__Hello again. And if you're in the USA, happy Independence Day weekend.🙂
__I'm also happy to report that I got my second shot yesterday.😀 I posted my last entry on this blog the day after I got the first one, so see that one for the story of how unexpected it was.🙂 Now I just need to self-isolate for another week, and I should be fine. Obviously, that doesn't mean I should stop being cautious, though.
__Now, for the last few months, I've been spending my days playing video games and my evenings watching TV shows, most recently Half-Life and Dexter respectively. However, because I finished both at almost exactly the same time, I decided to take a break and start on another set of movies, so that's what I'll be commenting on this time.
__But, because I played Half-Life before starting the batch of movies, it seems appropriate to throw in its mini review first. I said in my last post that it would be the first game I commented on this month; I didn't think it would turn out to be the only one.😀
I'm usually not a fan of first-person shooters, but this is one major exception.🙂 The fun gameplay is backed up by its creative setting and alien enemies, and a wide array of memorable scenarios. It's easy to see why it was so influential.
My rating: 95%.
__And now let's talk about the movies I spent the last month watching.
__This was brought on mainly because I'd felt the urge to watch the Winnie the Pooh and Scooby-Doo animated movies. Not all of them, obviously, because there are tons of them in both cases: according to Wikipedia, there are currently fourteen for Winnie the Pooh and forty for Scooby-Doo! I decided that a select five Winnie the Pooh movies and the first eight Scooby-Doo ones to be released would cover it well enough. I've already seen some of them, so of course, only the ones I haven't will be getting the "first impressions" review treatment. (The one exception is Scooby-Doo in Arabian Nights, which I did see as a child, but I was barely paying attention to it. This is the first time I watched it properly, so it might as well be my first impressions.)
__I also knew exactly what I wanted to accompany those movies with. A few Christmases ago, my sister got me a "100 Movies Bucket List" poster on which, for every movie you've seen, you scratch off its square to reveal a picture underneath of something significant from that movie. I thought this would be a great opportunity to check off the last few titles I hadn't seen. The only problem is they numbered more than all the selected Pooh and Scooby movies combined, so I paired the last couple with some other animated movies: Disney and Pixar's latest, and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (since there's another Spirit movie coming out this year, it seemed appropriate🙂). In the case of the last pair, it's the animated movie that was on the poster, so its partner was an acclaimed 2020 movie that had finally become available on Google Play.
__So, with all that said, here we go.
Honestly, it did very little for me, mainly because the narrative is so disjointed that it's hard to get invested in Holly's journey. I like the casual informality in the opening scenes and how Paul seems to reflect my confusion.
My rating: 60%.
The story is nothing special (obvious conclusion, and even a clichéd "liar revealed" scenario), but it's the animation that stands out. It's amazing how perfectly they replicate the sketchy linework of the classic Many Adventures.
My rating: 55%.
The film's scope is truly epic and so mind-blowing that it more than makes up for a less-than-exciting script. The cinematography brilliantly captures the scale of the locations, and the vast on-camera armies are always impressive.
My rating: 65%.
It's not scary, but certain aspects are interesting. The neighbours are annoying enough to justify Rosemary's growing paranoia, the climax throws her sanity into question, and the erratic lucidity of the dream sequences is brilliant.
My rating: 65%.
It might be entertaining for young children, but there's very little of merit for anyone else. The story is harmless enough and the Carly Simon songs aren't as unbearable as in Piglet's Big Movie, but I can't stand Lumpy.
My rating: 40%.
I love this movie.🙂 Everything about it is great fun: the songs, the fancy editing, the outrageously over-the-top acting, and the fact that it's all an homage to golden age horror films, most prominently Frankenstein.
My rating: 85%.
The laughs are a bit spaced out, and the documentary format seemed scatterbrained at first, but the fun lies in watching the band face numerous challenges, from dwindling gig opportunities to on-stage issues like the Stonehenge prop.
My rating: 70%.
The child acting makes the first half-hour unbearable, but the rest is highly compelling as we follow the characters preparing for adulthood. It's littered with memorable moments and ends with a great speech about other violent worlds.
My rating: 80%.
It's a character study of a brilliant but troubled mind, cleverly subverting the traditional genius trope. It keeps you curious about what Will is so afraid of. The performances are A1, and Robin Williams deserved his Oscar nomination.
My rating: 85%.
Like the other Scooby-Doo movies, it'll appeal far more to a much younger audience. It has its share of laughs and convenient spontaneous gadgets, but it's most memorable for being a blatant Wacky Races rip-off.
My rating: 55%.
I wasn't sold on the premise at first, but the intrigue builds along with Truman's frenzied determination to find the truth. I won't spoil the ending, but there's some profound symbolism that I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed.
My rating: 80%.
A two-story anthology. The main one is an unbearably infantile take on Aladdin that makes me feel sorry for Jennifer Hale. But the Sinbad retelling is much funnier, mainly due to the captain's classically cartoonish screams.
