My Weird Experience with Frozen 2

I don't usually make posts about random experiences or viewings of movies that I've had, as it's usually only if it's about something new / noteworthy. However, I really want to share this experience and I couldn't think of a better place than here.

Everyone knows Frozen, it's kind of hard to believe there's anyone who doesn't. I remember going to see it as a 10 year-old and thinking it was just alright, a 6/10. But, I kind of grew a strong hatred towards it as, almost overnight, it became a cultural phenomenon. The songs were everywhere, the characters became iconic, it was unbelievable. So, for the following 2 or 3 years, I was really not a fan.

Unsurprisingly, a sequel was on the way. By the time Frozen 2 properly came to my awareness (around Spring 2019 when the initial trailers were released) I really didn't know what to think. I hadn't seen the original in a while and thus I'd kind of forgotten about it altogether. So, as the release drew closer, I slowly became more keen to give it a go, and reassess the original in the process. I ended up missing it during its theatrical run but finally got around to watching it in July of 2020, being one of the many films I watched for the first time during the whole COVID ordeal. 

Before I go into my thoughts on Frozen 2, I should mention that I did revisit the original Frozen in March last year. I was hoping for it to be better than I remembered but it was still just alright, though definitely not worthy of the hate I gave it. I like the characters, especially Anna, some of the twists on typical conventions are well done, the songs are a mostly weak bunch but Let it Go is a banger despite being extremely overly-played, and the animation is solid. It's a fine watch but there's nothing about it that particularly catches my attention.

Upon my first viewing, I thought Frozen 2 was mostly the same in terms of quality, it was ok. I found it to be very plot-heavy and convoluted, the songs were an even weaker selection than the first with nothing reaching the highs of Let it Go, and Olaf was far more annoying as a comic relief. But I thought Anna and Elsa were really well realised and had a nice bond, which gave the film a really solid emotional core. In the original they mostly spend the time trying to adapt to be with one another, but I prefer how they were here as they get more time to connect in a really genuine way. On top of that, the animation was far better, not just because Disney have perfected their craft with CGI since the original, but because it plays around with more than just ice, throwing elements such as fire and water into the mix and putting creative spins on all of them. So, because of that, I thought it was a marginal improvement.

Since then, I basically forgot the about the movie. However, it came back into my memory when I discovered a documentary series that went behind the scenes and showcased the production process. I thought I'd give it a try but was expecting to just watch the first episode and call it a day. How wrong I was. I thought this was a fascinating documentary, and for many reasons.

Even though I already knew how long and how much effort it takes to make an animated movie, I don't really think it can be emphasised enough. Anyone who has ever worked on one has worked harder than I'll likely ever work in my life. They are truly a product of anyone involved, beyond the directors. Every animator makes great contributions and implements their own ideas. Watching this series was really insightful into this process because, even though I have watched countless animated films, I really didn't realise just how much goes into making one. Honestly, I could not stop watching this. I planned to watch it over the course of a few days but got through it all in one go, I was so transfixed in everything that happened and was even kind of sad when it ended. I hope we can see more series like this for other animated movies. 

So, after seeing all this, all the hard work and passion from everyone involved, I felt kind of sad that it was all for something I didn't really care about. I know anyone can feel any way about anything but I genuinely felt bad for not really giving this film much attention. Honestly, I don't take any pride in disliking the things I dislike, or regarding things as just ok, I always try to look for the best in films. So, I saw it best to give Frozen 2 another chance.

Fortunately, I like it considerably more. I can't help but appreciate what I see after knowing what went into crafting it. That's not to say I think the film is perfect, I still think the story is a bit of a mess and Olaf is still annoying, but there are things I think I was simply wrong about before. Most notably, the songs were far better than I remember. Show Yourself and Into the Unknown (the showstoppers that seem to be this movie's Let it Go equivalents) are both terrific, but my favourite is All is Found, the tender and gentle lullaby from the very start, which has been stuck in my head for a week now. Additionally, the things I liked the first time around were still apparent here, Anna and Elsa being two great characters and the animation being so stunning and a massive step-up from before. 

So, I'm glad I like it more now because I really wanted to after seeing what a labour of love it was for the filmmakers. If every animated film had a behind the scenes documentary series like this did, maybe my appreciation for many others, even those that I like a lot less, would be increased too. As it stands, I have infinite respect for everyone who has contributed in some way to the medium. It may take a lot more time and patience that just sticking a camera in front of some actors, but it's so versatile and so wondrous that I believe it is completely worth it in the end. 

