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Tag Archives: Animation
Review in Brief: Coco (2017)
I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry at COCO, Pixar’s latest. I need to stop making promises I can’t keep. Even the reason behind the film’s title brought on a little lip wobble. The studio really does produce emotionally … Continue reading
Review: Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017)
MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER, the first film from Studio Ghibli successors Studio Ponoc looks stunning, but it does feel insubstantial. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just not really about much. I’m prepared to forgive a lot because … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Batman vs Two-Face (2017)
Along with the live-action movie and RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS, this makes for a nice nice little trilogy, not to mention a fitting tribute to Adam West. BATMAN VS TWO-FACE has all the sorts of gags you’ve come to … Continue reading
My Favourite…Animation
My favourite animated film is THE IRON GIANT. Brad Bird’s big-screen directorial debut is magical, pure and simple. It preserves the central themes of the Ted Hughes story on which it is based, but makes them far more hard-hitting by … Continue reading
Review: Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
In 1992 Paul Dini and Bruce Timm created Harley Quinn. Since then, the Joker’s abused girlfriend has been a popular but problematic character. In BATMAN AND HARLEY QUINN, she’s finally over Mr J, a limited supply of his Joker venom … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Sing (2016)
SING is a pleasant surprise. It may be a clichéd underdog/competition story retold with singing animals, but it’s got a lot of pep and ends up being the most soulful and best-realised animations Illumination have produced so far. The characters are … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review
Tagged Animation, Elton John, Garth Jennings, Illumination, Musical, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Sing, Taron Egerton
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Review in Brief: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
JUSTICE LEAGUE VS TEEN TITANS was the best superhero movie of 2016, and it was only 80 minues. With TEEN TITANS: THE JUDAS CONTRACT, the animated arm of Warner Bros once again manage to embody what DC heroes represent so … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Moana (2016)
MOANA is colourful, energetic and heartfelt, and enriches its world with Polynesian cultural influences in a far less patronising manner than was attempted in POCAHONTAS with Native American folklore. It’s also very safe in its storytelling, falling back on Disney … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review
Tagged Alan Tudyk, Animation, Auli'i Cravalho, David Bowie, Disney, Dwayne Johnson, Family Film, Jemaine Clement, Moana, Pocahontas
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Review in Brief: When Marnie Was There (2016)
WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE works so well on multiple emotional levels, and can be read in a number of ways. One of those ways is a little creepy, but I think I we’ll skip that. Anna (Sara Takatsuki) is a … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review
Tagged Animation, Sara Takatsuki, Studio Ghibli, The Wind Rises, When Marnie Was There
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Review: The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
The opening gambit in THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE has Will Arnett’s gravelly Caped Crusader passing comment on the logos of all the production companies involved, and this made me wish he could do the same for some of the Oscar … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review
Tagged Adam West, Animation, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Billy Dee Williams, Christopher Nolan, DC Comics, Family Film, Michael Cera, Ralph Fiennes, Rosario Dawson, Suicide Squad, Superhero Movie, The Dark Knight, The LEGO Batman Movie, The Lego Movie, Warner Bros, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis
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