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Reviews
The Magician's Elephant (2023)
Heartwarming
Watched it at home with the kids and loved it. The graphics, the characters, the storyline, the courage, the heart wrenching war imagery, the air of mystery and the suspense- what's not to like?
But I guess, most of all, I loved the ending, which features their family as complete.
What makes this really spectacular, I think, is the video-game-like graphics. It all reminds me a bit of CG shows like Lost in Oz.
They should make more movies like this. I wasn't aware of the book the movie is based on prior to watching this. I hope to read it some day and to find that the movie did it justice. It's refreshing to see such complex European characters born from the pen of an American writer.
Mummies (2023)
A fun watch for the whole family
Loved the graphics and the characters. The script was ok, peppered with a couple of great jokes and funny situations. There were a couple of songs- not my thing-, and their lyrics were pretty weak, I think, though the kids enjoyed them.
The storyline was interesting, the general topic (mummies) was just so unusual and amazing, and the whole show drew you in. Loved the selfie/mirror portrait situation, the "papyrus" shop, and all that Ra/speaker confusion. British baddies, tomb raiders, Prince-like music producer, Parrot's mall and various other motifs were not-so-subtle and very well placed.
One of the best animated shows I've watched in a while, and far more appealing to me than some of this year's blockbusters.
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022)
What a disappointment!
The most awful, exaggerated, Chinese-style over-the-top gestures, the worst dialogue, the most non-sensical plot with pointless scenes that went on and on...! What happened? What did you do with the writers from Collision Course? They were amazing. It's bad enough that you replaced virtually everybody aside from Buck and Sid, but to take away all the witty banter and replace it with useless CGI-heavy close-ups...And what in blazes did you do with Scrat? Thank goodness Queen Latifah and Ray Romano didn't take any part in this, because it was absolutely embarrassing. What a waste of time for the whole family! The kids had the worse time. You owe us big for making us watch this and hope against hope that it would get better by the end, Disney. It felt like for-e-ver! How could you even release this? Shame on you!
Romesh Ranganathan: The Cynic (2022)
Ditch the 'mother-in-law from hell' act
Thoroughly enjoyed part 1, though he went a little overboard with the kids' critique. Liked the veganism and health bits the most. The bedroom song bit needs work.
Part 2 was awful. His mother goes on a rampage of annoying, self-centred, and manipulative behaviour. She takes over and makes it all about herself, trying to pry into his private life and sneak her way into a family event by sidestepping and overruling his wife. His behaviour is no better, leaving his wife to take the fall for denying his mom's request. Mind you, he also puts his mom down throughout the show. It's so sad to see these things play out like that for other daughters-in-law.
Had it not been for part 2, I would have given it 8 stars, because the stand-up show itself was a blast. But I can't, for the life of me, understand why male comedians keep bringing their moms along in their shows; disgust toward the mom and the mama's boy and pity for the wife doesn't earn you any extra laughs or stars.