The Matrix Resurrections (2021) review

Calling The Matrix a staple of the sci-fi genre would be the very definition of an understatement. Upon its release in the spring of 1999, this highly ambitious sci-fi action flick directed by sisters Lilly and Lana Wachowski immediately became one of the most iconic films of its time. Not only was it a massive critical and commercial success, earning over $466 million worldwide, much critical acclaim, and four Oscars, but it also inspired numerous films that would come after it with its groundbreaking visual effects and extensive use of wire-fu stunt choreography. It would then pave the way for a wide array of media in 2003 to turn it into a full-blown franchise, including two theatrically released sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. And while neither film was as necessarily well-received as the original, they did their job in helping to maintain the franchise’s strong position within the pop cultural zeitgeist in the early 2000s. However, following their release, that was mostly it for the franchise as far as theatrical releases were concerned. Lana and Lilly promptly moved on to other projects and repeatedly rejected ideas for follow-ups to the point where Warner Bros. brought in screenwriter Zak Penn to develop a potential prequel or sequel without them. Ultimately, though, Lana Wachowski returned to the franchise in 2019 as the prospect of bringing back main protagonists Neo and Trinity, who had both died in Revolutions, allowed her a chance to cope with the recent loss of her and Lilly’s parents and a close friend. And while the loss of their parents was the reason Lilly Wachowski didn’t return, instead opting to take a hiatus from the film industry, Lana’s return to the franchise that made her and her sister some of the most famous filmmakers around provides us with an emotionally poignant, visually stunning, and very much self-aware sequel.

Despite all the success that he’s achieved thanks to his greatest creation, a trilogy of games known as The Matrix, video game designer Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) has recently been struggling to cope with the dreams that he’s been having that suggest that his reality isn’t what it seems. And while his therapist (Neil Patrick Harris) attempts to help him by prescribing him blue pills, the situation only proceeds to get more complicated with each passing day, especially whenever Thomas crosses paths with a married woman named Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss), whom he seems to have some sort of unclear history with. It is only through interactions with a woman named Bugs (Jessica Henwick) and her AI acquaintance Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) that Thomas takes the figurative and literal red pill and finally remembers who he truly is; the mythical heroic figure known as Neo AKA ‘The One’. It has been more than 60 years since Neo was able to successfully save humanity from the machines that had turned the world into a post-apocalyptic wasteland by harvesting humans for energy while keeping them locked within a virtual world known as the Matrix. And while said victory had originally thought to have come at the cost of Neo’s life, it is revealed that the machines have resurrected not only him but also the love of his life Trinity… who now lives within the Matrix as Tiffany. Thus, when Neo learns that he and Trinity were vital to the Matrix’s current operation and that his awakening has now put her in danger of being killed by a system reboot, Neo joins forces with Bugs and the crew of her ship, the Mnemosyne, to rescue Trinity before that can happen.

With The Matrix Resurrections, Lana Wachowski and co-writers David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hermon craft a story that’s very much self-aware of its status as not only the fourth installment of a well-established franchise but also as a follow-up released several years after what was initially perceived to be the franchise’s finale. As such, this film is full of meta-commentary on sequels and the process of rehashing old franchises, and while said commentary may get a bit over-the-top at times in the ways that have made some Wachowski films rather infamous, the writers do an excellent job when it comes to ‘how’ they go about continuing the franchise’s plot. In other words, instead of just making your standard ‘legacy sequel’ that sets up a new ‘human vs. machine’ conflict with new characters mixed in with the older characters, The Matrix Resurrections is, simply put, a story about Neo and Trinity, the franchise’s definitive couple, reuniting with each other. As I alluded to earlier, this was the exact reason why Lana Wachowski ended up returning to the franchise after all this time, and because of this act of unabashed wish fulfillment, The Matrix Resurrections has what is easily the best emotional hook out of any installment of the franchise. And overall, I’d say that this helps the film overcome the fact that, admittedly, it doesn’t boast the same kind of brilliantly choreographed action sequences that the original trilogy had, especially since this is more of a story-driven plot than an action-driven one.

As it has often been with the Matrix films, The Matrix Resurrections largely revolves around the lead duo of Neo and Trinity, and Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss slip back into their iconic roles with ease. Admittedly, Trinity’s role in the film isn’t as big as Neo’s since the whole plot revolves around the process of rescuing her from the Matrix, but without spoiling anything, the route that they take with her character at the end of it all is one that I personally think longtime fans of the franchise will probably find incredibly satisfying. As for the other major characters in this film, they very much fall in line with what I noted earlier about ‘legacy’ sequels that combine new characters with the returning ones. Series regulars such as Jada Pinkett Smith’s no-nonsense captain turned resistance leader Niobe and Lambert Wilson’s infamously snooty Merovingian are largely relegated to supporting/cameo roles while more time is spent with newer characters such as Bugs and the crew of her ship, the Mnemosyne. Sure, most of the ship’s crew members don’t get a lot to work with but Jessica Henwick does headline this new group of characters quite nicely as she adopts the kind of ‘audience surrogate’ role that Neo had in the first film. Apart from all that, arguably the most notable development with this cast was the recasting of two significant roles; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an A.I. version of Morpheus (who’s established to have died prior to the events of this film) and Jonathan Groff as the reincarnation of Neo’s arch-nemesis, Smith. Neither of these two admittedly factor into the film’s proceedings as much as you’d think, but at the very least, they both do a solid job following in the footsteps of their respective predecessors, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving.

