Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Film Review

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is the latest adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s story of the little wooden puppet who strives to be a real boy, while getting into all sorts of mischief and learning some lessons along the way. We are most familiar with the animated Disney movie from 1940 (which ended up getting a live-action remake just this year), yet Del Toro’s version is a bit distant from its counterpart, being that it is a darker version supposedly closer to the source material. With all the many versions, however, you would probably be tired of seeing yet another film version of Pinocchio. Thankfully, Del Toro’s film is inventive enough to stand out from the rest, as it deals with thematic material, which not even Robert Zemeckis’ Disney remake could not even pull off. I would even say that this may be the best version of Pinocchio I have seen since the original Disney film.

Wendell & Wild – Film Review

When it comes to stop-motion animation, no one does it like Henry Selick. If that name sounds familiar, it is because he has worked on films such as Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Coraline to name a few. Yet with his style of stop-motion and dark fantasy storytelling, it would be hard to mistake him with Tim Burton. If one were to pay attention, you could easily see that Selick has a particular style that is easy to separate from Burton, from the thin design of the characters to the lanky way they move. While he does not have as much of a filmography, Selick has left his mark in the animation industry as a visual artist. Wendell & Wild comes from a story written by Selick and it just may be his most colorfully clean.

‘Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe’ Film Review

After 26 years (and one reboot series later), Beavis and Butt-Head return, though instead of a cinematic outing, they have made their way to the streaming world of Paramount+. For its 25th anniversary, I covered my thoughts on Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, one of my favorite comedies. Needless to say, it still held up with its dimwitted approach to a thrilling plot. Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe shows us that the boys still have what it takes in a world afraid to dip its toes in offensive territory. Not much has changed about Mike Judge’s iconic creations, for they are just as rude and sexual as ever; laughing at over every bit of innuendo they could possibly notice. It is the comedy we need to get through the roughness of 2022.

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ Film Review

The best way to describe The Bob’s Burgers Movie is that it is a delight! From the moment we get our first musical number, it is clear that we are in for something special. Either that, or it sure is nice to see a 2D-animated feature on our big screen. Whatever the case, The Bob’s Burgers Movie is a perfect way to ring in the summer, and then some. I am not someone who has heavily watched the Fox series from which this film spun itself from, so I cannot call myself a fan, yet after watching Bob’s, I find myself wanting to immerse myself into its quirky world. For those who are not aware, Bob’s Burgers takes place in a fast-food burger joint run by the Belcher family, led by patriarch Bob (Voice of H. Jon Benjamin), with the help of his overly-positive wife, Linda (Voice of John Roberts), and his three children, the fun-loving Gene (Voice of Eugene Mirman), mischievous Louise (Voice of Kristen Schaal), and deep-voiced, socially-awkward Tina (Voice of Dan Mintz) as they deal with all sorts of mishaps. While the show was aimed for adults, one thing that separates the Belchers from the likes of Family Guy‘s Griffin family, or the titular Simpsons is how much the Belcher family loves each other, and manages to stand by each other, even when the chips are down. You could even say that, despite its crude humor, you could probably watch this show around your kids, as it is not raunchy enough to require putting them to bed.

A Look Back on ‘Fritz the Cat’ (1972) – The First Adult Animated Movie

When Fritz the Cat, first came out in 1972, it broke new ground for what animation could do in terms of being exclusively for adults. There was sex, nudity, violence, and language that many had found controversial at the time; it even became the first animated movie to receive an X rating. Yet, despite its crude and graphic nature, it became a success at the box-office and paved the way for more grown-up cartoons like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park to name a few. Who do we have to thank for, for such a rudely ambitious feature? It is none other than Ralph Bakshi, who would later go on to make Heavy Traffic, Wizards, The Lord of the Rings (There was an animated film, believe it or not), and Cool World.

A Look Back at ‘Sausage Party’ – What the Hell Was That Movie?

Anyone remember Sausage Party? You know, the 2016 animated movie created by the duo of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg? Well, I decided to give it a rewatch just for the fun of it. I know I reviewed this movie before after seeing it in the theater with my dad, but seeing how it is slowly fading into obscurity as an animated movie that came and went, I figured that I would talk about it again, maybe see how well it holds up, whether it’s deserving of praise, or is just better left as a distant memory. Before I talk about Sausage Party, let’s start from the beginning.

A Look Back On ‘Beavis and Butt-Head Do America’ – Still Funny After 25 Years?

When I was a kid, I had no idea who Beavis and Butt-Head were. I never really watched MTV, nor did it seem that I was really allowed to. What I do remember was seeing a VHS copy of their first motion picture, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America at age nine, but I had never really watched it, nor did I ever watch the show that it was based on. My first experience watching Beavis and Butt-Head was in high school when I noticed that a neighbor of my dad at the time, happened to have a couple of VHS’ of the show and the movie. I decided to borrow them both. While I cannot remember what my initial reaction was, all I can say is that watching Do America opened the door for my appreciation of the characters and it eventually became one of my favorite comedies, which I like to watch whenever I am in the mood.

A Look Back at ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ – Aardman’s First (and Only) Best Animated Feature Oscar Winner

‘The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run’ Film Review

Just when I never thought it would never see the light of day, out comes The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run, just in time for the latest streaming service, Paramount+, to be released. With movie theaters in America being limited due to the ongoing pandemic, streaming has been the savior of many movies for those still not willing to go to a theater and catching the COVID virus; many of Warner Bros. films have been slated to release on HBO Max simultaneously with a theatrical release, while Disney+ has been trying to add premier access with films like Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water has only found a theatrical release in the international market during the past summer, though I am not sure how well it did. I doubt it will even find an audience, with the amount of streaming services competing against each other. Only those who are true Spongebob fans, like myself, will even bother to give Paramount+ a shot just for 91 minutes of Spongebob and his friends.

‘Tom and Jerry’ Film Review

Tom and Jerry, the world famous cat and mouse from Hanna and Barbera, return to the big (and small) screen in a live-action/CG-animated hybrid film, which has the same humor you come to expect from the duo, but the dullness of a modern children’s comedy trying so hard to be funny, yet will only appeal to the youngest of kids. The good thing I can say about this mediocre mess of a film is that, unlike the previous animated film from 1992, the cat and mouse do not talk. As you can expect, they fight, slap, chase, pull, prod, and many other things, yet while all the action is happening, we have to sit through a story concerning human characters that we end up caring little about, making us wish we had better things to do.