Jacob

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes presents a morally complex story. The conflict between the apes and the humans isn’t black and white with heroes and villains on both sides, factions that each have clear motivations, and a difficult conflict for which there is no easy solution. It is brought to life by some well-realized characters some of which are brought to life through some incredible motion capture work. The phenomenal execution makes it easy to overlook the familiarity of the story especially considering that this is a way better version of Battle for the Planet of the Apes.

La La Land is an incredible film. Fans of old school musicals will enjoy the homage and references the film gives. Those tired of it will appreciate the meta-self-aware approach the film has and how it finds something new to say about it. Film buffs will enjoy the care put into the film from the cinematography, inclusion/lack of music, and meta-commentary. All of it comes together to form an incredible whole that deserves to be seen by everyone.

Concussion is Oscar-bait. Will Smith gives a phenomenal performance and is a fantastic actor. With the right script Smith could get that Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, despite tackling some great source material, the standard presentation makes for a slow film that despite having a unique story is by the numbers and forgettable. Smith fans and history buffs may enjoy it but at the end of the day watching this movie is about as stimulating as playing football.

Money Monster is perfectly adequate. The simple premise provides a suspenseful and high stakes scenario that has great relevance on our world today. Carrying the film are some strong lead performances and somewhat well realized characters. If the film had just fleshed out the other elements so they didn’t feel as standardized this film could’ve been something great. As is it’s fine and a good way to kill time but nothing to sing home about.

The Jungle Book is as thick and tangled as the jungle itself. While on the outside it looks impressive with lush dense environments and believable animals it is rooted inconsistency. One minute it is happy loving tribute to the 1967 classic and then next it is a dark and realistic story based on Kipling’s film. The two elements never mesh well and cause inconsistencies as characters act one way one minute and another the next without it every feeling seemless. Over the two sides the playful homage is preferred with familiar songs, a familiar soundtrack, and voices that capture the spirit of the original characters. Unfortunately, all that is lost as likeable characters are made unlikeable, the threatening made unthreating, and a cobbled messed. With the new film having little to offer outside of visual spectacle, you are better off just sticking to the 1967 bear neccessities.

10 Cloverfield Lane is a phenomenal kept secret. While part of the Cloverfield verse the film works as a gripping standalone film with relatable characters in a high stakes drama in building tension. Moments are set up that may off later and it all **** you in. All of this makes the last twenty minutes frustrating when the film enters a tonal shift and explains elements of the world that would’ve been better left unexplored. Thankfully, the majority of the film is well done to the point where if it cut twenty minutes earlier it would’ve been solid as it’s pretty good.

You made me cry Charlie Brown. Peanuts is a heartfelt film that will serve as a good introduction to Peanuts for children and remind adults why they fell in love with it to begin with and maybe appreciate it more. The characters are the way you remember them brought to life by some amazing child acting. Charlie Brown is the loveble loser and his episodic stories to charm the Red Headed Girl are touching and relatable. The ending may be a little out of character for the franchise but it is well earned and made me tear up. The fact that Blue Sky made a film of this quality is incredible because it is excellent. They bring they great animation to the forefront again providing a style that captures the spirit of the comic strips, take notes Sony Pictures, but are able to compliment it with a wonderful story. Some Snoopy scenes are filler, there is one pop song too many, and I wish characters like Schroder had more to do but the elements that work overshadow everything else.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for better or worse will please book fans and fans of the predecessor. Columbus once again provides a mostly faithful story and continues a stellar casting adding new memorable characters and visually bringing Rowling’s world to life. Those who weren’t fans of the first one and/or are looking for anything new will be disappointed. The film not only recycles numerous plot points from the first film but once again suffers from overfaithfullness with scenes loosely strung together in an effort to maintain the source material resulting in a lengthy runtime in serious need of padding. Fans of the book won’t mine but others will depend.

