Tag Archives: Movie Review

Red One Movie Review

Tags : Movie Review

After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

Why did I come to this movie again?

From the very first preview I saw of this film I wanted to see it. Snarky Christmas with the Rock and Chris Evans? Yes, please!

However, I did have a lot of people tell me that they didn’t love this movie, so instead of seeing in the theater, we streamed it at home.

4 of 5

Characters

Jack hasn’t believed in being good since he was a kid. This is his redemption story. While the arc was simplistic, I thought it worked. Chris Evans did a good job.

Callum has recently lost his faith in humanity (pretty sure we can all relate to this on some level) and is retiring from being Santa’s head of security. This is the Rock playing the Rock, and I was totally there for it.

Santa is a little more bad a** than usual, while keeping with his jolly and fun nature, which I thought was cool.

The side characters were actually quite fun.

The bad guy was a little flat.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

This is a by the numbers quest story. The quest is to find Santa, which takes the characters all over the world to meet different people and get into and out of random scrapes with bad guys. It moved fast and kept me engaged.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

Yes, there are plenty of plot holes in this film. It’s sort of like a superhero story, which leaves lots of room for issues.

My biggest problem was the lack of explanation for the bad guy’s plan until near the end, and even then, Jack and his son thwarting it wasn’t as big of a deal as it should have been. *spoilers* Of course people are going to show regret when they get trapped in a snow globe forever as punishment for being naughty. If that’s all it takes it get out of it, then the Christmas Witch needs a better plan.

3 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

No yawning. The pacing is quick. So quick that I thought the whole thing was a little rushed.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

I loved the fun Christmas references. I loved that they pulled mythology other than just Santa Clause into the story.

I could have used more cleverness throughout the film. The few swear words felt out of place, and replacing them with Christmas words would have been hilarious.

The film took itself a little too seriously, which didn’t jive with the vibe of the ads.

This story doesn’t know who it’s for.

3 of 5

The End

Besides being predictable, the end was fun. It left me smiling and feeling good.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

I enjoyed this film. So many people complained it was horrible that I was mentally prepared for the worst. When I got an okay movie with enough fun in it to make me smile and laugh I was pleasantly surprised.

Is this a kids show? No.

Is it as adult as Fat Man? No.

Does it revolve around the Rock (arguably a genre unto itself)? Not entirely, no.

The creators either never chose an audience or forgot who they were writing it for, and the story suffered because of it.

Watching Red One won’t become a yearly tradition for me, but I’d see it again.

4 of 5

Total: 30

That’s a Green Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40

The Black Cauldron Movie Review: Flashback

Tags : Movie Review

A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can.

Why did I come to this movie again?

My friends growing up talked about this movie, so I was pretty sure I’d seen it, but it had been such a long time that I couldn’t remember anything about it. Since I spotted it on a streaming service, I decided to give it another go.

Turns out, I’ve never seen this movie before.

4 of 5

Characters

I spent enough time in my teens reading fantasy books, that I recognized every single trope in this story, and that includes the characters.

You’ve got the young boy who wants to prove his worth by fighting. The princess, who surprisingly isn’t as helpless as most of that era. A strange older man with a mystical secret. A helpless creature that needs escorting. The comic relief. The betrayer who, in the end, saves everyone.

Nothing wrong with tropes, especially in a kid’s show, but I found most of the characters either too silly for my taste or over-the-top.

Again, it’s a kid’s film in the 80’s, so this makes sense. I just didn’t love it.

Taran, the main character, did have a decent character arc.

I’ll probably get hate for this, but I didn’t think Gurgi had enough screen time to impact the story the way they wanted him to.

I realize I’m looking at this through an adult’s eyes. If I’d seen this as a kid, it might be one of my favorite movies.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

This film had pretty good pacing, so I was engaged the whole time. There were a few sections that made me roll my eyes.

Because I do enjoy a good fantasy quest, I had fun watching this movie.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

The story felt rushed. After I watched it, I looked it up and found out it contains parts of the first two books of a series with a bunch of stuff left out, while other things were added to make it a stand-alone film.

I got distracted (okay, a little bored) when the group ends up in the underground kingdom of the Fair Folk. One second they were chatting with the fairies, and the next they’re off to get the cauldron. I had to rewind to find the single line of dialogue where Taran decides they should find the cauldron and destroy it. Do they know anything about destroying it? No. Did they ask the fairies what that might entail? No. I figured the princess, who is the smart one, would have inquired about it, but she didn’t.

There were a few other problems that I’ll blame on extensive editing.

3 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

No yawning. I did roll my eyes a few times though.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

The 2D animation was old-school, but very cool. I liked the darker tone and quality of the artwork.

The Horned King and his cauldron born were kind of awesome.

The action throughout the last quarter is excellent.

5 of 5

The End

As I said, Taran has a character arc. He agrees to give away his newfound sword, which makes him into an actual warrior, in exchange for the cauldron, then again for (spoiler alert) Gurgi’s resurrection. These are all very cool moments.

(Writer’s brain alert) I had to remind myself that this was the mid 80s where storytellers often softened the blow of a sacrifice by bringing the character back to life. I’m glad we’re over that, because Gurgi’s sacrifice is honestly cheapened by his resurrection.

Nothing in the end was a surprise.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

Seeing this movie through an adult’s eyes isn’t ideal. It’s made for kids, which means the darkness—while present—has been softened. The fact that it’s almost 40 years old doesn’t help. Our storytelling has improved since then.

I did enjoy it, but I won’t be watching it for my own pleasure again anytime soon.

