Elmer, who is having trouble adjusting to his new life, decides to set out to find a wild island and rescue a young dragon. His adventures will lead him to encounter ferocious beasts, discover a mysterious place and make a new friendship.
While My Father’s Dragon might not be up to par with some of Cartoon Saloon’s other films such as Breadwinner, Song Of The Sea or Wolfwalkers. There is still the imagination and charm here that was present in the other movies. Despite being based on the 1948 children’s book of the same name, there is still tons of imagination here mostly through the animation that really gives a lot of scenes a chance to pop out to the viewer. Jacob Tremblay and Gaten Matarazzo are both very solid here and give plenty of strong moments that really make the film stand, the friendship between Elmer (Tremblay) and Boris The Dragon (Matarazzo) is genuinely sweet even when they fully like each other at first. The main criticism mostly stems from the other characters and the third act, the other characters don’t really get a whole lot to do unfortunately. There was some interesting parts with the mother that I thought the movie was going to elaborate on but unfortunately never got around doing that. The rest of the characters are just kind of there for the purpose to move the story forward, the third act goes exactly how you would expect it to and really doesn’t offer anything that hasn’t been done many times before. But luckily the charm is still there and as I said before the imagination is still creative, there’s plenty of cute moments that kids will definitely love.
A mother tells a lie for her beloved son that rips apart their family and close-knit Irish town — ultimately testing her own sense of right and wrong.
God’s Creatures is definitely an interesting one that I’m not even 100% sure how I feel about it exactly. On one hand there’s some really solid performances from Emily Watson and Paul Mescal who both give raw performances that completely keep the movie going, the cinematography is spectacular combined with the dark and dreary atmosphere that all compliment the film quite well. On the other hand you have a very slow first act that takes way too long to get going and only picks up during the second act when events start to unfold and you have writing that while it’s not anything bad (far from it) there wasn’t exactly so much power to it outside of a handful of scenes. The movie does grab the viewer’s attention with the second act as the performances and atmosphere really start to kick in, there’s a lot of detail with the filming and makes the viewer look around for clues as to what exactly is happening. God’s Creatures might not be one of the best films of the year but it is one that I can see some people really loving!
God’s Creatures is available on all VOD platforms.
A young, newly engaged heiress has a skiing accident in the days before Christmas. After she is diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of the handsome cabin owner and his daughter.
After a weird and quite terrible small return back in 2019 which was Among The Shadows, Lindsay Lohan makes her true return with Falling For Christmas. Something that falls more in line with her previous work and captures the best parts about her as an actress, while admittedly the movie has a lot of that hallmark channel spirit and the movie is filled to the brim with cliches. There’s something about this movie that actually makes this one standout, it’s mainly due to the cast connecting with each other pretty well and there is a genuine heart put into this one. Which is very rare for a lot of these Christmas Netflix movies, as mentioned before Lindsay Lohan is truly great here, sure it might not be a groundbreaking performance but this is the type of performance that got everyone to love Lohan in the first place. There’s a huge amount of charm that goes into the chemistry between Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet as well, overall while Falling For Christmas is most certainly not going to break any new ground and it is heavily flawed it’s still a genuinely fun ride. It’s a welcome return for Lindsay Lohan and this is definitely something to watch to get you into the Christmas spirit.
Tom, a policeman in 1950s Britain, falls in love with a schoolteacher on the Brighton coast. However, he soon begins a passionate same-sex affair with a museum curator, in spite of homosexuality being illegal.
The unfortunate thing about My Policeman is that there is a good movie here the issue is a lot of the decision making that went into it, I like the idea of switching back and forth between the younger and older versions of the characters especially given the subject matter it could lead into something very touching and memorable. One of the biggest issues with My Policeman is how very uneven it really is, while the older cast such as Linus Roache, Rupert Everett and Gina McKee are really solid and deliver some very touching moments the younger side completely fails to leave an impression on the viewer Emma Corrin and David Dawson aren’t particularly bad but the writing just does not give them anywhere near the amount of power as the older cast. Harry Styles is just not great here, the chemistry between him and Dawson isn’t anything special the same can be said with the chemistry between Styles and Corrin it’s charming at first but as the movie goes on it starts to really lose it’s charm due to repetition. Another main issue is the movie really doesn’t allow the viewer to think of how they feel, it’s sort of like a set of cue cards the movie tells the audience to feel depressed when sad music plus more darker filming is shown rather than let the audience digest a scene by it’s own. There’s some decent moments here particularly with Linus Roache, Rupert Everett and Gina McKee but a lot of this is just very forgettable that doesn’t fully dive into a lot of themes that would have been very interesting.