Finding Dory is disappointingly good with being the best sequel it can being both good and bad. On one end, its refreshing to see an animated sequel with this much heart providing a genuine emotional story worth telling. On the other end, Finding Nemo is a masterpiece and if you cannot create a film on par with it, which is impossible than it shouldn’t be worth telling at all we get a bit of both. Amidst the phenomenal animation Pixar is known for, they were able to take the character of Dory and provide a strong emotional story with her character while providing tons of characters that fit the theme while being memorable in their own right. What prevents this from being a masterpiece are the lowered stakes, repeating story elements and character arcs, and not everything jelled like in the previous film. Nonetheless, Pixar is still one of the top tier studios and if they are going to cave into sequel pressure at least they made a substantial and charming film not great but good.

Kung Fu Panda 3 proves to be a threequel that was worth the five-year wait. The heart-felt relationship Po has his family and his next Kung Fu lesson make this story feel like a continuation of the previous two films that was planned out. While some character beats and story beats feel familiar the relationship Poe shares with others, slower character driven pace, and unique message make the story feel fresh. The gorgeous animation with stunning backgrounds and a jaw dropping fight in the spirit world make this a visual spectacle that deserves to be seen in theaters in 3-d. Well realized characters, improved visuals, and a heartfelt story make for a satisfying conclusion to the Kung Fu Panda trilogy

Dr. Strange makes up for its standard story and basic characters by putting Strange and the magic front and center. Bennedict Cumberbatch brings the character of Dr. Strange to life commending a strong performance that I am looking forward to seeing in more movies. The magic is well realized leading to breath taking spectacle and creative action scenes that overshadow each other. The result is a fun movie that while nothing groundbreaking like Deadpool or Civil War is a welcome treat this year especially given the lack of fun blockbusters lately see it on the big screen if you can.

Norm of the North will hopefully never become the Norm of animation, with lazy writing, cheap animation, a hammered in environmental message. The film has characters you just want to ship on an iceberg out away from here.

Drive provides an experience unlike any other. Throughout little dialogue we see a good man do terrible things to do something good. All to protect the innocent and in the process destroying himself. All the while atmosphere is created and visuals convey the mood and character quite nicely. This isn’t a film for those expecting some dumb action movie this a film about character and atmosphere and those who appreciate that will love this movie as I did.

Hotel Transylvania 2 is like a hotel after Mavis baby proofs it. It’s fine for the kids and somewhat charming but the adults like Dracula will miss the edge and teeth. The heartfelt story of growing up, letting go is fine but nothing we haven’t seen before or done better. The humor and cutaway gags are appreciated but a tad distracting. If anything the film reveals that Gendy is far better suited for handdrawn animation. His efforts to bring his techniques from 2-d to 3-d are appreciated but some things are better kept in their own medium. Tartakovsky presents a film that is fine for casual viewing but nothing to sink your fangs into. Thankfully, Gendy is back in the realm of hand drawn animation where he belongs returning to form with a more gritty Samurai Jack.

Anomalisa is an anomaly among animated film. Not only is this a stop motion film but one that deals with an adult subject matter. Through a man’s business trip we see his unique outlook on the world. Exploring the idea of sameness and how mostly everything is unique. This is conveyed through good voice work, excellent animation. As someone who tries to see every animated film this was a nice treat. When most animated films are computer animated, comedy driven, celebrity voice acted, and geared for children it is nice to see one geared for adults with a mature content and interesting theme.

The Danish Girl provides an intense exploration of transgender. REdyeme perfectly captures the struggle of someone torn between two identities at a time when transgender was a not a norm and there was no clear path. While the prevelance of such behavior makes this struggle nto as severe it is still a major and relevant part of our society. The content of this film and Redyeme’s performance make shtis a film worth seeing.

Overall I enjoyed Hail Caesar! The setting was outstanding and the cast was phenomenal and I wish the film ahd given them both more to do. As it is it is still an entertaining film even with little action. Perhaps repeat viewings will give me more appreciation for the film and its nuances or make its flaws gape out.

