A sci-fi triumph that balances heart with wonder—a film that shouldn’t work but brilliantly does.

Synopsis

Ryland Grace wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or how he got there. A former science teacher turned reluctant astronaut, he discovers he’s been sent on a desperate mission nearly 12 light years from Earth to understand why the sun is dying. With his crewmates gone and memories still fragmenting, Ryland must rely on pure ingenuity and scientific problem-solving to survive—and maybe even save humanity.

Facing the overwhelming isolation of deep space, Ryland discovers he’s not entirely alone. What unfolds is a story about sacrifice, friendship, and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we care about.

The Good

Acting & Character Work

Ryan Gosling delivers a career-defining performance that feels effortless and genuine. He brings a perfect mix of vulnerability, dry humor, and determination to Ryland Grace—a man wholly unprepared for his circumstances but unwilling to give up. His deadpan delivery lands every comedic moment while simultaneously conveying the emotional weight of isolation and responsibility. The chemistry between Gosling and the voice/motion-capture performance of James Ortiz (as Rocky) is surprisingly tender, building a friendship that earns every emotional beat without ever feeling manipulative.

Direction & Aesthetics

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller prove themselves masters of visual storytelling. The film’s cinematography captures both the awe-inspiring beauty of deep space and the claustrophobic tension of being trapped on a damaged spacecraft. Production design is meticulous—every detail on the ship feels lived-in and functional. Visual effects serve the story rather than dominating it, and every character moment lands with genuine warmth without feeling heavy-handed.

Humor & Heart

The film’s greatest strength is its tonal balance. It respects the gravity of its premise—humanity faces extinction, after all—while never losing sight of its warmth. Rocky’s innocent misunderstandings of human phrases produce genuine laughs that don’t undercut the stakes. Gosling’s reactions to increasingly absurd situations feel earned rather than comedic relief. The moments of silence and isolation land just as hard as the lighter sequences, creating a rhythm that keeps you emotionally invested from start to finish. The ending delivers on its emotional promises with a payoff that feels both hopeful and real.

Final Verdict

Project Hail Mary is one of the best films of 2026—possibly one of the best films in years. It respects both its source material and its audience, delivering a story that’s intellectually engaging, emotionally resonant, and genuinely entertaining. If you’re looking for a sci-fi film with actual heart, one that doesn’t talk down to you and delivers real stakes alongside genuine warmth, this is absolutely essential viewing. Gosling, Lord, and Miller have created something special.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (Affiliate link): Project Hail Mary

It’s time for the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to grow up.

Synopsis

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day finds Peter Parker having made a choice: he’s all-in on being Spider-Man, having largely set aside his Peter Parker identity to focus entirely on his role as the city’s protector. When a new and nearly unseen threat emerges to endanger those he loves most, Peter discovers that even total immersion in the suit can’t shield him from the weight of what he’s sacrificed. This is a more serious, grounded Spider-Man story—not as dark as Spider-Man 2, but decidedly more mature and weighty than the three previous Tom Holland films.

Cretton has crafted a film that takes Peter’s journey seriously while honoring what was established in the earlier movies. The result is a Spider-Man story that feels earned and complex without ever losing sight of what makes him such an enduring character—his humor, his resilience, and his inability to truly disconnect from those he cares about.

The Good

Acting

Tom Holland, Sadie Sink, and Jon Bernthal all deliver great performances. Holland particularly shines as a Peter fully committed to the Spider-Man role, showing real depth and growth in his portrayal.

Direction & Cinematography

Cretton’s directing is brilliant, and the cinematography matches that vision. What’s especially impressive is how true the film stays to the established characterizations from the previous movies, even as the entire tone feels weightier and more mature.

Dialogue & Writing

Nothing feels awkward or forced here. The dialogue reads as authentic and true to who these characters are, which can be tricky when you’re juggling multiple returning and new faces.

Content Warnings

The Verdict

Perfect pairing for Spider-Man fans: Consider pairing this movie night with the Corraled Custom Tees “Brand New Day” collection—inspired by Spidey’s newest adventure and designed for fans who love it.

Available for preorder on Prime (affiliate link): Spider-Man: Brand New Day

A solid live-action adaptation that respects the source material and delivers on what fans expect.

Synopsis

Everyone’s favorite Mandalorian is back and continuing his no-nonsense approach to bounty hunting. This time he’s bringing his protege Grogu with him and added muscle in Zeb Orrelios from Rebels. They travel the galaxy supporting the New Republic against the remnants of the Empire. As usual, they leave a trail of destruction and bodies in their wake, but they always manage to get the job done.

The Good

Production Design

The sets are beautiful and feel like a complete, different world. What works is that Favreau combined real locations with practical effects, so everything has weight instead of that sterile greenscreen polish. The action choreography is solid and the fight sequences are well-choreographed. You’re watching someone who understands the material.

Where It Struggles

Mando has one level of talking. He’s even-keeled throughout, which fits the character, but it leaves something to be desired when it comes to dynamic range. Grogu and the Anzellans are cute—genuinely—but they tend to distract rather than enhance the plot. The bigger issue is that the film wavers between playing as a fun kids show and a serious action blockbuster. It can’t quite decide which one it wants to be, and it could have benefited from picking a lane and committing to it.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

It’s good. Not great, but good. The production design is solid, the action works, and it respects what made the series work. But the tonal whiplash between serious war film and cute kids show keeps it from landing the way it could. If you loved the show, this is worth picking up. Just know what you’re getting.

Perfect pairing for Star Wars fans: Consider pairing this movie night with the Corraled Custom Tees “This Is The Way” collection—inspired by the Mandalorian’s creed and designed for fans who live by it.

Available on to purchase on Amazon (affiliate link): The Mandalorian and Grogu on 4k

Hook

A retro-futuristic adventure that nails the ’60s charm while delivering genuine heart alongside cosmic-scale stakes.

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four are thrust into an extraordinary adventure when a cosmic threat emerges from beyond our world. As they navigate their newfound powers and the weight of protecting those they love, they’re pushed to their limits—both personally and as a team. This isn’t just about saving the world; it’s about discovering what it truly means to be a family when everything is on the line.

The Good

Acting & Character Work

Every actor commits fully to their character, and each one is convincingly believable. Even Ben Grimm lands as genuine and grounded, which isn’t easy when you’re playing a transformed hero learning to accept his new reality.

Direction & Aesthetics

The retro-futuristic vibe of the 1960s is captured beautifully—the advertisements, video screens, and H.E.R.B.I.E. tape technology all feel authentic to the era without ever pulling you out of the story. It’s a cohesive visual world that actually works.

Humor & Heart

The film knows when to lighten the mood without undercutting the stakes. There’s a genuinely hilarious moment with the characters trying to install a car seat that reminds you family comedy still has a place in superhero films.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Fantastic Four: First Steps respects both the source material and modern filmmaking, delivering a superhero adventure that’s genuinely entertaining and emotionally grounded. The cast commits, the aesthetics work, and the story remembers that these characters are a family first and heroes second. If you’re looking for a summer blockbuster with heart—one that doesn’t talk down to you or your kids—this is it.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4y1m012

Tags: Fantastic Four, Superhero, Adventure, Family, Sci Fi, Pedro Pascal, 2025, PG-13

Synopsis

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice brings two of DC’s greatest heroes into direct conflict for the first time on screen. Bruce Wayne grows increasingly concerned about Superman’s god-like power and the collateral damage from his battles, ultimately forcing a confrontation between the two titans. Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman, the film promises epic action with ambitious scope.

The Good

Direction & Visual Storytelling

Zack Snyder brings comic book panels to life on the big screen—exactly what you want to see from a director tackling these iconic heroes. The cinematography and visual composition reflect the source material beautifully.

Content Warnings

• Violence & Gore: Extended sequences of intense action, destruction, and fighting between superpowered beings; significant property damage and collateral destruction in city scenes
• Language: Some strong language and profanity throughout
• Sexual Content: Brief suggestive content
• Disturbing Themes: Themes of destruction, power imbalance, and moral ambiguity; darker psychological undertones
• Age Recommendation: 13+

Final Verdict

Batman v Superman reaches for something grand but stumbles in the script—too many plot holes and scenes that just don’t make sense. The visuals are undeniably striking, but the story doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Best for DC fans and visual storytelling enthusiasts.

Synopsis

Steve Rogers is a small, sickly young man desperate to serve his country during World War II. When he’s selected for a super-soldier experiment, he transforms into the peak of human physical ability. Armed with courage, a strong moral compass, and a newly minted shield, Rogers must stop a dangerous Nazi weapons program before it’s too late.

It’s a classic hero’s origin wrapped in patriotic duty, wartime action, and the birth of one of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

The Good

Chris Evans & Haley Atwell’s Chemistry

Evans brings surprising vulnerability and earnestness to pre-serum Steve, making his transformation feel earned rather than convenient. Atwell is brilliant as Peggy Carter—she’s not just a love interest, but a capable, smart soldier in her own right. Their scenes together crackle with genuine warmth.

A Rock-Solid Foundation

This film does something most origin stories struggle with: it makes you care about the hero before he gets powers. The filmmaking is confident and purposeful, laying groundwork that would carry the entire MCU forward.

Period Authenticity

WWII-era weapons, tanks, and settings feel tactile and real, grounding the superhero spectacle in something tangible.

Content Warnings

Language: Mild. Scattered mild expletives throughout (roughly a dozen instances), but nothing heavy or gratuitous.

Violence & Gore: Standard PG-13 action fare—explosions, gunfire, combat sequences, and some blood. There’s one notably graphic moment when Red Skull’s face is revealed, and it’s played for shock value. There’s also a suicide scene with a cyanide pill that’s surprisingly dark for the otherwise lighter tone.

Sexual Content & Nudity: One passionate kiss between Steve and Peggy. Steve is shown shirtless during his transformation. Several characters make chauvinist jokes reflecting the 1940s setting.

Alcohol & Smoking: Characters drink in bar scenes; smoking appears throughout in a period-appropriate, non-glamorized way.

Age Recommendation: 13+

The Verdict

Captain America: The First Avenger is a genuinely solid superhero film that respects both its audience and its source material. It’s earnest without being corny, action-packed without losing heart, and it works as both a standalone film and the launchpad for the biggest cinematic universe ever made. If your family enjoys WWII stories, superhero origins, or well-crafted filmmaking, this one absolutely holds up.

Available on Prime (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/45DoshX

Synopsis

Will Smith and Kevin Kline team up as federal agents in 1869 tasked with stopping a mad scientist (Kenneth Branagh) plotting to destroy the U.S. government with a giant mechanical spider. It’s The Men in Black meets the Wild West—and it knows it.