So, that's my quite weird experience with Frozen 2. Also, while I'm here, can I just take a moment to spread my excitement for Raya and the Last Dragon? I hope this movie is good, dragons in general are awesome and I love the oriental style this seems to have with its visuals and music. It looks so different and refreshing for Disney so I'll be sure to see that when it drops on Disney+, unless cinemas are back in which case I'll try and catch it there.

Soul - Movie Review - It's safe to say that Pixar is back now

I know that this is a digital release (which I usually don't do in-depth reviews of) but it was originally meant for a theatrical release, and it's a new film from Pixar, so we'll go ahead and do one anyway. 

Soul is one of two Pixar films from 2020, and also one of two original Pixar films from 2020, which is more than welcome considering how weak a year for film it ended up being and also based on the overload of follow-ups this studio has produced over the last ten years or so, a couple of which haven't been all that good. Despite this, I still had some concerns. I liked the look of the down-to-Earth story that the film portrayed in the first half of the teaser trailer, but wasn't so sure if I wanted it to turn into another story set in another world with a ton of childish gimmicks that distract from some genuinely dramatic stuff. But, some good reviews and reactions came in, and after finally getting Disney+, I was able to check it out.

Joe Gardner is a down on his luck school band teacher, who dreams of performing Jazz with one of his favourite musicians. He gets a chance to do this gig of his dreams, but unfortunately falls into a hole and dies beforehand. After escaping the great beyond, he finds himself in a place known as the great before, and has to work with an unborn soul named 22 in order to get back to his life and fulfill what he believes to be his purpose.

Let's get the obvious Pixar pros out of the way. The animation is expectedly stunning, with the real world having extreme fidelity while also being nicely stylised, and the land of the souls being wonderfully colourful and ethereal. The score is also one of the best in any Pixar film; coming from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, it's appropriately abstract and generally beautiful. This studio somehow manages to outdo themselves on these aspects that I previously thought they couldn't do much better on, which is largely commendable.

I also found the voice acting to be particularly good in this, not least from the big names like Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, but also from people like Graham Norton and Richard Ayoade, both of whom were really funny and should definitely do more voice work.

But, by far the best thing about Soul is the theming. It has a more intellectual stance compared to most other Pixar movies, which is much appreciated from me. As someone who studies philosophy and often thinks about existential ideas, I found the story of this film really profound. I love the way it explores the supposed meaning of life and what we believe to be our purposes, and suggesting that life isn't really about those things but really just about living every moment as it happens. That's some really deep stuff and it's handled almost effortlessly. The way music is also interwoven into this story is really well done too. I love these mature, bold ideas and the fact that Pixar implemented them into a story so expertly just made me smile. There's a particular montage that consists of no words but just peaceful piano playing that essentially summarises the idea at its core, and I couldn't help but smile at how perfect it was. 

Despite all this, there are some problems with this movie. I think my biggest issue is that this story, at least in my eyes, could've worked just as well if not better had it been completely in the real world and without the augmentations of the soul world. While I do think it was creative, visually interesting, and beneficial for conveying the film's message, I did find it weighing the film down because I was far more interested in what was going on in the real world and occasionally found it distracting. The whole second act of the film also didn't land right with me. I understood what it was doing in retrospect, but as it was on, it was quite annoying and a bit childish, undermining the really mature aspects of the film for me by kind of dumbing them down. 

Pete Docter is definitely the best of Pixar's directors when it comes to crafting messages and I think he has some of the best ideas, but I also think he is often restricted by a need to appeal to children. I'd really like to see this studio take a stab at making a film for an adult audience. Yes, I am aware that the universality of their films is a wonderful thing, but that's not to say that something a bit more grown up can't work on at least one occasion. Look at films like Princess Mononoke or The Breadwinner, two animated films that are not made for children, from studios that have made child-friendly content in the past, that both work really well. Animation is just a medium at the end of the day and one that has more to it than just telling stories to children. Pixar definitely have the talent and ideas to make something in the same league, so I think Disney really ought to take the family-friendly shackles off and let them give it a go. I'm not saying I want all their films to be this way from now on, I'd just like to see them give it a try, because Soul, along with films like Ratatouille and The Incredibles, is proof that they can. But, then again, artistic license comes after ensuring the greatest profits for big companies like this so I guess not then.

As a whole, I was really satisfied with Soul. While I do think it's a story that could've functioned better with a completely mature tone, I still really liked the way it was told. The intellectual ideas, the creative world-building, and more phenomenal animation and music really made this a pleasant watch. It has its problems but the good things are just too good to be weighed down by them. Hopefully this paves the way for more great original content and maybe, just maybe, something more adult-centred too.

