Dog’s Movie House: “Devotion,” “Strange World,” Entertaining Thanksgiving Fare!
Howdy folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at a couple of Thanksgiving movies that each offer something for everyone! First we have “Devotion” a biographical drama about Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors), the first black fighter pilot in the Korean War. Then we have Disney’s latest animated film, “Strange World,” which borrows from Jules Verne and “Fantastic Voyage” to create an entertaining family adventure. But first we get started with “Devotion!”
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “The Sea Beast” & “Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank” Ambitious Animation With Mixed Results!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at some animated films that have hit the big and small screen in the last couple weeks. Animation has become more and more sophisticated over the years, with Disney/Pixar and Universal leading the way, often telling stories that are as emotionally complex and visually inventive as their live action counterparts. However, ambition only gets you so far as the execution has to be there to make it a compelling film. Last week we received a prime example of how the animation craft can create something truly marketable. “The Sea Beast” is a Netflix original that should have been on the big screen. It’s that good! This week we have a Nickelodeon film called “Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank” a comedy-adventure involving a dog (Michael Cera) attempting to become a samurai in an ancient land filled with cats. It’s also an animated homage to “Blazing Saddles.” but more on that later. “Paws Of Fury” aims high to be a kiddie version of a Mel Brooks film, but uneven execution and multiple (unfunny) references to a classic film its target audience has no idea exists make this one a bit of a misfire.
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “Lightyear” Is Another Pixar Winner And A Whole Different Side Of The Popular Toy Story Character!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at Pixar’s latest, the first to hit the theaters in over two years. (Everything else has gone straight to Disney+). This one’s called “Lightyear” and it’s the story of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, Buzz Lightyear. It’s actually the film that inspired the famous toy that Andy gets for his birthday at the beginning of the original “Toy Story.” While it doesn’t possess the whimsy of the Toy Story films it’s still a wonderfully entertaining film in it’s own right and could be the start of a whole new series of adventures for Buzz and his gang.
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “Vivo” Bright Musical Animated Feature!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at the latest Netflix animated offering. It’s a musical adventure called “Vivo” and it reminds me of a kid’s version of “In The Heights,” which is no coincidence as both feature catchy songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda who’s seemingly everywhere these days. I don’t mind, though, if Miranda’s gonna keep pumping out dance worthy tunes like the ones found in this film. The story has a few cliches, but some great character work along with the aforementioned music make “Vivo” a fun and lively film for the whole family!
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “Tom & Jerry” Disappointing Mish-Mash!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at an “update” of a classic MGM cartoon. Director Tim Story (“Ride Along”) has put together a feature length version of the classic Tom & Jerry cartoons. The result is an embarrassing hodge-podge of out dated pop culture references, old rap songs, and human actors struggling with a script that makes none of these performers look good.
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