Review: ‘Tom and Jerry’ is the Latest Live-Action Film Saving Animation From its Own Creativity

Be thankful for small favors. 2021’s reimagining of Tom and Jerry does not reimagine the famous cartoon cat-and-mouse duo as photorealistic CGI charaters. Though the movie isn’t fully animated, it avoids the uncanny valley of the Alvin & the Chipmunks movies or Tim Hill’s Garfield. Instead, it portrays a live-action New York City where they and other animals are rendered as 2D cartoons. Continue reading “Review: ‘Tom and Jerry’ is the Latest Live-Action Film Saving Animation From its Own Creativity” →

Review: ‘Over the Moon’ is Otherworldly in Visual Effects But Offers Nothing Groundbreaking

In this Chinese legend-inspired children’s movie, renowned animator Glen Keane directs Over the Moon, a story about a young girl who travels to the moon to meet a moon goddess. Continue reading “Review: ‘Over the Moon’ is Otherworldly in Visual Effects But Offers Nothing Groundbreaking” →

Review: ‘The Opening Act’ is a Nice Love Letter to Standup Comedy

The Apatovian formula is simple: Pluck an up-and-coming comic from the small leagues, support them while they write their own darkly funny but authentically heartfelt semi-autobiographical comedy then produce and/or direct the final format. This method has led to many successes, even without Apatow’s name, including Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, Kumail Nanjiani’s The Big Sick, and Pete Davidson’s The King of Staten Island. Continue reading “Review: ‘The Opening Act’ is a Nice Love Letter to Standup Comedy” →

Review: Ruh Roh, ‘Scoob!’ isn’t Worth a Scooby Snack

Due to the ongoing pandemic, new movies are only available to watch on video on demand or streaming services like Prime Video, Hulu, or Netflix. Titles that would have been released in theaters now have been shelved or put online. One of these titles is Scoob!, directed by straight to video veteran Tom Cervone, and features the Scooby-Doo “gang” that populated our childhood cartoons. Continue reading “Review: Ruh Roh, ‘Scoob!’ isn’t Worth a Scooby Snack” →

Review: ‘My Spy’ is Fun Enough for Your Self-Quarantine

It seems like every Hollywood fighter-turned-actor is getting their own kid-team-up movie. The Rock had The Game Plan, Arnold Schwarzenegger had Kindergarten Cop, Hulk Hogan had Mr. Nanny, Jackie Chan had The Spy Next Door, John Cena had Playing With Fire, and now Dave Bautista has My Spy. There’s just something appealing to directors about seeing these macho movie heroes paired with an adorable kid – it’s the kind of film that would appeal to a more general audience, not just those who love violence and explosions. Continue reading “Review: ‘My Spy’ is Fun Enough for Your Self-Quarantine” →