The Garfield Movie (2024)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of The Garfield Movie.

Synopsis: The Monday hating, Lasagna scoffing, indoor cat Garfield (Chris Pratt) has his world turned upside down when he and his pal Odie are kidnapped by the maniacal Jinx (Hannah Waddingham). But the surprise return of his long-lost father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) sees the trio forced into a heist by Jinx, who is after revenge on Vic.

The Good.

* The start of the movie is brilliant, the short scene where Jon meets Garfield is both cute and hilarious.

* The ending has a nice family friendly message that will appeal to younger children, with a few laughs for added measure.

* The voice actress for Jinx does a great job flipping between calm and calculated one moment, totally maniacal the next.

The Bad:

* Chris Pratt is a great live action actor but when it comes to voice-over work he has very little range and for most of the movie he sounds like he is just reading the lines off of a script, just flat, dull, boring.

* The jokes more often than not fall flat with Garfield's signature sarcasm nowhere to be seen or ruined by Pratt's lack of range, the only saving grace is Odie who more often than not provides the laughs and steals every scene he is in.

* The plot is fairly basic and should be easy to follow but the editing department has done its very best to try and make it as incoherent as possible with scenes jumping from one unrelated moment to the next.

* Garfield eats more pizza than lasagna.

* Constant product placement.

               IMDB 5.7/10            Rotten Tomatoes 36%                Me 4/10

The best part of the whole movie, kitten Garfield.

Frankenweenie (2012)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Frankenweenie.

Synopsis: Young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a bit of a loner, having no friends at school and preferring to do his own thing with his best friend Sparky the dog. But when tragedy strikes the heartbroken Victor uses the idea his science teacher planted in his brain to bring Sparky back to life, the experiment works. When the secret leaks though his classmates are quick to attempt the same thing with disastrous results.

The Good:

* I really like the aesthetic, the stop motion characters in black and white give off an awesome spooky vibe, that works really well to provide older children scares without having to resort to images that may cause nightmares.

* I quite enjoyed all the little references to horror movies from the past, with one of my favorite parts being when the sea monkeys come bubbling out of the swimming pool, it was an awesome reminder of that great Christmas horror classic Gremlins.

* The musical score is really well done and suits the spooky tone of the movie perfectly.

* I think it is a great movie to get kids interested in the horror genre as there is only really one jump scare, but as always watch it first and decide if it is appropriate for your children.

The Bad:

* I found the last quarter of the movie to be a little jarring when it suddenly jumps into a creature-feature action movie, it is fun, but it doesn't fully fit with the first parts of the movie.

* None of the characters are really memorable, or hugely likeable except for Sparky.

* As an adult the movie is very predictable.

                           IMDB 6.9/10                  Rotten Tomatoes 88%            Me 7/10

"He's aliiive".

Arthur Christmas (2011)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Arthur Christmas.

Synopsis: On Christmas Eve the high-tech operation to deliver presents to every child is underway with Santa (Jim Broadbent) providing the figurehead, while his eldest son and heir apparent, Steve (Hugh Laurie) runs mission control with his youngest son Arthur (James McAvoy) left to sort letters in the mail room. When it is discovered that one child has been missed Santa and Steve are willing to push the mistake under the rug, so Arthur with the aid of Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) sets out to deliver the present before the sun rises. Along the way Arthur helps his family rediscover the meaning of Christmas.

The Good:

* The voice acting is brilliant, the actors have been well chosen and really bring the Claus family to life.

* The jokes are few and far between, but they are surprisingly hilarious, with a dead rodent making me spit out my drink when I laughed out loud, just because it was so unexpected.

* The animation is really well done, my highlight would be when Arthur and Grandsanta get caught stealing a sign and during their escape the reindeer get caught up in a string of lights that spin in a beautifully mesmerizing way.

The Bad:

* There are a few things that may not be suitable for all children, for example Grandsanta talks about the Cuban missile crisis.

* Children who believe in Santa may not like seeing him leave most of the work to the elves.

* I think the worst part though is that the Claus family aren't really likeable at the start, and they don't really do a lot to redeem themselves.

