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Flash Movie Review: The Marvels
THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE BUMPED into individuals that I had no contact with for decades. Sometimes, it has happened in such random places. For example, on a trip to Greece I was standing in line to catch a tram from a destination spot and bumped into a childhood friend back from elementary school days, which was many years ago. He and his wife were standing in front of me, and I recognized his face. We agreed to meet up for drinks and had a good time reminiscing about our school years together. The time we spent together was fun, but upon returning to the states we went on with our separate lives. Our time together became a fun add-on to my vacation stories. I believe the long duration of time melted the bond we had with each other back then. If I were to venture a guess, I think a lot of it would have to do with our vastly different experiences in high school. He was more of a gentle jock type, who excelled in physical activities. In my book, that gives the student a pass from any type of abuse or ridicule, unlike me. I was not proficient in most sports activities and being overweight made me an easy target. So, I learned how to withdraw from most high school events and social gatherings. JUST BY COINCIDENCE, I RECENTLY RAN into two friends at a social function, who I had not seen for many years. I noticed the warm feelings that flooded through me as we sat and chatted, having been close friends back then. It was as if time had not passed by us all these years, because we found ourselves in a joyful, sweet rhythm of talking and sharing our life’s journeys with each other. For me, one of the added joys seeing each other was how our memories, which had been dormant for so long, easily rose into our conversations as we relived some of the great times we had together. I have a question for you: have you ever encountered a fond person from your past and discovered you had been missing something in your current life? Well, that is how I felt about my time spent with these two friends. As a result, we exchanged our contact information and planned to get together again. Making those plans was so much fun as the three of us were sending texts back and forth about how great it was to see each other and hoped we could get together real soon. As it turned out we did, and our friendship picked up from where we left it. It is that type of long-lost connection that I found charming in this action, adventure fantasy film. HAVING CARRIED THE HEAVY BURDEN FROM the outcome of her past experiences with the Kree, Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson (Short Term 12, Just Mercy), finds herself entangled with two other individuals, one of them is from her past, who will all need to work together to save the universe. With Teyonah Parris (Dear White People, If Beale Street Could Talk) as Monica Rambean, Iman Vellani (Avengers franchise, Ms. Marvel-TV) as Kamala Khan, Samuel L. Jackson (The Kill Room, The Protégé) as Nick Fury and Zawe Ashton (Nocturnal Animals, Velvet Buzzsaw) as Dar-Benn; for a product of the Marvel universe, this movie was a disappointment. I enjoyed the connection between the three main stars, especially Iman’s character. The fight scenes had a fun element, and the CGI effects were good; however, the script was a scattered mess. At times, I found several scenes filled with slapstick humor that then morphed into dramatic, sorrowful scenes. The excitement and thrills of past Marvel films did not appear in this picture. And as I have said before, if the villain is truly not menacing then the story will never succeed. For all the money spent on this, what a shame. There was only one (what a shock) extra scene during the ending credits.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Creator
IF THE PERSON I WAS INTERACTING with on the telephone was an artificially enhanced intelligent receptionist, then I was not impressed or worried. When the phone call connected and she greeted me, listing the medical group’s name, I thought she was a live person. After asking for my name and date of birth, she asked how she could help me. I told her I wanted to make an appointment to see a particular doctor. She said she was putting me on hold to check on availability. After a couple of minutes, she came back on the line and said there were several patients in queue ahead of me making appointments; as soon as they were done, she could then offer me open dates. Before I could say anything, she was replaced with an automatic message that said if I remain on hold for ten minutes, I will be asked to leave a message and someone from the doctor’s office would call me back. I thought how strange this was since I had just talked to the receptionist. After a few minutes, the same scenario occurred. I tried to break in but there was no hesitation on the receptionist’s part. All she offered was an apology but went right back into her message. I wound up staying online for ten minutes and then a recorded message came on and told me to leave my information for someone to return my call. I cannot tell you how annoyed I was by this experience. NOW IF I THOUGHT THIS WAS going to become the standard procedure for all of us, I would say why bother with AI. However, ever since I saw the film The Matrix, I have wondered at times if we could ever get to a point where machines would be making all the decisions for mankind. If I am not mistaken, one of the more contentious disagreements in the talks with the