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Ice Age (2002)
10/10
First of all if you haven't seen this movie, please go watch it. I was going to give this movie a 4 star review because, I couldn't think of myself praising it that much but really looking back on it, I don't see how this doesn't deserve 5 stars. The main 3 of Ray Romano as Manny, John Leguizamo as Sid, and Denis Leary as Diego is just so classic and amazing. Manny and Diego's character arcs are very emotional (Especially Diego's) and they make up for Sid not being the most complex character by making him literally one of the funniest characters and in my opinion the funniest in animation history. The only scene I don't remember myself enjoying really was just when the mother was running away from the sabers but when she handed the baby to Manny and Sid and disappeared, that really tugged on the heart strings. Diego's character is commonly overlooked but the more I look at it, the more I just loved how Diego was moved by the pack throughout the whole journey. The scene where Manny reflects back on his life made me think about him as a character more and just made him all the more solid as the leader of the group. I may be the only one who picks up on it, but the way Sid follows Manny and Diego to the end just touches me in a way that few other movies do even though it may sound strange. The villains were ok and if anything just enhanced Diego's arc for me but the best part of this movie overall was the big 3 that they hired for Manny, Sid, and Diego. One of the greatest animated movies of all time. If you haven't seen it, please go watch it.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
10/10
Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" - Glinda
Following a lage tornado, Dorothy, a teenage farm girl from Kansas, is swept away to the magical land of Oz. Along with her new friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy must find the Wizard in the hopes he can help her return home.
I can't remember when or where I saw Wizard of Oz for the first time. It's one of those films ingrained in my memory since as long as I can remember and although not one of my favourite films of all time - its still a near perfect movie! The transition from Black and White to Colour is just as striking now as I'm sure it would of been back in 1939. Even though I know what to expect, it still takes me by surprise every time she steps into Munckin City. The performances, songs and dance numbers are extremely zany, catchy and camp but it blends in well with the ridiculousness of the film itself. The actors were well selected and every main character plays there part extremely well - the munchkins are a little flat I have to say but their songs and costumes make up for the lack of acting skills. The 4K image is crystal clear and the downside to that is certain special effects are extremely noticable and not always effectuve - such as the visible trap door when the Wicked Witch appears/disappears in the Munckim City or when the Wicked Witch flies on her broom around the castle and you can tell it's a small toy on a string or wire. Even though I did laugh at these on my recent watch through, i also appreciated the skill and effort it took to achieve such special effects in 1939 - and it would of looked perfectly realistic on CRT TV, VHS and DVD...
Final Verdict:
This movie is a classic and a much loved family favourite for many generations. The songs are catchy, the story timeless and the performances are memorable. In 4K the image is so clear and vibrant you'd think the film was made this century!
Minions (2015)
10/10
I am a huge fan of the Despicable Me movies And the Minions were always my favorite characters in them. It made sense to other people I guess that maybe the Minions should get their own movie, intelligently called, Minions. I think I first saw Minions at the theatre and liked it but I recently picked up a Blu-ray copy for another viewing. The film is still very cute I have to say, the animation is well done and the Minions are lovable. What lets the film down however is that there isn't much substance to the story and after a while the singing and silliness just get boring. Each Minion has his own personality and even though they look almost identical it's easy to tell them apart with Stuart and Kevin being my favourites, Bob was a bit too silly. There's a number of songs and brief musical numbers which were funny and endearing to start with but after a couple they became cheesy. My favourite scene was the opening sequence detailing how the Minions came to be and all the failed ventures with previous "bosses".
Final Verdict: It starts well but very quickly it becomes apparent there isn't going to be much substance here, just cute slapstick and some colorful animation. It will certainly keep kids entertained but as an adult I was left wanting more. It's not bad though.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
10/10
This was a HORRIBLE video game adaptation. First of all: NONE of the Mario characters would ever translate well to live-action. They are all mostly silent characters who only speak in short catchphrases and one-liners, never in complete sentences. So having them be like that in a live-action adaptation would be weird and even if you made them act differently and like normal characters, they wouldn't be the same characters from the games. Successfully adapting and doing the Mario brothers and the other characters from their video game series justice is an IMPOSSIBLE job.
