching.

In a year that was filled with truly fantastic animated films, it's easy to forget that "Kung Fu Panda 3" was one of those animated films in 2016 (helps that it got released in January), but truthfully, the third entry in the series is truly fantastic: brilliantly animated, well-written, hilarious, heartwarming, well-acted, and filled with memorable characters, both old and news. It was a long and grueling wait between the second and third films, but "Kung Fu Panda 3" is a tremendous animated film that is worth several repeat viewings.

I'm gonna be completely honest here: "The Good Dinosaur" is actually my least-favorite Pixar film. Yeah, I actually prefer "Cars 2" over this. Don't get me wrong, "The Good Dinosaur" is still a good film: it's beautifully animated, has some pretty nice moments, and some pretty lovable characters, but unfortunately, it just feels a bit too derivative of other Disney/Pixar films and the film just didn't excite me as much as other Pixar films. Like I said, though, "The Good Dinosaur" is still an entertaining film, and it's definitely worth at least one watch, even if it's not up to Pixar's usual standards.

With how popular they have become, it comes as no surprise that Illumination Entertainment wanted to make a film based entirely around the Minions. Thus enters the "Despicable Me" spinoff "Minions," which is nowhere near as good as the previous film, but still pretty entertaining. It's pretty clear that the Minions can't lift the movie on their own and work better as side characters, and the villains here aren't really the greatest of characters, but "Minions" is still colorful, funny, exciting, and pretty entertaining. I would definitely temper your expectations with this one, but expect "Minions" to still be a pretty good animated film in the end.

While I personally enjoyed "Cars 2," "Brave" and "Monsters University," I will say that Pixar did seem to be stuck in a rut at the begin of the 2010s. Sure, I may have enjoyed the films, but it just felt like, given their critical reactions, fans just weren't enjoying Pixar's new films as much. "Inside Out" has been hailed by many as a "return to form" for Pixar, and they aren't kidding: "Inside Out" might actually be one of the greatest animated films of all-time: a wonderful concept gets executed brilliantly to create a film with excellent writing, fantastic and memorable characters that are well-acted, plenty of humor and heart, and some of the best animation I've seen in any film to date. "Inside Out" is a must-watch animated film that shouldn't be missed by anyone. If you haven't seen it...well, what are you waiting for?

While I'm not a gigantic fan by any means, I gotta give it up to the original "Jurassic Park" film, because it's excellent. And to be honest, "Jurassic World" wasn't on my radar at all, I kinda wanted to see it just to weigh in on all the hype and box-office records. And all things considered, the film was good, just nothing excellent. It's nowhere near as impactful or revolutionary as the first film, but on it's own, it's a visually stunning, considerably exciting, solidly-acted film. It's not for everyone, and the huge box office numbers might cause a bit of hype backlash, but otherwise, "Jurassic World" is a pretty good film that's worth at least one watch.

With how incredible the first "Avengers" film was, I was heavily anticipating this film long before its May 2015 release. And when I finally did get to see the film...well, I gotta say I was a little disappointed. After the first film was fantastic and all-around well-made, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" just isn't as exciting as the previous film. That said, it's still decently written, well-acted, action-packed enough, and it features a great villain. It's nothing outstanding, and if you go in expecting it to be better than the previous film, you'll be disappointed, but "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is still a good superhero film that's worth at least one watch.

"The Boxtrolls" has been receiving some...criticism? I don't know how to describe it, but it's seems like filmgoers are generally seeing this as one of Laika's lesser films. Outside of this, I've only seen "Coraline," so I can't really compare, but all things considered, "The Boxtrolls" is definitely a well-made animated film. It's pretty funny, the characters are solid, the animation is great, and the film is exciting. Sure, the writing isn't as tight as it could be, but all in all, "The Boxtrolls" is a fun animated film that, while it might be a bit too gross-out for some younger viewers, is definitely worth a watch.

I'm telling you, Walt Disney Animation Studios seems to be in a groove where they can do no wrong. "Wreck-It Ralph" proved that you can make a film centered around video games and make it amazing, while "Frozen" became a worldwide cultural phenomenon for a number of reasons. Now we have "Big Hero 6," which shows us that, in an industry dominated by superhero films from Marvel and DC, animated superhero films can succeed in theaters. "Big Hero 6" is beautifully-animated, well-written, action-packed, hilarious, heartwarming, and it features some tremendous and memorable characters. There's no two ways about it, "Big Hero 6" is an excellent animated film that everyone should watch.

