Elio (2025) Film Review

Elio, an underdog with an active imagination, finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, he starts to form new bonds with eccentric aliens while discovering who he’s truly meant to be.

Elio is directed by Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi which is the former’s directorial debut with the latter previously directing Turning Red (2022).

Elio is a pretty solid addition to the Pixar library, while there might not be anything new thematically or even story wise going on here, the huge amount of charm is undeniable and it all adds up to make an incredibly fun and adventurous experience for the viewer.

First and foremost the voice cast does a pretty solid job here, Yonas Kibreab plays Elio a character that the viewer can quickly relate to as soon as the film starts. Losing both his parents at a very young age, Elio’s imagination roams free which leads to some genuinely raw moments that, he’s obsessed with communicating with the outside world. Something a lot of kids did when I was growing up and I’m sure the viewer will have the same sort of feeling. The film portrays all of this in such a beautiful way that makes Elio feel like a very real character, yes the film does take liberties in throwing in fantasy elements when it gets to the aliens. But throughout the film the raw feeling of Elio as a character never goes away.

Zoe Saldaña as Olga Solís (Elio’s aunt) is a very important part in this story, there’s sort of an emotional separation between Olga and Elio. Olga gave up on her dreams of becoming an astronaut so she can raise her nephew. Elio’s obsession nearly costs Olga’s job which causes a distance between them. The film explores the pain of both sides incredibly well, it’s done in this thoughtful and genuinely touching way that really makes the viewer immediately care for Elio and Olga.

The animation is stunning, the use of color is very top notch, when the film reaches the space portion of the film it really does feel like you are in another world. While yes the space theme does feel a bit familiar in a lot of ways, what Sharafian and Shi are able to do with it is what makes it so fun, they are able to bring this fun aesthetic and a silly atmosphere that it’s enjoyable. You have your heartwarming moments as well to even things out. It’s some nice world building that while may not going into very deep territory, is still solid enough to capture the main mood of the film’s world.

The writing has many themes going on here such as feeling out of place, loss and loneliness all of which the film does a pretty solid job of exploring. The theme of feeling out of place in particular is beautifully done, combining it with the whole space theme is a smart move as well. Elio is in this spot where he doesn’t know where he belongs due to the loss of his parents, his connection to the outside world can only help him so much. This all leads to beautiful moments that are captured quite well and really are striking in their own ways.

The main criticism here comes from most of the aliens, outside of Gordon who does get quite a bit of development. The rest of the aliens don’t really get a huge amount of development, sure they have a few key differences from on another but there really is not anything that stands out. The antagonist Lord Grigon is just kind of there, he’s fine and he gets the job done but that’s really about it. I do find it interesting that the world itself has a lot more personality and gets more development than most of its inhabitants.

But as it stands Elio is a very strong addition to Pixar’s library, it’s touching, heartwarming and such a sweet film that you can’t help but smile after watching.

Elio is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

The Bad Guys 2 (2025) Film Review

Reformed criminals Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula are trying very hard to be good. However, they soon find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes heist that’s masterminded by a new team of delinquents they never saw coming — the Bad Girls.

The Bad Guys 2 is directed by Pierre Perifel director of The Bad Guys (2022).

The Bad Guys (2022) was a surprise, it ended up being one of my favorite films of 2022 a year that was a filled with lots of fantastic releases. The Bad Guys 2 follows a lot of what made the first film so great, there are times where there is a bit of familiarity. However that does not outweigh the positives this film has to offer.

The voice cast is just as good as it was from the first film, Sam Rockwell does such a fantastic job as Mr. Wolf he brings this cool style that always feels fun and this relaxing vibe as well. Some new additions like Danielle Brooks as Kitty Kat, Natasha Lyonne as Doom/Susan and Maria Bakalova are also incredibly great here. They bring these characters their own fun personalities without feeling like almost identical to the main group, in fact I would go as far as to say that The Bad Girls were effective antagonists, while yes some get more development than others I do think for a film that attempted to go with an “opposite team or person” sort of idea this is one of the times where the film nails it.

The animation is just as stunning as it was in the first film, a lot of what I said about the animation from the first film can be applied here. Right at the beginning there’s tons of attention to detail, the colors all pop out incredibly well and the energetic vibe of it all really ties this whole film into a nice little package. The animation is so well done and even expands the film’s world even further from the first film.

The writing is also quite strong here as well, the dynamic between Mr. Wolf and Diane Foxington is genuinely interesting. Their little banter and bond is genuinely heartwarming at times and makes you root for them. The film definitely has a Mission Impossible sort of vibe especially towards the end when things get incredibly chaotic (I mean that in a good way), there really isn’t anything incredible here when it comes to themes. The film is mostly focused on entertaining the viewer which is not a bad thing at all, the film knows its goal and accomplishes it within a matter of seconds.

