Movie Review: Migration

Movie Review: Migration                                                                                                                 7-14-24

This review has been requested by my mom.

This movie is about a family of ducks: Mack, Pam, and their kids Dax and Gwen. Mack, the father of the flock, is afraid of everything, and he refuses his wife and kids to ever leave the pond. One day, when all the other ducks start migrating, Mack decides to migrate along with his family and Uncle Dan to journey to Jamaica to avoid the winter cold. During this adventure, the ducks have to endure all sorts of dangers, including hungry catfish, cars, and a chef who loves to cook birds.

Migration is a rare occasion in which an Illumination film is actually better than a Disney film: The film stands out as Illumination’s best original film since Despicable Me with a colorful cast of characters, impressive animation for a small 70 million dollar budget, and a good score from John Powell.

Another thing to point out about Migration is the fact that there are fewer pop-culture references, toilet jokes, and needle drops than your previous Illumination film. With Ernest and Celestine director Benjamin Reiner helming the project, Migration is a nice departure from the Minion studio.

If I were to complain about one thing, I don’t think the movie needed a villain: If animated films in recent years like Smallfoot, Encanto, and Elemental proved anything, you don’t have to have a villain in your movie to tell a compelling story. But then again, this is Illumination; All but two of their films have villains.

In conclusion, Migration is a surprise film that is better than Disney’s feature from 2023, Wish. Sorry Disney, but this is what happens when you focus more than profit than quality. Hopefully, Moana 2 will redeem the Mouse House.

Rating: 3.55 stars out of 5

I know I was harsh on Illumination in the past, but this video lifted my grudge against the company. Maybe it will lift yours, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96CAl08ZSFM&list=PLY885DMgJgDkjeVed2z_Ty_uCem7PApDB&index=14

New Pokemon Story Announcement

Hi, everyone! As some of you Social Media users already know, I have a new Pokemon project in the works! It's a China-themed Pokemon Region called Pinghei, and just like Chuso, it won't have as many new Pokemon as other Fakemon Regions, but there will be a story centered around it called 'Louise vs the Equalites'. It will be about a big-boned 16-year-old Johtonian girl named Louise, as she is trained by Professor Ping Gingko from Pinghei to defeat the Equalites, an evil organization that wants to force everyone in Pinghei to use Poison, Electric, and Dark-Type Pokemon just like them. Their leader is Gong Shen, who is not afraid to get dirty when it comes to overthrowing Ping.

Just like before, Emmy Pflugh will design the new characters, human and Pokemon alike. While my previous Pokemon stories featuring Joe focused on battling, Louise vs the Equalites will focus more on character development.

Chapter 1 of Louise vs. the Equalites will be published on August 10th.

Movie Review: Inside Out 2

Movie Review: Inside Out 2                                                                                                                                           6-15-24

Riley Anderson and her emotions are back, but this time, Headquarters is more crowded: As well as Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger, there’s also the envious Envy, the monotone French-accented Ennui, the super shy Embarrassment, and Anxiety, who’s somehow even more of a wreck than Fear. Feeling that Joy and her original crew aren’t sophisticated enough for the now 13-year-old Riley, Anxiety bottles them up and sends them to be locked up. Now, Joy and her friends have to return to headquarters to stop Anxiety with messing with Riley’s mind in more ways than one.

Inside Out 2 truly is the feel-everything movie of the year with outstanding animation, a story that expands upon the world of the original film, and some really funny jokes.

Since this movie is all about Riley turning 13, this movie really connected to me on a personal level. In this movie, Anxiety has herself and the new Emotions reprogram Riley into a different person. This is what happened to me during the first two years of my teen-hood: Since the other students in my class liked video games, I decided to become a gamer, myself. However, it took away 90-95% of what made me Andrew. Luckily, on August 25th 2011 (when I was 15), fate struck me when I saw a VHS copy of Who Framed Roger Rabbit at the Salvation Army. I bought it, and slowly but surely, I was almost the Andrew people know and love me for today.