**** wow wow..."Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," you are tremendous! Even though I was a bit skeptical after Rupert Wyatt was replaced by Matt Reeves, the man exceeded my expectations and created an excellent film that stands tall as one of my personal favorite movies of all-time. Yeah, I'm going that far. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is masterfully written, excellently directed, wonderfully acted (ESPECIALLY by Andy Serkis), visually spectacular, action-packed and emotional. Forget being an excellent "summer blockbuster" or an excellent "action film," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is filmmaking done right. This is how you make a brilliant movie, people. Make it a point to watch "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." It's worth it.

DreamWorks, thank you. THANK YOU! Thank you for making a sequel to one of my favorite animated films and not screwing it up! And, on that note, thank you for making a sequel to an amazing animated film and building on the previous film like a sequel should! "How to Train Your Dragon 2" is a fantastic animated adventure that's brilliantly animated, well-acted, excellently written, action-packed, and emotionally resonant. When all is said and done, this might go down as one of the greatest animated sequels ever made, and it is an absolute must-watch! If you haven't gotten the chance to see the film yet, do yourself a favor!

It's really a shame, because I love Spider-Man. Having enjoyed "The Amazing Spider-Man," I wanted the sequel to be amazing, but unfortunately, the film is just okay. It's visually stellar, the acting is wonderful (especially Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, who have amazing chemistry as always), and the action scenes are pretty great (even if there is a bit of shaky camera syndrome with this one), but unfortunately, the writing is really unfocused and filled with plot holes/side plots/oddities, and while the film has its share of villains, the problem is that none of them are particularly interesting characters. Really, in terms of characterization, Peter and Gwen are the only interesting characters in this film! I don't want to say that it's not a great film, but that's the unfortunate truth: though it's pretty entertaining, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" doesn't quite live up to it's title, so you should definitely temper your expectations with this one.

After the success of "Captain America: The First Avenger," Marvel decided that it would be a good idea to continue Cap's story with a sequel. They were right: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is a phenomenal entry to the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" that's wonderfully written, action-packed, well-acted, visually impressive, and all-around exciting! If you're a Marvel fan, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is a must-watch: it's a incredible film that shouldn't be missed.

I gotta hand it to DreamWorks, they definitely go out of the box every now and then. Look no further than "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," an adaptation of a cartoon from the 1960s in 2014. Strange, I know, but luckily, the film works. "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" is beautifully animated, pretty funny, and it features some pretty lovable characters and great time-traveling fun. It feels like it never knows if it wants to be high-brow or succumb to toilet humor, but despite its inconsistency, "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" is a fun little animated film that's fun for all ages.

Released at the tail-end of 2013, "The Wolf of Wall Street" quickly became one of the most controversial films of the year, and understandably so. It's a 3-hour long film about corruption and fraud on Wall Street, featuring plenty of instances of drinking, drug use, sex, and curse words, so much so that a lot of people are bound to get ticked off by the film. And what I mentioned doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what made the film so controversial. And yet, as controversial as it may be, the film is still fantastic. It's well-directed, well-written, funny, and it features fantastic performances, notably from Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie. I will warn that it's not for everyone, and if you don't feel like sitting through three hours of drinking, drugs, sex, cursing, corruption, scandal, fraud, and every other controversy you can think of, you might want to skip out on this one for something with a little less debate to it, but all things considered, "The Wolf of Wall Street" is an extremely memorable and well-constructed film that should stick with you long after you watch it.

Look, "Frozen" doesn't really need an introduction. The 53rd Walt Disney Animation Studios film became a massive worldwide phenomenon that doesn't seem to want to stop. And because it became so widely hyped up and made a crapton of money and had its songs replayed a lot on YouTube, you kind of get what's gonna happen: a ton of people will love the film, a ton of people will hate the film. Me personally? I love it. I love the characters, I love the themes and the way the story is told, the animation is brilliant, the voice acting is great, the film is funny and heartwarming, and the music is extremely memorable. There's bound to be a few people that will disagree, but all in all, I definitely loved "Frozen" and I think it's absolutely worth watching.

After the outstanding critical and commercial success of "The Hunger Games," it was pretty clear that the second book, "Catching Fire," would be adapted into a film. And sure enough, it happened, this time directed by Francis Lawrence instead of Gary Ross. How did Francis Lawrence do? Excellent! "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is a smart, polished, and confident sequel that's wonderfully written, action-packed, extremely exciting and extremely entertaining, all while featuring a phenomenal performance from Jennifer Lawrence. If you're a fan of the series, you absolutely must watch "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire."