CoraTree Reviews

Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014)

So fun! What movie did everyone else watch?

[10/10 · 18 October 2023]

I'm not sure what movie everyone else saw.

But, go into this expecting garbage.

Don't expect much. Embrace the other reviews... but really if you're a fan of the internet series. This is fun.

People act like this is some boring snooze fest...

Honesty as a long-time fan this was everything I hoped for and more.

Sketch comedy usually sucks when it transitions to the big screen.

But, this was entertaining and never lost my attention.

And I have severe severe severe ADHD... so watching movies in general is usually a no-go because I simply can't focus long enough.

For the budget they had this is a grand slam. A gift to the long-time fans! Pure fan service.

The effects are entertaining, and the jokes all worked for me.

Yes, it is tacky, cliche and can be cringe. The effects are sometimes laughable. The actors all overact.

But, did people not watch the internet series?

The over-the-top zaniness was always kinda the whole point.

This is an ode to B-Movies clearly inspired by Troma movies like Toxic Avenger. The sort of "bad movie" that's actually good due to it embracing its low-budget ways.

You need to adjust yourself enough to suspend your disbelief.

For instance, the first scene was so over the top and slightly cringeworthy that I honestly had an urge to turn it off...

I'm glad I gave myself another 10 minutes before I gave up though.

I understand hardcore fans not liking it mind you...

A lot of the cool side characters from the series don't make an appearance... or if they do it's only in cameo form.

But, in my opinion, there's just enough fan service and references to the series.

The film could've played it safe and just basically retread the series. But, this was meant to tread new ground in a true road trip adventure flick. I appreciated that.

For hardcore fans... well I get why some may have been turned off. It's a little "mainstream" / "Hollywood".... it's not as vile and pure gross-out as the series... the swearing is toned down. But, to be honest.. it has just enough of these things for me... as the toilet humour while fun could kinda be too much for me at times when it was too stretched out.

This strikes the right balance.

It's not laugh-out-loud funny. But, every joke got a smirk out of me. I appreciated it.

Honestly, in an ideal world, a better movie could have been made...

But, it's a miracle this actually happened.

The web series is beyond niche and this was done extremely well for the budget they had.

It is a true popcorn theatrical film that proudly stands next to Micheal Bay-style explosion fests (if they were low-budget).

Honestly, it's a damn shame this is so low-rated.

Watch it for yourself!!

Go in with an open mind. And remember how many people hate this.

So don't expect Top Gun: Maverick.

I also highly recommend getting the Blu-ray. The special features and making of content are just great.

Also, this gets a perfect score because of how underdog this production was and how as a big-screen outing it works.

It's probably a 7.5/10 otherwise.

But, as a fan of the series... it gets 10/10.

George of the Jungle (1997)

Fraiser carries the first half with charisma, but silliness and predictability take over

[6/10 · 17 March 2023]

As an adult, watching a movie that you loved as a kid can be a bit of a different experience. You might find that the things that once fascinated you don't hold the same level of appeal. That being said, "fun and games" can still be a good way to describe a movie like this, and "George of the Jungle" certainly fits that bill.

Brendan Fraser is a big reason why the movie works so well in the beginning. He has an undeniable charisma that makes him fun to watch. Fraser's energy is infectious and he's clearly having a blast playing a character who is essentially a Tarzan parody. His physical comedy and willingness to make a fool of himself is one of the movie's biggest strengths.

However, there are moments in the movie where the fun and games start to feel a bit repetitive. You might find yourself getting a bit restless and need to pause the movie to take a break and come back to it another day. The movie's humor and gags start to lose their impact after a while and you might start to feel like you've seen it all before.

Despite this, "George of the Jungle" is still a good option for a family movie night. It's silly and goofy, and kids will likely find it hilarious. The movie has a lot of slapstick humor and physical comedy that will keep young ones entertained. Plus, there's a strong message about being true to yourself and not trying to be something you're not that parents will appreciate.

In conclusion, while "George of the Jungle" may not hold up as well for adults as it did when we were kids, it's still a fun movie to watch with the whole family. Brendan Fraser's performance is entertaining enough to carry the movie for a while, even if you may need to take a break at some point. Overall, it's a light-hearted and goofy movie that's worth checking out if you're looking for something to watch with your kids.

Encino Man (1992)

Fun time, but Shore does it no favours

[7/10 · 8 March 2023]

Fun 80s movie. Surprised.

It drags in places and I felt the need to pause and contemplate whether I wanted to finish. But, it's a good time waster.

