Early Man Falls Short of Past Aardman Feature Films

Aardman Animation (the outfit behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run) have been trying to make a caveman comedy for well over a decade now. Back when they had a deal to produce films with DreamWorks Animation, one of their proposed projects was a feature called Crood Awakening that John Cleese had written the script for. Once Aardman left DreamWorks, the latter studio turned the film into The Croods while Aardman finally got around to delivering a caveman project (albeit without the involvement of John Cleese) with Early Man, which was released in the first few weeks of 2018 to underwhelming box office results.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald Leans Heavily On Poorly Developed Characters To Dismal Results

SPOILERS AHEAD

One of my favorite childhood memories is when I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the very first time as a nine-year-old boy. I'd heard so much praise regarding about The Boy Who Lived from my friends and family members but it was a whole other experience to actually read it and get enveloped into this world of wizardry and wonder populated by well-realized characters I could relate to so easily. There was so much vivid humanity that informed Harry Potter, his friends and his enemies, it just made that world so compelling. With the newest entry in this sprawling Harry Potter universe, clumsily entitled, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the world, specifically all kinds of extended mythology that takes place in it, has taken precedence over the characters and that results in a total mess of a movie that would be wretched even if it wasn’t connected to an infinitely superior series of books & films.

There's Too Much Running Wild In The Uneven Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

There's quite a bit that occurs in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, lots of plotlines that transpire in a two-hour running time, loads of magical creatures to meet and new characters to get to know. Despite the large amount of new content lumped onto the audience, it's surprising just how little of this new corner of the Harry Potter universe manages to really register. There's really not a unique tone that this production aspires to, nor are the distinctive time period or famous location (New York City) used to their fullest potential. Do not be mistaken, there are elements for sure in here that are fun or interesting, but the problem is most of the best aspects of Fantastic Beasts are either on the margin of the plot proper or don't get enough screentime to match their fullest potential.

The Danish Girl Review

The best thing I can say about The Danish Girl is that the two main characters are in possession of a Jack Russell Terrier and that adorable doggie pops up frequently in the sequences taking place at their humble abode. I couldn't help but laugh at the dog's facial expressions which range from disinterested to distracted and such emotions amusingly contrast with the more stuffy activities occurring around the animal. Alas, the entire movie does not center around this cute canine and instead focuses its efforts on presenting on a laughably by-the-numbers take on real life figure Lili Ebe.

Eddie Redmayne Discovers Herself In First Trailer For The Danish Girl

The Theory of Everything was the sort of conventional "Oscar-bait" claptrap that always pops up at movie theaters once the weather turns colder, but I'll say this; Eddie Redmayne was damn good in it. This guy has serious talent and it came through in his performance. That talent looks to be taking him to new places cinematically, as he'll be taking on projects like headlining the Fantastic Beats And Where To Find Them trilogy in the future, but this year does bring a new Redmayne project, The Danish Girl, which has just debuted a trailer that you can watch below.

Hollywood Finally Appreciates Ezra Miller, Looks To Cast Him In Harry Potter Spin-Off Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

The Perks of Being A Wallflower is a great and underrated movie that owes much of its success to Ezra Miller, whose turn in the film is full of pain, humor, passion and truth. Truth be told, I felt like he should have won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars that year (I still love you Christoph Waltz!), but his failure to even garner a nomination in that category was nowhere near as devastating as his lack of work in the years following Wallflower. C'mon Hollywood! Jai Courtney gets all kinds of work after A Good To Die Hard bombs badly, but Miller can't get anything???

The Five Best 2015 Oscar Acceptance Speeches

Last nights Academy Awards ceremony was a predictable affair, with great films like Selma, Whiplash and especially Boyhood not getting as many awards as they deserved. In the end, Birdman took home the Best Director and Best Picture award, and while I wasn't a huge fan of the film (I found it audacious, but lacking in substance) I'm glad something a bit more unorthodox won at least. But that doesn't mean there weren't highlights of the ceremony, especially when it came time for Everything Is Awesome to be performed!

Final 2014 Oscars Predictions

I must say, the announcement of the nominations for this years Academy Awards ceremony really took a spring out of my step. While it was great to see notable filmmakers like Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater receive long overdue recognition in the Best Director category, the lack of nominations for excellent people like Gillian Flynn, David Oyelowo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ava Duvernay, and of course, a movie like The LEGO Movie just helped reinforce how out of touch the Oscars are with recognizing truly great cinema.

Jupiter Ascending Review

Jupiter Girls, You Make The Rockin' World Go Round

One element that really makes certain pieces of great sci-fi, well, great, is it's ability to translate everyday emotions and worries into a heightened and entertaining environment. The grandaddy of sci-fi cinema, Star Wars, is centered on the universal hope that we all have of wanting to defy expectations and become something great. Sure, there's Wookies, TIE Fighters and a rapscallion Harrison Ford running around, but the plot's centered on a very relatable theme.

My Current Best Acting Nominee Predictions!! (December 30, 2014 Edition)

Well, the nominations for the next Academy Awards ceremony will be released two weeks from this Thursday.So let's take a look at my current predictions for the two main acting categories, Best Actor and Best Actress, at the ceremony!

The Theory Of Everything Review

When Theory Met Sally

Eddie Redmayne was a super memorable part of Les Miserables, to the point where I thought to myself "That kids gonna be a star one day" as I left the theater. Well, now he's making good on my thought, as his turn as Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything is generating tons of praise, as it should. Redmayne gives a great performance, though he's held back by a movie that's more dull than interesting.