RockoDaFoxxo Reviews

Shrek Retold (2018 Video)

Works as an entertaining remake, a passion project, a meme gone to great lengths, and as an example of the beauty of creativity and artistic freedom.

[7/10 · 1 December 2018]

Was hyped for Shrek Retold since the trailer was passed around on Twitter, mostly because the concept of over 200 content creators remaking a movie high in meme culture sounds amazing. It sounded like beautiful irony.

What shocked me most was Shrek Retold works as a movie on its own. It's not always great nor coherent as you'd expect for such a huge collaboration, but more often than not it works and makes for an entertaining, funny, bizarre, and weirdly heartfelt recreation. Kinda like the original Shrek (insert think emoji).

All the song covers from the original movie are great, uplifting, catchy, and fit snuggly in their place. An indie version of All Star is an immediate strong point for some truly talented musicians involved.

Animations range from (intentionally) (okay, m o s t l y) crappy to impressive in a heartbeat, which gives off a slight schizophrenic tone. This could be a problem and there are times were a few animators throw in painful, unfunny jokes to enhance Shrek's meme status but again, most are so much fun to look at, reinterpreting original scenes in creative and interesting ways. All the art styles are unique in their own weird ways.

Live action segments are the weak point here, especially a satirical vlogging scene that goes nowhere and ruins the flow. Maybe it's because of limitations compared to animation but they feel less lively. But there's still credit where credit's due: Sadworld's part is very funny and a particular scene with Donkey and Fiona is really well acted and made. There was real heart poured into an already great scene.

I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed this on a critical view. It's sincere enough to not delve too deep into tryhard meme status but the bizarre segments are mostly funny on their own, too. It comes together very well thanks to the content creators involved, and I couldn't be thankful for more.

Curious George (2006)

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[24 September 2018]

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Sardonicast (2018 Podcast Series)

Beautiful.

[31 May 2018]

My personal favorite character is Adum from YourMovieSucksDOTOrg. He's a gay furry that gets irritated about everything, and that speaks to me on multiple levels.

If you enjoy Adum, IHateSomethings and Ralphthemoviemaker, then you're gonna love this. They argue about moving pictures and every time that happens I come... into my bedroom and cry from such intellect and memeable essence. They also sniff jenkem, talk about marrying the crew behind Chips, and

Y.ell I.n F.riendly people's F.aces

. I was originally an atheism, but after this I found myself closer to Alvin Flang everyday. Ralph should coume out of the closet right about now. And I'm giving this one a 6/10.

The Emoji Movie Virtual Reality eXperience (2017 Video Game)

Why is this on IMDb.

[2 May 2018]

No, seriously. Why is it on this site? Are there other virtual reality games here, too?

Why Emoji Movie of all things?

I'm super confused and scared.

That's all I have to say. Ten out of ten crying laughing faces.

Early Man (2018)

Even with some strong gags and enjoyable moments, it's only average.

[5/10 · 18 February 2018]

I might be one of the few people on this planet that saw this over Black Panther. Sorry.

I really enjoy Aardman's work, especially from shows like "Shaun the Sheep" and "Wallace & Gromit". Their claymation is unique, the slapstick is inventive, the British wit is keen, the characters are endearing and the stories are funny. Only a few of these qualities could describe Early Man, a movie that's pleasant and wacky enough but felt rather uninspired. Which pains me, because I know Aardman could do better.

What are the positives? First off, the claymation has the same offbeat charm as almost every Aardman film ever, so expect that. A few jokes are inventive and got some giggles outta me (like the replay footage in a soccer game is a literal puppet show. Whenever the caveman team wins, the puppeteers wildly exaggerate what happened). Some of the details of how the cavemen live their lives was amusing. The pig was adorable and the end picks up its pace with an entertaining soccer game. Nick Park has a knack for world-building, and this was no different.

