Review: Pixar's "HOPPERS" Surprises and Amazes

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 of 2026 (No. 2057) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hoppers (2026)

Running time:  104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)

Rating:  MPA – PG for action/peril, some scary images and mild language

DIRECTOR:  Daniel Chong

WRITERS:  Jesse Andrews and Daniel Chong; from a story by Jesse Andrews

PRODUCER:  Nicole Paradis Grindle

CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Jeremy Lasky and Ian Megibben

EDITOR:  Axel Geddes

COMPOSER: Mark Mothersbaugh

SONG: “Save the Day” sung by SZA and written by SZA, Ben Lovett, and Rob Bisel

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ADVENTURE/COMEDY

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

Disney/Pixar's Hoppers has some of the best chase sequences and action scenes that I've ever seen in a Pixar film. They're better than what audiences find in a lot of live-action films

The characters are an utter delight. I think most viewers of Hoppers will see themselves in Mabel Tanaka, and the animal characters memorable in the way many Disney/Pixar animated characters tend to be

The science fiction elements in Hoppers are as charming as the magical elements found in the best fantasy films. This movie is made to delight adults and children of many ages because it is one of Disney/Pixar's best

Starring:  (voices) Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Tom Law, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villasenor, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Steve Purcell, Ego Nwodim, Nichole Sakura, Meryl Streep, Karen Huie, Lila Liu, Carlos Alazraqui, Grey DeLisle, Jorden Wyrick, and Secunda Wood

Hoppers is a 2026 American animated science fiction, action, and comedy film from director Daniel Chong.  It was produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.  The film follows an animal-loving college student who transfers her mind into a robotic beaver in a bid to save a beaver habitat from destruction, actions that only lead to disaster.

Hoppers is set in and around the city of Beaverton.  The story introduces Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), a 19-year-old college student and an intense animal-lover.  When she was a child, Mabel and Grandmother Tanaka (Karen Huie) found solace in a glade in a nearby forest.  After her grandmother passes, Mabel takes it upon herself to care for the glade.

However, Beaverton's Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) has announced his new “Beaverton Beltway,” a highway system that will encircle the city in order to better connect it.  Mayor Jerry's plan includes routing the beltway through Mabel's glade mainly because he says that the animals have abandoned it.

While trying to lure the animals back to the glade, Mabel discovers that her biology professor, Dr. Sam Fairfax (Kathy Najimy), and her colleagues, Nisha (Aparna Nancherla) and Conner (Sam Richardson), have developed the “Hoppers” program.  It is a new technology that allows them to transfer their minds into robotic animals.  Mabel transfers her mind into a robotic beaver that will allow her to communicate with the beavers that once inhabited the glade.  Mabel then discovers a world of animals beyond her imagination, but her activities will lead to one disaster after another.

I won't waste my time or yours, dear readers, preaching about the quality of the animation in a Pixar film. I'd rather wait until there is a day I can complain when I find a Pixar film that visually looks inferior.  However, I will do something I have done in almost all of my reviews of Pixar films, praise this movie a lot.  Not only does Hoppers have that magical Pixar charm and heartwarming storytelling, but it also has a really strong message.  I know some people claim films should not have messages, and they are right.  If a studio is making fast food-like entertainment, if the studio is making yet another movie featuring characters running away from CGI-generated weather phenomena, then, yeah, there probably is no message that it could deliver in an interesting fashion.

However, Hoppers isn't mere entertainment product, so it does have a message.  Mabel wants to save the glade so badly that she her advocacy becomes interference and turns as disastrous and practically as destructive as Mayor Jerry's plans.  Mabel is certainly one of those Pixar characters that is both lovable and has universal appeal, but she is more than just a heartwarming character.  With here as the lead, Hoppers manages to have a message and also be a wonderful tale of friendship and redemption filled with Pixar's usual eye-popping action set pieces.  The scenes with Diane (Vanessa Bayer), the great white shark, are... well, I think they the stuff of cinematic magic.

Hoppers represents peak Pixar storytelling, and I wish that I'd seen this grand, inventively-visual cinematic gem on a theater's big screen.  Hoppers makes me want to invent adjectives to describe and to praise it, but I can simply highly recommend it.

9 of 10

A+

Saturday, September 5, 2026

The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------

---------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 12th to 18th, 2026 - UPDATE #12

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  A year after it began it record-setting run on Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters, is currently the fourth most-viewed film on Netflix for 2026.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Emmy-winner Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso") has joined star Jason Statham in director David Leitch's meta action-comedy, "Jason Statham Stole My Bike."

MOVIES - From THR:  Paramount Pictures is developing a new version of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984).  The film will be released on Paramount's new genre label, "Paramount Primal."  Paramount has secured the U.S. rights to the screenplay for the 1984 film from the estate of the late director, Wes Craven, who created the franchise.

AMAZON - From EW:  Prime Video has offered a first look at showrunner Mike Flanagan's new miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, "Carrie" (1974). Flanagan's take has been described as a "modern reinterpretation."  The novel was most famously adapted by director Brian De Palma in 1976.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/10 to 7/12/2026 weekend box office is Disney's live-action "Moana" with an estimated take of 43 million dollars.

MUSIC - From RollingStone:  Two-time Oscar-winning actor, Anthony Hopkins, has signed a deal with Decca Records.  Hopkins' release is "Life is a Dream," a project based on original classical music compositions that Hopkins wrote over a six-decade period.  The tracks have been recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Gustave Dudamel.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American songwriter, recording artist, and rock 'n' roll singer, Freddy Cannon, has died at the age of 89, Friday, July 17, 2026.  Sometimes performing as Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon, he was best known for his international hit singles, "Tallahassee Lassie" (1960), "Way Down Younder in New Orleans" (1960), and "Palisades Park" (1962).  Cannon was a pioneer in the early rock and roll music scene, and he influenced such rock and roll icons as Mick Jagger and Robert Plant.  His songs appeared in numerous films, including "Palisades Park," which was featured in the 2011 film, "X-Men: First Class."

From BBC:  Irish actress, Branda Fricker, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, July 16, 2026.  Fricker as the "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for in "My Left Food."  She was the first Irish actress to win an Oscar.  Fricker may be best remembered for her role as the "Central Park Pigeon Woman" in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."  Fricker's television work includes the British TV series, "Coronation Street" (1977) and "Casuality" (beginning in 1986), to name a few. 

