Reviews

REVIEW: Dreamworks “The Bad Guys 2”
“It’s not the action, it’s the distraction.” Animated movie buffs will find a joyful surfeit of both in the new DreamWorks flick The Bad Guys 2, a sequel to the 2002 hit that surpasses it in almost every way. Every primary and a few secondary characters return in a snappy heist film that has enough […]
BOOK REVIEW: “The Art of The Boy and the Heron”

BOOK REVIEW: “The Art of The Boy and the Heron”

Avatar photoCharles Solomon|
July 7th, 2025
“The Art of The Boy and the Heron” opens with director Hayao Miyazaki’s self-deprecating Project Memo: “Isn’t it proof that you are aging when you imagine you’re still capable, but in fact you have memory loss due to senility? I would say yes.” Audiences who saw the Oscar-winning film would say “no.” The Japanese title […]
REVIEW: “The Day the Earth Blew Up”

REVIEW: “The Day the Earth Blew Up”

Avatar photoMartin Goodman|
March 21st, 2025
Set free at last from playing ridiculous basketball games that did nothing to showcase them; three venerable Looney Tunes characters showed a new generation of animation fans what the good old days were like. Many fans recognize Porky Pig and Daffy Duck in their 1950s-60s Chuck Jones incarnations; Porky is a straight man to other […]

Latest in Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Netflix “The Magician’s Elephant”

Fairy tales have been genuinely magical of late. First, we got the charm, humor, and animation brilliance of Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, an overwhelming critical and box office success. Then, in early 2023 we are treated to The Magician’s Elephant, helmed by first-time director Wendy Rogers. Rogers has been involved with animation and […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|March 16, 2023
REVIEW: Netflix “The Magician’s Elephant”

REVIEW: “New Gods: Yang Jian”

Yang Jian is the second feature in the New Gods series, a continuation of Nezha Reborn, both directed by Zhao Ji. It is not necessary to see the first feature to appreciate Yang Jian, but those who wish to can dial it up on Netflix to gain a bit of depth. The New Gods series […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|January 23, 2023
REVIEW: “New Gods: Yang Jian”

REVIEW: “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish”

DreamWorks Animation has found a new sport: outperforming far more costly and heavily promoted Disney movies. As a result, the latest entry, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (PIB2 for the duration of this review), is better, livelier, and far more creative than the tedious and disappointing Disney opus Strange World. One might think this […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|January 5, 2023
REVIEW: “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish”

REVIEW: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

I have not seen every film based on Carlos Collodi’s 1883 Italian novel Pinnochio; the essential story has spawned countless variations and thematic similarities. In truth, I have seen six or seven, none especially notable other than the 1940 Disney animated classic, which remains the ne plus ultra of the bunch. That said, the 2022 […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|December 29, 2022
REVIEW: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

REVIEW: “DC League of Super Pets”

The idea for this animated film originated in DC’s Adventure Comics #239 with the origin of the Legion of Super-Pets. The hallowed lineup that faced off against the deadly brain-globes were: Krypto the Super Dog, Streaky the Super Cat, Beppo the Super Monkey, and Comet the Super Horse. Proty II would join the party later. […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|August 26, 2022
REVIEW: “DC League of Super Pets”

REVIEW: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

This is a difficult film to review because, while it is undoubtedly an animated feature, it is also a remake of a live-action comedy. Therefore, how one feels about the film will directly correlate to how one thinks about the original movie. The predecessor to Paws of Fury is the beloved 1974 film Blazing Saddles, […]
Avatar photoMartin Goodman|August 22, 2022
REVIEW: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

ANIME REVIEW: “Lonely Castle in the Mirror”

Some stories must be told, especially to those caring enough to understand them, lest they eventually destroy the teller. Such is the theme of Keichi Hara’s 2022 anime, Lonely Castle in the Mirror. (Henceforth “Castle” for the purpose of this review). Adapted from a novel by Mizuki Tsujimura, The story concerns seven middle-school students who […]