Loki (Season 2)

Time travel is impossible in real life, but it’s also difficult to make believable in fiction, where a neat plot device can easily devolve into a knotted nest of confusing exposition. The first season of “Loki” avoided this problem, making this Disney+ show a shining light in a somewhat quiet era of the MCU. Following a “variant” of the Norse God of Trickery in the depths of the Time Variance Authority, or TVA, the series partnered with flawless production design with a simple emotional narrative – especially once the protagonist Loki (Tom Hiddleston) met his match in his female counterpart Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), a relationship that opened questions of identity, free will and self-determination. Tracking the potential branches of the so-called Sacred Timeline could confuse the viewer. Alison Herman said in her review, “Like a Zen koan, “What makes a Loki a Loki?” is grounding and easy to grasp.”

The final scene of the first season, “Loki” revealed it would be the first Marvel Studios show for Disney+ to have a second season. This realization came as a relief, with the cliffhanger ending. After Loki and Sylvie traveled to the end of time, Sylvie killed He Who Remains, played by Jonathan Majors, the founder of the TVA and the main obstacle keeping the Sacred Timeline from becoming a complete multiverse. Herman said, “When Loki, having tried to stop her, returned alone to the TVA, he found an office transformed, with statues of He Who Remains looming everywhere and employees like Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) having no memory of their quarry-turned-collaborator.”

This past year, “Loki” is back, and at the right time. Because the show started the MCU’s Multiverse Saga strongly, the franchise’s latest installments have caused people to have serious criticisms. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” was a critical and commercial disappointment that failed to build on what started in “Loki,” despite using some of the same concepts and characters. Herman noted, “Meanwhile, Majors is facing trial for charges of assault and aggravated harassment against his former girlfriend, throwing Marvel’s plan to make his character the next Thanos-style archvillain into question. (Not that blockbuster business planning should be anyone’s main concern when it comes to allegations of domestic violence, but with this much money on the line, it is a concern to some.)”

Herman continued, “Such circumstances place a great deal of pressure and scrutiny on “Loki” Season 2, which has also seen some personnel shuffles behind the scenes.” (Eric Martin became the head writer from creator Michael Waldron, while director Kate Herron gave the job to a larger group led by collaborators Justin Benson and Aaron Morehead.) However, even though “Loki” seems to be the best of the MCU shows, second only to “WandaVision,” Season 2 falls into the same traps the original story so cleverly avoided.

Herman said, “While the first episodes of “Loki” used its namesake as an audience surrogate, gradually laying out the purpose, customs and bylaws of the TVA, Season 2 begins in media res. Right away, Loki is tasked with finding Sylvie, figuring out why he’s hopscotching through time and navigating the chaos of a TVA workforce that’s just discovered all memory-wiped variants from “severed” — or less euphemistically, eliminated — timelines. It’s a lot, perhaps too much, for both Loki and the viewer to process, especially since the story feels increasingly unmoored from Loki’s own journey of (literal) self-discovery.”

Instead, the season introduces new MacGuffins like the Temporal Loom and characters like Ourobouros, played by Ke Huy Quan, a type of cosmic IT guy with the job of keeping TVA equipment in shape. Herman said, “There’s frantic motion and momentum, but not as much of a sense of who wants what, and why, when it comes to complicated questions of personal autonomy versus the collective good. In fact, one gets the sense that “Loki” maintains the breakneck speed precisely so it doesn’t have to slow down and root the action in its characters’ wants and needs. Online explainers will surely lay out the logistics in exhaustive detail, but they can’t create the sense of emotional urgency the season palpably lacks.”

At least there are performances, delivered by an ensemble inside the MCU’s giant ensemble that remains one of its best. On a long victory after his Oscar win for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Quan brings an experienced energy to Ourobouros, or OB, that complements the crazy antics he’s asked to perform. Rafael Casal is less well-served as a TVA employee who’s barely introduced before becoming a fugitive, we’re told is important to the story, though through no fault of his own. Herman said, “And when taken on its own terms, Majors’ work as He Who Remains in his various incarnations is an idiosyncratic and strangely magnetic break from Marvel house style — though whether it should be considered separately from his off-set behavior is another question entirely.”

The playful, inventive visuals also continue to give “Loki” an added edge, from the congested gadgetry of OB’s workshop to a quick detour in 1970s London to an entire episode set in 19^th century Chicago. Herman said, “But where everything from the set design of the TVA to its complicated cosmology once felt in service to Loki’s burgeoning ability to feel camaraderie and love, the hierarchy now feels reversed. Even though, via spoiler-y means, Loki and Mobius do get to resume their buddy routine, there’s less space for either their friendship or Loki’s bond with Sylvie when everyone is racing around for unclear reasons.” “Loki” is still a good time, but despite the second season, it may not have been built for a long one.

I still think this was a good season. I did not find any complaints in it and I liked how everything is at stake and that something bad may happen if they do not jump at the chance to stop it. Loki has come a long way from the one villain the MCU did right and changed into a hero that we all love and adore. Then again, I think this is a different variant of Loki compared to the villain we loved to watch, but still, he has changed. You should check this season out and see for yourself, as I think there was a lot to see and get hooked on.

And with that, we have reached the end of “Disney Month 2023.” I hope everyone enjoyed it because, as always, this was a busy month for me. I had to decide what I was going to review and unfortunately had to change the list around a few times because some shows were delayed to next year. Some movies came out that I wanted to check out, so now that I have, I will take some time off and think clearly about what I want to review next.

Have a great end to the year, everyone. I will see you all next year for the next series of exciting reviews. Take care.

Chicken Run

Tonight, I saw the new “Chicken Run” movie. Before I talk about that, I should let everyone know what I thought of the first “Chicken Run” movie, released in 2000, which I saw a few days ago on Netflix.

Mrs. Tweedy isn’t playing around. Despite her cute British name, she’s not a nice chicken farmer. She means business. Early in the film, she separates a chicken that hasn’t been laying its daily egg and sentences it to a chopping block. Since this is an animated film, we expect a joke and a close escape. Not a chance. The chicken gets its head chopped off, the other chickens hear the horrifying sound of the ax – and later, in case there’s the slightest amount of doubt of what happened, we see chicken bones.

It is seriously a matter of life and death for the chickens to escape from the Tweedy Chicken Farm in this DreamWorks animated film that looks and sounds like no other. Roger Ebert said in his review, “Like the otherwise completely different "Babe," this is a movie that uses animals as surrogates for our hopes and fears, and as the chickens run through one failed escape attempt after another, the charm of the movie wins us over.”