From Variety:  American film and television actor, Hal Williams, has died at the age of 91, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.  Williams is best known for several roles.  The first is as "Officer Smith ('Smitty')," on NBC former sitcom, "Sanford and Son."  He was "Harley Foster" on CBS's former historical drama, "The Waltons" (1973-80).  He was a series regular and family patriarch, "Lester Jenkins," on the former NBC sitcom, "227" (1985-90).  Williams was "Drill Sergeant L.C. Ross" in the 1980 film, "Private Benjamin," and he played Sgt Ross in the short-lived CBS sitcom version of the film, "Private Benjamin" (1981-83).  Williams recently appeared on two episodes of the CBS legal drama, "Matlock."

From Variety:  New Zealand film and television actor, Sam Neill, has died at the age of 78, Monday, July 13, 2026.  Neill was best known for his work in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World film franchises, beginning with 1993's "Jurassic Park."  His other well-known film work including "Omen III: The Final Conflict" (1981), "Dead Calm" (1989), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "The Piano" (1993), "Event Horizno" (1997), "Jurassic Park III" (2001), and "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022), to name a few.  Neill was also a two-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee.

From YahooEntertainment:  Joseph Mazzello (42) and Ariana Richards (46) played the siblings Tim and Lex Murphy in the blockbuster hit, "Jurassic Park" (1993).  They paid tribute to their late costar, Sam Neill, after he died at the age of 78 on Monday (July 13th).

-----------------

From THR:  German-born, British-American actress, Antoinette Bowers, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, April 30, 2026.  Bowers had a prolific career guest-starring in numerous television series.  Her best known TV appearances where in the original versions of "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek."  Bowers was "Eve Norda" in the Season 5 Adam-and-Eve episode, "Probe 7, Over and Out," of The Twilight Zone.  She was the alien villain, "Sylvia" in the Season 2 episode, "Catspaw," of Star Trek.  Bowers also played the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, "Kim Hammond," in the classic horror film, "Prom Night" (1980).

From THR:  American film production designer, Barbara Ling, has died at the age of 73, Thursday, July 9, 2026.  Ling and set decorator, Nancy Haigh, won the Oscar for "Best Production Design" for director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).  Ling also worked did production design on three films for the late director Joel Schumacher:  "Falling Down" (1993), "Batman Forever" (1995), and "Batman and Robin" (1997).  She was the production designer on the recent box office smash, "Michael" (2026).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 14th to 20th, 2025 - UPDATE #19

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal has released a teaser trailer for Steven Spielberg's 2026 UFO film, "Disclosure Day."  The film is due June 12, 2026.

From YouTube:  The first "official teaser" for Steven Spielberg's 2026 sci-fi film, "Disclosure Day."

ROB REINER:

From USAToday:  Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner's son, Nick Reiner (32), has been taken into custody and "booked for murder" according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office records that USA Today" has viewed.

From CNN:  Acclaimed Hollywood director, Rob Reiner (78), and his wife Michele Singer Reiner (68), have been found dead inside their Brentwood, California home.  The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) are investigating their deaths as an apparent homicide.

------------------------

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/12 to 12/14/2025 weekend box office is Disney's "Zootopia 2" with an estimated take of 26.3 million dollars.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Gil Gerard, has died at the age of 82, December 16, 2025.  Gerard was best known for playing the role of Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979 film, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and the subsequent NBC spin of TV series, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979-81).  Afterwards, Gerard worked steadily in television, appearing in such series as "Sidekicks," "E.A.R.T.H. Force," and "Days of Our Lives," to name a few.  Before playing "Buck Rogers," Gerard appeared in the NBC daytime soap opera, "The Doctors" (1973-76).

From People:  American television actor, Anthony Geary, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, December 14, 2025.  Anthony was best known for the role of "Luke Spencer" on the ABC daytime soap opera, "General Hospital."  Luke was part of the dynamic pair "Luke and Laura (Genie Francis)," whose 1981 wedding on General Hospital" was a huge pop culture event.  For the role of Luke Spencer, Geary was nominated in the Daytime Emmy Award category of "Outstand Lead Actor in Drama" 16 times and won a record eight times.

From Deadline:   American television actor and writer and film director, actor, and writer, Rob Reiner, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, December 14, 2025.  Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found stabbed to death in their home.  Reiner's best known was as the character, "Michael 'Meathead' Stivic," on the former CBS sitcom, "All in the Family" from 1971-78. He received five Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for the role, winning twice (1974, 1978).  As a film director, he is best known for such films as "This is Spinal Tap" (1984), "Stand by Me" (1986), "The Princess Bride" (1987), "When Harry Met Sally" (1989), "Misery" (1990), "A Few Good Men" (1992), "The American President" (1995), and "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996), to name a few.  Reiner was nominated for the "Best Picture" Oscar for "A Few Good Men."  Reiner was the son of the late acting couple Estelle (Lebost) Reiner (1914-2008) and Carl Reiner (1922-2020).

From Deadline:  Hollywood tributes pour in for director and actor, Rob Reiner, who was found dead in his home with his wife, Michee.

-------------

MOVIE AWARDS 2025-26:

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 Southern Eastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up three wins, including "Best Film." 

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCC) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up eights wins, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson), and "Best Actor" (Leonardo DiCaprio).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" won "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Awards have been announced.  Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" won six awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCC) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up eights wins, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson), and "Best Actor" (Leonardo DiCaprio).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up nine wins, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson), and "Best Actor" (Leonardo DiCaprio).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" won five awards including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) Awards have been announced.  Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" won three awards, including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Ryan Coogler).

From Empire:  "Empire Magazine" has named director Ryan Coogler's vampire epic, "Sinners," the "2025 Film of the Year."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up six wins, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From AwardsWatch: The winners at the 2025 Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up nine wins, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From AwardsWatch:  The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) have announced the winners at the 17th Annual AAFCA Awards.  Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" won 8 awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Ryan Coogler), and "Best Actor" (Michael B. Jordan).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 Michigan Movie Critics Guild (MMCG) Awards have been announced.  Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" won 8 awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Ryan Coogler), and "Best Actor" (Michael B. Jordan).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Awards have been announced.  Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" won 10 awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Ryan Coogler), and "Best Actor" (Michael B. Jordan).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Awards winners have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up four wins, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2025 / 51st Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picked up three wins, including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 National Board of Review Awards have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" picks up five wins, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson), and "Best Actor" (Leonardo DiCaprio).

