Digimon Adventure Tri movies

Any anime fan worth their salt will say without question that the better FRANCHISE is Pokemon, but the better anime SERIES will definitely go to Digimon, specifically the first series, known in Japan as "Digimon Adventure." With something so good, of course they made a sequel series, known in Japan as "Digimon Adventure 02," and that unfortunately, had a very mixed bag of reactions. On one hand, some fans enjoyed the new protagonists, the compelling villain, and the conclusion to the old and new characters that many have compared to the epilogue of the Harry Potter series. On the other hand, many fans were disgruntled at the back seat the previous protagonists took, their roles laughably small and almost insultingly underutilized, further alienated by the game-breaking superpowers of the new partner monsters, which made the last ditch effort in the last act of the series to appease fans seem too little too late.
So when 2016 rolled around, promising a new film series to put the beloved first Digidestined in the spotlight, most fans were notably pumped. Really, "Digimon Adventure Tri" could've just been the unofficial season 8; there's enough content here for a miniseries. Although they probably didn't advertise it as such because the movies contain things that might be a little too deep for kiddos. But for longtime fans who wanted a bit more closure beyond what 02 gave us, this is a notable step in the right direction.

Gonna go over the movies one by one since they each have their own merits and a gratuitous amount of flaws so it's hard to lump them all as either good or bad. One last disclaimer is that I watched the English dub version since they managed to get 80% of the original voice actors to reprise their roles, and that just tickled not just the nostalgia centers of my happiness, but also the continuity sense terminology changes when you switch between languages. In addition, the dub was smart enough to include the iconic Japanese insert songs aside from a couple of instances.

Reunion:
After a quick glossing over of how the divisive heroes of 02 are "no longer around" and quite possibly dead, the focus goes to our main heroes livin' that high school life...which is quickly shattered with the presence of giant rampaging beetles that they know all too well. Not only are the kids' partners back, but a government agency dedicated to monitoring the beasts as they crossover to the material plane, and a mysterious 8th member of the group. The main thing about this series though is how the ideals of youth can get thoroughly trampled by reality. This particular movie shows the leader of the bunch realize that maybe his foolhardy, hothead tendencies that worked in his youth, leads to real consequences. The gravity of fighting giant monsters and all the collateral damage that goes with it is downright paralyzing for the goggle-wearing youth and it takes a long, long time for him to snap out of it. But snap out of it he does, and just in time to defeat the villain...who has no bearing on the rest of the movies but got hyped up something fierce.

Behold! The instrument of your destruction for the next 5 movies

Determination:
Otherwise known as An Excuse to have a Hot Springs episode and School Festival episode Crammed into One Movie!
Aside from the blatant fanservice, this one focuses on absolutely nobody's favorites from the original cast, the shallow one and the stick-in-the-mud. Yet, the movie is determined to show us how growing up with the exact same traits that defined you as a child can logically lead to strife further in life. The shallow one, having been established as having moved to America for a time, had found a home for her outspoken personality, but upon returning to Japan, realizes that this can be perceived as being really selfish. On a similar spectrum, the most responsible one of the group now finds himself trapped between wanting to help his friends in the fight and studying for his goal of becoming a doctor...and finding it easier to excuse his so-called cowardice on the very real fear of not studying enough to get into the right college. While not completely resolved, their realization of these traits leads them to greater power...just in time for a battle with an inexplicably evil-again former villain and an even further heartbreaking betrayal. Yes, that means the a familiar face dies...again.

Riiiiight..."Daters" is really big in America; y'all ain't slick screenwriters!

Confession:
Zombies, vampires, werewolves, all these monsters come with the familiar trope of anybody you love becoming one of the evils you're trying to vanquish. The third movie tries to pull this on us by having the partners become victims of "the infection" and with that, get ready for a WHOLE lotta heart strings to be pulled. Further complicating matters are the possibility that the cure might be worse than the disease, as the only way to save their monsters means destroying their memories. So the digital monsters quietly accepting their fates of berserker, feral rage, asking to simply spend time with each kid they've bonded to before it happens? Heart. Wrenching.
To further hammer in the theme of growing up sucking, the two focal characters this time come from childish beliefs being not enough to ensure happiness. For the brainiac, he has to overcome the childish notion that he can solve the problem since sometimes there really is no option but the lesser of two evils. For the avatar of hope, his unfounded optimism manifests in the worst option: pretending the problem is not imminent and believing that it will all work out, with all evidence pointing to the contrary. So when the excrement hits the rotating cooling device, it's even MORE heartbreaking that it had to go down that way. To be fair, this leads to the first proactive move these kids make the whole movie: going to get them back to reforge their bonds no matter what. Time to hop back down that rabbit hole!