The film leans hard into camp and slapstick humor, treating the absurd premise as an excuse for comedic riffing rather than genuine tension. Smith plays his signature wisecracking charmer; Kline provides deadpan contrast as the uptight straight man. Branagh chews scenery as the theatrical villain.

This is essentially a summer blockbuster that cares more about making you laugh at its own ridiculousness than delivering a coherent plot.

The Good

Kenneth Branagh’s Commitment

Even when the material is thin, Branagh fully commits to the villain role. He’s clearly having fun—the man is hamming it up deliberately, and it’s one of the few things that keeps scenes from completely falling apart.

Will Smith’s Natural Chemistry

Smith and Kline have likable banter. Smith falls into his comfort zone (wisecracking ladies’ man), but at least that’s familiar ground; he knows how to land a joke, and the film gives him plenty of room to do so.

Visual Spectacle

The production design is genuinely ambitious. A giant mechanical spider, steam-powered contraptions, and Wild West sets that look expensive—Sonnenfeld at least committed the budget to making it look like something, even if the story struggles to justify it.

Content Warnings

Language

Mild. A handful of mild expletives (damn, hell, ass). Crude slang and suggestive dialogue throughout. A few moments push toward stronger language without crossing hard lines.

Violence

Moderate. Multiple shootout scenes with gunfire and deaths. Explosions and collapsing buildings. One graphic moment: a severed head briefly visible on the ground. Fistfights and hand-to-hand combat. Generally cartoonish action rather than brutal; more cartoon violence than gritty.

Sexual Content

Present but mostly implied. Women in revealing period costumes in a saloon setting. Suggestive dialogue and innuendo throughout. A man plays bongos on a woman’s clothed breast in a comedic scene. A woman in a thong (rear view, close-up). References to “entertainers” in a caged bedroom scenario—context strongly implies sex work. Implied nudity in several scenes (characters strategically covered by scenery).

Nudity

Brief. Upper male nudity (fleeting). Female rear nudity in thong (close-up shot). Top of breasts briefly visible popping out of period-appropriate dress.

Substance Use

Social drinking in bar scenes (not heavy). Frequent cigar smoking.

Disturbing Themes

A woman in sexual captivity/caging (played for dark comedy rather than drama). Implied sexual slavery (“entertainer” trapped in bedroom).

Age Recommendation: 15+

This is a PG-13 film that lives right at that rating’s edge. Younger kids (under 12) will find the violence and sexual content confusing or uncomfortable. Teens 15+ can likely handle it as a silly action-comedy, though parents should know it normalizes sexual content and suggestive humor without consequence.

Final Verdict

Wild Wild West is a film that wants to be fun above all else—and occasionally succeeds through sheer audacity. It’s not “good” in any critical sense, but it is self-aware enough to be entertaining if you’re in the mood for dumb spectacle and willing to laugh at its own failures.

The biggest concern for parents: this film treats sexual content casually. Nudity, suggestive humor, and implications of sexual captivity are played for laughs rather than treated seriously. If you’re okay with that tone, it’s harmless escapism. If you prefer films that don’t normalize sexual content as comedy, you’ll want to skip it.

It’s a movie that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t apologize for it—which is either refreshing or exhausting, depending on your tolerance.

Tags

Action,Comedy,Western,Steampunk,1999,Sci Fi,Crude Humor,Sexual Content,Will Smith,Kevin Kline,Kenneth Branagh,PG 13,Family Friendly

A Heartwarming Dive into Family, Memory, and Self-Discovery

Synopsis

A year after the events of Finding Nemo, the beloved forgetful blue tang Dory experiences a sudden breakthrough: she remembers she has parents somewhere in the ocean. Despite her short-term memory loss making every moment a fresh start, Dory sets out on a determined quest to find them. Her loyal friends Marlin and Nemo join her journey, leading this unlikely trio across vast ocean currents and into the Monterey Marine Life Institute—a place that holds more answers than Dory could have imagined.

Along the way, Dory encounters new friends who become as memorable as the mission itself. This is a story about the lengths we go to for family, the unexpected people who become our family, and discovering that our greatest challenges can become our greatest strengths. It’s an emotional, colorful, and ultimately uplifting adventure that explores what it truly means to belong.

The Good

Animation & Environment

The animators at Pixar have done a wonderful job with the environment and animal animations. Every underwater setting feels alive and detailed, from the vibrant coral reefs to the mysterious depths of the ocean, creating a visually stunning world that draws you into Dory’s adventure.

Voice Talent & Character Development

The voice talent gives each character a wonderfully fun personality. Ellen DeGeneres returns as Dory and is absolutely delightful, while the ensemble cast brings depth and charm to every supporting character, making the emotional moments land even harder.

Themes of Family & Acceptance

The film thoughtfully explores what family means beyond biology, celebrating neurodiversity and showing that everyone has value and purpose, no matter their differences or perceived limitations.

Content Warnings

Sexual Content

Dory mistakenly thinks she needs to explain reproduction to Mr. Ray’s class, beginning with “When two fish love each other…” before being interrupted; mild and handled quickly.

Language

Mild name-calling (crazy, stupid, insane, nuts); exclamations like “holy carp,” “holy Neptune,” “darn it,” “heck”; generally very clean.

Violence & Gore

Scenes of characters being chased by a large squid; a baby fish swept away by a strong current; very light cartoon violence with comic relief softening the intensity. The filmmakers handle perilous situations in a way that dilutes rather than heightens the threat.

Disturbing Themes

Dory’s separation from her parents as a young child and her subsequent loss of that memory; scenes depicting loneliness and fear; Dory experiences a panic attack. These emotional moments may resonate strongly with children who have anxiety about getting lost or separation from parents.

Other

No alcohol, drugs, or smoking.

Age Recommendation: 3+

Final Verdict

Finding Dory is a beautiful sequel that honors its predecessor while charting its own course. It’s a film that celebrates the unconventional, teaches resilience through a child’s eyes, and reminds us that family isn’t always about where you come from—it’s about who shows up for you. Parents will appreciate the thoughtful handling of difficult themes, and kids will be delighted by the colorful world and lovable characters. This is a movie that works for the whole family.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Finding Dory

A thriller that changed summer movies forever.

Synopsis

Police Chief Brody discovers a great white shark hunting swimmers off the coast. He teams up with a shark hunter (Quint) and a marine biologist (Hooper) to stop it. The combination of Spielberg’s directing, John Williams’ iconic score, and stellar acting from Richard Dreyfus, Robert Shaw, and Roy Scheider come together to create a thriller that defined a generation.

The Good

Steven Spielberg’s Directing

The direction creates an effective thriller that builds tension masterfully throughout the film, proving that what you don’t see is often more frightening than what you do.

John Williams’ Score

The legendary composer’s work makes a stellar contribution, creating one of the most recognizable movie themes of all time that still captures audiences instantly.

Stellar Acting

Richard Dreyfus, Robert Shaw, and Roy Scheider deliver strong performances that anchor the human drama at the heart of the story.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

After 50 years, Jaws remains a masterclass in suspenseful filmmaking. Only the mechanical shark effects look dated, and even those add a certain charm. This is a classic that absolutely holds up and deserves its place in cinema history.

Perfect pairing for Jaws fans: Consider pairing this movie night with the Corraled Custom Tees “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” tee—a Jaws homage that connects one of cinema’s most memorable lines with the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:7.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Jaws (1975)

A Runaway Train Becomes an Unstoppable Force

When a massive freight train loses its brakes and begins barreling down the tracks unmanned, it becomes a disaster waiting to happen. With the train gaining speed and heading toward populated areas, railroad dispatcher Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) partners with seasoned engineer Frank Hopkins (Denzel Washington) and young conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) to find a way to stop the beast before it’s too late. What unfolds is a tense, high-stakes battle against the clock as the three of them devise increasingly desperate plans to derail or slow the runaway locomotive.

This isn’t a typical action movie with car chases and hand-to-hand combat—instead, it’s a visceral thriller about ordinary people facing an extraordinary threat. The film transforms a machine into a genuine menace, making you feel the weight and inevitability of several thousand tons of steel hurtling toward disaster.

The Good

Acting

The supporting cast delivers some of their finest work. Rosario Dawson elevates the dispatcher role from a typical background character to someone who drives the emotional core of the film with a stellar, scene-stealing performance.

Direction & Cinematography

Quick zooms and dynamic camera pans ramp up the intensity throughout. The visual language never lets you settle into comfort—you’re constantly pushed to the edge of your seat.

Sound Design

The roaring, mechanical fury of the train becomes a character in itself, sounding less like transportation and more like an unstoppable villain pursuing our heroes.

Writing & Pacing

The screenplay crackles with urgency. Action grabs you from the jump, and the intense pacing never relents. Despite being a movie about stopping a train, it rarely stops to catch its breath.

Tension Without Fists

No physical fighting needed. The film proves that genuine peril—derailments, explosions, the constant threat of disaster—creates more nail-biting entertainment than any punch-up scene.

Content Warnings

Language

Extensive profanity throughout, including multiple uses of strong language and several instances of taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Violence & Gore

Intense action violence including train derailment with explosion, implied fatalities, helicopter sequence with high peril, and cop car crash during rescue operation. No graphic gore, but the threat level is consistently high.

Sexual Content

Briefly shows women in Hooters uniforms (fully clothed), with no sexual situations depicted.

Other

Themes of catastrophic disaster and system failure putting lives at risk. No drug use, smoking, or alcohol consumption.

Age Recommendation: 14+

Final Verdict

Unstoppable is a masterclass in tension. It takes a simple premise—stop a runaway train—and transforms it into a white-knuckle thriller that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine make a solid team, but Rosario Dawson is the real MVP, creating drama and heart in what could have been a forgettable support role. This is perfect for anyone who loves action without needing explosions and car chases to justify the label. Fair warning: the language is heavy, so it’s not for younger teens, but if you’re looking for a smart, intense ride that doesn’t rely on fists or guns, this delivers.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Unstoppable (2010)

Cowabunga—this sequel knows exactly what it is, and it doesn’t apologize for it.

I caught this one at our local drive-in’s 35th anniversary screening (shout-out to Kingdom Media Club for putting it together), and sitting under the stars with producer Kim Dawson doing a Q&A afterward really drove home how much heart went into keeping this sequel fun and accessible.

Here’s the thing: if you’re thinking about letting your kids watch this, or if you’re feeling nostalgic yourself, you’re not going to run into anything that’s going to blindside you. The turtles are fighting bad guys, cracking jokes, and being goofy—which is pretty much the whole point. The fight scenes are genuinely well-choreographed and fun to watch. There’s no blood or gore to worry about, no sexual content (just a quick joke with a Michelangelo poster that lands and moves on), and the dialogue is playful without being annoying.