actors’ union is the use of artificial intelligence to capture samples of an actor’s voice or face to generate content without paying the actors. I had to wonder if there would be a time where I might be watching a movie and none of the cast really had acted in it; everyone was computer generated. It is a scary thought for me. Wasn’t It last week when the news reported there would be a new Beatles’ song because AI pulled out the voice of John Lennon from an old recording and cleaned it up to the point it sounded as if he had just recorded the song with the other Beatles? So musical artists can be replaced just like actors?!?! Is it possible if AI goes unchecked, we could one day find ourselves in a world like the one depicted in this action, adventure drama? SET IN A TIME WHERE HUMANS found themselves at war with the forces of artificial intelligence, a former soldier is chosen to hunt down a new weapon that could end mankind, allowing machines to rule the planet. With John David Washington (Tenet, Malcolm & Marie) as Joshua, newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, Emma Chan (Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians) as Maya, Allison Janney (Lou, The Hours) as Colonel Howell and Ken Watanabe (Godzilla franchise, Inception) as Harun; this story had a thought-provoking message wrapped in a visually, fascinating landscape that was filled with sensitive acting. I felt John David stood out while Madeleine Yuna Voyles was the show stealer; she was that good. However, my issue with this production was the script. It seemed as if the writers used several ideas from different films and tried to put a story together. Especially, the last third of the movie was a mishmash of lost opportunities. As I said earlier, the idea behind the story was both frightening and curious. One must wonder if human beings were even involved with the writing of this story.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Covenant
WHEN WE WERE KIDS, WE WERE always changing the rules while playing a game. Of course, they were changed only if everyone agreed. I remember one game we played, a trivia based one, where the answer had to be the famous person’s last name. We decided to make it easier by allowing the use of the person’s first name, if we could not remember their last name. Think about the made-up games many of us did when we were children; the rules were never set in stone, going through revision after revision until we were pleased with the outcome. As I got older, I noticed how important it became for some individuals to be the winner of the game. I was never competitive in a game, except with myself. It was more important to me to improve my game than trying to beat someone else who was playing it. Being my own worse critic, I had plenty of drive inside of me to get better. Nowadays, I am bit more relaxed about it; however, there are certain people I refuse to play with because they are so extreme. They yell at teammates if they do not make the right move/play and they are always trying to stretch the rules to their advantage. I am a rule follower and to play a game with someone involves a certain level of trust. One cannot suddenly change the rules to suit their needs. THERE IS ANOTHER REASON WHY I am selective when it comes to who I will play with for a game. I have been at some game night events where it becomes too cliquish for me. Certain players secretly make alliances with other players; others make promises but then renege on them. I am not comfortable getting involved with people who do this; I do not find them trustworthy which leads to me not having a good time with them. I have said this many times; the one thing that every human being can offer to another is their word. Giving your word is sacred. I cannot tell you how annoying and disappointing it is for me when someone tells me they are going to do something but then does not do it. I would rather they just never said a word about it and kept it to themselves. I sort of feel like some people feel if they just talk about doing something it is enough to make the people, they are telling it to, to feel good; trust me, it does not. You can see for yourself in this dramatic, action thriller. DURING THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, A soldier and his local interpreter find themselves struggling to escape the clutches of the encroaching Taliban fighters. If ever there was a need for trust, this would be the time. With Jake Gyllenhaal (Ambulance, The Guilty) as Master Sergeant John Kinley, Dar Salim (The Devil’s Double, Loving Adults) as Ahmed, Sean Sagar (Blue Story, Our Girl-TV) as Charlie “Jizzy” Crow, Jason Wong (The Gentlemen, Panic) as Joshua “JJ” Jung and Rhys Yates (Bloodyminded, Unforgotten-TV) as Tom “Tom Cat” Hancock; this film directed by Guy Ritchie was extremely intense with heart stopping fight scenes. I thought everyone in the cast was exceptional, especially Jake and Dar. Jake’s specialty in my opinion is his ability to display such intensity in his characters and in here he does not disappoint. The action was steady throughout and the script kept things tightly moving forward. I do not know if the story was based/inspired by true events, but I could easily see how it could be possible. From beginning to end I was engaged with the story and was even a little exhausted when it was over.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Flash
