emmaandaugust Reviews

National Treasure: Edge of History (2022–2023)

An improvement upon the franchise!

[10/10 · 12 February 2023]

I was very nervous about a new installation to the franchise after so long and with the last one being Book of Secrets, but I was relieved when I finally watched it.

While the treasure and clues are not unlike what we have seen before, this series has much higher stakes, more action, and a surprising amount of deaths. This is balanced by the humor we loved from the films, but also an introduced sense of friendship and caring for your friends in a way that Cage's character fell completely flat. It was refreshing to see characters who genuinely cared for each other and learned from their experiences (something I wish Ben Gates had ever done).

While I think the relationship drama took too much time away from unraveling the mystery, and left some reveals to fall a little bit short, overall it was exciting, entertaining, and emotional. There were twists that made my jaw drop!

I'm truly hoping for at least a second season to spend with these characters in this world.

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)

Such a fun watch!

[9/10 · 24 October 2022]

I just loved the stylization of the film! With special effects and speeding up of the footage, it felt very cartoony in a good way!

The characters are fun and truly seem to have a history and care for each other. Was pleasantly surprised when the young woman was brimming with personality and, while she was a love interest it was not her sole purpose. The story would have been almost exactly the same without the romance.

I think it's great that Griffin was able to maintain his prim personality despite being able to "buck up" and take on the persona of Bullwhip. No toxic masculinity in the main characters!

I am deducting points for the cultural caricatures of Chinese immigrants, though. Given that the film is from 1967, I was glad that it wasn't worse.

Strange Magic (2015)

In a world of magic, people find love in unlikely places. And to an unlikely track list.

[1/10 · 14 August 2016]

Nobody told me this was a musical before I watched it. That would have been fine, if it was a good musical. As it was, the song choice was strange as the music genres varied drastically (they use popular songs from the past few decades throughout the movie). It felt like someone went on Pandora and wrote a story about fairies based on what songs played. It felt very choppy and was not a good time (for me).

I am having trouble deciding whether it was intended that these fairies were making these songs up or if they'd heard them from humans (I don't recall any sign of humans in the film).

However the animation was pretty and the character designs were cool.

And I really liked the character of Sunny. He was endearing.

Epic (2013)

A teenager is reunited with her seemingly crazy father. When she tries to leave, she is then swept into a magical world that changes her mind.

[5/10 · 14 August 2016]

Not the worst, but not as epic as they seem to imply.

Kind of lacking in big character arcs, there was an unnecessary and frankly odd romance that didn't seem to exist until they needed conflict and then it didn't happen anyway but they stayed friends? I think? Or they human girl was dating the inch tall man who "lives" faster than human so that she needed special equipment to even see him? I'm pretty sure that "living faster than humans" suggests that they'll die a lot quicker, too?

The main character is sent to live with her father after something has happened to her mother but they never elaborate on that. All they say is that she is "mourning" and she needs to talk to her dad about that, but this is never resolved.

Cool art, characters could have used more fleshing out, story needed some loose ends being tied up, and either make let the romance come naturally or don't add it at all, it really didn't make sense.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

A paranormal research team becomes established when 3 scientists and a historian use their skills to work together to save New York from a paranormal apocalypse.

[10/10 · 14 August 2016]

I went into the movie prepared to not like it because I had heard some bad reviews (these reviews didn't actually have anything to say about the movie but that it was bad). I've got to say that I smiled throughout the entire movie and I don't think there was a person in the theater who wasn't thoroughly enjoying themselves. I saw the movie with 4 other people and we all loved it so much. It's the only movie within my memory that I've wanted to see in theaters more than once.

I really appreciated that the female characters were strong and smart and even though they'd had disagreements they weren't petty about them. They acted like real people. And they were funny without being really offensive, which some people find hard for some reason?

I think this movie has good role models for young girls and boys; there are 3 women scientists and a history nerd who aren't "sexed up" for the male gaze. They are belittled and ridiculed for their beliefs but they overcome that to do the right thing, not to prove themselves to anyone. And they're really cool while doing it, too.

The special effects feels real but not too real in a good way. I guess to say that they're not painful to watch (as an animation student I get very upset over bad effects) but there is a cheesiness to them that is endearing.

I think this movie is something that anyone can enjoy as long as they don't mind women being treated like human beings instead of sexy prizes (which is a joke that they play off of using a Hot Dumb Male character, but in the end he's treated like a person and is no one's "prize").