Everyone’s favourite rascals Frylock, Master Shake, Meatwad and Carl fight the corporate overlord Amazin, led by tech mogul Neil and his trusty scientist sidekick, Elmer.
It’s both confusing and frustrating how poorly the advertising for Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm really is. You would think one of Adult Swim’s biggest names The Aqua Teen Hunger Force would get so much more respect than this instead it was very quietly put on to VOD platforms. Which is ridiculous because much like Beavis and Butthead and The Bobs Burgers Movie from earlier this year Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm captures a lot of what made the other show so great and entertaining. The movie does have a bit of a rough start with the beginning but once the film starts to kick it in with the classic humor and character interactions it’s smooth sailing from there. The characters of Frylock, Master Shake, Meatwad and Carl are just as hilarious and cleverly written as they were in the series, the bizarre nature of the interactions of the characters are still present, heck the movie still does a really solid job with the characters even when they aren’t all together. There’s a lot of well written jokes that are genuinely funny and actually some of the best fourth wall breaking jokes I’ve seen in a film in quite awhile, there’s a huge amount of charm that went into this film. It compliments the show’s bizarre nature very well and stays true to the characters. Overall Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm is a blast of fun, this is definitely something that fans will absolute enjoy!
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm is available on all VOD platforms.
Bobby is a neurotic podcast host who’s happy to go on Tinder dates and content not to have a serious relationship. That all changes when he meets Aaron, an equally detached lawyer who likes to play the field. Repeatedly drawn to each other, both men begin to show their vulnerable sides as their undeniable attraction turns into something resembling a commitment.
Bros is completely fine for what it is, despite many flaws that stick out like a sore thumb the good parts really help the movie stand. There’s some genuinely funny jokes here that actually work surprisingly well, the cameo from Debra Messing in particular is quite great and I do have to hand it to Luke Macfarlane who gives both a quite funny yet very charming performance that actually had some emotional bits to it that I didn’t see coming, the same can’t really be said for Billy Eichner unfortunately. While there are times he does a decent job particularly a mini monologue scene that actually gives his character Bobby a bit more depth than the rest of the movie did, a lot of the time his performance feels like it’s from a completely different movie. The strange part here is as far as the writing goes Billy Eichner actually did a really solid job it’s just the way he executes his lines is what the issue is. While the movie does have a lot of representation from a lot of races and sexualities and it’s a great thing to see, a lot of the side characters just don’t get a whole lot to do and are mainly pushed aside. Which I do get they are side characters, but here they are given so little to do outside of appearing in a few scenes every once and awhile. The movie doesn’t take full advantage of the rest of the cast it could have and you can’t help but feel some scenes should have given the other characters something to do. Despite that problems however Bros is not a bad movie, it hits a lot of beats that make a good romantic comedy and there’s plenty of entertainment to get out of this one. This might not be something I’ll ever come back to but it was a decent watch.
Recruited by the R.I.P.D., a resurrected sheriff returns to Earth to save humanity from a gateway to hell.
Like I said In my review for Blade Of The 47 Ronin who honestly asked for this? R.I.P.D is yet another movie from 2013 where it was a critically and financial failure, the moment it came out audiences already moved on and it was quickly forgotten about. To be absolutely fair a sequel was announced a little after the movie released so I guess rather than cancel it they turned into a prequel which I’m assuming because Ryan Reynolds or Jeff Bridges didn’t want to return (rightfully so), R.I.P.D.: Rise Of The Damned is ultimately a terrible western movie with horrible acting, writing, action scenes and costumes. It’s absolutely painful to sit through and the characters are very poorly written. If you thought the characters from the first movie were horribly written wait until you take a gander at these ones, the humor is once again not funny there’s just no personality to the movie at all and is nothing but short of a horrible idea that somehow didn’t get left in the concept stage. I genuinely have no idea what on earth they were trying to go for here, if it was to make a prequel to R.I.P.D. they definitely failed to do that as it fails to really tell the backstory in a compelling way, if they wanted to make some western movie well they got some elements right but not in a way that’s any good. I mean sure we get to learn about Roy who was played by Jeff Bridges in the first movie and is played by Jeffery Donovan in this one. But much like in the other movie Roy isn’t interesting, heck I would argue Roy is less interesting in this one mainly due to him being a very typical western movie cliche hero in this one. In the first movie at least they tried to give him some personality (Jeff Bridges made the performance at least a bit unintentionally funny) with this movie you get nothing but a dreadfully told backstory that you are going to forget about 15 minutes after you watch it.
R.I.P.D.: Rise Of The Damned is available on all VOD platforms.