I checked it out to find out more about Pauly Shore and why he was so popular... honestly his surfer dude schtick was just so cartoonish that it was less realistic than Link, which should've been impossible.

Shore did have one or two amusing moments. But, the movie would've been better without him doing his "weasel character". The character stands out like a sore thumb when surrounded by normalcy.

Though Shore is balanced enough out by the other characters here so it doesn't ruin things.

The movie is fun enough.

Hanukkah on Rye (2022 TV Movie)

Caught me by surprise! The food is the true star!

[8/10 · 9 January 2023]

Hanukkah on Rye is a delightful romantic comedy that caught me by surprise. The film does an excellent job of depicting Jewish culture.

The traditional Jewish deli food is one of the true stars of the movie and the authentic depiction of these dishes was so delicious that I had to order some for myself after watching the film.

The lead actors brought a sense of warmth and authenticity to their roles, and the supporting cast added to the charm of the film. In addition to the strong performances and authentic depiction of Jewish culture, Hanukkah on Rye also had great elements of suspense and plenty of fun surprises that kept me engaged throughout. Plus, the plot is too perfect in a good way.

As someone who is Jewish, it was refreshing to see something relatable and mostly accurate on screen, and I am so glad that the Jewish screenwriter got a chance to put her culture in a movie.

Overall, I found Hanukkah on Rye to be just so sweet and charming. Even as someone who doesn't typically enjoy romantic comedies, I was thoroughly delighted by its authentic Jewishness and cuteness. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming and enjoyable film.

Trailer Park Boys (2001–2018)

Classic... but it does go downhill.

[8/10 · 26 November 2022]

Really funny, classic show! But, the Netflix revival is not nearly as good as the OG series. The original series had heart and a great cast of characters. Plus, while outlandish ... it was believable enough.

Now though I still found the Netflix series entertaining to watch. It's only because I was invested in finishing the series and love the characters so much.

But, the writing takes a huge hit. The characters become caricatures of their former selves.

The stakes no longer matter and it becomes a little too ridiculous. The schemes and situations while formerly even somewhat believable become ridiculous to the point it's hard to suspend your disbelief at times.

Once they had Snoop Dogg show up... I found it "jumped the shark" to the point where it was just no longer grounded in any sort of reality. Plus, the loss of characters like Lucy and Ray bring the series down a lot.

Mistletoe & Menorahs (2019)

A hallmark movie finally about Hanukkah!

[8/10 · 26 December 2019]

I just loved Mistletoe & Menorahs aka A Merry Holiday (2019). I had yet to find a decent movie about Hanukkah and this was really fun and enjoyable since I am Jewish but also secretly love Christmas. Plus the actors were so lovable and had such great chemistry. Plus, it's just a great overview of the Hanukah story in general.

Frozen (I) (2013)

The hype can ruin it for you.

[7/10 · 16 March 2014]

This isn't Disney's best in the last 20 years... Tangled & Wreck-it Ralph were definitely superior.

That being said this is enjoyable and is worth a watch. Music is fun, story is pretty good. However, if you go in expecting a modern Beauty and The Beast or Aladdin, I promise you'll want to shut the film off.

Seriously! While the music & story is fun.... It's not on the level of Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin, Etc.

I shut off this movie in disgust the first time 40 mins in! Why? Because I was expecting greatness on the level of Disney classics. I was trying to see how this film was on par with "Beauty and The Beast"

It's not... But, on giving it a second chance a while later, I found myself loving it!

Why? Because of the amazing music and entertainment value. However, it's only entertaining from a scene to scene point of view.

As a whole the story is full of plot holes and baffling ideas (Read any negative review for more detail). Whole important plot points are shown only to be never spoken of. Also the secondary characters are never really developed enough for us to understand their motivations. (e.g. Why the heck is Kristoff a ice seller raised by Trolls and not the ice sellers in the first scene?)

The film does work. But, it really shouldn't from a storytelling standpoint.

What makes Frozen a good film is the beautiful world, amazing music, fun characters! Most importantly the excitement of each scene prevents the viewer from ever having the chance to really dwell on these story problems long enough.

That being said. The lack of a flow/ connection between some scenes is what prevents it from being a modern "Beauty and The Beast".

Go in expecting something a little less satisfying then How to Train Your Dragon and you'll enjoy it.

South Park: HUMANCENTiPAD (2011) Season 15, Episode 1

Too Much Toilet Humor...