Ebert continued, “The film opens as a spoof on World War II prison pictures such as "The Great Escape" and "Stalag 17" (the most important location in the movie is Hut 17).” Most of the chickens are happy with imprisonment and free meals (“Chicken feed! My favorite!”), but one named Ginger has courage and tries one escape attempt after another, always being thrown into the coal hole for a week as her punishment. Her cause grows more urgent when Mrs. Tweedy, voiced by Miranda Richardson, decides to cancel the egg operation and turn all of her chickens into chicken pies.

Ginger, voiced by Julia Sawalha, has tried everything: tunnels, catapults, disguises, deceptions. Mr. Tweedy, voiced by Tony Haygarth, is sure the chickens are planning intelligent escape plans, but can’t convince his wife, who is sure they would never do that. Then a blessing arrives, Rocky the Flying Rooster, voiced by Mel Gibson, an American bird who is on the run from a circus. Well, he can teach the chickens to fly and they can escape that way? Maybe, maybe not. Ebert noted, “There are many adventures before we discover the answer, and the most thrilling follows Ginger and Rocky through the bowels of the chicken pie machine, in an action sequence that owes a little something to the runaway mine train in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." There are tests of daring and skill in the escape plan, but also tests of character, as the birds look into their souls and discover hidden convictions.”

In a more predictable movie, the plot would be on autopilot. Not in “Chicken Run,” which has an original and sometimes darker view of the possibilities. One of the movie’s likability is the way it lets many of the characters stick with weirdness (Ebert noted, “It's set in England in the 1950s and sometimes offers a taste of those sly old Alec Guinness comedies”). Characters like the Royal Air Force veteran rooster with a sneaky secret exist not to move the plot along but to add color and texture: This movie about chickens is more human than many usual comedies.

Ebert noted, “The movie is the first feature-length work by the team of Peter Lord and Nick Park, who have won three Oscars (Park) and two Oscar nominations (Lord) for their work in Claymation, a stop-action technique in which plasticine is minutely changed from shot to shot to give the illusion of 3-D movement. Park is the creator of the immortal Wallace and Gromit, the man and his dog who star in "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave." In "Chicken Run," they bring a startling new smoothness and fluid quality to their art. Traditional clay animation tweaks and prods the clay between every shot; you can almost see the thumbprints. Their more sophisticated approach here is to start with plasticine modeled on articulated skeletons and clothe the models with a "skin" that gives them smoothness and consistency from shot to shot. The final effect is more like "Toy Story" than traditional clay animation.”

Ebert continued, “What I like best about the movie is that it's not simply a plot puzzle to be solved with a clever escape at the end. It is observant about human (or chicken) nature. A recent movie like "Gone in 60 Seconds" is the complete slave of its dimwitted plot and fears to pause for character development, lest the audience find the dialogue slows down the action.”

“Chicken Run,” on the other hand, is not only funny and terrific, clever and visually inventive, but…kind and sweet. Tender and touching. It’s a movie made by men, not machines, and at the end, you don’t feel squeezed out or manipulated, but cheerful and (Ebert said, “(I know this sounds strange”) more hopeful.

I remember seeing commercials for this movie when it was coming out, but I didn’t watch it, probably because I thought I wouldn’t like it. However, when I saw it on Netflix a few days ago, I found out that I was wrong. This is a good movie with a good story. I know this isn’t a new story, as we have seen escape movies done before, but this is a good one for the whole family to watch, especially children. Check it out on Netflix and see what you have been missing.

What can be said for the sequel, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, which came out on the 15^th on Netflix?

It’s been 23 since a flock of brave chickens made a near-death escape from their coop, giving the UK’s stop-motion studio, Aardman, worldwide recognition. “Chicken Run” was the studio’s first film and it remains the highest-grossing stop-motion film of all time. Sara Clements said in her review, “Both crowd-pleasing in its comedy and hard-hitting in its feminist and anti-fascist themes, its success is no surprise. Coined “The Great Escape but with chickens,” it brilliantly navigates the line between light fun and dark drama, and according to Aardman co-found, Peter Lord, the film may have inspired the Academy to introduce the Best Animated Feature category.” Whether or not that’s true, you can see why “Chicken Run” was so loved by audiences back then and why it remains so regarded by them now. The film could have been fine by itself but a sequel also seemed unavoidable. Does “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” match up with the original?

The last time we saw the hasty American rooster Rocky (Zachary Levi) and courageous hen Ginger (Thandie Newton), they had just escaped the prison of Tweedy’s Farm. Now the couple and the rest of the hens have all settled down on an island paradise, hidden away from the dangers and appetites of the human world. Rocky and Ginger are ready to forget the past and take on a life task: parenting. This won’t be an easy task with such an adventurous and rebellious chick. The new parents have a difficult time keeping their daughter, Molly, voiced by Bella Ramsey, safe from her growing curiosity about what’s outside of the island.

When Molly sees a truck carrying chickens to a place called Fun-Land Farms, she sees the picture of a chicken giving the thumbs up while sitting happily on a bucket. She starts to feel sheltered, questioning why she can’t leave. The world can’t be that bad for chickens, can it? Just like her parents did in the first film, Molly is chasing freedom. She leaves the island to simply face the dangers of the outside world on her own, unavoidably finding herself in the same problem as her parents in the first film. Knowing that they can no longer run from what’s going on outside, Ricky, Ginger, and the chickens make a plan to save Molly and other chickens from Fun-Land Farms. This time, they’re breaking in.

Directed by Sam Fell, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” is much bigger in scale than the previous film, with three locations in the story instead of one. The film’s production design is remarkable, especially when you see that Aardman still isn’t that big of a studio. Clements said, “Building sets by hand, the story takes place first in the chicken’s island home that’s surrounded by greenery and full of cozy wooden houses and flowers. Then, the action moves to Fun-Land Farms, whose cheery messaging contradicts its imposing, supervillain compound exterior.” Inside the factory is a utopic, lively area with theme park rides, endless corn, and a room full of chickens mind-controlled by a collar unaware of their fate as a bucket full of nuggets. Aardman’s vision was so large that they had to include CGI for certain parts, like background chickens and environments, but you can’t even tell because it keeps the feel of the original so well.