WHY MUST THE FLYING PIGGY SUFFER?! AND WHY DOES IT KICK ME IN THE FEELS LIKE THAT?

Loss:
When we last left our heroes, they had to endear themselves to the amnesiac babies that used to be their partners...and for the most part, everyone manages to succeed in making the blobs love them...irony being that the gal whose whole power came from the Love Crest can't make her blob love her. So unlike the previous movies where the focal characters naturally learn the consequences of staying childish, this one gets manufactured tension because there is literally no reason for the blob-that-becomes-bird to remain angry at her, made even more jarring when not even 20 minutes in, and everyone else has roughly the same relationship before the amnesia hit. Further baffling is the revelation of evil players, their government handler. who through flashbacks was revealed as a previous generation of Digidestined desperately trying to find her revived partner, and a copy of their digital mentor, an Obi-Wan Kenobi lookalike, BUT EEEEEVIL! As far as fanservice goes, they pointlessly get separated into pairs, have to fight the final bosses of the last arc of their season, and then have to deal with their macguffin critter evolving into an evil version of herself...again. Much more a mess of a movie, but made up for in spades for familiar locales and faces.

If anybody wanted to know what a young & evil Obi-Wan Kenobi looked like, they give you a taste...

Coexistence:
*deep breath*
Why?
Why does nothing make sense? And when it does, it's so poorly executed.
Who are the bad guys? Who are the well-intentioned extremists that might as well be bad guys?
Most aggravating of all are the 4-5 instances where they have to pause the plot and the story to reassure the newbie that none of this is her fault? That sometimes cats just go berserk? This is all interspersed with the kids all just hiding out from one thing or another so a buncha NOT fighting until the last couple of minutes with all the players being a garbled mess of a melee.
Just when you thought cliffhangers can't get worse, we end it with THE EVANGELION-ESQUE COSMIC HORROR-MON!! Also, the leader's gone and his sister goes catatonic with mysterious waif energy.

Dangit Elsa! Be careful you don't trip over Himekawa as she's drowning in the Dark Ocean!

(our) Future:
So less of an epic conclusion to the story of the Digidestined (there's ONE MORE MOVIE not available until sometime in 2020), but it really ends the focal point of the insane kitty causing havoc across two worlds. So not only do the kids now have to deal with the perceived death of their leader, but of the looming threat of the evil angel made by two cats completely destroying their world, with the proposed solution being sending humanity back to the dark ages. Thankfully, such drastic measures are not needed as we find out the answer to their dilemma lies in a hidden file deep within the psycho kitty that restores the memory of EVERY digital being. With the full power of Understanding at their disposal, they join forces in one big ol' knight kaiju to slay the foul creature. Aaaaand that's all they do before events get wrapped up offscreen and anti-Digimon sentiment is still running rampant, and the missing 02 protagonists aren't even given the decency of shown faces, just silhouettes, and the reassurance they're fine and will show up in the next movie. Really weak ending to the whole film series.

So what have we ultimately learned children? If the animal goes bad, you gotta put. it. down!

So overall, the Digimon Adventure Tri is a film series that seems to bank on nostlagia, what with most people who watched the cartoon as kids, finding themselves relating to the heroes' struggles about growing up. But overall, the last half drops the ball something fierce, not just in thematic cohesion but in story elements that they couldn't be arsed to properly conclude.  