I'm going to give Soul a 9.0/10

Also, as I'm sure you can imagine, I love Disney+ and have been using it quite a lot. I'll definitely be checking out Hamilton and Mulan (2020) shortly as well as the countless Disney films I've wanted to watch for ages. I've also been watching The Mandalorian and it's pretty great.

Top 5 Films of 2020

Here we are, the end of yet another year, and what a bumpy one it's been. I've gone on enough in recent posts about my thoughts on the state of cinema throughout the last twelve months, so in this, I'm just going to cut to the chase. 

I didn't really feel like making this list at first, but to spread a little positivity and also to preserve the tradition set by the last two years, I thought I might as well. Even though 2020 hasn't had the strongest batch of movies, there were a handful of great ones released beyond those that were simply the least bad, thus we've reverted to the Top 5 format.

My thoughts on some of these have changed since I last discussed them, so I'll be relatively detailed with those. But, for others which I don't have much new to discuss, I'll just mention them briefly to save time. Here we go!

5. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

Talked about this recently and don't have much else to say, it's just a really powerful, honest and optimistic look at the state of the planet nowadays.

4. Onward

The only 2020 film I managed to see before everything went pear-shaped, and one that improved upon revisiting. I initially regarded Onward as a decent but somewhat conventional Pixar offering, but I didn't really take issue with what I regarded as "conventional" on my second viewing. I found myself invested in the characters, really enjoying the story, still dazzled by the animation, and just having a great time overall. So, it's comfortably found a place in this selection. I really really really wanted to watch Soul before the end of the year, but I wasn't able to. However, I am going to get a Disney+ subscription soon so I'll be sure to check it out and promptly give my thoughts. I can't miss a Pixar film, even if an exclusive service is the only place it's available.

3. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Once again, I've talked about this recently, so all I'll say here is that this was an extremely well written, engaging and insightful watch. I very much look forward to seeing what Aaron Sorkin does next because he's just amazing.

2. Tenet

If you saw my original review, you'll know that I was slightly disappointed by Tenet. I mean, the prospect of a new Christopher Nolan movie is exciting enough and it didn't help that I became a much bigger fan of his during lockdown and that this was the first major release upon the re-opening of cinemas, so my expectations were stupidly high, and naturally I was a bit disappointed. However, because I couldn't stop thinking about it, about a month later, I returned to the exact same cinema and the exact same screen to give it another go, and it was much better. The pacing was much smoother, the burden of having to follow along was somewhat eased, and I just enjoyed it a whole lot more. Some of my initial reservations remain, namely the storytelling as well as a bit of fatigue near the end. But, despite those, I am glad I was able to get more out of it, and I still have infinite levels of respect for Nolan for both using his blockbuster status to make cerebral, complex works of art and not being afraid to put them out at a time that may not ensure the greatest profits. 

1. Wolfwalkers

Honestly, there was no competition for the top spot on this list; Wolfwalkers is just magnificent. It's a beautiful tale that proves 2D animation is still able to work wonders in the 3D age, and it has a really sweet, emotional heart at its core. The more I think about this film the more I like it. This is the only film in 2020 I gave a 9/10 to, which is a shame when considering how many I dealt out in 2019, but at least we were able to get one. Cartoon Saloon haven't put a foot wrong since they entered the world of feature films, and I definitely have more faith in them going forward than I do for other animation studios like Pixar. Also, as I saw this relatively early, it was such a joy to gradually see more and more people discover it and sing its praises, as I did. So, without a doubt, this is the best movie of 2020.

So, that wraps up 2020. Even though the coming year is largely uncertain in terms of whether things will come out and how they'll come out, I thought I'd briefly brush over the current 2021 release schedule and highlight the things I'm looking forward to the most.

In order of supposed release:

- The King's Man - A much needed return to a franchise I love

- Raya and the Last Dragon - Finally something original and different from Disney

- No Time To Die - About time

- A Quiet Place: Part 2 - Technically a 2020 film which definitely won't cause confusion

- Last Night in Soho - Edgar Wright is the best, hopefully something different will still be good

- Black Widow - Somehow even more overdue

- Godzilla vs Kong - Sure, why not?

- Fast and Furious 9 - Also sure, why not?

- Death on the Nile - Another outing with the best moustache in cinema

- Dune - YES YES YES YES YES YES I NEED THIS NOW

- Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 - The cast alone excites me

- Sherlock Holmes 3 - Apparently this is a thing, which is awesome

More Digital 2020 Releases I've Seen Ranked

Since ranking all digital releases I'd seen in 2020 before theatrical releases returned, I've continued to see more and more as they've been released. As we come to the end of this hectic year, I thought it'd be a good time to go through them. This list will cover all digital 2020 releases I've seen since the start of September, a considerably stronger batch compared to the last one, but still not great on the whole. Nevertheless, let's go!

