MOVIE REVIEW: ZOOTOPIA (2016)

From IMDB:

Storyline

From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps becomes the first rabbit to join the police force, she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Nick Wilde, a wily fox who makes her job even harder.

78 Metascore From metacritic.com

Reviews 118 user | 243 critic

From Rotten Tomatoes:

MOVIE INFO

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it's a melting pot where animals from every environment live together-a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn't so easy. Determined to prove hers...more

Rating: PG (for some thematic elements, rude humor and action)

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation,Comedy

Directed By: Byron Howard, Rich Moore,Jared Bush

Written By: Jared Bush, Phil Johnston

US Box Office: $144.0M

Runtime: 1 hr. 48 min.

Walt Disney Animation Studios - Official Site

TOMATOMETER 99%

Average Rating: 8.1/10 | Reviews Counted: 148

Fresh: 146 | Rotten: 2

Critics Consensus: The brilliantly well-rounded Zootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that's as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation -- all while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained.

AUDIENCE SCORE 96% liked it

Average Rating: 4.5/5 | User Ratings: 34,774

This is Zootopia the city every cute critter wants to go to when they grow up. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Cute animals living in a city they made themselves. A very nice looking city too... 

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PEANUTS MOVIE (2015)

From IMDB:

Storyline

Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.

 7.7/10 from 7,239 users

From Rotten Tomatoes:

MOVIE INFO

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang make their big-screen debut, like they've never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world's most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day. (C) Fox

Rating: G

Genre: Animation, Kids & Family

Directed By: Steve Martino

Written By: Brian Schulz, Cornelius Uliano,Craig Schulz, Charles M. Schulz,Bryan Schulz

US Box Office: $126.3M

Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min.

20th Century Fox - Official Site

TOMATOMETER 85%

Average Rating: 7/10 | Reviews Counted: 123

Fresh: 105| Rotten: 18

Critics Consensus: The Peanuts Movie offers a colorful gateway into the world of its classic characters and a sweetly nostalgic -- if relatively unambitious -- treat for the adults who grew up with them.

AUDIENCE SCORE 82% liked it

Average Rating: 4/5 | User Ratings: 57,049

That's the Charlie Brown we know so well. ©20th Century Fox

So finally another Peanuts Movie!

MOVIE REVIEW: PAN (2015)

From IMDB:

Storyline

12-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny -- to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.

Ratings: 6.1/10 

Genre: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Joe Wright

Written By: Jason Fuchs, J.M. Barrie

In Theaters: Oct 9, 2015 Wide

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.

Warner Bros. - Official Site

PAN OPENS IN MALAYSIA ON THE 8th OF OCTOBER FOR EVERYWHERE ELSE FIND OUT HERE.

That there is baby Peter and his mother played by Amanda Seyfried, you don't really get to see much of her to recognize her. I barely did. ©Warner Bros. Pictures

A prequel that I don't remember everyone asking for... 

MOVIE REVIEW: HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 (2015)

From IMDB:

Storyline

The Drac pack is back for an all-new monster comedy adventure in Sony Pictures Animation's Hotel Transylvania 2! Everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania... Dracula's rigid monster-only hotel policy has finally relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests. But behind closed coffins, Drac is worried that his adorable half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn't showing signs of being a vampire. So while Mavis is busy visiting her human in-laws with Johnny - and in for a major cultural shock of her own - "Vampa" Drac enlists his friends Frank, Murray, Wayne and Griffin to put Dennis through a "monster-in-training" boot camp. But little do they know that Drac's grumpy and very old, old, old school dad Vlad is about to pay a family visit to the hotel. And when Vlad finds out that his great-grandson is not a pure blood - and humans are now welcome at Hotel Transylvania - things are going to get batty! Written by Sony Pictures

Ratings: 7.6/10 from 203 users 

Rating: PG (for some scary images, action and rude humor)

Genre: Animation

Directed By: Genndy Tartakovsky

Written By: Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel

In Theaters: Sep 25, 2015 Wide

Runtime: 1 hr. 29 min.

Sony Pictures - Official Site

OPENS WORLDWIDE THIS 24th OF SEPTEMBER SO CATCH IT WHEN IT OPENS! IF IT DOESN'T OPEN ON THE 24th WHERE YOU ARE FIND OUT WHEN HERE.

Almost three years later they finally get hitched. Who doesn't love a bride in black, right? ©Columbia Pictures

Almost three years later and the sequel shows up...

MOVIE REVIEW: TWO BY TWO (2015)

Storyline

It's the end of the world. A flood is coming. Luckily for Dave and his son Finny, a couple of clumsy Nestrians, an Ark has been built to save all animals. But as it turns out, Nestrians aren't allowed. Sneaking on board with the involuntary help of Hazel and her daughter Leah, two Grymps, they think they're safe. Until the curious kids fall off the Ark. Now Finny and Leah struggle to survive the flood and hungry predators and attempt to reach the top of a mountain, while Dave and Hazel must put aside their differences, turn the Ark around and save their kids. It's definitely not going to be smooth sailing.

Rating: G

Genre: Animation, Faith & Spirituality

Directed By: Toby Genkel, Sean McCormack

Written By: Richie Conray, Toby Genkel, Mark Hodkinson, Marteinn Thorisson, Sean McCormack

In Theaters: Jul 17, 2015 Limited

Runtime: 1 hr. 25 min.

Phase 4 Films - Official Site

TWO BY TWO OPENS IN MALAYSIA ON SEPTEMBER 17th. FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD FIND OUT HERE.

Meet Dave and Finny they're Nestrians. Dave's the the purple one. 

Another story about the great flood and Noah's Ark... 