4 of 5

Total: 32

That’s a Brown Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40

The Secret if NIMH Movie Review: Flashback

Tags : Movie Review

To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she suspected.

Why did I come to this movie again?

I haven’t seen this film since I was a kid. Literally all I remembered was that there were rats—some of them were ugly, the captain of the guard was cool, there was a glowing red stone, and the story wasn’t light and fluffy like the Disney movies of the time.

That’s it.

I was nervous about watching it again, because so many things from the 80s, and therefore my childhood, have, upon rewatching, disappointed me.

4 of 5

Characters

As I stated, I didn’t remember much of this film, and one of the things I’d forgotten was the main character. I was surprised that it’s a young mother. One rule of a kid’s movie is that it should be about kids. This one is about the children, in the fact that the mom is trying to save them, but it felt wrong to be looking at a cartoon through a mother’s eyes, not a kid’s.

Now, Mrs. Brisby is a great character. She’s nothing special but she finds her courage when she needs it and comes through many times in the movie. They didn’t make her an expert in fighting, magic, negotiating, science, and everything else that the strong female protagonists of today have to be able to do. Instead, she’s simply a good mom who is doing her best.

Jeremy, the comic relief crow, was over the top, but still fun and helpful. Sort of.

Auntie Shrew is a stereotype that I struggle with. I basically want to slap her and duct tape her mouth shut. However, she is good in a crisis. I’ll give her that.

The rats were too ambiguous for me. They were all cardboard cutout characters. Mysterious old dude, dude who wants more power, the strapping captain of the guards and all-around good guy…I would have loved more depth here.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

This film has action, but in general, the pacing is slow. The first fifteen minutes were a little painful for me, but that’s probably my writer brain screaming to hurry up and get to the good stuff.

This isn’t a long film, and it kept me entertained. As a matter of fact, I had some delicious homemade chocolate ice cream in the freezer that I wanted to go get, but waited until after the movie was over. So that’s good, right?

4 of 5

Plot Holes

Here’s the writer brain again…whole swaths of this movie barely make sense. It’s really two different stories held together by Jonathan Brisby, who died before the film started.

On one hand, we’ve got super smart rats that humans accidentally made who have escaped and are living under a rose bush. They use electricity and medicine, but also wear clothes that come right from a fantasy film, brandish swords, and there’s a random magical stone.

On the other hand, we’ve got a mom trying to save her family and there’s only one other mouse in this whole field is willing to help?

Both stories are interesting, but they didn’t mesh well for me.

It felt like the writers were checking off the trope boxes for a fantasy film, while also telling an everyday woman’s tale. It was too much.

3 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

After the first fifteen minutes I was fine.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

The 2D animation of this film is awesome. The tale itself is dark, which was unusual at the time, and therefore unique.

I have a handful of visuals from it burned into my brain from when I was a kid, which means the style made an impression then and it holds up now.

5 of 5

The End

The end fell flat for me. Only because 99% of the story is based in science, and then we have the mysterious stone that magically saves the day.

Where did that come from? Did Nicodemus get special magic from the humans? No one ever explains. I’ve heard that the book this is based on has no magic in it, which would make more sense.

Don’t get me wrong, the moment the protagonist uses the stone to drag her home out of the mud is amazing! It’s just…confusing.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

After watching it again, I can see why I liked it as a kid. The rats were kind of awesome, and there was some great action. Not to mention the darker feel of the story than the Disney films of the time, which both scared and excited me.

This movie holds up pretty well.

4 of 5

Total: 32

That’s a Brown Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40

White Bird Movie Review

Tags : Movie Review

Struggling to fit in at his new school after being expelled for his treatment of Auggie Pullman, Julian is visited by his grandmother and is transformed by the story of her attempts to escape Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

Why did I come to this movie again?

Simple, I saw a preview and wanted to see it.

5 of 5

Characters

I haven’t actually seen Wonder, which this movie is sort of a sequel for, so while I understood and felt Julian’s character development, it may not have been as potent as it could have been. Still, it was a solid arc.

I really enjoyed Helen Mirren as the grandmother. She was fantastic!

The kids in WWII did a great job, and while I usually love Gillian Anderson, she felt a little flat to me in this one.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

While this isn’t an action film, or even a particularly fast-moving film, I was invested.

What happens to several of the characters isn’t at all a surprise, and while I know that was deliberate, it killed some of the tension for me.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

I felt like there was a huge plot hole throughout the movie, but a twist near the end plugged it, which was nice. Still, it was distracting throughout.

I realize how difficult it must be to show the kids around the Jews in WWII France going from being friends with the Jews to hating them on principle. That kind of hate grows from a bad place, and I understand why they didn’t show more of the indoctrination, I had a hard time with the kids just turning on each other.

Although there were a few times that people surprised me, so that was good.

4 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

Like I said, the pacing is slow. The romance and the tension are a slow burn. However, I didn’t get bored.

I did think a few sections of the film could have been trimmed down just a little.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

The film is beautiful. That is all.

5 of 5

The End

More than I liked Julian’s story, I thought his grandmother was awesome at the end of the movie.

Hope and love. That’s what this movie is about, and it delivers.

I have to admit, I thought this movie would leave me wrecked, and it didn’t. Not sure how I feel about that.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

This film tackled issues that we face today in a way that makes you wonder, “Why are people like this?” I can’t answer that question, and the film doesn’t either, except to say that we should each look into our own hearts and see what we bring to the world.

Do you bring light, or darkness, into other people’s lives? Do you gather light or dark into your own life? These simple things can help any of us get through difficult (that’s putting it mildly for some people) times.

5 of 5

Total: 35

That’s a Brown Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40