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 83rd Annual Golden Globes have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" leads the film categories with nine nominations. HBO's "The White Lotus" leads the television category with six nominations.  The winners will be announced January 11, 2026 in a ceremony broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

From AwardsWatch:  The Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) has announced the nominations for the 2025 SFCS Awards.  Director Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" leads with a record-tying 14 nominations.  Eventual "Best Picture" Oscar winner, "Everything Everywhere All At Once," received 14 nominations in 2022.  The winners will be announced Monday, December 15, 2025.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2025 / 9th Atlanta Film Critics Circle has announced its winners.  "One Battle After Another" picks up seven wins, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson), and "Best Actor" (Leonardo DiCaprio).

From Variety:  The winners of the 2025 / 91st New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Paul Thomas Anderson's film, "One Battle After Another" wins "Best Film."  The awards will be handed out at a gala ceremony on January 6, 2026 at "Tao Downtown" in New York City.

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2025 / 35th Annual Gotham Awards have been announced.  Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s "One Battle After Another" won "Best Feature." Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and his Palme d’Or winner, "It Was Just An Accident" were the big winners, picking up "Best International Feature," "Best Director," and  "Original Screenplay."

From AwardsWatch:  Twenty films have made crossed the first hurdle in the race for the "Best Visual Effects" Oscar.  Those films include "Avatar: Fire and Ash," "Captain America: Brave New World," "Frankenstein," and "Sinners."  In a little under two weeks, those 20 will be cut down to 10.

From AwardsWatch:  The site has a list of all 322 films eligible for Oscar consideration in the animated, documentary, and international film categories.

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 38th European Film Awards have been announced.  the winners will be announced at the 38th European Film Awards ceremony, which takes place January 17, 2026.

From Deadline:  Last week (Oct. 14th), the European Film Academy shortlisted the 67 films were available to receive nominations for the 38th European Film Awards, taking place on January 17, 2026.  The shortlist included 44 feature films, 15 documentary films, and eight animated feature films.  Among the list of feature films were "Bugonia" and "Sound of Falling."  The nominations are scheduled to be announced today (Oct. 18th).

From THR:  The nominations for the 2025 / 35th Annual Gotham Films Awards have been announced.  Director Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" tops the list of nominees with a record six nominations, including "Best Feature" and "Best Director" for Anderson.  The winners will be announced December 1, 2025.

BEST PICTURE TRACKER:

"One Battle After Another" (14 wins):  Atlanta Film Critics Circle; Chicago Film Critics Association; Gotham Awards; Los Angeles Film Critics Association; National Board of Review; New York Film Critics Circle; New York Film Critics Online: Phoenix Critics Circle; Phoenix Film Critics Society; St. Louis Film Critics Association; San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle; Seattle Film Critics Society; Southern Eastern Film Critics Association; Toronto Film Critics Association

"Sinners" (5 wins):  African American Film Critics Association; Boston Society of Film Critics; Indiana Film Journalists Association; Michigan Movie Critics Guild; Washington DC Area Film Critics Association

---------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 12th to 18th, 2025 - UPDATE #9

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

EMMYS - Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced.  ABC's long-running soap, "General Hospital," wins "Outstanding Drama Series."

MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Jim Carrey is in talks to star in Warner Bros. Pictures' live-action film based on the classic Hanna-Barbera animated series, "The Jetsons."  Colin Trevorrow of "Jurassic World" fame is set to co-write and direct.

MOVIES - From Variety:  There is new information on Mel Gibson's two-part film sequel to his 2004 hit, "The Passion of the Christ." First, Finnish actor, Jaacko Ohtonen, will replace Jim Caviezel as "Jesus Christ." "The Resurrection of the Christ Part One" will arrive Good Friday, March 26, 2026, and the "The Resurrection of the Christ Part Two" is set to arrive 40 days later on May 6, 2026, which is also the holy day known as "the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord." Lionsgate is handling theatrical distribution of the film which started shooting in Italy last week.

DISNEY - From THR:  Disney+ will stream the six-issue docuseries, "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era," beginning with the first two episodes on December 12, 2025.

HARRY POTTER - From People:  The first set photos of actor John Lithgow as "Professor Albus Dumbledore" in HBO's upcoming "Harry Potter" have arrived.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/10 to 10/12/2025 weekend box office is Walt Disney Pictures' "Tron: Ares" with an estimated take of 33.5 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  David Ellison and Paramount‘s planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery has an obstacle – CEO David Zaslav.  Plus, Netflix or Amazon could be looking to add some WBD IP to their balance sheets.

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  American musician and recording artist, Ace Frehley, has died at the age of 74, Thursday, October 16, 2025.  Frehley was a founding member of the rock band, Kiss, where he was known as "The Spaceman" and "Space Ace." Frehely and was the band's lead guitarist and occasional lead singer from 1973 to 1972, when he departed the band.  He formed his own group, "Frehley's Comet," and also recorded as a solo artist.  He rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a reunion tour and again departed the band in 2002. Frehley was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2014 as a member of Kiss.  As a member of Kiss, Frehley received one Grammy Award nomination ("Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Psycho Circus"), which is, to date, the only Grammy Award nomination Kiss has ever received.

From Variety:  American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, and recording artist, D'Angelo, has died at the age of 51, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.  D'Angelo was best known as a pioneer of the neo-soul movement.  He released three acclaimed studio albums, "Brown Sugar" (1995), "Voodoo: (2000), and "Black Messiah" (2014), the last with his band, "The Vanguard." He was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards and won four times, two of those for "Best R&B Album." A fourth studio album will be released posthumously.

From THR:  American artist, illustrator, and cover designer, Drew Struzan, has died at the age of 78, Monday, October 13, 2025, after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.  Struzan is best known for the over 150 movie poster he painted, including for "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "Blade Runner" (1982), "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984), "Back to the Future" (1985), "Coming to America" (1988), "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), and "Hellboy" (2004), to name a few.  Struzan was a favorite of directors such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Guillermo del Toro.

Review: "THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS" Focuses on Family

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2025 (No. 2038) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Running time:  115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)

Rating:  MPA – PG-13 for action/violence and some language

DIRECTOR:  Matt Shakman

WRITERS:  Josh Friedman, Eric Person, and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer; from a story by Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer, and Kat Wood (based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)

PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jess Hall (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Nona Khodai and Tim Roche

COMPOSER:  Michael Giacchino

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION and FANTASY/DRAMA

Starring:  Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, and Matthew Wood (voice)

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- I found the lead characters, “The Fantastic Four” to be a bit too mild-mannered, and things do seem to come too easily for them. However, this quartet is quite lovable and adorable, and when he comes along, the baby starts to steal the show.