Anyway, back to my review of Inside Out 2: If I were to nitpick one thing, I don’t like how some aspects of the mind, like Dream Productions and the Train of Thought, don’t return. But then again, no one really knows what goes inside the human mind, so maybe all that stuff is still in there. I also feel that the Emotions Envy and Nostalgia aren't really necessary to the plot.

Joy riding the Train of Thought in Inside Out 1.

In conclusion, even though it doesn’t hold a candle to the first film, Inside Out 2 is the perfect family movie for the Summer. It has to be better than Despicable Me 4. Do we really need a Despicable Me sequel in which the Minions get superpowers? I said this once, but I’ll say it again: Only give me a Despicable Me sequel if the girls have been aged up, the Minions have been removed (or at least, given less screen time), and have Sergio Pablos return.

Rating: 3.9 stars out of 5

DreamWorks30 Marathon Announcement

With DreamWorks Animation turning 30 this year, I decided to watch all their films when the time comes, as well as the three films from Amblimation*. HOWEVER, there are three films that I will downright skip, and not even an episode of Hailey's On It will make me change my mind!

Shark Tale (2004)

If anyone were to rank all of DreamWorks’ films, chances are Shark Tale would be at the bottom. Like I said in History of Warner Animation Group Part 2...

https://asateriale.blogspot.com/2023/01/history-of-warner-animation-group-part-2.html

This movie suffers from creepy character designs, mean-spirited and offensive jokes, and a downright unlikable protagonist. I’m baffled at how this film got the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Shrek the Third (2007)

Like I said in Top 30 Worst CGI Movies Part 1...

https://asateriale.blogspot.com/2017/01/top-30-worst-cgi-movies-of-all-time.html

Shrek the Third focuses much more on comedy than story, and it does more harm than help. The jokes are either stale or disgusting, the plot is a mess, and the characters range from underutilized to rather unlikable. Fun fact: There were going to be five Shrek movies, but after Shrek the Third got such negative reviews, DreamWorks decided that the next Shrek film would be the last.

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)

I’ll be reluctant to watch The Boss Baby 1 (though I won’t like it), but I barely survived the sequel! Yes, the animation is impressive, but the story and characters are comparable to The Nut Job! And to make matters worse, Boss Baby 2: Family Business basically demonizes adults by saying that they are responsible for the world’s problems. How would adults in the audience feel about this when they watch the movie? If you want a good cartoon starring babies, just stick with Rugrats. HOWEVER, if there’s one thing I liked from Boss Baby 2, it would be the original song Together We Stand.

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) - Together We Stand Scene (7/10) | Movieclips - YouTube

I plan on doing this marathon on August 31st, 2024. Just be warned that it will be A LOT wordier than my Disney100 marathon, since I’ll talk about the history of the company and provide interview excerpts from about 20 movies.

*For those unfamiliar, Amblimation was an animation studio founded by Steven Spielberg. In 1989, after serving as a producer on An American Tail, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Land before Time, Spielberg founded Amblimation in London. The studio would produce three movies, which included An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West (1991), We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), and Balto (1995). However, all but one of these films were box-office failures, and many of Amblimation's staff would later work at DreamWorks.

Movie Review: The Garfield Movie

Movie Review: The Garfield Movie                                                                                                   5-25-24

Based on the world-renowned comic strip, The Garfield Movie is about an orange overweight cat named Garfield, who loves Italian food, hates Mondays, and often annoys his owner Jon Arbuckle. One day, Garfield gets kidnapped by stray dogs and encounters his long-lost father Vic. Now, in order to spare his life from the dastardly feline Jinx, Garfield, Odie, and Vic must break into a dairy farm to steal 1,600 bottles of milk.

Much like The Super Mario Bros Movie from last year, The Garfield Movie deserves more than just 37% on Rotten Tomatoes with an art style that sticks faithfully to Jim Davis’ work, a good score from John Debney, voice acting from Chris Pratt that matches the wit of Lorenzo Music’s Garfield, and a good amount of Easter Eggs to Garfield lore.

