Movie Review: The Wild Robot

October 21, 2024 By 1 Comment

The Wild Robot by Writers Chris Sanders, Peter Brown
Director: Chris Sanders
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor
Publisher: Dreamworks Animation/Universal Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: “Best Movie” – 5 stars (10 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Based on Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, Chris Sanders’ movie version of the story (produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures) pulled my heartstrings in a way very few movies ever have, animated or not. I can’t even remember the last time I teared up in a theater prior to this movie. Lupita Nyong’o voices the titular robot, Roz, who must adapt to her new environment and complete her programming to ‘help with tasks’ after finding herself shipwrecked on an island.

The emotional connection in this movie is stunning. Roz is, understandably, viewed as an outsider by the other animals on the island. The main theme in this movie is the idea of family (and what that can look like), but it also touches on the ideas of belonging and community. Roz’s motley crew of fox Fink (Pedro Pascal) and orphan gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor) are an unlikely family, but I enjoyed seeing the growth that all three of them went through over the course of the movie. Sometimes there are tragic events in the past that can shape one’s trajectory, but they can also lead to beautiful results. I loved seeing all of the animals on the island, both predator and prey, coming together in a common goal towards the end of the movie. I also thought there were some super fun elements to balance out the deep emotional moments, like how Roz gradually learned the ‘language’ of the animals after her first attempts to communicate did not go as planned (in a very comical manner).

The storytelling was another highlight of the movie. The voices of many of the characters were familiar to me while watching, but I didn’t realize how star studded the cast was until I looked it up after leaving the theater. In addition to Nyong’o, Pascal, and Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy and Mark Hamill are some of the other big names that grace the screen. The animation style was excellent, there’s a lot of humor (both subtle and outright), and it never shied away from tackling the tough topics (while making it accessible to both children and adults).

Overall, an excellent movie and an excellent narrative. I’ve already bought the first book in the series that inspired the movie as a result of watching it, so I’m excited to read it. I would recommend this movie to children and adults of all ages, as I think there’s something that you can take away from it no matter your age.

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Movie Review: Deadpool and Wolverine

September 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Deadpool and Wolverine by Writers Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin
Publisher: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: 4 stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

Deadpool is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.

It’s been a long time for hardcore Marvel fans waiting for the team up between Deadpool and Wolverine, but this movie made it so worth it. Honoring the death of the Wolverine in the Logan movie (2017) while also simultaneously introducing both characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s obvious that everyone involved poured their heart and soul into this movie.

With the Marvel movies following Avengers: Endgame (2019), it’s been a bit hit or miss for me on whether or not I enjoyed them and whether or not I felt they added something to the bigger Marvel cinematic universe. This movie gave a lot of love to the kids (now adults) who have grown up with these characters, the movies and the comics; I don’t want to spoil the surprise but there are a lot of fun expected cameos along the way. Shoutout to Ladypool, Kidpool, and Babypool (if you know, you know).

In terms of the actual cinematic experience, I don’t think I’ve cackled that much in a theater in a long time. I was practically bouncing in my seat at times and singing along to the soundtrack for more than half the time (side note: whoever curated that soundtrack did an excellent job). It’s still not a movie I would ever recommend for kids with the sometimes gratuitous amounts of swearing, very bloody fight scenes, and poorly veiled innuendos. However, it leaves me excited for the future of the Marvel Cinematic universe and how much levity Deadpool and Wolverine will add going forward.

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Movie Review: Savoring Paris

August 6, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Savoring Paris by
Writers: Joie Botkin and Victoria Brownlee
Director Clare Niederpruem
Starring: Bethany Joy Lenz and Stanley Weber
Publisher: Hallmark Channel
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

Disillusioned with her life, Ella embarks on a soul-searching journey to Paris where she navigates love, self-discovery and cheese amidst the enchanting backdrop of The City of Love.