What also retains the feel of the original is the voice cast. Many of the original cast have returned: Imelda Staunton as the muscle Bunty, Lynn Ferguson as the intelligent Mac, and Jane Horrocks as the knitter Babs. New voices like Newton as Ginger, Levi as Rocky, and David Bradley as the elderly RAF mascot Fowler, are excellent replacements that are natural fits to the characters. New cast members include Bella Ramsey as Molly, Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammad as Fun-Land Farms scientist, Dr. Fry, and the duo rodent of Fletcher and Nick are given new voices of Romesh Ranganathan and Daniel Mays.

Clements said, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a spirited action adventure with plenty of comical spy hijinks inspired by James Bond and Mission: Impossible. It feels fresh using those different influences, but thankfully still retains a strong female-driven narrative like the first film. The introduction of Molly keeps the stakes high and its story compelling with the relationship between Ginger and Molly and their growth together and as individuals. However, other aspects of the story, like breaking into the film’s new farm, may have seemed like a full circle moment on the page but it comes off as too derivative in execution. The balance between dark and light themes is still present, perhaps thanks to Karey Kirkpatrick returning as a writer, but speaking to the dawn of the fast food industry doesn’t carry the same impact as watching Chicken Run as an adult and realizing it’s an allegory for the Holocaust.” Despite a few complaints, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” is still full of likability and so much humor, ending up with an enjoyable return for this freedom-fighting coop.

I was really surprised with how good of a sequel this was. The runtime of the film went by so quickly that before I knew it, the film was over. Check this out on Netflix if you haven’t seen it and you have seen the first. Everyone will love it, even though you could see similarities between this and “Pinocchio.”

Thank you for joining in on these reviews tonight. Stay tuned tomorrow for the conclusion of “Disney Month 2023.”

Ahsoka

Over the last few years, Star Wars fans have been having complicated feelings about the franchise. On one side, fans have been enjoying the movies, shows, cartoons, and theme park attractions that people spend a year's salary on. Erin Maxwell said in her review, “Disney’s greed quickly saw an oversaturated market and so we got some lackluster entries, cruddy hotels, and Porg plushies, causing the desire for more galactic adventures to diminish.”

The Franchise needed a save that makes sense and brings fans back to the franchise, but will be it this past year’s “Ahsoka” series?

Ahsoka is a Togruta (sentient humanoid with cone-like horns and white facial pigments), which fans were first introduced to in their teenage years training under Anakin Skywalker in the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” back in 2008. She returned to animated design in “Star Wars Rebels” in 2014 before she finally came to live-action in “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.” Now in her series, Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) follows the former Jedi after the fall of the Galactic Empire as she tracks down old enemies and lost friends with the help of her former Padawan, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo).

Written and co-directed by Star Wars defender Dave Filoni, “Ahsoka” sees him doing what he does best: connecting the dots between films and the extended universe. However, this time around, there is a separate focus on female empowerment and leadership thanks to the female-led cast. Maxwell noted, “But the world of Ahsoka isn’t an easy romp. The show will be quite complicated for most newbies, especially those who only have the movies under their belt and a Grogu t-shirt. Those who skipped out on Rebels and Clone Wars might be a bit lost in space when it comes to these characters, politics, and past narratives.”

To understand the show, “Ahsoka” requires viewers to do a lot of homework, and there’s much to catch up on. Maxwell said, “Hardcore fans will appreciate the poignant relationships that have been carefully cultivated since they were in toon form, but others will find the show slow-moving and bogged down in politics. Still, the essence of good vs. bad is at the forefront of any great hero saga and it deserves to be explored.”

Maxwell continued, “Breathing new life into a galaxy far, far away is difficult, especially when the fan base seems to want familiarity –AHsoka is basically a live-action version of Rebels: Season 5.” Still, like the previous show, “Andor,” “Ahsoka has enough going for it to move the franchise in a new direction, making it different from Indiana Jones, recent Marvel movies, and a few previous Star Wars installments that failed to do so.

This is a very good show. Dawson and Bordizzo are amazing in the lead. Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno are believable and great as the villains. There are some great action scenes and the story, even though you don’t want it to move in a certain direction, you know it goes there. Check it out on Disney+ and you will love it, I promise.

Tomorrow we will be ending “Disney Month 2023” with another installment in the MCU.

Secret Invasion

Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Don Cheadle’s Col. James Rhodes meet at Berners Tavern in London, with Rhodes’ security man and a bartender the only others in the room. The two men have had minimal contact recently, and their tension is intense. Let’s not get into details, but let’s just say the talk turns tough and deep.

“We owe each other,” says Fury. “Men who look like us don’t get promoted because of who are daddies know. Every ounce of power we wrestle from the vise grasp of the mediocre (people) who run this world was earned in blood…”

Rhodes’ reply, partly: “You should know better than most, the reason we wrestled this power from mediocre men who don’t look like us was not simply to turn around and hand it to mediocre men who do. The point of this power is to be uncompromising, to be unsparing…”

Richard Roeper said in his review, “The verbal confrontation goes on for some six minutes — just these two powerful, scarred, world-weary men laying it all on the table. It’s a brilliantly written and acted scene, and a reminder there are times when the Marvel Universe is about a lot more than great-looking people flying through the skies and bantering while taking on the latest megalomaniacal villain.”

The six-part 2023 “Secret Invasion” is set in the current time MCU, and while the main story does indeed involve an observed threat to Earth and there is plenty of expensive-looking, big-picture action sequences, it’s also about damaged friendships, family ties, divided loyalties and betrayals that dig deep. Based on the first two episodes, the ninth TV series in the MCU has the potential to be a standout.

Roeper credited, “Show creator Kyle Bradstreet (“Mr. Robot”) and director Ali Selim do a splendid job — this is a great-looking show with a cinematic vibe — and they’re blessed with a first-rate cast that includes not only Jackson and Cheadle but Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull leader Talo.”

There’s also Oscar winner Olivia Colman giving a completely evil performance as a veteran MI6 operative. Emilia Clarke is Talo’s daughter, G’iah, who has conflicted loyalties. Kingsley Ben-Adir as Gravik, the revenge-seeking leader of the Skrull resistance, and Charlayne Woodard (Elijah Price’s mother in “Unbreakable” and “Glass”) as someone with a very close connection to Fury. This is a great cast.

