Family Movie – Matthew Liedke on Film

REVIEW: Fifth film proves ‘Toy Story’ series still has the magic

When a film series gets to this many sequels, it’s not uncommon for quality to decline. “Toy Story,” though, just keeps beating the odds.

The latest film in Pixar’s longest running series, both by date and movie count, takes place a couple years after the events of the fourth picture. Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) is a bit older now, but still plays with the usual group of toys, sans Woody (Tom Hanks). That is until she is gifted a tablet by her parents, and enters the digital age.

The impact is immediate, as all of Bonnie’s attention is taken up by the frog themed Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee. Now neglected, the toys, led by Jessie (Joan Cusack), begin an effort to be played with again. In the process, Jessie is connected with aspects of her past, while coming to understand how toys might still be relevant in the future.

REVIEW: Silly ‘Sheep Detectives’ will leave a smile on your face

Greg from “Succession” solving a murder with help from sheep wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card, but I’m not complaining.

Nicholas Braun, who earned Emmy nominations for his work in the HBO series, is part of an ensemble cast in this family feature. Braun stars as a police officer in a small town named Tim, who is suddenly tasked with looking into the mysterious death of a local shepherd, George Hardy (Hugh Jackman).

However, he’s not the only one investigating George’s demise. A murder mystery fan, George often read detective novels, and did so out loud to his flock of sheep. The group of animals, led primarily by Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), feel obligated to get justice for George as well, and try to help the case by relying on what they learned in stories.

REVIEW: Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ is an enjoyable mix of science and nature

Pixar has had a mixed track record in the 2020s, but fortunately, it’s new release is one of the better flicks from the animation studio.

The latest feature from the Disney affiliate centers on Mabel (Piper Curda), a college student who cares deeply about animals and nature. Her appreciation puts her at great odds with her city’s mayor, Jerry (Jon Hamm), who intends to develop a highway bypass. Doing so would mean the destruction of a natural area Mabel holds dear.

One night, when looking for solutions with few options left, she learns of a program at her college which has developed life-like robots, one of which looks like a beaver. The robots are controllable by humans with a neural link, and Mabel takes control of one to connect with animals and lead them in taking back there home under threat.

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REVIEW: ‘Freakier Friday’ suffers from repetition but charms with heart

The first “Freaky Friday” isn’t that old, right? It’s only been… 22 years?!

Yes, that film with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan was released more than two decades ago, and now, we get the sequel. Both actresses return for the follow-up, with Lohan again playing Anna, who now has a daughter of her own, Harper (Julia Butters). Curtis, meanwhile, is back as the helpful grandma, Tess.

The movie picks up with Anna having met a new love interest in Eric (Manny Jacinto), and after a courtship, the two decide to get married. That’s much to the chagrin of Harper and Eric’s daughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons), as the two future siblings don’t get along. Things only get more complicated when the four women in the family all switch bodies at a pre-wedding party.

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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: 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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REVIEW: Inconsistent tone and fantasy rules cause ‘IF’ to flop

Incredible how there are now two movies this year that squander the creative imaginary friends concept.

Unlike “Imaginary” from earlier in 2024, though, “IF” is not a horror movie. Far from it. Instead it’s a family film centered on 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming), a girl who’s staying at her grandma’s New York home while her father (John Krasinski) is in the hospital for a surgery. Having lost her mother due to cancer already, Bea is on edge.

That is until she comes across a man who’s accompanied by a fantastical creature, which inspires her to find out more. It turns out the guy is named Cal (Ryan Reynolds) and he’s helping various imaginary friends find new children to connect with after having been forgotten by the kids who made them. Wanting to help, Bea decides to assist Cal in the endeavor.

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REVIEW: ‘Nimona’ is an awesome animated adventure

Production issues nearly sidelined this film. Thank goodness it was revived and released on Netflix.

“Nimona” is set in a kingdom where the past meets the future. While the kingdom has all the makings of a medieval state in function, the movie is set in a high-tech world, with knights using hovercraft and advance technology.

The movie centers on one such knight, Ballister (Riz Ahmed), who finds himself framed for killing the queen of the kingdom. He meets an unlikely ally, though, in an unruly shapeshifter named Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz) who has been shunned by the society at large for her abilities.

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REVIEW: Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ is a miss for the studio

Pixar movies can often turn on the water works or leave a person fired up when the credits roll. Surprisingly and disappointingly, “Elemental” doesn’t do either.

The studio’s latest film, “Elemental,” is set in a sprawling metropolis inhabited by beings made of air, water, plants and fire. Most of the different elements stick to their own kind, though, especially the fire people, who are the most recent immigrants to the city and reside in a more dilapidated part of town.

In their community, though, residents have found success, such as Ember (Leah Lewis) and her parents who operate a small convenience shop that she plans to take over. That plan hits a road block, though, when a water being named Wade who works for the city lets Ember know the shop isn’t up to code. However, in a twist of fate, the meeting actually brings the two together.

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REVIEW: ‘Strange World’ is Disney’s weakest effort in recent memory

I’m not going to lie. When this film reached the halfway point and a character said he saw something cute that could be a merchandising opportunity, I considered walking out.

“Strange World” centers on a community surrounded by seemingly impassable mountains. That doesn’t deter fearless explorer Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid), though, who gets lost in the mountains trying to find a way out. His son Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal) never shared his father’s quest for exploration, and instead became a farmer of a valuable natural resource.

However, when that resource becomes threatened, he joins an expedition underneath the mountains to a strange subterranean area with his own son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White). As it turns out, it’s where Jaeger has been the whole time.

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