Tag: Adventure

365 Movies in 365 Days: The Snowman (1982)

~ Liam ~ 2 Comments

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: The Snowman 
Release Date: December 27, 1982
Director: Dianne Jackson
Production Company: TVC London | Snowman Enterprises
Main Cast:

  • Raymond Briggs – Narrator

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A young boy makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life at midnight and takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus

My Thoughts:

The Snowman was released right at the age when I would’ve thought I was “too grown up” for this kind of story, so although I was familiar with it, I’d never watched it before.  It’s with a little regret because I’d like to know what it’s like to see through a child’s imaginative eyes, even a jaded preteen.  The story is pretty simple, and a little bit strange.  A boy creates a snowman and at night it comes to life and they go on adventures together.  The snowman can even fly which is not something I expected snow people to do, but then again it’s not that big a stretch from a snowman walking and talking.

Rating: ****

Movie Review: Wicked: For Good (2025)

~ Liam ~ 4 Comments

Title: Wicked: For Good
Release Date: November 21, 2025
Director: Jon M. Chu
Production Company: Marc Platt Productions
Main Cast:

  • Ariana Grande as Galinda “Glinda” Upland
    • Scarlett Spears as young Glinda
  • Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
  • Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
  • Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
  • Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp
  • Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman
  • Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
  • Bowen Yang as Pfannee
  • Bronwyn James as ShenShen
  • Colman Domingo as the voice of Brrr the Cowardly Lion
  • Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of Dulcibear
  • Dee Bradley Baker as the voice of Chistery

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.

My Thoughts:

After a year long intermission, we finally get the second act of Wicked.  And sadly it is not as good as it’s predecessor.  Let me qualify that by noting it’s a perfectly enjoyable film, and I enjoy spending time in this world with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.  But there are a lot of reasons that the second film pales compared to its predecessor.  For one thing, the songs aren’t as good.  The exception is the title track, “For Good,” which is a lovely, tear-inducing number.  But most of the musical performances feel like they’re killing time until the next plot point.  Meanwhile, the plot advances rabidly in short scenes, rapidly filling in the details to get us to the next set piece.

The heart of this movie is that Glinda and Elphaba must be changed.  Glinda has to become a revolutionary in her own way, while Elphaba mus accept that she will never be accepted and allow the Wicked Witch to be “killed.”  The film deals with this well.  It’s just that everything else is lightly touched upon.  Nessa becoming a tyrant and using the power of her silver slippers is reduced to one scene.  Madame Morrible being the real villain behind the throne is something of an afterthought, and despite her power she’s captured easily.  And the whole concept of Boq becoming the Tin Woodsman and Fiyero becoming the Scarecrow (things that don’t happen in the book) don’t really have a plot reason.

I expect some fan on the internet will edit the two movies down into one excellent film, but until then this was a perfectly enjoyable night out at the movies, if not as good as it could’ve been.

Rating: ***

TV Review: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025)

~ Liam ~ 2 Comments

In what should be a long-term project, I plan to watch and review every Star Trek television show and movie in the order that they were released.

Title: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Release Date:  July 17-September 11, 2025
Production Company:  Secret Hideout | Weed Road Pictures | H M R X Productions | Roddenberry Entertainment | CBS Studios
Episodes:  10
Summary/Review:

It’s been a couple of years since I last watched Strange New Worlds and I’ve watched a lot of other Star Trek in the interim.  It’s took me a bit to get re-accustomed to this part of the Star Trek universe. Or maybe it’s not as good as I remembered. This is the New Trek series that is supposed to fun and episodic and capture the spirit of it’s 20th century progenitors.  But I found it becoming more grimdark and serialized like Discovery.  I also feel after the first two seasons the show was set to go off into new adventures, but spent much of this season revisiting old plotlines.  And the element of the show that makes references to old Star Trek to delight superfans has gone from cute to overwhelming.  There are still a lot of enjoyable episodes and great scenes and characters throughout the series, just on the whole I don’t think it’s as good as it could’ve been.

Top 5 Episodes:

  1. Terrarium
  2. A Space Adventure Hour
  3. The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail
  4. Four-and-a-Half Vulcans
  5. What Is Starfleet?

And the biggest stinker: Hegemony, Part II

Related Posts:

NOTE: The capsule reviews below the cut presume familiarity with the episodes and contain SPOILERS!