11. Hubie Halloween

Even though I regard 2020 as a weak year for movies, this is really the only bad film I've seen. But, even at that, it's not that bad. Hubie Halloween is perfectly passable and extremely harmless, but it's soooooooooo boring. I literally got out some school work and started doing that while the film was on, I was that uninterested in it. It's kind of a shame as well because, even though I'm not the biggest fan of Adam Sandler, I tend to enjoy his simple, silly comedies like this, even if they aren't that good. I think a big part of why this didn't click with me is because I'm not really that invested in Halloween. It happens every year, but it's not as big a deal here in the UK compared to the USA. The only legitimately funny thing in this film was the running gag involving the thermos, that made me laugh on a couple of occassions. But, aside from that, I was bored out of my mind - 4.0/10

10. The Devil All the Time

Netflix throw a lot at the wall when putting out original content, so more often than not, they put out a couple of films that are genuinely interesting, a few of which are on this list. Unfortunately, while this is one of them, it didn't hit the mark for me. The Devil All the Time has a very impressive cast who all deliver strong and commited performances, an appropriate aesthetic and direction, and some intriguing themes, but that couldn't really salvage the movie when I found it to be so long and convoluted as well as so excessively dark to the point where I don't really want to revisit or think about it again. I appreciate this movie for what it was going for, but I don't think such is to my liking - 6.0/10

9. The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two

I didn't think too much of the original Christmas Chronicles film, it was a fairly surface-level Christmas romp but made quite fun because of Kurt Russell as Father Christmas. Going into this one, I naturally wasn't expecting much, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, more so than its predecessor. The interpretation of Christmas here is so inventive, making it quite a fun watch. Additionally, Kurt Russell continues to charm and the story is also a lot more exciting. So, even though there still wasn't much to latch onto, as a slice of festive cheer in the year 2020, this did the job just fine for me - 7.0/10

8. Enola Holmes

There's not much to be said about this one, I just really enjoyed it. A lot of what makes Enola Holmes work is the charm, charisma, and general likability of Milly Bobby Brown in the central role - I thought she did an excellent job, and the way she kept breaking the 4th wall was consistently entertaining. This was originally much higher, but the more I think about it, the less I want to go back, which isn't too good a sign. But, still had fun while it was on - 7.5/10

7. Mank

During COVID, I've become a fan of David Fincher's work. He's made quite a few great films, so I was pleased to see that a new outing from him was soon to come. However, I felt a little disappointed with what I got. Mank has much to like, particularly in its performances from Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, the well-crafted 1930s aesthetic, and the solid direction as usual. But, it's quite a dull watch. With most films based on true stories, there's always something about their narrative that communicates to the audience why this story needed to be dramatised, but this just didn't have that. Nothing about this story seemed especially interesting or engaging, and I felt I could probably get the same experience from just reading the behind the scenes of Citizen Kane. Speaking of which, it didn't help that the film was designed to appeal to those in love with the afore mentioned film as well as those familiar with this era and the politics surrounding it, so I was unable to get as much out of this as a different audience member could have. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as the last two films, but I've placed it higher because I am keen to come back once I've seen Citizen Kane and also because, there's much more worth admiring even if the issues are more prominent - 6.0/10

6. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

The last digital release I watched, and not the highest of notes to go out on. It's undeniably great to see one last amazing performance from Chadwick Boseman, a terrific talent whose passing will leave a considerable hole in the film industry in the coming years, and Viola Davis is also as fabulous as she usually is. But this was just kind of an uneventful movie. It's occassionally interesting and compelling, but most of the time it was just obvious that this was desgined for the stage, a format I believe is better suited for this story because of how little variation there is in location and how little of the lives of these people is covered outside of monologues and such. As a result of this, the filmmaking was kind of unremarkable too. However, I can't complain too much because I thought this was a perfectly fine watch, and I see more worth admiring in this too compared to other films lower on this list that I enjoyed more - 6.5/10

5. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

This is another interesting movie but one that actually frustrates me. I enjoyed I'm Thinking of Ending Things; the performances, particularly from Jessie Buckley, were terrific, the cinematography and aspect ratio were very effective, and the overall atmosphere was really engaging, meaning the film always had my attention and I was always interested. But, I just can't bring myself to say I loved it. It felt a lot as if it was just constantly throwing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle at me but not giving any time to piece them together. I like it when a piece of art leaves you thinking about what you just watched and what it means, but here it hindered my enjoyment, as I struggled to embrace what I was watching due to being so bogged down in all the different aspects of it. Similar to Mank, I'm not familiar with the work of Charlie Kaufman, so maybe after a bit of experience with his films I'll be more prepared to get the most out of this. To reiterate, I did really enjoy and admire a lot of what this movie offered, and I am keen to revisit it, but I just took some issue with everything else - 7.5/10

