After rewatching Frozen, I realized that the film as a whole was far from perfect.  With endless plot holes, a basic pop soundtrack, and a familiar story, it was hard to appreciate the original film.  I recall liking it the first time, but maybe it was just catchy and really stuck in my head for the months following.  While Frozen 2 still has a lack of needed explanation for certain plot lines, it is a definite step up from the first film.  This is already a contested opinion between fans young and old, but I stand by it for the following reason...

To start, the music in the sequel holds more weight.  Children may not like every song as much as they did for the original film since none of the tunes have stuck as much as "Let It Go".  The break-out song of this film was marketed to be "Into the Unknown", which is not the most creative song on the soundtrack, but still seems craftier than "Let It Go".  Kids might struggle to catch on to the melody, but the lyrics are more fulfilling and Idina Menzel's (Enchanted​) voice carries it quite well.  Her voice truly defies gravity and is such a treasure to the listener.  Along with the new hit, audiences can enjoy a cheesier song from Olaf and a hard-hitting love ballad from Kristoff.  Olaf's song is similar to his debut in Frozen, but Kristoff brings older viewers the nostalgia of artists like Meatloaf or REO Speedwagon.  It's a fun and intentionally ridiculous 80s tribute.  These songs are a treat for adults and kids alike.

Furthermore, the voice work and script for this follow-up are more exciting and creative.  While Olaf did not have too many lines in the original film and still annoyed me, it appears he has more lines in the sequel but never comes off as overly annoying.  Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter), and Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast, 21) round out the cast again with a few extra voice actors in minor roles.  Menzel and Bell voice the young sisters so fittingly.  Gad plays a slightly more matured Olaf, but still sounds like a curious snowchild.  The big breakout for me with this film was Groff's ability to sing.  I'm a big fan of Mindhunter and Groff's character in the Netflix show is so different from Kristoff; it took me a while to realize they are played by the same person.  I can see this ensemble making a few more films together if everyone stays aboard the wintery franchise.

While I do like the sequel more than the original, there are a few choices that are flawed and leave the viewer pondering.  A couple of the things that were left unexplained in the first film are brought back and explained in this film, but this film has characters choose certain paths that are unnatural.  At one point, a main character (trying to avoid spoilers still) makes a choice that contradicts everything the film sets up.  It left me scratching my head and wondering if they just couldn't figure out a better way to progress the plot.  I still give praise to this plot for being more original than the first film, with no real villain for the sisters to face off with.  This is more about character development than it is about a battle at the end, creating a refreshing story for Disney.

I would go amiss without mentioning the visual effects.  I saw the film in Laser IMAX and it was totally worth the big screen experience.  The ice shimmers across the screen and while there is not a lot of real action sequences, there are quite a few moments where the beautiful landscape shines bright with the reflecting snowy overlay.  There was one point where the pine trees looked so realistic that I had to do a double-take and look away from the screen for a minute.  It truly is amazing what modern technology has done for artists and animation studios.  

The Bottom Line: This darker sequel progresses the characters that kids and adults already love, but has flaws that are left unexplained and contradictory.

Score: 7/10

After a decade, this film is exactly what audiences need to move forward.
 
​Grandiose character performances from the lead cast, an emotional plotline, the harshest purple villain of all time, and of course CGI action-shots galore bring us straight to a satisfying ending of a chapter.  Surely this is not the last film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it definitely feels like the end of an era. 
 
The heroes that we have grown to love are stuck in a final showdown with the heavy-handed Thanos.  While the film stands out as a blockbuster action flick, there is a lot of emotion involved and tears will fall.  For a three-hour-long superhero movie, the run time feels shy of two hours, leaving me wanting more action and more time with these characters.  There is just enough time for the film to solve the situation that they are left with at the conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War.  It’s not an easy task to move forward after half of the cast is turned to dust, but Anthony (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War) and Joe Russo (Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War) direct the film towards a proper resolution.
 
