Zootopia 3 Chapter 2

Meanwhile, in Zootopia's Savannah Central, a warthog sow got out of Bug-Burga after buying a rhino beetle sandwich with sweet potato fries. She saw what looked like a rock, only for a head to pop out and snapped her left tusk off!

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Said the voice. It was a snapping turtle. "I have stolen your tusk! Now I can sell this at the black market!" He started to slowly walk away, only for Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps to capture him. They were spying on the turtle in a ZPD police cruiser.

"Hopps and Wilde!" Said Nick.

"Wylde and Hopps!" Said Judy as she jumped on the turtle like a video game baddie.

"Curse you evolution for making me so slow!" Said the turtle. Nick grabbed the snapped tusk and gave it back to the warthog.

"Thank you so much!" Said the sow. "How can I ever repay you?"

"With 20 dollars." Said Nick.

"Nick!" Yelled Judy.

"Just kidding, madam." Said Nick. "It's on the house!" Nick and Judy put a muzzle on the turtle and placed it in the car. Nick was about to enter the car himself, but noticed something in the distance.

"Carrots." Said the fox. "You might want to check this out." Near the Waldorf Pasturia hotel was a body of an animal of some sorts.

"What do you think it is?" Asked Judy.

"Maybe it's a platypus." Said Nick. "But do platypuses have feathers?"

"No, platypuses have fur." Responded Judy. "If it has feathers, that would make it a..." She soon realized what it was: A bird, to which she is afraid of. When Judy was a kitten, she visited an aviary on a faraway island, only to almost get taken by a bird that looked just like the one unconscious! Luckily, she got rescued by a kangaroo, but since then, Judy felt every bird would try to eat her.

"Are you okay, Fluff?" Asked Nick. "You seem tense."

"Oh, that?" Responded Judy. "It was just my gynophobia kicking in." Suddenly, the bird woke up from unconsciousness.

"Whoa, what happened?" He asked.

"Well, it's a known fact that birds can't see glass." Said Nick. "For all we know, he probably crashed into the window. Also, we don't run around in our birthday suits unless you're at the The Mystic Spring Oasis, which is in Sahara Square." While Nick went back to the car to get clothes for the bird, Judy asked him what his name is.

"Bird, what is your name?" She asked nervously.

"My name is Cory," Said the bird. "And I'm a red-tailed hawk." Judy flinched upon seeing that, since she happened to be taken away by a red-tailed hawk that faithful day. Nick then arrived with his hustler clothes to place on Cory.

"Is that your outfit from when you were still a shifty fox?" Asked Judy.

"Yes, actually." Responded Nick as he placed his clothes on Cory. "Also, I never got your name."

"His name is Cory." Said Judy. "Which reminds me, we have a turtle to return to custody! You can come with us Cory, but try not to sit next to me."

"Okay, but that means I'm driving." Said Nick. As they got in the police cruiser, Cory asked Judy about what's wrong.

"What's wrong, rabbit?" Asked Cory.

"The name's Judy." Said the rabbit. "I have a bit of an aversion to birds."

"You're afraid of birds, Carrots?" Asked Nick. "You're telling me that you're not afraid of foxes, bears, Chief Beef, snakes, jaguars, lynxes, rams, or rhinos, yet you're afraid of birds?"

"I was a kitten when it happened, Nick." Said Judy. "I was nearly taken away by a hawk and got got saved by a kangaroo. End of story."

"Let me get this straight." Said Cory. "You think that I might eat you?"

"Well, yes." Said Judy. "Birds of prey eat smaller mammals, including rabbits."

"But not me!" Said Cory. "The only meat I eat are fish and large frogs. Never mammals or reptiles."

"Really?" Asked Judy.

"Cross my heart." He crossed his heart using his talon, only to rip the fabric in Nick's shirt.

"Now arriving at the ZPD." Said Nick Wilde. "We'll carry the turtle together while Cody walks by himself."

"It's Cory." Said the hawk. The three animals arrived in the ZPD building and were greeted by Benjamin Clawhauser. The cheetah was super surprised to see the hawk by Nick and Judy's side.