The Good

Choreography & Action

Director Michael Pressman keeps the fight scenes fun and genuinely enjoyable to watch, with clear choreography that doesn’t feel clunky or over-complicated.

Tone & Pacing

The film strikes a really nice balance between humor and actual peril. The puns land more often than they miss, and the movie knows when to let the jokes breathe without overstaying their welcome.

Performance

The acting is deliberately over the top in that self-aware way that says: “We know this is a movie about talking turtles, so let’s have fun with it.” And they do. It works.

What to Watch For

You’ll hear some mild name-calling (“stupid,” “idiot”), and there’s one bit of crude humor, but it’s not heavy handed. One character smokes. The action gets a little chaotic when the bad guys tear through the city, but it’s the kind of mayhem that feels controlled—not gratuitous or genuinely disturbing.

The Bottom Line

If your kids are 7 or older and you want something that doesn’t require much thinking but delivers genuine entertainment—and honestly, if you want something the whole family can enjoy together without cringing—this is a solid choice. It’s the kind of movie that knows its place and does that place really well. You’re not getting Shakespeare here, and that’s the whole point.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze

A Breathtaking Leap from Animation to Life-Action

Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book proves that beloved animated classics can translate beautifully to the big screen. Mowgli, the “man-cub” at the story’s heart, finds himself caught between civilization and the wild jungle he’s always known—forced to flee from Shere Khan, the tiger who demands his surrender.

The premise is familiar, but the execution is revelatory. This is a coming-of-age adventure about identity, belonging, and the courage it takes to choose your own path. It’s visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and wonderfully entertaining for the whole family.

The Good

Direction & Visual Storytelling

Jon Favreau orchestrates a marvel of modern filmmaking. Nearly everything except Mowgli is computer-generated, yet the jungle feels alive and tactile. The animators studied real animals meticulously—their movements, behaviors, and presence—and it shows. The film maintains a living, breathing quality that could have easily felt artificial. Favreau’s pacing keeps you engaged from start to finish, balancing action, wonder, and intimate character moments beautifully.

The Voice Cast & Acting

The voice work is excellent and never pulls you out of the immersion. Bill Murray’s Baloo feels warm and familiar; Idris Elba’s Shere Khan is genuinely menacing. Young Neel Sethi, in his major studio debut, is outstanding—bringing authenticity and vulnerability to Mowgli that grounds the entire film. His performance makes the emotional stakes feel real.

Heart & Memorable Moments

The film honors the classic songs while giving them new life. The bluesy rendition of “Bear Necessities” and the updated “I Wanna Be Like You” fit naturally into the narrative. There are moments of genuine peril balanced with humor, awe-inspiring visuals, and touching scenes that remind you why this story has endured for generations. The film respects both its source material and modern audiences.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

The Jungle Book is a triumph of modern filmmaking that proves Disney knows how to honor its classics while creating something fresh and vital. It’s a rare film that works equally well for children and adults—thrilling, beautiful, heartfelt, and completely wholesome. If you’re looking for an adventure that doesn’t talk down to you or your kids, this is absolutely it.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): The Jungle Book

Tags: The Jungle Book,Adventure,Family,Disney,Jon Favreau,Neel Sethi,Bill Murray,Scarlett Johansson,2016,PG

A Ragtag Team of Anti-Heroes Rise to the Occasion

Suicide Squad marks the third entry into the DC Extended Universe, following the polarizing Batman v Superman. Where that film took itself seriously, Suicide Squad leans into the chaotic, irreverent energy of its premise—a team of imprisoned anti-heroes forced to save the world. It’s a darker, grittier take on the superhero genre, but one that finds humor and heart in its ragtag crew of criminals and outcasts.

When a secret government program assembles a team of supervillains and offers them a chance at redemption (or at least reduced sentences), they’re forced to work together to stop a threat that could destroy everything. It’s a film about finding unexpected connections and discovering that even the worst people might have something worth fighting for.

The Good

Strong Ensemble Cast

Will Smith brings his charisma and humor to Deadshot, anchoring the film with star power and likability. The casting overall is solid—each member of the Squad brings distinct personality and energy. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is fun and energetic. The supporting ensemble gels well, creating the sense of a dysfunctional but ultimately committed team. Fun cameos from Ben Affleck (Batman) and Ezra Miller (The Flash) add extra flavor to the DC Universe interconnectedness.

Plot & Story

The premise of anti-heroes coming together to save the day works. There’s inherent tension in forcing criminals to work as a team, and the film exploits this for both humor and genuine moments of connection. The story keeps moving at a good pace and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Soundtrack & Humor

The soundtrack is one of the film’s strongest elements—a carefully curated mix of classic and contemporary tracks that adds personality and energy to every scene. The film also embraces its lighter side, finding humor in the absurdity of the premise and the personalities involved. This is DC’s most playful entry to date, and it works.

The Concerns

Jared Leto’s Joker

Leto’s portrayal of the Joker feels like a misstep. It’s not that Leto is a bad actor—it’s that he’s competing with an expertly crafted performance from Heath Ledger that’s only eight years old and remains the gold standard for the character. Leto’s version feels more stylized and less menacing, struggling to find identity in the shadow of that legacy. He’s not the reason to watch this film.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Suicide Squad is a successful entry into the DC Extended Universe that takes a lighter, more irreverent approach than its predecessors. Will Smith is charming and capable, the ensemble cast is solid, and the soundtrack is genuinely enjoyable. While Jared Leto’s Joker doesn’t land as strongly as hoped, and the film leans heavily on stylized action and suggestive humor, it accomplishes what it sets out to do: deliver an entertaining, anti-hero adventure that shows DC can have fun with its characters. The mid-credits scene is worth staying for—it’s an excellent bridge into Justice League. A solid blockbuster that keeps momentum building in the DC Universe.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): Suicide Squad (2016)

Tags: Suicide Squad,Action,Adventure,Crime,DC,Will Smith,Margot Robbie,Jared Leto,David Ayer,2016,PG-13,Anti-Heroes

The Quintessential Summer Blockbuster Returns

Jurassic World is the definition of summer popcorn cinema—big action, thrilling adventure, stunning spectacle, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. Isla Nublar has returned with a re-envisioned park that captures the wonder of the original while cranking the scale up to 11. After 22 years away from the franchise, this film proves that audiences still crave dinosaurs, danger, and the spectacle of nature’s most terrifying creatures running amok.

When a new hybrid dinosaur proves too dangerous to contain, chaos erupts across the park. Two young visitors find themselves caught in the action, their survival depending on the ingenuity of park staff and an unlikely hero who may be the only one prepared for what’s coming.

The Good

Summer Spectacle Done Right

Colin Trevorrow understands the assignment: deliver a summer blockbuster that entertains. The action sequences are thrilling, the dinosaur encounters are genuinely tense, and the film maintains momentum throughout. The visual effects are impressive, and the dinosaurs feel like a credible threat rather than cartoon characters. This is blockbuster filmmaking that knows exactly what it is and executes it confidently.

Chris Pratt as the Summer Hero

Pratt has carved out a niche for himself as the charismatic, capable hero of big summer tentpoles, and Jurassic World is where he truly cements that role. He brings humor, charm, and believable competence to the character. He’s surrounded by a strong supporting cast including Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Judy Greer—all of whom elevate the material with committed performances.

Familiar-Yet-Fresh Approach

The film understands the appeal of the original and doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it takes recognizable elements—two kids separated from adults, new dinosaur threats, raptors with their own intelligence—and tweaks them just enough to feel fresh. This strategy puts the audience at ease while delivering new excitement. The newly introduced dinosaurs don’t disappoint and bring genuine spectacle to the screen.

The Concerns

Déjà Vu & Recycled Plot Points

If you watched the original Jurassic Park, you’ll definitely experience moments of déjà vu. Many plot points are repeated—sometimes with only minor tweaks. Two kids roaming the park unsupervised, a new dinosaur that’s more dangerous than expected, raptors behaving in unexpected ways. While these elements work and are familiar enough to be satisfying, the film relies heavily on echoing the original rather than truly breaking new ground. It’s competent filmmaking that doesn’t take risks.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Jurassic World is a solid summer blockbuster that does exactly what it sets out to do: deliver thrills, spectacle, and entertainment. Chris Pratt is charming and capable, the action is well-executed, and the dinosaurs are genuinely impressive. While the film leans heavily on familiar plot points from the original rather than taking bold narrative risks, it executes its formula confidently. If you’re looking for a great action-adventure film perfect for a summer night at the movies—something that won’t challenge you but will definitely entertain you—this is exactly what you want. A fun, satisfying blockbuster that earns its place in the franchise.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): Jurassic World

Tags: Jurassic World,Action,Adventure,Sci-Fi,Thriller,Chris Pratt,Bryce Dallas Howard,Colin Trevorrow,2015,PG-13,Dinosaurs

A Football Film Like No Other

Draft Day defies the traditional sports movie formula. In fact, there’s barely a full game of football in it—and that’s precisely what makes it work. This is a smart, engaging drama that trades on-field action for the high-stakes tension of the NFL Draft, where careers are made and broken in seconds. It’s a refreshingly unconventional take on sports cinema that respects both football fans and general audiences.

Kevin Costner plays an NFL General Manager facing the biggest decision of his career on draft day—with personal and professional stakes colliding as he navigates politics, expectations, and the weight of his choices. It’s a character-driven story about ambition, sacrifice, and what it costs to build a winning team.

The Good

Strong Ensemble Cast

The casting is unconventional but deeply effective. Kevin Costner anchors the film with gravitas and intelligence, delivering a nuanced performance as a man wrestling with competing pressures. Tom Welling convinces as a pro quarterback with layers beyond the typical athlete role. Dennis Leary brings edge as the head coach—though his limited screen time means the casting choice never becomes a liability. The ensemble works together seamlessly.

Chemistry & Romance Subplot

The pairing of Costner and Jennifer Garner initially feels odd, but once the story finds its rhythm, their dynamic becomes genuine and affecting. What could have been distracting instead becomes a natural emotional anchor to the larger narrative about career, ambition, and what we’re willing to sacrifice.

