Goat (2026) Film Review

A small goat, Will, joins a professional “roarball” team, facing skepticism from his teammates as he tries to change the game.

Goat is directed by Tyree Dillihay which is his directorial debut.

Goat is a fun little movie that does not overstay it’s welcome, it has a very basic underdog plot that isn’t going to break any new ground. However the animation, dialogue and voice cast are strong enough to help push this movie to the finish line.

The voice cast are strong here, Caleb McLaughlin as Will Harris our main character gives a great performance and really helps bring the movie along for the ride. Gabrielle Union as Jett Fillmore is also quite great and works incredibly well with McLaughlin. I definitely think the movie’s more interesting moments are the dialogue between Will Harris and Jett Fillmore, while yes the dialogue can get a bit cliche at times (the whole being disappointed in your idol thing has been done numerous times) there still is a lot of charm here that works wonderfully and does have some heartfelt moments. Everyone else here does a fine enough job (except Jelly Roll, while he isn’t necessarily bad he just kind of feels shoved in simply because he has a song at the end.)

In terms of writing this is your basic underdog story, if you have seen one of them then you know exactly how this is going to go. With that being said the writing isn’t necessarily bad, there are a few jokes here that work and I would be lying if I said I did not have fun with it. I do like the character writing for Will Harris we explore where he came from and his community, plus there is theme of struggle of pursuing dreams without financial resources. While it’s not done in a groundbreaking way, it is done in a way that really does feel genuine and comes from the heart, it’s easily some of the movie’s best moments

Finally there is the animation which is very well detailed and done, the movement during the basketball game scenes are investing and really brings your eyes to explore the whole screen. Even if the final game isn’t this huge grand finale the movie sets it up to be, the animation alone is enough to help push it to the end.

Overall Goat is a solid little movie that has some solid character writing, animation and dialogue. It’s on the weak side when it comes to the whole underdog story, but knows what it’s sent out to do and accomplishes it.

Goat is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

NYFF Review: Scarlet (2025)

A sword-wielding princess embarks on a dangerous quest to avenge the death of her father. She soon meets an idealistic young man who shows her the possibility of a future free of bitterness and rage.

New York Film Festival Review

Scarlet is directed by Mamoru Hosoda director of One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), Summer Wars (2009), Wolf Children (2012), The Boy and the Beast (2015), Mirai (2018) and Belle (2021)

Mamoru Hosoda is a director who has delivered consistently with tons of great films that lead to some fantastic and mesmerizing experiences, however coming off of Hosoda’s previous film Belle (2021) his newest film Scarlet is quite a big disappointment. The film undeniably has some gorgeous animation that leads to some strong sequences and the final act ends up being a bit better than the movie’s rough middle portion. However Scarlet is ultimately a very watered down version of Willam Shakespeare’s Hamlet that does not add anything new or compelling.

The voice cast is all around great, with such a shallow script the cast does what they can a while there are some well done moments and the side characters get some admittedly cute moments. It’s Scarlet herself that just does not have enough character writing to make for an investing character, during the first 30 minutes or so we get some decent character building for her and then afterwards it almost feels like the movie completely stops. So many different themes and characters are thrown at the viewer that the movie loses focus on its main character, Hijiri is a fine enough secondary main character but the whole plot point with him is incredibly predictable and can be seen coming from a mile away.

The writing wants to be more than a watered down Hamlet but fails to do so in any unique or interesting way, there’s a pop song sequence that seemingly comes out of nowhere and takes the viewer completely out of the film. The villains of the story are shallowly written most of them are nothing more but bloodthirsty henchmen and Claudius the big bad of the movie does get a solid introduction but is not seen again until the movie is almost over making any sort of intrigue as a character next to impossible.

The animation is without a doubt the best part of the movie, as I said before it leads to some genuinely stunning moments and fun sequences. The attention to detail is sharp, clear and makes the movie’s world stand out a bit more. But that’s about as far as it goes, the animation can really only do so much when you have such a shallow script that fails to elaborate on any of its characters.

Scarlet is a disappointment, it’s a shame because there was potential for something great here. The right materials are here and the way the movie tackles life and death is genuinely interesting. But unfortunately the middle portion heavily lacks strong writing and is way to forgettable for its own good.

Scarlet releases in theaters December 12th (Limited) and February 6th (Wide)

5/10 C

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires (2025) Film Review

the time of the Aztec Empire, Yohualli Coatl – a young Aztec boy – experiences tragedy when his father and village leader, Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli escapes to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of imminent danger. Using the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, as a lair, Yohualli trains with his mentor and assistant, Acatzin, developing equipment and weaponry to confront the Spaniard invasion, protect Moctezuma’s temple, and avenge his father’s death.