I USED TO HAVE A FRIEND who wished most of his life back to his past. He was present for the most part when we would get together, but inevitably, something would come up and trigger him to express his wish he could have done things differently in his past. I explained many of us do the same thing; however, they do not let that desire take hold of their life. There are a multitude of things I wish I would have handled or done differently, but what good is it to sit and dwell upon it. There was the long-term relationship I was in that ended in a brutal way, with me contributing some of the brutality in a backlash. Or the times I was too afraid to express my feelings and acted in ways that came across as non-sympathetic or non-pulsed. I wish I had studied and focused harder in my schooling so I would have had a clearer sense of what I wanted to do when I entered college. And because it has scarred me for most of my life, I wish I would have started to take better care of myself earlier, to possibly avoid the taunts and teasing I endured about my weight. On the other hand, I believe there is a reason for everything. I had to go through what I did to become who I am now. MY FRIEND HAD SO MANY REGRETS about the way things happened in his past that it caused him to suffer with bouts of depression and anxiousness. He held down a good job, but his social life took a beating; he was either too sad to get together with people or he talked so much about his past that people did not want to be around him. They call that a “catch 22” situation. No matter how hard friends and family tried, he never found a peaceful place to reside in. I felt sad about it. One thing I dislike doing is using someone’s tragedy to make someone else feel better about themselves, but I went ahead and shared a story about someone I knew who asked a friend of theirs to pick up an item they had on hold at a store and the friend got into a car accident on the way and died. Imagine the guilt that person had for asking their friend to do something for them that resulted in their death. I try to make sense of things, so a part of me believes that actions such as these are meant to be. Also, who knows what would happen if we could change things from our past. This action, fantasy adventure certainly presents a strong case for the consequences that result from changing the past. DISCOVERING A NEW SKILL THAT COULD save his mother’s life, a son travels back in time in the hopes of making a change that would affect the outcome of his present life. With Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Fantastic Beasts franchise) as Barry Allen, Michael Keaton (The Founder, The Protégé) as Bruce Wayne, Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless-TV) as Kara Zor-El, Michael Shannon (Take Shelter, Midnight Special) as General Zod and Ron Livingston (The Professor, Office Space) as Henry Allen; this superhero film was a major disappointment. I thought the script was awful, not making any sense to me except on a basic level. The special effects were nothing great and the script was annoying with the constant bickering that went back and forth between characters. The only part I enjoyed was Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman. Outside of that, I still have a hard time understanding how a movie studio can consistently take a fantasy story and make it boring. I must think that some of the people associated with the making of this picture wish they could have done things differently. There was an extra scene at the end of the film’s credits.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Equalizer 3
LAST WEEK WE WENT TO ONE of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Anyone we have taken there has agreed with us on how good everything is from food to service. After we were settled at our table, a family with two small children came in and were seated next to us. One child was in a highchair and the other one in a regular seat, though the table’s edge almost came up to his chest. I did not pay much attention to them except when the little boy was fussing and whining. Our waitress also handled their table and took their order right after ours. As a result, both of us received our dinner close together. I point this out because once the food arrived, I did not pay any mind to what was going on at their table, except to notice for two adults and two children they seemed to have ordered a lot of food. Views of the two kids were blocked by the people at our table and it was a good thing. They had finished and left before we did; I noticed the waitress was standing near their table and looking down at the floor. I leaned over just enough to see the unbelievable mess that the family left on the table and floor. It was disgusting and more so because I did not recall them moving over to try cleaning up the scraps of food strewn everywhere. It was disrespectful in my opinion; I get annoyed when people do not pick up after themselves in a public place. I ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING SIMILAR ON my recent vacation. Here I was at a significant, iconic religious building and on the side of it someone had spraypainted graffiti. If that was not bad enough, after climbing up inside to the top of the building’s dome and walking out into the open, there was graffiti and people’s initials written along the walls. It was beyond disrespectful, simply appalling. Sadly, many places I visited in this international city had some type of markings and/or graffiti on its buildings. It felt like the city was being hijacked by these perpetrators. I was there to soak in the beauty and history of the place, and it seemed everywhere I was looking, I would