                        IMDB 7.1/10                    Rotten Tomatoes 92%                  Me 8/10

Arthur replying to a letter in the mail room.

The Wind Rises (2013)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of The Wind Rises.

Synopsis: Based very loosely on the early years of Japanese aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi from the time he was a young boy to when he designs and completes the Model Zero fighter airplane. From a young age Jiro (Hideaki Anno) has a dream of flying airplanes, but due to his need for glasses he sets his sights on becoming an aeronautical engineer, which it turns out that he is a bit of a prodigy. He is quickly employed by Mitsubishi motors to work on designing aircraft for the military, along his journey he finds inspiration and love in surprising places.

The Good:

* The animation is of course what you would expect from Studio Ghibli, beautifully designed characters, imaginative machines and stunning hand drawn scenery. 

* The sounds in the movie are a standout, instead of the usual recordings of actual planes or trains the sounds for these are made by human voices and it just works amazingly, especially during the train ride during the Tokyo earthquake.

* Like much of Miyazaki's work the story is open to interpretation, I liked to think the part with his wife and the ending dream was an analogy about war being a horrific disease, but others may see it a different way. 

* The love story was done in a tender and beautiful way that will definitely provoke emotions, I think this is a good thing even if they aren't always happy emotions.

The Bad:

* History buffs probably won't like how much creative license was used.

* Some of the subject matter may distress some viewers.

                         IMDB 7.8/10            Rotten Tomatoes 88%           Me 9/10 

Jiro presenting his design ideas to his team.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.

Synopsis: Continuing on from the second movie our four friends, Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) follow the penguins to Monte Carlo where they attract the attention of a crazed animal control officer. To escape her gaze, they blend into a travelling circus which is on its way to New York. Will they make is safely and after all these adventures will they really want to go back?

The Good:

* I honestly think this is the best of the three, with pretty much every area seeing improvement in one way or another.

* The story works really well and all new character's blend in quite nicely, with all of them having a reason to be there.

* The slapstick is really well done with quite a few laugh out loud moments for young and old.

* Most of the voice over work has also improved greatly over the previous two movies, with almost everyone sounding as if they are actually having fun this time around.

* The animation is also just that little bit clearer, while still maintaining the colorful characters and scenery that will appeal to children.

The Bad:

* The start is a little bit slow, and they seem to find transport really easily which is strange considering how hard it was shown to be previously.

* The "polka dot, circus afro" song is a total earworm that will get stuck in your head, if the kids aren't running around singing it.

* Ben Stiller just does not seem to have a great ability when it comes to voice over work, Alex sounds like the same bored lion from the first movie.

                       IMDB 6.8/10       Rotten Tomatoes 78%            Me 7/10

The four friends running from animal control.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

Synopsis: Continuing on from the previous movie the four animal friends, Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) are preparing to escape Madagascar for a glorious return to New York. Of course, things do not go as planned and they end up crash landing in an African game reserve, where they meet more of their own kind. This leads to a few confrontations, causing a rift between the friends, but a disaster that threatens to destroy the reserve sees them pulling together and learning some important lessons.

The Good:

* I feel like the story is an improvement over the first movie with the characters showing some real growth, such as Alex who learns where he came from and how to be a better friend.

* The animation is again quite colorful and child friendly, but there are a few moments when many characters are on screen causing a little bit of blurriness.

* The penguins are awesome and steal absolutely every scene that they are in.

* Some of the jokes are amusing.

The Bad:

* Yet again the main characters are outshone by the side characters.

* Even though big-name actors provide the voices there is hardly any chemistry, it really feels like they were all recorded separately and added in when the animation was ready.

* Some of the jokes are re-used from the first movie, for example the Grandma with the "bad kitty" catchphrase.

                     IMDB 6.6/10        Rotten Tomatoes 80% (audience)      Me 5/10

Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman ready for their New York flight.

Madagascar (2005)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Madagascar.

