alianoraree

For much of the movie I was confused and bored, but still hopeful things could turn around... Then came the depressing, cliffhanger ending. I walked out of the theater thinking: "I don't really care about any of these people anymore."

A marvelous bit of dark fantasy. Please note: in addition to being enchanting, this movie is legitimately spooky and darkly atmospheric, so I'm not sure I'd recommend it for younger children. Having read the books I was confused when I saw the movie listed as a comedy, but it worked quite well overall. During a couple of the comedic moments Black veered a bit too far toward melodrama, but otherwise his Jonathon was delightful. The rest of the cast was also good, but Lorenza Izzo (Lewis' mother) was absolutely perfect. I really hope they make more movies based on books from this series.

I'm not a dedicated Star Wars fan. I haven't seen every movie, or ready any novels, or geeked out with friends about any of it. (I did love the CRPGs "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" I&II, but that's about it.) It should tell you something, then, that I had such a great time watching "Solo." While some familiarity with Star Wars is helpful, this movie doesn't just rely on its brand. "Solo" is exciting, suspenseful, and believable. And it doesn't have one character whose entire purpose is to provide cringe-worthy comic relief. (C3PO, I'm looking at you.) The movie doesn't get a 10 because one small thing important to the plot didn't really make sense, and because while I briefly thought about seeing it a second time it didn't inspire the urge to buy a DVD. But it was definitely my favorite of the Star Wars movies I've seen, and I whole-heartedly recommend watching it.

In most movies, there is a point (or three) when I look at my clock, hoping things will end soon. There was no such boredom-point in Black Panther. The visuals were gorgeous, the action exciting, and the world intriguing. When I say "the visuals were gorgeous," I mean jaw-dropping. It was a huge part of why the movie worked so well for me. The plot and characters were fine, but the look was what made me invest emotionally. Colorful, exuberant, textured, and sleek. The only thing I felt was a real problem with the movie was the main villain. They tried so hard to make him hip and relatable that it frequently felt like he didn't belong in the movie. That may have been intentional, playing up the outsider vibe, but it broke the immersion for me. Also? There were times it felt like he was pandering, sort of a "We cool, and I'm'a spout lines that let you know we deserve awards." He almost brought my rating down to an eight. (But the movie did give me war-rhinos, and those are worth almost a whole point by themselves.) Warning: the fight scenes, battle, and car chase and such are kickass, but you may grow bored if you aren't also interested in seeing another culture. Parts of the Thor movies take place in Asgard, but it's only a backdrop rather than something that matters... in contrast, Wakanda feels very present and relevant within Black Panther. Somehow, this movie made me feel like a participant in the ceremony and affairs of a mythical/sci-fi African kingdom. Weird, but awesome.

For all that we associate bright colors and animation/stop-motion with kids, this isn't a children's movie. The hero is an eleven-year-old boy, but the themes aren't childish. There are moments of silly humor, but nary a fart joke to be seen. "And that really is the least of it." Ultimately, the movie is more about joy than happiness; if you don't get that, you won't like the ending. The visuals are gorgeous, with only one or two times during the whole movie where I felt something was off. Kubo and the Two Strings also has something else most movies lack for me: a kind of poetry. A good poem uses the fewest words necessary to achieve the desired result, packing meaning into every phrase. This movie packs meaning into every scene, every line and every visual. I almost never buy movies because I won't re-watch them, but as soon as I finished Kubo I wanted to restart it, to catch details I'd missed and to see how knowing more about the characters and story would shade my understanding. "If you must blink, do it now." Because once the movie starts, you won't want to.

Would "Inside Out" be enjoyed by kids? I don't know; I'm in my late twenties and childless. I can say that my husband and I enjoyed the movie. At various points we teared up, chuckled, and outright cried. The pacing stalled in the middle, but it got back on track. There were a couple of turns at the end that left me a bit puzzled, but overall the movie worked quite well. It was fascinating and impressive to see a fun kids' movie about cognitive concepts, and I hope it may help children and adults be able to see other ways to look at the relationships between emotions, self, and behavior. "Anger is in control of me right now" is a lot easier and less threatening to change than "I am angry."

The visuals are gorgeous, and make the movie worth seeing. Unfortunately, the plot really drags, largely because of the main character's uselessness. Jupiter Jones is kind, sweet, pretty, and utterly gullible. (Think Twilight's Bella Swan with a delusion of toughness, and without the romantic interest in a creepy stalker.) I'm normally fine with a character needing to be rescued by the love interest, but most two-hour movies confine it to happening once or twice. Use the trope more often than that, and it gets both annoying and boring.