Harley Quinn: The Complete First Season features some great animation and Kaley Cuoco isn’t bad voicing the lead, but the storytelling never worked for me, although the characterization of HQ seemed spot-on.
Frozen II is a slight step up from the first film, though notable that I am in the minority as I wasn’t a big fan of that movie, and with this film at least the music was better.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is hardly the high point of action but I must admit that I actually mostly enjoyed this installment possibly because the previous sequel was so bad that it made this film look like Citizen Kane. In any case, once again the visual effects are incredible and the story was at least acceptable.
The DC Universe: 10th Anniversary Collection is an excellent release that even though some of the animated movies aren’t the best, having them in one place is nice. The only issue I have is, there is going to be more releases and given how physical media is going, not entirely sure there will be a volume 2 release, but who knows.
3:10 to Yuma is one of the best modern westerns that features precision direction from James Mangold and includes a stellar cast by Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Peter Fonda not to mention Ben Foster, Alan Tudyk and Logan Lerman in supporting roles.
Rogue One is a solid entry into the Star Wars saga and while it’s not as strong as either the Original Trilogy or The Force Awakens both in story structure and characters, it’s still one hell of an entertaining sci-fi action-er especially a fantastic third act which more than makes up for its flaws.
Moana is a fantastic musical animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios and maybe one of the best by the studio since Beauty and the Beast, though in general Pixar is still king with pulling at the heartstrings.
Zootopia is on the heavy-handed side of its message however it’s a good one that would be beneficial to kids (and their parents for that matter). The animation is fantastic and the humor mostly works as does the voice talent involved.
It’s understandable why fans of the novels hate The Scorch Trials adaptation but as someone who isn’t attached to the books in any way, I found it acceptable and entertaining enough. Sure, the film does have its problems especially with the pacing and bloated story taking it over the two hour mark, yet at the same time I don’t regret seeing it.
Premature obviously is predicable but still is a nice twist on reliving the same day plot device and actually attempts to provide an explanation for it. The cast, which outside of Alan Tudyk and Katie Findlay (“The Killing,” “How to Get Away with Murder”) is mostly unknown, all work well with one another while the script has some funny, if not “American Pie”-inspired, humor.
Justice League: War might not be the best of the DC Universal Animated Movie line and a step down from Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and The Dark Knight Returns, but it is entertaining enough though the voice casting this go around isn’t the best, though we might be stuck with them given War is to be the first of connecting DCUA movies.
Wreck-it-Ralph is a great animated-comedy-adventure the entire family will enjoy and, at least for the past couple of years, rivals some of Pixar’s own works. It’s a fresh and imaginative story and the animation is wonderful.
Although hardly a great sequel even when compared with the others, Ice Age: Continental Drift overcomes any problems with a thin plot with at least a modestly fun adventure with likeable characters and jokes which mostly hit the mark. No, it’s not remotely close to anything Pixar has put out or even DreamWorks Animation for that matter, but since it only clocks in at 88-minutes, it’s a breezy flick to watch on a slow afternoon which the entire family can enjoy.
“Robot Chicken” is easily one of the funniest shows on television and a personal favorite of mine. This fifth season, while not the strongest in its run, has some funny bits and like before, a great collection of guest voice talents. Seth Green and company also know how to package a home video release with plenty of features to justify the price given each episode is only 11-12 minutes long.