Continue reading “TV Review: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025)” →

Movie Review: Elio (2025)

~ Liam ~ 1 Comment

Title: Elio
Release Date: June 10, 2025
Director:Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, Adrian Molina
Production Company: Pixar
Main Cast:

  • Yonas Kibreab as Elio Solís
  • Zoe Saldaña as Olga Solís
  • Remy Edgerly as Glordon
  • Brandon Moon as Helix
  • Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon
  • Jameela Jamil as Questa
  • Dylan Gilmer as Bryce
  • Jake Getman as Caleb
  • Matthias Schweighöfer as Tegmen
  • Ana de la Reguera as Turais
  • Atsuko Okatsuka as Naos
  • Shirley Henderson as Ooooo
  • Brendan Hunt as Gunther Melmac
  • Naomi Watanabe as Auva]
  • Anissa Borrego as Mira
  • Shelby Young as Diplo Ship
  • Bob Peterson as Universal Users Manual
  • Kate Mulgrew as the narrator of the Voyager 1 Museum Exhibit
  • Tamara Tunie as Colonel Markwell
  • Carl Sagan, archival recordings

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.

My Thoughts:

Elio, an 11-year-old orphan raised by his aunt Olga, is obsesses with space and aliens.  His wish finally comes true and he’s abducted by a community of aliens who consider him Earth’s leader.  However, the Communiverse is threatened by the warlord Lord Grigon, so Elio decides trying to act as an ambassador.  Elio bonds with Grigon’s more sanguine son Glordon, and their shared struggles help strengthen relationships with their respective guardians.  This is a sweet movie with delightful animation and a lot of the usual Pixar charm, although perhaps too thematically repetitious from previous movies.  Voice cameos by Kate Mulgrew and Carl Sagan are nice touches for space and science fiction fans.  I’m not sure why this movie bombed especially since so many people claim to want original stories instead of sequels and reboots.

Rating: ***1/2

 

TV Review: Star Trek: Voyager (1999-2000)

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In what should be a long-term project, I plan to watch and review every Star Trek television show and movie in the order that they were released.

Title: Star Trek: Voyager
Release Date: September 22, 1999-May 24, 2000
Production Company: Paramount Television
Episodes:  26
Summary/Review:

In the penultimate season of Voyager, the ship makes some leaps closer to home and begins regular communication with Starfleet. These are good touches for the ongoing story although it never becomes close to the serialized as Deep Space Nine.  Some members of the ensemble cast get some very strong character episodes, especially Seven of Nine and The Doctor, and to a lesser extent, Janeway, Tuvok, and B’Ellana.  Meanwhile, Tom and Harry get some not so good episodes, while Chakotay and Neelix seem to be only supporting characters.  Like much of Voyager there are some moments when it really shines, especially in some of the more experimental episodes.  This is tempered by episodes where they go back to the well too many times for tired old ideas.  Overall, while there are not really any classic episodes, there aren’t really any terrible episodes either.  Voyager’s consistent good but not great nevertheless remains enjoyable to watch.

Top 5 Episodes:

  • Blink of an Eye
  • One Small Step
  • Pathfinder
  • Riddles
  • Memorial

And the biggest stinker: Fury

Related Posts:

NOTE: The capsule reviews below the cut presume familiarity with the episodes and contain SPOILERS!

Continue reading “TV Review: Star Trek: Voyager (1999-2000)” →

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Blew Up (2025)

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Title: The Day the Earth Blew Up
Release Date: Pete Browngardt
Director: March 14, 2025
Production Company: Warner Bros. Animation
Main Cast:

  • Eric Bauza -Daffy Duck/Porky Pig
  • Candi Milo – Petunia Pig/An Old Lady
  • Peter MacNicol – The Invader
  • Fred Tatasciore -Farmer Jim/The Scientist
  • Laraine Newman as Mrs. Grecht
  • Wayne Knight as the Mayor of Grandview

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Porky and Daffy, the classic animated odd couple, turn into unlikely heroes when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot. Against all odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!)…that is if they don’t drive each other crazy in the process.