-- “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has two great villains in Galactus and the Silver Surfer, with the Surfer dominating most scenes in which she appears. In fact, the action scenes are hyper-intense and breathtaking. I was riveted to the screen while watching them.

-- Overall, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is by far the best “Fantastic Four” movie to date, and I put it ahead of the recent “Superman” and “Thunderbolts*”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a 2025 American superhero movie and science fiction film from director Matt Shakman and Marvel Studios.  The film is based on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, which was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee and first appeared in the comic book, The Fantastic Four #1 (cover dated: November 1961).  It is also the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise.  In First Steps, the Fantastic Four is forced to balance their family life and their superhero life as never before when a god-like space being and his enigmatic herald arrive and mark Earth for destruction.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens on Earth-828  in the year 1960.  It introduces “The Fantastic Four,” a quartet of astronauts turned superheroes.  First is the highly intelligent scientist, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who as “Mr. Fantastic” can stretch any part of his body to great lengths.  Next is Reed's wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), the founder of the “Future Foundation,” a global demilitarization and world peace organization.  As the “Invisible Woman” Sue can generate force fields and turn invisible.  Then, there is the brilliant pilot, former astronaut, and Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a.k.a. “The Thing,” whose skin has been transformed into a layer of orange rock, which grants him super-human strength and durability.  Finally, there is Sue's younger brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who as the “Human Torch,” can engulf his body in flames, control fire, and fly.

The world honors The Fantastic Four for what they have given humanity, so when Reed and Sue reveal that they are expecting a child, the world celebrates and prepares for the new arrival, while also wondering if the child will also have super-powers.  However, the celebrating is short-lived.  A metallic-skinned, seemingly-female alien arrives from space, riding a surfboard.  This “Silver Surfer” (Julia Garner) is the herald of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a planet-devouring cosmic being, and he is coming to devour Earth.  Now, the members of The Fantastic Four face their toughest test ever, and the price they must pay to save the Earth may be too high for even them to pay.

I actually enjoyed Tim Story's two Fantastic Four films the aughts, Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).  Director Josh Trank's 2015 reboot of the franchise, Fantastic Four, had a lot of good ideas, but alleged studio interference turned the film into a wreck.  The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not at all a wreck.  Its intense action sequences had me gripping the armrests of my seat at the local movie theater.  The villains are great.  Galactus is awesome and even scarier than the gargantuan “Celestials” of Marvel Studios' 2021 epic, Eternals; he seemed unbeatable.  Julia Garner's Silver Surfer is 10 times the herald the one in Rise of the Silver Surfer is.  This Silver Surfer, whose original name was “Shalla Bal,” is like a velociraptor on a surfboard.  She chases our heroes with the unrelenting hellish fury of the “Headless Horseman” that chases Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” segment of Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).

On the other hand, the heroes of The Fantastic Four: First Steps come across as too mild-mannered.  They are so accomplished that everything seems to come too easy for them.  Even when they are angry with one another, that anger lacks passion.  In fact, I'd call the cast and characters dispassionate.  It is as if the film's director, Matt Shakman, who does an excellent job overall, wants his leads to be inoffensive.  I like the casting of the leads, but they need to breath a little more fire.

In the end, I like that Disney and Marvel Studios finally take the opportunity to honor the late Jack Kirby (1917-1994), the comic book writer-artist who created the Fantastic Four with the late Stan Lee (1922-2018).  There are several nods to Kirby, and this is long overdue.  That makes me love First Steps even more.  It is almost a great film, and its special effects and inventive and imaginative retro-futuristic elements endlessly fascinate me.  The Fantastic Four: First Steps is hugely entertaining, and these are the right first steps to bring the Fantastic Four into the cinematic prominence they deserve.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------------------

---------------------------

Review: Marvel's "THUNDERBOLTS*" Wants to Be "The New Avengers" So Badly

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 of 2025 (No. 2027) by Leroy Douresseaux

Thunderbolts* (2025)

Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for strong violence, language, thematic elements, and some suggestive and drug references

DIRECTOR: Jake Schreier

WRITERS:  Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo (based upon the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCER: Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Andrew Droz Palermo (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Angela M. Catanzaro and Harry Yoon

COMPOSER:  Son Lux (Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, Ian Chang)

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION and DRAMA

Starring:  Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Viswanathan, Olga Kurylenko, and Wendell Pierce

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

--Thunderbolts* is very entertaining.  It fights a lot and talks a lot.

--The film's main character is really Yelena Belova. It would have been a better film with Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier as the lead, but Florence Pugh is quite good as Yelena

--Entertainment value aside, Thunderbolts* is Marvel Studios' least interesting team movie

Thunderbolts* is a 2025 American superhero fantasy film and action movie directed by Jake Schreier and produced by Marvel Studios.  It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  The film features Marvel Comics' “Thunderbolts,” an antihero and super-villain superhero team created by writer Kurt Busiek and artist Mark Bagley that first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 (cover dated: January 1997).  Thunderbolts* the movie focuses on an unconventional team of antiheroes that takes on a conniving CIA official and a dangerous super-being while confronting their own dark pasts.

Thunderbolts* opens in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  There, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) destroys an O.X.E. Group laboratory on behalf of CIA director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).  Valentina is facing a Congressional committee that wants to impeach her in order to have her removed as CIA director, so she is having to conceal all her illicit programs.  One of those programs in need of concealment is the O.X.E. Group's “Sentry” project, which involves experimentation on humans in order to develop a superhuman.

Valentina dispatches Yelena to a remote O.X.E. facility on a mission to destroy sensitive materials.  After entering the facility, however, Yelena discovers that she is not alone.  John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) are also there, under the pretense of a mission.  The real reason all of them are in the facility is so that Valentina can have them and any incriminating evidence against her be destroyed simultaneously.  Another of this mission's surprises is the sudden appearance of a mysterious man named “Bob” (Lewis Pullman).

Now, Yelena and this bunch of reprobates embark on mission to punish Valentina, and they are joined by Yelena's father, Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).  They gather in New York City for a showdown, but there are wildcards.  Who is “Sentry?”  And what is “Void?”