"O-M-Goodness!" He said. "What is that brown thing? He looks like something out of Harry Porker! Also, Terrence will take that turtle for you." Terrence Jawful, the first reptile cop in Zootopia, walked over and took the turtle from Nick and Judy.

"What's his crime, Hopps?" He asked Judy.

"He snapped a warthog's tusk off to sell to the black market." She said. "Nick filmed the whole crime scene secretly with his phone."

"Guilty as charged." Said the fox.

"This turtle will be doing time in jail." Said Terrence. "And the toilets will be clogged, so don't even think of escaping!" As Terrence walked off, Nick and Judy told Chawhauser about Cory.

"This is Cory, and he's a red-tailed hawk." Judy explained. "In case you didn't know, hawks are a type of bird, and we want to know if Zootopia has a secret bird population."

"I don't think so." Said Benjamin. "You should bring your hawk friend to Chief Bogo. He'll know what to do." The three animals walked over to Chief Bogo office, where he was watching a EweTube video on his phone featuring Gazelle singing a cover of Part of Your Wool from The Little Manatee. When Nick, Judy, and Cory entered the room, he turned his phone off and pretended to look focused.

"Chief Bogo!" Judy shouted. "Nick and I captured the turtle, but we also found an injured red-tailed hawk who crashed into Waldorf Pasturia!"

"Hawk?" Asked Bogo. "As in a bird?"

"Yes, Chief Beef." Nick replied. "Does Zootopia have a secret bird population like how they did with reptiles?"

"No." Said Chief Bogo. "And please refrain from calling Chief Beef or Chief Buffalo Butt, unless you want to be on the unemployment line. Anyway, regarding your bird friend."

"It's Cory." Said the hawk.

"Yes." "Bogo continued. "Regarding Cory, there is only one known location on Earth where birds live." He pulls down a map of the whole world and points it to an island below Outback Island, about 2/3 the size of Gnu Jersey. "Canary Island. It may be small, but its village is home to over 30 different bird species." Upon hearing village, memories started flashing in Cory's mind: He came from Bird Village on Canary Island, and he was sent to find a reptile, or else he's dead meat!

"I need to find a reptile!"

"A reptile?" Asked Judy. "Well, luckily for you, Zootopia has a recently defrosted reptile village, and we're best friends with a snake. In fact, Gary Dessnake's great grandmother Agnes is the creator of the Weather Wall, and because of that..."

"Not a reptile to meet." Said Cory. "A reptile to eat." Everyone was shocked when those words came out of Cory's beak.

"Sorry, but in Zootopia, we don't eat anything that talks." Said Nick. "If you want your meat, stick with bugs, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans."

"Not where I come from, sadly." Said Cory. "On Canary Island, if you're not a bird, you have to work or else you'll get eaten."

"That's awful!" Said Judy. "Those poor animals are practically slaves. Nick, it looks like we have another case! Chief Bogo, we're off to Canary Island to rescue those animal slaves and maybe change the order of things there."

"Sorry Hopps, but that's a suicide mission." Said Chief Bogo. "There are some things you can't change. It's the way things are." Judy jumped onto Bogo's desk to chew him out.

"Pardon me if I risk getting fired," She started. "But I can't just stand here when mammals and reptiles are getting eaten like a pack of savage predators! When Zootopia was founded, we were able to find an alternate meat source for predators, and they managed to live side by side without killing each other! If mammals and reptiles aren't different from each other, then neither are birds! Nick and I have not been here as long as you, Clawhauser, McHorn, or Higgins, but we managed to save the city twice! Can you think of any other animal who's done that?! Chief Bogo, we are going to Canary Island to free to slave animals whether you like it or not!" Chief Bogo just stood there silently.

"Gee." He said with shock. "I thought all rabbits were timid herbivores who are better off gardening. When you came along, you changed my view of your kind. Very well, then. You can go to Canary Island to free to slave animals, but be warned: Birds are a lot less understanding than mammals or even reptiles. In case you get in trouble, take these." He handed Nick and Judy small boxes with red buttons on them. "These are homing beacons that will alert us back at the ZPD, no matter where on Earth you are. Now go on. Go change the world again." As Nick, Judy and Cory left Bogo's office, the rabbit noticed something.

