Tag: Animation

Categories
Movie Review

Fireheart (2022) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Catch Up 2022 – F – Fireheart (2022).

Fireheart Poster

Director: Theordore Ty, Laurent Zeitoun

Writer: Laurent Zeitoun, Jennica Harper, Daphne Ballon (Screenplay) Laurent Zeitoun, Jennica Harper, Lisa Hunter (Story)

Starring: (Voice Talents) Olivia Cooke, Kenneth Branagh, William Shatner, Laurie Holden, Maya Misaljevic

Plot: Sixteen-year-old Georgia Nolan dreams of being the world’s first-ever female firefighter. When a mysterious arsonist starts burning down Broadway, New York’s firemen begin vanishing. Georgia’s father, Shawn, is called out of retirement by the Mayor of New York to lead the investigation into the disappearances. Desperate to help her father and save her city, Georgia disguises herself as a young man called “Joe” and joins a small group of misfit firefighters trying to stop the arsonist.


Tagline – Every dream starts with a spark.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Fireheart starts as Georgia dreams of becoming a fireman like her father Shwan. Shawn stops this dream from becoming a reality to protect her, stepping away from the career himself. When New York comes under attack by a mysterious arsonist, Shawn is drawn out of retirement to investigate.

Georgia sees this as a chance to help, becoming Jo undercover with other volunteer firefighters. The pair work together to uncover the bigger truth about what is going on. Giving Georgia a chance to become the first firewoman.

Thoughts on Fireheart

Fireheart is an animated comedy following a young girl that dreams of being a firefighter. Seeing her go undercover to help solve a mystery about vanishing firefighters. She will step up to break the mould thrown onto women in this world. Fireheart is a fun family movie. One that will give us a determined lead proving people wrong. A twisted villain that wants to cause chaos. An important connection between family and a surprise truth Georgia isn’t ready for. There is a woman empowerment message, proving that women can be as strong as men. The movie will bring a few laughs and does end up feeling like a Scooby Doo mystery.

Final Thoughts – Fireheart is a fun family animation, with plenty of heart.

Categories
Movie Review

Pinocchio (2022) Movie Review

Pinocchio – Movie Review

Pinocchio

Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale (Screenplay)

Writer: (Book)

Cast (Voice Talents)

  • Ewan McGregor (Star Wars The Phantom Menace)
  • David Bradley (The World’s End)
  • Gregory Mann (Victoria)
  • Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim)
  • Ron Perlman (Hellboy)

Plot: A father’s wish magically brings a wooden boy to life in Italy, giving him a chance to care for the child.

Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Pinocchio starts when carpenter Geppetto sees his son killed during a war. Geppetto struggles every day with his son’s loss, making a wish to bring his son back. He decides to make a puppet out of the tree above his grave and overnight the Wood Sprite gives the wooden boy life, becoming Pinocchio.

As Pinocchio causes problems around the town, he draws the attention of Count Volpe and his travelling circus. Pinocchio decides to join the circus to prove his father wrong, as Geppetto goes on a journey to save his son.

Verdict on Pinocchio

Characters

Pinocchio is bought to life by magic, a young soul in a wood body experiencing the world for the first time. This leads him to get in trouble around the town, lacking concentration and making rash decisions. He learns the disturbing truth about his life and what it means to be in his position in life and what he can offer to everyone around him.

Geppetto is a heartbroken father who builds Pinocchio, with his wish to have him come to life coming true. He struggles to accept his own creation at first but grows to love him, giving him a second chance at fatherhood.

Sebastian is a cricket that has come to settle down for his memoirs. However, he finds himself assigned to protect Pinocchio, to guide him through life by the wood spirits. He is the one telling this story of life and death and his part in it.

In the supporting characters, we get to meet the people that want to take advantage of Pinocchio. Count Volpe to use him for profit, while Podesta for winning battles. He also meets others that guide him through life and death and everything it means.

Story

The story follows the life of Pinocchio, from his heart-breaking motivation for creation. To the adventures he finds himself drawn into as he looks to discover what his life is all about.

Taking a big step away from the more family-friendly traditional story. We get a much darker vision of the adventures of Pinocchio. One that isn’t afraid to discuss life and death. This makes this story grab at the heartstrings more than anything else, leaving us broken down by how beautifully tragic the story truly is.

Themes

Pinocchio is a stop-motion animation you can see the love and passion put into each and every detail involved. It looks beautiful and uses different situations to create even more worlds for the character to explore. The creations within the death world are particularly fantastic to see.

Where to Watch: Pinocchio is available on Netflix.

Final Thoughts –Pinocchio is a beautifully tragic vision of the classic tale.