Thunderbolts* is like a sequel, of sorts, to the 2021 Marvel Studios film, Black Widow.  It also references such previous Marvel Studios films as Marvel's The Avengers (2012) and the recent Captain America: Brave New World (2025), and also the Disney+ television series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021), to name a few.

At the center of Thunderbolts* is Yelena Belova, and the good thing is that the actress playing the character, Florence Pugh, is quite good.  Pugh gives Yelena gravitas, and I find myself believing almost everything about the character.  That said I would have preferred Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes a.k.a. “The Winter Soldier” as the “magnetic center” of Thunderbolts*, but I guess the character has already had plenty of time to showcase himself in previous Marvel Studios productions.

Beyond those two characters, I found myself bored with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina, although I am a long time fan of Louis-Dreyfus because of her role in the former NBC sitcom, “Seinfeld.”  I like actor David Harbour as “Red Guardian,” but the character is a bit overwrought, while Hannah John-Kamen is overly wasted as “Ghost.”  Geraldine Viswanathan is very nice in the supporting role of Mel, Valentina's assistant.  Lewis Pullman, who seems very skilled at creating a new personality for each acting role he takes on, is very, very good as “Bob.”  Marvel Studios would do well not to waste the potential of what Pullman can bring to the MCU.

All that said, Thunderbolts* is my least favorite MCU team movie.  Don't get me wrong.  It is a very entertaining film because director Jake Schreier makes the most of an offbeat screenplay and of the work of the film editors, cinematographers, and other collaborators.  The result is that they deliver a movie that is surprisingly humorous and is often laugh-out-loud funny.

I don't buy all the depression and battling-personal-demons melodrama of the film's story.  It is often overdone, contrived, and tedious enough to drag down the moments when that does feel genuine.  There is enough enjoyment in Thunderbolts* to make me give it a relatively high rating.  If this movie were made by most other film studios, however, I would give it a lower rating.

[Thunderbolts* has an extra scene in the middle of the credits and one at the end of the credits.]

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, May 9, 2025

THUNDERBOLTS* is currently available in various DVD and Blu-ray format at Amazon.

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

------------------------------

-------------------------------

Marvel Studios Debuts "THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS" Official Trailer

From Marvel.com:

Welcome to the family.

Marvel Studios has shared a new trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, showcasing a new look at Marvel’s First Family.

Opening in theaters July 25, 2025, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" introduces Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). They are facing their most daunting challenge yet.

.

Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, and Tim Lewis.

Marvel also debuted a new poster for the film, showing off the Fantastic Four, H.E.R.B.I.E., and the film’s retro-futuristic, 1960s vibe.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters July 25, 2025.

----------------------------

----------------------------

If you want to read about the Fantastic Four's early comic book adventures, you can do so in the paperback graphic novel collection, FANTASTIC FOUR EPIC COLLECTION: WORLD'S GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE, which you can get at Amazon.

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

------------------

Review: "CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD" Explodes with Intensity

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 of 2025 (No. 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Running time:  118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some strong language

DIRECTOR:  Julius Onah

WRITERS:  Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson, and Julius Onah & Peter Glanz; from a story by Rob Edwards and Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS:  Kevin Feige and Nate Moore

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kramer Morgenthau (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Madeleine Gavin and Matthew Schmidt

COMPOSER:  Laura Karpman

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/DRAMA and SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Xosha Roquemore, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, William Mark McCullough, and Takehiro Hira with Liv Tyler and Sebastian Stan

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

--Captain America: Brave New World is the subject of a social media smear campaign, but it is one of the best superheroes movies of the 2020s, and it is probably the best action movie of the decade

--The cast is dynamite. Not only does Anthony Mackie light up the screen as Sam Wilson/Captain America, but Harrison Ford also tears up the screen the way a Hollywood legend and icon should

--The supporting cast of Captain America: Brave New World is excellent, and the actors help make this film a rampaging good time at the movies

Captain America: Brave New World is a 2025 superhero and action film from Marvel Studios and directed by Julius Onah.  The film focuses on the character, “Sam Wilson,” as the superhero, “Captain America.”  Sam Wilson is a Marvel Comics character that was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan and that first appeared in Captain America #117 (cover dated: September 1969).  Captain America is a Marvel Comics character that was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and that first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (December 1940).

This film is the fourth film in the Captain America film series and also the 35th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  In Captain America: Brave New World, Captain America must discover the identity of the mastermind behind a plan to launch the United States into a global war over access to an amazing new metal alloy.

Captain America: Brave New World focuses on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who is still early in his tenure as the superhero, Captain America, replacing his friend, the original Captain America, Steve Rogers.  Wilson was once the superhero, “The Falcon,” and now, that mantle belongs to his partner, U.S. Air Force First Lt. Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez).  Captain America and the Falcon begin the film on a mission in Oaxaca, Mexico where they take on the “Serpent Society” and its leader, Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), in a bid to intercept the sale of a canister of “Adamantium.”

Adamantium is the new metal alloy that was discovered on the “Celestial Island,” located in the Indian Ocean.  Celestial Island is really the gigantic carcass of the “Celestial Tiamut,” whose emergence was stopped by the Eternals (as seen in the 2021 film, Eternals).  The U.S., Japan, and India are vying to mine adamantium, and to that end, the three countries are working on a treaty that would create the infrastructure in which the three nations would share control of the island.

The current President of the United States, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), formerly known as General “Thunderbolt” Ross, asks Sam to be the face of the adamantium treaty as Captain America.  President Ross also wants Sam to join him in a plan to reform the superhero group, “The Avengers.”  However, the announcement of the treaty is interrupted by an assassination attempt.  Now, Sam's friend and mentor, Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the Korean War veteran and once-imprisoned “super soldier,” is once again imprisoned because of the incident.

Despite a growing rift with President Ross, Sam decides to investigate the assassination attempt, and Joaquin joins him.  Shadowing them is a former “Black Widow,” the Israeli Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), but even she can't stop Captain America and the Falcon from discovering the mystery of a man named Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson).  Can Sam Wilson stop a global war, and can Captain America really take on the creature known as the “Red Hulk.”

Captain America: Brave New World is the subject of an intense online and social media smear campaign.  When you, dear readers, come across someone using the word, “woke,” to describe it, you should know that in the context of this film, “woke” is Confederate pig Latin for the name “Anthony Mackie.”  People who complain that the story and/or the script are not good are against the film because of their grievances concerning an African-American actor, Antony Mackie, taking on the role of Captain America.  With that said...

