“HERE WE GO!” To A Movie Of Family Fun

            The essential video game that rescued the industry, a legendry plumber in a magical world to save a princess from the wicked dragon was something many people remember as their first game to try.  Mario would do many things from there, and establish a legacy that would make Nintendo millions and extend to a variety of games that would establish the legacy.  And despite some flops, it’s been successful and made a great run.  However, tonight, an attempt at another movie is made to hopefully prove that the plumber in red could be something worthwhile in Hollywood, despite being a video game.  After much scrutiny despite the advertising, Illumination takes it shot at the industry in hopes of success like the game.  Will it work?  Robbie K thank you for your time as he reviews.  

Movie:  The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)

• Directors

• Aaron Horvath
  • Michael Jelenic

• Writer

• Matthew Fogel

• Stars

• Chris Pratt
  • Anya Taylor-Joy
  • Charlie Day

LIKES:  

Cute

-Illumination knows how to make cute movies and they succeed in the family friendly atmosphere for this movie

-Adorable character design, comedy that is not in your face, and a delightful world for little ones and young at heart to play in. 

-Some touching moments sprinkled with the silly antics just add more to this theme, and achieve the goal of being the kids movie that families are searching for. 

-Seldom travels into the “scary” territory, helping again further avoid accidentally frightening any sensitive viewers. 

Fun

-It’s corny, but exciting and with the other elements I’ll mention a package for many generations to enjoy as they scope out Mario’s history. 

-But, nevertheless the adventure is a pace that is all fun and less of the stuff that bogs down a movie, meaning short attention spans and kids will love the good times to be had. 

-And that element always remains in the antics, if not sometimes a tad stale because of the elements this movie lacks.  Yet, for those who love the antics of the Minions with perhaps the fighting of a good Disney movie, you get that blend that works well. 

Fan Service References

Perhaps where the movie thrives the most is the uncanny amount of things jammed into one movie. 

-Mario and Luigi’s animated adventure is loaded with all sorts of references to the games that built it up, alongside other legacies Nintendo founded. 

-You want a nod to the really cheesy live action movie?  You got it. 

-Need to see your favorite game somehow mentioned for representation?  You got it. 

-How about a trope or frustrating tactic that these games have?  Again, you have it. 

-Whether in your face or subtle, the treasure hunt of finding every Easter egg will soon be loading the Internet with videos about what you missed.  This does add elements to the fun for fans alike, while also allowing teaching moments to the younger generations. 

Some of the Voice Acting

-There is a great debate on the quality of the voice acting this movie has, and for me… it’s mixed in terms of quality and effort.  

-In the good, it starts with Seth Rogen as DK, which works decently well if not a tad stale with the sort of dumb and loud wit that he shows off in most characters.  

-Key as Toad may not be the familiar high-pitched wails I know him for, but the new direction worked for me and had some element of quality that was funny and admirable for the role he was cast. 

-Taylor-Joy as Peach may be a bit in your face, girl power, but it works with the character moments and has this royal quality with edge that I liked.  Not quite true this character and better for Daisy, I can’t say that she did not make the role hers though and truly achieve this awesome balance. 

-Jack Black is King in this movie though.  As Bowser, he comes close to matching octaves, yet taking the direction they went with well and blending humorous idiot with the menace of the Koopa King.  He wins for my best voice in this, even through the sillier parts he does. 

The Action To a Degree

-I saw the third trailer and though that the movie was going to be the slamming combination of things that we love seeing in the video game world. 

-To a degree it was!  Mario’s animated movie has varying degrees of action that start out with comedic bouts with pipes in the Minion style that is simplistic, but promising.

-The training montage then gives you more about what is to come, and the movie does have this choreography that feels like a sped up part of the game, alongside adding movie magic to the fights at hand.  

-It has some variety that is decent to great, and the abilities and moves they pull out accomplish much in the short time frame that I think will appeal to the families, but disappoint the gamers, more on the latter. 

