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Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is lighthearted and pleasant. First things first, Sonic the Hedgehog marks the return of Jim Carrey after a 4-year hiatus from films, and nothing has changed. Carrey develops Sonic's nemesis, Dr. Eggman (or Dr. Robotnik), a typical shallow villain, into another one of his classic comic characters. This is easily one of the highlights of the film and watching Carrey on the silver screen again is exciting. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures James Marsden and Tika Sumpter deliver performances and play characters that are likable. Marsden's role can be likened to his in the 2011 film Hop , where, again, he assists an ebullient anthropomorphized animal in defeating an eccentric enemy. These types of characters fit him especially well because of how conspicuous his animated expressions are. Sonic the Hedgehog and its innocent humor does tend more towards a kids' film. Though there is some teenager appeal due to the popularity of Sega's video g

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is an action-packed affair of harlequin clothes, chemicals and confetti. It is fun, quirky and, most of all, entertaining. Margot Robbie's lovable portrayal of the loony Harley Quinn and her shenanigans are truly the key to Birds of Prey . Her character's idiosyncrasies and flippant nature are what make this film enjoyable. Ewan McGregor's performance is great too. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is okay. I am not a huge fan of the other actors though; I found them to be slightly irritating and their dialogues a bit forced. Though the producers did form an ethnically diverse cast, apart from Robbie and McGregor, it turned out to be lackluster. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Director Cathy Yan has made the film's comedy such that it is silly, but still R-rated. Deciding to have the events narrated by Quinn herself exemplifies her previously mentioned flippancy. With doodles, and completely frank and witty quips, her commentary throughout the fil

Little Women

Little Women is a (practically) flawless film that celebrates a lot more than sisterhood; it is a story about reminiscences and regrets, dreams and despair, hope and heartbreak - all packed into one brilliant adaptation by Greta Gerwig, known most notably for Lady Bird , of the classic by Louisa May Alcott. The film follows the experiences of four sisters - Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth - as they enter adulthood and have to navigate their way through the labyrinth of life by overcoming obstacles and finding happiness in their own unique ways. Saoirse Ronan's acting is profound. Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen are marvelous. Timothée Chalamet is amazing. And, of course, there are Laura Dern and Meryl Streep who deliver contrasting - yet, in their own right, powerful - performances. The result is a star-studded medley of impeccable acts, leading to this sublime film. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Production and costume design are vital to any periodic drama, and Litt

Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari is an exhilarating film that is based on the journey of automotive designer (and ex-race car driver) Carroll Shelby and race car driver Ken Miles to build a car for Ford to compete against Ferrari at the race 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. Director James Mangold (known most notably for directing Logan ) does a fantastic job in making this film worth the watch. His style is reminiscent of Damien Chazelle's in last year's critically acclaimed Apollo 11 biopic, First Man , where the cinematography connects the audience to the scenes by allowing them to witness the events from carefully chosen vantage points and the screenplay gives glimpses into the characters' personalities and relationships (like an impromptu dance scene). The cinematography and screenplay synergize with each other to create an intimate and active experience (unlike First Man , where the experience is meant to be a lot more passive) where you feel like a part of the film. Now, Ford

The Lion King

The Lion King is a beautiful live action remake of the 1994 classic from Disney. While it roars resoundingly in certain aspects, it cowers in others. First and foremost, the movie gives the audience exactly what they’re expecting. The plot is almost exactly the same (I’ll mention the few nugatory changes later) as the original, and the songs are pretty much verbatim; this is unlike Aladdin , for example, in which Disney has incorporated a modern twist to the remake. The best part about maintaining the storyline is the nostalgia that it invokes in the audience’s minds, especially for those for whom the original is a fond childhood memory. This also creates a unique effect of dramatic irony, where the audience knows what is going to happen, while the characters don’t. The looming future events foreshadow what’s going on in the scene, making certain scenes much more emotionally moving (unlike the first time). Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures Now, for the one main drawb

Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4 takes Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang on one final adventure that ultimately leads to a climactic conclusion to the beloved series. While this movie avoids the (very) dark overtone of the previous one, it instead tugs at the audience's heartstrings with emotionally-charged scenes that evoke feelings of nostalgia and sympathy, among others. The comedy is light and character-centric, along the lines of the previous films, with cameos by Keanu Reeves, and Key and Peele adding to the fun. I think that the highlight of the Toy Story movies (in fact, Pixar ones, in general) is the precision of anthropomorphism, a fancy term referring to the attribution of human characteristics to non-human things, especially the flaws. The toys (or cars or monsters or bugs) are so very human. They experience not-so-favorable feelings like jealousy, selfishness and hate, making them so relatable and realistic (figuratively). This is in contrast to the commonly portrayed (an

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is a rather anticlimactic ending to the series with the characters that we have known and loved for so long. Dark Phoenix takes place along the same timeline as X-Men: Apocalypse (I won't give any further details in case you haven't watched X-Men: Days of Future Past ), but has much less action. The plot is along the same lines, but is a lot weaker. Dark Phoenix sees James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan and the rest reprise their roles from the previous films. You can't help but miss Hugh Jackman as Wolverine ( Apocalypse at least had a special appearance by him) though. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Director Simon Kinberg is no stranger to the X-Men series, having been writer and producer for Days of Future Past and Apocalypse , among others. Dark Phoenix , his directorial debut, however, does not live up to them. The storyline is kind of predictable and akin to previous X

Rocketman

Rocketman is a fantastical retelling of Elton John's story that really strikes a chord with the audience, especially his fans. Right off the bat, lots of parallels can be drawn between the cinematography of Rocketman and the Freddie Mercury biopic from last year, Bohemian Rhapsody . This could be because of the fact that the same director, Dexter Fletcher, directed the Queen lead singer biopic towards the end (he directed the last two weeks of filming after Bryan Singer was fired midway, but received an executive producer credit). Furthermore, the similarities between both John and Mercury's lives are conspicuous, especially in the way that their lows were portrayed. However, there is a significant difference between the two. Rocketman is a lot more dreamy and musical-like, with the actors often breaking into song impromptu. On the other hand, in Bohemian Rhapsody , each song is very much part of what is going on in the movie, be it recording in a studio or at a co

Aladdin

Aladdin is a spectacular and dazzling real-life remake of the animated film of the same name from 1992. I was really looking forward to this movie since it was directed by Guy Ritchie (the director of classics like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels , as well as, more recently, the Sherlock Holmes series with Robert Downey Jr. and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ), and it didn't disappoint. The film has some of Ritchie's trademarks like great action scenes, shots in slow-motion and amusing comic. Overall, it does justice to the original. Before I move on, let me assert that Aladdin is a musical (with a lot more songs than I remember from the original, but I was really young then); there is action and comedy, but at heart, it's a musical, so don't expect anything less. Both Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott are very good. You can see that Massoud really enjoys playing Aladdin and Scott has some really brilliant moments. Will Smith too is very comfo