At the end of Infinity War, we are left with a cast of MCU founders including Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, The Avengers), Chris Evans (The Avengers, Captain America: The First Avenger), Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, Snow White and the Huntsman), Scarlett Johansson (Her, Lost in Translation, The Avengers), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Spotlight, Foxcatcher), and Jeremy Renner (The Town, The Avengers, Wind River).  While everyone in this cast has been a dud in one of the previous films of the MCU, they are all perfect in this film.  After witnessing their friends and families die, they wear their emotions on their sleeves.  This is not something we often get in superhero films.  Usually, our fictional superheroes are emotionless robots.  Luckily, Marvel has finally fixed this lack of character.
 
The dynamic between Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans leads this film to victory and emotional payoff.  Without going too far into spoilers, the ending is clearly a tool that Marvel can use to move on from the franchise that has been built thus far.  The end is worth the ride that fans have been on for the past 11 years.  Of course, Thanos leaves his mark on the universe and everything is not left perfectly normal. 
 
It will be interesting to see where the MCU progresses from here.  With a Spider-Man movie just months away, Endgame will forever impact the future of the franchise.  Sacrifices are made, battles are fought, relationships are broken, and overall this is the most meaningful film for the franchise.
 
The Bottom Line: If you are a die-hard Marvel fan, bring tissues and get ready for the longest and most rewarding end of an era.

Score: 9.5/10

For those of you patiently waiting for a glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, I feel your pain.  With my bias towards the friendly neighborhood superhero, I need to see the trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home and I need to see it asap.  In the midst of the wait, I was able to see an early screening of the new animated Spider-Man film.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the best movies that Marvel has released to date.  I truly believe that Stan Lee (Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Age of Ultron​) would be extremely proud of this film.  Combining diversity with animation and a stacked cast results in a new type of Marvel movie.  The story somewhat follows the same formula as previous Marvel films, but this is a new evolution for the powerhouse that is pushing out at least three movies a year.  

Sony Pictures Animation succeeds in a fresh style for the superhero that has been around forever.  Spider-Man was always my favorite Marvel superhero and this film keeps the character fresh.  The animation style is like nothing I've seen before, ranging from blurry vision to clear-cut characters.  The vibrancy of the colors kept my eyes glued to the screen at all times.  I have heard some complaints about the blurriness, but personally it makes for a beautiful big-screen experience.  Unfortunately, I only saw this on a regular screen and will need to see this again on either Dolby or in 3D to get even more out of the experience.

Spider-Man fans have been waiting for the debut of Miles Morales in the MCU, and we finally get a brilliant portrayal of this character.  Shameik Moore (Dope) contributes the voice for the new Spider-Man, but he is joined by many other characters that voice the hero.  Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, The Edge of Seventeen, Ender's Game), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World, Safety Not Guaranteed), John Mulaney (Mulaney), Kimiko Glenn (Nerve), Nicholas Cage (Teen Titans Go! To the Movies), and Chris Pine (Star Trek, Wonder Woman) all voice different renditions of the superhero (unless I am missing someone, which is totally possible with the amount of characters).  This stacked cast could have slowed down the film, but rather the film proceeds smoothly so that children can remain entertained throughout the film.

Furthermore, the soundtrack is perfectly chosen for the hero's big-screen debut.  Post Malone's original song for the film is worthy of an Oscar-nod along with the original soundtrack that is crucial to the fluidity of action.  Pop culture references constantly pop onto the screen, creating a re-watchable animated film.  In fact, images of Chance the Rapper are on the screen so often that I wonder if he is making royalties off of the film.  Either way, there are some great Easter Eggs throughout the film for adults to enjoy.  No matter how often they pop up, it is exciting to see them.

The Bottom Line: With all of the live action Marvel films from the past to the present, it is a nice refreshment to see this unique animated take on one of the foundation characters for the MCU.

Score: 9/10

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Stan LeeUploaded by maybeMaybeMaybe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22896794

Mulan will remain as one of Disney's best films for a long time.  Personally, the film is categorically within my top three Disney films.  After 20 years, the animation and effects are still clean and superb.  The music never gets old and the story about a girl saving China to bring honor to her family and nation still remains relevant.  There are a lot of broad themes throughout the film that make the viewing a learning lesson, and yet the storyline is extremely entertaining to watch.  There is action for kids to maintain their attention span, but also moral values to keep Mulan as a tool for adults to teach from.