Categories
Movie Review

Goodbye, Don Glees! (2021) Movie Review

Goodbye, Don Glees! – Movie Review

Don Glees
©Goodbye, DonGlees Partners

Director: Atsuko Ishizuka

Writer: Atsuko Ishizuka (Screenplay)

Cast (Voice Talents)

  • Natsuki Hanae
  • Yuki Kaji
  • Ayumu Murase
  • Kana Hanazawa
  • Rino Sashihara

Plot: During an unusual summer vacation in Iceland, the DonGlees boys discover a treasure.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Goodbye, Don Glees starts as three teenage friends Roma, Toto and Drop find themselves in the middle of a massive scandal. Determined to prove their innocence they head into the woods to prove they aren’t behind the crime.

The three go on an adventure through the forest in search of their drone. This brings them closer than ever, in what could be one of their last adventures before stepping into adulthood.

Verdict on Goodbye, Don Glees

Goodbye, Don Glees is an animated coming-of-age tale. Following three friends that are facing an uncertain future after becoming suspects in a crime. They set out on one more adventure together to clear their names and uncover the truth. In reality, what they find changes their lives forever.

This is a beautiful anime, using coming-of-age storytelling to bring us a touching emotional story. It feels like an adventure designed to help people find themselves in the world. The emotional levels going on throughout the movie are brilliant. It has the true delight of adventure and the distraught of seeing life change in front of your eyes.

Like many anime movies, this movie gets everything down perfectly. It looks beautiful, has relatable characters and leaves you with an emotional punch.

Goodbye, Don Glees! Is releasing exclusively in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 30th November 2022.

Final Thoughts – Goodbye, Don Glees is a beautiful anime with an emotionally packed story.

Categories
Movie Review

Drifting Home (2022) Movie Review

Drifting Home – Movie Review

Drifting Home

Director: Hiroyasu Ishida

Writer: Hiroyasu Ishida, Hayashi Mori (Screenplay)

Cast (Voice Talents)

  • Daiki Yamashita
  • Kana Hanazawa
  • Mutsumi Tamura
  • Ayumu Murase
  • Inori Minase

Plot: Follows two childhood friends who drift into a mysterious sea with an entire housing complex.

Runtime: 1 Hour 59 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Drifting Home starts when two former best friends Kosuke and Natsume have gone their separate ways. Something has come between them, as Kosuke’s family was moved out of a housing complex. With the housing complex believed to be haunted, the other kids in the area enter searching for ghosts.

During the latest argument between Kosuke and Natsume, the rest of the friends find themselves going through a freak event. The event leaves them on the roof of the building floating across the ocean. The kids must put aside their differences to figure out how to get home and understand the situation they find themselves in.

Verdict on Drifting Home

Drifting Home is an animated adventure following a group of school kids that find themselves stranded in a building floating in the ocean. It happens in a freak fantasy event, as the kids were fighting around an abandoned housing complex.

This brings the fun and bickering between the kids, which you would imagine seeing between friends. However, there is a major serious side to the complexness of the friendship between Kosuke and Natsume.

This is a beautiful animation, that brings together the importance of working together with people and putting aside your differences if you can ever want a bright future together. It wants to use elements that made ‘Your Name’ so special even if they aren’t as strong.

Where to Watch: Drifting Home is available on Netflix.

Final Thoughts – Drifting Home is a beautiful animation with a strong message.

Categories
Movie Review

Spycies (2019) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Animation – Z – Spycies (2019). This is under Z because of co-director Zhiyi Zhang.

Spycies

Director: Guillaume Ivernel, Zhiyi Zhang

Writer: Stephane Carraz, Michel Pages, Zhiyi Zhang (Screenplay)

Starring: (Voice Talents) Kirk Thornton, Dino Andrade, Salli Saffioti, Karen Strassman, Jamieson Price

Plot: Vladimir and Hector, two secret agents opposed in every way, are trying to recover a top secret material stolen by unknown intruders.


Tagline – Get ready for Mission Impawsible!

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Spycies starts when super slick spy Vladimir sees his latest mission get the case he is after. But destroys part of the city along the way. Vladimir is exiled to a platform working with the social awkward Hector, who is technologically skilled.

When the two find what they are guarding stolen. They must learn to work together to recover the lost item. Which could be turned into a dangerous weapon on the world.

Thoughts on Spycies

Characters

Vladimir is the spy who thinks he is the best in the agency. He will get the job done, but he will often leave destruction in his path. He prefers to work alone and will need to learn to work with others to make up for his mistakes. Which will give him the life lesson on solving crimes the right way.