Frozen II

Ok, songwriters of "Frozen II," are y'all doing ok? Do you need a hug and reassurance? Because, while I appreciate you trying to move past the jaunty, ridiculously-chipper tunes that characterize a lot of Disney movies, y'all CLEARLY need a Zoloft.
I mean, let's look at some of your musical selections this time:
Plot Point Lullaby with Vague Deadly Warning
The Cheerful Song which is just BEGGING to be Proven Wrong Later in the Film
Shush, Weird Siren Call, I'm Happy Where I am...Aren't I?
My Naivety is Clashing with my Existential Crisis
Cheesy 80s Throwback about How Lost I am Without You
I Finally Can Learn about My Purpose! And Duet with with the Spirit of my Dead Mother!
and of course,
The Picking-Yourself-Up from Crippling Loss Song

As the sequel to the smash hit of 2013, this movie had a lot to live up to...and for people like me who consider "Tangled" superior in almost every aspect, a lot to strive for improvement.

And they kinda fall flat.

The story meanders and while having a strong premise, does not really deliver on much. With the revelation from the prologue that the kingdom used to share their land with natives in tune with the spirit creatures that embody the 4 elements, and the sudden isolation of the enchanted forest, the royal sisters take it upon themselves to find this lost land, free the inhabitants, and save their home from potential disaster. So even though the first movie was not as well-built a story as "Tangled" or "Wreck-it Ralph," it at least provided solid beats. This one, while on paper seeming like a grander adventure, does more to promote the world building, introduce the highly-marketable new characters, and surprisingly poke fun at the popularity of the old movie. Despite those positives, the truth is, it's all very surface level. New place, new characters, new outfits, new status quo. Check, check, check, & check.

The characters' growth is only as substantial as their relationship to others, as most of their issues got resolved last movie. The sisters' bond is still probably the best kind of development in the movie, with the fervent determination to stick together through this adventure; there is only minimal strengthening of the relationships between Anna and Kristof, as well as Anna and Olaf, with Olaf himself somehow going through a period of deep questioning about his place in the universe; and just like last time, Kristof continues to be Anna's accessory. The new characters don't really bring much to the table. All the human characters trapped in the mystical woods are...there. The magical spirit-creatures that embody the 4 elements are...there, with the only with a hint of personality going to the adorable charmander. And bad guys? None, but the sins of the past need to be rectified, which is the main source of conflict. A mature decision for sure, abandoning the twist villain we've come to expect, but then not having a villain does make the climax boil down to Piss-Off-Sleeping-Giants-to-Wreck-Shit, and it's not nearly as interesting to watch.

Overall, a fun continuation of the story (UNLIKE Frozen Fever and Olaf's Frozen Adventure) with a somewhat decent message of accepting change, but really, this was already done so well by "Toy Story 4" and "How to Train Your Dragon 3" earlier this year, that this one needing to holler the message again just makes it sound stale. And those movies didn't come with a soundtrack of catchy-yet-somewhat-depressing songs.

Oooh I bet y'all feel really clever for sneaking in ANOTHER Hans Christian Andersen reference into the movie eh?

Spider-Man Far From Home

What words define Spider-man? 
With Great Power comes Great Responsibility.
...
and in this one, Spidey does all he can to shirk that great responsibility? I mean, on one hand who can blame him? HE WENT TO SPACE AND DIED! On the other hand, he's pretty much the only hero left still in a good place after the events of "Avengers Endgame."

The infamous Snap is now known as the Blip and to recover some sense of normalcy, Peter Parker's high school is able to send their Academic Decathlon team on a whirlwind trip to Europe's biggest tourist spots. Fixated firmly on using that special time to confess to his new crush, the previously super snarky Zendaya, Peter believes his infamous Parker Luck can take a turn for the better, and doesn't even pack his supersuit for the trip.

Of course, it doesn't.

Not only are gigantic monsters based around the 4 elements on the rampage, not only is Nick Fury and SHIELD convinced Spider-man is the new Iron Man and is convinced this kid is ready to step into that role, not only is there a mysterious new magic man in a fishbowl helmet claiming to be from another universe, but somehow a fellow student that used to be younger than Peter is now top suitor for his crush's affections because they both died & stayed the same age whilst he grew up to be a better Flash Thompson than the previously established Flash Thompson!