First off this movie has had a staggered release (is that what people in the industry call it?), opening on the 9th of April in Italy and slowly making it's way across Europe until it opened in the U.S. on the 17th of July then traveling down to South America before heading back to Europe. In between it did visit South Korea but as for other Asian countries I can't really say. The other things is that this movie has several different titles.In Malaysia it's called Two by Two, but search online and you'll find the other titles it has, for instance IMDB has it under All Creatures Big and Small and Rotten Tomatoes has it under Ooops! Noah is Gone which happens to be the original title then of course are the regional titles. And finally this film is apparently a collaborative effort between several European countries, there are five production companies associated with it and they come from Germany, Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg. 

MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDE OUT (2015)

MOVIE INFO

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions - Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley's mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school. (C) Pixar

Rating: PG (for mild thematic elements and some action)

Genre: Animation, Kids & Family

Directed By: Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen

In Theaters: Jun 19, 2015 Wide

US Box Office: $339.4M

Runtime: 1 hr. 34 min.

Disney/Pixar - Official Site

PLAYING NOW IN A CINEMA NEAR YOU BUT IF IT ISN'T THEN CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHEN. 

That little bundle of goofy energy up there is Riley. You'll be riding along in her head. ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

This'll be a short review...

MOVIE REVIEW: MINIONS (2015)

MOVIE INFO

The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters-from T. rex to Napoleon-the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression. But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he-alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob-ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award (R) winner Sandra Bullock), the world's first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind...from annihilation. (c) Universal

Rating: PG (for action and rude humor)

Genre: Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

Directed By: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda

Written By: Brian Lynch

In Theaters: Jul 10, 2015 Wide

ALREADY OUT WORLDWIDE AND IF YOU'RE A FAN YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!! OR IF IT HASN'T YET FIND OUT HERE!

The early days of the Minions. Well, not exactly, they started back in the oceans. ©Universal Studios

So another movie with secondary characters from a popular animated movie series...

So yeah, this is the second after last years Penguins of Madagascar movie. As you you know the penguins weren't the main characters in the Madagascar series but were in fact side or secondary characters who's antics provided additional laughs. They were just lucky enough that the audience liked them more than the lemurs otherwise I'm sure we'd have gotten the Lemurs of Madagascar movie instead. But as much fun and cute as the trailer promised the Penguins of Madagascar was going to be when it finally came out it was sort of a disappointment to me. You can read my review of it HERE. I think I said it was too much of a good thing or something along those lines.

MOVIE REVIEW: CINDERELLA (2015)

From IMDB:

The story of "Cinderella" follows the fortunes of young Ella whose merchant father remarries following the tragic death of her mother. Keen to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother Lady Tremaine and her daughters Anastasia and Drizella into the family home. But when Ella's father suddenly and unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella since she used to work in the cinders, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother's dying words and to "have courage and be kind." She will not give in to despair nor despise those who abuse her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an employee at the palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears as if her ... Written by disney

Ratings: 7.7/10 from 1,344 users Metascore: 66/100
Reviews: 12 user | 49 critic | 10 from Metacritic.com

From Rotten Tomatoes:

TOMATOMETER 86% | Average Rating: 7.1/10

Reviews Counted: 37 | Fresh: 32 | Rotten: 5

Critics Consensus: Refreshingly traditional in a revisionist era, Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella proves Disney hasn't lost any of its old-fashioned magic.

AUDIENCE SCORE 98% want to see

Average Rating: 4.1/5 | User Ratings: 29,615

Releases Worldwide March 13, 2015.

This is little Ella, well what did you think? That she was born named Cinderella? ©DISNEY

Another Disney classic gets a retelling?

So here's another Disney classic getting another go around. First it was Maleficent (2014) I think, or was there another? And of course since Maleficent there's been others like Into the Woods (2014) which was about all your favorite fairy tale characters mashed into one kingdom and bumping into each other. Were there more old classic Disney titles re-released? I can't tell. I don't keep track of fairy tales much.

MOVIE REVIEW: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

From IMDB: 

Storyline

For 12 year old Alexander Cooper, everyday is a bad day. And his family thinks he's being silly because they never have a bad day. On the day before his 12th birthday party, he learns that another boy is having a party of his own and everyone is going to it. And another kid punks him online. So at midnight of his birthday, he wishes that his whole family can have a bad day. And things for the whole family go bad, his mom's car is broken so they have to share a car, his sister has a cold and has to go on stage, his older brother, who's hoping to get his driver's license and to bring his girlfriend to the prom, has to deal with his girlfriend's snootiness and fails to get his license, his mom has a crisis at work which could cost her her job, and his dad who has a job interview has to bring his younger brother with him but because his pacifier is broken he can't stop crying. Alex feels responsible.

Ratings: 6.5/10 from 3,608 users   Metascore: 54/100
Reviews: 32 user | 69 critic | 28 from Metacritic.com 

Movie Review: Momo e no Tegami (A Letter to Momo)

From IMDB :

“ Clinging to an unfinished letter written by her recently deceased father, young Momo moves with her mother from bustling Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio. Upon their arrival, she lizard Kawa, the childlike Mame and their hulking ogre leader Iwa. Momo also learns that begins to explore her new habitat, meeting local children and learning their routines and customs. However, it's not long before several bizarre occurrences crop up around the previously tranquil island. Orchards are found ransacked, prized trinkets start disappearing and, worst of all, each morning after her mother leaves for work, Momo hears strange mumblings coming from the attic of their home. Annoyed by these creepy goings-on and her mother's refusal to believe them, Momo embarks on a strange and supernatural adventure to discover the source of the mischief, which leads her to a trio of troublesome imps: the flatulent her visit to the island is in some way connected to her father's mysterious letter. “ – 7.3/10 Rating