-Regardless, the action does coincide with the theme of the movie and for that it gets props from me in the long run. 

Music

-Like a good mixed tape/playlist, Mario’s tracks are loaded to the brim with variety that work in the movie and give it the character you are expecting. 

-Symphony scores and remixes to the classic game movies are certainly a highlight of the film, fun, well-timed, and though not original, hits that nostalgic factor to the highest goal flag possible. 

-Not your style?  Don’t worry, there is some other symphony work to enjoy, the Illumination feel that is all about helping time those moments to just the right extent and make for a great sequence that has a hearty tone to it. 

-and then add that 80s touch to it, a timed theme that is used sparingly, and yet works so well for the moments to help the oldies dive back into the 80s where Mario’s birth was king and the songs that went with it in the arcades just as amazing.  

-Throw in a Jack Black silly song, and you round out the mix for many styles that will or will not work for many, but totally kept things fun and balanced for me.  

World Building

-Not so much in terms of story, the world building I enjoyed was the design of the movie itself. 

-They hit a lot of lands in a short amount of time, and it works for building the potential universe to play in for later and really making them feel like the levels they were based on.  

-A jumbled marketplace filled with toads that we just want to talk to, or the wilds of Donkey Kong and the wicked engineering the Kongs have that we never understood since DKC 3. 

-Even the minor worlds of ice and water have that feel, all giving me a glimpse of the places to play and I absolutely loved the capture of the attitude and design of each world from the games I have played.  

-That is the strong world building, and the hope that a second movie will find more places to play and build a story from. 

Animation In general

-It’s a beautiful movie, and Illumination studios has the style I really think works for this film and capturing the elements of the game world. 

-Smooth movements with an adaptable style are what work for me in this movie, not too cartoony or limited to be eye rolling, and yet not too bogged down in details to limit movement. 

-Mario and the gang all have been animated by people who did their homework, mirroring the game styles to a high degree and granting us the characters we’ve seen.  

-Jumping, gliding, punching and more are all in this film and I absolutely love the attention to detail and the feel of how much they mimicked and got right in this movie.  

-This element alongside the design, music, and some of the action makes this movie have the theater quality.  

DISLIKES:

Some Of The Voice Acting

-I agree with many, some of the voice acting is…. Mundane and rather bland in the grand scheme of things. 

-Day does his best, but the direction to go Italian as a tease and then try Brooklyn direction did little for me.  Day saves it by being a nervous nellie like Luigi, but that’s about it and is otherwise a mediocre character.  

-Meanwhile, Pratt’s acting is… fine for certain parts.  There is emotion at times, vulnerability, and comedy, but… it lacks the energy of Mario. 

-Pratt’s antics seem secondary and the effort taxed and though it’s not the worst, there is just a disconnect between plumber and actor that I think this movie missed.  

The Whole First Part Of The Movie

-I get we have to build the world, but the first part of the movie…. Kind of feels unnecessary as a whole. 

-The comedy montage for their first job, the family dynamic, and the attempt at character vulnerabilities… seems out of place and boring, with a kind of crappy mystery they are setting up for a future film. 

-Once we get to the Mushroom Kingdom, this alleviates somewhat, but that first part was not my cup of tea and again, sort of not needed in this movie. 

The Mario Kart Scene

-I know… it looks awesome and is paying homage to the Switch’s number one seller that I should be cursed. 

-Sorry, the movie did okay with it, but really felt simplified to what it could have been from the trailer. 

-In fact, most of the good stuff is in the trailer, the rest sort of mediocre, glazed over, and for the most part lackluster and just simply a singular driving. 

-And with this, I kind of felt it was a hasty bridge that did little but show off technology and fan service, with the time we had. 

The Action A Tad To Limited/Kiddy

-And again, the kid factor blunts the scenes to a degree it really could have been. 

-I agree, that the action is in time with the theme of the movie and there are moments where things really come together and blew me away with the matching to some of my favorite games. 