Captain America: Brave New World ties into some other Marvel Studios productions.  Obviously, this film's “Celestial Island” subplot is related to events depicted in the 2021 film, Eternals.  The Disney+/Marvel Studios series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) is a prologue to Brave New World.  Surprisingly, Brave New World acts as a sort of sequel to the second film in the MCU, 2008's The Incredible Hulk.  There are also references to numerous other MCU films.

Captain America: Brave New World is a superb superhero movie and great action film.  Director Julius Onah has helmed a film that is a rampaging good time at the movies, doing this in spite of delays and reshoots.  He should take pride in making a Captain America film that is as good as or better than the previous three films in the series.  The action is great, and the conspiracy at the heart of the story is intense and shockingly personal.  The character drama is surprisingly potent and is both complex and complicated.  Plus, the Captain America vs. Red Hulk battle in the film's last act fell on me like a tree; it is so intense that for a moment I wished I was wearing an adult diaper while watching it.

With Captain America: Brave New World, Anthony Mackie not only proves that he is a true Marvel leading man who can carry a MCU film, but he also proves that he is a Hollywood leading man.  In subtle ways, his performance and speeches clearly define that which Mackie fights in the real world and Sam Wilson fights in his world.  Watching Mackie chop up this movie with his dramatic chops, I realized that it was long overdue that he lead a Marvel film.

I must also admit that Harrison Ford brings down the thunder in his role as President Thaddeus Ross, a.k.a. “Thunderbolt” Ross.  Ford dominates his scenes so much that only Mackie can really match him in Captain America: Brave New World.  Seeing Ford here reminds me of what a find dramatic actor he is and how he has always been fun in action movies.

Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Xosha Roquemore also deliver solid turns in their respective supporting roles.  They deserve to pop up in the MCU again, many more times.  I guess it is obvious that I am still buzzing from seeing Captain America: Brave New World last night (Thursday, February 13th).  I had not expected much from this film because I had listened to too much of the propaganda.  I love being wrong in these instance.  Captain America: Brave New World is going to be my favorite film of 2025 for awhile, dear readers, and I heartily recommend it to you.

9 of 10

A+

Friday, February 14, 2025

A four-film DVD and Blu-ray collection of Captain America, including CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, is available at Amazon.

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

------------------------

Marvel Debuts "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Teaser Trailer

Disney and Marvel Studios has released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming film, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."  Based on the Marvel Comics title, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn,, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" introduces Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Moss-Bachrach) — as they face their most daunting challenge yet.  Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).  And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles.

Directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, and Tim Lewis, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" opens in theaters July 25, 2025.

I've embedded the teaser trailer below for your viewing enjoyment:

----------------------

----------------------

Review: Disney's "MOANA 2" Sails Towards New Horizons

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 of 2024 (No. 1999) by Leroy Douresseaux

Moana 2 (2024)

Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40)

MPA – PG for action/peril

DIRECTORS:  David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller

WRITERS:  Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller;  Jared Bush & Dana Ledoux Miller and Bek Smith

PRODUCERS:  Christina Chen and Yvette Merino

EDITORS:  Michael Louis Hill and Jeremy Milton

ORIGINAL SONGS:  Opetaia Foa'il, Mark Mancina, Abigail Barlow, and Emily Bear

COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL and FAMILY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualalai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Amhimai Fraser, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Gerald Ramsey, and Alan Tudyk

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

Moana 2 is not as inspired as the original film, but this sequel charts its own path towards adventure

The title character, Moana, is still a hero who takes her friends and the audience on the greatest of adventures, and that is more than enough reason for fans of the original film to come back for more in Moana 2

Moana 2 is a 2024 American computer-animated, fantasy-adventure, and musical film directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller.  It is produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios – the 63rd full-length animated feature film produced by that studio, and it is a Walt Disney Pictures release.  The film is a direct sequel to the 2016 animated feature, Moana.  Moana 2 finds Moana and Maui on a journey to find a lost island that could reunite the people of the ocean.

Moana 2 opens three years after the adventures Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) had with the demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), and the island goddess of Te Fiti (as seen in Moana).  Moana is now officially her people's “wayfinder.”  She has spent the time since then exploring the islands near her home island of Motunui in the hope that she will find other people connected to the ocean.

During a celebration, Moana has a vision of her wayfinding ancestor, Tautai Vasa (Gerald Ramsey).  He reveals why none of those peoples are connected anymore.  A long time ago, the malicious storm god, Nalo, wanted power over the mortals.  To gain that power, Nalo sunk a legendary island called “Motufetu,” the island which connected all islands and the people of the sea, down to the depths of the ocean.  Tautai also warns Moana that the people of Motunui will go extinct in the future if Moana cannot find a way to raise Motufetu.

Moana assembles a wayfinding crew of people from Motunui:  the clever craftswoman, Loto (Rose Matafeo); the tribal historian and Maui fanboy, Moni (Haulalai Chung); and a grumpy elderly farmer, Keke (David Fane), alongside her pet pig, Pua, and pet rooster, Heihei.  They set off in a boat designed and built by Loto, to follow the path of a meteor that Tautai says will blaze a trail across the ocean towards Motufetu.  But first, Moana and her crew must find Maui, who just so happens is being held prisoner by the forces aligned against Moana's quest.

I wrote this in my recent review of the first film, Moana:  I always struggle with writing reviews of modern Disney computer-animated feature films.  The animation is always superb.  The character design is consistently imaginative and inventive, and the character animation – regardless of whether the characters are human, animals, creatures of fantasy, or machines – is flawless.  The production design, art direction, set decoration, and graphic design are so good that just about every Disney animated movie gets its own art book – deservedly so.

Well, I don't have to struggle with my review of Moana 2 because it looks just as good as the first film.  While the tattoos on Maui's body are still good, they don't get as much screen time as they did in the original film, so they can't steal the show.  Instead, Moana has a little sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert Tsuda), who does that in several scenes set on Motunui.

Moana 2 is very entertaining, but it is not quite as good as the original film.  Because we know many of the characters, especially Moana and Maui, there is not the same joy of discovery.  The call to adventure is not as complicated in Moana 2 as it was the first time.  It is pretty straightforward here: find Motufetu.  And the big showdown in Moana 2 is not quite the showdown the first film offered.  Moana 2 simply lacks the inspiration of Moana.