Synopsis: In the New York Zoo there are four animals who are the best of friends. There is Alex (Ben Stiller) an attention loving Lion, Marty (Chris Rock) a zebra who dreams of running free, Melman (David Schwimmer) a hypochondriac giraffe and Gloria (Jada Pinkett-Smith) a hippopotamus that tries to keep the group happy. Anyway, on the day of his tenth birthday Marty decides to escape to the wild which of course upsets the New York residents, so the four friends are set for release in Africa. But the boat they are on meets with a little mishap and everyone gets stranded in Madagascar, but freedom isn't always perfect, can the four keep it together and stay friends?

The Good:

* The movie parodies a few older classics, and it is fun trying to spot them all, some are very obvious though.

* The animation is all bright and colorful, which will definitely appeal to the under 10 crowd.

* The penguins and Lemurs are a lot of fun, with the penguins being mysteriously good with machines, while the Lemurs provide the zaniness.

The Bad:

* The jokes are very hit and miss, the slapstick stuff is funny, the parodies are a mixed bag while the subtle jokes aimed at adults are mostly poorly timed and hardly even amusing.

* The four main characters were outshone by the supporting characters.

* The story was very basic with little to no character development.

* It feels like it was aimed at younger children, which makes all the adult-oriented jokes feel out of place and probably explains why most of them aren't funny.

                IMDB 6.9/10              Rotten Tomatoes 55%           Me 4/10

The four friends on their way to Africa.

Song of the Sea (2014)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Song of the Sea.

Synopsis: A young boy named Ben (David Rawle) lives on a lighthouse island with his dad Conor (Brendan Gleeson) and his sister Saoirse (Lucy O'Connell), who he has bitter sibling rivalry with. But strange things are happening around Saoirse and when she is found on the beach late at night their granny panics and forces the children to go and live with her in the city. Neither child likes this, and both run away home, it is on this journey Ben discovers his sister is the last of the Selkies (people who can turn into seals), and she needs his help to send the fairy's home.

The Good:

* The hand drawn animation has a really ethereal, dreamlike quality to it and is absolutely mesmerizing in parts, making this a movie that you just have to continue watching from start to finish. 

* The music is also perfectly matched to help provoke the dreamlike telling of the story.

* The voice acting from everyone is brilliant.

* The story is easy to follow and has a great messaging about not bottling up your feelings, which is great because the ending is quite emotional, and you may need tissues.

The Bad:

* Some scenes may frighten younger children and some of the folklore concepts may need to be explained.

                   IMDB 8/10                  Rotten Tomatoes 99%                  Me 10/10

Saoirse and Ben.

ParaNorman (2012)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of ParaNorman.

Synopsis: Norman (Kodi Smit-Mc-Phee) is a misunderstood, bullied child because he has the ability to see and talk to ghosts. But when his estranged Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) meets up with him he learns that his ability is supposed to stop a Witch's curse from destroying the town. Now it's up to Norman to save his town the only way he can.

The Good:

* The stop motion blends really well with the computer-generated imagery really bringing the world to life. 

* The comedy is really good with a blend of slapstick and one-liners. My favorite part that had me laughing out loud was the van chase between Norman, the zombies and a Policewoman.

* The story about not judging a book by its cover is really well done, so much so you end up feeling for the zombies.

The Bad: 

* There are some jokes and scary scenes that may not be suitable for some children.

* I actually found the dad and the people of the village to be unlikeable even though they did change towards Norman eventually.

* Some of the character designs are a bit weird and I couldn't figure out if it was for comedic purposes or for some other reason.

             IMDB 7/10                 Rotten Tomatoes 89%                        Me 7/20

Norman and friends?

Megamind (2010)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Megamind.

Synopsis: When two alien babies are sent to Earth one lands in an affluent area, whereas the other lands in a prison yard. These two different upbringings lead these two to become rivals and grow up to be Megaman defender of Metro City and Megamind the greatest supervillain the world has ever known. But when Megamind finally defeats Metroman he discovers that he is bored without a hero to fight, so he creates one, changing his destiny forever.

The Good:

* I love this movie because it is a fun good versus evil movie with evil learning a lesson that children will find entertaining. The main reason though is because the story has real depth to it that you can only really appreciate as an adult, for example Megamind's battle isn't really against Metroman but against himself, the way he was raised, and the expectations people have of him. Seeing him change himself for the better is brilliant storytelling.