-But many of the scenes are short lived, much of it is background and rapid finishes that are cool, but anime like and get in the way of truly epic moments. 

-And the fleeting scenes just lack the full bite had there been fewer bouts and more build up/planning in my opinion.  

-Is it awful?  No, but it’s limited and a tad disappointing for me given the promise of the trailers, but again this has to be a family movie to some degree. 

The Story

-I agree, the worst part of the movie is the story and how limited it is.  

-I understand, most Mario games don’t have a story to write home about, nor are the most amazing pieces of game lore ever, and I get they copied that. 

-However, they made attempts at story, but then seemed to abandon them for more antics and animation and the story really kind of lacks any finesse or backbone outside of these small moments. 

-Luigi is reduced so much in use, Peach sot of becomes the star, and even the Kongs are sort of… forced into the mix at times and it’s rather boring. 

-And though we don’t need a hero’s journey, the fact the movie just seems like a hasty adventure with silly motifs again does little to impress me for a story that could have set so many things up, instead of mashing together 5 game plots into one.  

The Verdict:  

            Overall, The Mario Bros Movie accomplishes a lot in the opening movie of the universe, especially for the target audience of fans and families alike.  It’s a cute and fun adventure, loaded with nostalgia and references in both audio and visual, that the treasure hunt alone is worth the fun.  Take the comedy, story, and action antics and you get what feels like a movie version of a game that is exciting, but not overbearing so all can see it with little fear of losing the PG rating.  Animation is certainly the key element for me and the world design too helps immerse you, and make it so that a theater visit should be I the cards.  Yet, the movie could have done so much more, and gets lost in the family antics that any elevation is lacking in my opinion, lost to the kid factor and hasty time frame that studios sometimes make.  Several action moments are done too quickly, or underwhelming, others feel unnecessary, and the others are right on the mark, but still too slow.  Yet, the movie really fails in the story department, and though Mario is not a game about the story.. It certainly needed some base to anchor to and create a meaningful adventure.  Thus, my scores are: 

Animation/Adventure/Comedy:  8.0

Movie Overall: 7.0

The Menu Is An Original Combination Of Horror and Comedy Elements

            Horror movies are the genre that are the most experimental or the most cliché depending on the director steering the helm.  Go too far in either direction and you lose a wide array of people who reduce the movie to trash.  As such, the war for new and tamed continues in hopes of finding the balanced work from it.  Tonight, another movie tries to make its mark on the world in hopes that it will be incredible and really deliver on the “masterpiece” promised by the trailers.  Will it work?  Robbie K thanking you for your time and reading as I review:  

Movie:  The Menu (2022)

• Director

• Mark Mylod

• Writers

• Seth Reiss
  • Will Tracy

• Stars

• Ralph Fiennes
  • Anya Taylor-Joy
  • Nicholas Hoult

LIKES:

The Atmosphere:  The truly elevated piece of the film is the atmosphere that has been “cooked” up in this movie.  The Menu is all about establishing an atmosphere to match both the horror and the character qualities that take the screen.  It’s refined, a truly elitist taste, that feels satire against the cooking shows that plague television these days.  All the guests, well almost all of them, having this same culture that truly mixes well with the themes of the movie.  Between the looks, the filming, and the touch of music with more silence interluding, the uncomfortable disturbance of the movie is really well set in this film, and lingers quite well. 

The Message:  A movie that knows how to use a message as the storytelling prowess of the movie is a truly artistic skill to have.  Mylod’s direction with the Reiss and Tracy story is fantastic when it comes to being the representation of one part of the world’s culture.  It’s brilliant in seeing the design of the story, driving the entire moment that really puts the cherry on top to this dessert of despair.  I myself also liked the gradual revelation, seeing the story opening up and adding more levels of depth to an otherwise limited setting that seldom moves from the dining hall.  And, to my surprise, the symbolism in it is well crafted, but not cocky or in your face like others do the level of being pretentious or hard to follow.  It all works very well and balances common and more avid movie going.  