My Thoughts:

In this version of the Looney Tunes universe, Daffy and Porky were raised by a kind farmer and then given a house to live in together when they grew up.  Unfortunately their house may be condemned if they can’t repair a hole in the roof.  They find work at a bubblegum factory at the same time an alien invader is plotting to use bubblegum for a plot to control the minds of humanity. Porky and Daffy team up with the nerdy flavor scientist Petunia to save the world.

It’s interesting what the filmmakers chose NOT to do in making this movie.  It’s not overly reverent to the classic Warner Bros shorts and no other Looney Tunes characters appear in the movie.  There are some dream sequences that are an homage to classic animation as well as clever use of Carl Stalling’s musical queues, but mostly this movie is it’s own thing.  It’s also not the type of kid’s movie peppered with pop culture references and smart ass “jokes.”  There’s some of that, but less of it in the entire movie than I saw in just the trailer for The Smurfs, also released this year.  The movie also adopts Daffy’s personality from the early shorts – where he’s loony and chaotic – as opposed to the later decades when he became more angry and scheming.

In total the movie is a fun collection of physical humor, running gags, and all-around silliness.  It’s not flawless, but certainly something a whole family could enjoy, or – as in my case – to pass a few hours on a flight.

Rating: ***

TV Review: Star Trek: Voyager (1998-1999)

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In what should be a long-term project, I plan to watch and review every Star Trek television show and movie in the order that they were released.

Title: Star Trek: Voyager
Release Date: October 14, 1998-May 26, 1999
Production Company: Paramount Television
Episodes:  26
Summary/Review:

I have to confess that after finishing Deep Space Nine I was a little bit bummed to have three seasons of the inferior Voyager to watch back-to-back-to-back.  But Season 5 finds Voyager in a great place!  They’re really embracing the Delta Quadrant as a place to encounter “strange new worlds.”  And they’re also doing great things with character development and relationships among them.  The combination of weirdness and character focus reminds me of the original series which is never a bad thing!

Top 5 Episodes:

  1. Gravity
  2. Relativity
  3. Timeless
  4. Someone to Watch Over Me
  5. Dark Frontier

And the biggest stinker: Warhead

Related Posts:

NOTE: The capsule reviews below the cut presume familiarity with the episodes and contain SPOILERS!

Continue reading “TV Review: Star Trek: Voyager (1998-1999)” →

Movie Review: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

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Title: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Director: Matt Shakman
Production Company: Marvel Studios
Main Cast:

  • Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic
  • Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing
  • Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch
  • Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer:
  • Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols
  • Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert 
  • Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman
  • Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder / Mole Man
  • Ralph Ineson as Galactus

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.

My Thoughts:

The good news: Sue Storm and Reed Richards are having a baby.  The bad news: the god-like Galactus is coming to devour Earth.  Worse news:  Galactus will spare Earth in exchange for the baby, and the people of Earth are pissed off when Sue and Reed say no.  This is the central conflict of this superhero story in which our heroes battle to save the world not just with a punch-up but with their intellect.  Reed is a scientist, Sue is a diplomat, Johnny Storm is good with languages, and Ben Grimm has compassion.  Oh, and they’re a family taking care of a baby who struggle to install a car seat.  To me, the Fantastic Four feel like the most “grown-up” of superheroes.

I haven’t seen any other Fantastic Four media to compare it with, but I thought this iteration of their story was well done.  Much like Superman, they skip the origin story and fill in the details of their back story with a talk show montage.  Also like Superman, the movie deals with serious, real life issues but avoids the cliches of “grim dark” storytelling while centering human kindness.  The aesthetic of this film is terrific, an alternate Earth with a retrofuture mid-century modern design, as if the whole world looked like the 1964 World’s Fair.  Michael Giacchino’s score also fits the vibe and stands out from the music of other movies in the genre.

Rating: ***1/2

365 Movies in 365 Days: Priorities (2014)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Priorities
Release Date: January 5, 2014
Director: Gints Zilbalodis
Production Company: Janis Rozentals Art Highschool
Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

After a plane crash, a young man and his dog, who are stranded on an deserted island, must bond together in order to survive the elements.

My Thoughts:

In an early work from the creator of Flow, a pilot and a yellow lab are stranded on an island after a crash.  The man works toward survival and rescue, but the dog wants to play.  Which should be the top priority?

Rating: ***1/2

Movie Review: Superman (2025)

~ Liam ~ 2 Comments