In flashback scenes set in 1995, a computer-de-aged Jackson as Fury promises the shapeshifting Skrulls, “While you work to keep my home safe, Carol Danvers and I will find you a new one...You keep your word, I’ll keep mine.”

Roeper said, “Flash forward to present day, with Fury returning to Earth after a long, self-imposed off-world stay on the S.A.B.E.R. space station.” Fury has returned home because his old friends Maria Hill (Smulders) and Talos (Mendelsohn) need him – but things have changed. Fury has changed. “After the blip,” says Talos, “You were different, and you disappeared. Carl Danvers disappeared.”

We’re more than three decades since Fury made that pledge to the Skrulls to find them a new home, but they’re still here (in surprising groups and some powerful government positions), blending in with the humans because they can shapeshift – and some of them are done waiting. Roeper said, “Led by the clever and ruthless and power-hungry Gravik, who has no qualms about resorting to terrorism to achieve his goals, the Skrull rebellion believes they HAVE found a home, and it’s right here on Earth, and the humans will have to be disposed of or at the very least put in their place.”

Roeper continued, “This sounds like a job for the Avengers, but their absence is explained in a throwaway line that sorta-kinda makes sense, making it clear this is going to be a grounded, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” type sci-fi slice of the Marvel Universe.”

“Secret Invasion” has some impressive production design, like the “Skullquarters” camp location “312 KM West of Moscow,” as the title card informs, where members of the Skrull rebellion are free to be themselves and can even eat Skrull food and drink Skrull wine, rather than the bland stuff humans have.

Kinglsey Ben-Adir makes for a charismatic lead villain, and Emilia Clarke is terrific as Talos’ daughter, who is split between her loyalties to her father, who wants nothing to do with the rebellion, and her feelings of resentment and anger over the death of her mother and the fact she’s never had a real home. Roeper credited, “Olivia Colman is a marvel as Sonya Falsworth, who has the chipper demeanor of a nanny or your favorite aunt but will literally cut your finger off if she needs answers.” Mendelsohn and Fury are great together as two friends from different worlds who wonder if time has passed them by. “Secret Invasion” is one of the good series we had this year.

I think this is a fine show. I don’t think this is a good show, as there are pacing problems, but I don’t think it is in any way bad. You can check it out and judge it based on yourself, but if you don’t like it, I understand.

Tomorrow we will go back to Star Wars with the next show in “Disney Month 2023.”

The Mandalorian (Season 3)

Even though the world-building in season 3 of “The Mandalorian,” released back in March, continues to be top-notch, especially the planet of Plazir-15, and the neon-looking Coruscant, the creatures stay wild and wonderful, and Grogu lovable as always, the storytelling feels like it has gone down a predictable path.

After pulling Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) out of the Living Waters in “The Mines of Mandalore,” without telling him about the mythosaur sighting, Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff), Din, and Grogu go back for the secret Mandalorian territory where both are accepted as they enter the Living Waters. The Armorer, played by Emily Swallow, gives Bo-Katan the extra responsibility of bringing so many Mandalorians together to reclaim their land and their legacy, with the option of keeping her helmet off as she “walks both paths.” She accepts Bo-Katan’s mythosaur sighting as significant. Mini Anthikad Chhibber said in her review, “The mythosaur is a telling name, signifying a gigantic myth or truth.”

In the shining land of Coruscant, after a pardon from the New Republic, Dr. Pershing, played by Omid Abtahi, is being rehabilitated. He is uneasy about the presence of Elia Kane (Katy M. O’Brian) who was a communications officer with Moff Gideon’s (Giancarlo Esposito) Imperial Forces before being rehabilitated. Elia seems ready to help Pershing continue his cloning research, but naturally not. Chhibber said, “Incidentally, those city trains in the sky are so cool as is the only part of the planet that is not built upon being kept like a fenced-off exhibit.”

“The Foundling” sees Grogu training in the ways of the Mandalore and he intelligently defeats his opponent with his new upside-down flip. There is a raptor to be subdued and younglings to be rescued. While Grogu watches the Armorer work the forge, he has a flashback of the chaos and bloodshed in the Jedi temple during Order 66. The Armorer forges a rondel for Grogu which she assures him he will grow into and as he murmurs in delight, all thoughts of the desperate flight with Jedi Master Kelleran Bed, played by Ahmed Best, are filed away.

Chhibber said, “Gorian Shard, who looks like a cousin of Davy Jones from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, in retaliation for previous wrongs, is back at Nevarro in “The Pirate.” High Magistrate Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) sends a hologram to Captain Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) for help – just like Princess Leia a long time ago. With the New Republic having enough of its problems, it is left to the Mandalorians to help, which they do perfectly.

Bo-Katan, Din, and Grogu head to the lotus-eating planet of Plazir-15 in “Guns for Hire” in a bid to get her former army back. The army, now led by Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides) are mercenaries for the rulers of the nice planet, former Imperial officer, Captain Bombardier (Jack Black), and his Bridgerton-style group, The Duchess (Lizzo). Chhibber said, “There is no such thing as a free lunch and the Mandalorians are asked to neutralize the threat of repurposed droids who are going haywire.” The two head to a bar because naturally, that is where you can pick up various useful information. Commissioner Helgait, played by Christopher Lloyd, does not have much faith in outsiders. Everything is set up for the big confrontation between the Mandalorians and Moff who escaped his prison transport and is up to his usual evil tasks.

Chhibber noted, “The final episode, ‘The Return’ is just that bit underwhelming with its vanilla happily ever after.” Grogu in a repurposed IG-11, played by Taika Waititi, repeating, yes, yes, yes, and no, no, no, is nice as always but now “The Mandalorian” seems to be more a placeholder for the larger Star Wars story.

Chhibber mentioned, “Well, there is enough eye candy, with fantastic worlds courtesy of the 360-degree video wall.” With two spin-off series, “Rangers of the New Republic” and “Ahsoka” following “The Book of Boba Fett,” and a film in “The Mandalorian” universe which is set between “The Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens,” there is a lot more fun to expect from this ongoing franchise.

As everyone knows, “The Mandalorian” is one of my favorite shows currently streaming. Unfortunately, the third season is not as good as the first two. The reason why I said that is because there is one episode that felt like filler because there was no mention of the character again throughout the series, and the beginning of one episode felt pointless because the characters are never mentioned again. Still, I love the characters, planets, effects, writing, and action this series has been giving fans. This is still the best thing Star Wars related currently, and I would love to see what the series has next in store for its fans. Please don’t make us have to wait another two-three years for another season.

