★★★★ Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own. What would a gory, 2D-animated version of the George Romero classic look like? Night of the Animated Dead is here with all the answers! A voice cast built from recognizable names fills the … Continue reading Film Review: Night of the Animated Dead
VIFF 2021: Lamya’s Poem
★★★★ Lamya’s Poem is an animated treasure inspired by the works of 13th century poet, Jalaladin Muhammad Rumi. This cleverly scripted classic 2D-animation weaves together the story of a modern Syrian child fleering war against Rumi’s personal tale of his hometown being overrun by the Mongols. The two storylines flow harmoniously together, complimenting each tale … Continue reading VIFF 2021: Lamya’s Poem
Film Review: The Addams Family 2
★★★★ While I can confidently say nothing can ever match the energy and excellence of the two 90s Addams Family films, this CGI-animated sequel does right by its timeless characters. Following 2019’s very fun reboot of the series, The Addams Family 2 is the road trip sequel you never knew you needed. Returning cast is … Continue reading Film Review: The Addams Family 2
TIFF 2021: Flee
★★★★★ Emotionally compelling, satisfying, and incredibly raw—Flee is all three of these things, which surprised me even more being that its very concept is unconventional and risky. Flee blends the worlds of animation and documentary into a film unlike any I have ever seen before. Amin’s story being told in this fashion makes for some … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Flee
Fantasia International Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
2021's edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival collects genre cinema of the highest order and eclectic filmmakers with a unique vision. It also happened to have quite a few films I had seen at previous festivals. This wrap-up acts as the cherry-topper for an unconventional fest; included beyond the jump is our entire festival … Continue reading Fantasia International Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
Film Review: Cryptozoo
★★★★ Cryptozoo is a special brand of strange adult animation, the likes of which would find a perfect home at the doorstep of Adult Swim. Beautiful and trippy 2D animation feels like sketchy illustrations brought to life. The sheer scale they are able to achieve on a limited indie budget is jaw-dropping to behold. The … Continue reading Film Review: Cryptozoo
Fantasia 2021: Hayop-Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story
★★★★ Acting as my first review for 2021’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story (coming to Netflix later this year under the translated title, You Animal!) could not have been a better table-setter. A saucy and deeply horny animated love story that is decidedly not for younger viewers, this film took … Continue reading Fantasia 2021: Hayop-Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story
Film Review: Vivo
★★★★★ Despite a noticeable lack of advertising push, Sony Animation’s Vivo is a colorful, emotional, and utterly profound family film. When I started watching on Netflix, I figured I was essentially in store for an animated In the Heights—instead, Vivo feels much more Coco. I did not realize just how deeply I needed a feel-good … Continue reading Film Review: Vivo
Film Review: The Boss Baby: Family Business
★★★★ I was very late to the party when it came to 2017’s The Boss Baby. Though it rather controversially was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Film, it was critically overlooked. When I watched it for the first time on Netflix, I was surprised at how harmonious the heart and humor work together. … Continue reading Film Review: The Boss Baby: Family Business
TV Review: Monsters at Work
Judging from the first two episodes (one of which I viewed at the in-person Tribeca Film Festival premiere), Monsters at Work has some work to do. A spin-off from the excellent, Oscar-nominated Disney/Pixar collaboration Monsters, Inc. and its highly entertaining prequel, Monsters University, this is the first time we are presented this world from a … Continue reading TV Review: Monsters at Work