And now to point out the elephant-foot sandwich* in the room: The story. So far, people have been criticizing The Garfield Movie for deviating away from the comic strips. If you ask me, however, this movie is a lot closer to the Phil Roman Garfield TV specials along with the forgotten show Garfield and Friends. On those programs, Garfield, Odie, and Jon would embark on many crazy misadventures, such as fighting a mutant plant, Garfield being mistaken for a sabretooth tiger, meeting a 110-year-old man on Halloween night, fighting off alien puppets, being chased by a panther that escaped from the zoo, and even being brainwashed (except for Garfield) by a dinosaur who painted himself pink! If you ask me, a dairy farm heist doesn’t sound too farfetched to what Garfield has done in the past.

Chedder, one of my 26 favorite types of cheeses.

If I were to complain about one thing, I felt that the movie was a bit too long. The movie spends a lot of time on the relationship between Garfield and Vic, and even though it’s emotionally satisfying in the end, there’s a lot that could’ve been cut out. Not to mention that Vic himself doesn't have that much of a backstory aside from Garfield.

In conclusion, even though not as good as what he’s done in the 80s and 90s, The Garfield Movie is good for a rainy day. You have to admit that it's better than Garfield's LAST feature film.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

*In the Garfield and Friends episode ‘Orson’s Diner’, Orson and Wade set up a diner in which whatever they cannot serve, the customer can eat free for a month. Roy challenges Orson and Wade to make an elephant foot sandwich, which they don’t have. Luckily, a circus truck loses an elephant. However, Orson and Wade don’t want to cut his foot off, so they decide to befriend the elephant until the circus brings him back.

Peter Rabbit double feature review

Peter Rabbit double feature review                                                                                                  4-6-24

Based on the children’s books by Beatrix Potter, this movie is about a troublemaking lagomorph named Peter Rabbit. Peter loves to steal vegetables from Mr. McGregor, even if it means getting caught or being threatened to be baked into a pie. One day, Mr. McGregor suddenly dies of a heart attack, so Peter and his family invade his house and have a wild party with fellow predators and prey. When Thomas hears about his uncle’s death, he gets to inherit the house. Unfortunately for Peter, he’s just as friendly as his uncle. Things get worse when Tom develops a crush on the friendly rabbit-loving neighbor Bea, so Peter and his friends decide  to mess around with Tom until he returns to London.

Peter Rabbit is a middling kids movie with a meandering story, outstanding visual effects, a protagonist that can come across as unlikable, and jokes that don’t always land.

They copied a scene from Cinderella!

What makes this movie special is that the animation was done at Animal Logic, the same studio that worked on Happy Feet, The LEGO Movie, and eventually Leo. If you ask me, the animators and modelers did a good job at bring Beatrix Potter’s creations to life.

Other than that, there isn’t much to say about Peter Rabbit. In conclusion, if you want to watch an animals vs humans movie, just stick with Over the Hedge.

In this movie, Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits have made piece as a family. Peter, however, can’t seem to shake his mischievous behavior. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself on the mean streets of the city where his mischief is appreciated. But when his family is put in danger, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants a to be.

Despite having fantastic animation, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway still suffers from a meandering story, too many needle drops*, and a tone that once again deviates away from the source material.

Peter offering his siblings a rotten apple.

If there’s one thing I liked about Peter Rabbit 2 other than the animation is the sub-plot with Bea. When she meets Nigel Basil-Jomes, he makes lots of changes, such as having the rabbits in her book wear jeans, play ukuleles, party on the beach, and even visit outer space! It’s a commentary on what happens when someone with a successful property gets too generous on making changes to what was already popular, even when it means tarnishing the brand.

For all those people out there who disliked the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, I dare them to see the Peter Rabbit films, as I believe they’re worse.