Anyone worth their salt as a Spider-man fan should see the twist coming the MOMENT it was announced who Jake Gyllenhaal would be playing. While it was totally expected, the actual execution of said trickery and the accompanying visuals once it's been revealed is a sight to behold (not on par with some of "Doctor Strange's" trippy look, but roughly in the same ballpark). Until that moment however, he really does seem like a good guy, a noble hero who seems like an easygoing and relatable guy thrust into the same great-power-great-responsibility thing that defines Mr. Parker.

 Overall, a nice FINAL epilogue to the Marvel Universe as we know it, focusing on the fallout of one of the biggest sacrifices from "Endgame" and how the young protege has to handle the weight of all the responsibility he now feels. While the movie has done better than its previous home-titled installment in the superhero-ing aspects, the civilian side is a little weaker. The main duo trying to relationship is a bit TOO awkward to have any believability, and the kids & teachers on this trip are a bit too irksome or don't have enough to do to warrant their screentime. While it is not as balanced as the previous Spidey movie with Home in its title, the ride was quite enjoyable and best of all is the unexpected cameo from other Spidey media.

Shoutout to the "Firefly" fans.

It: Chapters 1 and 2

Stephen King is fully aware of how ludicrous the ending to the first one was, so the running joke here is "don't get your hopes up; the ending's bad." So much so, that he even shows up to tell himself that!
"IT: Chapter 1" and "IT: Chapter 2" is an updated take on the most famous story involving a murderous clown terrorizing a sleepy Maine town, and boy does it deliver where the 1990s TV mini-series couldn't.

Chapter 1 brings us the same quality of kid actors from the old version, but now transplanted to when most of the viewing audience were kids, the late 1980s! With that shift in time, comes a shift in the dynamics of the kids, expanding on the pre-established lovable quirks and maximizing our connection to these kids as they struggle through the troubles of life along with the troubles of a menacingly playful, shape-shifting horror hellbent on marinating its victims in fear.  The chemistry between them is as palpable as it's reminiscent of the chemistry between the kids from "Stranger Things" (funny how "It" influences "Stranger Things" and then it loops back to the other way around), and that means that the mouthy kids can argue and riff with each other with the best of em, sticking together despite their playful jabs at each other. Furthermore, the non-supernatural threats the kids have to go through have been updated as well. Between adults that don't care about a kid's physical or emotional state, petty girls who listen to will harass who because of gossip, bullies who actually want to do lasting damage now, and parents who vary between creepily obsessive, massively overbearing, and simply blind to the truth, the pale, lanky, and toothy clown is almost the least of their worries.
Almost.
While not as delightfully hammy as Tim Curry's version, Bill Skarsgård manages to have a menacing presence, with a tone of voice feigning playfulness, the CG manages to morph his body into unnerving, unnatural shapes, bringing a new level of imaginative scaring.  The haunted house scene captures a lot of the classic haunted house scares with the added bonus of reality being whatever the demented boggart-like creature wants it to be. 

Chapter 2 now features the wildly successful adults the kids grew into, but now they're a little more haunted by a past they can't fully grasp. The call comes in from their Nick Fury and while reluctant, they get there, eager to reclaim their lost memories and possibly vanquish a lingering evil from beyond the stars.
YES, THIS THING'S AN ALIEN!
Thanks to actually paying attention to the book now, the film makes a big deal on the origins of the evil clown and the attempts from early people in taking it out. This leads to the adults going on a fetchquest for personal items during a mini timeskip during that summer in Chapter 1, leading to more golden scenes with the kid actors going through their own brief run-ins with the mind-bending malevolence. When it actually comes down to the climactic showdown though, IT has already done a number on our protagonists, messing with them emotionally by making a dark echo of a past trauma, forcing them to re-evaluate their choices in life, and sometimes, just siccing a mental patient on them like some avatar of its demented will to kill them with stabbings; the exhausted club of former losers then face the shape-shifting nightmare anew, with the ridiculous thing taking on more and more extreme weirdness to mess with them. Ultimately though, it is defeated in almost as ridiculous a manner as it was in the 1990 version, which I can't tell if that makes the remake any better or worse.