That said, Moana 2 offers stunning imagery that overrides the moments when the story drags or goes adrift, and the film moves towards new horizons for the franchise.  Moana, once again superbly given voice by actress Auli'i Cravalho, and Maui, once again made cool by Dwayne Johnson's voice performance, are still great characters.  And they go on the best adventures.

Moana 2 is the kind of big, colorful, soaring animated adventure that we expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios.  It is not perfect, but it is the kind of film that keeps me loving the world's longest-running animation studio.  Fans of Moana and of Disney Animation will not want to miss Moana 2.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, December 7, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------------

------------------------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 7th, 2024 - UPDATE #14

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

-------------------

NEWS:

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From THR:  Sony Pictures has released a mysterious teaser for "28 Years Later," the follow-up to the zombie apocalypse films, "28 Days Later" (2002) and "28 Weeks Later" (2007). The film is due June 20, 2025.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Amy Adams is keeping the secrets of her new film, Marielle Heller's "Nightbitch," to herself.

HARRY POTTER - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" is reporting that actor Paapa Essiedu ("I May Destroy You") is being considered to play the role of "Professor Severus Snape" in HBO's "Harry Potter" television series.  The role was played by the late Alan Rickman across eight "Harry Potter" theatrical films.

AWARDS - From NBR:  The National Board of Review has named its 2024 film honorees.  "Wicked" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (for John M. Chu).

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Writer Phillipa Boyens says that "The Lord of the Rings" brain trust (Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson) really wants actor Viggo Mortensen to return in his LOTR role of "Aragon" for the upcoming LOTR film, "The Hunt for Gollum."

MOVIE AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Brady Corbet's three-hour epic, "The Brutalist," has won "Best Film" and its star, Adrian Brody, has won "Best Actor."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's "A Different Man" has won the "Best Feature" award.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/29 to 12/1/2024 weekend box office is Walt Disney Pictures' "Moana 2" with an estimated take of 135.5 million dollars.

From Variety:  "Moana 2" made an estimated 221 million dollars at the domestic box office over the five-day "Thanksgiving holiday weekend" period. The previous record was held by Disney's "Frozen II" with a five-day take of 125 million dollars in 2019.

From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson has pulled off a rare feat with two films ("Red One" and "Moana 2") opening #1 at the weekend box office in the same calendar month (November 2024).

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  John David Washington talks about Netflix's "The Piano Lesson" and working with Christopher Nolan.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  20th Century (Fox) has won a bidding war for a project from director Edward Berger ("Conclave") and actor Austin Butler ("Elvis").  Entitled "The Barrier," it is a sci-fi, time-travel story.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American screenwriter and director, Marshall Brickman, has died at the age of 85, Friday, November 29, 2024.  Brickman was probably best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen.  Brickman and Allen shared the "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar for Allen's 1977 film, "Annie Hall."  Brickman shared writing credits with Allen on three other films, "Sleeper" (1973), "Manhattan" (1979), and "Manhattan Murder Mystery" (1993).  Brickman also directed three films, including the comedies, "Simon" (1980) and "Lovesick" (1983).

From Deadline:  British-born American assistant director and producer, Adam Somner, has died at the age of 57, Wednesday, November 27, 2024.  Somner was the go-to assistant director for Steven Spielberg (12 films), Paul Thomas Anderson (6), and Ridley Scott (6).  Somner received a "Best Picture" Oscar nomination, shared with Sara Murphy and Paul Thomas Anderson, for Anderson's 2021 film, "Licorice Pizza."

-----------------

MOVIE AWARDS:

From NBR:  The National Board of Review has named its 2024 film honorees.  "Wicked" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (for John M. Chu).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.  Cannes 2024 Palme d'Or winner, "Anora," and "I Saw the TV Glow" each lead with six nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, February 22, 2025.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Brady Corbet's three-hour epic, "The Brutalist," has won "Best Film" and its star, Adrian Brody, has won "Best Actor."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's "A Different Man" has won the "Best Feature" award.

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards kick off the 2024-25 movie awards season by announcing its nominations for achievement in film.  Director Sean Baker's "Anora," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, leads with four nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, December 2, 2024.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, December 8, 2024.

BEST PICTURE WINNER COUNT:

"The Brutalist": 1 (NYFCC)

"A Different Man": 1 (Gotham Awards)

"Wicked": 1 (National Board of Review)

----

Review: "HAUNTED MANSION" is Surprisingly Charming and Delightfully Scary

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 of 2024 (No. 1979) by Leroy Douresseaux

Haunted Mansion (2023)

Running time:  123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes

MPA – PG-13 for some thematic action and scary action

DIRECTOR:  Justin Simien

WRITER:  Katie Dippold

PRODUCERS:  Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin

CINEMATOGRAHER:  Jeffrey Waldron (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Phillip J. Bartell

COMPOSER:  Kris Bowers

COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring:  LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Chase Dillon, J.R. Adduci, Charity Jordan, Hasan Minhaj, Daniel Levy, and Jared Leto (voice) with Winona Ryder

Haunted Mansion is a 2023 American supernatural horror-comedy and family film from director Justin Simien.  Released by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is loosely based on the Disney theme park attraction, “The Haunted Mansion,” which first opened at Disneyland in 1969.  Haunted Mansion the movie focuses on a single mom and a group of peculiar locals who attempt to exorcise her new home, an old mansion, of its troublesome ghosts.

Haunted Mansion opens in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) is an astrophysicist developing a camera to detect dark matter.  He marries Alyssa (Charity Jordan), a tour guide for the city's famously haunted places.  Tragedy strikes, and Ben gives up his career and continues to operate Alyssa's tour despite the face that he does not believe in ghosts and the supernatural.

Meanwhile, Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), a doctor from New York, and her young son, Travis (Chase Dillon), move to the formerly lavish, but now rundown mansion, Gracey Manor.  Her plan is to transform the abandoned place into a bed and breakfast, but she and Travis soon discover that the place is infested by so many ghosts that they can't count them all.

Father Kent (Owen Wilson), a local Catholic priest who claims to be an exorcist, is helping Gabbie with the hauntings.  He hires Ben to photograph Gracey Manor's ghosts because Ben has a “dark matter” camera that may be able to photograph ghosts.  Kent also calls in Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), a psychic with genuine abilities, and Bruce (Danny DeVito), a college historian and professor who has written a book on Gracey Manor, as additional help.