Overall The Bad Guys 2 is a worthy sequel to a fantastic predecessor, I don’t think this one is as good as the first film simply because it does feel a bit familiar in some areas. However that does not mean this is a bad film, it’s a strong sequel that if you loved the first film you will absolutely fall in love with this one.

The Bad Guys 2 is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Predator: Killer Of Killers (2025) Film Review

A Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a World War II pilot encounter a fierce intergalactic hunter.

Predator: Killer Of Killers is directed by Dan Trachtenberg director of 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and Prey (2022). Predator: Killer Of Killers is the sixth film and the eighth installment of the Predator franchise.

After Prey (2022) was released with large amounts of praise, there was no doubt that there would be another Predator film, first they announced Predator: Badlands which releases later this year in November. Predator Killer Of Killers was a secret film that Trachtenberg was working on and the film further shows that Trachtenberg is doing truly creative and exciting things with the Predator franchise.

The first thing you will notice is how beautifully animated the film really is, I could go on for hours of how wonderfully done each and every scene really is. The amount of attention to detail helps build each and every scene, the characters are expressive and finally we have action scenes which in a lot of ways do have this Saturday morning cartoon feel but not in a bad way. The action scenes do such a great job of moving this film along at such a nice pace that compliments the atmosphere which manage to be dark, fun and tense at the same time.

The characters are simple yet effective, there is not any groundbreaking character writing here. But that ultimately does not hurt the film since the characters work just fine on their own. Ursa, Kenji and John J. Torres all get their own segment which ultimately leads up the final segment of the film. Their stories are admittedly a bit of the same in terms of what exactly happens (which is why I chose not to talk about each segment individually), with that being said it is simply very neat to see the predator travel through different periods of time and combine that with some really strong action scenes. Plus there are some genuine moments here where you do want to see the main three character’s loved ones survive.

The final segment is especially really strong, a giant colosseum battle that is so pleasing to watch. The buildup the film has been setting up pays off incredibly well and goes all out, it helps that we also got some pretty effective world building that I do hope we get to see in future films. There is a lot going on during this giant battle that is filled to the brim with fun character moments, the predators speaking in their native language and of course more beautifully done scenes thanks to the animation.

Overall Predator: Killer Of Killers is a lot of fun and one of the best installments of the franchise, it is filled to the brim with creativity even when some segments result in the same outcome that ultimately does not hurt the film as the film is beautifully made, written and executed.

Predator: Killer Of Killers is available on Hulu!

9/10 A

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025) Film Review

Batman and his allies battle to save Gotham from the Yakuza League, a group of superpowered individuals resembling the Justice League.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is directed by Junpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi. Mizusaki previously directed Batman Ninja (2018) and Takagi previously directed Steamboy (2004). The film serves as a sequel to Batman Ninja (2018).

Batman Ninja (2018) I always found to be one of the better DC animated films to come out in recent years, so I was pretty interested (kind of surprised as well) that a sequel was actually coming out. While it’s not as good as the first movie simply because the idea was more fresh with the first movie. I do think Yakuza League is a pretty solid sequel that continues to use the bizarre idea in an interesting way!

Much like the first film the voice acting and the animation style is pretty great. The anime references thrown in this time around are charming and add to the style, it never becomes way too much instead it adds details to the characters which have some quite interesting designs such as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Aquaman with their Yakuza counterparts.

The story is just as fun as it was with the first film only I would argue this one is a bit more self aware, which does lead to some decently fun sequences and styles. Some editing styles reminiscent of Shonen anime and Japanese TV shows of the 70s and 80s, that does take away from some character arcs especially towards Batman’s family. But it’s a fair trade off considering that the rest of the film is quite decent with how the idea is executed.

The action scenes are fun, creative and pop out incredibly well, the dialogue holds the viewer’s interest throughout the film. There isn’t anything mind blowing going on here, some of the characters like Joker and Harley Quinn feel a bit shoehorned in (Joker really isn’t as interesting as a character as he was in the first film.) the movie does admittedly start to lose a bit of steam towards the end, but at the very least the movie does not overstay its welcome with a runtime of 89 minutes it’s enough to get to the point and wrap things up at a nice pace.

Overall Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is a bit weaker than its predecessor but still manages to keep the qualities of what made the first one great. If you liked the first film you will probably like this one as well.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Plankton: The Movie (2025) Film Review

Plankton’s tangled love story with his sentient computer wife goes sideways when she takes a stand and decides to destroy the world without him.