[6/10 · 29 April 2011]

If your a fan you should watch it. It will satisfy your urge for more South Park.

As the series opener its not satisfying. With so many story lines that could be explored and so many new scandals to rip on. I'm clueless as to why they did a toilet humor iPad episode.

Making fun of the iPad is not that revolutionary. Plus, the episode is almost a complete knockoff of the movie it's named after.

Seems like lazy writing.

The Simpsons did a much better job of making fun of Apple back in 2008 (Mypods and Boomsticks, S20E07)

While there some funny moments, too many jokes relied on shock value. I appreciate good toilet humor and shocking jokes, but at a certain point it gets disgusting or ineffective.

I like when South Park uses it a couple times during a episode, but at a certain point it makes you want to hurl. Especially when it does nothing to advance the story.

It's a worth a watch in general, due to the fact it does generate laughs.

Even so, when you have such short seasons like South Park, it seems like a wasted episode.

So I'll rate it 6/10.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Sabrina Down Under (1999) Season 3, Episode 1

Fun for anyone who likes the series.

[7/10 · 25 April 2011]

If you're not a fan or if this is your introduction to the show the movie it'd be a brutal thing to sit through I imagine. The story and plot are copied from much better movies. So it'd play like a bad remake.

I'm a big fan of the series. I'm surprised critics say it's typical Disney Channel garbage. For me, it's Bewitched for the 90s, especially the first three seasons.

This was fun enough to watch if you like the series. I said this about "Sabrina Goes to Rom" movie, and I'll say it about this one. It feels awkward at times to see Sabrina without her Aunts or Harvey.

This TV movie was broadcast on September 26, 1999 right after Season 4's 1st episode (aired on September 24, 1999).

If you're watching the series chronologically according to air date, it's weird.

The 1st episode of Season 4, had the departure of both Valerie and Libby. "Libby has gone to a private school, and Valerie has moved to Alaska with her parents".

Lindsay Sloane's (as Valerie) last episode appearance was the Season 3 finale. So it's strange to have her removed from the show's main cast and then have her as a completely different character in the movie (as Fin). Nevertheless, it works surprisingly well, and it's kind of nice. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask did a similar thing when they used the same character's as Ocarina of Time in different roles.

In fact, it makes you feel more comfortable accepting this as a completely "parallel universe": I had a big problem with this when watching Sabrina Goes to Rome.

It's nice to Tara Strong reprises her role as Gwen (from Sabrina Goes to Rome) . While Sabrina Goes to Rome wasn't that good for familiarity reasons it's comforting to see her again.

The storyline and plot here are a lot more believable even though it's wacky. It's also funny. I laughed quite a few times. It's generally mindless fun for fans of the series. It isn't Shakespeare by any stretch. The story and plot were done much better in the original movies that used them (Free Willy, The Little Mermaid, etc.). Even so, the character interactions don't feel forced or unnatural.

If you're a fan of the series you should enjoy it. Especially when the majority of Season 4 episodes were so bad.

Rating: 6.5/10

The Wonderful World of Disney: Sabrina Goes to Rome (1998) Season 2, Episode 2

It's a little awkward...but, fans will enjoy it.

[6/10 · 25 April 2011]

I'm a big fan of the series. I'm surprised critics say it's typical Disney Channel garbage. For me, it's Bewitched for the 90s, especially the first three seasons.

This was fun enough to watch if you like the series. Even so, it feels awkward at times to see Sabrina without her Aunts, Harvey and the rest of the normal cast.

This TV movie was broadcast on October 4, 1998 during a time when Season 3 was airing. So you can't help, but think throughout the film that Sabrina's being unfaithful to Harvey with her romantic interest in this Paul guy. It also feels like the writer's tossed her on a trip to Rome for no reason. Some connection to her regular life would have been nice. I don't recall her talk about her aunts or Harvey once in the film. It feels like a what-if scenario in a parallel universe without the film actually stating it.

I think you have to suspend-your-disbelief a little too much for the film. Even if it was a parallel universe, it makes no sense for her love interest be some guy in Rome, that she's never going to see again. I've heard of this sort of love story before…but, the chemistry between Sabrina and Paul is forced and seems unnatural.

My first time seeing this was after I'd already watched all seven seasons. The quality of the movie doesn't touch that of the season it was made for (Season 3). This definitely is a lot better then some of the later season's episodes.

If you're a big enough fan of the series you'll get some enjoyment out of this.

Meet the Raisins! (1988 TV Special)

This film has some of the greatest animation ever done.