The cast clearly put in effort during the voice acting sessions, bringing out strong characters and whimsical scripts to accompany them.  Miguel Ferrer (Traffic) is terrifying as the lead villain, Shan-Yu.  Yet, Eddie Murphy (Coming to America, Shrek) as Mushu is hilariously exaggerated.  At the center of the story is of Mulan, voiced by the charming-but-tough Ming-Na Wen (Street Fighter).  The list of voice actors go on-and-on as the film is densely packed with characters to support Mulan's journey.  While the voice actors are important, the directors chose to use different actors for the singing portions which are crucial to Disney's cinematic formula.

Mulan has the most recognizable soundtrack out of every Disney film with hits including "Reflection", "I'll Make a Man Out of You", and "A Girl Worth Fighting For".  Donny Osmond's (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) voice provides the overly-masculine Shang tracks.  Lea Salonga (Aladdin) provides a powerful counter to Osmond's Shang.  One of the themes portrayed through the music is the role of gender in modern society.  For a 1998 film, Mulan was progressive and remains progressive the more we learn about Hollywood's scandals.  I look forward to the live-action remake that is set to release in 2020, but I hope that they can keep the messages from the original film and modernize them even more.

The Bottom Line:  Mulan gives audiences the hero it needs and questions gender roles in a way that adults and children can both understand clearly.

Score: 9.8/10

Image credit: ​By Gkaidan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67121492

Over a decade later, Brad Bird (Ratatouille, The Iron Giant​) picks up the story of the Parr family right where he left it in 2004.  Once again, the Parr's are back in action as they balance their family life with fighting crime.  Incredibles 2 spends more time on the family life than the original film, bringing out a relatable experience for moviegoers.  Sarah Vowell (A.C.O.D) and Huck Milner create the voices of Violet Parr and Dashiell Parr as they both go through the struggles of growing up.  These characters are sassy, but also clever.  At times they act smarter than their elders, which is reflective of real life families in many cases.  The youthfulness of this film shines the brightest with the "innocent" baby, Jack-Jack.  Jack-Jack is a fun character to watch and he makes us question whether or not superpowers are dangerous or not. 

The relationship between Bob Parr and Helen Parr has a lot of interesting development in this sequel as well.  Their roles from the first film are nearly flipped around entirely.  Bob acts as the stay-at-home dad while Helen fights crime to protect her family.  Craig T. Nelson (The Family Stone) and Holly Hunter (The Big Sick) return to voice these characters respectively.  Once again, they are well-spoken and perfect fits for the characters.  As the story unfolds, Bob and Helen make the audience question stereotypical family roles.  Certainly, there can be enriched discussion after the film about these roles and their place in modern society.

For the most part, I really loved this sequel.  However, the original story still stands taller than this new installment.  The villain in Incredibles 2 is not nearly as strong of a character as Buddy from The Incredibles.  The effects are improved, but storyline is more important to me than visuals.  If this installment had stayed more focused on the Parr's family dynamic throughout the whole film, then it might have held more weight than the addition of Screenslaver.  Screenslaver is a decent villain, but does not introduce anything new to the superhero filmography.  Updated effects make for smooth animated action sequences, although Screenslaver is nothing special.  

The Bottom Line: Incredibles 2 is a fantastic watch because of the Parr family, but falls short with the crime-fighting subject.

Score: 8/10

Yep, another Star Wars movie.

This time around, veteran director Ron Howard (Apollo 13) takes the helm of a spin-off Star Wars movie based on Han Solo's background.  Unfortunately, Solo: A Star Wars Story moves at a slow and often boring pace.  Unlike Rogue One, Solo grants no payoff in the end.  There is a cameo towards the end that seems like an attempt at re-creating the intensity of Darth Vader's Rogue One appearance, but the cameo falls flat without much weight in the franchise.  

As a whole, the film is less of an adventure and more of a journey to hit every beat that has already been laid out in previous Star Wars films.  Of course, these beats are important and weigh heavily in the previous films, but they are forced upon us unrelentingly.  One might say that the force is strong with this installment, but rather than providing hope for the future of the franchise, we are provided with another formulaic retelling. 

