Lilo and Stitch (2002)

Lilo and Stitch (2002)

8/10

Starring

Chris Sanders

Daveigh Chase

Tia Carrere

Ving Rhames

 

Directed by Chris Sanders

 

This movie is one of the most underrated gems from the mouse house. It didn’t have the regular protagonist—we had Lilo. A little girl with a taste in music beyond her years and a brave, unique view of the world. These qualities set this movie on a pedestal.

When Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, it was different from what we were used to from Disney. The plot was edgier, the characters were sharp and brave, and there was no princess or damsel needing rescuing, no island in peril, and no treasure hunt adventure. Instead, it was about a weird little family made up of two sisters—the older one raising the younger—and their family expanded to include a very destructive and dangerous alien life form.

What I will never forget about this movie is the soundtrack. It blasted good old Elvis songs throughout its runtime. The artwork was fantastic, and the sci-fi setting felt fresh and different. This is one of the few standout animations Disney made between the end of their Renaissance with Tarzan (1999) and their return to form in 2008 with Bolt.

The story takes place in Hawaii, where a young woman named Nani is struggling to care for her energetic and independent little sister, Lilo, after the death of their parents. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the universe, a scientist from an alien race creates a creature through genetic mutation, naming it Experiment 626. The scientist faces sanctions for his crimes, and 626 is sentenced to be banished to an abandoned asteroid. However, the creature escapes, steals a spacecraft, and crash-lands on Earth. Disguised as a dog, 626 is caught by animal control and placed in a shelter.

Nani decides that the best way to cheer Lilo up is to get her a dog. They visit the shelter, and Lilo chooses 626—an odd, ugly creature that’s far too strong to be a regular pet. She names him Stitch. While Stitch hides out with Lilo, trying to figure out his next move, aliens are sent to Earth to capture him. They struggle to complete their mission without being noticed, while Stitch tries to evade capture by blending into his new life with Lilo. Meanwhile, a military-minded alien is determined to catch him, no matter what.

In the end, you’ll always have fond memories of this movie. Watching it now, I noticed that it took a while to get started and then ended a bit too quickly, but everything still adds up to a fantastic animation that deserves far more recognition than it gets.

The Ice Road (2021)

The Ice Road (2021)

5/10

Starring

Liam Neeson

Benjamin Walker

Amber Midthunder

Marcus Thomas

Holt McCallany

 

Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh

 

Contains Spoilers

There is a thing like just doing it for the money, I believe that is where we are with Liam Neeson. There must be something we movie lovers are missing, because he never seems to run out of movies to star in, and most of them are just a mess.

The Ice Road is another Neeson action flick where our hero goes up against a company willing to do anything to cover up their crooked dealings. The movie is as cold as the terrain where it’s set. Like most of Neeson’s recent films, he fits the role perfectly and puts his all into it, but the writing falls flat. The movie lacks the necessary thrill. Sure, there’s action in its own subtle way, but the excitement just doesn’t hit the mark.

This film is highly predictable, especially after the first third. The moment you understand the company’s true stance on the rescue and where all the characters fit, you can pretty much guess how everything will unfold.

The most engaging aspect of the movie lies in the deaths that occur during the rescue attempt. Unfortunately, the movie concludes the way many of these types of films do, leaving little behind to make you feel like you’ve just watched an action-thriller.

The main twist is that the rescue mission takes a backseat to the bigger plot.

The story begins in a Canadian mine, where an explosion traps twenty-six miners underground. To save them, the methane line that caused the explosion must be capped. The twist? The explosion wasn’t supposed to happen—the methane sensors in the mine had been turned off.

The mining company and their insurance provider hire a team to deliver three wellheads needed to save the miners. Neeson’s character, Mike, is one of the drivers tasked with transporting the equipment through a treacherous ice road. The expedition is led by Jim (Laurence Fishburne), and their team includes Mike’s brother (serving as the mechanic in Mike’s rig), Tantoo (another driver), and someone from the insurance company.

Initially, everything seems legit as the journey begins. But tragedy strikes—they lose one of the trucks, tensions rise, and the team starts to accuse one another. That’s when the script flips, revealing that the company isn’t clean and has no intention of doing whatever it takes to save the miners.

You can catch this movie on Netflix (U.S.) and Amazon (U.K.). Don’t expect much from Laurence Fishburne here; his character meets an unfortunate fate less than halfway through the film.

Luca (2021)

 

Luca (2021)

6/10

Starring the voices of

Jacob Tremblay

Jack Dylan Grazer

Emma Berman

Saverio Raimondo

Maya Rudolph

 

Directed by Enrico Casarosa

 

The movie doesn’t break any norms, stand out, or hold the attention of older viewers for long. It plays it safe and avoids taking any risks. This new Disney/Pixar animation is vibrant and colorful, focusing on themes of friendship, jealousy, and the fear of being alone. The innocence of the characters shines through as they dream of freedom, believing a Vespa is all they need to achieve it. There’s no love story here, and the antagonist is so self-absorbed that he doesn’t notice he’s losing the crowd.