Overall, a roughly 5 hour story that'll mess with your mind as much as any "Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Inception" ever will, but at least that's shorter than the runtime of the audiobook (which according to a brave source is only 9 hours less than the entirety of the Lord of the Rings audiobook), and it's a better adaptation than the 1990 version by a long shot. While the old has a delightfully hammy charm to it, the remakes at least do their darnedest to try and take itself seriously. Whether or not IT succeeds is a matter of personal preference I suppose.

No sillier way of weakening a cosmic horror from beyond the stars than insulting it into a sad little puddle...unless you consider silver earrings being used as slingshot ammo.

For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons for the first one, please go here.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend on the 2nd one, go here.

It (1990)

Unintentionally hilarious because of the dated effects, but hilarious all the same, "It" is one of the iconic Stephen King novels brought to horrifying life on the small screen.  This interesting spectacle can be accredited to terrifying children and impressionable youths who were blown away by the effects of the time, and most notably starting the lingering effects of coulrophobia for many viewers.

I would like to say that this is the case of another black man a team of monster busters, but really, this starts out with the librarian calling his amnesiac friends to remember a promise they made in their youth. So begins the seemingly endless flashbacks back-and-forth to a group of kids who were prime targets for bullying, and thus banded together to find solace in each others' quirks. Through many scenes of bonding and finding strength in each other, they also find themselves wrapped up in the grand conspiracy of their little Maine town: that children just up and get murdered and the adults do nothing about it.  Further digging reveal that these horrific mutilations seem to be by a shape-shifting entity that seems to favor Tim Curry in poofy clothes, white face paint, and a red wig. Through a lot of dumb luck and a hope and prayer that their meager tools were enough, these kids vanquished the demon and sent it packing. Just in case though, they swore to return and destroy the evil once and for all. Now that they're all wildly successful adults (not in love anyway, but whatevs), they are VERY reluctant to not only face the demons of their past, but the literal demon who can Nightmare on Elm Street their very sanity away. Can they even beat the thing now that they're adults and have pretty much lost their youthful optimism?

It's funny that the credits list Tim Curry as a "special appearance" since this guy steals the show almost as much as Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean." He is playful yet very menacing; he's hammy yet as deadly serious as you can get in a clown getup; the voice is iconic, and the only thing that weighs it down is that his last appearance is as some kind of stop-motion arthropod (spider?) with a lightup belly. Considering the actor himself had to avoid all mirrors since he is terrified of clowns, this performance is truly an iconic role.

The rest of the film however, is hindered from being truly a "horror" movie. If horror films to you comes from getting immersed in the dread of the situations the characters are going through, you'll be sucked out of the immersion from the hammy acting from nearly everyone involved, the cliches that most of Stephen King's work is known for, and the strange tonal whiplash of trying to juxtapose heavy and disturbing material with goofy antics and strange, happy music segments. I would recommend this one only if you have 3 hours to kill and a couple of pals with who you can riff the film.

Gotta respect the classic jokes from kids' joke books.

Stranger Things Season 3

The strange thing about "Stranger Things" is that their season structure flip-flopped.  Season 1 played much more like a movie (as y'all can tell from my analysis of it here.), which led to easier binging as the episode breaks were not good stopping points. I didn't feel the need to mention Season 2 as a review since there was a much more episodic feel to it, which seemed to focus less on the narrative and more on the characters and their interactions. The story seemed to know what breaks to make in the story, just the right points to make you think, "Ok maybe later" as opposed to "MUST FINISH NOW!"
And that was the prevailing feeling going through this 8-episode (roughly 6 hr, 20 mins long) movie.
Just like last time, there are groups with their own distinct stories, and thanks to the shorter amount of episodes, they converge a lot quicker and more organically than previous seasons.