Where to Invade Next makes me hate America. Not that there aren’t a lot of things I love about America from high school and college experiences to so far having a mostly peaceful and non-critical life but after learning certain features that some countries have I can’t help but want to move especially with the prospect of Trump becoming president. This documentary helps incite that idea by showing various other countries are implementing that America doesn’t but could and should. It’s kind of eye opening the features other countries have from a prison system that doesn’t subject people to cruel and unusual punishment to no drug laws so as not to shut down racial minorities not giving kids schoolwork to give them time to figure themselves out and ensuring prisoners can vote and prisons get to host debates where candidates come in. Learning how simple a lot of these ideas are and how we could do them and how in some cases these ideas were lifted form America is quite fascinating. Obviously, the documentary is glossing over some of the downsides of these countries and features America has that they don’t and perhaps it could’ve been a bit more of a balanced documentary had it done that but as such the documentary set out to do what it had to do make us question America and expose its flaws by comparing to other countries whose political figures, officers, teachers, and citizens scratch their heads at our way of thinking.

Suicide Squad deserved better than this. The cast is fine with Will Smith being a highlight singlehandedly carrying the movie with his constant quips and backstory. While the rest of the Squad is fine most could’ve benefited from giving development. Had DC taken the time to think about the larger story they could’ve developed the characters in these movies whether through their own films or having them serve as the antagonist in another DC movies. As a result, some characters are either given little to no development or are given forced exposition. It also would’ve helped if DC had realized the film needed to embrace a fun tone early on as the humor often feels quite forced breaking up what is otherwise a dull war movie. If this universe is going to continue, hopefully DC will realize what works. The scenes with Batman made me smile, which means that this universe is doing something right, when Zach Synder isn’t involved. Here’s hoping for either a better sequel, even though the Justice League reduces the need for a Suicide Squad, and the solo Batman film with Joker and Harley Quinn and/or a solo Deadshot movie. There are some good elements in this universe DC just needs to figure them out and use them.

The Little Prince is charming. While the message is a tad heavy handed and the story might’ve been stronger had it just been about the prince what is presented here is commendable from the message present to the way it is explained to the wonderful characters and arcs brought to life by voice talent that slips right in. All the while featuring some excellent use of computer animation and stop motion. Definitely worth checking out for animation fans and film boths. Hopefully, the Netflix release doesn’t prevent it from getting an Oscar nomination.

Star Trek: Beyond boldly goes where no Trek film has gone before seeking out new characters and stories. The film gives Star Trek fans the best 50th anniversary present they could’ve asked for. Ignoring Into Darkness and giving fans a film that pays tribute to the show staying true to the characters, tone, and spirit of the show. The dynamics between the characters are fun, the action is entertaining but never too off the rails, and there are some nice moments of tribute to the original show that will make Trekies tear up. It may not have the flash and spectacle of the last two being a smaller and slower story, which may be a turn off to the casual moviegoer, but to those who love the original series there couldn’t be a better way to celebrate 50 years of Trek. Hopefully the trend continues

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will delight fans of the book with its mostly faithful adaptation hitting all the main points and representing the characters well especially the adult actors and others will no doubt be swept up by the fantastic world Rowling has created and Columbus and crew have brought to life fully realized with special effects, score, and cinematography. With all that said though it doesn’t make for a coherent film. The director is so caught up in establishing the world and hitting all the necessary plot points that he forgets to flesh out the characters. Harry isn’t that interesting serving more as a vehicle to get exposition about the world and the transitions between scenes are jumpy with so much emphasis on hitting the main beats of the film that the story doesn’t flow. At 2 ½ hours the film can drag a tad. While the film is nothing great that doesn’t mean it isn’t a pleasure to watch. Seeing the story of Harry Potter come to life was and still is a major treat and considering how popular the books are/were the fact that it was done this well is impressive they gave the fans what they wanted. And when you consider all the failed attempts at starting a franchise seeing one succeed is magic.