But I think that's where the main positives end. What shocked me the most was how formulaic the story was, since you could predict what EVERY SINGLE PLOT POINT was if you've seen enough animated movies. Some of the gags are clever and quirky, but a good chunk of them are also lazy and tired. It seems to rely on dumb puns ("looks like the caveman caved!") and overused physical humor over genuinely witty jokes. The "look at that caveman! He's so dumb!" running gag got old after the first 15 minutes and any chances for good absurdist humor (giant man-eating duck) lost its steam along the way. The CGI backgrounds look tacky and dull compared to the claymation, so it doesn't fit. The characters are likeable but also stereotypical (hero wants to save land, villain loves money, love interest is good at soccer, chief leader is cautious, sidekicks are dumb yet useful), just like the majority of this movie.

But it's not a painful watch. It's sometimes funny and amusing, but with every good moment you still have a thin premise, predictable plot and cliches to move the story forward as an amiable but weak experience. It's the type of movie you could show your kids on a Sunday afternoon or on an airplane, but the eccentricity, wit and creativity just isn't enough to make it worth seeing by yourself in a theater. You might smile, but it won't stick to your mind. It's not painfully average, but it isn't Wallace and Gromit. 5.5/10

I love that Shaun the Sheep 2 teaser though!

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Solid, entertaining, bone-chilling thriller... even if you scraped that tacked-on ending away.

[7/10 · 17 February 2018]

I know nothing about the Cloverfield franchise - and I had no interest in it before - but I recently heard that JJ Abrams has a habit of attaching the franchise to 2 random indie films to expand on the "lore". One of them is good, one of them is not. So this peaked my interest on what all the fuss is for Cloverfield and why everyone was watching its "blood-relatives". So I'm watching them in non-chronological order.

But how was 10 Cloverfield Lane? If it weren't for that stupid last 10 minutes, it's actually fantastic. It's claustrophobic, suspenseful, smart, well-crafted, and reveals many plot points with more elegance than the average horror film. The performances are great, the built-up tension is excellent, the sound-design creepy, the characters are interesting, and the villain is horrifying. At times he seems sympathetic, kind, and charming, but other times a murderous, mentally-disturbed old guy that couldn't be played better by anyone else but John Goodman. It's best if you go in with no expectations or knowledge of the plot to let the clever script toy with your emotions more.

But that doesn't mean you'll get a modern masterpiece. Some moments felt like they dragged on longer than they should and the silly ending loses a lot of tension. All the praise I've gushed about was apparent for most of the film, but at the very end producer JJ Abrams let the filmmakers reshoot a few scenes to let the Cloverfield lore shoved in in the most unsubtle way possible. It doesn't ruin the film, but it DID ruin a few scenes that were building up to something only to forget why it was even there. I'm not entirely sure if changing the ending will still make the film a flawless one as it does feel 15 minutes too long, but it wouldn't suddenly shift to sci-fi.

It's still a solid, entertaining, and bone-chilling thriller that had the potential to be great but ended up being really good. If you have the weird Cloverfield interest that I have now, go watch. If you're not interested in Cloverfield, go watch. If you're a fan of Scott Pilgrim, then Ramona is the main lead. So... go watch!

Voldemort: Origins of the Heir (2018 Video)

"Okay, cameraman, now zoom into that actor's mouth when he's talking for dramatic effect! This will work through 40% of the movie!"

[21 January 2018]

I really wanted to like this, or at least find it interesting. I've been a Potterhead ever since I was a child and I always hope for the best whenever any new films, spinoffs, plays, etc. comes out. What was Voldemort's origin story? That's actually a pretty good idea for a side-story, so I hoped the filmmakers' will add some interesting twists to this question even if their work is amateurish.

But nah. It practically told everything we already knew about.

Even if you take the Harry Potter brand outside of this film, it's still pretty bad. A low budget and unknown actors shouldn't be your main source for criticism, sure, but poor execution is always hard to get past by. The story is convoluted and uninteresting, the acting (and dubbing) is poor, the dialogue is overripe, the characters (outside of a few exceptions) are two-dimensional. It's an amateurish production that's also a boring one.