4. On the Rocks

While this did have a brief theatrical run, I watched it for the first time at home thanks to my year free trial of Apple TV+ (very generous considering that there are some streaming services that don't offer a free trial at all *cough* Disney+ *cough*). I'm not too familiar with Sofia Coppola's films aside from the great Lost in Translation, but I was keen to see this. Having watched it, it was mostly a vehicle for Bill Murray to just be himself from 90 minutes, and I'm perfectly fine with that. The plot was fine, the filmmaking fairly standard, but I really enjoyed it overall, not too much else to say here, it was just entertaining and I'd happily check it out again - 7.5/10

3. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

For some inexplicable reason, I had not seen Borat until roughly two months ago, which is shocking considering that I love Sacha Baron Cohen. After watching it, I was delighted that there was a sequel on its way, and even more delighted upon having had plenty of fun watching it. Cohen's antics as the goofy Kazakhstani reporter are just so damn funny, and it's hard to resist. But it doesn't stop there, as putting him in the climate of the year 2020 was especially genius, and it is impressive that this film was written and produced in the midst of the pandemic. As far as issues go, I feel the edge of the original with its mockumentary style was slightly abandoned in favour of a more emotional story, and there are times where some of the jokes get a bit old, but I still had a great time with this everything considered - 7.5/10

2. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

This one also had a brief time in the cinema, but I was able to watch it on Netflix. I thought this was just a brilliant film. David Attenborough is a true inspiration, and his witness statement about the state of our planet was so eye-opening and honest. But, as much as the tragedies of today's natural environment were highlighted, there was a ton of optimism about what can be done to redeem it as a counter-balance. After watching, I felt like I'd learned much, making this essential viewing for anyone who cares about the world we live in, or really just anyone who lives on this planet. While not a film in the traditional sense, leaving it out of this list would be doing a disservice - 8.0/10

1. The Trial of the Chicago 7

The only great Netflix movie from 2020, and I couldn't be happier to say that there was at least one! I was sold on this film before having seen it - Aaron Sorkin has proven himself to be the best in the business when it comes to screenwriting, dialogue in particular. If you look at a film like The Social Network, you can pick up just how talented he is from how satisfying and even musical the dialogue is. So, upon combining such a skillset with a courtroom drama, a sub-genre I have started to take a liking to, you essentially have a match made in heaven. The writing here is pitch-perfect and thoroughly engrossing, I loved almost every bit of it. It executed this really fascinating story in such a terrific way. In addition to this, Sorkin presents himself as a solid directing talent too. Aside from that, the acting was very strong from Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to name a few. Despite an occasionally messy structure, this film just hits the right notes in almost every aspect, so it's the best digital release I've seen in 2020 - 8.0/10

So, that just about rounds up my thoughts on every digital 2020 release I've seen, as well as every 2020 release I've managed to see in general. I'm grateful I've been able to find some new content in this time, some of which has been well worth the watch, but it all boils down to just a shell of the 2020 movie season I was hoping for. Let's hope that 2021 will have more to offer, and hopefully more on the big screen.

If you want to see my full 2020 movie ranking including both digital and theatrical releases as well as brief reviews I post after watching films both old and new, be sure to follow me on Letterboxd: Jack W. If you don't have it, I'd highly recommend if you're a big movie person like myself.

Another Top 10 Films I watched for the first time during COVID

Since publishing my list of the top 10 films I watched for the first time during COVID, I have seen much more excellent pre-existing content, and I thought I might as well talk about it as the end of the year draws closer. So, here's another top 10 films I watched for the first time during COVID.

To reiterate, no new releases that came out in this time are included here, as this is all about pre-existing films I wanted to watch as well as ones that I had no intention to watch. Also, this will not include anything I had watched at the time of my last list being published, as this will focus on the films I watched between then and now. To see the full list of everything I watched for the first time during COVID (which contains over 80 films!), be sure to follow me on Letterboxd: Jack W. You'll also find mini reviews of mostly everything I don't mention here.

I'd also like to give a quick warning, but some of the films on this list are in a very unpopular order, so if you are very passionate about your opinion and / or unable to accept differences in opinions, you may not like what you see. With all that being said, let's get going!