Tomorrow we’ll be going back to the MCU with one of its shows in “Disney Month 2023.”

Trolls Band Together

Last night, I saw “Trolls Band Together,” which came out last month, but on VOD on the 19^th. Now, I will let everyone know what I thought about the third installment in this franchise.

Frank Sheck started his review by saying, “It’s a mantra that I dearly wish the creators of the third installment in the hugely successful animated Trolls series had taken to heart. Capitalizing on the fact that one of the film’s main voice stars, Justin Timberlake, was formerly a member of one of the biggest boy bands in pop history, Trolls Band Together is stuffed with so many groan-worthy punning jokes and one-liners referencing such bands from the ‘90s and other eras that you wonder whether the film was made for its target tyke audience or their parents. Many of the latter will at least enjoy the pop culture nostalgia while enduring the perfunctory storyline.”

You have to like Timberlake for wanting to make fun of his past. The story is about the revelation that his character, Branch, was once the baby (literally) member of BroZone, a hugely successful boy band with his four brothers, who broke up, leaving him with a feeling that he was abandoned (not really how it worked out with NSYNC, but that’s another story). Branch’s now-life partner Poppy (Anna Kendrick) finds out about his past when his brother (Troye Sivan) is kidnapped by evil pop siblings, Velvet (Amy Schumer, a comedian I do not like at all) and Veneer (Andre Rannells), who want to steal his talents. Now Branch must reunite with his other siblings – John Dory (Eric Andre), Spruce (Daveed Diggs), and Clay (hip-hop artist Kid Cudi) – to rescue Floyd from their diamond bottle.

That’s one of several storylines, including the wedding of Bridget (Zooey Deschanel) and Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plass) and the sudden appearance of Viva (singer Camila Cabello), who turns out to be Poppy’s sister that she never knew she had. Some of the characters from the previous films have either been dropped or make only small appearances (James Corden is not in here anymore). In contrast, the new ones include Crimp (Zosia Mamet), Velvet and Veneer’s overworked assistant, who vents her frustrations with a passionate rendition of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5.

Sheck said, “The song is one of an endless series of musical numbers featuring tunes both old and new, but with an emphasis on the former. The pop earworms, performed energetically by the trolls in annoying high voices, are sprightly enough, and include just about every hit from a boy, girl or family band you can think of. But the musical novelty has somewhat worn off, and nothing on the soundtrack matches the endless catchiness of “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from the first film — including the much ballyhooed “Better Place,” for which NSYNC reunited.”

The over-talented voice cast goes through their paces with such great enthusiasm. Still, all get sidelines by the hilarity of Kenan Thompson as the one-liner infant Tiny Diamond, who keeps offering Patch his pacifier that looks like a Ring Pop. Kunal Nayyar voices his dad.

Elizabeth Tippet’s screenplay gets laughs thanks to the large amount of jokes (the hit-to-miss level is very unbalanced), and there are so many funny one-liners about the music business. Sheck said, “Those include one character’s lament that there are few possibilities left in his career other than “a desperate Christmas album or one-off National Anthem performance.”’

The computer animation, like the previous films, is exciting and colorful, with one highlight being a hand-drawn intoxicating sequence set to the disco classic “The Hustle.” However, how much you’ll enjoy the visuals will depend on your appreciation of trolls, which are not exactly the most pleasing of creatures. Sheck ended his review by saying, “I’ll take a minion any day.”

Like the previous films in the franchise, this one is good for kids. I don’t see anything in here that makes it horrible, but I found this one very enjoyable. You can see this and enjoy it great, so check it out on VOD. Have an enjoyable time with the music and have your kids get up, sing, and dance along with the music.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Look out tomorrow when I talk about the next season of one of my favorite shows in “Disney Month 2023.”

Zombies 3

“Zombies 3,” released in 2023, continues what the franchise has been so good at doing, sending messages of love, acceptance, and addition via song and dance.

From the beginning, the “Zombies” theme has been accepting others for who they are internally, not what they look like externally. The movies have taught children (and adults) not to judge a book by its cover, and to include those who are different. Addison, reprised by Meg Donnelly, has been the ray of hope and bravery from the very first time we saw her, and it is no different in “Zombies 3.” She has been the best through the trilogy but she truly becomes her own in this fantasy film.

In “Zombies 3,” aliens appear in Seabrook looking for its most precious thing so that they can find their utopia. While a large number of the residents are scared and unwilling to accept them, Addison immediately comes forward inviting them to stay in their peaceful town and participate in the cheer-off competition that she has arranged.

On top of their visitors from outer space, Zed, reprised by Milo Manheim, is working hard to impress college recruiters and become the first Zombie to attend college – and of course, it just so happens to be the school Addison is going to. If that isn’t enough, relationships are disrupted as new crushes are made.

“Zombies 3” gives fans more of what they love about this franchise – great song and dance numbers. With eight new catchy songs, fans everywhere are given new lyrics and dances to learn. Tessa Smith said in her review, “The original movie still takes the cake when it comes the best songs, but this one certainly has some great ones as well.”

The choreography is on point, as the actors are getting more and more comfortable with dancing. Smith credited, “The opening song, Alien Invasion, is sure to put viewers in a great mood and leave them with their jaw on the floor thanks to some kick butt dance moves.”

For the plot, it’s not perfect, but it stays entertaining throughout – especially for the main audience. Fans already know the majority of the characters very well, and they remain true to themselves in this third film. The aliens are newcomers and it is pretty easy to fall in love with them thanks to great character development and some hilarious moments. Smith said, “Being a harmonious species who don’t have human emotions allows them to be most of the comedic relief in ZOMBIES 3.”

While the plot twists are predictable for adults watching, a lot of the kids will be shocked as the story continues. Smith noted, “There is one moment in particular that many will be surprised by (pleasantly), and might even cause those who truly love these characters to shed some tears — so have tissues handy.”

Kylee Russell (who plays Eliza) was, unfortunately, unable to film alongside her long-time “Zombies” co-stars because she was pregnant at the time, however, the writers did a great job of making sure she was still included in the movie in a way that makes sense and works. Eliza has been a huge part of the franchise from the beginning, so fans will appreciate seeing her do what she does best. That was better than not including her at all.

The biggest problem with the film is that some plot points feel like they jump to a conclusion without enough time to explain exactly what happened. Smith said, “Again, it is pretty predictable, and while there are many great songs and dance numbers, they don’t hold a candle to the ones from the first two movies.”