Hallmark Channel’s Savoring Paris, starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Stanley Weber, is a nice turn away from their previously formulaic movies while still honoring the happily ever after endings the channel is known for. Ella (Bethany Joy Lenz) is disillusioned with her life in the United States and makes the choice to return to Paris in an attempt to recapture the magic from her previous trip (and taste the cheeses she’s never forgotten since). However, she’ll find much more in her interactions with her new friends, her carefree adventures and a “grumpy cheese-monger” named Serge (Stanley Weber).

In the past, with their stereotypical Christmas movies, storylines were very predictable whenever I watched a Hallmark movie. As a result, they came across as less authentic and not like something that could actually happen. I really enjoyed Ella’s journey in this movie, and how the actress delivered her performance in a way that came across as very genuine, funny, and engaging. Her friendships were very relatable, and I appreciated how her mother was overbearing yet gradually backed down on her own (without having to be talked to, like some of the royal parents in other movies).

My only complaint was that the movie was not actually fully filmed in Paris. As part of a set of movies marketed as “Passport to Love”, that was a bit disappointing for me but didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the movie too much. Nevertheless, I think the filmmakers did an excellent job bringing the charm and personality of the city (and its people) to life. The highlight of that was the contrast in the American and French lifestyles – French people work to live and get to enjoy much more of their life. On the other hand, many Americans live to work and forget to take time to savor the moment and enjoy life along the way. Ella did her best to get away from that mindset in this movie, and it was a very fulfilling journey to see.

Overall, this was a very entertaining movie. I’m excited to see the new creative direction Hallmark seems to be going in, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of their new movies as they release. Check out this movie if you like international romances complete with self-discovery and the grumpy x sunshine trope.

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Hot Potato: The story of The Wiggles by Jeff Fatt, Directed by: Sally Aitken

November 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Hot Potato: The story of The Wiggles by Jeff Fatt, Directed by: Sally Aitken
Publisher: Amazon MGM Studios and Screen Australia
Genre: Contemporary, Non-fiction, Documentary, Film
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Hot Potato is a backstage pass to the global phenomenon, The Wiggles. The documentary chronicles the story of three preschool teachers, Anthony, Murray and Greg, and their friend Jeff, as they triumph over the odds to become one of the most successful children’s acts of all time.

This is a film about my favorite group that had a positive influence on my kids as they were growing up. The movie explores the backstory, creation and history of The Wiggles, starring Anthony Field (blue), Murray Cook (red), Jeff Fatt (purple) and Greg Page (yellow). My kids discovered them when the group made the arrangement with the Disney Channel. Kids in Australia and New Zealand knew about them years before and it’s not a wonder that they took the rest of the world by storm. I learned so much about them while watching this documentary that it simply blew my mind. Their songs may have been simple, catchy, bouncy, and fun, but the four guys’ journey wasn’t nearly so benign, easy or without serious challenges.

My most favorite aspect of the film was the nostalgia triggered by the awesome songs I sang along to with my kids as they watched the shows and videos over and over again, Hot Potato being only one of many. The dance moves that accompanied them always made me feel that if they had an exercise video based on the songs and all the moves, I would have bought the video for myself. To this very day, I’ll break out in songs like Hot Potato, Fruit Salad, Here Comes a Bear, and the silly, Do the Monkey. Man, those were awesome times when my kids were little.

Did you know that at their highest point, they made more money than AC/DC, Hugh Jackman and many others? The Wiggles did that – all while appealing to the sense of joy, fun, and energy of toddlers, and bringing their parents along for the ride. And, what a ride it was, in that Big Red Car.

Even to this day, one of my most favorite video/movies The Wiggles made was with Steve Irwin at the Australia Zoo. At that point, I was just as much a fan of the group as my kids. The documentary showed the amazing steps Anthony, Murray, Jeff and Greg took to get to that moment in their careers. It covers the difficult times after the 9/11 attack in New York City and there were a few moments in their retelling that had me tearing up. The tone was somber, respectful, and introspective. The film also covers why Greg left The Wiggles. By the time that happened, my kids were fully immersed in their school career, and we no longer subscribed to the channel that brought The Wiggles singing and dancing into our lives. I had no idea about the seriousness of Greg’s condition, nor the challenges the group faced to find someone to step in for him. Nor did I have a clue as to what role Anthony played in The Wiggles existence as the years went on.