Batman: The Killing Joke gives fans what they want to see. A faithful adaptation of a classic comic story where Batman and the Joker go at it psychology and physical. The visuals may not translate perfectly from comic to screen but considering how most films today are CGI seeing hand drawn animation was a welcome return. The Barbara prologue does weigh the film down a tad but thankfully it isn’t present much once the film starts as the Killing Joke story is left larger in tact. As a result, it is easy to forget and ignore the change made to the story. And its something I’m willing to. The fact that the direct-to-DVD animated DC films are more adult and more mature and overall more engaging than the live action ones is astounding. Seeing on the big screen was a real treat hopefully more people saw it.

Ghostbusters is surprising in how well it works. From embracing the bizarre premise of guys capturing ghosts, to creating a menace that’s both threatening and laughable at the same time, and most importantly creating a team to care about. Varrick, Egon, and Ray only capture one ghosts and beat another the rest is montaging but the time spent with them makes it easily to over. The result is a fun summer blockbuster that for some emotionally connects burns with nostalgia resulting in a film that his highly recommended.

The Minions is fine for what it is. A short hour and a half of the Minions that will mildly entertain you. While Illumination nails the visual elements in the film and the Minions don’t make you sick of them it definitely doesn’t lack the punch of the first film. The film is so focused on firing rapid fire jokes that it forgets to provide some heart. While some of the jokes work some just provide a mild chuckle and without that umph that the first film had this can’t help but feeling like a candy bar. Lot of sugar but low on energy. That’s because it is. The film is just an hour and a half of the Minions walking around talking to each other. For die-fans of the franchise this will be all they want/need. For everyone else though the film is kind of cute. The Minions are funny but they cannot sustain a whole movie on their own. Without a character like Gru to ground the film and occasionally cut to the Minions for bursts of laughter the film can’t help but feel hollow. Its mildly entertaining but unlike Shaun the Sheep, another spin-off film with side characters that speak gibberish, there is nothing to sing home about good for one viewing but that’s about it.

Furious 7 is car that falls behind for much of the race letting cars labeled 6 & 7 take the lead until the final stretch where it puts on the gas. In the final stretch the fun and energy that had given it victory in the past come full force. While it does finish first like I would’ve hoped the climax combined with a touching and not forced send off to Aaron Paul make this a bittersweet last ride.

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation continues the franchise’s seemingly impossible mission of continuing to make thrilling and exciting movies that are some how as good if not better than its predecessor. The new director does a good job at raising the stakes while still keeping the fun, set pieces, and sense of teamwork that made the fourth one such a highlight. At times, it can feel a tad overwhelming with way too many twists serving to provide an extensive runtime but that is the nature of mission impossible a nature I’m glad the franchise hasn’t lost yet.

X-Men: Apocalypse is neither terrible nor brilliant. It still has all the elements that make the franchise great from Xavier and Magento’s relationship, to using the mutants to explore themes of prejudice, and Quicksilver. Had this film come out ten years ago I’d say it was about as good as the first two X-Men. However, those X-Men films while not great by today’s standards are acceptable given the times, we were still recovering from Batman and Robin; but given how far standards for comic book films and what you can get away with in such films with the line being pushed by The Dark Knight and the Marvel Cinematic Universe this is no longer fine. The standards and line has been raised and Synger fails to evolve with it. Is he clinging to old traditions or is he trapped in the rules of the world he created? If Deadpool and the MCU were fun drunken parties than Apocalypse is a dry cocktail party where every now and then someone kills the mood with a belch. It’s fine for what it is but there’s something more exciting happening next door. Hopefully, these mutants were learn to evolve to the next stage as Marvel has.

American Ultra is a fun sober movie that is probably a blast while high. While the characters and story are average at best the sense of fun created by anything and everything being a weapon makes the film worthwhile. Whenever the action kicks in it is so dumb, goofy, and cartoony like something out of the 80s. From the blood squirts to the bizarre kills the quirk nature of the film makes it worthwhile. I wouldn’t be surprise if this film develops a fan base or cult following as a great stoner film but the been there done that story could also hold it back for some.