Plankton: The Movie is directed by Dave Needham director of The Loud House Movie (2021).

After the disaster that was last year’s Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024) I went into this one expecting the same sort of disaster..luckily that was not the case here. That doesn’t mean to say that it’s necessarily a good movie but talk about an improvement.

The voice cast does a really solid job here, there isn’t necessarily any standouts it’s very much what you expect from anything SpongeBob related but unlike the Sandy Cheeks Movie there was actual charm here. The relationship between Plankton and Karen is actually explored decently well, again nothing mind blowing but the fact they even bothered at all considering how lacking in writing the last movie was deserves some credit.

The animation styles used are decent, some of the 3D animation does feel a bit empty at times. It’s moments like those that you kind of wish the movie was the typical SpongeBob 2D animation style, but at the very least some of those moments are made up with some song sequences. The music numbers are a mixed bag for me in terms of the songs themselves, but I do think what’s going on the background and the different styles being used are quite great as well as creative at times. The songs themselves are never going to reach the quality and fun feel of the songs from the show, but they are at least tolerable and don’t overstay their welcome (you will more than likely forget about them as soon as the movie is over anyway.)

Finally it’s nice to see that there’s still some charm from the show here, for one thing the voice acting was much more lively especially from Tom Kenny who sounds much more awake than he was in the Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024) leading to this movie just having more entertaining moments. Plus there are some moments that are genuinely funny, nothing that’s going to knock your socks off but entertaining at the very least.

Not much else to say here, Plankton: The Movie is probably the most 5/10 movie ever made but given just how dreadful the last movie was. That should be taken as a compliment.

Plankton: The Movie is available on Netflix!

5/10 C

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) Film Review!

Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a smart gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. Nick Park has previously directed Chicken Run (2000), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) and Early Man (2018). While this film is Crossingham’s directorial debut.

I have always had a soft spot for Wallace & Gromit from the charming atmosphere to the beautifully done stop motion animation it’s always been able to put a smile on my face. Which is why I found it quite exciting when a new film was announced and it absolutely lived up to expectations.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl has the atmosphere we all know and love when it comes to Wallace & Gromit the charming and humorous atmosphere that has this cozy feel too it, the movie starts off immediately with a bang as Feathers McGraw from The Wrong Trousers (1993) makes his return and takes his revenge on Wallace and Gromit. McGraw is such a fun villain here, him being just a Penguin with a glove on his head while also being dangerous is just a humorous combination that makes for some wonderful gags throughout the film.

What makes this film work is mainly a lot of the gags, whether it’s commentary on AI, just a bunch of puns or the dialogue in general. The film always finds a way to get a laugh out of the viewer, not every single joke lands but even the ones that don’t still have their charm too them. Wallace and Gromit as characters help keep the jokes fun with their charming feel and likable personalities (although Wallace does get obsessed with the robotic garden gnomes).

As far as the plot goes it’s not anything new, it’s very much a story about someone getting too caught up with AI and heavily relying on it. However the way the film tackles it is still very entertaining and there was clearly so much love and passion put into it, the film moves at an incredible nice pace with a 79 minute running time. The beginning is definitely the weakest bit of the film however it still does serve as a nice re-introduction to the characters we all know and love.

Overall there really isn’t much else to say here. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is incredibly entertaining and a film that fans will absolutely love.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is available on Netflix.

8/10 B+

Flow (2024) Film Review

Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.

Flow is directed by Gints Zilbalodis Director of Away (2019).

Flow is one of those films that completely brings you into its world, the story being told here is told flawlessly without a single line of dialogue and puts you on this journey with the animals who get their own character traits in such simple yet fascinating ways.

It goes without saying but the film is beautifully animated, there is so much detail to every single part of this film. The way the water flows, the details on the characters and the world around them is flawless, the details helps build the world around the characters and leads to some jaw dropping moments that are a huge showcase of how beautiful and grand the world of this film really is.

The characters are simple, you have a Black Cat, a Labrador Retriever, a Capybara, Lemur and a Secretarybird. The Black Cat is our main character and the one that the film wants you to see from its perspective, each of the characters are given some fun character traits that are told in this natural way. The cat however is the one who is truly compelling, simply by interacting with the other animals and seeing the world through its eyes is enough to leave the viewer in awe. One particular scene with the cat and secretarybird in particular speaks for these beautiful character, just through the music, actions, atmosphere and such you can tell how these characters are feeling and what they are saying when they make noises. The black cat’s journey and the discoveries and how to live in this world is truly beautiful and compelling.

