Tag: Rated PG

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3 Stars

Toy Story 5 (2026)

A few months ago, I learned that my nephews, Link and Lenny, were not too excited about seeing the newest Toy Story film.

Thankfully, they knew they had no choice (because their mom has the final say), but I was still hurt to know my nephews did not have a strong desire to see the film. Obviously, they did not grow up with the films as my generation did, so they could not have had as much of a connection. Yet, even with one of the most recognizable cast of characters in cinematic history live-action or animated), the series is starting to show some wear and tear.

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2 Stars

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

“From the simplicity of sidescrolling and jumping to race karts and nearly every imaginable sport to galaxies and odysseys, Mario knows no bounds.”

This I said back in my review of the first film in 2023, and it still rings true today. One could say that the first film was a setup for this second film to be the payoff (T2: Judgment Day, The Dark Knight, etc.), but only in following the same formula as before: more fan service, less story structure.

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3 1/2 Stars Movies

Hoppers (2026)

As Disney/Pixar now approaches their 30th film with Hoppers, it has me looking back at previous films revolving around animals (especially when it comes to human interaction).

Except for the two masterpieces Finding Nemo (2003) and Ratatouille (2007), the rest of them have been, at best, passable (I also exempt 2001’s Monster’s, Inc., due to those characters being more fantastical than realistic). Add in the fact that the last truly great classic was 2017’s Coco (though I can see defenders of 2020’s Soul, which I do need to rewatch), and you can see why Hoppers has a lot riding on its shoulders.

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3 Stars

GOAT (2026)

It has been three decades since the original Space Jam made a splash in my young life (and even more so in my little brother Jeff’s life). 

Nostalgia has blinded me from finding out if that film truly holds up or not (sorry to my nephews, but the same could not be said for the 2021 sequel), but it was, at the very least, a childhood milestone. Naturally, it made me interested in practicing basketball for a bit, yet my short height was holding me back (along with a childhood friend who, while talented, loved to showboat and win over me). Perhaps had GOAT come out in my childhood, things would be different.

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Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones

Number 2…

“Our next movie is quite simply a masterpiece…”

So said Roger Ebert on one episode of Ebert & Roeper back in 2002. The movie in question was Spirited Away, and up until that point, my knowledge of anime did not extend beyond the Pokémon TV show.

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1 1/2 Stars

Lilo & Stitch (2025)

While I never saw the full movie, I saw enough clips on YouTube to see why most people agree movie remakes don’t get as unnecessary (let alone bad) as 1998’s remake of the Hitchcock masterpiece Psycho. 

Apparently, when asked why he did the (nearly) shot for shot remake in the first place, director Gus Van Sant responded “So no one else had to.” This mindset is the only silver lining I can think of for Disney with their live action remakes, whether good or bad, and the remake of Lilo & Stitch falls in the latter category.

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Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones Movies

Number 24…

When you think about it, there are some things in life you would not know about if it weren’t for certain movies.

I’m not talking about historical/biographical films, but more about films that get into the daily lives of people you never knew about.

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2 1/2 Stars Movies

Snow White (2025)

In the last decade of Disney Live Action Remakes, there was a time where I thought remaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was forbidden.

The House of Mouse would not even exist today if the 1937 classic (the first of its kind) did not prevail the expectations, so naturally one would suspect that all of Disney knows that some form of respect is due it.

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5 Stars Movies

Flow (2024)

After the memorably disappointing Moana 2, it seemed like the end of the line for animated films in 2024. While the leader of the pack was clearly The Wild Robot, there was not much else apart from the admirable Inside Out 2 and the humorously bizarre Memoirs of a Snail (it may be hard for me to listen to John Denver for some time now.) 

Then, as can only be described as a tsunami, entered Flow.

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4 1/2 Stars

Wicked: Part 1 (2024)

“DISCOVER WHAT HAPPENED IN OZ BEFORE DOROTHY DROPPED IN!”

So said the radio ad as I sat in my room as a High Schooler, when I first heard of the musical “Wicked.” My first reaction as a theater kid was genuine: “This sounds like one of the stupidest thing I have ever heard of.” Not long after, in the band room at school, our teacher mentioned we would be performing the music of Wicked, and everyone burst into applause…including me (peer pressure is a powerful thing). A little over a year or so later, I finally saw the show on stage, and was a life long fan of what would be come possibly the biggest musical to hit the 21st century (at least until Lin Manuel Miranda came around).

I had finally trusted my instincts, closed my eyes, and took the leap.

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