The Storytelling To An Extent:  Again, it is smart storytelling, with layers added in a pace that works for the theme of this movie.  The Menu contains items that are one part character focus, one part political commentary, and one part horror that somehow align into a meal that is very engaging to watch.  It’s not quite as one-dimensional or simplified like many of these movies do, again giving you an elevated character that smashes the ceiling in terms of a good character for us to work against.  Even the “heroes” of the story have their own layers, escaping the usual fodder of the horror genre who are idiots to an extent.  As for the horror component, it’s there, but not to the way you might expect or think.  This movie is much more realistic than any paranormal dream slayer or undead machete slasher could hope to achieve.  It’s that realism that is the terror, but yet, there is more than the simple demented realm that we see in these roles.  All of that leads to a very artistic tale that is the meat of this cinema dish and that’s what you should go in with if you dare.  

The Pace Is Okay At Times:  This film has enough movement and limited time to not get lost in on itself for most of the runtime.  Because of the allure and the suspense of figuring out what is going on, you have that line that pulls you along to keep you guessing what will happen.  As more characters get their hand in the pot, you again get some wow factor to help shock you and turn the heat up in this message heavy movie.  With all this, it plays nicely with the rest of the themes mentioned, allowing for a pace that is not completely a snooze fest in the grand scheme of movies, unlike Tar, for me. 

It’s Tamer Than You think:  Those expecting the shock factor to be gory, disturbing, dissection of the human body can breathe a sigh of relief.  While The Menu is certainly not something for weaker constitutions, it also isn’t the most vivid imagery of people dying in the way the trailers paint.  I may be revealing a little by saying the gross factor is minimized, but I hope it will allow others to give this movie a try.  Sure, there are moments that are going to be difficult to watch, but again the writers and director have marinated the movie with a more refined filter than others might have wielded.  And that was one part very welcoming for me. 

The Acting: By far is the acting of the movie is what was my favorite aspect of the film.  Why?  Because all of this writing and atmosphere is brought together with the powerful performances of the cast presented today.  I’ll say again that every performance is master chef level in the mannerisms and meticulous nature these rolls brought, and the chemistry works well to bring light to the movie.  I can also say the limited roles for such an ensemble were maximized, but I’ll only be focusing on the top three again.  Hoult is my least favorite of the three, only because of how top notch the other two were.  Hoult plays the part well, capturing so much enthusiasm, slyness, and energy that his role required, again mirroring the language one finds on several cooking shows.  And as his character has more time to simmer, we find new levels that come from his acting as the night requires him to do.  Taylor-Joy is my next to talk about, this young woman is extraordinary in what she is able to do with her acting abilities.  Though she may feel a bit one note at times and in the same role, she adds these slight changes that give them light.  For The Menu, she once again does this super well, and gives her rogue character more personality, charm, and a bit more lighter qualities than what she often drinks in with her work. The way she plays and changes her approach in the film is remarkable though, and like her character, adapts to the need of the movie.  And she does it so naturally that there is very little acting seen in the movie to be cheesy.  But it’s Fiennes who wins the best for me.  Voldemort’s actor is so much more than yelling out spells and whispering.  In this film, he does so much for an antagonist, actually making me like him compared to other villains, because of the complexity he brings to the character.  Face changes, posture, delivery of lines, and his looks are a powerful dish that really surprised me for the type of character the head chef became.  One that went beyond the trailer portrayal and gave me something much deeper and elegant than I expected, with the acting to really sell the part. 

DISLIKES: 

The Pacing:  I know, it sounds controversial right?  Trust me, it was when writing this review.  The Menu is indeed conscience of the time it has, utilizing it well, but, depending on what you are walking into, you might find yourself bored by this film.  The Menu is not going to be the typical slasher fighting film, and it isn’t the supernatural themed telling you might hope it would be.  If you want the usual tropes and on the edge of your seats thrills, this movie will bore you absolutely.  However, past that, there are times where it gets a little stuck up on itself and becomes a little boring at the same time.  Without the rest of the crew getting more in depth, their asides are trying to be more comedic than meaningful and it bloats the movie a bit.  I don’t think it is the worst change of pace, but just beware and curb your expectations. 