* The soundtrack is awesome with some great hits such as Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n Roses and Bad by Michael Jackson.

* The animation is all really nice with no noticeable blur even when hundreds of Megamind's drones are on screen at once.

* The voice acting is brilliant, I have to admit I am not a huge fan of Will Ferrell' live action stuff but his voice over work in this is great.

The Bad:

* There is a little bit of slowdown in the middle of the movie when Megamind is bored of having no hero to fight, so people after nonstop action may be disappointed.

                 IMDB 7.3/10            Rotten Tomatoes 73%            Me 9/10

Megamind doing it in style.

Cars (2006)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Cars.

Synopsis: Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) a young egotistical hotshot ends up slipping out of his transporter Mack's (John Ratzenberger) trailer while enroute to the most important race of his career. Trying to chase him back down Lightning ends up getting lost and eventually winds up stuck in a forgotten little town called Radiator Springs, it's here he learns that there is more to life than being the best.

The Good:

* I love all the little details that bring the animation to life, such as the squirt of dust when Lightning takes off, the beautiful nighttime reflections and even the detail in the insects which are tiny little Volkswagen Beetles.

* The jokes are all brilliant and provide laughs mostly for the young, but there are a couple good ones for us oldies, especially those that involve Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) who has some really funny one-liners.

* The voice acting is all really solid with Owen Wilson really sounding like he is having a blast as Lightning.

* The messaging about teamwork is nicely done and is perfect for a family movie night, especially if you have any competitive family members.

The Bad:

* The story is really basic and super easy to predict, obviously not a huge problem for kids but some adults might find themselves rolling their eyes.

                        IMDB 7.2/10              Rotten Tomatoes 75%             Me 8/10

Lightning and Mater.

Monsters University (2013)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Monsters University.

Synopsis: Acting as a prequel to the movie Monsters Inc. we are introduced to Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) as they start their first year as students at Monster University or MU for short. Their relationship quickly gets off to a rocky start before an accident forces them to come together with a group of underdogs to prove that they deserve their place at MU, along the way they learn some important lessons about friendship and faith in themselves.

The Good:

* Like all Pixar animated movies, the animation is beautiful, with awesome character designs (the librarian is cool), a well detailed university campus and my favorite bit, backgrounds that often have multiple easter eggs from previous movies.

* The voice acting is of course really well done, Billy Crystal and John Goodman sound as if they are having a lot of fun together while recording their lines, the standout for me though was Helen Mirren as Dean Hardscrabble, she has a relatively quiet voice, but she sounds quite menacing.

* The laughs are quite consistent throughout both for children and adults.

* The messaging about friendship, co-operation and working on your own strengths is nicely done, perfect for family viewing.

The Bad:

* The movie ticks most of the university oriented cliches, such as a group of jocks chasing the best members, to the group of pretty girls that are mean and so forth, making it very predictable for older audiences.

* I felt disappointed with Randal's (Steve Buscemi) character development, we all know he has great enmity towards Sully and Mike in Monsters Inc, but to find out it was caused just because he wanted to be popular just feels wrong.

                          IMDB 7.2/10               Rotten Tomatoes 80%                    Me 8/10

Mike and Sully after their sorority initiation.

Fantastic Planet (1973)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Fantastic Planet.

Synopsis: On a strange alien world, the giant blue aliens called the Draag keep humanoids called the Om as pets or treat them as vermin, to be exterminated on a schedule. But a saved Om that gets named Terr (Jean Valmont) discovers a way to learn via a Draag device and he uses this knowledge to plot his escape. During his escape he meets another Om and introduces her to the device that helps him learn, so she takes him back to her tribe, where the learning continues. This leads the Om's to embark on an odyssey that will change the dynamic of their planet forever.

The Good:

* The art style throughout really brings to life the strange alien planet inhabited by the Oms and Draag, with my personal favorite being the weirdly, wonderful plants that seem to have an unusual life of their own.

* I like the way that this artistic vision lets you make your own assumptions about the story and meaning, I like to think it is about how education is key to a better life, whereas others may see it as a warning about treating others badly.

* I also quite liked the low-key sci-fi music throughout, it really suited the weird alien world shown on screen and reminded me a lot of Pink Floyd.