"Wait a minute." She said. "We need a professional sailor, but no animal in Zootopia is crazy enough to go to Canary Island."

"I know someone who might." Said Nick. "If Nibbles Maplestick helped you find the reptile hideout and me escape from jail, then maybe she could join us on our adventure."

"That sounds like a good plan!" Said Cory. "But who's Nibbles?"

Author's Notes: Concept art for Zootopia 1 would reveal that, aside from fish, the predators get their protein from a fast food joint called Bug Burga. The restaurant doesn't appear in the movies, but Bug Burga boxes appear in both films.

Similarly, in The Art of Zootopia 1, there were logos for lots of brands within the Zootopia universe, including Waldorf Pasturia, Hyraximum, bitecoin, CinnaBone, and Hoof Locker.

Gynophobia is a fear of nudity.

Even though many of Zootopia's residents wear clothes, some of them prefer to be naked. Those animals go to the naturalist club in The Mystic Spring Oasis, run by the very skinny yak Yax.

A lot of people don't know this, but young rabbits are not called bunnies, but kittens.

In the movies, Nick's derogatory nicknames for Chief Bogo include Chief Buffalo Butt and Chief Beef.

In Zootopia 2, Nick wanted him and Judy to escape to Outback Island until the whole thing blows over.

Also in Zootopia 2, the characters use EweTube instead of YouTube.

In Zootopia 1, along with her hit single Try Everything, other songs Gazelle has performed include Let it Goat, Part of Your Wool, Can You Feel the Fluff, and Ara-Bunny Nights, all spoofs of older Disney songs.

Canary Island is a riff on the real Canary Islands off the coast of Spain.

When I was a kid, I used to think Spider-Pig in The Simpsons Movie was renamed Harry Porker instead of Harry Plopper since pork was made from pigs.

Zootopia 3 Chapter 1

For our dear friend Daveigh, who taught us that no one should be left behind or forgotten. She will forever be remembered.

Daveigh Chase

1990-2026

It has been one year since Zootopia welcomed reptiles back into the city. Along with pit vipers, lizards, and chelonians being integrated into Zootopia, crocodilians, tuataras, pythons, and other species of lizards arrived into the city and were welcomed with open paws. Gary Dessnake has received 800 million dollars in royalty fees after the Lynxley scandal, and he used that money to buy Judy and her parents new cellphones (Bonnie and Stu, Judy's parents, would use the same phone) along with a monument of his great-grandmother Agnes, the true creator of the Weather Wall. He also got defanged since he didn't want to be poisonous anymore, so he decided to become a therapy animal alongside Dr. Fuzzby. Paul, a mole who worked in ZPD's computer system, moved to Bunny Burrow so he can live a simpler life digging up ripe vegetables. The ZPD also welcomed their first reptile officer with a saltwater crocodile named Terrence Jawful, who is just as knowledgeable on policework as Judy Hopps. The hundreds of escaped mammals that Nick Wilde let loose by accident were all recaptured, with Dawn Bellwether being sent to a special cell in Cliffside Asylum. However, our story doesn't begin in Zootopia. It begins on a bird-filled island far south of Outback Island, with an island being a forest almost as big as Gnu Jersey. If that wasn't good enough, there was a birdhouse on each tree. A puffin carrying fish in his beak flies over to Bird Village so he can fill up one of three boxes: One with dead fish and sea creatures, another filled with insect eggs, and another filled with vegetables. There's also a birdfeeder for the seed-eating birds such as quails, blue jays, swallows, and canaries. To top it all off, lizards, tortoises, squirrels, and even caribou are forced to build bird houses, operate simple elevators, and plant flowers all in their birthday suits so they don't get eaten. They were taken from Outback Island whenever fish populations seems scarce. Nolan, the owl leader of Bird Village, hates any animal that isn't a bird, and he especially hates how Cory, a red-tailed hawk, tries to befriend the slave animals. Nolan sees Cory playing with a caribou's horns, and he angrily calls him over.

"Cory!" The barred eagle owl shouted. "Come here this instant!"

"Sorry, Comet." Said Cory. "I'll play with you later." He flew over to Nolan to wonder what he wants.