Story & Pacing

While the plot is somewhat predictable, it’s predictable in a satisfying, earned way—more Rocky than formula. The script builds tension intelligently around the draft process itself, making the administrative and personal decisions feel genuinely consequential. Ivan Reitman’s direction keeps the energy tight and engaging throughout.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Draft Day succeeds as a smart sports film precisely because it’s not really a sports film at all—it’s a character drama wrapped in the world of professional football. Kevin Costner delivers a grounded, intelligent performance, the ensemble cast clicks, and the story respects the audience’s intelligence. If you love sports, you’ll appreciate the authentic draft-day tension. If you prefer character-driven dramas, you’ll find plenty to engage with here. Highly recommended for sports fans and anyone who enjoys well-crafted, thoughtful filmmaking.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): Draft Day

Tags: Draft Day,Sports,Drama,Kevin Costner,Jennifer Garner,Tom Welling,Ivan Reitman,2014,PG-13,Football

A Masterpiece That Speaks to the Heart

Pixar delivers something truly extraordinary with Inside Out—a film that accomplishes what great storytelling should: it entertains children while moving adults to tears. This is a film about the inner emotional life of an 11-year-old girl named Riley who’s just moved to a new city. But it’s also a profound meditation on growing up, loss, memory, and the beautiful complexity of human emotion. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—Riley’s five core emotions—must navigate her consciousness as she faces a pivotal moment in her life.

It’s a concept that could easily fall flat in the wrong hands, but Pixar executes it with perfect precision, creating something that has never quite been seen on screen before—a film that celebrates all emotions as valid and necessary, even sadness.

The Good

Perfectly Cast Voice Acting

The casting of each emotion is absolutely perfect. Amy Poehler as Joy brings infectious energy and infectious warmth. Phyllis Smith’s Sadness is achingly genuine. Lewis Black’s Anger crackles with justified indignation. Mindy Kaling’s Disgust is hilariously spot-on. Bill Hader’s Fear is endearingly neurotic. None of this voice work takes you out of the film—instead, each performance feels so natural that you forget you’re listening to actors and simply experience the emotions themselves. It’s hard to imagine this film working with any other cast.

Innovative & Original Premise

The plot is genuinely unique. Pixar takes a concept—Riley’s internal emotional world—and builds an entire narrative around it that works as both entertainment and insight. The film finds humor in the mundane anxieties of growing up while exploring deeper truths about emotional development. It’s clever, original, and thoroughly engaging.

Emotional Resonance & Depth

This is where Inside Out transcends typical animated fare. The film doesn’t just entertain; it moves you. As a new father watching this film, seeing Riley’s experiences through her inner emotional landscape became a mirror for understanding his own daughter. There are moments that will make adults tear up—not because of saccharine manipulation, but because the film has earned that emotional weight through genuine storytelling. The film treats its young protagonist’s feelings with respect and validates the full spectrum of her emotional experience.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Inside Out far surpasses expectations—it doesn’t just succeed as a family film, it succeeds as cinema. Pixar’s perfect voice casting, innovative premise, and willingness to treat emotions with genuine respect creates something both entertaining and profoundly moving. This is a film that celebrates the complexity of human experience and teaches viewers of all ages that every emotion we feel matters. If you’re looking for a film that will make your entire family laugh, think, and feel together, this is it. A masterpiece that deserves to be seen again and again.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): Inside Out

Tags: Inside Out,Animation,Family,Comedy,Adventure,Amy Poehler,Pixar,Pete Docter,2015,PG,Emotions

A Reboot That Rises Above the Hype

After years of internet rumors suggesting producer Michael Bay would transform the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into aliens, expectations hit rock bottom. Yet Jonathan Liebesman manages to deliver exactly what this franchise needed: a fun, energetic summer movie that respects its roots while forging its own path. It’s not perfect, but it’s far more entertaining than the doom-and-gloomers predicted.

April O’Neil discovers a group of crime-fighting ninja turtles protecting New York from the shadows—and finds herself caught in their battle against a powerful force threatening the city. It’s a straightforward action-adventure that knows what it is and commits fully to the fun.

The Good

Direction & Pacing

Liebesman keeps the energy high and the action moving. The film is clearly a summer blockbuster—big, colorful, and built for entertainment. While the soundtrack doesn’t reach the standout quality of something like Guardians of the Galaxy, the background music serves the film’s tone well and adds to the atmosphere without distracting.

Megan Fox’s Performance

This is perhaps the biggest surprise. Fox was initially a point of contention among fans, but she commits to the role of April O’Neil with genuine enthusiasm. She brings believability to the character—portraying her as a driven, determined soon-to-be investigative reporter rather than just set dressing. It’s her strongest work in a major action film.

Character Voices & Personalities

The voice actors do their job in establishing individual personalities for each Turtle, bringing distinct traits and quirks to the characters. While their performances are solid rather than exceptional—and won’t rank among the franchise’s most memorable voice work—they lend character and charm to the turtles themselves.

The Concerns

Voice Acting Range

Given the rich history of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles across multiple incarnations, the voice cast feels slightly bland by comparison. They’re not bad, but they don’t elevate the material the way previous versions have. The voices work for the story, but they lack the standout personality fans might expect.

Origin Story Logic

There are elements of the origin story that strain credibility and don’t quite make logical sense within the film’s own world. Without spoiling the reveal for those looking forward to seeing it, certain plot points feel forced rather than organic to the narrative.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles succeeds by being exactly what it sets out to be: a fun, colorful summer action-adventure that doesn’t pretend to be more than it is. It respects the source material without being slavish to it, and it entertains from start to finish. While the voice work is serviceable rather than stellar and the origin story has its rough spots, the film’s energy, Megan Fox’s genuinely committed performance, and Jonathan Liebesman’s confident direction make this a worthwhile reboot. Fans worried the film would be ruined should give it a chance.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Tags: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,Action,Adventure,Comedy,Family,Megan Fox,Jonathan Liebesman,2014,PG-13,Superhero

A Solid Monster Movie That Knows What It Is

Godzilla doesn’t reinvent the kaiju genre—and it’s not trying to. This is a straightforward, entertaining monster film that delivers exactly what the title promises: giant creatures wreaking havoc on cities while the military scrambles to respond. Sixteen years after the 1998 Matthew Broderick film, this reboot proves that sometimes a classic monster story doesn’t need reinvention, just solid execution.

A mysterious atomic force awakens ancient creatures with destructive power beyond human control. A father and son find themselves caught in humanity’s desperate struggle against nature’s most terrifying predators. It’s simple, effective, and surprisingly engaging.

The Good

Visual Spectacle

The visuals are genuinely impressive. Gareth Edwards brings a sense of scale and weight to the monster action—these creatures feel real, powerful, and genuinely threatening. The destruction sequences are well-crafted, and there’s real effort put into making you feel the catastrophic impact of these titans. The cinematography captures both intimate human moments and epic monster battles with equal care.

Cast & Performances

While the cast doesn’t feature big marquee names dominating Hollywood conversation, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen are both convincing in their roles. They ground the film emotionally without overplaying it. The supporting cast serves the story well. This is smart casting—letting the monsters be the stars while surrounding them with capable, understated performances.

Straightforward Storytelling

The film embraces its formula: monster awakens, military responds, city is threatened, creatures battle. It’s not trying to be a complex political thriller or character study—it’s a monster movie, and it commits to that identity with confidence. There’s a refreshing honesty in knowing exactly what kind of film you’re making and executing it competently.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Godzilla succeeds precisely because it doesn’t overreach. This is a well-executed monster movie with impressive visuals, solid performances, and the confidence to embrace its genre without apology. If you’re looking for a straightforward action spectacle that respects the kaiju formula—giant creatures, impressive destruction, human determination against overwhelming odds—this delivers. It won’t revolutionize cinema, but it will entertain you. For monster movie fans, it’s absolutely worth the watch.

Available to purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Godzilla

Tags: Godzilla,Action,Adventure,Sci-Fi,Monster,Aaron Taylor-Johnson,Elizabeth Olsen,2014,PG-13,Kaiju

A Brilliant Tribute to the Magic of Imagination

Tomorrowland is a brilliant homage to the iconic Disney attraction, translating the spirit of optimism and wonder from the theme park into a feature film. This is a film about discovery, possibility, and the power of imagination to shape the future. A young girl named Casey stumbles upon a mysterious pin that transports her to a hidden world—a place where innovation and dreams come to life, and where she discovers she may hold the key to preventing a catastrophic future.

It’s a family adventure that celebrates curiosity, ingenuity, and the importance of fighting for what you believe in. In an era saturated with cynicism, this film dares to be hopeful.

The Good

Exceptional Cast & Performances

Disney did a masterful job casting this film. Every actor hits their marks and makes their roles feel authentic and lived-in. George Clooney delivers exactly what fans expect—charm, gravitas, and that effortless cool he brings to every role. But the real revelation is Britt Robertson as Casey. This relative newcomer commands the screen with intelligence, humor, and genuine heart. She’s someone to watch; great things are clearly in her future. Tim McGraw, Raffey Cassidy, and Hugh Laurie round out an exceptional supporting cast that elevates every scene they’re in.

Homage to Disney’s Vision

The film captures the optimistic spirit of the Tomorrowland attraction beautifully—that sense of wonder about what humanity could accomplish. The visual design is stunning, with futuristic aesthetics that feel both grand and intimate. Brad Bird’s direction keeps the film visually engaging and thematically rich.

Family-Friendly Entertainment

This is Disney at its best: wholesome, entertaining, and genuinely appropriate for all ages. The PG rating is earned with virtually no objectionable content. It’s a film that parents and children can genuinely enjoy together without concerns.

The Concerns

Pacing Issues in the Final Act

The film’s only significant weakness is its pacing toward the end. The final act moves faster than the rest of the film, and the ending feels rushed. Given the buildup and emotional stakes established throughout, the conclusion deserves more time to breathe and land with greater impact. Without spoiling specifics, this pacing issue keeps what could have been an exceptional film from achieving complete greatness.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Tomorrowland is a family adventure that dares to be optimistic about the future and celebrates human imagination. George Clooney and Britt Robertson are excellent, the supporting cast is stellar, and the film honors the Disney tradition of wondering “what if?” while entertaining audiences of all ages. While the ending deserves more time to unfold, this is still absolutely worth your time—especially for families looking for wholesome, intelligent entertainment that doesn’t talk down to anyone. Highly recommended.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (affiliate link): Tomorrowland

Tags: Tomorrowland,Adventure,Family,Sci-Fi,George Clooney,Britt Robertson,Brad Bird,2015,PG,Disney

Spectacular visuals and inspired casting can’t overcome a world that mistakes crass for edgy.

Synopsis

After her family is poisoned and slowly dies before her eyes, Kara Zor-El arrives on Earth as Supergirl—determined to honor her lost loved ones and forge her own path among the chaos of a darker DC cinematic universe. Craig Gillespie’s take on the origin story prioritizes spectacle and worldbuilding over restraint, diving headfirst into a Kryptonian mythology that spans continents and languages.

