Tag Archives: Animation

Looking Back and Looking Forward: 2016, Part 2

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Sam S-P

Here are the very best, and the very worst films I’ve seen this year. MOONLIGHT, LA LA LAND and MANCHESTER BY THE SEA aren’t out in the UK for another few weeks, so don’t look for them here. Absent also … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Feature | Tagged Abigail Hardingham, Adam Sandler, Adult Life Skills, Animation, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Blaine Brothers, Blockbuster, Chris Pine, Cian Barry, Comedy, David Mackenzie, David Spade, Disney, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Film, Get a Job, Grimsby, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Hell or High Water, Horror, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jeff Bridges, Julian Dennison, La La Land, Manchester By the Sea, Mark String, Moonlight, Movies, Netflix, Nina Forever, Rian Johnson, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Romance, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sam Neill, Star Wars: Episode VIII, Suicide Squad, T2:Trainspotting, Taika Waititi, The Do-Over, War for the Planet of the Apes, Warner Bros, Wonder Woman, Zootopia, Zootropolis | Leave a comment

Review: Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Sam S-P

The road is littered with third movies that don’t live up to expectations. One of the only great lines in this summer’s X-MEN: APOCALYPSE acknowledged that “the third one is always the worst”. I think that KUNG FU PANDA 3 … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Angelina Jolie, Animation, Antz, Bryan Cranston, DreamWorks, Family Film, Film, Jack Black, James Hong, JK Simmons, Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 3, Movies, Seth Rogen, Shrek, X-Men: Apocalypse | Leave a comment

Review: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Sam S-P

This may well be the cleverest and most subversive film Warner Bros Animation have ever made, and it’s an animated followup to 1960s BATMAN TV show. I’m an Adam West fan and an appreciator of “camp” as an aesthetic for … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Adam West, Animation, Batman, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman: The Movie, Burt Ward, Comedy, Superhero Movie, TV, Warner Brothers, William Shatner | 2 Comments

Review: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Sam S-P

It becomes clear very quickly that KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is a thematic title rather than a literal one, pretty much from the very first time you see the said instrument. The writers and animators at Laika know how … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Academy Awards, Animation, Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Coraline, Dario Marianelli, Fantasy, J-Horror, Kubo and the Two Strings, Laika, Matthew McConaughey, Oscar, Paranorman, The Boxtrolls | 2 Comments

Review: Sausage Party (2016)

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Sam S-P

Sorry, DEADPOOL, you’re going to have to return your 2016 bad boy award. SAUSAGE PARTY is even filthier, more anarchic and childish, but actually turns out to be about a bit more as well. That’s not a slight on Deadpool, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Animation, Carry On, Comedy, David Krumholtz, Deadpool, Edward Norton, Film, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Movies, Nick Kroll, Sausage Party, Saving Private Ryan, Seth Rogen, Shortbus, Team America: World Police, Top Gun | Leave a comment

Review: Ratchet & Clank (2016)

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Sam S-P

I’m a big fan of Insomniac Games’ RATCHET & CLANK series. I played through them all on the PS2 and grew very attached to the characters, the high-octane action and the knowing sense of humour throughout. This year the original … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review, Video Games | Tagged Animation, Comedy, David Kaye, Disney, Douglas Adams, DreamWorks, Family Film, Film, Insomniac Games, James Arnold Taylor, Jim Ward, John Goodman, Movies, Paul Giamatti, Pixar, Ratchet & Clank, Sci-fi, Sylvester Stallone, Video Games | 1 Comment

Review: Zootropolis (2016)

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Sam S-P

ZOOTROPOLIS (which has the much better title of ZOOTOPIA in the States) is not only the best film of 2016 so far but also may well be the most important. It’s the usual pristine, vibrant and peppy animation from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Academy Awards, Animation, Chinatown, Disney, Film noir, Frozen, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, Jason Bateman, Jenny Slate, Maurice LaMarche, Mystery, Oscars, Straight Outta Compton, Zootopia, Zootropolis | 3 Comments

Review: Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Sam S-P

This review contains spoilers for the 1988 graphic novel THE KILLING JOKE. By Batman’s underpants, they almost fixed The Killing Joke! The iconic, but overrated and problematic comic by Alan Moore had Barbara Gordon appear, get shot and paralysed then … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Alan Moore, Animation, Batman: The Animated Series, Brian Azzarello, Film, Heath Ledger, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Movies, Superhero Movie, Tara Strong | 2 Comments

Review: Batman: Bad Blood (2016)

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Sam S-P

More-or-less following on from the iffy SON OF BATMAN, BAD BLOOD is straight in with a well-staged brawl between Batman, Batwoman, and multiple C-Grade villains from the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery. In less sure hands, this would be a messy … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Animation, Batman, Batman: Bad Blood, Batman: The Animated Series, Damian Wayne, DC, Film, Frank Miller, Jason O'Mara, Marvel, Movies, Mystery of the Batwoman, Sean Maher, Son of Batman, Superhero Movie, The Avengers, Tim Burton, Warner Brothers, Yvonne Strahovski, Zack Snyder | 3 Comments

We Need to Talk About Disney

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Sam S-P

Indulge me if you will to have a bit of a rant. Walt Disney Studios is flying higher perhaps than ever before, owning as it does the box office bulkheads Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. Needless to say Disney’s acquisition of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Comment | Tagged Animation, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Disney, Film, Harry Potter, John Carter, Live Action, Lucasfilm, Maleficent, Marvel, Movies, Pinocchio, Pixar, Remake, Sleeping Beauty, Star Wars, The Avengers, The Lone Ranger, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Sword in the Stone, Tomorrowland, Tron: Legacy | 2 Comments

Tag Archives: Animation

Looking Back and Looking Forward: 2016, Part 2

Review: Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Review: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)

Review: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Review: Sausage Party (2016)

Review: Ratchet & Clank (2016)

Review: Zootropolis (2016)

Review: Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Review: Batman: Bad Blood (2016)

We Need to Talk About Disney

Search a Film Thing

About SSP

Sam S-P

I’m also on Twitter:

Fresh Thoughts on Film

Archived Thoughts on Film

Blog Stats