However, the ghosts of Gracey Manor immediately attach themselves to anyone who enters the mansion.  Those same ghosts are apparently afraid of an alpha ghost who is seeking one more ghost to add to his menagerie, an act that would give him ultimate power.  Can a singe mother, her son, a grieving tour guide with a ghost camera, an eccentric psychic, an odd priest, a cantankerous historian, and Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis), the ghostly psychic trapped in a huge crystal ball, exercise the horrible evil that haunts Gracey Mansion?  Or will one of them have to make the ultimate sacrifice?

I have to admit that last summer, as I watched the advertisements for Haunted Mansion, I could never convince myself that it was a must-see film.  I did plan to see it... eventually because I had seen the previous take on the Disney ride, the Eddie Murphy-vehicle, The Haunted Mansion (2003).  Also, I have had my eye on Justin Simien, the director of Haunted Mansion, since I saw his 2014 film, Dear White People.  But I thought I could wait, and so I did.

Recently, I finally did see Haunted Mansion, and I am surprised by how much I like it.  It is sweet and charming, and it is one of those perfect scary family movies.  I love it.  July 28, 2024 was the one-year anniversary of Haunted Mansion original theatrical release, and the film was a huge box office disappointment.  The mistake was Disney releasing the film against 2023's box office behemoths, Barbie and Oppenheimer, which were still at the height of their box office powers in the last weekend of July 2023.

Haunted Mansion should have been a late September to early October 2023 theatrical release.  This film is perfect Halloween, from its kooky cast of characters to the literal 1001 ghosts with stories.  I think Tiffany Haddish gets the most eccentric mileage out of her character, the psychic Harriet.  Although, LaKeith Stanfield can be a bit stiff at times, the way he plays Ben Matthias brings some center and balance to the wackiness and supernatural craziness.

Jamie Lee Curtis shines in her small role as the ghostly psychic, Madame Leota, and Owen Wilson as Father Kent and Danny DeVito as Bruce are pitch perfect.  Rosario Dawson and Chase Dillon are perfectly “Disney normal” as the mother and son combo of Gabbie and Travis.

Writer Katie Dippold's screenplay, Justin Simien's direction, and the rest of the film's creative crew deliver a haunted house film that is as lavish in its production values as it is rich in chills and thrills.  The cast fills that haunted house with the consummate scary movie characters.  The Haunted Mansion 2003 was a bit of a box office disappointment, but it has gone on to become a Disney television Halloween favorite.  Given time, Haunted Mansion 2023 will also become a beloved Disney Halloween trick-or-treat. 

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------------

----------------------------

Review: "THE HAUNTED MANSION" 2003 is Perfect for a Family Fright Night

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Running time:  88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)

MPAA – PG for frightening images, thematic elements and language

DIRECTOR:  Rob Minkoff

WRITER:  David Berenbaum

PRODUCERS:  Don Hahn and Andrew Gunn

CINEMATOGRAHER:  Remi Adefarasin (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Priscilla Nedd-Friendly

COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring:  Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly, Wallace Shawn, Dina Waters, Marc John Jefferies, and Aree Davis

The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American supernatural horror-comedy film directed by Rob Minkoff and starring Eddie Murphy.  Released by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is loosely based on the Disney theme park attraction, “The Haunted Mansion,” which first opened at Disneyland in 1969 and at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in 1971.  The Haunted Mansion the movie focuses on a realtor and his family who are summoned to a haunted mansion where they must learn lessons about the importance of family if they want to escape.

In the film, The Haunted Mansion, Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is a workaholic real estate agent.  He is allegedly part of a team, Evers & Evers, with his wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason, the British actress who played Martin Lawrence’s love interest in Black Knight).  However, you’d hardly know that they are a team because Jim spends so much time away from Sara and their children.  And since Sara (as many movie wives do) complains that he spends too much time away from the family, Jim decides to take the family on a trip to a lake.

Sara, however, gets an invitation to visit Gracey Manor, a foreboding manor locked behind a huge iron gate and nestled in a jungle of sinister vegetation.  If that wasn’t enough to say “haunted house,” the mansion has a rather spacious scenic graveyard on the property.  Sara alone had been invited, but Jim insists that they make the visit to Gracey as part of their vacation stop, so their children, sassy girl Megan (Aree Davis), and the seemingly perpetually terrified Michael (Marc John Jefferies) go along.

At the mansion, the imposing butler Ramsley (Terence Stamp), an emaciated and cadaverous figure with an obvious air of menace about him, greets the Evers.  They meet the mansion’s owner, Master Gracey (Nathaniel Parker), a deeply troubled man who claims to be the original owner’s heir.  Gracey is apparently obsessed with Sara, and gradually Jim, Michael and Megan start to figure out the dreadful truth, but is it in time to save the family?  Will it take a band of ghosts to teach Jim Evers a lesson about the importance of family?

This premise for the film The Haunted Mansion, based upon a Disney World theme park ride, actually works, for the most part.  Director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King, Stuart Little) displays a deft touch in keeping the film both suspenseful and funny, and he expertly juggles live action so that the special effects seamlessly fit rather than seeming to have been thrown in.  Mansion is also a lot funnier than the ads for the film imply; in fact, most of the ads come across as being out of context.  This movie is pure fluff, but it’s done quite well, so someone in Disney marketing should get a reprimand.

I loved the costumes, and especially the art direction (Beat Frutiger and Tomas Voth) and set decoration (Rosemary Brandenburg).  The house and graveyard recall Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing, a whole host of Hammer films, as well as Abbot & Costello and four decades of Scooby-Doo cartoons.  What a delightful mix!  As usual, Rick Baker does stellar makeup effects work in bringing corpses to life; this man is a national treasure.

The acting is good, and Murphy gives one of his better performances as a star of family-friendly movies.  Usually, his acting seems out of place and kind of awkward in films like Daddy Day Care (where he was good), but here his fit is natural and he seems inspired.

There is a peculiar racial subtext to this film that the storytellers attempt to conceal, but it will be obvious to most adults.  Maybe that would have made this story richer; as it is, it gives a dark edge to the inspired fluff.  Still, The Haunted Mansion is fine the way it is.  The characters have a lot with which to deal, and the resolution makes sense even if the execution of the ending stumbles a bit.  It’s a fine family film.  It has that Disney flavor that suggests Disney films from the 1950’s and 60’s, so I think The Haunted Mansion could become a Disney Halloween stable.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Edited:  Saturday, July 27, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------------------