If you have been following me on social media you know I've been having a bit of a rough time with it when it comes to the big releases. There's been a lot of disappointment for me at the cinemas this year and the latest batch is no exception. I'm still waiting for that 2024 blockbuster that I unabashedly love but until then I have 4 new movies to talk about. Let's do this:
Garfield: The Movie
In some ways Garfield: The Movie is a tough movie to review because I thought it was just okay. I liked the animation especially the action. It wasn't on a Puss N Boots: The Last Wish level but it had a flair and movement to it that was pleasing to watch. I also liked the way his eyes had a 2D look to them with the cgi fur. It looked fantastic. There were enough laughs to be entertaining and the action kept things moving.
That said, the film feels totally generic and unmemorable. In this exciting time for animation can I really give a pass to a 'just okay' animated film? I'm also not a die-hard Garfield fan so some elements that might be important to fans are probably lost on me. The voice acting is all predictable but perfectly fine. The messaging about chosen families is always welcome and kids will have a decent time watching this. It's certainly far better than something like Boss Baby or Trolls.
In the end, Garfield: The Movie is probably one you can wait and rent but I enjoyed the animation just enough to give it a mild recommendation.
Smile Worthy
Hundreds of Beavers
For a movie that embraces slapstick antics much more consistently and effectively than Garfield check out Hundreds of Beavers. While this probably would have worked better as a short or featurette it is refreshingly unique and creative and I had a good time watching it.
Director Mike Cheslik has fashioned an homage to silent movie comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin along with a dose of Looney Tunes but live action. It's hard to describe but that's what makes it very creative.
The film has a supposed plot about farmer out for revenge on the beavers that ate the supports for his house but it's really just an excuse for over-the-top antics by humans and men dressed in beaver outfits.
It's bizarre but if you are in the mood for something different I'd say give it a try.
Smile Worthy
Sight
It might not be a surprise given my taste for Hallmark movies that I enjoy an inspirational true story on film. Even if it is obviously trying to push my emotional buttons often that button-pushing works on me and I enjoy the film. This year has actually been a pretty good year for inspirational movies with Arthur the King and Ordinary Angels both being wins. Now we have the latest from Angel Studios entitled Sight and it's another solid little inspirational true story. It also is barely a faith-based film so it avoids most of the pitfalls of that genre (as was the case with Ordinary Angels)
Sight tells the story of Dr Ming Wang who defied the odds to become a doctor in America from his native China and developed a new eye surgery using amniotic contacts to help restore sight to tons of needy patients including a little girl who was purposefully blinded by her stepmother in India.
The cast is uniformly strong in Sight with Terry Chen playing a border-line obsessed doctor Wang who is determined to figure out these problems. We then get a series of flashbacks to younger versions of Wang and these sections include Donald Heng as his father and I had the chance to interview Donald a few years ago. I was very happy to see him getting such a large role. You can listen to the interview here. Greg Kinear also stands out as Wang's supportive doctor colleague.
There's nothing game-changing about Sight but it is a solid inspirational true story and sometimes it's nice to go to the movies and learn about a good person. I left inspired and you will too.
Smile Worthy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
One of the biggest surprises out of 2015 was the action spectacle that was Mad Max: Fury Road. Believe it or not I had actually not seen any of the other Mad Max movies (and I still haven't!) but I loved this visceral mixture of escape picture and war movie that we got in that film. Each scene was a carefully constructed battle scene full of memorable sequences and characters.
Now we have a prequel to Fury Road and it centers on Charlize Theron's character Furiosa and unfortunately I left feeling pretty torn over the experience. While the movie is full of incredible sequences and spectacle it all feels like warmed over versions of what we got with Fury Road. The experience of watching Furiosa reminded me of watching the Disney live action remakes. It hits all the beats of the film we love with loads of Easter eggs and nods to Fury Road but nothing really stands on its own. Chris Hemsworth's villain Dementus has some fun scenery chewing moments but the frequent presence of Immortan Joe just reminded me of what was better in Fury Road.
The biggest problem with Furiosa is how bloated and repetitive it becomes. We are supposed to be getting to know Furiosa but we don't even meet the adult Anya Taylor-Joy version of her for over an hour into the movie. Before that she's a basic child in peril character we see get moved around and swapped by the various tribal groups. There was almost nothing in the first half of the movie's story that is compelling or interesting so it all comes down to the action and spectacle. And again while this is impressive it's not anything new we haven't already seen done better in Fury Road. So what's the point?
In the end, it all just felt really long and drawn out and George Miller failed to make me care about this version of Furiosa or what was happening in the various battles. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the spectacle and seeing more mayhem but on a story, character and new action perspective I left underwhelmed.
Frown Worthy
So there you have it! Happy moviegoing
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