Review: “The Secret Life of Pets 2”

2.5 out of 5 stars. Dog photos and cat videos are some of the most popular content on the internet, so it would be difficult for a movie that’s essentially based around bringing these things to life to be unsuccessful. Illumination’s animated feature “The Secret Life of Pets 2” picks up sometime after the events […]

Review: “Missing Link”

3.5 out of 5 stars. In a film world dominated by studios making 3D animated movies, the stop motion animation studio Laika has always stood out. And not just in their methods of animation, but also the content they produce: their feature films have ranged from creepy and gothic tales (“Coraline” and “ParaNorman”) to rich […]

Review: “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

3.5 out of 5 stars. “How to Train Your Dragon” is an epic series in a way that’s unlike most mainstream animated films. The films feature everything from great action sequences and beautiful animation to humor and cute critters, all while giving their characters complex personalities and dilemmas to solve. That is all present in […]

Review: “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”

3.5 out of 5 stars. I think it’s safe to say that on its release in 2014, “The LEGO Movie” surprised everyone. That a film based on a toy line could not only be genuinely witty and fun, but also incredibly meaningful, is still a bit hard to believe. Naturally, a good portion of that […]

Review: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

5 out of 5 stars. I never thought I’d describe a Spider-Man movie as truly refreshing—Sony’s big live-action superhero franchise has been rebooted so many times in recent years it’s become a joke in and of itself. But refreshing, as well as “innovative” and “original,” are exactly the words to describe “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” […]

Review: “Ralph Breaks The Internet”

3 out of 5 stars. The current state of technology and the internet—especially how so many people live their lives online through social media—is endless fodder for satire. The sequel to Disney’s 2012 animated hit “Wreck-It Ralph” trades in the video game nostalgia of its predecessor for a look at the internet as it is […]

Review: “The Grinch” (2018)

3.5 out of 5 stars. “The Grinch” is a holiday tradition for many, whether it’s watching the classic animated television special, the 2000 live-action adaptation starring Jim Carrey, or reading the original story by Dr. Seuss. Now, Illumination Entertainment puts their spin on a 3D animated version of the Christmas classic, directed by Yarrow Cheney […]

Review: “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation”

2.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a bit odd seeing a movie like “Hotel Transylvania” getting a release date in the middle of July, but it makes sense considering that the latest film in the hit animated franchise is titled “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.” And if you think that means this movie will be […]

Review: “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”

4 out of 5 stars. It’s can be refreshing—and hilarious—to watch someone make fun of themselves, especially when that someone is a large entity like DC Comics and Warner Brothers. It’s no secret that Warner’s attempts at creating a DC cinematic universe akin to Marvel’s in recent years have been the subject of much ridicule. […]

Review: “The Incredibles 2”

4 out of 5 stars. Pixar’s “The Incredibles” was released 14 years ago. Think about that. Fourteen years. The long-awaited sequel to the animated film that follows a family of superheroes is finally in theaters, and it picks up at the exact moment that its predecessor left off, the familiar characters springing into action as […]