find some type of markings or tags sprawled somewhere around a structure. I found all of it nearly incomprehensible; if I lived there and was in a position of authority, I would want to arrest the offenders and make them clean up their work. Because of this experience, I absolutely understood where the main character was coming from when he saw what was happening to the lovely town, he was residing in. AFTER RECEIVING THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS and settling into the idyllic town he found himself in, a former government assassin decided he must do something about the changes that were being forced on the townspeople. With Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli, The Tragedy of Macbeth) as Robert McCall, Dakota Fanning (The Secret Life of Bees, Man on Fire) as Emma Collins, Eugenio Mastrandrea (From Scratch-TV, La fuggitiva-TV) as Gio Bonucci, David Denman (13 Hours, Brightburn) as Frank Conroy and Gaia Scodellaro (Watch Them Fall; You, Me and the Apocalypse-TV) as Aminah; this latest installment in the action, crime thriller franchise had the perfect mix of drama and action. It did start out a little slow, but as the story unfolded it drew me in. I also have to say because I was just recently in the same areas on vacation; I absolutely loved the outdoor scenes of Italy. It seemed as if the action in this latest installment was boosted because there were many scenes of blood and violence. It was in a similar vein to the John Wick franchises’ type of violence. But because I loved the scenery and thought both Denzel and Dakota did such a good job, the violence did not distract from the competent and engaging script.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hypnotic
I TEND TO BE SKEPTICAL BY nature. This may have come about from having experienced trust issues in the past. The bottom line though, is I do not always accept what has been presented before me. Case in point, on my recent trip we visited a palace from the Ottoman empire. Because the area had been the sight of several conflicts where they were victorious for part of them, they wound up as the protectors of a collection of ancient artifacts. We entered the building and all around us were glass cases filled with an array of different items. In one case on display was Moses’ staff. Of course, I took a photo of it as soon as it was possible; however, as I stood there looking at it, I had to question if this was real. I would have expected the staff, after all these centuries, to be in some form of decay. Let us face it, it was made of wood and to the naked eye it looked too new to have come from Moses’ time. With a reddish-brown color, there was a dull shine bouncing off it, as if it had been waxed or polished. It just did not look real to me, yet there it was propped up in its glass case with a multi-language label affixed to the front of the case. There were other items in this room where I had to question their authenticity. AS WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH the displays, we encountered several individuals who stood quietly in front of cases and prayed. I absolutely accepted their belief that the item was real, but when I came up to see the item they were praying at, I could not believe that this strand of hair from an ancient religious leader’s head survived all these centuries; let alone, that someone back then had the fortitude to take and keep the strand of hair, then have it passed down from generation to generation. It was too hard to process such a concept. Maybe my feelings are tied in with how I establish trust. It is something I just do not hand out; it must be earned. For example, I met the sibling of a friend of mine. On the surface they were sweet but there was something about them that sent up a red flag in my mind. As it turned out this sibling had promised to give my friend their portion of an estate that was in probate due to the death of the owner. It did not happen; the sibling kept saying there was little cash, yet they suddenly were planning elaborate vacation destinations. It goes to show you, do not always trust what you see and/or hear. This was an issue that was plaguing the main character in this action, mystery thriller. WHILE INVESTIGATING A SERIES OF BANK heists, a detective discovers a clue about his young daughter who went missing a few years prior. His investigation would lead him to a plot that included a government agency. With Ben Affleck (Air, The Tender Bar) as Detective Danny Rourke, Alice Braga (Repo Man, The New Mutants) as Diana Cruz, JD Pardo (A Cinderella Story, Mayans M.C.-TV) as Randy Nicks, William Fichtner (The Space Between, Black Hawk Down) as Lev Dellrayne and Dayo Okeniyi (Rise, Shades of Blue-TV) as River; this movie had a familiar vibe to me for some reason. It reminded me of a poor man’s version of the film Inception. I had a hard time following the story, though I was intrigued with it. More so because the locations where the story takes place were areas where I had visited recently. The scenery was incredible. I enjoyed Ben’s and Alice’s characters individually; it was a shame they did not have any chemistry between them. There were some scenes that did not make any sense to me and after a while, I stopped trying to figure things out and just let the action play out. Sadly, this film did not hypnotize me. There were extra scenes during the ending credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Shazam: Fury of the Gods