The film’s world really brings you to the adventures you would go on outside when you were a kid, the adventurous atmosphere is absolutely nailed down here and is quite often breathtaking, whether the black cat is on a high place or just on the ground we are given such beautiful looks into this film’s world. The film’s score also does a fantastic job of setting certain moods, it reflects the character’s feelings quite well. From wondrous, to happy, to sad the film combines these characters incredibly well with the music and sound.

The film also has these moments that almost feel personal to director Zilbalodis, this black cat taking the viewer along for the ride as we discover what exactly is in this giant world. It shows the beauty of the planet and really seems like Zilbalodis wants us to travel with this cat, the film accomplishes this incredibly well and really does make you feel like you are right there with the animals.

Overall Flow is a brilliant film, it might seem like a simple story but what makes it so special is how it’s told. Plus the black cat is just such a fascinating main character to follow that you will instantly connect with.

Flow is available in theaters.

10/10 A+

The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim (2024)

A sudden attack by Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Helm’s daughter, Héra, must lead the resistance against a deadly enemy who’s intent on total destruction.

The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama director of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999), Napping Princess (2017), a few Ghost In the Shell movies and a few others.

As someone who is a major fan of the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy and was overall very disappointed with The Hobbit trilogy (Desolation Of Smaug of grown to really like in recent years but it doesn’t touch the original trilogy still) I was all for an anime Lord Of The Rings film. This had the potential to be something really creative and even bring new ideas to the table, unfortunately that’s not what happened here. When Warner Bros said they only made this movie so that they can keep the rights to the franchise it definitely shows in this movie.

I will say that the score is quite fantastic, it has the Lord Of The Rings spirit there’s a mix of Howard Shore and new music that keeps the score interesting and beautiful. The score does a wonderful job of setting the mood and tone of the movie and actually does far more talking than the writing does for the characters. The animation a lot of the time is quite beautiful, I say a lot of the time because the character models have this weird hiccup where if they are far away they look like ragdolls with no face for some reason. But outside of that the detail is excellent and there’s some very beautifully done moments that do a solid job of capturing the many locations of the movie, especially towards the second half of the movie.

Everything else however is quite disappointing, the characters being a main offender. If you are going in expecting some great character development like the original trilogy then you are in for a disappointment. While the voice acting isn’t terrible (Brian Cox being the standout) the characters are very underwritten and are a prime example of show don’t tell. We are told things about these characters such as the main character Hera being “wild and free” but we never actually get to see that, instead we see that she’s traditional protagonist number 210. Hera’s brothers Hama and Haleth have no character development outside of being Hera’s brother, Fréaláf (Helm’s nephew) disappears for half the movie and by the time he reappears during the movie’s final act it’s almost over. King Helm while kind of a neat character at times and admittedly has a great final scene has the most sloppiest put together redemption arc I’ve seen in quite some time. Finally there’s Wulf our main villain and well he’s about as standard as you can get, very typical revenge story that really doesn’t say or do anything new.

The writing gives these characters no room to develop or have a unique identity, it’s all stock character traits that you have probably seen in countless movies. Which leads into another main issue….why was this a Lord Of The Rings film? There’s a cameo and a name drop during the final moments of the movie, how Helms Deep got its name (even then the movie does a terrible job of explaining that) and Miranda Otto returns to narrate. Outside of that I completely forgot this was supposed to be a Lord Of The Rings film, this felt much more like a very cliched fantasy film than a Lord Of The Rings film. It’s a very weird mishmash of trying to connect to the franchise and very cliched ideas that not even fans of the fantasy genre would enjoy.

It’s very weird saying “I don’t have much else to say” about a Lord Of The Rings film but that’s actually the case here The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is a very nothing movie, we don’t learn anything new or interesting about Middle Earth all we get is a very messy cash grab (considering how bad this movie is bombing currently it’s not even good at that.) By far the most disappointing movie of the year.

The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is currently in theaters.

4/10 D+

Memoir Of A Snail (2024) Film Review!

After a series of misfortunes, a snail-collecting, melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of everyday life.

Memoir Of A Snail is directed by Adam Elliot who previously directed Mary and Max (2009).

When I heard Adam Elliot was going to direct another film I was incredibly excited, Mary and Max (2009) was such a fantastic film that I don’t think enough people talk about. I’m happy to say Memoir Of A Snail is yet another fantastic film from Elliot, a film that is both an incredibly dark tragedy yet a very inspiring and hopeful film that’s blended with a mix of comedy.