The cinematography, special effects, and lighting are actually competent and are almost worth being in your average Hollywood blockbuster. Some of the ideas are good. I liked the costumes and the very beginning. There was a lot of passion and hard-work behind the camera, and I will give credit there in an age of cynical, lazy cash-grabs.

It really saddens me to leave such a harsh review on a Harry Potter-based story, and maybe I'm too narrow-minded of a viewer to not notice more positives. But Voldemort: Origins of the Heir just didn't do it to me as a fan and as a viewer. It isn't insanely stupid like that Cursed Child play book, but it's nothing more than a shrug. :( I'll review something good later. I'm tired of talking trash about everything 'cause I feel like a pessimist.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Probably one of the best video-game movies ever made...

[4/10 · 6 January 2018]

But that's barely saying anything, 'cause video game movies have a weird tendency to be really sh***y. Thankfully, Jumanji video game movie was better than I expected.

I don't have that much memories of the original besides scaring me as a kid, so this review is not fan-based. The trailers for this one didn't grab me, but because I'm spending time in Utah with family members over Christmas break we decided to see Welcome to the Jungle. Overall it's a fine, fun bit of fluff that probably won't stick with your memory for very long. The film had some clever gags about video games and their levels and how an AI character repeat the same sentences unless you say something important. The action is serviceable. The cast has a lot of chemistry, and Jack Black nails it in every scene he's in. Even if the Instagram-obsessed girl with no phone joke gets old fast. Kevin Heart annoys me, and this didn't change my mind. :-\

The story is pretty simple: make it outta the game by returning this to that and beat all the levels. It's a pretty fun concept, and the film does have it's creative moments. But the humor is a mixed-bag. Sometimes it's funny, and sometimes it's childish and pays out far too long. There are some decent character moments, but overall there's not much emotional investment or stakes. It's just like a video game: it doesn't focus on character development too much, just making it to the next obstacle. And for that alone, it's exciting and entertaining enough.

Maybe I'm missing out some of the fun when picking all these flaws, but I do know that Welcome to the Jungle was fine far what it is. It's amusing, sometimes funny, at times creative and always action-packed. It doesn't want to be a masterpiece and never tries to reach beyond what it is. I smiled, but quickly forgot about a lot of scenes. Maybe I'm too snobbish to enjoy anything, but can we at least agree that this was one of Sony's best films of 2017?! I mean, they've made Emoji Movie which felt more like a dull advertisement than anything else. At least this didn't feel like a full-on cash-grab.

5.5 or 6/10.

After Last Season (2009)

Painfully boring, stupid, pretentious, and incompetent. Plus, the cardboard sets.

[15 November 2017]

This movie feels like watching a train wreck in slow-motion. Where do I even begin.

First, I'll try to list the positives. Um... there were a few moments that I burst out laughing (the random editing, the animations, the killer). Um... the camera is sometimes focused. And... I think that's it. I'm trying to be fair, but it really is as bad as people made it out to be.

Going into full-detail of everything WRONG with this film would take too long, so I'll try to keep it short and simple. First off, the editing is choppy as f***. There are sooo many shots of chairs, windows, papers taped on walls, and signs that add absolutely nothing to the story. There's no rhythm to anything. The sets are literally built out of cardboard and paper, all in unorganized order around empty rooms with pink walls. It's that bad. The lighting is overexposed and you can see shadows of objects multiple times. The acting is nonexistent and as stiff as a metal pole. The dialogue is awkward and drawn-out with butt-loads of meaningless talk that's not even half-interesting (no one gives a f*** about someone seeing a coyote). The music sounds like a 7-year- old improvising on a piano. The cinematography is ugly, and the colors are bland. The story makes no sense. It's poorly-paced, unfocused, laughable, confusing, and painfully stupid. The CG- animations aren't impressive even by 1970's standards. The sound is broken and you can barely hear the actors.