Semi Dark:  It’s a horror movie, so you might expect this angle to of course, and perhaps even more from the theme of this movie.  And you would be right!  However, there are elements that are a tad darker and more dismal than the usual genre trope.  That realistic mood is indeed part of the terror but it’s also a bit disturbing and depressing at the same time and may affect some people to the wrong extent.  Those kinds of things are good for the message, but for entertaining, I might have steered aways from the whole madness with it. As such, I just caution those to be careful if choosing to tackle this beast. 

Character Stories Are Trivial:  Most characters in this movie are the message representers and the big political statements of the film.  Certainly there are stories to be held, but they pale in comparison to the amazing stuff they accomplished with the other characters.  Two particular characters get the story element, but the others are again just representations of the culture they wanted to dramatize.  It makes for rather forgettable crew, perhaps the point, but The Menu held so much promise for deeper characters had they followed a more traditional formula.  Again I don’t hate it, but it’s a bit of a letdown in comparison to the magic they crafted. 

The Comedy Is Inconsistent:  The Menu is labeled as a comedy and in truth it is to an extent of more elevated level of jokes to fit with the dark tone of the movie.  At times, it is satisfying, the taste of the sarcasm or the attitude fantastic in what they tried to do.  However, at the same time the comedy sometimes tries to be a bit too elevated for me, that it is a bit cheesy for me.  When you get to the poetic nature and the attempts at sarcasm get a little over the top and lose the finesse.  Adding more of that symbolic irony in helps to lighten the darker tone, but I felt also took away from the horror edge they were going for.  I’m sure this more sensitive than other audience members, but it is a minor dislike for me given again the expectations I went in for the movie. 

Not As Shock Factor As You think:  This is both good and bad as mentioned above.  Good in that we weren’t grossed out by the potential content, bad because we are missing the edge that came with the film.  The Menu tries to keep some level of thrill in it and it succeeds with again 1 character.  However, the nature of the film sort of buffers the thrill factor a bit more and the comedy only further dilutes what could have been a bit more hectic adventure.  There are inconsistent attempts to try and change the menu or give more splendor, but overall, it’s just a bit limited for me and again takes that entertaining thrill that comes with this genre a tad too much for me.  

The VERDICT: 

            All this leads to the following for this movie.  The Menu is indeed impressive in terms of the refinement to the Horror genre and how elegant the film is.  You can savor the realism and the atmosphere of the movie, and enjoy the terror from that angle alongside the great character/message themed story.  It’s a very smart film, that plays well with the topics it set out to discuss, while also unleashing a great quality of acting that ties everything together int his movie.  Originality is definitely heavy in this film and that artistic approach is a nice break from the usual elements that these films choose to haunt.  And yet, that elevation does diminish a few other returns in the movie depending on what you expected from the trailers.  Several of the characters are lame fodder, and the pacing suffers a bit because it lacks the cut of the Horror knife.  There were also some inconsistencies in trying to expand the movie that sometimes did work, and other times were a miss for me in what it took away in that attempt.  Overall though, the movie is an experience that is garnished with quality, but may not be the shocking event you expected it to be.  With all this in mind, The Menu gets: 

Horror/Comedy:  7.5-8.0

Movie Overall: 7.0

I Had SoHo Much Fun With This Movie: Last Night In Soho

            It’s Halloween weekend and murder is in the air!  No, wait, it’s horror in the air… Maybe both?  Well tonight’s movie is a little bit of both and tonight’s tale shows that many genres can be put together for an engaging piece of work.  The Last Night In Soho’s trailers gave me mixed feelings when I saw the poster and trailer.  High potential from the scenes I saw, I have been fooled by the trailers countless times for being suckered into an okay movie.  Will tonight be a fantastic surprise for this Film Festival Favorite, or am I being fooled again by the magic of editing.  Let’s take a look as I review:  