10. Apollo 13 (1995)

I love space movies, particularly ones based on real life, and I love Tom Hanks, so there was every way this would be a fine watch at the very least. While Apollo 13 is very long and occassionally plods, it's a thoroughly engaging and tense watch. Like The Martian, which is one of my favourite films, it's essentially built around a problem and all the solutions that are gradually worked out to overcome it, which is a really engrossing way to tell a story. So, I found much to enjoy here.

9. Fight Club (1999)

One of the notable trends throughout all the films I watched for the first time during COVID is that I've started to enter the world of David Fincher films. Pre-COVID, I'd only seen The Social Network, and while I love that film, I was very keen to watch the other works of this fan-favourite filmmaker. So far, I've watched three, and Fight Club is the only one to make this list, with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button just barely missing out and Zodiac not coming close (unpopular opinions I know). This was quite a full-on and generally mental watch, but I really enjoyed it. The fast pace, strong performances, snappy dialogue, and interesting story made it a great experience. I am very keen to go back and take a closer look into it for sure, as there's so much worth coming back for, and hopefully it'll just get better. I should probably shut up about this now because I've broken the first rule enough.

8. The Green Mile (1999)

I didn't really know what to expect from this movie, but it had Tom Hanks in it so it had to be at least passable. What I got was something far better than I could've expected. Usually I struggle with movies over three hours (with exceptions such as Lord of the Rings and Endgame) but I didn't have a problem with that here as it was extremely enthralling. Hanks is effortlessly fabulous, the late Michael Clarke-Duncan gives a phenomenally powerful performance, and the story as a whole is really thoughtful and emotional. While hard to watch at times and slow at others, I have to praise this movie for managing to keep my attention when it so easily could've sent me to sleep.

7. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

I'm all for films being wonderful works of art with great meaning, but I'm also never one to reject something frothy and just plain fun. Four Weddings and a Funeral was a delight, and for the simple reason that it was just really funny and really charming. Hugh Grant, despite looking about twelve, was as likeable as ever, Rowan Atkinson continues to show he can make the very best of a seemingly minor role, and the plot as a whole was just very entertaining.

6. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

If you saw my ranking of more digital 2020 releases I've seen, you'll know that I had never seen Borat before 2020. I love Sacha Baron Cohen and think he is one of the funniest actors around, so I'm surprised it took me so long to catch one of his most acclaimed films, and just in time for its sequel. Borat takes an idea that appears quite one-note on the surface but manages to make the very best of it in almost every aspect. This film is absolutely hysterical and consistently kept me entertained even when it somewhat ran out of momentum. I'll certainly be coming back to this because if something makes me laugh, it gets many points from me.

5. Brother Bear (2003)

I think it's really sad that Disney, despite being the pioneers of animated films and producing tons of great content with the 2D medium, have abandoned such for 3D just because of its greater profitability and convenience. So, I'm always happy to watch any 2D films of theirs that I haven't seen, and Brother Bear is one of them. This is no Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, but it is still a really beautiful and very endearing movie. The humour kind of stumbles in places, which is somewhat of a given for many animated movies, but it pleased my eyes and occasionally my ears for ninety minutes as well as gently tugging at the heartstrings, so I really like it. It's also really funny to hear Joaquin Phoenix's voice in this movie, for someone who is extremely picky about what roles they choose nowadays, it is interesting that he was convinced to star in something of this calibre.

4. Memento (2000)

Continuing my way through the Nolan library, Memento is yet another great movie. Of all his works, this one thrives the most off of its non-linear storytelling, as the story would quite literally have not made sense or have been as effective if it were told chronologically, which is an indicator that it wasn't done for the sake of it, unlike some other films. Additionally, it was a far more captivating experience because of its structure, and it continued (or, I suppose started) the Nolan tradition of demanding you to actively watch and pay attention. Beyond that, there isn't an awful lot to latch onto, but the truly unique nature is what boosts this in my mind.

3. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Yep, we're going way back with some of these. If you were to tell me that a film consisting of twelve men sat bickering in one room for ninety minutes would be good, I wouldn't know what to say. This was terrific. It's a film that almost entirely hinges on one line, a line that makes you rethink almost everything it had established up to that point. Because of that, at the end of the film, you start to think about how the smallest of things can be extremely important, and that they are worth discussing. Additionally, the way this film witholds information is equally genius, keeping you engaged for its whole runtime. Beyond that, the acting and dialogue is expectedly brilliant, I mean, I find a weird funniness in fast-spoken dialogue from older films like this, so it was just a great time. I was anything but angry while watching.