The film leans heavily into the aesthetic of this new DC era: visceral, unfiltered, and unapologetically raw. For better and worse, that philosophy extends not just to the supporting cast (like the anarchic Lobo) but to Supergirl herself—a hero who deserves better than to inhabit a world built on shock value alone.

The Good

Direction & Aesthetics

Gillespie deserves credit for the intentional worldbuilding here. The set design and creature work are genuinely impressive—a lived-in alien world that feels grounded despite its fantastical elements. The decision to let alien characters speak their own languages rather than defaulting to English is a refreshing touch that adds authenticity and texture to the universe. Visually, this is a far cry from the campy 1980s Supergirl; it’s a film that knows exactly what tone it’s reaching for and commits fully.

Acting & Character Work

Milly Acock brings a committed intensity to Kara Zor-El, anchoring the film’s emotional core with genuine depth. Despite being Australian, she disappears into the role—her performance is grounded and believable, even when the script asks her to carry the weight of impossible circumstances. The inclusion of Lobo as a supporting character is intriguing; seeing this violent anti-hero in live action for the first time is genuinely cool, and the character feels at home in this darker universe.

The Conflict

Here’s the tension: Lobo thrives in a crass, visceral world. It’s his home. But Supergirl? Our actual hero? She deserves to be more than a product of the grimdark aesthetic surrounding her. The film struggles with this fundamental imbalance—it wants to have it both ways, and it doesn’t quite pull it off.

Final Verdict

Supergirl is a visually impressive and narratively ambitious entry in the DC cinematic universe—one that almost earns it an R rating through commitment to aesthetic and tone rather than gratuitous excess. Milly Acock’s performance and the film’s bold worldbuilding choices make this a significant step forward from the 1980s mess. But ambition without restraint can undermine itself. The film mistakes crass for bold, and that philosophy ultimately limits what it might have become. For fans of darker superhero storytelling and those willing to accept moral compromise for spectacle, it’s worth the journey. For families or those seeking the aspirational heroism that Supergirl represents, the cost of entry is steeper than the reward.

If you want to watch it without compromising, you can find it on Enjoy Movies Your Way

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Supergirl (2026)

A misfire that mistakes subversion for storytelling.

The Premise

Carol Danvers crashes to Earth with no memory of who she is, caught between two alien factions at war. She’s actually been brainwashed by one side and slowly recovers her true identity and powers—powers so overwhelming that the third act becomes dramatically pointless.

What Doesn’t Work

We meet Carol, already powerful and snarky, but nothing justifies either quality. She’s better than everyone else, but we’re never given a foundation for why that matters. The script relies on announcing things rather than letting us experience them. When Fury makes his Budapest/Belgrade callback, it’s supposed to land as clever banter. It doesn’t. Alliteration isn’t rhyming. It’s a small thing, but it’s symptomatic of a script that doesn’t trust its own story.

The real problem emerges once Carol fully realizes her abilities. She can take on entire alien armadas solo. No vulnerabilities, no limits, no reason to believe she can fail. That strips all stakes from the finale. The best Marvel heroes work because they have real limitations that create actual drama. Without that, everything after the third-act power-up feels predetermined.

The twist—where you learn the “bad guys” are actually good and vice versa—is presented like clever subversion. It’s not. It’s just a reversal. A real story earns that kind of shift through character and detail. This one just decides it happened and moves on.

Then there’s everything forced into the narrative for future MCU setup. Nick Fury’s eye scratch, the Avengers’ name origin, and Carol being the linchpin of everything—it all feels shoehorned in. The worst offender: a kid somehow expertly manipulates alien technology she’s never encountered to create a perfectly rendered new suit. There’s no explanation. There doesn’t need to be, apparently.

The Female Lead Problem

Here’s what matters: strong female-led superhero movies work. The DCEU proved that with Wonder Woman. But Wonder Woman earned Diana’s strength through her journey without announcing it. Captain Marvel announces it constantly. The girl-power messaging gets bashed over your head so hard that it reads less like storytelling and more like someone trying to convince you of something rather than show it.

And the implied lesbian subtext—that’s not in the source material. Marvel changed a male character to female and then added elements that weren’t there. You can gender-swap characters, but when you also change core relationships and add new subtext specifically to appeal to a particular demographic, it stops feeling like adaptation and starts feeling like a checklist. Wonder Woman stayed true to the source while aging the story. That’s respect for what came before. This does neither.

What Barely Works

Brie Larson does serviceable work with what she’s given, but she can’t make the character feel like anything other than a plot device. Samuel L. Jackson visibly strains trying to play a younger version of himself. The action is competent but forgettable. Goose the cat is treated like he’s hilarious when he’s just a cat doing cat things.

The Verdict

Captain Marvel is fundamentally broken because it doesn’t trust its own story. It announces instead of exploring, subverts instead of earning, and mistakes agenda-driven changes for character development. The DCEU proved with Wonder Woman that you can lead a superhero film with a strong female character and tell an actual story. Marvel has yet to learn how to make a female-led superhero movie without agenda-driven story changes.

Content Warnings

Language

A handful of mild profanities scattered throughout. Nothing that dominates the dialogue.

Violence & Intensity

Moderate action violence. Opening space battle with shooting, several hand-to-hand combat scenes, and dogfights in space and through ravines. Some blood but nothing graphic. Standard MCU action—intense but not unsettling.

Sexual Content

None. There’s a brief scene of a Skrull transforming into a human where we see her back, and two characters awkwardly look under a sheet for no real reason. Uncomfortable more for its pointlessness than anything.

Nudity

Brief rear upper-back nudity in the transformation scene.

Age Recommendation

16+ for moderate action violence and mild language.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (Affiliate link): Captain Marvel (2019)

A prequel that starts strong, falls apart halfway through, and wastes more characters than it actually develops.

Overview

X-Men Origins: Wolverine does something ambitious: it takes one of Marvel’s most popular and mysterious characters and tries to explain where he came from. The first half actually works. We watch Logan (Hugh Jackman) discover his mutation as a child, fight alongside his brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) through multiple wars, and get recruited into the shadowy Weapon X program. There’s real potential here—a dark origin story with genuine stakes and interesting world-building.

Then, around the midway point, the film completely derails. The special effects become noticeably cheaper. Character introductions stop serving the plot. And the story limps to a finish that feels like it was written by someone who either didn’t care about the source material or ran out of time and budget.

What Works

The first half establishes Logan’s journey with real clarity. The opening credits montage—watching Logan and Victor fight through the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam—is genuinely effective at showing their bond and their weariness. It economically tells you everything you need to know about these brothers in about three minutes.

Hugh Jackman brings the right intensity to the role. Even when the script falters, he commits to Logan’s rage and pain. Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed is a genuine threat—feral, unpredictable, and genuinely unsettling when the film remembers to make him unsettling.

The Weapon X infusion sequence is the film’s peak. It’s brutal, it’s focused, and it actually feels consequential. That scene earned its place as the centerpiece.

What Doesn’t

Here’s where it gets frustrating: the film introduces characters and then doesn’t know what to do with them. Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson (pre-Deadpool) is charismatic and weird in all the right ways during his early scenes. And then we’ll explain that in spoilers. Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) shows up as an incredibly talented card-throwing mutant and is immediately relegated to “guy who points Wolverine toward the next location.” He has zero impact on the actual plot.

The CGI deteriorates noticeably in the second half. Wolverine’s claws shift from practical to clearly animated, which breaks the visceral quality of the action sequences. It feels like the budget ran out and someone had to compromise.

The biggest problem is tonal inconsistency. The first half wants to be a dark, grounded origin story. The second half becomes a generic action movie that doesn’t care about character development or comic accuracy. It’s almost as if two different filmmakers were handed this project at the halfway point.

The Performances

Jackman carries the film through sheer force of will. When the script works, he’s captivating. When it doesn’t, he’s still trying.

Schreiber is underutilized. His Victor Creed should be a Shakespearean tragedy—the brother who’s just as damaged but chooses cruelty instead of heroism. Instead, he becomes a plot device.

Reynolds deserves better than what this film does with him. We’ll explain in the spoiler section.

Spoiler Discussion

The most frustrating element is what happens to Wade Wilson. He’s introduced as this witty, unpredictable mutant with incredible potential. The film sets him up as a character viewers might actually connect with. And then Weapon X decides to “improve” him, which results in a voiceless, CGI character who fights in the climax with almost no personality.

This isn’t just a bad creative choice—it’s an active betrayal of the character and of Ryan Reynolds’ performance. Wade Wilson was the interesting one. What comes after is a special-effects sequence.

The end-credits scene is genuinely creepy in the wrong way, and it goes nowhere. It’s not a setup for anything; it’s just there.

The film also completely bungles Logan’s final name reveal, which should be meaningful and instead lands as oddly anticlimactic.

Final Verdict

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a film that clearly had something real to say in its first 45 minutes and then gave up. It’s not unwatchable, and if you’re a die-hard X-Men fan or completionist, there are genuinely good moments worth seeing. But it’s also a textbook example of a studio film that lost its way mid-production. The PG-13 rating forces it to pull punches on content that probably could’ve benefited from harder edges.

The good news: Wade Wilson’s story gets properly told in Deadpool and Wolverine, and Gambit gets his redemption in that same film. This one feels less like a cautionary tale now and more like a strange detour on the way to something much better.

Available to stream or rent on Prime (Affiliate link): X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Toy Story 5 wants to tell you to put down your phone and actually play with your toys. It has something real to say. Too bad the delivery stumbles along the way.

The Story

When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed with it, Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang find themselves pushed to the periphery of her life. The toys have to figure out how to reclaim her attention in a world where a screen is now the center of playtime.

After the full-stop conclusion of Toy Story 4—where Woody literally rode off into the sunset with Bo Peep and found peace outside the cycle of ownership—bringing the crew back for another round of existential toy drama feels like a contradiction. But here we are, and the film’s core premise isn’t without merit: what happens to toys when the kid stops playing?

What Works

The Message Actually Matters

Look, the film swings hard at something important: kids glued to screens instead of using their imaginations. The opening visual of sad toys surrounding a kid staring at a tablet is blunt, but it’s deliberately blunt. And that meta-narrative—the idea that kids need to turn it off and actually play—lands. As a parent watching a movie about putting down screens, there’s an irony to that. The film seems aware of it.

The cast commitment is there. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as the original voices of Woody and Buzz, and the supporting ensemble rounds out the emotional weight that Pixar usually handles well.