Captain America: Civil War is not only the Avengers sequel we wish we had gotten or the Iron Man sequel we wish we had gotten but the Marvel movie I’ve been waiting for. A film that has a clear focus, tons of Avengers but never feels overstuffed, breaks up the Avengers and challenges them in new ways, makes the lesser movies matter, has Tony question his legacy, and sets up all the bits of MCU to come. All of this is done without feeling overstuffed. Captain America: Civil War is one of the rare threequels that’s really good being big and ambitious but never too much. Those not familiar with the previous films may be a tad lost but the clash of ideoliges mixed with an Airport fight that embraces what makes comicbook movies fun results in one of the best Marvel movies yet that has me excited about Phase 3 especially Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther and Infinity War if Marvel plays their cards right.

Zootopia is the best Pixar film that Pixar never made. While the film could’ve easily been enjoyable just on the charm of animals and gags alone they didn’t do that. even the heartwarming investigation story in the first act is fine. Instead, the film opted to use it to speak to harsh and cruel reality that never lets up and neither does the film. Piling cruelness upon the hero to a point that most films would stop. It’s this willingness to be honest and harsh that makes this film go above and beyond a kind of distance that I haven’t seen form an animated film since Toy Story 3. Any gripes about the film’s conflict resolving too quickly or having too many reveals are issues that could easily be resolved with repeat viewings and knowing what’s happening. With Zootopia Disney have once-again surpassed themselves in the non-fairy tale CGI films. With the track record continuing to be great as Disney’s films continue to improve and evolve the biggest concern is whether the next film will be as great as the last one. Disney’s biggest competition this year is themselves with Moana a musical the question now becomes can it be as great and timeless and classical. This could be the year where Disney has two classics. I hope so because if its any indication Disney is still on top and has done it again and I am no longer looking forward to Finding Dory.

Chicken Little makes me mad at Disney. How could such a beloved studio forget how to write characters and compelling story? How is the studio so misguided as to not only miss heart but go so hip. All the pop culture references feel like a desperate attempt to prove they are hip and cool and bring in audiences. What’s even more misguided are the attempts at heart. When the film is not dating itself with humor in regards to references and pop songs it is throwing generic/unlikeable characters. You’re either annoyed at the hipness or left shallow at the extended mopey and dopey scenes. When the film is finally upbeat it doesn’t feel earned. I know Disney meant well with this film but this film both when I saw it in theaters and rewatching it now left me so empty and lifeless that its hard for me to sympathize with them. I feel bad that this is what Joe Grant was dedicated. A talented former Disney employee deserves something better (thank goodness for Up) to leave Disney on. This isn’t a film for family or even toddlers (ok maybe) it like the acorn incident is an embarrassment and mistake.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is the result of a studio wanting to be Marvel but not having the knowledge or patience to do it themselves. The result is a hideous ugly monster that rivals Luther’s Doomsday. Perhaps by taking some patience and providing a standalone Batman movie, a Superman sequel with Lex Luther, and then make this movie removing the Wonder Woman & JL references this could’ve been tolerable with a shortened run time and more unfocused story. Instead, we have one of the worst comic book movies ever made. One can only hope that either the other DC Movies are great and Snyder’s merely the annoying family member we have to put up with every once and a while or that the franchise dies due to poor reception.

Shaun the Sheep is charming. While this is a simple day off story with gags, beats, and cliché characters you’ve seen before it’ll be hard to let them get to you. Not only did Aardman throw their back out creating charming stop-motion but they told a story without dialogue. The story is conveyed through creative ways and charming characters. Sheep who are mischevious yet still likeable, a cliché animal catcher whose still charming, and a dog who just is trying to do his job. With characters are charming as these you won’t want to throw them away like the animal catcher but take them home and adopt them. This isn’t a deep, tear-jerker like Inside Out; but there is something entertaining about a film that doesn’t have a deep story, water itself down for children, or bombard you pop culture references constantly (ok there are two in here that are cute) but instead keeps things simple and gives you characters to connect with. Aardman continues to shine in these elements and hopefully they’ll stick around and make more films like these.

While I appreciate all the effort that went into the visual aspect of the film Its hard to enjoy it. The characters are shallow, the wandering segment goes on too long, and the glorious tracking shots are absent. This film will no doubt win an Oscar for its visuals and directing but unfortunately I won’t remember it much after that. Just give Leo his Oscar already so we can stop with films like this.