Luca is a sea monster—or at least that’s how humans perceive them. These creatures resemble mermaids but transform into human form when they leave the water. Luca is a goatfish herder who dreams of adventure, though his parents do their best to keep him safe in their underwater world. His naivety and fear make it seem unlikely he’ll ever leave home. One day, while herding, he finds a human picture and an alarm clock. That’s when Alberto, another young sea monster, appears and claims the items. Luca follows Alberto, who takes him to the surface, where his body transforms into human form.

Luca panics at first but quickly calms down. He and Alberto become friends, and despite his parents’ warnings, Luca visits Alberto regularly on the surface. Alberto, who claims to be an expert on the human world, fills Luca’s head with fantastical—and often incorrect—ideas. Together, they dream of running away as soon as they can get their hands on a Vespa.

When Luca’s trips to the surface are discovered, his parents threaten to send him to the deep sea as punishment. Luca runs away to Alberto’s hideout, and the two decide to venture into a nearby Italian town. There, they face harassment until Giulia, a spirited young girl, comes to their rescue. The trio forms a team to compete in the local triathlon, hoping to use the prize money to buy a Vespa.

As Luca grows closer to Giulia and learns more about the human world, he becomes eager to explore, which sparks jealousy in Alberto. Tensions rise between the two friends, while Luca’s parents search the human world for their son.

The magic of this film lies in its visuals—the stunning water effects and the colorful depiction of the Italian setting. The narrative also leans into Disney’s familiar trope of single-parent households. Giulia, for instance, spends her summer with her father while her parents are separated. Meanwhile, Alberto deals with abandonment after being left by his father, eventually finding a sense of belonging in the human world—a place sea creatures are taught to avoid.

For me, it took a while to get into the animation, but once I did, it was an enjoyable, if not extraordinary, ride to the end. I feel the mystery could have been preserved instead of wrapping up with a neat, kumbaya ending.

You can catch Luca on Disney+ and in selected cinemas.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)

 

6/10

Starring

Takeru Satoh

Emi Takei

Mackenyu Arata

Munetaka Aoki

Yū Aoi

Tao Tsuchiya

Yōsuke Eguchi

 

Directed by Keishi Ōtomo

 

In summary, this movie isn’t as strong as the previous three, though it’s still watchable. I wonder if someone unfamiliar with Tomoe’s story before watching this would find the flashback scenes clear enough. The movie doesn’t fully explain Tomoe’s life, her death, or the changes made compared to the manga, leaving this part of Kenshin’s story a bit fuzzy. It’s only inferred—rather than shown outright—that her death was a mistake and not Kenshin’s intent.

Seven years after the release of the third installment in the Shishio trilogy, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014), we finally get the live adaptation of the final story arc in the Rurouni Kenshin manga series.

Following the end of Kenshin’s battle with Shishio, a new character emerges: Yukishiro Enishi. He’s seeking revenge on Kenshin for the death of his sister, Yukishiro Tomoe. If you’ve only followed the Samurai X anime or the live-action movies, you might not have encountered this character or understood her significance in Kenshin’s life. This arc sheds light on how Kenshin got his iconic scars and the love he had before deciding to leave his life as Battousai behind.

The story takes some liberties compared to the manga, and the movie takes a while to pick up steam. Early on, several scenes feel like they’re dragging out the inevitable. However, as expected, the film showcases impressive martial arts and swordsmanship. The fight scenes deliver the excitement fans have come to anticipate.

Enishi’s quest for revenge stems from Kenshin’s past. Battousai was once in a relationship with Enishi’s sister, Tomoe. Initially, it seemed Tomoe was used as a setup by those targeting Kenshin, but they eventually developed genuine feelings for each other. Tragically, a series of events led to Tomoe’s death, for which Kenshin was responsible.

In the present, Enishi returns to exact revenge, targeting everyone and everything Kenshin loves, even going as far as threatening the Japanese government. His arrival brings carnage, blood, and unrest, as expected from a character fueled by vengeance.

One aspect I appreciated was how the movie avoided wasting time on unnecessary flashbacks, a common Hollywood trope. Instead of scattered flashbacks coincidentally tied to the present, the movie gradually reveals Kenshin’s past as the chaos unfolds. When Kenshin confronts his adversary, the truth about his past and the identity of this new enemy are unveiled seamlessly.

Seven years is a long time to wait for a sequel, and it did dampen my initial excitement going into this film. However, the acting was solid, and, as you’d expect from a Kenshin movie, the sword fights were fast, slick, and left me wishing I could wield a sword like that.