2. Song of the Sea (2014)

If you saw my review of Wolfwalkers, you'll know that I've recently fallen in love with the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. After liking that film and one of their others, The Breadwinner, I just had to get round to seeing the rest as soon as possible. Song of the Sea, in my mind, is tied with Wolfwalkers for being their best film. Films like this just don't come around much anymore; films with actual stories to tell and ideas to share, as well as being conveyed in such a beautiful and utterly distinct way in terms of both the gorgeous animation and the sweeping music. I adored this film so much and it reminds me why I love animation, 2D animation, films, and just storytelling in general. It's magnificent.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

This is simply one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. I have no idea what 2001: A Space Odyssey means, but that doesn't matter. Everything in this film just screams cinema. This is an unbelievable work of art that feels so ahead of its time. Whether we're talking about the visuals, the set design, the colours, the atmosphere, the music, the cinematography, it's all just on another level. Even the smallest of things like a floating pen that is seamlessly picked up by an actor left me astonished and in awe, I mean, how did they do that in 1968? Some literal movie magicians must have worked on this. Honestly, I cannot stress enough how blown away I was by this, I would have happily sat down and watched it again right after it finished, and would have no problem sitting around analysing it for hours. AMAZING STUFF.

Well, that's that all wrapped up. 2020 hasn't been as rough for me as it has been for others, but it has still been pretty rubbish. However, if there is one good thing that has come out of it, it's all the brilliant films like these that I was able to watch. As things look like they'll mostly be the same for the coming months, I only hope I can discover more and more. 

Wolfwalkers - Movie Review - More greatness from the overlooked

When thinking about modern animation studios, not many seem to specialise in 2D / handrawn anymore. Pixar, Dreamworks, and Illumination are all giants thriving off of 3D, Disney have fully made the transition from one to the other, Aardman and Laika are the overlooked masters of stop motion, and Studio Ghibli have gone dormant since 2014. We now seem to get the occassional 2D animated film, and usually from a much smaller animation house - one of these being the Irish group Cartoon Saloon. They have produced only three animated films over the last ten years, and I've unfortunately only seen one, The Breadwinner (2017). I love that film quite a bit, so I've been trying my best to get round to watching their two other films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014), both of which I've heard great things about. However, while I was doing some browsing, I found out a new film of theirs was releasing very soon, and that film was Wolfwalkers.

Going into this film, I was very excited. My love for 2D animation as well as what I'd seen from this studio had me keen that this would be another great film. It was a little tricky to track down a cinema playing it but I was able to eventually see it at the Barbican Centre, a lovely venue I hadn't been to beforehand. 

The film centres on Robyn, an English girl living in an Irish town with a vast forest on its doorstep. She desperately wants to go out and hunt the wolves within, but her father refuses to let her. One day, after sneaking out, she comes across a girl in the forest, named Mebh. She isn't a normal girl, as she is a Wolfwalker, someone who is united with the wolves in the forest and able to transform into one while sleeping. Having become friends with Mebh, Robyn must help save her and the pack before the hunters, including her father, destroy their home.

I think it goes without saying that this is a beautiful looking film. As mentioned, it's so lovely to see at least one studio still having faith in 2D, and rightfully so in my opinion. Even though it's clearly more time consuming than other art forms, the end product is completely worth it, because the visuals are just stellar. There's so much vibrancy, so much expression, and simply so much life. You can literally see the lines where the artists have sketched, and there's something so magical about that. It adds the magic of what you see literally being drawings that've come to life. I honestly can't express how much I love 2D animation and just how wonderfully it was utilised in this film. But the beauty of the film doesn't stop there. The music is also really enchanting, with the clear Celtic influence making it so much more unique than many other animated movie scores I hear nowadays.

I also really liked the story here. The two main characters were really endearing and the friendship between them just felt so natural, and the same can be said for the relationship between Robyn and her father. It was also a film that really tugged at the heart-strings, especially in the climax which I thought was rich, powerful, and emotional. One aspect that made the film so compelling was the really strong voice acting, with the two actresses playing the leads in particular feeling so genuine and conveying all the right emotions. The setting and lore of the film was also very well realised, with such a thoughtful world built around the premise. I'd imagine it does take inspiration from Irish folklore, and if so, it used it very well.

The only issue I had with the film wasn't that big a problem but still something I noticed, and that's the slight familiarity of it. If you've seen films like How to Train Your Dragon, Princess Mononoke, Brother Bear, and Brave, you will probably be able to predict where the story goes and what themes will be explored, making it quite predictable. Fortunately, it used a lot of its familiar elements in effective ways, and it never felt directly derivative of the afore mentioned films; it just occurred to me that I had seen a lot of what it was doing elsewhere.

As a whole, there's not too much else to be said; Wolfwalkers is just a terrific film. It's enchanting visuals and music combined with such a heartfelt and genuine story make it something truly special. In spite of a few similarities with other works, this is by far the best animated film I've seen so far this year as well as the best film I've seen so far this year in general. I just loved it. 