After I watched the documentary, I looked at some reviews. Wow – that was a revelation. The film shared some examples but that nowhere touched upon the emotional response and backlash that occurred during the many transitions The Wiggles went through. I even read one where the commenter claimed that Anthony ruined The Wiggles because of the changes and decisions he’d made over the years after two other members retired. After watching the film, I disagree with that sentiment. Anthony saved The Wiggles by keeping it going, keeping their name, music, and presence alive, not letting it fade away until the point in 2019 when they were all able to come together to do a benefit in support of the Australian people who were suffering the worst fire season in the country. Society and pop culture change frequently and what is popular one day becomes lost and forgotten the next. If not for Anthony, I don’t think the public would have responded so well and enthusiastically for a band no one remembered. Instead, according to the film clips I saw, many of the attendees were in their 20s, kids that grew up singing and dancing with The Wiggles and were now young adults, with jobs and incomes that allowed them to attend and support the cause. That joy came across the screen and brought me back in time when my kids and I had the best time singing the songs together.

Do you know what else I learned while watching this documentary? Anthony and Jeff were a part of a successful singing group called the Cockroaches. One of their songs was played during an interview with Greg and I’m thinking, “I’d listen to that!” In fact, if you pay attention, you’ll get a hint of the energy and talent that would later contribute to the success of The Wiggles. I also learned the background of Dorothy the Dinosaur. I had no hint how important that character ended up being to their success. I even laughed when I heard how Captain Feathersword came about. Little by little I was seeing how The Wiggles I knew came to be. It was so cool!

Another adorable thing I enjoyed while watching the film were the film clips. Parents must have submitted them to the group. They showed their toddlers reacting and interacting with The Wiggles on television and generally having a great time singing, learning and laughing. There is power in laughter and in music.

Hot Potato: The story of The Wiggles was one of the most enjoyable documentaries I’ve ever watched. How the group came to be such a success was fascinating to watch. To think, if not for two of them being teachers, and their passion and joy for teaching, which I believe contributed to the focus of singing songs for preschoolers, I don’t think The Wiggles could have come to be. Learning how Anthony, Jeff, Greg and Murray came together to create a singing group that touched generations starting with the littlest of fans, was a sheer joy to experience. I am awfully glad I discovered this film. I highly recommend this documentary for all those who were parents at the time who repeatedly watched the videos and sang the songs with their kids. I think it would be great for those littlest fans, now grown up, to learn more about the men and characters that enriched their childhood. It’s fascinating, entertaining and eye opening. This film made me appreciate The Wiggles all the more.

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Movie Review: Big Crow

August 28, 2023 By 1 Comment

Big Crow
Director: Kris Kaczor
Writer: Inila Wakan
Producer: Kevin Bayson
Cinematography: Matt Lyons
Editor: Steve Nemsic
Rated: 4 Stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe

BIG CROW is a verité-style documentary that tells the story of how young Lakota basketball star SuAnne Big Crow became an activist, and how her message of hope continues to help her people reclaim their culture 30 years after her death. Part biography and part social commentary, BIG CROW is a story about the power of hope in the most destitute place in America, South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Found in the poorest county in America, Pine Ridge is plagued by rampant drug, alcohol, and sexual abuse which drives the highest teen suicide rate in the country. Access to healthy food and health care is virtually non-existent, and the Lakota there continue to experience the oppressive racism that outlawed their religion, language, and traditions 130 years ago. It’s possible that there has never been a people more in need of a hero than SuAnne’s Lakota tribe.