That said, it is a really fun movie, especially for long-time fans, that feels like a nice end to the franchise leaving the lovable characters in a place everyone can be happy about.

“Zombies 3” once again shows audiences that we can all get along, no matter how different we are. It teaches acceptance, love, and addition in a way that comes naturally. The actors have all settled into these characters and know them so well that they are easy to relate to. The three main characters, the aliens, add some great moments, along with some conflict, to the story.

Overall, it is wonderful to see the zombies, werewolves, cheerleaders, and now aliens, put aside their differences and learn to get along. They don’t always trust each other, but they are willing to try their hardest to do so. Smith said, “It is just a bonus that this movie adds in the lesson that love is love, and allow LGBTQ+ kids to see themselves on screen.”

“Zombies 3” could be the end of the franchise, as it finishes a trilogy with an ending that feels like the end. However, if Zed and Addison have taught us anything it is never say never. Fingers crossed, fans will get to explore what our favorite cheerleaders and monsters have been up to…someday.

Personally, I thought this was a fine addition to the series. It is nothing special, although I didn’t like how they included aliens, but whatever. Still check this out if you’re a fan of this franchise because you will like it. Especially with the great songs.

Look out later when I review a film that I saw last night.

Expend4bles

Tonight, on VOD, I saw “Expend4bles,” which came out theatrically in September. Since everyone knows where I stand on the first three, let’s find out how this new sequel is, which has been in talks for years.

The tone of the film can be summarized in a single close-up: a corpse’s severed hand giving the finger. To its director, Scott Waugh, and everyone responsible for bringing fans this resting action franchise, the middle finger gestures toward this fourth installment’s intended style: macho, smirky, and insolent. At its best, the film is all three. Amy Nicholson said in her review, “This all-star mercenary squadron composed of ’80s-to-aughts brutes is the cinematic equivalent to Slash’s Snakepit, a supergroup throwback to an era when men were meatheads and we in the audience merrily cheered them on.”

Nicholson continued, “I’ll admit I still did, at least for some of this swaggering inanity. Why resist the impossible physics of Curtis Jackson (better known as 50 Cent) body-slamming a baddie back and forth like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum with his dolly? Or Dolph Lundgren lampooning his aging vision by screwing a prescription lens onto his sniper rifle? Or Sylvester Stallone grumbling about a thumb-wrestling injury that he’s chosen to nurse with a tiny custom leather sling? Or Jason Statham, the comically gifted bruiser now promoted to the series’ lead, doing, well, pretty much anything?”

Nicholson noted, “In an even earlier era, Statham’s nimble skills would have awarded him a career like Jimmy Cagney’s.” However, he’s in our era, with a script that gives a few enjoyable lines – he calls an enemy “a sneaky little sausage” – but mostly lets him down. The screenwriters Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams seem to share a mutual dislike of the story, chanting the words “detonator” and “World War 3” until the threats become background static.

These high jinks would be more fun if the actors didn’t look so calm. Nothing breaks their calmness. Not explosions or blood spills, not beheadings or nuclear bombs, not even seeing a warship sailing in the Sea of Japan. (Nicholson noted, “Perhaps because all of the above have been cheaply rendered in post.) Even a back-flipping, insult-slinging seduction scene between Statham and a new teammate, played by Megan Fox, climaxes without a lip-gloss smudge. It’s just one more artificial palpitation.”

The energy pops along on throwaway jokes, like when Jacob Scipio, as a loquacious young Expendable, drinks a cocktail with a pink umbrella at a wake. There’s a strangely enjoyable diversion with a lustful internet influencer, played by Samuel Black, and a shootout interrupted by a stereo playing 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P., which is just simply strange. Nicholson asked, “Is Jackson the rapper in the same universe as Jackson the assassin? Does he moonlight in carnage?”

Andy Garcia, Randy Couture, Levy Tran, and the great martial artist Tony Jaa are included in our cast of protagonists while Iko Uwais is the leader of a generic villain team, giving every intensity he can to a villain written with no identifiable traits than a scar. Nicholson noted, “When things get dull, there’s always Lundgren in the background, playing up his character’s nearsightedness with the daffy charm of Marilyn Monroe. But the film’s last reel is so awful — so sneeringly contemptuous of our good-faith efforts to play along with these shenanigans — that we leave the theater still thinking of that middle finger.” It felt as though it was pointed at everyone.

I’m sorry, but this one I’m not feeling. I don’t think this one was as good as the previous three. Maybe because of the amount of time it took to make this and the characters not giving their all like the others did. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was not going to return saying a general disinterest, neither did Terry Crews after being inappropriately abused by Stallone’s agent, Adam Venit. I just couldn’t get into this one so much maybe because of how dull it felt, especially with the obvious CG effects that you could point out were done poorly, especially with the green screen effects. I don’t recommend this one and I don’t know if they’re planning on making another one, especially since they cancelled an all-female spinoff of the franchise.

Thank you for joining in on the review tonight. Stay tuned tomorrow when I continue “Disney Month 2023” with another Original Movie sequel that was fine. Sorry for the late posts. I fell asleep because I was so tired from work today.

Invisible Sister

Mark Baker started his review by saying, “One of the advantages of watching Girl Meets World is seeing ads for more Disney Channel original movies I might be interested in.  Granted, I mainly decided to tune in to Invisible Sister because Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard was going to be in it, but it sounded like it could be fun.  Turned out, it was.”

Cleo, played by Rowan Blanchard, is the younger sister in the family and everyone pretty much ignores her. She’s gotten used to being the invisible one, living in the shadow of her more popular older sister Molly, played by Paris Berelc. Cleo even feels like her parents ignore her.

On Halloween Friday, Cleo’s science experiment goes wrong, and Cleo accidentally makes Molly invisible. Since Molly has an agenda at School, Cleo dresses up in Molly’s costume and takes her place, the whole time hoping she can find out how to undo her experiment. What might the sisters learn about each other during the duration?

No, the movie isn’t original. Baker admitted, “I could pretty much see most of the plot complications coming early on.  This is especially true if you’ve seen Freaky Friday.  And yet, I had a blast watching it because I was having fun.  I really did like Cleo and Molly and found it easy to root for them to succeed.” There were some fun moments and a lot of laughs during the duration to the climax, and the quieter character moments worked just as well.