As was the case with The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, it’s clear that The Matrix Resurrections has been an incredibly polarizing release in the eyes of both critics and audiences. In fact, one could say that, in this instance, it’s a lot like a certain installment of another big sci-fi franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, since, from what I can gather, there’s been a lot of discussion about this not being the kind of film that Matrix fans were expecting. Instead of being an action-packed sci-fi extravaganza like the previous three films were, Resurrections is a more introspective and personal story driven almost entirely by the enduring romance between its two main protagonists… and yet, that’s why it works so well. It may not possess the exact level of visual finesse as its predecessors, but it more than makes up for that with its solidly engaging premise and strong emotional poignancy. And because of how effective it is as a source of meta-commentary on narrative sequels, it’s clear that Lana Wachowski went above and beyond to make a Matrix film that was more than just your standard cinematic sequel. That level of ambition has obviously defined much of the Wachowskis’ filmography, and while not every project of theirs has been as successful as The Matrix (longtime visitors of this site may recall that I wasn’t too big on Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending), you can never fault them for trying.

Rating: 5/5!

Hamilton (2020) review (Disney+)

On August 6^th, 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s newest musical Hamilton made its official Broadway debut at the Richard Rogers Theatre after its initial Off-Broadway premiere at the Public Theater. It was the second musical that Miranda had created following the 2008 production of In the Heights and was inspired by the biography of American founding father Alexander Hamilton that was written by historian Ron Chernow and published in 2004. And while the idea of a hip-hop/R&B musical about the history of America may have seemed like a crazy idea when Miranda first showcased the material that he working on at a White House event in 2009, the show immediately became a pop-cultural phenomenon. The show currently stands as the 7^th highest-grossing Broadway musical since 1982 with a current gross of around $612 million. And at the 70^th annual Tony Awards, it earned an event record 16 nominations and ultimately won 11 of them, including the top prize of Best Musical. But now this brings us to today’s release, which is a unique one given the circumstances. In June of 2016, three select performances of the show were filmed by RadicalMedia (who had also produced a PBS documentary on it) about less than a month before the departure of several key members of the original Broadway cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda himself. The rights to the footage were purchased by Disney this past February for $75 million, with the goal of having it released in theaters on October 15^th, 2021. But then, as you might have guessed… came COVID-19. The utterly devastating effects of the pandemic effectively resulted in not only the closure of movie theaters worldwide but also the closure of all Broadway theaters. And when it comes to the latter, it was recently confirmed that the theaters would remain closed until next year, which resulted in the decision to bump up the release of Hamilton’s filmed production to make its official debut on Disney+ during the Fourth of July weekend. Thus, those who haven’t yet had the chance to witness what has arguably been the most popular Broadway musical in recent years can now experience the bona fide masterpiece that is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.

Hamilton is the story of the American Revolution as primarily seen through the eyes of Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda). In 1776, the orphaned Hamilton arrives in New York City, where he meets politician Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), statesman John Laurens (Anthony Ramos), aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette (Daveed Diggs), and tailor turned spy Hercules Mulligan (Okieriete Onaodowan). Together, they share their dreams of a nation where they’re free from the brutal rule of Britain and King George III (Jonathan Groff). This then leads to Hamilton being personally selected by Continental Army general George Washington (Christopher Jackson) to be his personal aide-de-camp as America begins to fight for its independence. Along the way, Hamilton also starts up a relationship with socialite Elizabeth Schuyler (Phillipa Soo), who he ends up marrying. Ultimately, America is successful in its efforts to abstain from the British empire, with George Washington becoming the first official President of the United States while Hamilton is tapped to be the Secretary of the newly formed Department of the Treasury. However, while Hamilton does proceed to develop many of the key techniques that would form our country’s current financial system, he soon begins to come into conflict with Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (also Daveed Diggs) and James Madison (also Okieriete Onaodowan) over some of his more radical ideas. And over the next few years, Hamilton also proceeds to make some decisions that not only leave an incredibly devastating impact on both his political and personal life, but also paves the way for a growing rivalry with his old friend Aaron Burr, who has always longed for the success that Hamilton has had.