[8/10 · 22 April 2011]

There is no movie like Meet the Raisins. It's funny and delightful. It premise is quite simple; a mockumentary on a famous music group. But, I think it's one of the funniest ones I've ever seen. The claymation world is really amazing and it stands up beautifully to today's standards. In fact, it's quite amazing just how great it looks. Will Vinton was a true visionary. More importantly the jokes are fresh and the plot is fun. But, what impresses me the most is that the musical numbers are amazing and rival original versions of the songs sang. Don't miss this.I can't believe a proper definitive release of this hasn't happened. This film has some of the greatest animation ever done.

Touch & Go (2003)

Great hidden gem!

[8/10 · 22 April 2011]

This movie is really the definition of a hidden gem. Never released on DVD it was only aired on TV.

The movie really touches my heart. I love coming of age stories, and this is a great one about a carefree 30 something named who has skated by in life with a dead end job as a tour bus guide. This is about his struggle with becoming a man and finding a purpose. The movie is great at showing his evolution to maturity. Plus, it's funny, plenty of laugh out loud moments.

There's also a great romantic element to the movie as we see Darcy struggle with his love for a girl, who happens to be his friend's girlfriend. The characters have great chemistry and the romance is very down to earth and real which I love.

This movie also features one of Ellen Page's earlier roles as Darcy's young skater buddy who tries to push Darcy forward. While she isn't on screen much she completely steals the screen when she's on. Also, the production takes place in Halifax, Canada (which happens to be Ellen's hometown) and as a Canadian I'm proud to say it does a stunning job at showing off the town. In fact, part of the movies greatness is the lovely scenic views of the beautiful harbour. Do yourself a favour and find a copy of this. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Hardcore fans are a little too critical.

[7/10 · 22 April 2011]

Say what you will about the prequels. I think hardcore fans are a little too dramatic about how bad they are.

The original Star Wars trilogy was a masterpiece and Lucas is a human being. A human being who just wants to make the best movies possible.

Sure he didn't need to make them. But, people wanted them bad enough that he made them for his fans.

These films aren't the Holiday Special at least. If you want true bastardization then that's the golden standard.

For me they were each enjoyable, especially if you like the originals. The scope and atmosphere of the prequels is better then most of the CGI garbage that tries to pass as a film. These films are epics. Sure they have flaws. But, the art direction and visuals alone are enough to admire them. I mean Darth Maul's double light sabre is a epic of epic epicness, I don't care what you say.

But, of course the originals are masterpieces, why the prequels are mostly entertainment.

Reality Bites (1994)

Incredible Movie

[8/10 · 19 September 2007]

Reality Bites is one of my favorite flicks out there. However, the last guy is probably right when he said it might not to certain people. Reality Bites is half love story, half search for identity story. The characters in this movie as great and the story is one most Gen X college students can relate to. Indeed after going to college for 4 years and getting that degree in film, whats next? Where do you begin? And the film really focuses on this theme very well by portraying each of each of the characters at the end of college all searching for their careers. But, the great thing about reality bites, is while it may get a bit harpy at times, it's always got a great sense of fun charged in each time it overbears you with the corny stuff.

If your still on the edge of watching this movie, check out the soundtrack. Let me say that the film uses it spot on.

Family Business (1989)

Sometimes too many A-lists = F lists

[1/10 · 13 June 2007]

I personally am a huge fan of all three actors, especially Connery, who I really started to get into after his performance in Finding Forrestor. As such, when I noticed this movie at the local rental hut I decided to give it a watch.

Unfortunately I simply didn't like the movie. It came off as forced and the story was predictable and while the premise is kind of cute overall it felt way too stretched out. The actors do be themselves and they put out okay performances. But, with predictable story and plot it just didn't do it for me. It had potential, but as I say, sometimes too many A-lists don't provide a good movie.

Death to Smoochy (2002)

One of My favorites

[10/10 · 27 May 2007]

Okay I normally don't voice my opinion on movies, but Death to Smoochy is fantastic! Every actor in the movie pulls off their parts great, and Robin Williams is probably the most hilarious I've ever seen him. Ed Norton is just jokes as Smoochy. I'm in awe that this has a 6/10, its definitely a cult film and perhaps requires some taste for darker humor. But, given the movies premise being the story of a phsycopathic game show host I honestly don't know what anyone was expecting...

I give it a 10 of 10 because the film is enjoyable and I've re-watched it plenty of times without it getting old and still being fun and entertaining.