By age 14, SuAnne Big Crow had become one of South Dakota’s best basketball players, leading her Pine Ridge Lady Thorpes to become the first ever Native American state champions. By age 17, her social activism had made her a household name across the Great Plains. Thirty years after her tragic death, SuAnne’s pride in her people continues to galvanize the Lakota in their fight to save their language and reclaim their culture.

Heroes live in every community.

It was wonderful to explore modern Lakota culture in Pine Ridge. I must confess that I didn’t know a lot about this topic before I watched this documentary, so I appreciated how much effort was put into sharing not only the struggles of this tribe but also their triumphs as well. Everything was balanced out nicely, and it made me want to dive even more deeply into this topic. There were so many things about their culture that didn’t quite fit into the scope of this film but that I yearned to learn more about. To me, that is a sign of a job well done, indeed!

As much as I loved seeing how SuAnne’s legacy has positively impacted her tribe for more than thirty years now, I would have liked to see a little more attention paid to who she was as a person before she died. Her time on the basketball court was documented beautifully, but I didn’t get as much of a sense of who she was in other areas of her life. For example, she seemed to be an outgoing person who had a fantastic sense of humor, but it would have been helpful to have more stories about how she behaved and why she was so obviously adored by everyone who knew her.

One of the most difficult aspects of living through a tragedy can be finding meaning in pain and grief that feels meaningless. SuAnne’s family, friends, and community found so many incredible ways to honor her memory and continue her work to improve life for everyone in their tribe. Without giving away too many spoilers, they have excelled at remembering SuAnne and encouraging the next generation to follow her example. I especially enjoyed the last ten minutes or so that showed how far her influence has spread and how much of a difference she’s still making in the lives of people who weren’t even born yet when she was alive.

Big Crow was a tear-jerker and a fabulous exploration of a portion of modern history I knew nothing about.

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Movie Review: Take the Ice

July 24, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Take The Ice
Director: Rachel Koteen
Producer: Rachel Koteen, Judah-Lev Dickstein, and Batya Feldman
Editor: Judah-Lev Dickstein
Rated: 4 Stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe
Find the movie on IMDB

Take the Ice is a feature documentary that tells the story of world-class female hockey players fighting for recognition and equality in their sport, and in the process, making history.

Ten-year-old Dani Rylan was obsessed with hockey and dreamed of growing up to play in the NHL. As one of the best players on the Florida state junior team, Dani saw no reason not to have the same ambitions as everyone else. But, as the only girl on the team, “at some point, reality sets in.” Seventeen years later, Dani decided to change the history of the sport by founding the first professional women’s hockey league.

Take the Ice goes behind the scenes as Dani creates the National Women’s Hockey League and 88 elite female athletes compete to win its first championship. As Dani struggles to keep the league afloat, the players must come together in the wake of an on-ice accident that leaves their teammate paralyzed. Take the Ice is a moving, intimate story of a group of elite athletes making strides for recognition and equality, and in the process, making history.

What could be better than making history and setting new records?

This documentary worked for dedicated hockey fans and those of us who virtually know nothing about that sport alike. I appreciated how the director was careful to explain certain aspects of this business like the difference in pay scales and marketing techniques between men’s and women’s hockey that many folks might not be aware of. While most of the screen time was dedicated to the games themselves, it was the player’s stories about the sexism they face that originally piqued my interest. Many of them were discouraged from playing hockey, especially as they grew older and were still the only girls on their youth teams. These early life experiences can discourage women and girls from pursuing all sorts of interests in life, and I nodded along as I compared their love of hockey to my interests in other things that girls aren’t encouraged to do. The joy of seeing young girls cheer for these teams and ask for autographs gave me hope that future generations will feel more comfortable pursuing all of their interests without discouragement.

I had some trouble keeping track of who everyone was. As cool as it was to get so many different perspectives on what it was like to be part of the first season of professional women’s hockey, including all of them meant that there wasn’t much time to invest in any one particular storyline. Taking notes along the way about who was part of which team helped, though, and I’d recommend that to anyone who watches this.