The Nostalgia Hook

The deliberate callback to Toy Story 2’s score is a heavy hand on the emotional accelerator, and your kids will feel it. That’s not subtle—it’s calculated—but it works.

What Doesn’t

Buzz Feels Off

Buzz shows up diminished. Not just a little—noticeably. The confidence that defined the character in earlier films is largely absent here, and he’s given very little to actually do. Some of this plays into the film’s setup: Jessie’s stepping into a leadership role, and the toys are struggling against a new kind of problem. But it leaves Buzz reactive instead of driving anything. Whether that’s intentional character work or just running out of material for him, it registers as a loss.

Part of the issue: Buzz spends much of the film being played with by girls, and there’s a softness to how he’s animated and voiced that feels different. The film seems to read this as something to play for laughs, but it also undercuts who Buzz is supposed to be. It’s worth noting because the character was never defined by toughness—he was defined by earnestness and heart. That’s what’s missing.

Jessie’s Forced Pivot

Jessie stepping into the Woody role feels awkward because it is awkward. The film seems aware it needed a new lead after Toy Story 4’s ending, but instead of letting that character development breathe, it feels manufactured. She’s a strong character, but she’s being asked to carry a weight she wasn’t designed for.

Bathroom Humor That Doesn’t Fit

The potty humor is heavy. Poop references, fart jokes, wipe-your-a- (cut off), “dooty”—it’s the kind of stuff that lands with kids and makes parents wince. It’s not offensive, but it’s underdisciplined. Pixar has proven it can write for kids without relying on this much bathroom material, and here it feels like filler between better moments.

Woody Goes Off Again

Here’s the bigger pattern: after four films of Woody being the emotional center, he still goes off on his own. The cycle repeats. Whether that’s exploring themes of self-sacrifice or just a screenwriting shortcut, it leaves Woody feeling sidelined in his own franchise’s comeback story. It’s hard not to notice.

Content Warnings

The Real Issue

Toy Story 5 knows the right problem, but it’s not sure how to tell the story.

The technological threat to playtime is real and worth exploring. Kids do need to be put down devices. Imagination does matter. But the film gets caught between honoring what came before and creating something new. It tries to recenter Woody and Buzz when those characters have already had their emotional closure. It leans into silly humor when the premise deserves something sharper.

The film has a soul. But it’s also working against its own ending, trying to restart an engine that was supposed to stay off.

Final Verdict

Toy Story 5 is worth watching, especially if you have kids who need to hear that tablets aren’t a substitute for play. Parents will appreciate the message even if the execution is uneven. It’s a solid family film that doesn’t dishonor the franchise, but it also doesn’t justify why Woody needed to come back. The meta-commentary about devices and imagination resonates—maybe more than Pixar intended. But good intentions don’t fix a story that feels one step behind its own premise.

Best for: Families who need a conversation starter about screen time; Toy Story completists; kids who still play with toys

Skip if: You loved the clean ending of Toy Story 4 and prefer your franchises to stay dead

Available to purchase on Prime (Affiliate link): Toy Story 5

A slick spy thriller that sets up Marvel’s mutant universe with style and moral complexity.

Synopsis

Set in the height of the Cold War, X-Men: First Class follows Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr—two young men discovering their extraordinary mutant powers while navigating the political tensions that will define their generation. When a shadowy threat plots to ignite nuclear warfare, Charles and Erik must learn to work together, building the first team of X-Men to stop something neither could face alone. It’s a spy thriller wrapped in superhero storytelling, complete with the 1960s aesthetic and the moral complexity you’d expect from this era.

The Good

Michael Fassbender’s Performance

Fassbender brings a compelling intensity to Erik Lehnsherr, making his journey from victim to powerful force feel earned and tragic. And Kevin Bacon? He’s genuinely fantastic as the antagonist—he has that charming menace you’d find in a sophisticated spy thriller, like Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds.

Direction and Visual Style

Matthew Vaughn brings a real comic book sensibility to the material with inventive multi-panel shots that echo the 1960s comic aesthetic. The film has real style, and the action stays fluid and engaging throughout.

World-Building

The film does something crucial: it makes you believe how we get from here to the 2000s X-Men films. The foundation is solid. Charles and Erik’s relationship feels like the beginning of something epic, and the introduction to the mutant world is handled with a mix of discovery and danger that pulls you in.

Content to Know About

This film pushes past PG-13 territory in a few places. The violence is moderate but sharp. Erik rips a filling from someone’s mouth using his powers (cringeworthy), you’ll see an assassination by coin shown graphically, a grenade explosion, and a mass slaughter at a CIA facility. It has teeth.

Language includes scattered profanities throughout—more than you’d expect from a PG-13 rating. Logan in particular throws around strong language in a bar scene that easily could’ve been toned down without changing the moment.

There’s also a fair amount of skin on screen, particularly women in bikinis and club settings from the 1960s. Emma Frost uses her psychic abilities to seduce and distract an adversary through a mental projection scene. There’s an awkward beat where Hank touches a female training mannequin inappropriately. It’s worth knowing about before showing this to younger teens.

The Worldview

X-Men: First Class operates from a humanist framework—the story centers on human potential, the problem of evil within us, and the power we hold when we decide to act. There are no spiritual or religious elements at play. That’s worth noting if you’re looking for films with a faith perspective, though it doesn’t diminish the genuine moral questions the film raises about power, choice, and responsibility.

Final Verdict

X-Men: First Class is a genuinely engaging superhero film that respects your intelligence. Fassbender and Bacon elevate the material, and the 1960s setting gives the whole affair a sophisticated spy-thriller feel that sets it apart from standard comic book fare. Yes, there’s more skin on screen than you might expect, and the violence has teeth—but just go in with eyes open about what you’re getting into, and save it for teens 15 and up who can handle the violence and sexual content.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): X-Men: First Class

Quality Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Acceptability Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

A Time-Travel Feel-Good That Actually Earns It

The Hook: A film about family and second chances that respects its audience enough to be genuinely funny—and genuinely moving.

What This Movie Is

Meet the Robinsons is a time-travel comedy with a surprisingly big heart. It follows Lewis, a brilliant but lonely orphan inventor who gets swept into the future by a mysterious kid named Wilbur Robinson and discovers that the Robinson family is… a lot. There’s a T-Rex in the backyard. There’s a guy who bowls with his hat. There’s someone named Tiny who is very much not tiny. And underneath all of that chaos is a story about belonging, doing the right thing, and the power of deciding not to give up.

The film is loosely based on William Joyce’s 1990 children’s book A Day with Wilbur Robinson, but the screenplay builds something much more layered. It’s a family film that doesn’t talk down to kids and doesn’t bore adults.

What Works

The Voice Acting Is Genuinely Good

The cast includes Jordan Fry, Wesley Singerman, Angela Bassett, Tom Selleck, and Adam West, and they’re all committed to their roles. You forget you’re listening to voice acting. The performances are perfectly matched to the characters—even Adam West, who could feel out of place in an animated comedy, slots in naturally. Daniel Hansen brings a warmth to the older Lewis that makes the emotional core of the film land. Wesley Singerman as Wilbur sounds like an actual kid, not a voice actor doing a kid voice. Angela Bassett as Mildred feels like she’s having fun, and that energy carries through the screen.

The Animation Has Its Own Distinct Look

This isn’t trying to be Pixar. The computer animation has a specific visual aesthetic that works in its favor—bright, energetic, with character design choices that feel intentional rather than generic. The future-world sequences are colorful without being obnoxious. The Robinson family house is genuinely inventive. It all serves the story rather than existing to show off technical capability.

The Themes Actually Land Without Feeling Heavy-Handed

There’s a recurring motif here: “Keep moving forward.” It sounds simple—almost like a motto you’d put on a poster—but the film earns it through Lewis’s actual journey. The movie also works in commentary on artificial intelligence and the danger of outsourcing your thinking to someone else (which is what Bowler Hat Guy essentially does), and it does this without ever stopping to lecture. It just shows it.

There’s also a genuinely insightful observation about how your own feelings and reactions are things you control. You can choose not to focus on the negative. That’s not new, but it’s refreshing in a film aimed at kids.

The Humor Actually Works

The comedy comes from character and situation, not from winking at the audience or forcing references. A family member draws a complete face on the back of his bald head. The Robinson family has a collection of genetically engineered frogs that sing. These moments land because they’re weird in the way the Robinson family is genuinely weird. The family operates on its own internal logic, and that logic is funny.

The Content Question

Why This Matters

Meet the Robinsons came out in 2007, right as Walt Disney Animation Studios was figuring out how to exist in a world where Pixar had already proven you could make animated films that worked for everyone. This film doesn’t try to be Pixar. It’s its own thing—weirder, more specific, less immediately sentimental.

There’s real wisdom buried in here about family (which isn’t just biological), about second chances, about the importance of sleep and telling the truth, and about not dwelling on the negative. None of it feels preachy because the film earns it by actually living it out through Lewis’s story.

Final Verdict

If you want an animated film that doesn’t condescend to kids, doesn’t bore adults, and actually has something to say about family and belonging—this is it. It’s funny when it needs to be, moving when it needs to be, and weird enough to stay with you. The Robinson family is legitimately strange in a way that feels lived-in rather than designed-by-committee.

This is one of those films that improves on rewatching because you catch the thematic throughlines and realize how deliberately constructed it is. It’s not a “perfect” film, but it’s a genuinely good one that knows exactly what it’s trying to do.

A lean, well-written origin story that proves you don’t need spandex and primary colors to make mutants matter.

Synopsis

In a world where genetic evolution is accelerating, Professor Charles Xavier runs a school for gifted youngsters—gifted in the mutant sense. When a U.S. senator begins pushing for anti-mutant legislation, the divide between Xavier’s vision of coexistence and Magneto’s supremacist ideology collides head-on. The catalyst: Wolverine, a feral loner with no memory of his past, and Rogue, a young runaway whose touch is lethal. What unfolds is a thoughtful action film about prejudice, identity, and what it means to be different in a world that fears you.

The script treats the material with genuine intelligence. It’s not winking at the source material—it’s respecting it while making it accessible to audiences who’ve never read a comic book. The mutant angle becomes a clear metaphor for any marginalized group, and the film doesn’t shy away from that comparison.

The Good

Writing & Story

This film’s greatest strength is how seriously it takes itself without becoming self-serious. The characters have distinct voices and motivations. Xavier and Magneto aren’t simple heroes and villains—they’re two intelligent men with fundamentally different philosophies about the future. Their scenes together crackle with tension and weight. Wolverine’s gruff uncertainty feels earned, not manufactured. And Rogue’s arc from runaway to someone finding belonging actually lands because the script gives her things to do beyond just being “the new character.”