Baker said, “In fact, I was very impressed with the fact that Molly wasn’t a jerk.  I kind of expected her to be before I started watching the movie, but she was actually pretty nice.  I’d say that how both sisters started out was in part thanks to their own actions, something that they realized over the course of the movie, and an element of the film I really appreciated.”

The film’s cast was of current Disney Channel stars. Baker said, “I can’t tell you what shows they are all in, but I do recognize them from various previews.  The acting was a bit over the top at times, but for the most part it worked and never threw me out of the movie.” Yes, Rowan was toned down from her performance on “Girl Meets World.” (Baker credited, “Yes, I think she’s perfect as Riley, but this isn’t as frantic.”)

The effects were very well done. Baker said, “Since one of the characters is pretty much invisible for most of the film, there are lots of effects, and I bought all but one or two of them.  The one thing that tripped me up is that, while the characters can’t see Molly, sometimes we can, so we can see her reactions to things.  That took me a little while to get used to, but once I did, I didn’t mind it.”

If you have pre-teens, they’ll enjoy this movie. And if you give “Invisible Sister,” released in 2015, a chance, you just might find yourself enjoying it too.

I found myself liking this movie just fine. That’s probably because I was watching “Girl Meets World” around the time this premiered on TV and I actually thought Rowan Blanchard was great as Riley on that show. This film is no exception because I think this film has some nice moments in there that people can get into. Check it out and see for yourself.

Later today I will be reviewing a film that I saw last night.

Arthur Christmas

A collaboration between Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation, “Arthur Christmas,” released in 2011, promised to be a family picture of a different type: a combination of original British humor (Aardman created “Wallace & Gromit”) and smooth American production (Sony produced “The Smurfs”). It doesn’t deliver on that promise – but it’s a very good, fun family film nonetheless. With a voice cast of some of the best of Britain, however, “Arthur Christmas” could have been special. James McAvoy is the protagonist, the younger son of Santa, voiced by Jim Broadbent, and is not meant to become Santa himself. His older brother, Steve, voiced by Hugh Laurie, is next in line. While waiting for the father to retire, Steve updated the holiday, retiring the old-fashioned sleigh of his Grandsanta, voiced by Bill Nighy, in favor of a technologically advanced spaceship driven by a team of elves.

However, even children know technology isn’t perfect. On one Christmas, Steve’s mission misses a child – a bike meant for a girl in Cornwall remains at the North Pole. Steve doesn’t care, so he feels it doesn’t matter. However, Arthur does. He lives for Christmas, spending the rest of the year answering children’s letters and preparing for the actual holiday – when the clumsy boy isn’t getting in the way.

Arthur can’t believe his father and older brother think delivering that last present before the sun rises is impossible. Weird old Grandsanta has been looking for an excuse to ride that sleigh again. (“I did the whole thing with six reindeer and a drunken elf,” he proudly says of one Christmas during the war.) These two go off on their own to make sure that Christmas is Christmas for every single child on the planet.

Kelly Jane Torrance said in her review, “"Arthur Christmas" isn't going to end up a Christmas classic, one of the handful of films and specials repeated on television each and every year. But it's worth seeing this year. It has old-fashioned values with a modern mind-set.” “How come I can’t see your house when I look on Google Earth?” one child asks Santa in a letter. “Is it true children aren’t real, they’re just antimatter?” asks an intrusive elf after Arthur and Grandsanta’s adventure goes on an out-of-control chain reaction at mission control.

Arthur himself isn’t much of a character, however, it’s hard not to love the underdog just the same. Torrance said, “Nighy's Grandsanta is a real delight, though, just the sort of crazy Englishman we'd expect Aardman -- and the underused Nighy -- to bring to life.” Ashley Jensen is also a highlight as Bryony, an elf whose wrapping skills are one to credit.

Torrance criticized, “Children not yet as cynical as their parents about how underwhelming 3-D has turned out to be will enjoy the snow flying into their faces as the space-sleigh sets off.” However, both groups should enjoy the lesson that Christmas belongs to everyone, especially those who believe in its magic.

I had been thinking of seeing this movie for a while. I have heard about it a lot and have heard good things about it, so I decided to check it out. You can see this on Max, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you should. This is a good one that should never be missed or looked over.

Happy Holidays everyone. I hope everyone had a blessed holiday. This is the greatest time of the year that should be enjoyed by those who celebrate it since everyone always looks forward to it when time gets closer.

Look out tomorrow when I review a film that wasn’t all that bad in “Disney Month 2023.”

The Wild

Although the creators of “The Wild,” released in 2006, might say that because this movie was in production for so long, it didn’t copy ideas from “Madagascar,” since they started it before “Madagascar” was released, that doesn’t matter. You can’t help but notice that the two films are so similar in their story and compare them. Even though “Madagascar” was not a great cartoon, looking side-by-side with “The Wild,” it was fantastic.

The story is about Samson, voiced by Kiefer Sutherland, a lion at the Central Park Zoo. His son, Ryan, voiced by Greg Cipes, doesn’t like living in his father’s shadow and can’t wait until he can roar. Throughout his childhood, he’s been told his father’s life in the wild and Ryan becomes convinced that if he grew up in the wild, he’d have a roar like his father’s.

After Ryan sneaks on one of the metal containers at the zoon he is taken onto a cargo ship that is heading for Africa. Samson goes after his son along with a misfit crew of animals from the zoo (James Belushi, Eddie Izzard, Janeane Garofalo, Richard Kind). After a drive through Manhattan, the group steals a boat that they are somehow able to drive to Africa without running out of gas or being famished. When they arrive, they go into “The Wild” to rescue Ryan.

Ever since Pixar released “Toy Story” there have been countless CGI films. They all want to copy Pixar’s success, but no one has and you can see why. Not only does Pixar make great-looking cartoons, but they are also well-written cartoons. For example, “The Wild” looks pretty good, but the script is really bad and the jokes are ear-bleedingly awful.

Scott said in his review, “With a running time of an hour and a half, the story should fly by, but instead, dragged down by lame jokes and a plot we've seen before, seems nearly twice that. At a recent screening of Ice Age 2, the children packing the audience were laughing uproariously, here the laughter was sporadic and half-hearted. When even the target audience for a movie can't get into it, you know something's wrong.”

The only enjoyable character in the film is Nigel the Koala, voiced by Izzard. Izzard manages to be the only one who seems to be having fun with his character and brings some needed humor to the film. His moment of insanity on the tugboat and his mimicking of the Statute of Liberty are two of the movie’s highlights.