Some of the most interesting scenes to me were the ones that explored the private lives of the players. On the weekends, they were professional hockey players, but all of them had weekday jobs as well due to how little they were paid as athletes. This was in stark contrast to the millions of dollars men make in this field. The medical consequences of playing hockey were shown as well, and I was intrigued by how many risks these women were willing to take with their health despite all of the reasons they had to stop playing.

Take the Ice was a thoughtful look at the birth of the National Woman’s Hockey League.

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Movie Review: That Night

July 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


That Night
Director: Zachary Trussell
Writer: Zachary Trussell
Stars: Julio Alexander, Oscar Mansky, Julie Gester, Maureen Azzun, Boogie Williams, Kendall McCarthy, Michael C. Hyatt, and Alexander Louis
Rated: 3 Stars (6 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe

THAT NIGHT tells the story of a young unknown artist who is forced to confront his career ambitions and win back his ex-girlfriend during a drunken night in Chicago with his irreverent friends. Any night out in a big city has the potential to be a good night, the risk of being a bad night, and typically ends up somewhere in between, but only some nights can claim to be “That Night”—the night where little choices lead to big decisions, chance encounters to second chances, Uber drivers keep themselves busy in the strangest of ways and taking the wrong pill can be really bad for the upholstery. For STACY, an artist with one eye on the future of design and the other stuck looking hopelessly at his ex-lover, that night is tonight—and the city, Chicago. So yes, there will be drinking.

Anything can happen overnight.

I loved this film’s varied sense of humor. There was something here for everyone, whether you like jokes about the pitfalls of accidentally taking the wrong medication or how one should properly milk an almond. All of the characters had a good sense of humour and weren’t afraid to gently poke fun at themselves or others if the conversation warranted it. There is definitely something to be said for that!

It would have been helpful to have more character development. I don’t mind watching stories about people who may not be terribly likeable at first glance as those can often be the most interesting characters of them all, but I was hoping to see everyone mature a bit more as a result of their wild night. There were a few signs that the protagonist was going to work on his flaws, and I appreciated that. Had I seen it in his friends, too, I would have happily chosen a higher rating.

The romantic storyline was fresh and realistic, and I’m saying this as a viewer who was honestly not that impressed with it in the beginning. It’s always nice to be proven wrong, especially with something as creative as this. I loved the way the director included little hints about where he was going with the romance early on while still leaving space to interpret them in multiple ways. That’s a fantastic way to foreshadow the conclusion without spelling things out too directly, and it makes me want to see more from these characters and this crew.

That Night kept me guessing.

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Movie Review: Sunset

May 29, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Sunset
Director: Jamison M. LoCascio
Writers; Adam Ambrosio, Jamison M. LoCascio
Stars: Austin Pendleton, Suzette GunnJuri, Henley-Cohn
Rated: 3 Stars (6 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe

A diverse group of people grapple with the imminent probability of a nuclear strike on the east coast.

What would you do differently if you thought your life might be in danger?

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how complex relationships can be. For example, an offhand remark can really sting even if the person saying it was trying to be funny, and someone’s childhood experiences can still affect them decades later. The director and writers did a good job of exploring these topics in ways that also tied into the main storyline even when I didn’t originally think there would be much of a connection between them at all.

I would have liked to see more character development in this film, especially when it came to their pasts and how they all met. There were a few scenes that lightly touched on this subject, but I was still left with many questions about why certain characters behaved the way that they did. For example, Chris’ rough childhood seemed like it could have provided a lot of fodder for both the troubled relationship he had with alcohol that was obvious from the very first scene to how he ended up living with Henry and Patricia as their surrogate child.

The dialogue was fast-paced and topical. It was especially interesting to see how everyone reacted to the possibility of their neighbourhood being attacked by a nuclear weapon. Planning an evacuation is more complicated than it may seem, especially for people who are physically disabled or have other things going on in their lives that make it difficult to travel. The opening scene did a particularly good job of using dialogue to introduce everyone and share hints about what they were openly, or sometimes quietly, struggling with in their lives before the public service announcements began.