I know I'm scratching the surface with these criticisms, but I can't muster the energy to delve deep in the sheer awfulness of After Last Season. I've never seen a film so technically inept, so meaningless, and so pathetic in my life! Every base level of filmmaking gets completely screwed up in this pretentious dribble. Don't make the mistake of watching this long compilation of porn clips without the sex. This s**t makes The Room look like Star Wars. I'm tired. I need to go to bed.

My writing is aimless, but I have no other excuse to write all this junk down. If you want a better review, just search them up on YouTube. Just take this as a warning. When you finish ALS, you'll feel the same way. 0/10 would torture myself again.

#Horror (2015)

Ridiculously stupid.

[1/10 · 27 October 2017]

I came across this disaster on Netflix and watched it because 1. I've been hearing many, many er... "things" people say about this movie and 2. Because ralphthemoviemaker (a great YouTube movie critic) talked about it in his most recent video. I've recently become fascinated with terrible movies and why they're so broken (Catwoman, North, Foodfight, Battlefield Earth, Master of Disguise), so my daft curiosities hasn't stopped me from watching #Horror, aka one of the dumbest titles in cinema history.

But what makes #Horror so bad? It's not bad because of its intentions in calling out cyber-bullying (a still serious issue), but from how amateurish the filmmaking was. Outside of some decent cinematography and 1 or 2 moments that were mildly effective, #Horror fails in terms of acting, writing, directing, editing, effects, and storytelling. The worst category to me has to be the editing. In almost every scene (including the opening credits) there are transitions of # symbols that look like sped-up versions of Suicide Squad, Enter The Void and bowling animations on acid. It's that bad. The last 30 minutes had quick cuts that were used to signify tension -- but they accidentally come across as uneven and clumsy. The acting is a jarring mix of stiff and laughably over-the-top from both minor and big-name actors. Not one performance felt authentic or professional. The directing has no punch and very little style, and it especially shows in the "scary" parts. On a technical scale, #Horror is a misguided mess... but that would've been somewhat forgivable if the script was smart, well- crafted and has lots to say.

But it sadly does not. The main characters are nothing but shallow, b**chy stereotypes that do nothing but shame on each other. You could say that's part of the satires' point, but you need some form of sympathy if you're going to make a movie about bullying. Instead, the attempts at character development here feels forced and laughable instead of genuine. The story isn't much better. It takes about 1 hour in order for the plot to move forward ('cause showing slumber parties is very important), and by then the narrative jumps around for no discernible reason. It gets more confusing as it goes on. The dialogue tries to appeal to the younger demographic without actually knowing how most teens talk like, so it all sounds ridiculous ("If he's so rich, why does he dress like that? He looks like Hitler."). The message is admirable, but not anything new or provoking. It's not even well-executed.

In conclusion, #Horror is #Horrible. Very little makes any sense, the editing is wacky, the story and script is incoherent and unintentionally funny, the "hip" characters are obnoxious, the acting is atrocious, the production values are weak, and its attempts at social- commentary are blatant and unoriginal. As I've said before, there are some decent shots and kernels of a good idea, but they're all buried down by heaps of incompetence. Awful. Don't watch. 2/10.

My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)

Even though I'm not a Brony or haven't seen the TV show, I didn't hate this movie. It's far from an atrocity, but it's not that great either.

[2/10 · 7 October 2017]

Back when the Brony craze was trending in 2010-2013, I had no idea what the appeal to the show was. I haven't watched it, sure, but seeing clips of MLP on YouTube made me come to the conclusion that it was just like any other colorful kids show. I still saw this movie in the hopes that my narrow-minded theories of MLP were proved false, however. So once the movie ended...

I still had no idea what the appeal was. There were enjoyable parts, yes, but it wasn't anything truly memorable or engaging.

The animation is genuinely good, though. Some of the backgrounds were rich and detailed, the colors are saturated yet pleasant, the movements were energetic but not lazily so. Outside of some wonky CGI, it's a pretty film to look at. The ending was sweet and delivered it's message admirably, some of the characters (like Capper and The Storm King) are charming in their own unique way. A few of the jokes made me smile, and the songs (yes, there are songs) are serviceable at best. In my eyes, it's a watchable film that's not too obnoxious to make a parent squirm in their seat.