Film: Last Night in Soho (2021)

• Director

• Edgar Wright

• Writers

• Edgar Wright(story by)
  • Krysty Wilson-Cairns(screenplay by)

• Stars

• Thomasin McKenzie
  • Anya Taylor-Joy
  • Matt Smith

LIKES: 

The Style: 

Like the poster and trailers, this film was hinted at being a stylish take on the horror genre, and it delivers this in so many ways.  Wright leads a wonderful charge into two different time periods of London and make them look so dang fun and stylish to live in.  There is energy from two different periods cascading into one story, pulling you into the story of this little play, working you into the life of our main character Ellie.  Setting wise, it’s an engaging piece that is realistic, dynamic, and engaging to the tale, with almost every place used well int eh story.  

The Presentation:

The premise as you can see in the trailer is that Ellie is drawn into the past to see and experience the life of Sandy.  While this may not be the most unique story we’ve seen, Wright’s style is super intriguing in the transitions, especially in the beginning with how she wound up in the world.  The fun aspects of life we see involve some fun use of mirrors and switching perspectives to really get you into the feel, only to then drop us back into the real world moments later.  Sandy’s impact on Ellie is then later explored and seeing the effects were super fun, and even more so how the later aspects of Sandy’s life really start to spring on Ellie.  These moments are placed well, and each scene has a life of its own, but yet is integrated into the whole picture to never fell too tangential or overwhelming form how smooth the piece was.  I was very surprised by these transitions, and how well used they were given the potential to overdo the gimmick.  

The Acting:  

It’s good, a fantastic display of quality acting in the genre where many just kind of bring their B and C game in most movies.  Soho’s group is strong across multiple fronts, and given the direction, character development, and chemistry was able to bring both worlds to life for me.  Thomasin McKenzie is a wonderful lead, innocent and naïve, but holding much beneath the meek mannered persona she starts out with.  As the movie continues on, she is pulled into other elements that require drastically going through the spectrum of emotions and bringing the terror out in this role.  Anya Taylor-Joy is not quite as vocal or dynamic as McKenzie’s role, but dang does she play the past role extraordinarily well in what she was told to do.  I can’t reveal much, but let’s just say that she has a combination of confidence, sex appeal, and artistic presentation to bring the emotions of the 60s era to life.  She bounces well in the scenes shared with McKenzie, and the looks she gives speak volumes over the dialogue that other characters were given in this film. Matt Smith has the looks of his counterparts super well, executing the cocky arrogance of the times to an artful degree, and adding the dramatic flair that ties things well together.  His looks in the suits, alongside the nonverbal acting, speak volumes and establish the atmosphere he holds, and I can’t deny that he elevated a lot of scenes in the beginning to drive the pace and story. 

The Pace: 

A movie like this can be slow given all they try to do, but Soho did not feel long to me at all.  Because of the ever changing nature of the film, the smoother transitions, and continued evolution of the mystery continued to move to the end.  With little tangential detours and not trying to force messages and politics in my face, Soho managed to keep us on the story and lives of the character helping to move the film to its conclusion with steady steps.  

The Characters: 

So nice to find a horror movie where the characters are much deeper than the usual fodder we get.  Like the acting, the characters have a lot of layers and quirks to deal with, never being perfect or overpowered, but rather strong and persistent to overcoming their problems.  McKenzie’s journey was relevant to me on several elements, and I loved the approaches she took to figure out a lot of the happenings in the two “worlds.”  This is true for so many of the characters, many of which are used well to progress the story and actually not just be there to be an overdramatized statement.  This is definitely true with the character John, who has a lot of great moments in the film without stealing the show the show away from the group.  It was great planning and attention to detail that this genre needed very much for me, and I was happy that Soho delivered this. 