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires is directed by Juan Meza-León which is his directorial debut.

Another take on Batman and a take that I’m not entirely sure really worked even after watching, admittedly it is a unique take on the Batman mythology but that’s quite honestly the only thing that stands out.

The voice acting is at least decent and makes for some engaging moments, even if the characters are a bit on the bland side of things. There were attempts at different spins on certain characters such as Two-Face and The Joker, some spins are definitely more elaborate and detailed than others, but none of them are incredibly noteworthy. Two-Face definitely gets the bigger end of the stick as he’s a huge part of the film and actually done decently, The Joker feels more of an afterthought (the movie sets up for a sequel.)

The writing is a mixed bag, on one hand you have some solid interactions between Batman and Acatzin and Batman with Catwoman, but on the other you have a story that despite having a unique setting often feels like you have seen this before. A lot of the familiar beats from these DC animated films are present here and unfortunately hurt the story in the long run. The story itself has its moments which mainly come from the voice cast trying their absolute hardest to sell the movie to the viewer, but a lot of the time it’s painfully predictable and fails to give some of these characters the writing they need to standout.

Finally there’s the animation which mostly works, it takes a bit to get used to since admittedly it is a step down from other DC animated films. But it’s really not all that bad, the best thing you can say about it is that it’s unique and whereas the writing fails to really take advantage of the setting, the animation at the very least steps up to the plate and works with what’s available. There might not be any jaw dropping moments with the animation, but it’s consistent and gets the job done.

Overall despite a unique setting Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires is very bland and doesn’t really offer anything exciting. There is moments of promise, but those are quickly overtaken by more forgettable ones and a bland story that feels very thrown together.

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires is available on all VOD platforms.

4/10 D+

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+

Fixed (2025) Film Review

After learning he’s getting neutered, a dog has 24 hours to squeeze in one last balls-to-the-wall adventure with the boys.

Fixed is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky director of The Hotel Transylvania movies (2012-2022) and tons of TV work such as Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003).

Much like a lot of people Tartakovsky was a part of my childhood, if you grew up with Cartoon Network there’s a huge chance that you have at least seen some of his work. His style of animation was always appealing to the eye, the characters were exciting, had some surprisingly well thought out development that audiences can appreciate. Whether it was something silly and fun like Dexter’s Laboratory or something more dark in tone like Samurai Jack Tartakovsky always had a way to tell a story through animation.

So it makes it all the more puzzling on how Fixed came to be, it’s the direct opposite of what Tartakovsky usually does. Which I do understand directors trying to go for something completely different, the idea of a Tartakovsky directed adult cartoon is not necessarily a bad one. But a lot of what made Tartakovsky such a great director and creator is just not present at all in Fixed, instead we get a movie that somehow makes Sausage Party (2016) look like a masterpiece in comparison.

I will say that the 2D animation is genuinely great, it’s a shame it’s used for a movie that essentially boils down to “haha dog balls” or “haha dick joke” but there are times where the animation is creatively used, unfortunately those moments do not go far enough. One moment you have some genuinely striking animation and the next moment you have dog balls shoved in your face. In fact that goes for more than the animation, every time the movie is trying to have a somewhat serious moment it’s always proceeded by an unfunny joke that completely deflates the feel of the scene that just occurred.

The jokes are basically dick jokes, dog balls or dogs having sex, with none of these jokes being clever at the slightest. With the exception of one genuinely decent joke that isn’t sex related, every single other joke falls flat on its face. It’s an absolute shame because there was a lot of potential here, unfortunately when you have a script that feels like it was written by edgy teenagers you can only do so much.

The voice acting is not terrible, but it’s most certainly not anything to write home about. Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, River Gallo and Fred Armisen are all very talented actors but the material they are given here is flat out terrible. Adam DeVine as the lead is annoying, easily one of the worst parts of the movie (and that’s saying something) and just painful to listen to. None of these characters have any meaningful development, all of it is cliche character types that you have already seen.

Overall Fixed is nothing but 85 minutes of the exact same joke over and over again, the story fails to invest the viewer and could have easily been put into a 30 minute TV episode. As annoying as Sausage Party (2016) got at the very least there was a creative angle the movie took even if it wasn’t very often. Fixed is basically the exact same thing except it’s not clever and never tries to be. Even if you are a fan of adult animation this is something I don’t recommend.

Fixed is available on Netflix.

2/10 F

KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Film Review

A world-renowned K-Pop girl group balance their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as demon hunters.

KPop Demon Hunters is directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang! Appelhans previously directed Wish Dragon (2021) and this being Maggie Kang’s directorial debut!