The Bad:

* I honestly feel this is more of an art piece, a statement to the world instead of a movie, for one simple reason there is very little entertainment, don't get me wrong, like art it is spectacular, thought provoking and well worth looking at (watching) but I honestly won't be in a rush to do it again.

                      IMDB 7.7/10             Rotten Tomatoes 91%            Me 7/10

Terr (Jean Valmont) the smartest of the Om's.

Robin Hood (1973)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Robin Hood.

Synopsis: In this animated re-imagining we are introduced to the world of Robin Hood by the rooster minstrel and narrator Allan-a-Dale (Roger Miller), starting with the daylight robbery of Prince John's (Peter Ustinov) carriage by the daring duo of Robin Hood (Brian Bedford) and Little John (Phil Harris). This earns them the ire of Prince John who sets a trap at a tourney, which of course does not go as planned, this drives him to the edge of madness, and he takes it out on the populace of Nottingham with the help of the greedy Sherriff of Nottingham (Pat Buttram). Now it is up to Robim Hood and his band of merry men to put things right, save the people of Nottingham, get rid of Prince John and live happily ever after with Maid Marian (Monica Evans).

The Good:

* I actually quite liked the animation, it is not as colorful as most Disney movies and sometimes the characters aren't that smooth but the long shots and castle scenes, especially during the rain, look absolutely fantastic considering the movie is over 40 years old.

* The voice actors were all really well chosen, Brian Bedford sounds like a debonaire rogue really bringing Robin Hood to life and Peter Ustinov does an amazing job as Prince John as he flits between anger at Robin or thumb sucking worry that he has upset his mother.

* I also really liked the songs, they are fairly short compared to most animated movies, but they fit well. I especially like "Not in Nottingham", it is sung during a prison scene, and it is quite melancholic, but I honestly think it has more feeling than most other animated movies that rely on catchy riffs.

* Some of the jokes are laugh out loud funny, with humor for young and old alike.

The Bad:

* The pacing is a little up and down, with the occasional time skip that I think could have been filled as the movie is not that long.

* While entertaining the story is fairly basic and involves some weird moments, like when Lady Kluck acted like a football star to take down the Rhino guards.

* There are a couple scenes that may worry young children, for example when the Sherriff is fixing the hangman's noose.

                              IMDB 7.5/10                 Rotten Tomatoes 58%               Me 8/10

Robin Hood and Maid Marian going for a stroll.

The Land Before Time (1988)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of The Land Before Time.

Synopsis: During the time of the dinosaurs a great upheaval forces the herbivores to migrate towards a beautiful land of fresh food and water that they call the Great Valley. Along the way disaster strikes and five baby dinosaurs are separated from their families, slowly they come together as a group and under the leadership of Littlefoot (Gabriel Damon), a melancholy Brontosaurus, they set out for the Great Valley. Along the way they learn important life lesson while fighting to survive.

The Good:

* The animation is all bright and colorful with some really great horizons done in yellows or purples, but it is of course showing its age and depending on where you watch it (older DVDs, VHS), it may appear a bit grainy.

* The voice acting is all really well done and unlike many other animations the cast are actually voiced by children, instead of adults or teens pretending to be children, this leads to a lot of the scenes feeling more natural. This also has the added effect of upping the emotional impact and making moments of comedy more humorous. 

* The best part of the movie for me though is how it introduces various themes and leaves them open for discussion, letting kids ask the questions they want about the emotions that are shown on screen. 

* This is also one of a very few animated movies that actually depicts grief in a realistic way, instead of the character getting over it from one scene to the next you can see the effects all the way through, sure this does make the movie a little bleaker, but I honestly think it is better because of it.

The Bad:

* Some scenes may be a bit too intense or scary for younger children.

* It will make you cry.

* Unfortunately, times change so a lot of the themes presented may not be as welcome (or ignored) by parents as they were 30 years ago.

                          IMDB 7.4/10               Rotten Tomatoes 65%                Me 7/10

Ducky, Petri, Littlefoot, Spike and Cera enjoying a hug.

Ernest & Celestine (2012)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Ernest & Celestine.