Story 1: them wacky teens
The aptly nicknamed Nancy "Drew" finds herself undervalued and constantly picked on by the pigs at her new job...but a hot tip leads her and Jonathan (basically her wheels and...backup muscle?) on the  story of strange and unusual goings on in their little Indiana town...again.
Story 2: those meddling kids preteens
Puberty has hit (most) of the kiddos who have had to deal with the brunt of these bizarre adventures, and with it, comes the rampaging hormone monsters...as well as real monsters. They discover not just how the evil mind-possessing demon from last season has managed to cross the divide thanks to a remnant left in the daytime and is amassing an army of former-humans-which-are-now-just-literal-flesh-puppets, but also what being in a relationship is all about. Not just boy-girl relationships either, as familial relationships still plays a major part in their character growth. Thankfully, their story intersects with the teens' story fairly quickly so they are combined in their shenanigans.
Story 3: the limited outfits team
Our favorite gap-toothed child managed to snag sketchy communiques from his Professor X invention and enlists the help of our favorite fluffy-haired teen, who now works a menial job scooping ice cream in a sailor suit. With the help of his coworker and a sassy lost child, they manage to get the biggest scoop of all: secret compound under the mall! What follows are amazing character depths discovered and evil plots revealed.
Story 4: the adults learning how to adult
What starts out with a goofy new dad to teenage girl trying to establish boundaries, whilst trying to figure out his feelings for the single mom who is still suffering a great loss, rendering her single again, becomes a tangled web of malfunctioning magnets, grand conspiracy of the sickle and hammer, avoiding the best bootleg Terminator since Ahnold himself, finding out how deep the corruption of their little town goes, and teaming up with more quirky nerds to save said little town and existence itself.
As all these stories culminate in a climatic battle against the forces of evil inside a shopping mall, almost each character has a chance to shine in their own unique way. Stellar production design and spine-tingling special effects complete this massive visual feast that are just part of this wondrous tale's appeal.

Despite all these disparate stories with an abundance of characters, that's exactly the show's strengths: amazing characters that grow & develop and stories that don't get old. While some have said that this season might be a little more pandering to the nostalgia crowd who love them some 80s-flavored media, it's the little attention to details that shows the passion and love the series creators have for the era and its pop culture influences. As cliche as it is, this is definitely a thrill ride from start to finish.

If anyone asks what the thesis of the whole of "Stranger Things" is, simply reply with 4 words:
Will. Byers. Must. Suffer.

Toy Story 4

The MOMENT it was announced that Pixar would continue telling the tale of children's playthings after their 3rd installment, it was met with derision. "It ended perfectly!" "It doesn't need to go on!" "This is a soulless attempt by Disney to make more money!"
All valid points, but for what we got, "Toy Story 4" is a fine epilogue to the story of one pull-string cowboy voiced by Forrest Gump.

So in the same vague way of how "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" established that children can create life from imagination, Bonnie, the little girl who all of Andy's toys went to at the end of "Toy Story 3," made an arts-&-crafts friend to get her through the first day of school...and as the good doctor who also animated spare bits into a living being said, "IT'S ALIVE!" This prompts Woody to find new purpose in wrangling this wayward toy into finding refuge in the refuse, since wouldn't you know it? Trusting a 4 year old to take care of your prized possession is a bad idea because she has essentially abandoned Woody to life on the margins of her playtime.  Due to shenanigans involving a vacation, an antique store, and a carnival, Woody manages to reconnect with a toy from his past to help improve the lives of all the toys he comes across.

Fun & heartwarming, truly a staple of Pixar movies at this point (except you "Good Dinosaur." You disappoint me at every level), this movie really shows the culminated growth of our Spirit of Loyalty residing inside a cowboy doll from the 50's. The new characters they introduced are also very enjoyable to watch as they all bring their own unique and quirky energy to the screen, and strangely enough, the standout character being that literal background character of a damsel character in Andy's room. They managed to turn Bo Peep of all people into a survivalist after Bear Gryll's own heart, taking the spirit of independent, completely capable female heroine in the same vein as Lara Croft, Rey from Star Wars, and other adventurous young women. With those praises out of the way, I cannot go on about how I feel about this movie without SPOILERS so see you after the cut.  But overall, this movie tickles your funny bone and tugs at your heartstrings; go see the end of this legacy of Pixar's first franchise.

