Category Archives: 2019

2010s, 2019, Adventure, Animation, C+, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Grade, Musical, Review, review-movie, Year

Review: Frozen 2

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Director(s)Chris Buck
Jennifer Lee
Principal CastKristen Bell as Anna
Idina Menzel as Elsa
Josh Gad as Olaf
Jonathan Groff as Kristoff/Sven
Release Date2019
Language(s)English
Running Time103 minutes

When I saw the first trailer for Frozen II drop I felt one part entranced by the visuals, one part curious on where the story could go, and two parts nervous that this movie would be a cash grab with no substance. Although Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee don’t reach the same heights as they did thematically, musically, or story wise in Frozen, there are still more than enough gorgeous and fun moments in their sequel to satisfy the fans and entertain kids.

The story picks up some time after the ending of the first movie and follows our makeshift family unit of Elsa, Anna , Olaf , Kristoff , and Sven. They’re domesticated and having fun, but Elsa has been hearing a call beckoning her to leave her homeland and find her true calling. If the story sounds weird that’s because it is. It feels lazily written and almost feels like a series of excuses meant to guide characters from one set piece to another. It’s frustrating because the movie is supposed to be dealing with Elsa and her powers and had a real potential to explore the lore in interesting and philosophical ways to help develop the themes from the previous movie. Instead, it focuses on hashing out these really basic character arcs that either feel like they were better resolved in the previous movie or they just feel out of place overall.

Thankfully, the set pieces in this movie are absolutely breath-taking. Elsa has a lot of amazing action moments that serve to demonstrate how mind-blowing her powers are. Even though I thought the plot was absurd, I was left stunned with how cool and gorgeous a lot of her moments ended up looking. The color palette is distinct and vibrant and makes these moments that much prettier. There are gorgeous autumn leaves and amazing snow effects. The water looks and feels alive and fluid. The lighting is immaculate and everything feels imbued with vitality. There are a few scenes where the background felt like it was actually straight ripped out from reality. It all comes together to create one of the most stunning movies I’ve ever seen. I already know I’m going to re-watch the movie to see some of these moments again. If nothing else, this movie knows how to look near perfect.

The music is also good, even though it doesn’t reach the heights of the first movie. The title song is incredible, however, and I loved how it was incorporated throughout the movie. Into the Unknown probably won’t get as many plays from me as Let It Go did, but it’s a great song and I know I won’t be able to get it out of my head for a bit. Menzel and Bell are also still great, and each of their characters had at least one musical solo scene that I enjoyed. This film more so than the last felt like it had a few too many songs. In particular, Kristoff’s song felt misplaced and actually ended up making me like his character less. I appreciate how funny the song is supposed to be and thought the editing and feel of it was great. However, it makes him feel like he’s less mature than we’re led to believe and also interrupts the action in an non-ideal way.

Thematically, the movie attempts to do cool things but just falls on its face. Certain ideas are explored on a surface level which is a shame because of how interesting they could have been. There’s a lot of discussion about growth, but we rarely get to see it explored because the characters don’t feel like they actually change that much. There’s also this really neat idea of water in relation to time that feels Taoist in nature but outside of a cool visuals and interesting thoughts never reaches the potentials of what it could have been.

REPORT CARD

TLDRFrozen II is gorgeous and breath taking, even if it feels like its lacking in substance. It never reaches the same heights of its predecessor, but is still entertaining and sure to give you some fun moments.Fans of the original should check this out, but be wary – the story leaves a lot to be desired and may be disappointing to some.
Rating7.5/10
GradeC+

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2010s, 2019, Adventure, B+, Comedy, Drama, Grade, Review, review-movie, Sport, Year

Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon

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Director(s)Tyler Nilson
Michael Schwartz
Principal CastShia LaBeouf as Tyler
Zack Gottsagen as Zak
Dakota Johnson as Eleanor
Release Date2019
Language(s)English
Running Time98 minutes

The Peanut Butter Falcon, is wonderfully crafted feel good movie that helped restore my faith in humanity by the end of the film. It follows Tyler, a man reeling from tragedy struggling to find his way as he runs into and travels along with Duncan (John Hawkes) , a young man with Down syndrome and big dreams of being a wrestler. As the two make their way down to the wrestling school of Duncan’s dreams ,they’re pursued his caretaker Eleanor and have to deal with a horde of obstacles. This is a movie with a lot of heart and demonstrates the power of courage and confidence in the face of adversity.

The characters in this movie are phenomenal. Zack Gottsagen is the lifeblood of the movie and his infectious personality, sense of innocence, and intellectual maturity keep him endearing but also nuanced. He gives off a real sense of agency which is made all the better because the film is literally about how we actively strip agency away from those who are differently-abled even if we don’t realize it. In contrast to the more transparent performance of Gottsagen, LaBeouf’s performance is layered. His character is multifaceted and complex, so watching him slowly open up and embrace Duncan, is rewarding and heartwarming. Their relationship is the crux of the movie and works as a good point of investment. Dakota Johnson is terrific as a caretaker and watching her interact with both Tyler and Zac in their different scenarios is fun. She can go from worried to confident and back without it ever feeling weird.

The movie is also beautifully shot. There are wide spanning aerial shots demonstrating the majesty of the scenery which helps sell the Mark Twain vibe. The shots of the raft as it floated down the river reminded me back of the images I had in my head while reading Huckleberry Finn back in middle school. You can really feel the distance the characters end up travelling which gives weight to what they’re actually attempting .

For the majority of the story, character interactions are pleasant and seek to remind us of the better aspects of people and ourselves. There’s a large emphasis placed on redemption and learning to believe in oneself. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the darker more nihilistic stuff I’m used to watching and frequenting. Unfortunately, this is also the issue with the movie. It’s too nice. At some point, character interactions, despite being cute and happy, feel unbelievable. I would have liked to see some more rugged interactions, just so the kindness felt more realistic. Yes, there are some more serious moments, but they never feel as well integrated or realized within the structure of the story. In fact, the way that some of this tension gets resolved actively confuse the themes, because it doesn’t sync with properly with what the story had been leading up to. Thankfully, this problem only stays relevant for a few minutes and doesn’t change the overall narrative.I wish the movie had managed to balance more of its serious elements with the lighter moments.

REPORT CARD

TLDRThe Peanut Butter Falcon restored my faith in humanity and forced to inspect my assumptions about people with disabilities. The story might feel too sweet at times, but that may be a plus if you want a movie that keeps you grinning ear to ear.It’s the most touching “feel good” movie I’ve seen in a long time.
Rating8.9/10
GradeB+

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