Direction & Visual Style

Bryan Singer’s commitment to that sleek black-leather aesthetic was the right call. You could argue it’s very The Matrix—and you’d be right—but it works because it grounds the mutant world in a tangible, contemporary reality. The X-Men aren’t standing on some comic-book soundstage; they exist in real locations with real stakes. The action sequences are clean and coherent. You can actually tell what’s happening in a fight, which matters more than people think.

The Statue of Liberty finale is a bit overblown, but it earns that scale by then. The film has spent two hours building to a moment where the conflict between these ideologies comes to a head, and the visual payoff reflects that.

Cast

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen elevate every scene they’re in. Two Shakespearean actors treating mutant philosophy like it’s Macbeth—you feel the gravitas. Hugh Jackman brings Wolverine’s vulnerability along with the menace. You believe he’s dangerous and lost. Anna Paquin and James Marsden give Rogue and Cyclops genuine chemistry and emotional weight. Even the supporting cast (Famke Janssen, Halle Berry) commits fully.

Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Ray Park as Toad, and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth are the weakest links—they’re more archetypes than fully realized characters—but they don’t sink the film.

Final Verdict

X-Men is a 2000 film that knew what it was doing. Bryan Singer made a smart, grounded adaptation that respects source material without being enslaved by it. The writing is genuinely good—these characters have depth and the conflict between Xavier and Magneto feels ideological, not just physical. It’s not a perfect film (that toad-and-lightning line lands pretty flat, and a couple of the supporting villains feel more like costumes than characters), but it’s an effective one.

If you want a mutant origin story that trusts its audience, this is it.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (Affiliate link): X-Men (2000)

A billionaire with a heart learns what real power looks like.

Synopsis

Tony Stark is a weapons manufacturer and genius engineer living the high life. When he’s captured by insurgents in Afghanistan and shrapnel lodges near his heart, he’s forced to confront what his weapons have actually done. Using scraps and determination, he builds a suit of armor and escapes—then goes home and builds a better one.

What starts as a revenge story becomes something deeper: a guy realizing that his own intelligence and resources could be used to help rather than harm. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony as arrogant and funny and genuinely wounded all at once, which makes his arc from self-interested billionaire to someone willing to risk everything actually feel earned.

The Good

Robert Downey Jr.’s Performance

This is the kind of casting that defines a character for a generation. Downey brings a natural charisma and self-awareness to Tony that makes him believable both as a guy who built his fortune on weapons and as someone smart enough to question what he’s doing. His vulnerability when he realizes the damage his weapons have caused feels genuine, not manufactured.

Jon Favreau’s Direction

Favreau builds a world that feels grounded in reality, which is no small feat for a superhero origin story. The film doesn’t rely on comic-book-y dialogue or over-the-top spectacle to tell its story. Instead, it treats Tony’s invention process and character transformation with respect—we learn what the director wants us to know when they want us to know it. The pacing is smart, and the story moves without feeling rushed.

A Story That Actually Works

Unlike a lot of superhero movies, Iron Man has a premise that makes sense and dialogue that feels natural. Tony building the suit in a cave with limited resources, the escalation to bigger armor, his realization about the human cost of his business—it all flows logically. Gwyneth Paltrow is believable as Pepper Potts, grounded and smart without being a token love interest.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Iron Man is a smart superhero origin story that respects both the material and its audience. Robert Downey Jr. makes Tony Stark someone you actually care about, and Jon Favreau builds a world that feels real enough to ground all the sci-fi elements. If you’re looking for an action movie that knows what it is and commits fully to it—without talking down to you or your family—this is it.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Iron Man

Iron Man,Marvel,Superhero,Action,Robert Downey Jr,Gwyneth Paltrow,Terrence Howard,Jon Favreau,2008,PG-13,MCU

The rare sequel that tops the original — starting with one of the best openings in comic book movie history.

Synopsis

After the events of the first film, tensions between mutants and humans are at a breaking point. When a teleporting mutant launches a shocking attack on the White House, public fear explodes — and a military scientist with a dark agenda sees his opening.

As the X-Men reel from an assault on their own home, Wolverine finds himself pulled toward answers about his past that he’d rather leave buried. With Professor X, Magneto, and the rest of the team forced onto uneasy ground, the fight for mutant survival gets personal.

Bryan Singer returns to direct a bigger, more confident sequel that digs deeper into what it means to be different in a world that’s afraid of you.

The Good

Better Across the Board

Every performance is improved over the first film — and Mystique in particular is better this time around. The whole cast feels more settled into these characters, and it shows.

That Opening

This might be one of the best openings of any comic book movie — maybe any movie, period. Nightcrawler’s teleportation effects are perfect, the film looks great visually, and the effects never get overdone or hokey. It grabs you from the first frame and doesn’t let go.

Dialogue That Doesn’t Try Too Hard

None of the dialogue feels forced or stuffed with winks to the fans. There’s no agenda being pushed — except acceptance, which is the whole point of the X-Men anyway.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

X2 takes everything that worked in the first X-Men and does it better — bigger action, better acting, and an opening sequence that belongs in the comic book movie hall of fame. If the original won you over, this is the sequel that rewards your loyalty.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): X2: X-Men United

X2,X-Men United,Marvel,Superhero,Action,Hugh Jackman,Patrick Stewart,Ian McKellen,James Marsden,Bryan Singer,2003,PG-13,X-Men Movies

A breath of fresh air in an age of cussing and empty violence.

Synopsis

In the early days of colonial America, a young George Washington heads into the untamed frontier as a surveyor — and finds himself pulled into the brutal warfare of the French and Indian War. Battle after battle tests him, and the cost of each one grows heavier.

As the fighting rages around him and the Native tribes take his measure, the young Washington begins to forge the leader he will become — a man they say carries a spirit of protection.

The Good

A Breath of Fresh Air

In this age of cussing and scantily clad women and violence for violence’s sake, this film was a breath of fresh air. Great acting, great plot, great direction, great score, great costumes — this is how you make a historical epic.

Beautiful Cinematography

The opening scenes are beautifully shot, and the frontier looks every bit as vast and untamed as it should.

Well Cast Throughout

Not one actor felt miscast. The ensemble is strong from top to bottom, and every performance feels exactly right for the story being told.

A Missed Opportunity

The film never talks about Washington’s faith at all — a shame from Angel, a studio founded on faith values. The real Washington was raised Anglican by a devout mother, served as a vestryman, and credited his survival in battle to divine Providence.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Young Washington is that rare thing: a historical epic that respects its audience and its subject. Beautifully shot, superbly acted, and anchored by a story worth telling — this one earned every bit of its five stars.

Available to purchase on Amazon (affiliate link): Young Washington

Sherlock Holmes, but mice — with Vincent Price as the villain.

Synopsis

Beneath the streets of Victorian London, the mouse world has its own Baker Street — and its own great detective. When a young mouse’s toymaker father is snatched away in the night, she turns to Basil, the brilliant and eccentric sleuth of the mouse world, to find him.

With his loyal friend Dr. Dawson at his side, Basil picks up a trail that leads straight to the criminal mastermind Professor Ratigan — a villain as clever as Basil himself, and twice as ruthless. What starts as a missing-person case becomes a race to stop a scheme that threatens the entire mouse kingdom.

The Good

Superb Casting

Vincent Price is superb as the villain of this movie — he chews every scene he’s in. And the casting of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes was brilliant, even if you only ever see Holmes in the shadows. The voices across the board are exactly right.

An Inspired Score

Having Henry Mancini compose the score was an inspired choice. The music gives the whole adventure a classic detective-story sweep that lifts every scene it touches.

Love Letter to Holmes

There are several homages to Sherlock Holmes woven through the film, and they’re a joy to catch. It’s a fun animated take on a Holmes adventure — dark, visually and thematically, and gruesome at times, in the way only late-80s Disney would dare.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

The Great Mouse Detective is a quaint, fun retelling of Sherlock Holmes for kids — superbly cast, beautifully scored, and just dark enough to feel like a real adventure. If your family loves a good mystery, this little gem is worth tracking down.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): The Great Mouse Detective

Based on the Basil of Baker Street book series (affiliate link): Basil of Baker Street

The Great Mouse Detective,Disney,Animation,Family,Mystery,Vincent Price,Ron Clements,1986,G,Sherlock Holmes

The best part of the new Moana comes after the movie ends.

Synopsis

Disney’s live-action Moana retells the 2016 animated adventure: Moana, chosen by the ocean, sails beyond the reef with the demigod Maui to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people. For all intents and purposes, it is the same movie, now played out with real boats, real water, and real actors.

The Good

Visuals That Improve on the Original

The director had something of a cheat sheet: the animated film could serve as his storyboards. But translating those images into a live-action reality still took real work, and he improved on the visuals where they had to exist in the real world. The result looks like the animated original while feeling like a real place.

Built the Traditional Way

The production hired an all-Kiwi cast, with Maui and Moana the exceptions, and built the boats and other props in the traditional Polynesian way. That commitment to doing it properly gives the film a grounding that a soundstage imitation never would.

Two Set Pieces That Soar

The You’re Welcome sequence is a visual spectacle, staged with the confidence of a number that knows it is the showstopper. The Tamatoa sequence is good too, staying close to the original rather than trying to reinvent it.

A Story That Still Works

The writing is as good as the first one because, for all intents and purposes, it is the same story. The backstory explanation is a welcome addition that works, giving the voyage a clearer foundation without getting in the way of the adventure.

The End Credits Song

The end credits song might be one of the best bits of the new movie. The original Moana actress chose not to reprise her role so a new generation of South Pacific actress could get the exposure that Moana offered her, and the song brings both Moana actresses together with their co-star Dwayne Johnson. It is a very good song, and a generous way to close the film.

Better Than Lilo & Stitch

It is better than the Lilo & Stitch live action, and that matters after a run of remakes that have not earned their existence. There is also something to respect in The Rock not insisting on filling the film with his family. I honestly expected to see at least half of the Anoa’i family in this film, and the restraint is worth noting.

What Didn’t Work

For all its craft, the film is a shot for shot, beat for beat remake. They did not change anything. After the Snow White debacle, where they supposedly changed the whole premise, playing it safe is understandable, but it also means the film rarely surprises you. You know every beat before it arrives.

Not everything survives the translation to live action. The Kakamora did not translate as well, and the big confrontation strains belief: one girl against hundreds of Kakamora does not seem feasible, even in a film about a demigod and a magic ocean.