"How many times have I told you?" Nolan asked Cory. "Only birds can be friends with birds!"

"But I already played with every bird in the village!" Cory replied.

"I'm sure that there's at least one bird you haven't met yet." Said Nolan. "Besides, any animal that isn't a bird is considered food, and you should know that. Everyone knows that!"

"But I think it's wrong to eat something that can talk." Said Cory. "The only meat I eat are fish and large frogs."

"Are you listening to yourself?!" Nolan shouted. "A red-tailed hawk eating fish? That would be like a fox eating blueberries! Real hawks eat snakes, lizards, fish, mice, rabbits, squirrels, and even other birds! If there's a slave animal that steps out of line, just eat him or her!"

"But that's so barbaric! Besides, mammals give me indigestion."

"Then eat a reptile!"

"But it's wrong to eat an animal that lays eggs. Unless it's a fish or a frog."

"Luckily for you, Floyd confided in me that very far northwest, there's a reptile country where they have chameleons and pit vipers, both of which give birth. I want you to fly north to get me a reptile and eat it alive!"

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then this will happen." Nolan grabbed a pear and squeezed it. "Do I make myself clear?" Cory started quivering.

"Yes, Nolan!" Said Cory, and he flew off northwest to find the reptile country Nolan spoke about. After a few hours of flying, Cory saw a building, but unfortunately crashed since he can't see glass.

Author's Notes: Gary Dessnake getting 800 million dollars from the Lynxley family is a reference to the Dinosaurs episode "Earl's Big Jackpot". In this episode, Earl gets fired from WESAYSO for not showing up at work, despite having an inured leg. Earl's family files a lawsuit against his evil boss BP Richfield, and WESAYSO is forced to pay 800 million dollars, making Earl filthy rich.

Cliffside Asylum was a location in Zootopia 1 where (SPOILER ALERT!) the 14 missing mammals have been secretly kept by Mayor Lionheart since they went off-the-rails crazy.

Cliffside Asylum will appear again in Chapter 8.

Gnu Jersey is one of MANY sub-locations in Zootopia (the city). In Zootopia 2, while chasing Anthony the giant anteater, Nick and Judy drive through Gnu Jersey and ruin the Zootenial parade.

Cory is named after and loosely based on Coco, an injured red-tailed hawk that I was fortunate enough to meet in July 2025.

I imagine that in the world of  Zootopia, the amphibians never had the chance to evolve to mammal or reptile-level intelligence: The habitats they grew up in were covered with night howlers, toxic flowers that make animals go savage. As a coincidence, Bird Town's local pond not only has fish and frogs, but also night howlers. I also chose not to include amphibians because I felt the frogs would look too much like Freddie from Meet the Robinsons.

Caribou being slaves on Canary Island (which I decided to call the place) is a nod to how in real life, bald eagles may eat reindeer calves when there aren't enough fish.

One of the many new characters in Zootopia 2 is a mole named Paul Moledebrandt, voiced by Olaf himself Josh Gad.

Movie Review: Paddington in Peru

Movie Review: Paddington in Peru                                                                                                  6-30-26

In this movie, Paddington has become an official British citizen, Judy is applying to a faraway college in Denmark, Jonathan has become a couch potato who relies too heavily on his own inventions, Henry has a new boss who embraces taking risks, and Mary decides to take up painting. One day, when Paddington gets a letter from the Home For Retired Bears regarding Aunt Lucy, Paddington and his family go on a plane trip to Peru to visit her, only to find out she’s missing! With the help of cursed treasure-hunting sailor Hunter Cabot and his daughter Gina, Paddington must venture through the Amazon Rainforest to find Rumi Rock in order to retrieve Lucy. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bird notices something fishy going on at the retirement home.

Even though the movie has excellent CGI, outstanding production design, and some funny antics from out favorite marmalade-loving bear, Paddington in Peru is the weakest of the beloved franchise with a story that has too many similarities to Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie and Dora and the Lost City of Gold, returning characters that don’t do that much to the plot, and a villain who just isn’t as interesting as Millicent Clyde or Phoenix Buchanan.

Since Paul King was busy with Wonka for Warner Bros, directing duties would be given to Dougal Wilson, who previously directed many music videos. Considering he never directed a movie before, Wilson didn’t do a bad job if I do say so myself.