But that doesn't mean it's very good either. The story often felt like a checklist of your average Pony episode stretched into 90 minutes (Danger happens, villain backstory, get to the queen of Hippogriffs, yada yada yada). The main pony characters don't have a lot of chemistry due to the fact that their relationships aren't focused for very long. The majority of the songs are forgettable and feel like nothing but filler (there's a song about a Hippogriff that's happy to have a friend). It suffers from clichéd, cutesy claptrap at times, especially with the Pinky Pie character. The villains are one-note and not very menacing (one has a broken horn. Take a wild guess why she's a villain!). There's nothing truly TERRIBLE in these ponies' adventure, but it all feels very bland, unexciting, and predictable most of the time.

To sum it all up, My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) is perfectly average. There are far worse, more soulless products out there (like that horrifically joyless Emoji movie), but it never rises above the question of whether this was necessary. It's safe, forgettable, mildly- entertaining, colorful, and a serviceable afternoon-watch for the family without being much else. It has its charms, but it's nothing you haven't seen before. I think fans of the show will like it just fine, but if you're an outsider, well... just see the new Blade Runner movie instead.

GRADE: 5/10

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Passable entertainment, yet it could've been so much more...

[4/10 · 25 July 2017]

Luc Besson isn't the most artistically talented director out there, but he's made some films that I adore. "Leon: The Professional" and "The Big Blue" were some of my favorites of his. So naturally, when I saw his name attached to a promising trailer called "Valerian", I was immediately excited. I had the same thought process to Dunkirk, but whatever. I'll see something fun first.

After my screening I couldn't tell if I liked the film or not. To put it bluntly, VatCoaTP is a bit of a mixed bag. When the movie focuses on action scenes, world-building, and weird creatures it's a lot of goofy, creative fun… but whenever Besson tries to advance the plot it gets messy. Some of the scenery, color grading and set designs are absolutely breathtaking and deserve the "Avatar 2.0" praise it's been receiving. Every habitable planet is gorgeous to look at, the designs of the aliens are creative and Besson fills the universe with little-details that are fun to catch (there's a "fishing" visual gag that made me giggle). It's evident that everyone making this film had a blast, and there was a lot of imagination and passion put into this project. Some of Luc Besson's action scenes are energetic enough to leave a smile on my face, and I could see the same effect happening on others too!

I know it sounds like I'm praising this film to the heavens, but I can't deny that Valerian is still heavily flawed. And by heavily flawed… I MEAN HEAVILY FLAWED! Sometimes the tonal shifts between campy and serious feel very off, and the exposition dialogue can feel sloppy. The storytelling is all over the place and can venture off from 1 mission to 5 before actually getting focused, and even then the little "villain twist" at the end was so cliché I had to roll my eyes. The lead actors could've used some snark and chemistry to make their characters appealing, but their performances feel oddly flat compared to how bonkers the rest of the film is. Most of the problems I have with Valerian comes with the script and how disjointed some scenes feel compared to some others, which is a shame.

In short, I don't think VatCoaTP was a bad movie at all. As a whole, it's a passable one-time watch and has enough energy to satisfy some audiences. My main problem, however, is how scattershot the tone of the film is - often switching from light to dark without feeling very smooth. This can lead to more problems in terms of story structure and such. It's sometimes intentionally and unintentionally silly, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and a little over/under-stuffed. For what it was trying to achieve I thought it was an okay film in that regard, but it would've helped if the story and dialogue wasn't so uneven. It was a nice try though.

GRADE: 6/10

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017 Video Game)

Truly unique.