Rating (both movies): 2.8 stars out of 5

*For those unfamiliar, needle drop is a slang term for putting pre-existing songs in a movie. DreamWorks and Illumination do it a lot in their films, such as All Star, I’m a Believer, and Livin La Vida Loca in the Shrek films, I Like to Move It in the Madagascar films, Here Comes the Sun in Bee Movie, and You Should be Dancing in Despicable Me.

Tips For Writing Stories

Hi, everyone! It’s my birthday today, and I decided to celebrate by sharing my secrets on how I write stories.

Tip #1. Don’t publish the story until it’s ready.

Don’t you hate it when people write fanfics that are promising, but they turn out to be unfinished? I avoid that with my work by completing the story first, and then publishing it when I know it’s complete.

Tip #2. Make your own website to showcase your story instead of relying on other websites.

It may be tempting to start an account on FanFiction.net or Archive of Our Own, but both websites can have mischievous characters running around. Also, there are strict rules on these websites on what can and can be allowed, so I suggest making your own website with the help of either Blogger, WordPress, or even Squarespace!

Tip #3. Write stories about what you’re interested in.

A lot of the stories that I write either feature characters from movies/shows that I like, really like, or even love, or are retellings of old favorites with new characters. That's what I recommend what YOU should write about. What are some of your favorite shows, movies, video games, and books that you want to make fanfics out of?

Tip #4. Write a story spine beforehand.

For those unfamiliar, a story spine is a simple yet powerful storytelling framework, consisting of a series of connected phrases or “spines” that guide the progression of a narrative. Mine are a little different, but this is what story spines usually look like.

These will serve as the guiding point for what will become your story.

Tip #5. Do lots of research.

Similar to how Pixar does a ton of research for their movies, I do lots of research for my stories, no matter what the subject is. For example, for my Finding Dory sequel Finding Bailey, I did lots of research to find out what animals (mostly fish) live in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, California’s Morro Bay, The Great Barrier Reef, and Graham Island, among other places. If you want your story to be as authentic as possible, do lots of research.

Tip #6. Make sure that your story is family friendly.

There are way too many NSFW (not safe for work) fanfics out there, even if the source material is aimed at kids. That’s why for all my stories, I make sure that they’re suitable for kids at least ages 7-12.

Tip #7. Get tips from friends and family in case you get writer’s block.

As the Muppets put it in the Harry Belefante episode of The Muppet Show, writing can be tough work. In case you’re having trouble writing a chapter or even a few paragraphs, I recommend getting advice from friends on what they think should happen. For The Great Toon War, in which the old Cartoon Network characters and the new Cartoon Network characters go to war to prove which shows were better, I was having trouble on what to do with Finn from Adventure Time. In one chapter, he got hit with Samurai Jack’s sword and got fatally wounded. I was thinking of him getting revived by Steven Universe’s healing saliva, but after getting advice from a friend, I decided not to so it could be more dramatic. Man, I need to rework that story, someday.

And that’s all the advice I can give all of you. I won’t do anything new for a while, but on May 25th, I will review The Garfield Movie! Please let it be good.

On an unrelated note, I rewatched Wish the other day, and looking back, I feel I was too generous on the movie when it was released. Wish isn't as horrible as many people say, but it's bit of a disappointing way to celebrate Disney's 100th anniversary with a story that feels manufactured, a protagonist that just doesn't measure up to past Disney heroines, too many Disney references, unnecessary side characters (Valentino and the Seven Teens), some misplaced songs, and an underwhelming finale compared to what has happened in the past. It also didn't help that AI was used for the film. Also, in one draft of the movie, Star was going to be a humanoid character who would've been a shapeshifter along with a love interest for Asha. He was changed to a star-shaped character not just because he'd be more marketable, but also because they were afraid that he'd be too similar to Genie and Maui.

Luckily, there have been fans all over the web who took it upon themselves to make Wish a worthy film that sits comfortably on the same shelf as the Disney Renaissance and Revival Era films.