Also, Mary Brown has been replaced with a different actress with Emily Mortimer. Her acting is fine, but it just doesn’t have the same magic that Sally Hawkins brought. Sally didn’t reprise her role as Mary because Paul King, who directed Paddingtons 1 and 2, didn’t return. She loved working with Paul, and she’s known him for 20 years. Instead, she would play Willy Wonka’s deceased mom in Wonka.

Speaking of Sally, why does she have a SmartPhone if the franchise is supposed to take place in the 90s? Were the filmmakers too cheap to get the license to use a Nintendo GameBoy (not to be confused with the GameBoy Advance), Sega GameGear, or Atari Lynx?

Despite all that, however, Paddington in Peru is a lot more rewatchable than other third installment movies that I know of. If you were disappointed with Despicable Me 4 from two years ago, however, then this movie will help aleviate those negative emotions.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

As for what I think about Wonka, you’ll have to wait until January for me to review that movie.

New Story Announcement

Like I said in my review of the movie, Zootopia 2 is the best WDAS movie since Encanto and their best sequel since Fantasia 2000. Like other fans, I was curious by the post-credits scene with a mysterious feather.

Ever since the discovery, I deiced to brainstorm an idea for a potential Zootopia 3. We probably won't get an official Zootopia 3 until the 2030s, but in the meantime, I wrote my own take on Zootopia 3. Here's the synopsis below.

It's been one year since Zootopia integrated reptiles into the city. One day, Nick finds an injured hawk and brings it to the ZPD. Judy is horrified, since she's afraid of birds. Chief Bogo tells Nick and Judy that birds aren't native to Zootopia or neighboring cities, and that they're only found on an island far south of Zootopia's continent and to the west Outback Island. Now Nick, Judy, Nibbles and Cory (the hawk) have to travel far beyond Zootopia to return Cory home, unaware that birds have a dark secret: The predatory birds eat other animals, even if they're sentient.

As usual, I put lots of work in this story. I even made a list of every species of bird that lives on Canary Island (where the birds live), some of which you most likely never heard of.

Cassowaries

Kiwis

Brown quails

Puffins

Geese

Albatrosses

Boobies (blue-footed and red-footed)

Macaws (scarlet, blue-and-yellow, hyacinth, and spix)

Hornbills

Hawks

Harpy eagles

Golden eagles

Owls

Fruit doves

Canaries

Bali mynahs

Ibises

Birds of paradise

Secretary birds

Cardinals

Blue Jays

White-necked ravens

Dark-eyed juncos

Swallows

Roseate spoonbills

African crowned cranes

Kookaburras

Aracaris (a toucan relative)

Hamerkops

Along with a whole flock of new birds, there are also some returning characters including Benjamin Clawhauser, Mayor Brian Winddancer, Nibbles Maplestick, Jesus the basilisk lizard, and even Leodore Lionheart!

Zootopia 3 will be uploaded on July 18th. Just be warned that this story tackles a subject that is very taboo: Slavery.

Movie Review: Toy Story 5

Movie Review: Toy Story 5                                                                                                       6-19-26

In this movie, Bonnie Anderson gets a LilyPad in the mail, a frog-shaped tablet that can do anything you want it to, including make friends with complete strangers online. Jessie, who took over for Woody after he became a lost toy, believes that Bonnie should make friends with people in-person and not just online. With the help of toys both old and new, Jessie goes off on adventure to find a human around Bonnie’s age who’s not brainwashed by tech: A nine-year-old aspiring cowgirl named Blaze.

Toy Story 5 may reuse story elements from previous installments, but it makes up for it with animation that’s lightyears ahead of what was possible for even Toy Story 3, fun new characters, another great score from Randy Newman (if you ask me, however, Randy should retire soon), and a strong message on how relying too much on technology can be unhealthy for you.

There’s also an army of newer Buzz Lightyears who were stranded on a tropical island, all of whom think they’re actual Space Rangers. They go on a journey to find ‘Star Command’, which they think is an actual star. The Buzzes aren’t really necessary to the plot, but they make up for it in the movie’s third act.