A single mother and her 9-year-old son are living in the U.S. by themselves and relying on a thin public safety net to survive. When the boy is hastily diagnosed with ADHD, their fraught bond is pushed to its limit.
I definitely think there is a conversation to be had about the message The Other Tom is trying to say, a conversation about over doing medication for kids and how kids with ADHD are treated. However what hurts the movie is the way the movie goes about telling it, unfortunately it does feel like a PSA in some areas especially with some of the acting. Julia Chavez definitely gives it her all and at times delivers a genuinely touching performance while others are nowhere near as strong. A huge issue here is while the movie does claim that it’s sympathetic to households with kids with ADHD and while it does show some sympathy it’s done In a way that doesn’t really offer any solutions. Especially when it comes to the movie tackling over-medicating kids, it mainly says “over-medicating bad” and does nothing else to explain or show any solutions. The other issue is the movie tends to be very overwritten with a lot of melodrama thrown in, a lot of said drama is very irrelevant to the story and could have easily been left out and nothing would have changed. I definitely think The Other Tom has it’s heart in the right place but unfortunately goes about telling the story in a very dull way that isn’t particularly memorable.
On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Pádraic is devastated when his buddy Colm suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. With help from his sister and a troubled young islander, Pádraic sets out to repair the damaged relationship by any means necessary. However, as Colm’s resolve only strengthens, he soon delivers an ultimatum that leads to shocking consequences.
The Banshees Of Inisherin has so many layers to it that I truly did not expect, it’s directed by Martin McDonagh (director of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths) who does a masterful job here. Instantly when the film starts you already sense a unique type of atmosphere it’s dark but at the same time very humorous as well which you easily see why that’s the case as the film goes on. The set up is quite simple Padraic (Colin Ferrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson) use to be great friends until one day Colm decided not to be friends anymore due to Padraic being “dull” so now Padraic keeps trying to talk to Colm and find out why they aren’t friends. it takes that setup and truly goes pretty meaningful and deep with it. With some symbolism and character study of the characters, plus the town they live in as well. The acting here is tremendous Collin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan truly give powerhouse performances that are very natural. Each of them truly give something unique to the film Colin Farrell gives a humorous yet honest performance of someone who is naturally upset and wants to know why their friend no longer wants to have anything do with him, Brendan Gleason plays a cross between an intimidating but also humorous performance that is truly baffling in the best possible way. Kerry Condon plays Padaric’s sister Siobhan who is very kindhearted and like the previous mentioned performances a very honest one as well, finally there’s Barry Keoghan’s performance that really is the definition of a friend, he plays Dominic who is Padaric’s friend who is always listening and is there for him. It’s truly a honest performance that is actually quite emotional. The writing is truly flawless from the character study, to the natural interactions the characters all have it’s truly the type of writing that really compliments each scene. Speaking of which the cinematography is some of the best of the year. The film was shot in Achill island which is in County Mayo the largest of the Irish isles and the beauty of it all really shows in the film. It really compliments the film’s overall beauty nature while adding very dark humor into the mix that truly works. Every shot has so much detail and a lot going on which leads to it being a massive film that the viewer can explore with the eyes, overall The Banshees Of Inisherin is one of the best films of the year, it’s one of those films that will stick with you for awhile once you watch!!
The Banshees Of Inisherin is currently in theaters.
Lynsey, a U.S. soldier, experiences a traumatic brain injury during her tour in Afghanistan which forces her to return home. She struggles to return to her daily life with her mother as she waits for her eventual redeployment.
Causeway is a film I’ve been waiting for awhile now and the wait was truly worth it, I’ve always been a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence so it’s truly fantastic to see her back doing the type of roles she loves doing and does really well at. Her performance as Lynsey a U.S. soldier who experiences a traumatic brain injury and is forced to return home is truly an honest one. The film really creates a portrait of her character interacting with the rest of the cast who do a fantastic job here, the other standout being Brian Tyree Henry who plays James a car repairer who quickly befriends Lynsey and from there they start to have honest conversations with each other that lead to a lot of character study type of scenes. From the very first scene Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry are in together they instantly connect, mostly due to how creative and unbelievably good they are as performers combined with the writing which has a lot of meaning and depth to it. The main theme of the film is trying to rebuild your life after a traumatic event which is never an easy thing to do and the film shows plus explains that quite well, it mainly shows this from close up shows of Lawrence and Henry, a ton of quiet moments that let the viewer sink in the information and the honest nature of the characters with their emotions. Lastly there’s the direction from Lila Neugebauer who does a fantastic job here especially with it being her directional debut, she creates a breezy atmosphere that’s both relaxing and honest at the same time.
Jerome Reviews... 