Synopsis: A young dental apprentice mouse, Celestine (Pauline Brunner) and the struggling street musician bear, Ernest (Lambert Wilson) live in a world of deep-seated prejudice, where bears are supposed to stay above ground and mice below. But a series of unique circumstances see Ernest and Celestine working together, which earns them the ire of their respective authorities and forces them to go into hiding together. It is here their friendship blossoms and their talents bloom as their love for each other also grows. The authorities though catch a lucky break and now it's up to Ernest & Celestine to win their freedom and maybe change their world in the process.

The Good:

* The animation appears to be a fairly basic storybook style, but it is so well suited to the story that it takes on an almost dreamlike quality towards the end. I quite enjoyed it and I found that even in times of action everything was clear and easy to see what was happening, there weren't any points the animation became muddied (which sometimes happens with this style of animation).

* The voice acting was really good, I watched it in the original French and found that the musical quality of the speech helped enhance the dreamlike quality of the animation.

* I really enjoyed the story and found it quite heartwarming, without being overly sweet. I especially liked the fact that they were able to take such a heavy subject as prejudice and still make it suitable for all ages.

* The humor was also really well done, there's a little bit of slapstick and some nice subtle tongue in cheek laughs that had me laughing out loud in a few places.

The Bad:

* I think one or two small moments may scare younger children.

                             IMDB 7.8/10             Rotten Tomatoes 98%                 Me 9/10

Celestine and Ernest learning to be friends.

Migration (2023)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Migration.

Synopsis: Mack the Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani) is an overprotective dad who refuses to go anywhere or do anything to put himself or his family in danger. But when another family of ducks visit his families pond, they fire his family's spirit of adventure, but he wants nothing to do with migrating even if it is to tropical Jamaica. The only one on his side is Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito), who agrees with Mack in the worst possible way, which of course inspires Mack to Migrate after all. Their trip to Jamaica isn't all smooth sailing though, they meet some old Heron's, a street-smart pigeon called chump (Awkwafina) and affect a rescue which earns them the ire of a crazy duck obsessed chef. But it's not all about the journey but about the lesson's Mack and his family learn along the way.

The Good:

* Very nice animation that is bright and colorful, with the dark scenes still being perfectly clear, which I really like. I also really like the design of the villainous Chef, who looked like a cross between a Yakuza and a businessman.

* The humor was really well done with some hilarious one-liners delivered by Awkwafina and Danny DeVito, who was the stand-out as Uncle Dan.

* The family messaging about trust and giving things a go was nicely done, nice and subtle, not shoved in your face.

* The voice acting was all really good with voice actors that suited the characters quite nicely.

The Bad:

* There are a few small scenes that may scare younger children.

* There are a few jokes about animals as food and I know some families are sensitive to this so just be warned.

                            IMDB 6.7/10               Rotten Tomatoes 72%            Me 7/10

The Mallard family discovering the surprises the city has.

Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir the Movie (2023)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir the Movie.

Synopsis: In this slightly re-imagined origin story, Marinette (Cristina Vee Valenzuela) a shy and very clumsy teenager finds herself chosen to wield the power of the Creation Miraculous transforming her into the heroine Ladybug. Meanwhile Adrien (Bryce Papenbrook) is chosen by the Destruction Miraculous, to become the hero Cat Noir. Together these two polar opposites must learn to work together against the villainous Hawk Moth (Keith Silverstein) who is causing chaos in Paris in the hopes of obtaining the Creation and Destruction Miraculous' to bring his lost wife back.

The Good:

* The animation is really smooth, this is very noticeable during fight scenes, during close ups of character face showing incredible expression through their eyes and in the beautiful background recreations of famous Paris landmarks.

* The voice actors from the television series have reprised their roles and they all do a fantastic job bringing their respective characters to life.

* The action scenes are all really well done, even though the camera will often switch between the two heroes not once do you lose track of what is happening. 

* For the most part the underlying love story felt quite natural, and fans of the series will probably be glad to see a resolution, even if everything else isn't exactly like the series.