Like other movies I reviewed in the past decade, there are some nitpicks I have about Toy Story 5: Bonnie is supposed to be eight, but still looks five. I know it’s a little unfair, but look at Inside Out 2. It may have been two years, but Riley Anderson (no relation to Bonnie Anderson) went through quite a growth spurt. In fact, her old outfit from Inside Out 1 doesn’t even fit anymore!

Also, it’s supposed to be three years after Toy Story 4, yet the characters are already using SmartPhones and tablets. To quote Timon in The Lion King, “Did I miss something?!”

In conclusion, despite its small flaws, unless Coyote vs Acme says otherwise, Toy Story 5 is the ideal movie to see in theaters during the summer, especially when you look at two other titles that seem inferior: Minions & Monsters and a live-action Moana. You’re telling me that Disney is spending millions upon millions of dollars to remake one of their most loved animated movies of the 2010s when it doesn’t need it, yet you’re skipping out on movies that could benefit from a live-action remake like The Aristocats, The Fox and the Hound, Oliver and Company, or even Atlantis? The only good thing that could benefit from a live-action Moana remake is a potential remake of Moana 2, which could definitely use a fixer-upper.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Movie Review: Charlotte's Web

Movie Review: Charlotte's Web                                                                                                   5-12-26

Based on the beloved book by EB White, this movie is about a piglet named Wilbur, who gets rescued by a human girl named Fern from being killed by her dad. When Wilber gets sent to Uncle Homer’s farm, none of the animals want to play with him since they all have responsibilities. If that wasn’t bad enough, Homer plans on killing Wilbur when he’s big enough! One faithful night, Wilbur meets a spider named Charlotte, and she agrees to save the pig’s life by writing in her web on how great Wilbur is.

Charlotte’s Web is one of Nickelodeon’s best films (yes, I think it’s better than Rango and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem) with a story that sticks very faithfully to the source material, visual effects that aged very well, top-notch voice acting, characters that act just like how they do in the book, and a heartfelt score from Danny Elfman.

Also, just like in the book, Fern is another good representation of autism, even if they don’t state it: She has a strong sense of moral justice, prefers to hang out with animals rather than other humans, believes animals can really talk, and doesn’t have any friends outside Homer’s barn. Even in the film, along with the book, Fern’s parents believe there’s something wrong with their daughter, so they seek advice from Dr. Dorian. The best thing he says is that Fern is going through childhood.

Fern giving Wilbur a bath as if he were a dog.

Along with the antics of Wilbur, Fern, Charlotte, and Templeton, there are also two crows that are ironically afraid of the scarecrows. I’ve seen funnier characters, but Brooks and Elwyn (the crows) are entertaining on their own.

In conclusion, Charlotte’s Web truly is a ‘terrific’ film that is perfect for movie night, and it helps that the movie is rated G for those overprotective parents out there.

Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5

Favorite Animated Movies From Each Year Of My Life Part 5/5

 2020- Wolfwalkers

Wolfwalkers is set in 17th century Kilkenny, where the recently installed English Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) puts hunter Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean) to work ridding the forest of a pack of wolves so that townsfolk can clear the land. Widower Bill's young daughter, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), fancies herself a hunter, too, and goes into the forest to help her dad. There she encounters the wolves, which injure her pet falcon, Merlin. On another forbidden trip to the forest, Robyn meets Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a feral girl who's also a wolfwalker: a human with the ability to leave her physical body during sleep and transform into a wolf. Mebh convinces Robyn to help find her missing mother, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), the queen wolfwalker, who was captured while in wolf form. As the girls grow closer and closer, Bill continues to be tasked with wiping out the wolves -- or face dire consequences.

Wolfwalkers is a modern masterpiece with astonishing animation, an emotional and engaging story, three-dimensional characters, and strong messages on anti-sexism, environmentalism, and friendship.

2021- The Mitchells vs the Machines

Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) is a teenage girl who loves to make home movies. However, her father Rick (Danny McBride) starts thinking that she is becoming too reliant on cellphones and computers. When Katie gets accepted into the college of her dreams, Rick cancels her plane tickets and plans a cross-country road trip to spend quality time with her, along with his wife Linda (Maya Rudolph) and Katie’s younger brother Aaron. When machines start rebelling against humanity, however, the Mitchell family has to put their differences aside to save the world.