[9/10 · 9 March 2017]

IMDb isn't really a site designed for people to rate video games, but this entry is too much fun to not talk about, so I'll write a review anyways. If you look deeper into my ratings you'll notice how I gave all the Zelda games I've played a perfect 10. I love the series' storytelling, quirky characters, engaging puzzles and charming level designs, but I do often wonder if these games deserve such a high rating. They do slightly suffer from repetition (Ganon must have multiple lives!), and there are a few irritating glitches that can hinder my overall enjoyment. Which is fine because, after buying the Nintendo Switch and trying this game out for a few good hours, I think this game is worth all the hype. And what hype it has!

In short, this game is an absolute blast. Open-world games have been done before (Skyrim), yet every little detail, every little technique, and the various ways you could go about on your adventure make this huge world feel fresh and exciting. There is so much to do in this game, and it never gets boring! Link could climb up steep cliffs, transport to towers, paraglide, and enter "Shrines" to solve puzzles by using magic in clever ways. Even the horse-riding was fun! I love how immersive this world is, because everything (graphics, controls, gameplay) is so flawlessly executed and so absorbing. It breaks a few video game conventions we're so used to, making this game an exciting, entertaining ride filled with smooth game-play and fun characters.

I haven't gotten too deep into the game yet, so I can't really comment on the main storyline too much. So far it has the typical Zelda formula, but with an interesting techno-twist that doesn't feel misplaced. The character interactions are natural, and the quests push the story forward instead of making them feel like filler. So far a good start.

Overall, this game is innovative, breathtaking, challenging, imaginative and endlessly addicting. I believe this is one of Nintendo's most well-crafted games they've made, and I'm not saying this out of pure nostalgia. If you're a Zelda fan, a casual gamer, or someone that thirsts for adventure, this is a great choice.

King Candy (2015)

For a film made by a beginner featuring a budget of 500$, it shows a lot of promise.

[1 February 2017]

I just discovered a YouTube channel called "ralphthemoviemaker" a few weeks ago. The channel is basically about Ralph reviewing movies (good and bad) while at the same time making some jokes/sly commentary. Sounds like any other YouTuber, except Ralph (even while cursing up a storm) is more collective and is easier to follow when he shares his opinions. Even his style of humor is oddly appealing to me! I quickly grew attached to his reviews.

After some surfing on his channel, I found a 45-minute video called "King Candy". I've heard Ralph has made some short(ish) films before, and after scrolling through positive comments from fans I was excited to see what Ralph has crafted.

For a student film, it ain't too bad!

Yes, it's obvious there was some technical flaws for such a small film. The lighting is sometimes too bright, the sound mixing is muddled, and some of the actors weren't too hot either. But all in all, it was very intriguing! The film starts off with a main character that looks like a decent, caring man until we later learn about his behaviors and motives, and does so without throwing subtlety out the window. The story can be convoluted in areas, and some characters were hard to grasp, but for the most part the script is decently written with many interesting scenarios and a clear structure. The cinematography is also surprisingly effective, as is the use of editing and classical music. Ralph stars as the main character in this, and his acting was much better than I expected! Overall, I was impressed with how much talent/hard- work was put in this movie! It isn't great though...

Some of the symbolism works, and some don't. The story does have a few glaring holes, and the pacing is a little off. But as a student film, and the way Ralph uses his storytelling techniques and directorial style, I think it's safe to give this one a 7. It's flawed for sure, but "King Candy" can't help but point at promising directions for Ralph's future movie career, and I applaud him for that.

Borrowed Time (I) (2015)

Beautiful and thought-provoking.

[24 October 2016]

During my free time of scrolling through tons of tedious shared Facebook posts, I saw several companies share out their thoughts about this short film. They said it was made by 2 Pixar animators and has some very adult themes in it. I'm a fan of short films, deep themes and Pixar, so I checked it out on Vimeo.

I was very glad I did.

The story is about a cowboy haunted by his past. Saying anything more would give the entire plot away.

The animation, as usual from Pixar, is flat-out gorgeous, and the music fits very well with the tone. But most impressive of all is its ambition. This is Pixar(ish) at its darkest, and the thoughts, feelings, images and delivery is gritty and portrays a realistic sense of gloom. The ending isn't happy, and nothing was really resolved, but was beautifully presented and emotionally wrenching, and will leave you thinking deeply. This is a beautiful story of grief, the past, our will to live, and forgiveness.