The Bad:

* The singing, while there is nothing inherently wrong with the songs themselves, but they often don't fit with what is happening on screen (not everything needs to be a power ballad). The worst thing though, they are sung by totally different people, this is extremely noticeable in the case of Ladybug, I honestly can't understand why they did it when Cristina Vee is quite an accomplished singer.

* The story has been condensed so the start jumps forward in places and completely misses the explanation for some things, for example why was Adrien chosen for a Miraculous.

* The sudden shift by Hawk Moth at the end seemed really weird because there just was not enough time spent on fleshing out the characters relationships. I will give it points for being a bit of a tearjerker though.

                        IMDB 6.1/10                 Rotten Tomatoes 50%             Me 6/10

Ladybug (Cristina Venezuela) and Cat Noir (Bryce Papenbrook) sharing a moment.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Synopsis: After having been told to avoid Humans their whole life the Turtles just want to get out there, be accepted and lead normal teenage lives. To achieve this goal, they plan on taking down the criminal know as Superfly (Ice Cube), but things don't go exactly as they expect, and they end up having to save all of NY City, while learning an important lesson along the way. The movie also has a new origin story and sets up a villain for the next movie.

The Good:

* The animation is amazing, the hand drawn art was purposefully used to make everything look more real via flaws in character and background design before computer aided effects were added to make things blend together seamlessly. It is a tiny bit jarring at first but by the end of the movie I just loved it.

* The Turtles actually sound like teenagers instead of adults trying to affect a slightly younger tone.

* The overall voice acting is great with special mention to Ice Cube who made Superfly sound cool and menacing, plus Jackie Chan (Splinter) for sounding like the most awesome dad a turtle could have.

* I also really enjoyed the pacing with a very nice blend of action scenes followed by story, not once did it feel slow or boring.

* The mid credits scene actually made me excited for a sequel.

The Bad:

* Long time Turtles fans may not like the new origin story, especially that of Father Splinter.

* Some of the jokes are used far too often and just don't end up funny when the punchline arrives, turtle milking anyone.

* There just far too many references to pop culture, sure they are teenagers and that is what they are interested in, but that often, I don't think so.

* The Turtles didn't really have very distinct personalities, Michaelangelo definitely was not a party dude and the closest Donatello got to a machine was when he held a smartphone.

                              IMDB 7.2/10                Rotten Tomatoes 95%          Me 8/10 

The animation was amazing so many scenes felt like posters come to life.

South Park: The End of Obesity (2024)

Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of South Park: The End of Obesity.

Synopsis : When the new miracle weight loss drugs become available in South Park, Cartman believes his days of being teased are over and he can be the skinny kid he dreams of being. But when he learns that his mother can't afford the drugs and their insurance refuses to pay as he is not Diabetic, he loses hope, and it falls on his friends to help him out.

The Good:

* I honestly really enjoyed the way they were able to spotlight two massive problems in America, the ridiculous American health system plus the inequality when it comes to medicines, without feeling overly preachy.

* I even found myself laughing out loud at a few places, something that I have not done while watching South Park for quite a while.

* I also really like that some of the characters are actually showing personal growth after all these years, Cartman admitting he is not just big boned and Randy Marsh finally putting in some effort to keep his marriage together. I hope they continue this new direction, instead of keeping the characters locked in statis.

* The ridiculous Mad Max styled ending was highly amusing.

The Bad:

* The Cereal characters were mildly annoying, but I suppose it's better than getting sued if they used the actual CEO's of the sugar companies.

* Quite a lot of drug use was shown, some people may not appreciate this, even if it is used to make a political point.

* I honestly don't think a 58 minute run time should count as a movie, although it could just be my Australian streaming service trying to charge a larger rental fee by classing it as a movie.

                IMDB 7.2/10          Rotten Tomatoes 75% (audience score)      Me 7/10

The kids staring at Cartman after he ate a cereal bomb.

Thelma the Unicorn (2024)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Thelma the Unicorn.

Synopsis: Thelma, a hard-working farm pony spends her spare time playing with her best friends Otis and Reggie in their small rock band called The Rusty Nails, but Thelma dreams of more. When an accident gives her the means to achieve all the fame she desires, she jumps at the chance, but is she willing to give up that which is most precious to her?