Scott admitted, “Since I'm not sure if my brother Eric will see this movie, I'll just mention for him that once again Disney has created a cartoon that features a single parent.” Ryan’s mother is never mentioned and since it has absolutely no meaning on the story whether she’s there or not, the omission seems pointless other than to copy from Disney.

Since Disney owns Pixar, we left well enough alone and let Pixar keep making animated movies after the preview of “Cars” that year ran before “The Wild” had more laughs than this movie did.

I can’t help but notice the similarities this movie had with other animated movies, like “Madagascar,” “Finding Nemo,” and “The Lion King.” Nothing about this movie was original but felt like they were ripping off other movies. That is why I say don’t watch this movie because you will not like it at all. There is nothing good in this movie. Not to say it is one of the worst, but it is just a bad one.

Stay tuned later today when I do my yearly Christmas movie review.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Tonight, I went to the theaters to watch “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” which came out two days ago, and I will let you know what I thought of this sequel.

The DC Extended Universe has gone through its ups and downs, but now with the release of this sequel directed by James Wan, this marks the end.

The first film grossed $1.15 billion, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2018 and, at the time, was not only the highest-grossing film based on a DC Comic Book character to this day worldwide (including the Nolan “Batman” trilogy) but also the 20^th highest-grossing film of all time. Simon Thompson noted in his review, “Fast forward to December 2023, and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” lands in theaters with comparatively little fanfare outside of what feels like a perfunctory promotional campaign, minimal hoopla for a film of its size, a sequel to a hit, and anchored by an embargo that lifted around the same time that first public screenings take place around the world.” What happened?

Everyone knows the DCEU will transition into the new DC Universe (DCU) with James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm, and this is the final chapter in the franchise, but still. Regardless of the quality of the film, it’s hard not to feel bad for James Wan, main actor Jason Momoa, and the rest of the cast, both returning and new.

What are “they” hiding? Thompson said, “Is it a double bluff, and it’s so good it’ll blow our fins off, and it had to be kept a secret until almost literally the last second?” Now we have the answer.

Thompson said, “This array of set pieces is best described as good but not great and an entertaining, if slightly forgettable, romp with no shortage of spectacle but a few pinches short on substance.” To tell you the truth, it’s hard not to enjoy the film.

After an entertaining recap at the start of the film to let everyone know what happened in the first film and to tell everyone where Momoa’s Arthur Curry is when we’re reunited a few years on, things pick up very fast. Thompson said, “If there’s one thing “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” deserves credit for, and there are plenty of things, it’s the fact as stuffed as it is, there’s not a lot of fat on it, and it doesn’t waste time.”

Taking place several years after the first film, the basic story of the film is that Curry, aka Aquaman, is now a father and has to get back in action to protect Atlantis, along with everyone and everything he loves, from David Kane, aka Black Manta, reprised by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who has his mind set on getting his hands on the powerful Black Trident. Thompson noted, “If he succeeds and releases the megalomaniacal Kordax from an icy tomb in the Lost Kingdom, the nightmarish Atlantian promises to make him Kane powerful.” However, getting the Trident isn’t enough: Kordax, played by Pilou Asbaek, also needs the blood from Curry’s bloodline to break the spell and be free. To stop the evil from being released, Aquaman needs to team up with his half-brother Orm, reprised by Patrick Wilson, who he needs to first break out of prison without starting a war. The change in their dynamic is one of the film’s highlights, and, sadly, we won’t be getting more of that. There’s also a subplot about polluting the environment, a strong fuel substance called Orichalcum, and a plague threatening Atlantians and others. As everyone has guessed, so much is going on.

Thompson mentioned, “There’s more to it, and many additional characters are introduced along the way, but that’s the bones writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick has to put meat on— and put meat on them he does. Johnson-McGoldrick previously collaborated with Wan on the first “Aquaman” and also “The Conjuring 2” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” and here the two worlds collide as the pair lean into horror and monsters. It never gets too dark or intense, but it is executed in a way that adds an edge for older, accustomed viewers while offering a nice genre gateway for some younger fans who want to explore darker themes. Coupled with Rupert Gregson-Williams’s pacey, vibrant, and engaging score, it’s PG-13 a romp that licks along from set piece to set piece, which is basically what “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is. The good thing is that it’s not trying to be anything different, and the focus is on thrills rather than taking itself too seriously, even when it dips its toes into the pool of deep and meaningful.”

Where does the film go downhill? Even though the film has a lot of ideas, that’s also one of the flaws because it moves from one idea to the next without taking a break of tone. Thompson said, “They are all decent enough ideas, but while the narrative works, it doesn’t feel like it flows so much as things are assembled in an order, and it feels somewhat bitty and formulaic. They create a chain, but it lacks cohesion. There’s a difference. Also, while the set pieces are impressive to look at for the most part, they are often placed in such huge spaces that the epic scale isn’t used as effectively as it could be, and it feels a bit lost.” However, when the focus is on one of the ideas rather than the bigger one and focuses on the action, it is most impactful and works. That’s when the intended surprise happens. Thompson said, “Bigger isn’t always better, and what is meant to showcase epic scale feels more like a sound stage with space people weren’t sure how to use.”

On top of that, some of the effects hurt the film. There are moments of CG that move the audience out of the moment, which is sad. If you see this in 3D, it feels like they meant for that to happen. The final problem would be that some of the returning cast either aren’t given enough to do or feel underserved or too functional, which hurts cast members like Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, and Dolph Lundgren. However, we have Martin Short’s Kingfish, introduced like the characters in the “Star Wars” Cantina, and John Rhys-Davies’ Bring King, who don’t have major roles but are the highlight of their scenes.

It's sad that “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is the final film in the DCEU because more of this would have been nice. However, the DCEU ends on a high note and in style, despite lacking substance sometimes, which is satisfying. James Wan delivered. Don’t let the fanfare leaving get to you because his good work should not go unrewarded.

I had no idea that critics slammed this film, but when I saw it, I liked it. I thought it was funny, the underwater scenes looked the best (better than the second “Avatar”), the action scenes were great, the actors did a good job, and the characters were amazing. Check this out in theaters because I think it was worth seeing in theaters. You will love this, but judge it based on your own judgment.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned tomorrow for the next review in “Disney Month 2023.”