Well worth watching!

9/10

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Could've been a great film. Despite some intriguing story elements and a promising first act, it sadly ends up being OK.

[5/10 · 2 October 2016]

Just to clarify one thing: I don't hate Tim Burton at all. In fact, I kinda love his work. He has a very unique and imaginative vision, seems to have a tasteful choice for actors (besides Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter), and can really pour his heart and soul in some of his films like "Edward Scissorhands", "Corpse Bride", and "The Nightmare Before Christmas". But, just like any director, he has his missteps also. Some of his recent work is very lackluster and, at times, flat-out bad (Planet of the... BLAHK!).

But I was still excited for this particular project of his. I haven't read the book, or knew much about it, but when I saw the trailer I got my hopes up. Maybe this will be his big comeback! Asa Butterfield is an actor I like, the imagery is appropriately dream- like and the source material seems to fit his style perfectly. It even has the screenwriter from X-Men: First Class!

So I went to see the film with a few of my friends in a theater of around 15 people and 25-30 recliner seats. I couldn't wait to see another great Tim Burton movie!

And for the first half of the film... I genuinely enjoyed it! Sure, it does take some time for Jacob to reach Peregrine's home, but once he does... I couldn't help but smile like an idiot. The world that Jacob enters is fascinating, the visuals are exceptional, and every one of the peculiar kids are very interesting side- characters. I wanted to learn more about the girl that could lift boulders over her head! There is also this kid that can project his dreams into film... how cool! The first act always left me with questions that I was excited to hear about when the plot kicks in.

And then the plot kicks in...

That is where the movie starts to run out of steam.

I could tell there were a lot of story elements in the book just from watching the movie, because in the second half a lot of it felt crammed in. Whenever I try to follow the story as best as I can, there's always this one subplot that makes precious little sense. It also doesn't help that the villain is weak and his motivations are somewhat vague.

The climax is pretty abrupt and Burton sadly delves into a few clichés that aggravate me. A lot of it felt by-the-numbers at that time, and I was sorely disappointed.

That's not to say that this was a bad film, because it isn't. The acting (especially from Eva Green) is competent, the whole film is imaginative in its story and visuals, and somewhere buried beneath lies a great film with lots of creative ideas and appealing whimsy. But the plot is messy, the main character is bland, the pacing is at times uneven and, in the end, it's just another average YA adaptation that had loads of potential.

VERDICT:

+ Visuals + Well-cast, especially for Eva Green + Imaginative + Sense of wonder in the first act + Solid directing + Interesting side characters

• Villain - The hero is underdeveloped - Plot is messy - Pacing is uneven - Unconvincing love chemistry

SCORE: 5.5/10

Cool Cat Saves the Kids (2015)

A beautiful and inspiring examination of mental illness!

[25 July 2016]

Thought "The Godfather", "Star Wars", "Goodfellas" and "Fight Club" are amazing masterpieces that simply cannot be topped by any other filmmaker of this generation? Think again! With "Cool Cat Saves the Kids", directed by the always impressive Derek Savage, it tackles difficult issues such as disability, bullying, pedophilia, schizophrenia, and the urge to dress as a cat that loves babies with such deft and well-crafted hand that comparing this to any other film out there would be nothing but shameful. This film is layered with complex and fully-realized characters (where else will you see a child skipping on the sidewalk? It's amazing!), multi-layered story lines that aren't always easy to follow but are engrossing nonetheless, terrific performances, top-notch editing, witty humor, and the much-discussed ending that allows audiences to ponder about Cool Cat's motivations and what would become of his future. It even has some clever social-commentary about the dangers of deleting YouTube movie reviews for "copyright issues" even though you're doing it just to hide your deepest emotions. Don't miss this!

It is, as Cool Cat says, "GROOOOVY!"