The new Moana is a bit stiff at times. Knowing this is her feature film debut makes it easier to let pass, and her very Gen-Z attitude in dealing with Maui gives the pairing its own energy, but the performance is not yet at the level of the voice work it follows.

Put together, it is not bad. But compared to the original, it just lacks something. Maybe it is the difference between actors performing voice overs and actors performing live action, or maybe the whole production was rushed because The Rock wanted to play Maui himself. Either way, the remake is faithful, handsome, but missing the spark of the original.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Moana in live action is a faithful, handsome remake that never quite finds a reason to exist beyond the original. The spectacle is real, the traditional craftsmanship is real, and the end credits song is genuinely special. But a shot for shot remake can only go so far, and if you loved the animated film, you will like this one without finding much here you have not seen before. Compared to the original, it just lacks something. Three and a half stars.

Available to purchase on Amazon (affiliate link): Moana

The smallest Marvel movie is also one of the funniest.

Synopsis

After the world-ending stakes of Sokovia, the MCU goes small. Really small. Scott Lang is an ex-con with a master’s degree in electrical engineering that nobody will hire, and he is fighting for visitation rights with his daughter Cassie. When Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, watches Scott pull off a seemingly impossible break-in, he recruits him for one last heist: infiltrate Pym Technologies and stop Hank’s former protégé Darren Cross from selling a weaponized shrinking suit, the Yellowjacket, to Hydra.

To pull it off, Scott will have to master the Ant-Man suit, command an army of ants, and learn to hit with full-grown force at the size of an insect.

The Good

A Cast That Commits

Everyone puts their all into their roles, and they all take this movie seriously even though it is a superhero comedy action heist film. That commitment is what holds the tone together: the jokes land because the characters believe the stakes, and the emotional beats land because the actors do. A film this silly on paper only works when the people inside it refuse to play it silly, and this cast never does.

Pacing That Never Drags

The pacing never drags. Not once did the film leave me waiting for something to happen or waiting on the next plot point; the director keeps everything moving along nicely, from the heist setup through the training sequences to the final confrontation, without ever letting the energy dip or a scene overstay its welcome.

Sharp Writing

The dialogue is sharp throughout, and the script’s best idea is Luis voicing over the passing of information: exposition that could have been dry becomes the funniest device in the movie. Nothing feels shoehorned in, and even Falcon’s appearance, the kind of crossover cameo that usually stops a movie cold, fits naturally into the story instead of feeling bolted on.

Luis Steals the Show

Luis’ stories practically make this movie. His winding, detail-stuffed retellings turn simple information dumps into showstoppers, and Paul Rudd has some pretty great one-liners of his own to keep up. The training sequence is the best part of the film, and the Falcon fight is the funniest scene in the movie, the moment where the film’s small-scale premise pays off biggest.

Easter Eggs and Deep Cuts

Tales to Astonish. Cross’s throwaway line is the title of Tales to Astonish #27 (1962), the comic where Hank Pym debuted. The whole film is built on that first appearance.

Who’s to blame for Sokovia? During Scott’s first escape, he lands on a commuter’s newspaper carrying that headline, a direct callback to the fallout of Age of Ultron.

Yellowjacket. In the comics, Yellowjacket was one of Hank Pym’s own superhero identities. The film hands the name to Darren Cross, Hank’s protégé turned rival.

Hope van Dyne. There is no Hope van Dyne in the main comics continuity. The name is borrowed from an alternate-universe Hope Pym.

Stan Lee. He’s the bartender in this one.

Mitchell Carson. The man buying the Yellowjacket tech for Hydra is the same S.H.I.E.L.D. official from the 1989 opening. One of Cross’s other buyers sports a Ten Rings tattoo.

It’s a Small World. Luis whistles the Disney parks song during the heist. Disney owns Marvel, and yes, they absolutely did that on purpose.

Faith Allusions

The unlikely chosen. Nobody hires Scott Lang. Hank Pym, genius and legend, chooses an ex-con to carry the most dangerous technology on Earth. Paul writes, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The qualification was never the résumé. It was the willingness.

Love drives out fear. Hank kept Hope out of the suit because he had already lost Janet and could not survive losing his daughter too. John writes, “Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). What finally restores father and daughter is not more protection. It is the truth, told at last.

Fathers, tell the truth. Paul tells fathers, “Do not exasperate your children” (Ephesians 6:4). One honest conversation about 1987 does more for Hank and Hope than all the years of careful distance.

The day of small things. Gideon thought his clan was the weakest and he was the least in his family, yet God cut his army from 32,000 soldiers down to 300 so the victory would plainly belong to God and not to numbers. Scott hears the same message from Pym: do not let anyone tell you that you have nothing to offer. Zechariah asks, “Who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10). The film answers the way Gideon’s story does: small is not the same as insignificant, and even the ant earns a commendation in Proverbs for preparing without a ruler over her (Proverbs 6:6-8).

The LORD looks at the heart. When Samuel went to anoint a king, he looked at the tall, muscular brother and assumed that was God’s choice. God told him not to consider appearance or height, because people look at the outward appearance while the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Pym does the same thing when he passes over every credentialed candidate and chooses an ex-con no one else will hire.

Faith allusions inspired by The Super Heroes Devotional by Ed Strauss.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Ant-Man is the palate cleanser the MCU needed after the world-ending stakes of Sokovia: a heist comedy with a warm center, a fully committed cast, and Luis. The smallest Marvel movie does not try to be the biggest, and that restraint is its strength. Luis’ stories practically make the movie, Paul Rudd’s one-liners land, and the film earns every bit of its three and a half stars.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): Ant-Man

The 1994 cartoon still tells this story better, and it looks better doing it.

Synopsis

Simba, the young lion prince of the Pride Lands, must find his way home and reclaim his rightful place as king after his father Mufasa's death and his uncle Scar's betrayal, with the help of Timon, Pumbaa, and the friends of his childhood. This 2019 version retells the 1994 animated classic with many of the same scenes and dialogue, replacing hand-drawn animation with photorealistic CGI animals.

The Good

Hyenas That Move Like They Mean It

The animation of the hyenas was very well done. Their mouth movements seemed quite natural and looked like they could have been saying those words. In a film where the animals must carry every emotion without a single human face, that craft matters, and the hyenas are where it shows best. Shenzi got a bigger part, and that is not a complaint.

A Perfect Entrance

Donald Glover takes over as adult Simba after the time jump, and his first introduction comes at the tail end of Hakuna Matata, and it is perfect, better than the original. After a film of careful imitation, the moment lands because Glover makes the song his own.

Timon and Pumbaa Still Work

Seth Rogen is a highlight as Pumbaa, and Timon and Pumbaa are fun for the most part. The comedy duo still works, even when the film around them is playing it safe.

A Young Simba Worth Following

I liked most of JD McCrary's portrayal of young Simba. He carries the cub's curiosity and hurt well, and the performance holds up even when the CGI around him can only give him so much room to feel.

Beautiful to Look At

The overall look of the movie is beautiful. The Pride Lands, rendered in photorealistic detail, look real enough to touch, even when the storytelling stays in the original's shadow.

What Didn’t Work

This is mostly a shot-for-shot remake of the original, and Jon Favreau's attempt to recapture that magic with a more photorealistic look comes up short. Scar in particular looked like a poorly timed animatronic at times, and the visuals the original achieved through animation simply could not be recreated.

The songs lose their spark. “I Just Can't Wait to Be King” was one of the original's most memorable sequences because of its engaging animation and fun song, and this version completely pales in comparison. John Oliver flattens out the sequence, and every time he had a line it took me out of the movie.

“Be Prepared” fares worse: the film would have been better served without the number, cut to about two minutes, just over half the original's 3:40, with Chiwetel Ejiofor's Scar never delivering the fierceness and scariness Jeremy Irons brought to it.

Mufasa's death, the emotional center of the story, does not carry the same weight it did in the original. That is not entirely JD McCrary's fault: there is only so much emotion the filmmakers could give the CGI characters without making them look too cartoony, and the scene pays the price for that restraint.

Small distractions add up. Billy Eichner sometimes gives Timon an exaggerated vocal delivery that becomes a distraction, the secondary hyenas' comedy feels forced rather than funny, and Beyoncé's unnecessary runs during “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and her original song “Spirit” ruin those sequences. It plays like the song was built around how many runs she could fit in.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

The Lion King (2019) is beautiful to look at and faithful to a fault, but the very approach that makes it visually impressive keeps it from matching what came before. The hyenas move like they mean it, Donald Glover's entrance is perfect, and Seth Rogen's Pumbaa is a delight, yet the songs lose their spark, Scar loses his menace, and the story's biggest moment loses its weight. I'd give it three stars, and the 1994 original remains the version to show your kids first.

Available to rent or purchase on Prime (affiliate link): The Lion King

If Instant Family's language kept you away, start here.

Synopsis

Jake Carson (John Cena) leads an elite team of smokejumpers, a crew that runs on discipline, routine, and zero surprises. When they rescue three siblings from a wildfire, the firehouse becomes a daycare, and the toughest crew in the forest has to figure out bedtime, school runs, and three kids who do not follow orders. This 2019 Nickelodeon comedy pairs Cena's no-nonsense firefighter with the chaos of sudden parenthood.

The Good

Casting That Clicks

John Cena plays a great no-nonsense smokejumper, and he plays perfectly off Keegan-Michael Key as his second-in-command, who has the bulk of the humor in this movie. Judy Greer adds a little warmth to the story as Dr. Amy Hicks, the local scientist and Jake's former date.

Lots of Laughs, Almost as Much Heart

With lots of laughs and almost as much heart, this is a cute end-of-fall movie. The comedy lands where it should, and the heart sneaks up on you, which is exactly the balance a family comedy needs.

Clean Enough for the Kids

The writing delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Nickelodeon movie, and the language stays mild, making this a much easier watch for families who passed on Instant Family because of its stronger language.

What Didn’t Work

John Leguizamo's Rodrigo feels underdeveloped, with several character traits introduced but never meaningfully explored. The film sets up a character it never bothers to finish.

A couple of jokes are aimed squarely at the adults in the room and miss the kids entirely: an early joke about infidelity that was highly uncalled for, and a suggestive pin-up in the bunks played for humor that felt unnecessary.

Content Warnings

Final Verdict

Playing with Fire (2019) is a fun fall family comedy with plenty of laughs and a little more heart than it lets on. Cena and Key carry the comedy, the language stays mild, and for 2nd graders on up it's an easy one to watch together, even with a few jokes that miss the room, some suggestive material that feels unnecessary, and a Leguizamo character that never gets room to finish. Three stars.

Available to rent or purchase on Amazon (affiliate link): Playing with Fire