The cast of the film is decent, but there are no real standouts.  Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caeser!, Stoker) clearly tries to follow Harrison Ford's (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Air Force One) portrayal of the character, but the charm is missing at times.  Emilia Clarke's (Terminator Genisys, Me Before You) character is interesting, but never really breaks out.  The ending reveals that her character was mostly set up, but we never get to see how it is fully developed.  Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Man Up) voices a unique droid, but audiences can already expect a new droid based on the introductions of BB-8 and K-2SO.  My favorite character is Lando Calrissian in this film.  Donald Glover (The Martian) is spectacular in the role and it would be fun to see a solo film with him in the lead role.

Overall, Solo is just another offshoot Star Wars film.  It is neither great, nor bad.  At times, the story is too direct and the creativity that audiences got with The Last Jedi has washed away for now.  Hopefully the poor box office results do not affect the upcoming installments in the franchise, but clearly the issue has to be addressed and a new release strategy might need to be drawn. 

The Bottom Line: Solo: A Star Wars Story falls short of the creative threshold that audiences became accustomed to after The Last Jedi's success a few months ago.

Score: 6.5/10

Before going into too much detail, it is important to reflect upon the cultural relevance that Black Panther has.  From the soundtrack to the costuming, Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) gives typical comic film audiences a unique viewing experience.  With the creativity of Kendrick Lamar, the soundtrack is new to filmgoers.  This is the first Marvel film with a prominently hip-hop/rap soundtrack.  In the DC cinematic universe, Suicide Squad was a clear attempt to integrate hip-hop into comic book films.  However, Suicide Squad failed in so many other categories that audiences could not fully appreciate the soundtrack while watching the film.

​As a whole, Black Panther has heavy topics including race and gender equality.  Finally we get a blockbuster film that is not afraid to discuss these relevant subjects.  The characters are deeply influenced by the world surrounding them and their relationships to each other.  Pride versus morality is common to Marvel films, but the character developments in Black Panther are extremely realistic to American society.  Each of the characters have a background that could easily be found in the real world.

The all-star cast that portrays these characters includes Chadwick Boseman (42), Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Jungle Book), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Sicario), Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Sterling K. Brown, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Andy Serkis (War for the Planet of the Apes, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King), and Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Creed, Fantastic Four).  The names seemingly go on-and-on with a well-rounded and diverse cast.  As T'Challa, Boseman captivates audiences in his struggle to transition from being a prince into becoming a king.  His people depend on him and the power vacuum that is created from his father's death drives a large portion of the plot.  While T'Challa develops as a character, the film's villain has an even deeper background to portray on the big screen.  As Erik Killmonger, Jordan brings a rough upbringing into the forefront of the plot.  

The storyline behind Killmonger's transformation is somewhat formulaic to other comic book films.  In general, Black Panther often gives off the same plot lines as Wonder Woman.  The difference is the real world relevance.  Killmonger's upbringing is a story that audiences might have seen in the news before.  An abandoned child grows up through the struggles of finding his place in the world.  Overall, Killmonger and T'Challa are the perfect duo for a face-off that ends in a shocking resolve.

The Bottom Line:  While Black Panther follows the formulaic approach of most Marvel films, it uses cultural relevance to connect with a broader audience.

Score: 8/10

Image credit: ​By Ladinog78 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59041007

From the visionary director that brought us Pan's Labyrinth comes another creepy and yet heartwarming film.  The Shape of Water is a lovely portrayal of a forbidden love between a creature and a human.  The plotline is spectacular, balancing the heavy-hitting politics of communist Russia and the United States in the 1960s and the science-fiction creature that drives the love story forward.  The tone is classy, with a jazz-inspired score that brings the audience back to the 60s.  The story is relatable to any time period, but the 60s backdrop makes it even more interesting.

Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pacific Rim) never ceases to create beautiful effects for his visionary films.  The imagery throughout The Shape of Water is consistently fluid and spectacular.  There is one scene where we get to see two raindrops dance around on a bus window, acting as a metaphor for the story unfolding on screen.  There is blood and gore involved, but only the necessary amount for us to enter the world that the screenwriters have created.  This is not a film for children, but for a mature audience that can handle the darkness of a spy thriller and the nudity that comes with a full love story.  To gently push the audience through the film, Alexandre Desplat (The King's Speech, Argo, The Queen, Philomena) contributes a smooth score that juggles between intensity and charm.  The orchestral score fits with every single scene, settling and unsettling the audience at certain times.

