Beauty and the Beast (Film Review)

There was no way a live-action Beauty and the Beast remake would best its animated counterpart.  Disney’s 1991 adaptation is a classic among classics: a great film with stunning animation, wonderful pacing, lovable characters, fantastic music, and an all-around beautiful interpretation of the original fairy tale handled with affectionate care.  It would have been some kind of miracle for the remake to surpass one of Disney’s greatest films—and sure enough, the 2017 version does not, as a whole, live up to its predecessor…though not without giving a very remarkable try.  When seeing the film, I went in not to see if the remake would outclass its predecessor, but rather what elements it improved upon, aka; “What aspects does the live-action remake possess that makes it occasionally worth watching over the animated version?”

Piper (A "Short" Review)

Director(s): Alan Barillaro

Date Released: 2016
Theatrically Released Alongside: Finding Dory

Do I hear five!?

Logan (Film Review)

When it comes to film, high expectations are often difficult to fulfill.  I’d much rather go into a film with a neutral state of mind—or even better, with low expectations—yet if that were the case, most of us wouldn’t see films in the first place.  People seek films they anticipate to enjoy (save for those brave, masochist critics who go out of their way to view the worst so you don’t have too), and Logan and The Lego Batman Movie have been two films I’ve highly anticipated since their announcements—the former for its beautifully put together trailer (an eye-catching promo, appearing unlike any previously made X-Men film), promising R-rating (a rarity to see in the superhero genre, and even rarer to be seen done effectively), and clear-cut influence from a certain critically acclaimed video game.  Yet does Logan live up to my unreasonable expectations?  While not the masterpiece I desired, Logan is a very good, albeit flawed, film, a successful attempt at a serious R-rated superhero movie, and one of the best X-Men films to date.

The Lego Batman Movie (Film Review)

When it comes to film, high expectations are often difficult to fulfill.  I’d much rather go into a film with a neutral state of mind—or even better, with low expectations—yet if that were the case, most of us wouldn’t see films in the first place.  People seek films they anticipate to enjoy (save for those brave, masochist critics who go out of their way to view the worst so you don’t have too), and Logan and The Lego Batman Movie have been two films I’ve highly anticipated since their announcements—the latter for being the spiritual successor to the completely awesome Lego Movie (my favorite film of 2014) and, well, for being a freaking theatrical Batman comedy (the likes I haven’t seen in a long while)!  Yet does Lego Batman live up to my unreasonable expectations?  While it’s not the masterpiece I desired, Lego Batman is well-made, a successful comedy-drama, and the best theatrical Batman film since The Dark Knight trilogy.