The Lego Ninjago Movie
The Lego Ninjago Movie is enjoyable but not at all awesome. While there is some fun to be had, it’s hard to spin it as anything else but a letdown. |
The Emoji Movie
The Emoji Movie is a stupid idea for an animated movie which is also probably better than it deserves to be. |
Despicable Me 3
Though it’s elevated by plenty of laughs and a fun new bad guy, Despicable Me 3 would’ve benefited from a little more focus…and, dare we say it, more Minions. |
Cars 3
Cars 3 is a little too similar to the original model. But with fun characters, nice writing, and top of the line animation, the film easily leaves the previous entry of the franchise in the dust. |
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
With fun animation, hit-or-miss jokes, and a meandering plot, Captain Underpants is a mixed bag, somewhere between “not bad” and “not great”, and more tepid than epic. |
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a pretty good superhero movie and the best DCEU film to date, boosted by Gal Gadot’s performance and director Patty Jenkins’ storytelling. |
The Boss Baby
While there is some fun for kids in The Boss Baby, adults sitting with them will be wishing they were at the grown-ups table instead. |
Beauty and the Beast
While it manages to be good, the live-action adaption of Disney’s animated classic suffers from glaring flaws that make the film a disappointment given the hype and ambitions. |
The Lego Batman Movie
Despite a thin story The Lego Batman Movie is an extremely fun ride with great animation, music, and acting. Though maybe next time leave the more dreary plotlines to that other Dark Knight. |
Moana
Disney knows their way around princess movies. But while Moana is very beautiful and very entertaining, who knows how far they could have gone if they’d taken a few more risks instead of playing it safe. |
Trolls
Its hairy heroes and pop tunes won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those in the mood for cheery fun, Trolls provides plenty of charms. |
Storks
Storks is the kind of movie you’ll want to watch over and over. With great animation, top-notch voice talent, an engaging story, and incredible humor, this film delivers. |
Kubo and the Two Strings
A beautiful looking film with a unique plot, some surprising turns, bold choices, and an emotional core, Kubo and the Two Strings is magical storytelling. |
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Kingsglaive boasts the most impressive, photo realistic animation to date. But the narrative doesn’t live up to the storytelling standards of the video game franchise it is based in. |
Sausage Party
Sausage Party is irreverent, pornographic, sacrilegious, bigoted… and pretty funny! The story is weak but if raunchy humor and seeing touchy topics get ridiculed is something you’re hungry for, then this film will hit the spot! |
Ice Age: Collision Course
It may be a stale pun to make but it’s still funnier than almost everything in Ice Age: Collision Course: hopefully this franchise is now extinct. |
The Secret Life of Pets
Secret Life barely checks the boxes for what it needs to do and never excels at any of them. A young studio like Illumination should aspire to more; hopefully they’ll learn some new tricks before they get too set in their ways. |
Finding Dory
Finding Dory, like most Pixar films whether original or sequels, is unforgettable and should have animation fans hooked and craving more. |
Alice Through The Looking Glass
Spectacular visuals and a wonderful performance from Sasha Baron Cohen make this a Trip Through the Looking Glass worth taking. |
The Angry Birds Movie
Angry Birds does a good job of taking the video game and creating a new, fuller world, giving the lifeless characters personalities. But they don’t sustain it and by the end all we get is a bonus level of the old game. |
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War is fun, exciting, and a compelling drama, making it arguably one of best superhero films to date. |
Ratchet & Clank
Video game movies may be the next big thing in Hollywood, but Ratchet & Clank is an inauspicious start. This will be a trend that will soon run out of lives if the studios don’t figure out a winning strategy. |
The Jungle Book
It may be a remake of the animated classic, but this live-action version of The Jungle Book is a wonderful film that will leave audiences both young and old in awe of the visual feast it presents. |
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Holy letdown! The cast is great and the action is cool, but Dawn of Justice is bat-frustrating and not quite super enough. |
Only Yesterday
After 25 years, the beautiful and dramatic Only Yesterday finally gets a well-deserved English dub and North American release. |
Zootopia
Zootopia earns a savage review as it spends too much time trying (and failing) to get its message right at the expense of making an enjoyable story. |
Kung Fu Panda 3
The martial arts trilogy has a satisfying conclusion, warm, funny, and with a heart as big as its panda hero’s tummy. |
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Even with a somewhat uneven tone, J.J. Abrams crafts a truly magical and nostalgic trip back to a galaxy far, far away. Our review is (mostly) spoiler-free. |