KPop Demon Hunters is the biggest surprise so far this year, this was a film I was not originally going to watch mainly due to my huge lack of knowledge of K-Pop as a genre of music. I only really know the more mainstream groups and that’s about where my knowledge ends, luckily for people not super into the genre like myself you do not need to be that knowledgeable to jump right into this film. It incorporates elements of the genre while also focusing on being just an overall fantastic film that has so much going for it and even more to really love.

Right off the bat, the voice cast is brilliant the main three characters we follow Rumi, Mira and Zoey almost immediately are filled with charm when they are introduced. The voice acting from Adren Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo is beautifully done, all three have this natural chemistry that you feel from their words and emotions. There’s so much fun dynamics, banter and even character moments shared between the three, it all meshes into this beautifully told story that really captivates the viewer due to the attention to detail that goes into the character designs. Ahn Hyo-seop who voices Jinu is also quite fantastic as well, his moments with Rumi are some of the film’s best that help push the film forward as well as bring out the film’s themes.

The animation is absolutely gorgeous, there’s a lot of attention to detail here that not only went towards the character designs but also the background, the film’s world and the overall atmosphere. There is so much to explore in this world with tons of fun moments during the song sequences, it’s electrifying and never leaves the viewer with a dull moment. The film’s background also tells the story as well, when the foreground is not exactly busy there is always something going on in the background whether it’s fun character movements or just beautifully done animation.

The music is well done and does a great job of translating this style of music to the film, Golden, Free, Takedown and How it’s Done are some of the film’s standouts although the whole track list is quite great. Each of the songs has its own personality and flavor to them that keeps things incredibly fresh throughout the film. The song sequences are also beautifully animated with a lot going on and so much energy in the air that it ultimately builds to beautiful finale.

The story might not exactly be anything new and has a few hiccups, with that being said that is not nearly enough to stop the film’s story from being effective. There’s this 90s classic anime feel such as Sailor Moon that when paired with this exciting style of animation is absolutely exciting and almost feels like it’s putting this era into a different perspective. The visual storytelling is also fantastic there’s a lot of moments here where lines do not have to be said, the music pushes it forward in this way that the viewer can clearly understand.

Overall KPop Demon Hunters is so far the best animated film of the year as well as being one of the best films of the year in general. Be sure to watch this one if you haven’t!

KPop Demon Hunters is available on Netflix.

9/10 A

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

The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck become Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble-gum factory uncover a secret alien mind-control plot. Faced with cosmic odds, they must save their town and the world while not driving each other totally looney.

The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is directed by Pete Browngardt which although it is his feature directorial debut he has worked on many shows you would recognize such as Futurama, The Venture Bros, Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time and is the creator of Uncle Grandpa.

Believe it or not The Day The Earth Blew Up is the first fully animated and theatrical released Looney Tunes film, which is something that does not sound real but sure enough it is. If there’s one word to describe this film it’s charming, what Browngardt did with the Looney Tunes here is absolutely well done and incredibly imaginative. It has this sense of nostalgia without feeling like it’s trying to bait the audience and throw half a dozen easter eggs at you, it’s a film where long time fans and newcomers can really enjoy and walk away from the film loving the Looney Tunes all over again or wanting to get into them more.

The voice acting is top notch, Eric Bauza who voices both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig is the best he’s ever been, there’s so much charm to the characters and it’s all captured in the familiar voices of the characters. Having Daffy Duck and Porky Pig together is also quite neat, I grew up with Duck Dodgers a show that was on Cartoon Network that also had Daffy and Porky as the main characters. So it does bring a sense of nostalgia to see the two on screen together again and much like in Duck Dodgers they are both excellent here. The humor, their two personalities and the writing really brings out everything that we all love about these two characters. Candi Milo as Petunia Pig is a nice mix as well, Peter MacNicol as The Invader gives some great laughs over the course of the film.

The humor is very well done and is pretty spot on when capturing the spirit of the Looney Tunes. Even when the film goes for more of the newer type of humor it still works, one particular scene of (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams showing up is genuinely hilarious and works in this fun way. There’s some fourth wall breaking jokes that are actually pretty charming, I don’t think these jokes would have worked nearly as well had this not been a Looney Tunes film but due to the charm and the way they are executed they work well here and match the tone.

The charm of the film is ultimately what makes the film, you can tell Browngardt and the many other writers wanted to make this special as well as a tribute to the Looney Tunes franchise as a whole. Not only does the film accomplish that it does its own thing, as I said earlier the film does not rely on nostalgia or easter eggs to bring the viewer in. It relies on classic Looney Tunes shenanigans, humor and energetic voice acting to bring it all together. The animation is also filled to the brim of charm with so much detail and so much to look at it’s incredibly pleasing to the eyes.

Overall The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is such a fun film that any Looney Tunes fan will love, there’s so much passion put here and respect for the franchise. Definitely be sure to check this one out!

The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

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