Ralph Breaks the Internet

If "Incredibles 2'' beats this for Best Animated Film at the Oscars next year, I'm going to be so ticked! I'd say not only is this one of the best animated films of 2018, it's one of the best films of 2018, period. The plot was not predictable, there were lots of in-jokes and Easter Eggs. This is what "The Emoji Movie" wishes it could be. The film doesn't have much going for it in terms of plot, the plot is pretty simple, but I don't think that was the point of the movie. I think this was supposed to be more "Let's see how many jokes we can make in 100 minutes." Do all the jokes work? No. Some of them actually fall really flat, and there were some elements I think could have been expanded more. This is more akin to "Lego" movies than anything else. The scenes with the Disney princesses being exaggerated parodies of themselves is worth the price of admission alone. (It actually makes me want a Disney Princess "Avengers" type movie.) And there are plenty of other jokes for Marvel and Star Wars. This is probably the hardest I've laughed at a movie this year. It's the rare sequel that in some ways is  slightly better than the original.

Grade: A-    9/10    4/5 stars

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

I had mildly low expectations for this movie. I've kind of been over the Harry Potter franchise since Deathly Hallows Part 2 came out, and Fantastic Beasts ended up being a delightful surprise, but I doubted they could make this one as good. They did. Ultimately I was worried that Johnny Depp would ruin the movie because at this point he's almost playing a parody of himself, but for once, Depp does not play Jack Sparrow in a different outfit. The character of Grindelwald is fiercely acted by Depp, and even gives Lord Voldemort himself a run for his money.  This franchise got dark really fast. The "Potter" movies didn't got dark until the 4th outing, but this one did not hold back. It earns the PG-13 rating, which was surprising since the first one was more of a fun fantasy romp. It was refreshing to see a film in this franchise where I did not know the general plot going in, since this is not an adaptation of a book, so there were some great surprises. There were some moments where I thought "Ok, that's really stupid" but overall, the story made sense. I really wish these films would stop ending on cliffhangers. I understand about wanting to make another franchise, but unless it has been set in stone that the story will conclude like "Lord of the Rings", don't do that. Each film should feel more-or-less self contained. Let's say this movie doesn't do well enough at the box office to warrant a 3rd one. It ends up being a waste of time.  I do hope we get a 3rd one, because I'm excited to see where the story goes, and if my theories from this film are right. 

Grade: B    8/10    4/5 stars

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

The visuals and costumes are stunning. That's literally the only positive thing I have to say about this movie. Everything else about it is bad. It's a shame, because the director has made some really great stuff. (Captain America: The First Avenger, and 1995's "Jumanji".). The main issue was the plot. The plot was all over the place. I remember very little about it. It was a muddled mess of a movie. The acting was way over the top. Keira Knightly usually does so well, but, sadly she is the worst one here. Every single line is over enunciated or overacted. I think doing all those Pirates movies with Johnny Depp rubbed off on her, because it's like watching a female Johnny Depp. The film, rather than telling the story of the Nutcracker, which is a fine story, and if they had stuck with the original story it probably would have been fine, decides to tell a completely different story, that is very, very, loosely tied to the story. I think the only thing it shares with the original story is the title. It was trying to imitate too many other fantasy movies. Wizard of Oz, 2010's Alice in Wonderland, Narnia. It spent too much time trying to distract with flashy visuals, when it should have been focusing on the story  and acting, and it suffers greatly for it. This movie has no audience. Kids won't like it, because the scary visuals will scare them, and adults will find it boring. This movie is probably the closest thing to being on acid that I will ever experience. Skip this one. See if a local theatre is doing a production of the original "Nutcracker" instead. And if not, I'm sure there are many taped versions out there that are a better way to spend your time than with this movie.

Grade: D     6/10      2/5 stars

The Grinch (2018)

This film was certainly better than the one with Jim Carrey. That one was mean spirited, and he looked down right scary. This one, if you'll put nostalgia aside and just take a look, I think you'll find is much truer to the book. Yes, it's true that this version still has filler plot, but it's luckily just enough, not a whole lot. Now this next statement may cause you to give me guff, but one of my problems was the Grinch wasn't mean enough. In the cartoon and other movie, he's abusive to Max. But in this version, that is something it lacks. The Grinch in this version isn't mean, just kind of a jerk. And I feel that is something that just did not work. But the animation is gorgeous and full of life. The live action version's colors were muted, which caused me great strife. The voice acting by Benedict Cumberbatch was a delight, although at times his voice just did not sound right. "Overconsumerism is bad": The film's message rings clear. Although with all the marketing and tie-ins, the irony seems to be lost here. It's pretty cookie cutter, there aren't many surprises. It did not make my heart grow nor shrink three sizes. It's pretty good animation for a $75 million budget. Though everyone looked a bit like a CGI Muppet. This is still a good attempt by Illumination, for, for all of it's flaws it at least had dedication.
Grade: C   7/10    3.5/5 stars