The Mitchells vs the Machines is another win for Sony Pictures with a thoughtful story with a strong allegory on overrelying on technology, creative animation, engaging characters, and jokes that rival the best of Simpsons episodes.

2022- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

In this movie, Puss’s passion for adventure has cost him eight of his nine lives. Now, in order to restore his lost lives, Puss has to team up with Kitty Softpaws and an orphaned pup named Perrito to travel through the Forest of Darkness to find the mythical wishing star. Unfortunately for Puss, there are others searching for the star: Goldilocks, who wants everything to be ‘just right’, Jack Horner, a piemaker who wants to drain the world’s magic and hog it all to himself, and Death, a killer wolf who wants Puss in Boots’s last life.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is not only one of the best animated movies of 2022, but it’s also one of DreamWorks’ best with a paper-thick story, beautiful animation, new characters that are just as engaging as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, a great score from Heitor Pierera, and a strong message about valuing your life. It’s a movie I recommend to every Shrek fan out there.

2023- Nimona

I know a lot of people would pick Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as their favorite animated movie of 2023, but along with the film’s darker tone and Earth-shattering cliffhanger ending, I felt Miles’s second adventure was just too long.

Nimona tells the story of a supervillain named Ballister Blackheart, an ex-knight with a bionic arm. One day, he hires a new sidekick named Nimona, a mischievous shapeshifting teenager who yearns to hurt others for pleasure. Ballister and Nimona go on a mission to clear his name and get revenge on the deceitful Director.

Nimona is Blue Sky’s best movie with a story that stays true to the source material, animation that you won’t believe was done by the same people who worked on Ice Age, engaging three-dimensional characters, and a positive message about treating others as you want to be treated.

2024- The Wild Robot

Based on the book by Peter Brown, this movie is about a helper bot named Roz, who crashes into the woods. When all the animals neglect her, Roz decides to raise an orphaned gosling that she names Brightbill so she can teach him how to eat, swim, and fly just in time for Winter.

The Wild Robot is another jewel to put on DreamWorks’ crown with a heartfelt albeit slightly familiar story, outstanding animation, engaging characters, a great score from Kris Bowers, and strong messages on tolerance and acceptance, the heart is as important as the brain, how kindness can be a survival skill, and how difficult parenting can be.

2025- David

From the songs of his mother's heart to the whispers of a faithful God, David's story begins in quiet devotion. When the giant Goliath rises to terrorize a nation, a young shepherd armed with only a sling, a few stones, and unshakable faith steps forward. Pursued by power and driven by purpose, his journey tests the limits of loyalty, love, and courage--culminating in a battle not just for a crown, but for the soul of a kingdom.

David is the best biblical animated movie since The Prince of Egypt with a strong heartfelt tone, impressive animation, engaging albeit familiar characters, appealing character designs, and songs that easily trump lesser animated musicals in recent years.

I am so sorry that I didn’t include KPop Demon Hunters for 2025, but I find the movie to be overrated. Don’t get me wrong, the movie has another great mix of 2D and 3D animation, thrilling action scenes, surprisingly catchy songs, and an engaging trio, but the movie also has exaggerated facial expressions that clash with the realistic character designs, an overstimulating story, and just as many plot holes as there are of demon portals: Why didn’t Celine tell Mira and Zoey about Rumi’s demon side earlier? Why does Rumi suddenly have empathy for demons? Why did Rumi’s mom marry a demon in the first place? Why don’t Rumi’s patterns disappear after the Honmoon is sealed? If Rumi is supposed to accept herself being part demon, why does she mercilessly kill other demons at the climax alongside Mira and Zoey? Wouldn't there be at least one Saja Boys fan that would be angry at Huntrix for killing them? If Rumi is half demon, then why doesn’t she act or behave like one? Maybe these questions will be answered now that Netflix plans on turning KPop Demon Hunters into a full-on franchise.

Well, that concludes my big birthday project! As for what’s next for my blog, I’ll review Charlotte’s Web in May, Toy Story 5 in June, and Paddington in Peru in July.