Tag: Animated Movie

REVIEW: ‘Z2’ has more adventure, but lacks sharpness of first

If all else fails with this movie, at least Nick and Judy shippers will be mostly happy. That includes me by the way.

Fortunately, not much does fail in the “Zootopia” sequel, though it’s not quite as strong as its wonderful predecessor from 2016. This film actually takes place quite soon after the events of the original movie, with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) just beginning to work together.

In an attempt to break their next big case, the two have ended up causing some havoc which has upset the brass. As a result, the two are on thin ice. To make matters worse, they get involved in the heist of a book, with the main culprit, a snake named Gary (Ke Huy Quan), claiming it’s for a righteous cause.

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REVIEW: ‘KP Demon Hunters’ has infectious energy despite pedestrian story

K-Pop is entertaining enough by itself, but throw in some glowing weapons and action, and things really get dialed to 11.

That’s the case with this new animated flick from Sony. Released on Netflix, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” follows a trio of singers who moonlight as fierce warriors. Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) make up a wildly popular group who regularly sell-out concerts.

At the same time, they spend time ridding the world of demons who threaten to steal souls from the unsuspecting public. The three have gotten exceptionally good at both of their jobs. However, a new threat arises in the form of a group of demons who take the form of a boy K-Pop group, which begins siphoning their fans for a nefarious plot.

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REVIEW: Pixar’s alien adventure ‘Elio’ mostly succeeds, despite drawbacks

The protagonist of this film would have loved listening to Art Bell’s “Coast to Coast AM” in the 1990s.

That’s because the titular Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is a UFO fanatic who doesn’t just want to make first contact. The 11-year-old has aspirations of being abducted and meeting aliens from out of this world. His motivation is deeper than just a fascination with visitors, though.

Elio, tragically, lost his parents at a young age and his relationship with his new guardian, his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), has been strained. Eventually, Elio’s wish is granted and he’s taken aboard an alien ship, with the extraterrestrials believing he’s an ambassador for Earth. He goes along with the ruse, but he may be in over his head.

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Animation at the 97th Oscars: A Recap

The full length animation category in the Academy Awards line-up often features a mix of smaller releases and major productions.

That was the case this year, with two widely released pictures from Pixar and DreamWorks, along with three that were released directly via streaming and/or made by smaller studios. In the lead-up to this year’s ceremony, having seen “The Wild Robot” and “Inside Out 2,” I caught up on the other three.

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REVIEW: ‘Moana 2’ massively pales in comparison to first adventure

“Moana” kept a years-long winning streak rolling for Disney Animation. Its sequel, meanwhile, is unfortunately the latest in a string of misfires for the studio.

Set three years after the events of the first film, “Moana 2” picks up with the titular character (Auli’I Cravalho) continuing to sail the ocean as an explorer. Her goal this time is to find other communities on various islands to connect with. Her effort so far, though, is unsuccessful.

In need of some guidance, the hero is given a vision showing how a storm god, Nalo, caused a calamity that separated the people of the ocean. To reverse the situation, Moana sets out on a new adventure to break Nalo’s curse, and ends up getting help from new friends and an old one.

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REVIEW: ‘Piece by Piece’ is a fun, though standard, hip hop journey

Ten years ago, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller introduced the world to the concept of a narrative LEGO movie. Now, Morgan Neville has come along to show he can make a documentary with the animated blocks, too.

“Piece by Piece” uses the same animation style that was seen in previous LEGO films, to tell the story of musician Pharrell Williams. The picture tells his story with the format of a biographical documentary, taking the viewer through his life with recreations of concerts and talking head interviews.

Through this, the audience gets to see how he grew up in Virginia, fell in love with music, started making his own songs and became a sensation.

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REVIEW: ‘The Wild Robot’ is a spectacular, emotional adventure

After every stumble, Dreamworks Animation always seems to get back on track. It’s done so again, following up the disappointing “Kung Fu Panda 4” with a movie that could win the animation Oscar.

Set in the future, “The Wild Robot” centers on its follows its titular character, known initially as ROZZUM Unit 7134, (Lupita Nyong’o), who washes up on an island only inhabited by animals after a failed delivery. Though it takes some time, her processing power eventually allows her to speak with the island’s animals.

Unfortunately, her attempts to befriend the animals and help them with their tasks don’t go well. That is until she finds a lone goose egg and decides to raise the young bird inside. Along the way, she gets help from a red fox (Pedro Pascal) who’s mischievous at first but soon becomes a loyal friend.

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REVIEW: ‘Transformers One’ is fun, but has small screen vibe

After making the jump to live action in 2007, the “Transformers” series has gone back to its roots, once again going to the big screen in animated style.

Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) are two best friend robots living in the mechanical world of Cybertron. The duo are at the bottom of the robotic hierarchy on the planet, working in the mines to collect energy resources vital to the population’s survival, after depletion due to a war.

They get a chance to prove themselves to Cybertronian leadership, though, when they discover a potential solution to the planet’s energy problems. What they and friends Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) and B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) find, though, changes their destinies forever.

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REVIEW: ‘Despicable Me 4’ doesn’t offer full cinematic experience

“Despicable Me 3” went unseen and unreviewed at this site in 2017 because of a busy schedule. Considering there’s not an ongoing arc in the series, it doesn’t look like it’s a necessary watch.

That’s certainly apparent in “Despicable Me 4,” as the animated sequel gives the family an entirely new scenario to deal with, and there’s little mention of any unresolved matters from 3. So, in part four, Gru (Steve Carell), an Anti-Villain League agent, manages to put a former rival of his behind bars.

That rival, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), escapes prison and vows revenge. The villain’s action forces Gru, his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) their daughters and new-born baby to go into a sort of witness protection program. However, plenty of shenanigans still ensue.

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REVIEW: Family follow-up ‘Inside Out 2’ mostly succeeds

“Inside Out 2,” AKA the third film in Pixar’s coming-of-age trilogy after “Luca” and “Turning Red.”

This animated sequel picks up about a year after the events of the first film, released in 2015. Riley is now 13, she’s enjoying hockey, about to enter high school and her emotions seem to be in a good place. The film picks up with her being recruited to a hockey camp after her JV squad wins a title.

That’s where things go haywire in Riley’s mind, as new emotions, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos) suddenly show up. Worried about Riley’s future, Anxiety takes the lead from Joy (Amy Poehler) and ends up making the hockey camp into an emotional roller coaster.

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