Details: First half aired in 2017 and second half aired in 2018 on Disney XD. Fifteen episode with most episodes at under thirty minutes long. The final episode was around forty-five minutes long.
Star Wars Rebels has come to an end. I am sad to see it go as it has been one of my favorite shows on television.
Continue reading “TV Show Review: Star Wars Rebels, Season 4”
Details: Released in 2017. About an hour and a half long.
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is the latest DC Comics Animation movie to come out. It’s about the Teen Titans, a group of teenage superheroes and their enemies Brother Blood and Deathstroke.
I mostly didn’t enjoy it. It was cringy, corny, and hard to watch at many points. Some of it was okay. Kevin Smith guest stars near the end. I still did not enjoy. I can’t even recommend this movie to kids. It makes subtle to overt comments on sex which may make some parents wary to let young kids watch it. If you’re okay with that, then let your kids watch it.
Overall, skip it unless you are desperate to watch an animated superhero movie.
Score: 5/10
Details: Released in 2017. About an hour and fifteen minutes long. Stars Matt Ryan, Camilla Luddington, Jason O’Mara.
Justice League Dark is the latest in DC Comics series of animated movies based on their comic books. In this movie, the Justice League discovers that something is causing common citizens to lose their minds and commit atrocities. After learning that the threat is magical in nature, Batman goes off to find magic users capable of combating this evil.
It’s a new story and will likely appeal to a few kinds of people. Firstly, if you were a fan of Batman: The Animated Series, then you may enjoy this. It’s not Kevin Conroy voicing Batman nor is the story of the quality of a Bruce Timm animated series, but it’s not bad and is the best quality DC Comics based animated movie out right now.
Secondly, if you were a fan of the short-lived Constantine television show that was canceled a while back, you’d be happy to know that the voice actor for John Constantine is none other than Matt Ryan. It’s a nice chance to see him relive the role again (I also saw him guest star on an episode of Arrow a while back, if you’re interested). Camilla Luddington also voices Zatanna if you’re a fan of hers.
Lastly, it’s a chance to see some of the more magical elements of the DC Comics universe make an appearance. If you’re a fan of Etrigan, Constantine, Zatanna, Boston Brand, Swamp Thing, and the Justice League, then this may be worth a watch for you.
Overall, it’s an okay story that was just short enough to keep my attention. If the above appoints interest you, then you may enjoy the movie. Otherwise, you probably should skip this film.
Score: 5/10
Details: Released in 2016. Stars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, and Kevin Hart. About an hour and a half long.
The Secret Life of Pets is an animated children’s film that centers on talking pets who are left at home when their owners go to work. The premise is this: Max, a terrier, does not get along with Duke, the new dog his owner has adopted. The two get into trouble, lose their way home, and must learn to get along if they are to find their way back.
It’s a simple premise. If you are a child or the type that just likes watching cute, animated animals talk, then you’re probably going to like this movie. For the rest of us, there are a few things to enjoy.
The plot is paper thin, as most of these animated talking animal movies are. Fortunately, the cast is pretty great. The cast is filled with actors and comedians known for their existing personalities which come through in the movie. You have Louis C.K. who essentially plays a terrier with Louis C.K.’s personality. Also extremely noticeable are Jenny Slate and Kevin Hart, who both were actually funny by virtue of their comedic personas. If you like these comedians and their comedic stand up performances, you may like the movie.
Also worth mentioning is the orchestrated soundtrack. I was surprised by how many recognizable New York-y melodies were woven into the music. It definitely helps to create this big city, New York vibe that the film somewhat tries to convey. The melody that surprised me the most was a short bit from West Side Story. I think there are lots of little musical inclusions like that (even thought I couldn’t identify them all) and it’s fun trying to pick them out.
Overall, an okay kids film which has something for adults who are fans of the cast’s comedy.
Score: 4/10
Details: Released in 2016. A little under two hours long. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, and Seth MacFarlane.
Sing is an animated movie with talking animals who try to compete in a singing competition in order to win a cash prize. It is a comedy mostly.
The actors are okay, with McConaughey surprising me the most. I had no idea he was capable of speaking in a way not requiring a south Texas accent. I totally did not recognize him. I recognized everyone else though.
I really didn’t enjoy the film. It’s a fluff film with no substance. In a year of really good animated movies like Zootopia and Finding Dory, this really didn’t do anything for me. There were many points throughout the film I wanted to get up and leave.
I will say that the audience I watched this with (mostly kids and their parents) really loved the movie, applauding and cheering at the end of it. If you like seeing anthropomorphized animals doing silly things like singing and dancing or if you are under the age of ten, then you may enjoy this movie.
Score: 3.5/10
Details: Stars Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Runs for under two hours. Rated PG. Released in 2016.
Moana is the latest animated movie to come out in a year of many good animated children’s movies. Despite the many positive reviews I’ve read, I felt fatigued from this movie, similarly to how I felt about Doctor Strange and other superhero movies. I still liked the movie, I just didn’t love it or find it as emotional as other reviews I’ve read.
The premise is this: Moana, the chieftain’s daughter in her island village, must seek out the demigod, Maui and return a magical stone in order to prevent the corruption of her island and the seas.
I felt like this was watching the classic Disney formula at work. First, find a foreign, non-white culture. Check. Get some big names, like the Rock, in there. Check. Throw in some music written my a well known song writer (like Lin Manuel Miranda). Check. Cute animals? Check. Adventure where protagonist finds herself? Check check check check.
It’s retread territory. Furthermore, I felt that this movie had less adult elements in it than a film like Finding Dory, which made it harder for me to appreciate the movie. Whenever I watch a kids film, the adult elements hidden within are what keep me interested. There was few of that here.
The music was also generally not great. I mean it was good, but most of the people aren’t great singers. The Rock isn’t a great singer. Lin Manuel Miranda also doesn’t have much range and that’s mostly why he mostly raps in Hamilton. However, while their singing parts weren’t great, the music overall was pretty good.
The best part of this movie was easily Auli’i Cravalho and the songs she sang. Her songs were the most moving and best sounding parts of the movie. She was a really good casting decision as Moana.
One final note: they cast Alan Tudyk as a chicken. Why the heck would you do something so cruel Disney? Give the man a better part for crying out loud.
Score: 6/10 Feels redundant, like I’ve already seen this movie before.
Details: About an hour and a half long. Came out in 2016. Stars Seth Rogan and Kristen Wiig.
What the fuck did I just watch. I don’t think I hated the movie, but I certainly did not love it.
The premise is this: all the food in this supermarket is sentient and worship humans like gods. The food eventually learn the truth that humans kill and eat all the food at the supermarket and they must stand together to face the threat of the humans.
It’s a trippy story with lots of racial and sexual jokes. This is definitely an R rated movie that is not for kids. I didn’t really enjoy it. It’s just too far out there. The jokes also kind of fell flat for me.
Score: 3.5/10 I applaud the movie studio that approved the financing for this movie, but it was just too weird for me.
Muse Bank 