Hector is the lone agent living alone on a platform protecting a rare material. He is more of a tech specialist. He does come off as someone who has been alone in the world a lot more, leading to him talking too much. The pair are very different, but must work together.

Mia is a super celebrity that is the star of the show that Hector loves, which is just one of the many different potential suspects. Along with the friendly nurse Chloe, the doctor who has his own story and the strict boss of Vladimir, Kotor. We do get a host of characters which make this a more enjoyable journey.

Story

The story here follows an unlikely spy pairing that must work together to get the bottom of what happened on their exiled location. This is a spy movie that seems like it will be basic, with the whole needing to learn to work together. It does end up becoming a lot bigger than this, with plenty of different directions it could end up going. This is a fun story, one that will keep you guessing, while having plenty of bigger real-world messages going on within the world.

Themes – Spycies is a beautiful animation creation, with different creatures or environments all looking flawless throughout the film. When it comes to the action, each moment does feel like it has come from other movies and developed to play to the strength of different creatures we see in the film too.

 

Spycies is an enjoyable animation, which is filled with plenty of fun throughout, giving us a story which will keep us guessing.

Categories
Movie Review

A Yeti Adventure (2017) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Animation – Y – A Yeti Adventure (2017)

A Yeti Adventure Poster

Director: Pierre Greco, Nancy Florence Savard

Writer: Pierre Greco, Andre Morency (Screenplay)

Starring: (Voice Talents) Sylvie Moreau, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Rachid Badouri, Alexandrine Warren, Stephane Crete

Plot: Quebec City, 1956. Nelly Maloye, an ebullient novice detective, accidentally crosses paths with Simon Picard. An ambitious research assistant in anthropology at the local university. Backed by a glory-seeking philanthropist, the intuitive but disorganized Nelly and the methodical. Obsessive Simon set off on a wild adventure, determined to prove the existence of the Abominable Snowman.

To achieve this goal, Simon relies on the coded diary of a missing explorer – a diary that should lead them to the mythic creature’s lair. Accompanied by Tenzig Gombu, a clever and enigmatic young Sherpa guide, and Jazzmin. A talkative myna bird, our heroes confront a host of dangers in the heart of the Himalayas as they seek that legendary beast: the Yeti.

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Fun Family Animation

Story: A Yeti Adventure starts as Nelly Maloye a private detective is escaping her latest case. Seeing her end up in the middle rich heir Edward Martineau wanting to funding a yeti search to help ambition young scientist Simon Picard. Who has 3 months to locate a yeti to prove his theory.

Once Simon and Nelly arrive in Nepal, they are joined by Sherpa Tensing Gombu. The grandson of the one that was involved in the closest case to locating a yeti in the past, one he was lost on.

Thoughts on A Yeti Adventure

Characters

Simon Picard is a scientist who has been trying to link the evolution line of humans to the yeti and other missing link for years. His research has got him nowhere, given 3 months to find real proof. He must travel to Nepal to prove they are real. He reluctantly goes on this adventure, where he follows his heroes footsteps to try and learn the truth.

Nelly Maloye is the private detective that finds herself getting in more trouble than solving problems. She will jump in headfirst to help Simon locate the Yeti. Tensing Gombu is the grandson of the Sherpa who was lost before. He sees this as a chance to honour his Grandfather’s memory.

Edward Martineau is the rich heir that wants to discover the yeti to give him his own money-making idea. Typical rich person, doesn’t do any of the work before trying to claim the credit.

Story
The story follows an ambitious scientist who needs to prove Yetis are real. Joining forces with a plucky detective to discover the truth in the Himalayas. This is a story about trying to chase your dreams, while also doing the right thing.
We get the warning about what would happen in humans learnt about a new species on the planet. And how they would use it for their own greed. Of the serious side of everything, we do get to see just how a misfit couple could work together to make the right decision. While having an adventure of a lifetime too.

Adventure/Comedy – The adventure takes out characters to the Himalayas for the first search for yetis, it does show how people can thrive outside of their comfort zones, with the comedy covering up and real danger the mission will put them on.

Settings – The film does takes us from the museum, which would be the safe place for Simon to the Himalayas, a place filled with danger, both locations work in the evolution of the character.

Animation – The animation does have its own style, which is different to most that we see nowadays, it does work for the large scale shots, giving everything a more artistic look rather than a full computer animated style.


Scene of the Movie – The reality of the discovery scene.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The looping travelling.

Final Thoughts – This is a fun adventure film, even if it does have a surprising serious side to the message it is getting across.

Overall: Enjoyable Adventure.