Why do you even need a kit when you can literally make this guy from trash?!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

A long time has passed since the 50s, when a Japanese filmmaker wanted to show audiences the horrors of a nuclear disaster without being so heavy-handed in his symbolism...now that creature birthed from this desire sparked a whole genre of special-effects-laden movies with varying results, creating possibly the first cinematic universe. Hollywood has tried their hand at replicating this lightning in a bottle for American audiences, again with varying results, but the folks at Legendary Entertainment has come the closest to giving the people a true-blue classic Tokusatsu film for modern audiences.
And now, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" has hit theaters with both critical acclaim and disdain.
Why the split in opinion though? Some people just want to know if it is a "good" movie and can't seem to settle on a consensus.

In all truth, giant monsters were never supposed to be characters, more akin to natural disasters given physical form, like if the tornado from "Twister" sprouted legs and a tail or the iceberg from "Titanic" suddenly being a fanged monstrosity. This is captured fairly well in another Japanese reboot of the Big G, "Shin Godzilla," where this devastating monster wreaked havoc and destruction, but on its own, had very little personality. But then, talented suit actors injected their own flair into the subsequent films after the first Godzilla film, making the behemoth and his cadre of colossal companions and enemies very distinct personalities and characters in their own right. Of course, the movies needed human characters to help the audience relate and to spout exposition/help or hinder the monsters in their brawling so it would not just be tons of spectacle without much story. Was that ever the focus though? Some could argue that human characters and their drama are essential to a kaiju film, but mainly, good human story can only enhance the monster action.

Indeed, the human story is probably the weakest part of this movie, which is par for the course when it comes to these kinds of movies. Some people still have a sour taste in their mouth from the ABUNDANCE of it in the 2014 movie, where the title character only had 11 minutes of screentime for the entire 123 minute runtime. Most critics have claimed the follow-up has the inverse problem with too much monster battles and not enough human drama.  I will have to defend the human portions of the story for this movie though, because despite what a majority of critics say, there is still tons of stuff happening on the human front that aren't completely a waste of time.  The movie kicks off with a scientist and her daughter getting kidnapped by eco-extremists for the scientist's nifty invention that can talk to the big beasties. MONARCH, the S.H.I.E.L.D. of this universe, have kept these gigantic critters under wraps for decades now and they try to stop them from waking up too many of kaijukind. Along the way, the King of Tokyo tags along to help fight the uppity titans trying to cause havoc and destruction. And when their atomic fire-breathing trump card is down, it's the dedicated humans who enact a plan to help bring him back from the brink. If that doesn't sound like decent involvement from these side characters than barely running away from the destruction, enacting foolhardy plans to stop something the size of skyscrapers, and just generally being annoyances, than what really is the point of having human characters?  Granted, like "Rogue One" I can't really remember the characters' names so much as their character archetype, and most of the time, the human characters make truly baffling and stupid decisions.

Which leads us to the monsters themselves, the true stars of the film. Without saying a single discernible word, these massive beasts manage to steal the show with their displayed ferocity, their determination, and of course, their fighting prowess. Special kudos go to the new Mothra, being a benevolent buggy, and the new King Ghidorah, who has a load of personality in its three heads as well as the malevolent vibe only a lightning-spewing, three-headed space-dragon can provide. And while I always had the inclination that Godzilla himself is like the Hulk, too dangerous to be a real hero and more suitable as a blunt instrument to be directed at enemies, for the first time, I feel like the radioactive ancient lizard can be considered a hero. Coming in like a hurricane to save people from certain doom, despite having no inclination to save anybody and having killed and hurt millions in his last outing, he can be seen has become a benevolent king to kaijukind and humanity alike.

Overall, a film to not take too seriously, as its highlights are the abundance of giant monsters battling, but not devoid of decent human melodrama and interactions. Watch it if you want a big screen blockbuster to fill the void after having watched Avengers Endgame too many times.

Left head of King Ghidorah was a strange addition to an otherwise menacing beast.

Aladdin (2019)

Fun fact: due to the nature of most Disney movies as musicals, there have been MANY stage adaptations for popular films done by the House of Mouse. Iconic among them is the Broadway version of "Lion King," but there are fair tries to capture the spirit of the animated films with such productions as "the Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin."
Why do I bring this up?
Because to appreciate the live-action reboot of "Aladdin," you have to go in expecting a version of the classic animated film that's quite different, but still encapsulates the essence of the story and characters...albeit with beaucoup budget and a lot of visual flair.

