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Reviews
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Meh story, great references
We rated the Mario movie like so:
H 9
O 10
D 8
Y 10
It's beautiful visually, and the story is as simple as the story in the original Mario games. There are a few hilarious moments where you least suspect to find them. My favorite were the emo blue star and the bowser piano song.
So sure, it isn't a very surprising or interesting story. I guess it is pretty terrible that much of the movie is wasted on what turn out to be unimportant plot devices like "getting an army" that is easily dispatched, or training mario to platform, even though he doesn't really use those skills.
But I didn't come to this movie for clever plot points to make me think. I came to see Mario. And I saw Mario, Luigi, Toad, DK, and even a glimpse of Yoshi. So I'm happy. This movie was all I wanted.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Standard Disney live action remake
The family rated The Little Mermaid as follows:
H 6
D 9
O 9
Y 8
We all agreed the visuals were stunning, the story felt a bit cringey at times. The new songs aren't really good except for the rap song. As with other Disney remakes, it's harder to believe the cartoonish plot twists in a less cartoonish setting.
It's a bit unfair to just review the difference from the original. So the following is a bit of a review of both.
It's a story about curiosity killing the cat, belonging, family, and love. We all have personal boundaries that we're afraid to explore, that we're afraid if our children would explore. The moral of the story is to listen to each other, and that parents just don't understand. I loved this as a kid, and don't appreciate it as much as a parent. But what a great discussion it is with the kids when you're done. So I highly recommend watching it with family.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Beautiful visuals, great message, strange plot twists
The quality of the visuals and effects in this movie truly were dazzling. The biggest flaw in this movie is that in the end, the big bad guy makes a very strange decision which kind of pulls the rug underneath the story.
But otherwise - the characters have a great journey and are a lot of fun to watch. The jokes made us laugh, the action scenes were intense, and the allegory made us think. This movie really tackles how we see ourselves, how we should live our lives, set goals, and tackle challenges. Specifically with regards to performance expectations and anxiety. I want to have an emotional support dog now.
Our ratings were:
Y 8
H 9
D 8
O 5.3.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Scary for kids 8-9 years old, but they still liked it
Oren 8 years old gave it a 4 out of 10, because there was too much nightmare fuel. Still it was better than Thor (2011).
Dani 9 years old gave it a 9 out of 10. Better than the original, the end was very emotional. Not a 10 because it was a bit scary.
Turning Red (2022)
The parent-child relationship is a two way street
This movie tackles anger management, menstruation, helicopter parenting, and teen angst in a great adventure. Here are the family member scores:
O - 6 - there were too many plot twists.
D - 10 - liked the stuffed animals.
H - 5 - felt it was not realistic, some parts were too out there.
Y - 8 - it was a lot of fun and the characters were deep.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Family, friends, and heart
Sonic 2 takes wholesome to a new level. The plot is pretty simple, action packed, with a lot of fun twists, and a great comic relief ensemble. The youngest (8 yo) said that some parts were too violent. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if it were just grown ups, but the kids went crazy in multiple moments in this movie and that was a whole lot of fun. Here are the scores each one gave:
D 10
Z 10
O 9.5
H 9
Y 9.
Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)
Feel good social network commentary
The bbots in the movie are basically always on cell phones that react to everything and constantly live stream. There were lots of great, introspective moments where you really rethink what does friendship mean. The family ratings were:
Boy: 10
Girl: 7
Mom: 7.
The Addams Family 2 (2021)
Silly and fun
There are a lot of small gags for parents, the plot moved along quickly enough. The teenage rebellion on exhibit was funny, relatable and charming. The Mrs loved Pugsly and Ophelia, the girl loved Wednesday, and the musical numbers were surprising and excellent.
Kaubôi bibappu: Cowboy Bebop: Boogie Woogie Feng Shui (1999)
Pointless quests are pointless
This episode got me excited in the first half. A mystery involving a crime syndicate, and a mysterious character in search of her father figure. In the end the quest was just to say goodbye, which could have been done with much less effort. The space fight was cool, and the search for the truth was cool. But it was all wasted in the end with no payoff.
Soul (2020)
A bit boring, but I did cry
My 8 year old didn't get it, and was bored. The movie moves too slowly. The metaphors of "lost souls" and "being in the zone" were deep and satisfying. The story is filled with insightful writing, and philosophical deliberations on goals, education, the purpose of life, and how we live it.
I wish the ending was a bit more satisfying. The writers took the cheesy way out.
Hamilton (2020)
Killer music, punchy story
The first half is definitely the epic part. The last half is the heart string puller, the music is not as memorable, but it worked. I cried at two separate parts in the 2nd half, but I kept relistening only to the song Satisfied, Guns&Ships and the opener which are all in the first half.
The musical and comedic talent on display is staggering. I loved the vocal harmonies.
Onward (2020)
I fell asleep in the middle but cried in the end
I mean that literally. I dozed off a bit during the long quest. But the pay off in the end was that I cried and struggled to breath in the dramatic ending. A great movie about what it means to be a family, how we deal with loss, and growing pains.
Cashback (2006)
Very deep and enlightening, and fun. Brilliant.
This is actually a philosophical movie that tries to explain one of the most eternal questions: "What is love?" The insight, thoughts and descriptions in this subject, are very interesting.
With a lot of nudity, humor and nonsense, the movie is never boring, and always keeps you in touch with the characters and their thoughts.
Cashback depicts love as a very much OCD thing. An aching, never quenching drive and thirst for your loved one. Along with fulfilling each others dreams. Very romantic, maybe just a little bit too romantic and perfect. Then again maybe i'm the skeptic.
Enjoy, the thinking part will follow instinctively if you're a thinker.