NO actor would EVER nail playing the role of any of the characters from the Mario franchise in live-action form. It is just impossible for any actual person to portray these kind of characters in live-action form. No one would ever perfectly physically AND vocally portray characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Wario, Waluigi, etc. If you ever seen their physiques and heard their voices in any of the games, you'd know that casting actors to play them is an impossible task. Some video games and video game franchises just need to be left alone and not be adapted into live-action movies (and shows too).
This is proof that not all video game characters should be adapted on the big screen in live-action. Plus, this movie was super painfully inaccurate to its source material. I understand that it might've taken a bit of inspiration from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show by having Mario and Luigi speak like normal people and being two Italian-American plumbers from Brooklyn (which I can get passed by), but why was Luigi played by a Latino Colombian instead of a Caucasian man that looks Italian? They could've at least put cosmetics on John Leguizamo to make him look white and of Italian descent kind of like what they did to Al Pacino when he played Tony Montana in Scarface (1983) to make him look Hispanic and of Cuban descent. How can Mario and Luigi be related to each other in this movie if they're not of the same ethnicity and why are they like 20 years apart?
Instead of Princess Toadstool a.k.a. "Peach" being the damsel in distress kidnapped by Mario and Luigi's arch enemy King Koopa a.k.a. "Bowser", it's Daisy who is the endangered princess kidnapped by him. Daisy in the games is a tomboyish princess who isn't a damsel in distress, basically the polar opposite of Peach. Toad in the games is a short male human-mushroom hybrid (basically looks like a very little human boy who has what appears to be a mushroom for a hat on top of his head), but in this movie he is just a normal human named Toad. Koopas (who're yellow-skinned turtles with green shells in the games) in this movie don't resemble the ones from the games. Mushroom Kingdom which looks bright, colorful, fun, and imaginative in the games looks the complete opposite in this movie.
The Goombas looked so HIDEOUS, CREEPY, CRINGEY, and reptilian with tiny heads instead of being little, cute, brown, armless, monobrowed, and umbrella-shaped creatures like in the games. Yoshi looked like a scary, carnivorous dinosaur with fangs instead of a cute, toothless, long-tongued herbivorous dinosaur wearing red boots. Bowser was a human with a stupid, hideous, wacky, and disgusting hairstyle instead of a huge, yellow-skinned, fire-breathing tortoise with a green spiky shell, red eyebrows, red head hair, and claws. The effects and designs for the Goombas and Koopas look absolutely and shockingly cringe-worthy, wacky, unconvincing, and outdated.
I am the complete opposite of this comment
this review i found was very peculiar
Composed by ADAM REILLY.
Elemental (2023)
10/10
HOT TAKE: Elemental is amazing. Yes, pun intended but I'm so serious here, folks; this was very done and I urge you to give it a fair shot. Elemental is a modern yet fantastical odyssey of romance and self-realization clashing with the weight of ethnic and generational expectations. A colorful and cultural onslaught of imagination, relatability and sentiment, tailored by two endearing leads with irresistible chemistry.
I'm usually not one for romcoms but if the leads are engaging enough, then I'm sold. Ember and Wade - voiced by fresh talent Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, respectively - share a captivating journey together, one that isn't just focused on love but puts their humanity in a binding spotlight. Their relationship flows oh-so naturally and is 10x more enchanting than any prince and princess story. You know that scene from WALL-E where the robots dance outside the spaceship? Almost the entirety of Elemental follows that one gorgeous sequence's beat and it's utterly charming.
The animation is quite stunning to behold; fluid, expressive and diverse. I can tell Pixar had so much fun with it while pushing the envelope; such a delight to watch. The world drips with inventiveness and attention to detail; I wouldn't pass on living in Element City. I can't leave out Thomas Newman's music, too. This is the composer's fourth collaboration with Pixar (the first since Finding Dory) and his score doesn't disappoint; lovely, often hypnotizing, and always hits the right notes.
Elemental is one of the most soulful and compassionate pictures to come out of Pixar in recent years and it's getting such a bum rap for no good reason. Look, it may seem familiar on the surface but - as expected from the studio that pioneered the art form and tells personal stories - Elemental is built from real relationships and social conflicts and has moving answers to questions on affection, immigration, pressure, sacrifice, and free will. Prepare for some sniffles and tears. I felt the love that was put into it every second and that standing ovation at Cannes was well-earned.
Congrats, Peter Sohn. Thanks for telling your story.