‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ is a triumph of melancholic and meaningful storytelling
By Janie Walenda
What do you get when you combine Guillermo del Toro, stop-motion animation and the darker elements of a classic fairytale? You get a creepy, existential and charming film.
As in the plentiful other versions of Pinocchio, the titular character is lively, irresponsible and ultimately has a big heart. However, only del Toro’s version has Pinocchio’s creation shot like the creation of Frankenstein. His first living moments are creepy instead of cheery.
What ...
Is ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ really a mystery?
By Caroline Stanton
I approached this movie with a completely open-minded and fresh perspective because I had never seen the original “Knives Out” movie that premiered in 2019. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a spin-off of the original, and followed the same protagonist Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, as he worked to solve a classic tongue-in-cheek murder mystery. I haven’t seen a lot of movies that compared to this one, but I enjoyed it for what it was. The cast all ...
‘1899’ is a paradox of a thriller – and not in a good way
By Ben Konuch
“May your coffee kick in before reality does”
“1899” is the newest mystery thriller from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the minds behind the German Netflix series “Dark.” One look at a trailer or any marketing images and you’ll see what I saw, that “1899” looks like a dark, mysterious, mind-bending thriller. While this is true on paper, watching “1899” went from excitement to intrigue to indifferent boredom as the script and the pacing lost any ...
‘The Wingfeather Saga’s’ first three episodes build an expansive world
By Sophia Monastra
Forget movies, an author’s new dream is to have his or her book series turned into a TV show. Because of the episodic nature and length of the medium, shows are the best way to stay faithful to the books and allow enough time for meaningful development.
The popular semi-allegorical four-book children’s series, “The Wingfeather Saga” has recently become Angel Studios’ latest show. It follows the adventures of siblings Janner, Tink, and Leeli as they are ...
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ is an unexpected masterclass of animation
By Ben Konuch
"The legend will never die!"
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is the newest installment in the “Shrek universe,” and the second film to focus on its iconic fighting feline. As a character, Puss in Boots has captured the love of audiences from his first appearance in 2004’s “Shrek 2” as a “Zorro” parody voiced by the same actor as Zorro, Antonio Banderas. While Puss had his solo film debut in 2011’s “Puss in Boots,” this installment was suitably ...
‘Dragon Age: Absolution’ is a mildly entertaining but empty three hours
By Ben Konuch
"Beware, boy. Memory unheeded can only bring enmity."
I absolutely adore the "Dragon Age" series. The video game franchise from Bioware quickly became one of my favorite pieces of fantasy within my first few hours of playing the first title, "Dragon Age: Origins" back in 2020. As I've played the rest of the games and delved deep into its novels and comics, my love for its story hasn't changed. Set apart from other fantasy worlds with its dark nature and tone and ...
Season three of ‘The Chosen’ begins with an emotional aftermath
By Sophia Monastra
“The Chosen” is the world’s largest crowdfunded TV series, and from the launch of the first episode of its third season, it’s easy to see why.
Episode one, “Homecoming,” begins with a look at the disciple Matthew’s backstory before cutting away to the Sermon on the Mount, where Season two leaves off. A few of these shots are weirdly formatted, with Jesus voicing over clips when he has stopped speaking. This may be an artistic choice to signify time ...
‘Andor’ episode 12 is what a reckoning sounds like
By Ben Konuch
“And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this: try."
“Andor’s” last episode pieces the entire season together to create a masterpiece of a finale for what has probably been the best live-action Star Wars series to date. The questions and themes of the entire series, the ...
‘The Fablemans’ shows the rise of one of the world’s greatest filmmakers
By Samuel M Acosta
This review may contain some spoilers for “The Fablemans.”
As someone with a high respect for the art of film, I have no doubt that Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential filmmakers in history. Few people can be given credit for as many blockbusters as Spielberg, having created hits such as “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Schindler’s List,” to name only a few. This man is the role model of so many aspiring directors and writers, all of ...
‘Violent Night’ exceeds all expectations
By Samuel M Acosta
The very idea of combining “Die Hard” with Santa Claus is something that any reasonable person would laugh out of the room. The addition of having an actor as relevant as David Harbour portraying Santa makes this absurd idea seem just plain stupid. Yet, somehow, “Violent Night” takes what should be an awful idea and turns it into one of the most entertaining holiday movies made in the past decade.
“Violent Night” follows Santa Claus as he struggles to ...