 

Categories
Movie Review

Astro Kid (2019) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Animation – W – Astro Kid (2019). This is under W because of the lead character Willy.

Astro Kid

Director: Eric Tosti

Writer: David Alaux, Eric Tosti, Jean-Francois Tosti (Screenplay)

Starring: (Voice Talents) Landen Beattie, Jason Anthony, Laura Post, Keith Silverstein, Susan Myres

Plot: Upon the destruction of their ship, Willy is separated from his parents. He lands on a wild and unexplored planet and with the help of Buck, a survival robot, he will have to hold until the arrival of a rescue mission.

Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Astro Kid starts when a family of explorers in space find themselves caught in the middle of an asteroid belt. Causing their son Willy to find himself sent to another planet to survive with a robot Buck, while waiting for rescue.

Willy wants to use this as a chance to get to explore a new planet. Showing off his skills as an explorer, with a host of different dangerous creatures living on the planet.

Thoughts on Astro Kid

Astro Kid is an animated movie that will show a young boy that gets stranded on an unexplored planet. One filled with different creatures for him to discover himself. This animation does create a beautiful and colourful world, with the creatures and plant life.

Each creature will have its own design, which always feels like a different version of something we might know, with a twist on them. The idea that a young boy must learn to adapt to this new world and the unknown dangers. It might offer is one that it filled with the peril which will make it fascinating. This is one that might be more focused on the younger audience, but it will have enough material for the older audience too. Being one of the more enjoyable animated movies of the recent years, with the pure beauty of the world.

Final Thoughts – Astro Kid is an enjoyable animation filled with the beautiful the filmmaking can produce from an unknown world.

Categories
Movie Review

Loving Vincent (2017) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Animation – V – Loving Vincent (2017)

Loving Vincent Poster

Director: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman

Writer: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Jacek Dehnel (Screenplay)

Starring: (Voice Talents) Robert Gulaczyk, Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Helen McCrory, Josh Burdett, Holly Earl, Chris O’Dowd, Saoirse Ronan

Plot: In a story depicted in oil painted animation, a young man comes to the last hometown of painter Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk) to deliver the troubled artist’s final letter and ends up investigating his final days there.

Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Loving Vincent starts following Armand Roulin as he look to deliver the late Vincent van Gogh later. He looks to learn about the troubled artist’s past and the events leading up to his death. As Armand gets to meet the different people he had spent his final days about. He gets caught up in a bigger story about Vincent, the man who cared for him Doctor Gachet and his daughter Marguerite to whom he loved, or so the village thought.

Thoughts on Loving Vincent

Loving Vincent is one of the most beautiful, animated movies you will ever see. With the hand painted style in the same style van Gogh used himself. The artistic team involved in this movie are geniuses to make this work so perfectly.

When it comes to the story, diving into the history of Vincent van Gogh and his final days being investigated. It will tell the story of how people can come into people’s lives and give a different story from each interaction. The story will offer up plenty of mystery about what is going on, making us want to learn more about the life that was ended too early.

Final Thoughts – Loving Vincent is one of the most uniquely beautiful movie you will ever see.

Categories
Movie Review

The Big Wish (2019) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Animation – U – The Big Wish. This is under U because it focuses on the Undead coming to visit.

The Big Wish poster

Director: Carlos Gutierrez Medrano

Writer: Eduardo Ancer, Juan J Medina, Pancho Rodriguez (Screenplay)

Cast: (Voice Talents) Cristina Milizia, Connor Andrade, Dino Andrade, Dani Artaud, Susana Ballesteros, Luis Dubuc, Carlos Rota

Plot: Salma is an orphan who has spent most of her life searching out clues about her parents. One day, she discovers a special book that is filled with stories and sets off onto an adventure with her foster brothers to find her parents.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Big Wish starts when orphan Salma craves learning about her parents. Recruiting her stepbrothers Jorge and Pedro, she keeps getting warnings from adopt mother. Her first attempt goes horribly wrong, with her promising never to try again.

At 16 Salma tries again, with consequences again. Finding herself taken to the other side. Here she meets Morlett, a man that once tried to hide the town from the grim reaper.

Thoughts on The Big Wish

The Big Wish is an animation that feels like it could be an alternative Coco. It follows the desperation to find out the truth about what happened to her parents. Needing to learn about the mystery about the history of the town.

It will have the message about loving the family you have. With the day of the dead traditions offering the chance to respect those who raised you. It looks to challenge the concept of eternal life, versus a lifetime of memories. Giving everything you want from the magical side of the day of the dead celebration. With some fun side characters going on through the journey.

Final Thoughts – The Big Wish is a fun animated movie, with a deeper meaning.