I'm going to give Wolfwalkers a 9.0/10

It feels so good to finally give that high a rating to a new release in 2020!

Bill & Ted Face the Music - Movie Review - A most excellent return

I'm not that big a fan of the original two Bill & Ted movies. Not because I dislike them, just because I'm not that familiar with them. I'd watched Excellent Adventure at least once many years ago, and I'd never seen Bogus Journey, so I don't really have too big of a connection to them. But, because big releases are slowly coming back to cinemas, and the thrid entry being one of them, I decided to familiarise myself with this series so that I could go and see it and hopefully enjoy it. 

In preparation, I watched the first two movies a few days ago. The first one I really like, I think it's a very clever comedy with a ton of creativity, and the second, while not as good, was still a ridiculous but fun adventure. So, I felt I was ready to face the music and that it'd be a pleasant way to spend ninety minutes. 

Many years after their initial capers, Bill and Ted are struggling to get by in life and aren't the successful rock stars they always dreamed of being. But, when approached by the daughter of Rufus one day, they discover they are yet to fulfill their prophecy of writing a song to unite the world. So, with little time before all of time and space collapses, the dimwitted duo travel far into the future in the hopes that they can save the world.

As I hoped, this was a really fun time. The great thing about all three Bill & Ted movies is the fact that they are just so hard to dislike. They all have plot holes and contrivances, but they just don't matter. This is mostly because of the central duo of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, both of whom sink back into their respective roles very swiftly. It'll never not be funny to see two complete idiots going all over time and not really knowing what they're doing, there's simply something so delightful about that. It's made even funnier here by the fact that the stakes are higher than ever yet they don't act as if it's any different to before. It's also funny to see them encounter future versions of themselves whether they're all bulked up in jail or on their deathbeds.

One other thing I liked quite a lot was the addition of their two daughters, Billie and Thea (notice anything about their names?). They have their own sub-plot where they essentially reprise the plot of the first movie but instead of gathering various historical figures for a school report, they gather some of the most talented musicians to help assist their fathers with performing the supposed song to save the world. This obviously leads to plenty of great gags in line with the original, but a big part of what makes it so good is, once again, the performances. Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine, both of whom I was unfamiliar with beforehand, were really entertaining variations on Reeves and Winter, and it didn't just feel like they were doing impressions but really doing their own thing too. 

The one other thing I really liked was the visuals. Because the first two were made in the late 80s / early 90s, the technology wasn't really there to make a visually stunning experience. But here, it looks really exciting. Some of the effects were a tad cheap-looking, but most of the time, it was very visually pleasing. There's also a musical sequence towards the end, as you may expect based on the previous films, and it's nothing amazing, but really solidly put together and thoroughly upbeat. 

As far as negatives go, I suppose it's obvious that you could certainly look at the plot and pick apart all the nonsense on display. While I can excuse the plot being very meandering and silly because of how enjoyable the movie was, it still means that the movie wasn't that engaging. Also, the pacing is off and drags quite a bit, and the structure too is very messy. There's also somewhat of a disposable feeling about the film, in that it'll probably go down as something I saw and enjoyed but never really thought about again, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does make the film feel slightly unimpactful.

One other thing I will mention is that the movie will probably work a lot better if you are a strong fan, which I'm not. But, does lead into one of the best things about the movie, and that is the fact that it didn't feel cynical or corporate in the slightest. Sequels that come after many years have passed usually don't tell a particularly refreshing story and end up banking off of the nostalgia that the audience has for the previous films in contrived and unearned ways, making the movie feel more like a product designed to make money. If you look at Jurassic World or some of Pixar's sequels, for example, even though I really like some of them, they feel very cynical and not as if they were made out of passion but instead because they knew people would go to see them because of fondness for the originals. Here, I don't think the same can be said. It feels so good-hearted and completely as if it was made because the creators wanted no more than to please the fans, and any callbacks to the previous films feel natural and are satisfying, and this is coming from someone who isn't overly attached to the first two Bill & Ted movies.

Overall, this movie was a silly, nonsensical and ridiculous mess, but so much fun all the while. The titular duo were as good as before, some new additions were very welcome, and there's such an infectious sense of fun that's so hard to resist. Of course it's all over the place and doesn't make any sense whatsoever, but the fact that an absurd comedy like this is coming out in the turbulent year of 2020 basically makes that stuff meaningless. I had a great time with this movie and I recommend you check it out if you're a fan or just in the mood for a good laugh. 

I'm going to give Bill & Ted Face the Music a 7.0/10