The Puppetoon Movie: Volume 2
Featuring brilliant restoration work, this new compilation of classic George Pal stop-motion shorts astounds the viewer with its animation, music, and color. Also included are rare European films, including ones with hand-drawn animation. |
Warning From Space
Arrow Video brings out the Japanese classic, allowing a reappraisal after years of low-quality TV broadcasts and public domain DVDs. It’s good, too, once you get past the silly-looking starfish aliens. |
ZooPhobia: Bad Luck Jack
While the characters and story echo Disney Channel programming, the independently produced short contains high quality animation and catchy songs, presenting a wholesome creature that is fun to watch and not fear. |
Mulan
The live-action update to the Disney animated classic makes an admirable attempt at providing depth to the title character against strong visuals. But with everything else lacking excitement, it’s not quite “a girl worth fighting for”. |
Trolls World Tour
While the magic of the original might not quite be fully recaptured here, Trolls World Tour is nevertheless cheery, non-demanding escapism that might be exactly what the doctor ordered during these uncertain times. |
The Willoughbys
The Willoughbys is full of contradictions: a story that’s dark but sweet, animation that’s not top-notch but charming, and characters who are dysfunctional but likable. If this what we can expect from streaming services, sign me up! |
Onward
Onward is classic Pixar — great storytelling combined with charismatic leads in a unique world wrapped up in beautiful animation. Definitely take the initiative to see this one because it is a campaign worth playing. |
Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie
In some ways topping the charming original, Farmageddon is a a sweet-tempered yarn that ewe and your entire family can enjoy together. |
The Owl House
The Owl House tells a nice, fun premise with quirky characters and some really good animation while playing with fantasy conventions in bizarre fashion that’s a hoot. |
Spies in Disguise
While a few details may ruffle your feathers, Spies in Disguise checks the necessary boxes to be an enjoyable enough film. |
Finding Santa: A Christmas Adventure
Even with an interesting animation style, Finding Santa doesn’t quite earn itself a place on top of Santa’s nice list. |
Playmobil: The Movie
Playmobil: The Movie is not The Lego Movie. Fortunately, the filmmakers know this too and give viewers something different to play with. |
Frozen II
While actually topping a film like Frozen would be as impossible as finding two identical snowflakes, Frozen II is no more than a lukewarm attempt. |
Hazbin Hotel
Be warned: Hazbin Hotel is not a family-friendly show. Yet the independently produced pilot features high quality animation, wonderful characters, and catchy show-tunes that is worth checking in to. |
Abominable
The narrative is very basic, almost to the point of being detrimental. Nevertheless, Abominable is a charming enough film with simple, yet beautiful animation, likable characters, and nice music. |
Toy Story 4
Funny, suspenseful, and profoundly heartfelt, Toy Story 4 is the best Pixar movie in years. |
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
The newest Godzilla film delivers some satisfying monster mayhem, but it’s too bad the human drama is pretty silly this time around. |
Avengers: Endgame
The game is finally over, but was the wait worth it? Yes and no. Our review is mostly spoiler-free (even though you’ve all probably seen this movie by now!). |
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
The Lego Movie 2 is very different in many ways to the original, but it has all the heart and emotional punch. Just goes to prove that like there’s no one right way to play with Legos, there’s more than one way to build an awesome Lego movie. |
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
The story may not be as strong previous Dragons, yet Hidden World offers a compelling narrative, beautiful animation, great cast, and delightful score for a heart-warming conclusion. |
The Grinch
If you have a family tradition of going to the movies at Christmastime, you have several good options available. But if you’re looking for something that perhaps means a little bit more, your best bet might be Illumination’s The Grinch. |
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
With an excellent diverse cast of characters, outstanding visual design and animation, and an emotionally wonderful narrative, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse just might be a game-changer in animation. |
Ralph Breaks the Internet
tl;dr Not as good as the original. Very funny. Weird ending. Worth seeing. |
Smallfoot
Smallfoot is a story of two disjointed halves — or is it? For a film where the laughs are few and far between, the designs bland, and most of the songs trite, it’s no small feat that the plotting will having you thinking after the credits roll. |
How to Train Your Dragon: Dragonvine
This graphic novel is on the short side and the art a little inconsistent, but the nice storytelling co-written by director Dean DeBlois is enough to whet fans’ appetites ahead of the third film. |
Star Wars – Rebels: Complete Season Four
Lucasfilm’s TV show brings pain to our heroes, who constantly have to turn losses into wins. The final season provides both tears and cheers in the best Star Wars tradition. |
Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
Teen Titans is a very fun film that families will be able to enjoy together. It’s for kids and adults. It’s for people who love superheros and people who are tired of them. It’s for burrito fans and burger lovers. And it’s for people who just like to laugh. |
Mary And The Witch’s Flower
Studio Ghibli fans will be happy that sort-of successor Studio Ponoc has made a beautiful debut film. The tale of a girl who finds herself a witch may be familiar on the surface, but the seeds of future greatness are obvious. |
Incredibles 2
In a world where blockbuster over-the-top superhero movies have become as mainstream as westerns were back in their heyday, Incredibles 2 brings the humanity back to the genre. |