Sunset was a thought-provoking story.

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Movie Review: Know Fear

May 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Know Fear
Director: Jamison M. LoCascio
Writers: Adam Ambrosio & Jamison M. LoCascio
Starring: David Alan Basche, Amy Carlson and Mallory Bechtel
Rated: 5 Stars (10 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe

After the possession of his wife, Donald Capel and his family activate a dangerous ritual in a book used to identify and banish demons, a ritual forcing each member of the family to communicate with the demon in their own unique way: to see it, hear it, or speak to it.

If you’ve ever wondered what weird or even terrifying things the previous owners of a house might have gotten up to, this might be right up your alley.

I enjoyed the fast, plot-based storyline. All of the characters were given just enough time to introduce themselves to the audience before mysterious things began happening. The quick pace also helped to explain why the characters remained in a house that was possessed by such a dangerous entity. They simply didn’t have the time to consider other options, especially once things really began to escalate.

One of the many reasons why I chose a perfect rating for this film had to do with how it handled the demon. It left no room for doubt about just how malicious this creature was or how much peril all of the characters were in while it still remained in our world. There were a few scenes I had to watch out of the corner of my eye because of how much they made me shudder. That’s exactly what I love to see in the horror genre, and I only wish I could go into much more detail about it without giving away spoilers!

The ending couldn’t have been better. Not only did it tie all of the loose strings left over from earlier scenes together nicely, it made me go back to some earlier scenes and think carefully about how they were shared with the audience. Yes, many of the twists and turns were tropes that most fans of this genre would expect to see, but they were combined in ways that made them feel fresh again. It takes a lot of hard work to pull something like that off, and I tip my cap to the cast and crew for doing so well with it.

For readers who are sensitive to blood or gore, there were a few scenes that included both of them. I liked the fact that most of the focus was placed on the demon itself, but the storyline did need those elements to thrive.

Know Fear was deliciously scary.

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Movie Review: Adam & the Water

May 8, 2023 By 1 Comment

Adam & the Water
Director: Matthew Appleby
Writer: Matthew Appleby
Starring: Qado, Elisa Alemparte, and Laine Korn.
Rated: 3 Stars (6 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe

Adam is stuck. Anxious. Alone. Trapped in a nine to five. Lost without purpose, he meets Eva. As she enters Adam’s life, something changes, and a new reality awakens him.

Daydreaming is harmless, right?

The fantasy elements of the storyline were subtle and hard to pin down. Adam sank so deeply into some of them that it wasn’t always possible for me to tell where the line was between his vivid imagination, real life, and the possibility that some of the things he experienced might be too surreal to be explained logically. This is the sort of storytelling I’m immediately drawn to, and I appreciated how much nuance the director included in every twist and turn. Not everything in life needs to be explained, and those scenes were stronger because of how much freedom the audience was given to come up with our own interpretations of them.

With that being said, I struggled with how ambivalent the ending was. It could be interpreted in so many different ways that I was never quite sure which ones the director hoped his audience would choose even after I watched the ending multiple times. The protagonist was someone I grew to care about quite a lot about, so it was a little disappointing for me as a viewer to say goodbye to him while so many of my questions about what he’d decided to do with his life remained unanswered.

It didn’t take me long at all to like Adam. I empathized with how difficult it was for him to cope with his mental illness when he didn’t seem to have a strong support system or the emotional energy to seek professional help. Circumstances like that can make it even harder than usual for someone to recover, especially when they’re also as introspective and intelligent as Adam was. He knew he had a problem, but taking even the first step to finding a solution to it was almost more than he could do. Some of the best scenes in my opinion were the ones that showed his reactions to this dilemma and how mental illness can make even the smallest nudges in the right direction like asking for help feel impossible in that moment.

Adam & the Water was a thoughtful exploration of mental illness and how technology affects modern relationships.

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