Your Name (Kimi no Na Wa?)

So what would an anime "Freaky Friday" look like?

Instead of two family members from different generations, two completely random teenagers from different walks of life would have their bodies swapped, there would be heavy elements of "Ranma 1/2," "Deep Impact," and surprisingly, the 2006 Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock movie, "The Lakehouse," and it would be through the lens of Mr. Subtle-Sci-Fi-as-an-Excuse-to-Comment-on-Human-Relationships, Makoto Shinkai.

...

I'm really talking about "Your Name," the Japanese box-office dominator from two years ago and which never seemed to be airing at a theater near me.
 

A girl from the countryside, destined to be a shrine priestess and dreaming of a more exciting life, wakes up to find herself in the body of a high school boy in Tokyo. As these inexplicable and randomly happening switches keep going on, they form the quirkiest bond and their different personalities cause coinciding concern and relief from their friends and loved ones. And when the bond is broken as inexplicably as it started, the boy goes to great lengths to find her again. What follows is a trip though, as elements you don't expect get thrown into the narrative, and you're left wondering can destiny really be changed and will these two find each other ever again to ask the ever-important question, "new phone, who dis?"

A marvel of 2D animation since the two protagonist's designs had subtle hints as to which gender was in which body, the backgrounds and landscapes were breathtaking, and the fluidity of everyone's movements (in some cases, showing actual fatigue with excessive running) was top notch. Further kudos to the voice actors as well since, unlike the later Harry Potter films which showed the Polyjuice Potion'd folks still retaining their original voices, the boy's VA had to suddenly have a meeker tone when possessed by the girl, and the girl had to accommodate for the more testosterone-filled, rough-&-tumble dude's vocal mannerisms.

Overall, fantastic, if not a little confusing and slow at first, but once things start rolling, it's completely engrossing. Check it out if you have the chance!

For a SPOILER-FILLED analysis (and more comparisons to movies that share similar themes), go here.

Speaking as a dumb Westerner who don't know the intrinsic beauty of how kuchikamizake was made, it was honestly kinda disgusting

 

Incredibles 2

There's no Stan Lee cameo in "Incredibles 2" so y'all don't need to stay til the end of the credits.

With that out of the way, the 14 year wait for what happened after Dash had to win his race by pretending to fall behind is finally out in theaters...and it was so worth it. 

After another collateral damage-laden escapade of crime-stopping, the Parr family (how is it I JUST got the joke that their name is based around the "subpar, par, and above par" joke?) find themselve even more at odds with the government, as last movie showed that even though they saved the city from a rampaging death droid, they are still illegal vigilantes. That changes however when a rich tycoon who loves him some Golden Age Superheroes, tries to change the public's perception (in a much better way than Jason Bateman did in "Hancock") of how heroes can be beneficial to society again. New heroes are introduced, new threats arise, and not only is it a new family dynamic, this plays an even greater part into the plot. Mom becomes the breadwinner and pro-hero whilst dad struggles to be effective at parenting (HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!), teenager has her teen drama&angst, grade-school kid finds new ways to aggravate everyone around him, and baby discovers what he's capable of conquering.  

The villain, whilst less of a twist than recent Disney movies have done many times now, has a very intriguing (and convoluted) dastardly scheme to defame superheroes even more.  The motivation, while flawed, is reminiscent of the reasoning of some versions of Lex Luthor in his hatred of superheroes, that with heroes always there to solve problems, how does humanity better themselves? A quick warning for those who easily get queasy or epilepsy...this dude's powers will throw you for a loop.

The action is top notch, with every character's superpowers demonstrating the full range and fantastic nature of their abilities. About the only one who doesn't get to shine is their resident speedster, but I guess that's me getting spoiled by 4 seasons of "The Flash" and all that bright red blur could do. Not only do the superpowers have a showy display, but the gadgets, gizmos, and vehicles would make any James Bond fanboy proud.  While it is obviously a Disney movie and there's no way anybody could really be killed, there are genuine moments and scenes where you feel the peril they're going through and the intensity of situations beyond what mere mortals can deal with.

Combine with the trademark wit, humor, and heart of Pixar, and this is sure to be a generous salve to take the family to after the emotional whammy of "Infinity War."
What're you waiting for?
It's showtime!

For a mainly spoiler-free review, and an unintentional look and comparison of the Incredibles world and the world of "My Hero Academia", go here.
For funny yet SPOILERY synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
For a SPOILER-FILLED rundown of the movie's events told in a way similar to how how Michael Peña told stories in "Ant-Man," go here.

Probably not on anybody's list, but yeah. He totally could.