HAVING RECENTLY RETURNED FROM MY FIRST cruise in decades, I was impressed with the diversity and camaraderie I saw on the ship. For two weeks, I observed families and chosen families support and help each other, in a display of genuine kindness. There was a group consisting of about a dozen or so people who were the best of friends. They had bonded and became a chosen family amongst themselves; I enjoyed listening to the travel adventures they had taken previously, along with their choice of excursions on this trip. I could see a real connection between many of them; it reminded me of my own gatherings where there was joking and laughing sprinkled among more serious discussions about various topics. One of the things that impressed me was how easygoing most of them were, considering there were so many options of things to do and eat while onboard; I would have assumed there would have been some disagreements, but I was never a witness to such things. Honestly, they were like a big happy family. One night was designated as a formal dinner event and each of them chose instead of wearing dinner jackets or evening attire, to dress up in clothing that was more aligned to a runway during fashion week in Paris; it was a sight to see. THERE WAS ANOTHER SMALL GROUP OF people I saw who might have been related, but I never had the chance to speak with them. One of the members of the group was in a wheelchair, which I must tell you was going to be hard to maneuver if they were taking similar onshore tours to the ones I was signed up to experience. As it turned out, they were on an excursion I was taking that involved walking up ancient stairs to a historical landmark. It was so touching to see members of the group take turns lifting the gentleman in his wheelchair up the steps. They would stop at each landing to swap out those individuals who got tired from the exertion of keeping the wheelchair in the air, while they themselves had to watch where they were stepping. It was a beautiful sight to see and when everyone in their group finally reached the summit, I saw the look on the wheel bound individual and it was priceless. These two examples reaffirmed my feelings that chosen family connections are just if not stronger than blood related families; however, one experiences love and support is all that matters, at least to me. This point stood out for me in this action, adventure comedy. WHEN AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT IS STOLEN from a museum, it becomes the focal point and the test to see how strong the family ties are for two opposite families. With Zachary Levi (Thor: Dark World, Chuck-TV) as Shazam, Asher Angel (Darby and the Dead, Andi Mack-TV) as Billy Batson, Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, Elementary-TV) as Kalypso, Helen Mirren (The Duke, Hitchcock) as Hespera and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Anthea; this sequel continued with the same type of humor found in the first installment. There was very little difference with this film compared to the previous and that was the issue I had with it. The characters did not display any growth in their lives, so the fun connection I had with them previously was strained in this one. Helen and Lucy stood out for me; they truly gave it their all despite the poorly conceived and written script. Even the special effects, I found, were underwhelming. If the film studio is planning to continue with this franchise, which is apparent with the two extra scenes during the ending credits, they will need to kick up the intensity, drama, comedy and special effects to better compete with the other superhero films that have been released.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Heart of Stone
EVER SINCE I SAW DICK TRACY talk into his watch, I have always been attracted to new technologies. That does not mean I immediately jump on the latest bandwagon of some new high-tech device or application; I just marvel at its creation and the thought process behind it. Another aspect that I find so curious is how imaginary objects in movies, television shows, comic strips, and books turn into real items that all of us benefit from or at least use in our lives. Did you ever imagine the communicators and earpieces from Star Trek would become the flip phone/iPhone and Air pods of today? Even Dick Tracy’s wristwatch became a viable device many of us use daily. I have asked my wristwatch for the weather and to remind me of an appointment; the technology simply amazes me. Just recently, I was able to witness an unmanned automobile turn on and back out of a parking space. Besides the shock of seeing it, I also immediately thought of KITT, the talking car that did a whole lot more, from the old television show Knight Rider. It makes me wonder if the people involved with creating these new devices found their inspiration in these fictional items from various mediums. I BELIEVE IT HAS ONLY BEEN a short time where we now are hearing about A.I., artificial intelligence. From what I have seen or read about it, there are opposing views on whether it can or cannot benefit mankind. I may have just experienced interacting with it when I notified my charge card issuer that I would be traveling out of the country. The voice that communicated with me was artificial but quick to respond to my queries. I was leery while talking back and forth with the voice. For me, I think it is a trust issue; when I ended the call I was wondering if the company would follow through on updating my account. When I think about it, I feel my trust issues formed after I saw the Matrix movies. Memories of the evil version of the robot