For starters the stop motion animation is absolutely beautiful especially when combined with the use of color. The dark colors used throughout the film really set the mood and completely capture the atmosphere that is present throughout, the color and stop motion animation itself tells the story of each scene and what’s going on in great detail. Speaking of which the detail is just wonderful, it’s like reading a pop up storybook it’s all in your face but you are constantly in awe of how beautiful everything is especially the film’s world. If there’s an example of a film that immediately takes you into the world as soon as it starts Memoir Of A Snail is one of them!

The voice acting is just brilliant, Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Magda Szubanski and everyone else make their characters come to life. They add so much to what at first may seem like straightforward characters, but as the film goes on we learn more about them. Sarah Snook in particular blends so well with Adam Elliot’s work and style that it’s just incredibly satisfying to watch unfold, the story of Grace (played by Sarah Snook), Pinky (played by Jacki Weaver and Gilbert (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) is so powerful, so well done and just absolutely filled to the brim with touching moments that will leave you shedding tears.

The writing is absolutely beautiful, a story about good things that get taken away from you or go horribly wrong. Yet still finding the positives in life and have this inspiring feel despite all of that is truly fascinating. It’s a film that hits even harder since it’s actually loosely inspired by Elliot’s own life, which isn’t too surprising to hear given that the film definitely has this personal feel to it. Like Elliot is inviting you to listen as he tells his story, it’s all very beautiful to listen to and really makes you feel like you’re getting to know Elliot as a friend.

Memoir Of A Snail is one of the best films of the year, I absolutely do hope we get to see Adam Elliot’s next film somewhat soon. But if we don’t I’m sure the wait will be absolutely worth it!

Memoir Of A Snail is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

The Wild Robot (2024) Film Review!

Shipwrecked on a deserted island, a robot named Roz must learn to adapt to its new surroundings. Building relationships with the native animals, Roz soon develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot is directed by Chris Sanders director of Lilo & Stitch (2002), How To Train Your Dragon (2010), The Croods (2013) and The Call Of The Wild (2020).

The Wild Robot honestly surprised me, for a film that tells a very simple story it’s quite beautifully made plus told and actually powerful as well. The film is a huge crowd pleaser but also a film that really touches the heart in such beautiful ways.

The voice cast are all fantastic, the standouts being Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Kit Connor. Lupita Nyong’o who makes the lovable main character Roz come to life is truly fascinating. The viewer quickly grows attached to Roz due to just how much power Nyong’o puts into the performance, she brings this wonder to a character who is trying to learn new things and it really fits with the film’s whimsical atmosphere. She’s also able to capture the themes of parenthood, survival, kindness and coexistence in such beautiful ways throughout the film. There’s one particular moment that I’ll get to later that really sums up how excellent she really is here.

Pedro Pascal voices Fink and I have to say for a character that at first comes off as a very standard mischievous fox character we see in a lot of media. Fink is actually quite well developed, sure there might not be any ground breaking character writing. But between Pascal’s voice acting and Fink’s bond with Roz he really does quickly connect with the viewer quickly much like Roz did. Plus admittedly there was a certain scene involving Fink that did make me tear up a bit.

Kit Connor voices Brightbill an orphan runt Canada Goose that Roz takes care of, as the film progresses Brightbill becomes a really lovable character that you just want to root for. The one particular scene I mentioned earlier with Roz is when Roz is teaching Brightbill to fly in preparation for hibernation, while this montage plays “Kiss The Sky” by Maren Morris plays in the background and it’s quite honestly one of the best scenes from a film I’ve seen this year. It made me tear up and really summarizes the film’s theme of parenthood in a nutshell, it’s a huge showcase of Roz, Fink and Brightbill as characters and their bond. Brightbill really shines here and this montage is such a special transformation for him as a character.

The animation is absolutely stunning, it compliments the film’s world incredibly well and captures the heartfelt atmosphere that is strongly present throughout the film. The little details of the trees and water are such a beautiful touch and capture the feel of an actual island, there’s so many shots here that are jaw dropping due to just how tremendous they really are. There’s this sense of scale throughout the film, like the film’s world is massive even though we are restricted to the island for a lot of the movie. There’s so much more to explore and this sense of wonder it gets you incredibly excited.

Finally the film combines its themes masterfully, parenthood, survival, kindness and coexistence are all present throughout the film and not only are they shown through the characters actions but you can easily tell through the emotions as well. Blending all these themes together in such a heartwarming story was truly the best move and results many moments that bring the viewer to tears.

Overall The Wild Robot is a beautiful film that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I watched it. This is one that you absolutely should check out!

The Wild Robot is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+