I would go amiss without acknowledging the cast members that bring the story to life.  Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) easily gives the best performance of the year with her portrayal of a mute janitor.  While she cannot talk, there is emotion behind every sign that she gives.  Alongside Hawkins, Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) plays a fantastic sea monster.  Rounding out the cast, Michael Shannon (Midnight Special) is a scarily bigoted villain.  This is the big bad role that Shannon has perfected throughout his career.  Finally, the support for the main roles are brought to the screen by three well-seasoned actors.  Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station), Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers), and Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me by Your Name​) are all great additions to the film.  Overall, this is a top-notch cast brought together to create a top-notch film.

The Bottom Line: The Shape of Water certainly deserves all of the Oscar-buzz that it is receiving because of its tender and yet unsettling approach at a love story.

Score: 9.7/10

Image credit: ​By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54631984

After 18 films, Pixar still continues to release it's greatest content yet!  When I first heard about Coco, I admittedly had extremely low expectations for the film.  None of Pixar's recent films had felt fresh, original, or great since Inside Out.  However with Lee Unkrich at the film's helm, Coco transcends the recent films to become a masterpiece from the studio that started it's animation dominance with Toy Story.  

Coco is beautiful and full of detailed animation that is hard to fully admire through the constantly progressing storyline.  Taking place during Dia de los Muertos, the animators are burdened with creating intricate costumes for many of the characters.  With all of the pressure, the animators do a great job of creating smooth transitions and glorious settings.  One of the highlights of the artwork was the spirit animals.  These neon and often glowing animals are vivid and full of imagination.  Aside from that, the movements of the characters are fluid and there never appears to be a slip up in the film that probably took many years to produce.

Similarly to Inside Out, the storyline for Coco is full of heart and empathy.  The film centers around a young boy struggling to find himself between his passions and his family's values.  Of course, there are multiple twists and turns along the way.  We meet sensitive characters and awesome creatures that help guide Miguel towards the correct path.  While the film is formulaic, it still feels fresh because of the revelations that occur.  A nice addition to this Latin film is the soundtrack which includes mariachi tracks and orchestral Latin compositions.  For a film that centers around music, the original and compilation soundtracks mesh together well.

The Bottom Line: Coco is the greatest Pixar film to be released since Inside Out, revolving around a young boy's journey in finding himself.

Score: 9.5/10

Ah yes, the dawn of a new Star Wars movie has arrived.  This means that I have another chance to attempt to make it through the prequels in a potentially ultra-movie-marathon.  Well, I surprisingly made it through The Phantom Menace and surely will not be able to finish the prequels before I see The Last Jedi.  In my view, The Phantom Menace is the worst Star Wars film ever created.  However, I cannot speak about the holiday special since I have not seen it and it may or may not exist according to Harrison Ford.

There is an overwhelming majority of people who claim that Attack of the Clones is the worst film of the franchise, but for many reasons I disagree.  Attack of the Clones at least gives us better CGI effects than the first film does.  Everything in The Phantom Menace seems extremely fake and poorly made.  George Lucas (Raiders of the Lost Ark) got a bit carried away with the effects and it detracted from the already half-hearted storytelling.  Honestly, puppet Yoda could've carried this movie much better than the CGI Yoda did.

Unfortunately, the storyline also carries no weight in the franchise.  The whole reason for the prequel trilogy was to set up Darth Vader, but Jake Lloyd (Jingle All the Way) is a poor choice for young Anakin.  We are also introduced to other characters who carry no weight in the franchise, ranging from Qui-Gon Jinn to Jar Jar Binks.  I'm assuming that everyone reading this review is familiar with the flaws of Jar Jar, so I won't go into a long rant about Lucas's terrible writing/casting decision for this one.  However, Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, The A-Team) is wasted in the role of Qui-Gon and that is unacceptable.  Lucas brings in big actors and tears them apart with his poor storyline for the prequels.

The Bottom Line:  After the original trilogy, George Lucas lost his touch with the Star Wars franchise. 

Score: 3.5/10