from Lost in Space and HAL from 2001: A Space Odyessy, influenced me to have a negative or better yet, cautious attitude about artificial intelligence. Could there ever be a time where humans are no longer needed except to maintain the computers involved with these artificial “beings?” I admit, I am wary about the advances that are taking place for A.I. or any new technology, though I can see the benefits of it sometimes. This action, crime thriller, does not offer me any comfort in these regards. PRETENDING SHE IS STRICTLY A TECHIE, a secret operative from a top-secret agency finds herself in a position to save her co-workers’ lives. To do so, would mean she would have to reveal her true identity, if the evil hacker does not do it first. With Gal Gadot (Death on the Nile, Wonder Woman franchise) as Rachel Stone, Jamie Dornan (A Private War, Belfast) as Parker, Alia Bhatt (Gully Boy, Highway) as Keya Dhawan, Jing Lusi (Crazy Rich Asians, Lucky Man-TV) as Yang and Paul Ready (The Dig, Motherland-TV) as Bailey; this film began with an intense opening scene that put me in the mood to be excited. However, from that point on the story became quite predictable to the point the excitement wore off. Fight scenes were well orchestrated, and Gal did a great job; however, there were multiple scenes that did not make any sense. This picture really wanted to be a kick-off to a new franchise, but the whole viewing experience felt like an “also ran.” Many other films took the same type of story line and did a better job with it. At least the scenery from the various locales was pretty to look at and hopefully they were real.
1 ¾ stars
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
I TOOK PIANO LESSONS FOR EIGHT years, but I did not want many people to know about it, particularly my classmates in school. The reason being, I loved classical music from such composers as Beethoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky. One of the pieces I wanted to play on the piano was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; talk about a lofty goal. However, my piano teacher found sheet music for it and told me to work on it during my free time. The reason I did not want too many classmates to know was because everyone I knew was into the Top 40 songs playing on the radio. I enjoyed them as much as they did, but for piano playing I preferred the classics. That was not the only music I played but when it came to my piano lessons, we focused on music from the classical composers. On my own, I would go downtown to the music store that had a whole room filled with sheet music from all different genres. I would get lost as I leafed through bin after bin of sheet music, trying to narrow my choices down to a few instead of a multitude. For me, it was all about how the music moved me; it could be a song from a Broadway musical or one from a folk singer, it did not matter. But what was more important to me was fitting in with the rest of the student body. FITTING IN WAS OF THE UTMOST importance as far as I was concerned. I saw what happened to those who did not fit in and could never find out where was the cutoff from being a little different with no repercussions to doing something that made you a target for being shunned or bullied. I think it is harder when we are younger due to the lack of exposure to different people, cultures and life experiences. When we are young, I believe, we consciously or subconsciously gravitate to like kind. Anyone who doesn’t look the same or act the same tends to set off a warning sign in our heads. I am reminded of my time at a school’s orientation weekend, sharing a dorm room with another prospective student. Accompanying him were a couple of his pet praying mantises. I thought it was an odd thing to do but did not try to avoid him, unlike the other kids on the floor. He had the desire to fit in with the rest of the floor, based on our conversations; but he did not have the will to do anything about it. Some people do not care about fitting in while others do. I only want to do it when I know I can be my authentic self. This is why I give the brothers in this animated, action adventure a lot of credit. BY THE TIME THEY REACHED ADOLESCENCE, the Turtle brothers wanted nothing more than to go above ground and be with the humans. The problem was the humans did not want to be with them; at least most of them. With Micah Abbey (Grey’s Anatomy-TV, Cousins for Life-TV) voicing Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. (The Chi-TV) voicing Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu (The Fabelmans, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) voicing Leonardo, Brady Noon (Marry Me, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) voicing Raphel and Ayo Edebiri (The Sweet East, Theater Camp) voicing April O’Neil; this installment was one of the best out of the group. The animation was clever and outstanding, accompanied by a great soundtrack. The actors voicing their characters were fun and well-suited to bounce off each other. I did not have any idea this would be as good as it was, thanks to the skilled writing of Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg and Jeff Rowe. The story works for children and adults thanks to the variety of one lined comments, besides the message; a message that I appreciated. There was no need to be concerned I would be the only adult without children, there were many. I could simply be myself. There was an extra scene in the middle of the ending credits.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 