The Music: 

Those who like the classics and appreciate the use of music should really enjoy the styles of this film and how much the music moves the scene.  What is used for a character development in one scene, suddenly gets turned into a jaunty number of fun and 60s dazzle before dropping into a simple montage piece to express the emotions of Ellie.  Other sequences have the setting amplified to wonderful levels, sometimes being creepier than the visual elements presented.  And do not worry, Soho has a combination of modern vibes and big band fun to get you into the moment and I had a blast with it.  

The Story/Genre:

Again, the story is not the most unique or artistic thing I’ve seen, but what surprises me is how many genres were crammed into this movie.  Soho is not simply a horror/thriller as the categories painted, but instead manages to add layers of other components into film to mix things up and help it stand out from most other films in these categories.  There are elements of a comedy that work in just seeing Ellie experience life in London, but then drama comes in to help complicate matters and add a realistic portrayal that is not buried in cheesy scares.  The drama further elevates in a different manner at parts of the movie, and soon a mystery starts to develop that soon starts to fold into something else.  Crime and Thriller elements start to resonate even further, and soon the horror creeps in only for the other elements to peak back in and allow the other genres to rest.  You would think it would be convoluted, but instead it’s balanced and meshes well to make a twist on life that again is fun to watch and again interesting to solve all the deceptions hiding in the two worlds.  

DISLIKES:

Character Utilization:

While there are many characters used right, there are others that held more potential and sadly were cut from the final number.  The past selves of a couple of the older characters held some potential to add to the mystery, but I can understand the reasons for their limited use.  It’s the mean girls that plague Emmie’s life and I would have loved to see them integrated a little more in the push to get Emmie to continue diving into the world of the 60s London.  It’s a small complaint, and there are others I’d have liked to foster relationships with, but the stronger relationships work well for me.  

The Seedier Moments:

You can guess that Soho’s neon lights are going to offer many a thrilling dazzle, and some of those moments are going to be portrayed to big details.  While I don’t suffer from this type of PTSD, I caution those who are sensitive to take heed at the detailed moments of abuse that will be present in this movie.  I’m not big on these moments, and fortunately they are lighter, but it only takes one memorable scene to scar your mind so caution.  

The Violent Moments: 

I can’t say I really hated these moments, but a couple of the times that got intense crossed the border into savage territory.  Again caution to the squeamish and the sensitive to noises because these moments are very loud and sort of hurt my ears as the chaos unfolded.   Again, it’s a minor dislike, but still one to watch for, alongside the flashing lights if prone to seizures/migraines from this aura.  

The Ending To A Degree:

When things finally come together, the ending act starts to fall and unravel, with the horror element sort of fizzing out for the dramatic part.  I did not hate the ending at all, but after all the buildup, I feel the climactic moment took a direction I was hoping it wouldn’t and gotten the true finish worthy of putting everything to a close  It’s got some symbolic finale with it, a nice job towards the style and character development, but it sort of trips at the end to stumble across the line.  And yes, there is some predictability to it, which does lay the foundation for figuring out what will happen in that final moment.  And even more so, the special connection Ellie has is left rather unexplained and convenient, and I would have liked that shock factor to have been that connection. 

The Verdict: 

Soho was a stylish surprise for me, that tied back to the classic elements of the horror element and blends multiple genres to make an engaging story.  With fun characters, intriguing premises, some realistic lifestyles, and two worlds to balance, Wright brings us a layered tale that should grab a lot of the attention for multiple audiences.  Acting continues to shine and some of the characters allow our actors to spread their wings and take thing to deeper levels than the usual thriller/horror cast.  A great moving piece with lots of visual and audio components to enjoy Soho has much to check out.  True, the character utilization does require some work and tweaking, and there are some intense moments that could hit sensitive viewers, but the main weakness for me is the tripping of the final act to not deliver the full potential that was building up to it.  Still, I had fun with this movie and encourage you to check it out if you get the chance in theaters.  

My scores are: 

Drama/Horror/Mystery:  8.5

Movie Overall:  7.5

Do You Come To Play In This Film?