Y'all know the drill: a poor orphan living on the streets does parkour, steals stuff with ease, possesses a silver tongue of manipulation, but has a heart of gold...a diamond in the rough; a princess sheltered all her life escapes to see how the 99% live and meets said orphan, and their shenanigans lead to his capture, where he is given an offer he can't refuse: help the king's advisor get a seemingly ordinary lamp. Hijinks ensue when the boy finds a wise-cracking shape-shifting genie within, and this duo must woo the princess and foil a dastardly plan.

The movie takes our expectations, our knowledge that it will never live up to the original 'toon, and embraces that; it has its own unique energy and look that gives this yarn a different spin while it acknowledges the original story.  But for all the advances, there are at least 2-3 steps backwards. The instrumentation on the songs are improved, but the vocalists aren't as fantastic. The city & locales really do look like actual places instead of sets, but even then, the scope isn't as grand or majestic. (The Cave of Wonders was particularly underwhelming since one step into the treasure room and there should've been so much gold the entire color palette should've changed from dark blues to solid yellow, but nope...still predominantly rocks) There are new characters and some pre-existing characters have their motivations expanded, but that comes at the expense of the characterization of other characters. Finally, while there are many magical feats and visuals to astound, the climax in general felt remarkably underwhelming with the villain hardly creating anything fantastic to combat the hero.

Overall, an entertaining flick on its own merits, but when compared to the original, what I have unabashedly called my favorite Disney animated movie ever, you could see there was an attempt to put that particular genie back into its bottle, and they failed. 'Twas a valiant effort at least.

There it is; the impetus for Princess Jasmine getting her own "girl power anthem."

Avengers: Endgame

And there came a day unlike any other, when nearly every superhero in the universe fought as hard as they could to stop a madman's genocidal plan.
And they lost.
Some paid with their lives, and some carried the survivors' guilt and then some.
This was "Infinity War"
So how will these heroes rectify this injustice?
Well, TAKE IT AWAY AKU!


Yeah that pretty much covers it.

"Avengers: Endgame" is the 22nd movie in the undeniable, and frankly inescapable entertainment juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And boy-oh-boy if you thought you had to pay attention for all those movies for "Infinity War," the time-traveling aspect means that not only will it take its audience on a wonderful nostalgia trip, but the characters themselves get wonderful closure for certain things left unsaid or not done in those movies. And because the formula for the best laid plans always includes "SOMETHING GOES WRONG," their present is affected big time by a slight mishap in the past.

After the last movie was more focused on explaining the motivations of the main villain, we are shifted back to the heroes, specifically, the main six who kickstarted this team-up venture back in 2012. Strongest performances go to Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner, respectively as a Tony Stark with the BIGGEST case of motivating guilt since he signed away his autonomy in Cap'Merica 3,  and Clint Barton, who in the wake of unspeakable evil has taken up the blade in a killing spree that would make the Punisher proud (wonder if HE survived the Snap?). The emotions acted out, the action & history their characters encapsulated, and the sacrifices they are willing to make gives you adequate cause to root for them. Not saying the other 4 of the core Avengers have leaps and bounds character development, but really, how can you not after 11 years of movies? Captain America starts to be wistful of what he lost, Black Widow realizing her family has always been this odd assortment of freaks, the Hulk & Banner reach a strange inner peace, and Thor...realizes his failures and after a bit of a slump, finds his fighting spirit again. The 2ndary characters continue to develop, and for some, I am genuinely curious about their futures in the MCU, and for others, I am content with their stories being over. Cameos from old movies are also a-plenty so remember to keep a cheat sheet if you forgot some people.

Blending a post-apocalyptic grimness, with a humorous romp through their own history, and ending in a truly climactic battle reminiscent of anything from "Lord of the Rings," "Braveheart," "Last Samurai," or "Star Wars," this experience is a fine cap-off to a saga from several different storytellers in this new mythology played out on the silver screen.

Yes, even there was surprising Thor 2 nostalgia thrown into the mix!

For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend, go here.
For a review (SPOILER-FILLED) with a multitude of goofy voices, go here.