The Good.

* The over-the-top zany action and bright colors is bound to keep children glued to the screen for the relatively short 80-minute run time.

* I actually really enjoyed the subtle digs at the social media and entertainment industry, for example the stallion who pretend to be a gross loudmouth for attention but is actually soft spoken and highly intelligent, although I wish they had highlighted these moments more as I think most kids will miss them.

* I also really enjoyed the voice acting in this movie, Brittany Howard as Thelma did a really good job considering this was her first time as a voice actor, I also quite enjoyed Will Forte as Otis due to how relatable he was.

* The underlying message of being true to yourself and not having to change just to impress or gain the favor of others will always be a good thing for kids to see and understand.

The Bad:

* The introduction of the Poolboys via a close up of a wiggling bottom felt a little too sexual for a children's movie and may not be to many parents liking.

* The story is very simple which is not a problem for children, but I feel most adults would find this movie relatively forgettable.

                    IMDB 6.1/10          Rotten Tomatoes 70%               Me 7/10

Otis, Reggie and Thelma, voiced by Will Forte, Jon Heder and Brittany Howard.

Wish (2023)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Disney's Wish.

Synopsis: Asha (Ariana DeBose), a young woman lives in the city of Rosas, where people give up their fondest wish to the magician King Magnifico (Chris Pine) so that they can live a peaceful life with the chance that their wish may be granted for real. Asha soon discovers that this idyllic lifestyle is not as it seems, so she makes a powerful wish from the heart to the heavens, which is answered by the powerful little creature Star. Together Star, Asha and her faithful goat companion Valentino (Alan Tyduk) set out to confront the king and set right the problems in Rosas.

The Good:

* I really enjoyed every scene with the cute and fluffy animals, they were all quite funny plus Alan Tudyk absolutely steals every scene as the little goat Valentino.

* I loved the classic style animation, it reminded me of other Disney classics like Snow White and Dumbo where it feels like every frame is hand painted.

* I also really liked the message it tried to convey about hopes and dreams, about working together to make them come true instead of relying on a higher power.

The Bad:

* I did not find any of the songs to be very catchy at all and unlike Frozen's "Let It Go" not one of them made me want to sing along, which is what you would expect from an animated Disney movie.

* While Chris Pine did a great job voicing Magnifico he just wasn't all that menacing. While it is great to see a return of the Disney villain it would have been nice to have one that could match the evil of Maleficent.

* The story wasn't very original, while it did have a lot of nods to past Disney classics, I feel this did not really help the story at all.

            IMDB 5.6/10                   Rotten Tomatoes 48%               Me 6/10

Valentino (Alan Tudyk) and Asha (Ariana DeBose) meeting Star.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of Kung Fu Panda 4.

Synopsis: After learning all that he can learn as the Dragon Warrior, Po (Jack Black) learns that he is to become the spiritual leader and must choose another Dragon Warrior. Of course, Po does not like this idea and luckily, he is sidetracked by a new villain, but as he knows very little about them, he teams up with Zhen (Awkwafina) and together they set forth to do battle, learning important lessons about themselves along the way.

The Good:

* As in all Dreamworks pictures the animation is absolutely beautiful and well detailed.

* I really liked that Po's story has finally come full circle, from becoming the Dragon Warrior to obtaining the highest level as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace and having to pick the next Dragon Warrior.

* I also think the voice over work was great with Awkwafina being the standout, she brought a lot of energy and some perfectly timed one-liners to the new character Zhen.

* I really loved the Bunny Tavern fight, and it would honestly be one of the funniest most awesome fights of the series.

* Jack Black performs a pretty damned awesome rendition of the Britney Spears classic 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'.

The Bad:

* I think Master Shifu has been ripped off, surely he should have become the leader and Po become the master, but this really doesn't detract from the movie much.

* Only one of the spirits speak at the end, I think more of them speaking up would have had a greater impact.

* There's no Furious Five, except a small training montage during the credits.

* The enemy in this one did not come across as all that menacing.

               IMDB 6.4/10                 Rotten Tomatoes 72%               Me 8/10

Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) having a moment.