Deadpool gives people something that 20 years ago we never thought we’d get or if we did would be good a Deadpool movie. While it is a straight forward guy gets powers and revenge story it’s not about that. Fox made a bloody and uncensored Deadpool movie that did the character right and finally gave Ryan Reynolds a chance to be in something good. While some may be taken aback by how crass and violent it is, those who are fans of the character will love this film. Deadpool is a prime example of the golden age of comicbook movies that we live in. An age where anything can be made into a comic book movie and with love can be made into something fans will enjoy. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of Deadpool in the future.

Fan4stic is a bizarre movie. Not only does it make similar mistakes to the previous films from taking too long to get powers and action but more. The film is one slow dull origin story that suddenly speeds up towards the end. This film is an hour and forty minutes and feels like it is missing an act. Dynamics have changed and there is corny dialogue as if a different writer has taken over. Then the film sets up a sequel ripping off the ending to the new Avengers in the process. While I would love to dismiss this as them just getting the lame origin story out of the way, even origin stories aren’t this dull. Josh Trank said he wrote a brilliant script for this film that we didn’t get to see and after seeing this film I believe him.

Spotlight is a well made film. Nicely showing the struggle to expose the church combined with a great performance from Ruffalo. It doesn’t have the best cinematography and isn’t as riveting as All the President’s Men. Still that’s the thing with Oscar films they are well made but often not enjoyable.

Carol is a well told lesbian romance. The romance between the two leads works with Mara especially shining. What’s notable isn’t just what is said but what isn’t said. How while Mara doesn’t say much the camera speaks for her both the diegetic one she holds and the non-diegetic one. It is the construction of the various shots to the tell the story that almost make this something special. Had the film just clarified the various relationships it could’ve been great. Nonetheless, it is still a well made film and the fact that exists shows how far we’ve come. While such a romance may have happened in an earlier time period it is only recently that we are at a point where we can show it.

Mad Max: Fury Road is George Miller’s magnum opus. Miller has gone beyond creating just a fun summer blockbuster or another good Mad Max film. This is leagues beyond Fury Road. Miller uses technological advances to make an adventure that is as big and epic as ever. Celebrating the spectical of film with elaborate practical effects and gorgeous action scenes. Amidst it all is the idea of hope and struggling to keep fighting in a world where there isn’t much. This film is popular for a reason it’s that good. Essential viewing. Glad this film got popularity in the theater and beyond because in the years’ to come I feel that this film will be hailed as a masterpiece. Miller returned to this world not for fame or glory but out of passion for Mad Max to create something truly special.

Home breaks new ground for Dreamworks with a strong female lead, a message about uniqueness and gorgeous animation. Unfortunately, that is lost amidst the gags, Rihanna songs cutting out any dramatic moments, and typical hip humor that Dreamworks is known for. Had the film focused more on the girl’s conflict being separated from her mother and the heartfelt message this could’ve been a great film. Instead it’s another passable but forgettable Dreamworks film. Children will enjoy it and parents might smile but nothing worth remembering.

Terminator Genysis is basically a dumber and more convoluted film than Terminator 3. The film either retreads old ground or gets entangled in a convoluted story for the sake of resetting the timeline. There are elements of characters in the form of a hardened Sarah Connor but it’s never explored enough as the film gets way too bogged down in explaining the plot. Just when it seems like the film is dipping its toe into original territory it boils down to the exact same climax we’ve seen a million times. The film ends with our characters driving off down the road knowing for the first time in their life that they are free to choose their own path. Hopefully that’s what the next Terminator will do.

The Hateful Eight is another example of Tarintino being a master filmmaker. Tarintino creates a distinct western that while to some extent is Reservoir Dogs in the west is so fine tuned that you won’t mind. With emphasis on his great dialogue, a verbal battle between various well defined characters, and well shot with the trademark Tarintino violence it is hard not to be engaged. The film is long but it is mostly justified. The only slow part is the first act, which while necessary could’ve been trimmed. Otherwise the film remains intense as you try and figure what will happen and who is lying and who is telling the truth. The revelation at the end provides rewatch value as you will see the film in a whole new light knowing what is going to come. If you can get past the intimidating three hour length you will find another master work from Tarintino. Hopefully, this isn’t his last film.