My rating: 25%.
It doesn't shy away from its white supremacist protagonist's beliefs or how cruel and spiteful they are, and it proves to be exceedingly cathartic to see him undergo a change of heart. A captivating movie with exceptional acting.
My rating: 90%.
The first half does a great job at setting up relatable frustrations and the results of Peter's hypnosis-induced carefree attitude, but the rest isn't very cohesive – just several random events – and the pacing is rather sluggish throughout.
My rating: 65%.
It's sombre and deeply emotional, but it didn't make me cry. It has two major hindrances: John's supernatural powers (though, to be fair, they take full advantage of them) and Percy, who's so cartoonishly evil that he's just distracting.
My rating: 70%.
It's more or less like an extended episode of the TV series – it has the superstitious locals, the clues, the unmasking and the explanation – except the mystery takes a back seat to a love interest for Shaggy and Scooby.
My rating: 60%.
It's framed as a quirky romance about philanthropy and overcoming shyness, but her naïve actions in the name of helping people come across as immensely creepy! Calling it a dive into the mind of a stalker would have been far more appropriate.
My rating: 35%.
It involves a video game about the gang's adventures, and appropriately it's a tribute to the franchise's roots, complete with disguises that confuse the villains, and a lot of childish dialogue that states the obvious.
My rating: 55%.
It puts you completely in the character's shoes and fully conveys the inherent fear and anguish, whether he's suffering Nazi oppression or walking through a war zone. My favourite shots are the ones observing extensive combat from a distance.
My rating: 80%.
The opening is incredible, as is the animation consistently. The decision not to have the animals talk is commendable, but their highly expressive faces create an awkward balance where they're only half anthropomorphised.
My rating: 50%.
Good God is it boring! Both the world and the characters completely failed to compel me. I assume its historical setting is meticulously researched, but I can't tell whether the accents are accurate or just phoney and inconsistent.
My rating: 40%.
The animation is top-notch, but the story isn't quite on par. It's an enjoyable enough adventure, but its message about trust feels somewhat naïve, particularly the final resolution. Plus, Sisu is incredibly annoying at first.
My rating: 70%.
It's nearly fifty minutes longer than Infernal Affairs, yet suffers from the same problem: the pacing is too fast, and the story is just barely legible. The characters' dilemmas are hinted at, but not given enough time to be fleshed out.
My rating: 60%.
It seems derivative of The Little Mermaid at first, but soon becomes its own fun if not stunningly poignant coming-of-age story. At its core is Luca's eagerness to learn and explore new things, and how it affects his relationships with others.
My rating: 75%.
A fun mix of crime thriller and black comedy. The reason for Ray's guilt is perfectly understandable, but the funniest part is how nonchalant everyone is about death otherwise, talking about killing each other as though it's a game of tag.
My rating: 75%.
I wasn't completely blown away by the central friendship, but stop-motion animation will never stop being impressive. It touches on several highly relevant aspects of autism, like the offensive idea that it's something to be "cured".
My rating: 80%.
I love how the sound design almost always puts you in Ruben's position. Some scenes near the end didn't make much sense to me, but I get that the lengths to which he goes to regain his hearing are an allegory for his former addiction.
My rating: 75%.
__If you're curious about my thoughts on the missing Pooh and Scooby movies, I'll quickly go over them just to finish off.
__I didn't include The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in this set, because there's no point: it would absolutely eclipse all the rest in terms of quality. I give it 85%.
__Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin (or, as I always knew it because I live in the British Isles, Winnie the Pooh's Most Grand Adventure) is one I watched many times as a child, but now its flaws stand out much more: the opening is too sappy for my taste, the songs are bad, and the story is flimsy because it's based entirely on misunderstandings. I give it 50%.
__When I first saw Piglet's Big Movie in the cinema (not entirely by choice), I found it so juvenile that I absolutely hated it. Now, having given it a second chance, I don't think it's that bad. I still hate the songs by Carly Simon, but I like how many of the stories are taken from the original books, particularly the house at Pooh Corner. I give it 50%.
__Winnie the Pooh (2011) is pretty decent. Not as good as Many Adventures, but it easily outshines all the others. I give it 65%.
__Scooby-Doo and the Boo Brothers is seriously hampered by its cheap animation and infantile dialogue, and the eponymous Boo Brothers are so disassociated from the pivotal treasure hunt that they grind the movie to a screeching halt whenever they're on screen. I give it 40%.
__Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School is much better than Boo Brothers, thanks mainly to Shaggy's rapport with the students. It came out the same year as Reluctant Werewolf, so I can imagine how confusing it would have been at the time to watch both back-to-back and see Dracula's polar opposite attitude towards Shaggy in between films. I give it 60%.
__Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is by far the best of them all. In fact, it's actually better than I remember it. It both tributes and upends the classic formula, and has some legitimately scary moments. I give it 75%.
__Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost is another good one, just let down a bit by the climax and the Hex Girls' music. I give it 65%.
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