That Christmas (2024)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my look at That Christmas, (currently available on Netflix).

Synopsis: Based on a series of children's stories by Richard Curtis, That Christmas has multiple intertwined stories from family and friends living in the small British village of Wellington, during a storm on Christmas Eve.

The Good:

* I actually enjoyed this movie and thought that it had a nice blend of sweetness, humor with a bit of drama mixed in without it becoming overly saccharine. But I did find that the individual stories were mixed when it came to storytelling quality, first up the Danny and his Mum story was beautiful, it made me cry. Then the story with the twins was sweet and really made me think about what is really good or bad. The adults in the van were pretty funny in spots, but the kids' alone story was a bit convoluted, and I doubt most people will pick up on the meaning.

* The animation was all really clean and clear even during the snowstorm scenes.

* I also found all of the voice acting to be really well done.

The Bad:

* I believe the story with the children alone was supposed to be about how Christmas traditions should be fun for everyone and not just the adults, but it focused too much on how the eldest child should have been more responsible. So, I didn't enjoy that part as much as the rest.

* The part with the adults in the van had a really senseless moment when the men stripped down to provide the ladies with extra clothing, cuddling up would have done a better job, I think it was supposed to be funny, but it wasn't. 

                   IMDB 6.8/10                Rotten Tomatoes 66%               Me 7.5/10

One of the sweet moments.

Spellbound (2024)

 Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my look at Spellbound (currently streaming on Netflix).

Synopsis: The young Princess Ellian (voiced by Rachel Zegler) goes on a quest to return her parents into their human form after they were cursed to become monsters.

First up I would like to address the elephant in the room, currently this movie is getting a lot of hate because it deals with parental separation with some of the thoughts and feelings that go along with this. Unfortunately, the trailers do not make this clear so if you are worried about the questions it may raise with your child/ren due to your own families circumstances it may be best to watch it yourself or just avoid it.

The Good:

* I honestly enjoyed the underlying theme and applaud the filmmakers for having the courage to do this, it is something that can make many families feel a little uncomfortable, but it was approached in a non-judgmental way without any sermonizing. 

* I also really enjoyed the animation and creature design.

* The comedy was also really well done with John Lithgow the absolute standout, he had me laughing out loud many times.

The Bad:

* While the songs were relatively good, not one of them was particularly catchy or memorable.

* There are a few scenes that might frighten young children, that is if they can sit through the almost two-hour runtime.

                 IMDB 5.7/10             Rotten Tomatoes 45%              Me 8/10

Ellian and her parents watching the oracles.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of The Super Mario Bros, Movie.

Synopsis: Hoping to make it big in the plumbing business the Mario brothers, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) head out to take on a massive job, where a surprise discovery whisks them off to another dimension. Luigi ends up in the Gloomy Forest where he is eventually captured by Bowser (Jack Black) who wants to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario ends up in in a mushroom forest not far from Mushroom City. It is here that Mario meets Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and together they decide to team up to save Mario's brother and to keep Bowser from taking over the Mushroom Kingdom.

The Good:

* I found the animation to be excellent, whether it is the bright, flashy Mushroom Kingdom or the dark gloominess of the Dark Forest. The clean animation also has many easter eggs in the background for eagle eyed Mario fans to spot.

* The voiceover work was brilliant, especially that of Jack Black who just brought so much depth to the character of Bowser.

* As a fan of the games I also quite enjoyed some of the obscure references, such as the guards saying "the Princess is in another castle", a line that is used in the first couple of Super Mario videogames as you complete each castle.

* I also found the music to be extremely catchy, which can also be a downside (see below).

* I also actually liked that the story was kept fairly simple, after all this is mainly aimed at a younger audience and to attract new fans. It was also quite amusing for young and old fans.

The Bad:

* I did find it a little difficult to get used to Chris Pratt as Mario, he did eventually grow on me though.

* The songs are catchy and if you watch with children one in particular will drive you crazy as they sing "Peaches, Peaches, Peaches" all afternoon.

* Mario and Luigi's family seemed very unsupportive of their sons which I just didn't feel was right.

           IMDB 7/10                Rotten Tomatoes 59%         My Rating 9/10   

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day are The Super Mario Bros.

Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure (2023)

Hi fellow animation fans welcome to my review of Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure.

Synopsis: When her babysitting business runs into an unexpected problem Skipper (Kirsten Day) has to find another job to keep herself busy during the summer holidays. After a weird interview she scores a position at the local Waterpark where she finds her Nanny skills to be extremely useful.

The Good: 

* The bright colorful animation style coupled with a boppy soundtrack will definitely appeal to younger children and hold their attention throughout the movie.

* I found the themes of friendship, hard work, problem solving, forgiveness and helping others, to be really well implemented, being a lot more subtle than most kids' movies, instead of trying to hit them over the head with it.

* I also watched with a friend's daughter who said that it was really fun to see just Skipper because Barbie gets boring, so I found it to be a positive that the producers are trying to cater to fans of Barbie's other family members.

The Bad:

* There are a couple scenes that may frighten younger or more sensitive children.

* Adult Barbie fans aren't really catered too, there are a few funny scenes but it's a mostly by the book children's movie.

         IMDB 5.8/10              Rotten Tomatoes N/A            My Score 6.5/10

Skipper and friends.

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Hi fellow animation fans, welcome to my review of How to Train Your Dragon.

Synopsis: Set in a mythical world of sturdy Vikings and untamed dragons, and inspired by Cressida Cowell's book, this action comedy unfolds the tale of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), a Viking teenager who doesn't quite enjoy his tribe's venerable tradition of heroic dragon slaying. Hiccup's life is upended when he meets a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to perceive the world from a completely different perspective.

The Good:

* The animation is really slick and shows great facial features on all the characters, but it really shines on the dragon Toothless who is able to show many emotions just with his eyes.

* The story cruises along at a nice pace, mixing action with storytelling elements in such a great way that you don't have time to feel bored at all.

* The comedy in this is really well done, with laughs for adults and children. I can thoroughly recommend watching with kids, their infectious laughter makes a brilliant movie even better, if that's possible.

* It has dragons, enough said really.

The Bad:

* There are a few moments that young children may find frightening, so just be aware of that.

                     IMDB 8.2/10                    Rotten Tomatoes 99%               Me 9.5/10

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) meeting Toothless.