Ex Machina is a unique film. While it is the third A.I. movie this year it’s thought provoking man vs. machine concept makes it stand out. Along with thought provoking philosophies it provides revelations about who characters that encourages repeat viewings. Knowing the intentions and outcome behind the test will change how various scenes and characters are perceived upon future viewings. It is an intriguing film that will encourage discussion after viewing and is a film that you will want to repeat. I don’t know if this is great or not but it is interesting both while watching and after watching it.

The Ridiculous Six joins the ranks of Happy Madison failures. While none of the characters in this film nail biting obnoxious as in previous Madison films like Eight Crazy Nights and Jack & Jill it’s still not enough. After the six are assembled they go from one distraction to another on their slow journey most of which is unmemorable and leads to a dull a film. None of the Ridiculous Six are entertaining each of which leading to one the Happy Madison comedy wheel of poop, race, and stupid voices. Except for Sandler who plays the role surprisingly serious contrasting to the supposed comedic tone of the film. The deadpan role is so serious you’ll somewhat miss his stupid voices or at least wish he was doing red-face. While last year’s western comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West occasional found some gold in its dry river The Ridiculous Six is as dull and dry as the desert it is set in.

Surf’s Up has too many people trying to ride the same board. One person what’s the board to do flips and tricks, one wants to jazz it up, and the other one just wants to coast. The result is a board that manages to stay afloat but not without wobbling and rarely slowing down. Sony Pictures Animation were too busy trying to make a hip film when they should’ve let it coast and let the heart flow as the moments with Big Z wipe out the cartoonish elements. Instead, the abundance of writers/tones has led to a film that is a mixed bag.

Open Season is a passable first film. While it is a b-grade version of the buddy comedy story it is not terrible. Half of the duo works and some of the fish out of water humor and side characters work. The animation especially on the backgrounds is pleasant to look at and makes you feel like you are nature. The buddy comedy doesn’t work as well as it could’ve as the writers choose to focus more on making a lot of jokes especially from the Buck rather than giving us heart and reason to care. Had the film given more heart in this area or focused on the park ranger who is the far more interesting character we could’ve had something here. Open Season isn’t bad. Kids will like it ok and parents will occasionally chuckle; but it’s nothing worth remembering or watching again. It’s a passable first film but nothing that can give Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks any reason for concern.

What We Do in the Shadows explores every possible that a mockumentary on vampires could and should. The film takes the classic conventions of a vampire and shows them in action in their routine life. The vampires are humanized shown as normal people who just happen to be vampires. Their life is no different from being amish or living some other form of a life. It’s a community of people that as strange and amusing as they are a group of people. With the excellent execution of this form of life a I hope they return and do a spinoff film on the werewolves in the future.

Strange Magic is why people think animation is for kids. Between the ear-bleeding songs every few minutes, the unclear stakes, and lack of characters parents will have to grin and bear this one. Despite Lucasfilm pushing the boundaries in computer animation with Industrial Light and Magic this film doesn’t have anything groundbreaking. Lucasfilm has done some enjoyable animation on television with two Star Wars shows making it baffling that their work on film is not worth watching. Much like the love potion in this film you will quickly ignore this lovefest in favor of other more superior films.

Ricki and the Flash is a nothing film. Despite the promise of conflict with a fractured family, Julie’s depression, and Ricki’s conflicting lifestyles the film doesn’t do any of that. Instead the story is a backdrop for tons of songs that pad out the film. Tensions between family members are quickly resolved, conflict never escalates, Ricki lacks a fulcru, and everything after Ricki goes back to California is one just big slog until the end. If it wasn’t for Strypp there would be no desire to see this movie. Strypp makes the most of it but it isn’t enough.