You can catch this movie on Netflix. I’d recommend watching the first three films beforehand to better understand Kenshin and the characters involved.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)

 

7/10

Starring

Takeru Satoh

Emi Takei

Tatsuya Fujiwara

Yosuke Eguchi

Munetaka Aoki

Yūsuke Iseya

Directed by Keishi Ōtomo

This marks the end of the main arc in the Samurai X anime. The popular series builds up to this long-overdue final showdown between Kenshin Himura and Makoto Shishio. Watching the anime, you can appreciate the journey—Kenshin striving to be someone who no longer kills or fights unnecessarily. Along the way, his friendships take shape, and in the battles leading up to Shishio, we see everyone in his circle reaching their full potential. From Sanosuke to Saito, each character rises to their challenges and overcomes them.

This movie was shot back-to-back with the previous installment, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, as part of the Shishio trilogy. Since this live-action adaptation delivers the much-anticipated final battle between protagonist and antagonist, the cinematography and fight scenes had to meet high expectations—and they did not disappoint. The speed and intensity of both Kenshin and Shishio perfectly capture what fans envisioned for this epic clash.

The story picks up where Kenshin discovers Shishio’s ship about to set sail with the kidnapped Kaoru onboard. He boards the ship, setting the stage for what appears to be the main battle between Kenshin and Shishio. However, when Kaoru is thrown overboard, Kenshin dives into the sea to save her. Tragically, he fails to find her, and the sea takes its toll on him. We next see our hero’s unconscious body washed ashore, where a man finds and carries him away.

That man turns out to be Hiko, Kenshin’s master, who originally trained him in the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Kenshin pleads with his master to complete his training so he can learn the ultimate technique, "Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki," and defeat Shishio. At this point, Kenshin accepts the grim possibility that Kaoru is dead since her body, unlike his, never washed ashore.

Meanwhile, Shishio has seized the prime minister and is holding the country hostage, demanding Battousai be brought to him. On his side, Kenshin struggles to master his training, learning that adopting the name Battousai had caused him to lose his will to live. Hiko reveals the secret to unlocking the Hiten Mitsurugi technique, "Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki," allowing Kenshin to finally complete his training.

Afterward, Kenshin returns home and surrenders to the police. From this point on, revealing any more would spoil the experience. If you’ve seen the anime, you can probably piece everything together. If not, what are you waiting for?

Once again, Takeru Satoh wields the reverse-edged sword as Rurouni Kenshin, and his portrayal will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come. His performance cements him as the definitive Kenshin in live-action form. I was pleasantly surprised to learn later that a two-part continuation of the story would be released on Netflix in 2021.

Wish Dragon (2021)

Wish Dragon (2021)

5/10

Starring the voices of

Jimmy Wong

John Cho

Constance Wu

Natasha Liu Bordizzo

 

Directed by Chris Appelhans

 

What immediately stands out is that this movie feels like a rip-off of Disney’s Aladdin, but set in China. However, don’t expect the wonderful relationship that Genie and Aladdin had. Their dynamic, along with Aladdin’s selfishness, was what gave that movie its length and depth. Wish Dragon feels like Aladdin transplanted into the 21st century.

The movie makes the same mistake that all these "wish magic lamp" stories tend to make—wasting too much time. I never quite understand that. Once you know you have three wishes, what’s stopping you from making them all at once and moving on with your life? In Aladdin, we saw that his selfishness caused the delay—he wanted to hold onto the last wish just in case. But in Din’s case, there doesn’t seem to be any real reason for the delay.

The movie borrows heavily from Aladdin, right down to the man trying to win over the girl and the chaos caused by the wish-granting entity. In this Chinese setting, there isn’t a magic lamp but rather a magic teapot. This Jackie Chan-produced animation makes some changes, particularly in its animation style, to distance itself from Aladdin. But it doesn’t fully succeed, as the plot sticks closely to the Aladdin formula. The story still revolves around a not-so-wealthy young man who finds a magical wish-granting object to help him get closer to the woman he loves.

Our protagonist is Din, who met Li Na when they were in preschool. They built a beautiful friendship, but Li Na’s family moved away, and the two grew up apart. Despite this, Din never forgot her and often dreams of reuniting with her. He even takes it a step further, imagining dream dates with her on rooftops.

One day, during a delivery trip, an old man who couldn’t pay for his food gave Din a teapot as payment. Din took it reluctantly, mainly because the man was acting strange. Later, while on one of his dream dates, he accidentally made a wish, and a magic dragon appeared, informing him that he had three wishes. Before Din could fully process what was happening, his life was thrown into chaos. A sinister man had sent goons to retrieve the teapot, and they tracked it to Din.

The movie stumbles over its own “ten master rule,” which it tries to brush aside with vague explanations. Essentially, as long as Din hasn’t made his third wish, the rule holds—but this aspect feels poorly handled.