 

The Lego Movie shattered the expectations of toy-based movies with a dynamic story, great comedy, decent sequences of actions, and a balance of kids to adult audiences.  While the sequels that followed took stride in their own remark, the first one really opened our eyes to quality kids animation.  Enter tonight’s movie, in the form of Playmobile, a similar design to the classic pegs, but with a little more movement and cost-effective price to appease the younger crowd.  Tonight’s movie offers the same sort of approach, hoping to get the animated holiday feature in before Oscar season swoops in.  What is the verdict?  Robbie K coming in, to give you insight into the next movie and determine if it’s worth a trip to the theater.

 

Movie:  Playmobil: The Movie (2019)

 

Director:

Lino DiSalvo

Writers:

Blaise Hemingway (screenplay by), Greg Erb (screenplay by)

Stars:

Anya Taylor-Joy, Gabriel Bateman, Jim Gaffigan

 

 

LIKES:

 

Animation Is Decent

Cute

Heartwarming Story

Short Run Time

Fun Music

 

DISLIKES:

 

Acting Is Mixed

Predictable and Linear

Jokes Sort Of Forced Into The Movie

Action Is Rather Dull

Music Numbers Are Sometime forced

Lame Villain For Me

Not As Well Balanced

 

SUMMARY:

 

Like many animated movies, Playmobil is very nicely designed to bring the family fun atmosphere to the forefront of the show.  Smooth movement, cute design, and nod back to the days of creating worlds with the simple figure, this movie manages to bring imagination back on the big screen.  Like many of my fellow reviewers have stated, this film is certainly cute, with the short run time of about 80 minutes (not counting credits) being focused on heartwarming, moral filled lessons in a nice dynamic package. It’s a great lesson for the ideal audience of kids, which should bring smiles to the young faces and the parents that accompany them.  Finally, like most kids films, Playmobil is ready to pump the speakers up with original music, that is toe tapping selection of catchy tunes about the morals we need in our lives.

 

Yet the other side of the coins have valid points for me in regards to this film, especially when one sees what was accomplished in other animation films.  For one thing the voice acting is okay, which can either be due to performance or direction of the character.  Anya Taylor-Joy does a decent job, and young actor Gabriel Bateman accomplishes the vulnerable child in over his head role well as he starts discovering himself.  My champions are Gaffigan and Daniel Radcliffe whose characters are probably the most engaging of the supporting characters and bringing the dynamic cast to a rather one-note movie.  Unlike other films, the movie falls short of the dynamic storytelling that other company productions have excelled in.  It’s plot is thin and very predictable, a linear tale with few bumps or surprises to amazing and wow as the writing continues to favor the younger generations filled with jokes and preachy speeches crammed on in.  Sure the humor is cute, but the movie needed better balance for this reviewer and working on making a more exciting tale that utilized the humor and lessons as a supporting role instead of the central pillar.  The action scenes are rather limited, mostly due to the G rating, but also because the villain is another example of a grandiose, pompous, speech expert who does little else.  Because of these two factors, alongside the linear telling, just results in a bland adventure that might not be as entertaining to the older crowd, which is a shame given what they can do in these movies.

 

 

The VERDICT:

 

Playmobil is not an awful movies, it just doesn’t have the same balance or execution that the Lego movie, or other films for kids have been able to pull off.  Certainly, the animation, story, and cute atmosphere will certainly impress the target audience of youngsters.  Sadly, the fact that the film struggles to find balance in the presentation to the audience with its predictable, G rate film is going to be the biggest obstacle to see this movie.  With a feel much more fitting of a Nick Jr. or Playhouse Disney feel, Playmobil is much better suited to a home viewing where the little ones can corral into the living room and watch it for the short run time.  Overall, the movie will deliver to the young generation, but given Frozen is out, Spy in Disguise is on its way, and Star Wars, this film is going to be out of the theater quickly unfortunately.  Therefore, my scores are:

 

Animation/Adventure/Comedy:   6.5

Movie Overall:  5.0