As mentioned earlier, the animation isn’t as grand as Disney’s, but the voice acting is solid. Overall, the movie is watchable. Just don’t go into it expecting something groundbreaking—it’s fine, but that’s about it.

Infinite (2021)

Infinite (2021)

3/10

Starring

Mark Wahlberg

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Sophie Cookson

 

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

 

Remember how much we all loved The Matrix? Now imagine mixing that with The Old Guard. That’s what this movie aspired to be—but it failed woefully. The movie is poorly strung together, highly incoherent, and I have to hand it to the special effects team. It seems they understood that this movie was supposed to be exciting more than the director and screenplay writer did. Unfortunately, their hard work was wasted as the film tries to keep you entertained with stunts, high-octane car chases, and bizarre explosions—all of which fail to compensate for the bad direction and horribly written screenplay.

The movie collapses under its own weight because the more you learn about what’s going on, the more you dislike how everything is unfolding. It seemed like a good idea—an adaptation of D. Eric Maikranz’s book The Reincarnationist Papers—but the execution? Well… let’s just say I’m glad I didn’t see this in the cinema.

Here’s the premise they had to work with: In this world, there’s a group of people called Infinites. These individuals can reincarnate, and some, like Evan (Mark Wahlberg), have the ability to recall their past lives. Among the Infinites is a faction called the Nihilists, who believe reincarnation is a curse. Led by Bathurst (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the Nihilists want to end all life on Earth as we know it. Evan holds a secret from his past life that could save humanity from Bathurst and his followers.

The problem? Evan struggles to remember who he is. In this reincarnation, he believes he’s suffering from a mental disorder, as he inexplicably knows things he shouldn’t, possesses skills he never learned, and understands concepts beyond his experience.

Evan’s path crosses with Bathurst’s when he tries to buy drugs from dealers. Bathurst seems to know more about Evan than Evan knows about himself. Their seemingly innocent meeting at a police station—after Evan’s drug deal goes south—takes a sharp turn when Evan is rescued by strangers. These people later reveal themselves as Infinites, who aim to help Evan unlock his memories and uncover the secret buried within them, all while attempting to stop Bathurst.

The whole “you are special, you are more than you think you are” trope feels like it’s been pulled from every other movie. It blatantly borrows from The Matrix with its “seeking the one” storyline, where the protagonist has no idea they are “the one.”

As for the acting, I know Wahlberg is capable of better than this. It’s downright disgraceful to see him rely so heavily on the idea that the plot alone would carry his performance. His acting is emotionless, and it seems he forgot that facial expressions play a huge role in conveying an idea or emotion.

The Misfits (2021)

The Misfits (2021)

 

2/10

Starring

Pierce Brosnan

Rami Jaber

Hermione Corfield

Jamie Chung

Mike d Angelo

Tim Roth

Nick Cannon

 

Directed by Renny Harlin

 

Everyone in this movie had some weird, terrible facial expressions paired with acting skills that made it seem like they were forced to do this film against their will. The acting is so poor, you’d think none of these actors had ever been in a major movie before. With lines that sound like they were pulled straight out of a cheesy Saturday morning cartoon, this poorly written film is best summarized as one you should only watch if your life depends on it.

The Misfits is a comedy heist film about six characters trying to steal gold bars from some bad guys in the Middle East.

One thing that stands out—though not in a good way—is the main character, Richard. Throughout the movie, you’re left wondering about his significance, as his portrayal makes you want him to be written out of the script entirely. His ideas and inputs are so basic that you can’t help but question how unbelievably stupid everyone else on his team must be to rely on him. Here’s one standout gem of insight he delivers: “The problem with gold is, it is heavy.” My thought was, of all the people who planned this heist, not one of them considered how to transport the gold until Sherlock here pointed out that it’s heavy.

The movie revolves around this team coming together with the idea of “doing some good.” Each member has their own way of stealing from bad people and putting the spoils to good use. Their next target is a corrupt, wealthy Middle Easterner who built a prison and used it to store gold. Get ready to spend the next thirty-nine minutes learning nothing about anyone.

The movie tries to give us some depth into four characters (Ringo, The Prince, Violet, and Wick) in the first eight minutes, then wastes the next thirty on trying to get Richard (played by Pierce Brosnan) on board with the plan. These thirty minutes are some of the most boring, badly acted scenes I’ve seen in a while. Finally, in the last minute of this excruciatingly long intro, we meet the last crew member, Hope—Richard’s daughter.

The movie feels like it made a bet with itself: if the audience hasn’t fallen asleep by the end of the agonizingly long setup, it’ll surely lose them during the equally agonizing, nonsensical, and outright ridiculous gold heist plan. The whole production goes overboard with explosions, car chases, fights (and non-fights), escapes, and contrived moments of being trapped.

There’s not much more I can say about the plot without giving it away, but here’s all you really need to know: watch this movie at your own peril.