So admittedly, this is a much different kind of film than most of the ones I’ve covered over the years that are based on iconic Broadway musicals. To be clear, this isn’t a traditional cinematic adaptation of its source material like the upcoming adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other musical In the Heights (which was originally set to come out around this time before being pushed back to next year thanks to COVID-19). Instead, it’s simply just a filmed version of the show that’s made up of footage that was compiled from three separate performances. As such, there’s admittedly not much to talk about when it comes to the film production itself other than the fact that RadicalMedia did an excellent job filming the musical. All the footage is incredibly well-shot, perfectly capturing all the show’s key moments whether it’s via a grand wide shot or an extremely intimate close-up. And despite what I just noted about the fact that this was a collection of separate performances, I assure you that you would never notice that because of how seamlessly edited it all is. As for the show itself… really, what more can be said that hasn’t been said already about Hamilton? It truly is a landmark outing in the history of Broadway musicals as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sharply written script and instantly iconic musical numbers produce an incredible experience of sight and sound. Each number fully succeeds at conveying the story and gives plenty of depth to its characters, even those who are only in a few select sequences. All this is then thoroughly matched by the terrific Tony-winning choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler that is then elevated even further by the show’s incredibly noteworthy set design that’s headlined by a pair of rotating turntables in the center of the stage.

But, of course, another key element to the show’s success has been its ensemble cast, and the original Broadway cast of Hamilton may just be one of the greatest ensembles of any medium as everyone in that cast from the main leads to the background ensemble dancers are perfect fits in their respective roles. Now, of course, Hamilton has been known for its colorblind casting process, allowing BIPOC performers to portray characters who are historically white. Admittedly, this has been a source of controversy in some cases (especially nowadays) given that some of these historical figures were slave owners, but overall, it’s easy to see where Miranda was going when it comes to making this a story about America as it was as told by America as it is now. And while it goes without saying that the show doesn’t exactly tell the full story behind its characters, there are still plenty of subtle hints to it throughout in a show that I’d argue already does a fine job of exploring the flaws of those who helped shape this country. Of course, it’s all headlined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who brings his full charisma to the role of Alexander Hamilton while also perfectly conveying Hamilton’s boisterous nature which, obviously, often leads to him making some truly fatal mistakes in life. He’s then perfectly paired with Leslie Odom Jr. in the role of Hamilton’s biggest rival, Aaron Burr (“Sir!”). And instead of just making Burr the archetypal antagonist that ended up killing Hamilton in a duel, Hamilton goes above and beyond to emphasize the tragedy that is Burr’s fate as “the villain in your history” even though he was just as important to this country’s growth as Hamilton was. Another key figure with just as great of a stage presence is Christopher Jackson in the role of our country’s first President, George Washington. While Washington is arguably more of a supporting player in this story, Jackson brings the perfect commanding presence that the role requires while also highlighting the pressure that Washington was under to be the stalwart leader for his country.

Moving over to Hamilton’s female leads, Phillipa Soo is very much the heart of the production as Eliza Hamilton. While Eliza doesn’t directly partake in the key political moments that her husband is involved in before his death, she still serves as the prime exemplar of those who Hamilton and his fellow patriots are fighting for, and in the scenes that they share together, she’s ultimately the one who keeps her highly ambitious husband grounded at just the right moments. And yet, when Hamilton partakes in a scandalous love affair in Act 2, it is Eliza who delivers the most damning critique of them all with her big Act 2 solo, ‘Burn’, where she promptly burns the letters that her husband had written her, thus “erasing [herself] from the narrative”. She also gets to headline the show’s grand finale, ‘Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story’, an incredibly poignant number that reflects on her trials and tribulations in maintaining her late husband’s legacy. Moving on to her older sister Angelica, Renée Elise Goldsberry is equally terrific in a role that’s just as deeply layered as Eliza’s even if it’s a slightly smaller one by comparison. Right from her first major number that she shares with Eliza and their sister Peggy (Jasmine Cephas Jones), ‘The Schuyler Sisters’, she’s immediately established as a woman who’s clearly ahead of her time, and as for her desire to find a “mind at work”, that ends up being fulfilled in arguably the best possible way when she meets Hamilton. However, as heartbreakingly conveyed in her big Act 1 solo, ‘Satisfied’, she ultimately has to hold back on the romantic feelings that she’s fostered for him when he begins a relationship with Eliza since she cares about her sister’s happiness above all else. As for Jasmine Cephas Jones, while she admittedly doesn’t have much to do as Peggy (something that even the musical straight-up acknowledges given all its historical context), she also plays a second role as Hamilton’s mistress Maria Reynolds in one of the big standout numbers of Act 2, ‘Say No to This’.

Jones, of course, isn’t the only one to take on a dual role as almost every other key member of the main cast portrays separate characters in each act. The most prominent of the bunch is Daveed Diggs, who plays two characters who have distinctly different relationships with Hamilton. In Act 1, he’s Marquis de Lafayette, one of Hamilton’s greatest allies in their fight for freedom. In Act 2, he’s future President Thomas Jefferson, who’s Hamilton’s biggest foe on the political stage. But in both cases, Daveed Diggs is an undisputed stand out as the two characters who are very much the rock stars of the whole production. Next up, there’s Anthony Ramos, who starts out in Act 1 as John Laurens, another key ally of Hamilton’s and a big proponent for the abolishment of slavery. Sadly, this was something that he never got the chance to see happen for himself as he tragically died in a battle that had occurred at a point where the war was already over (as revealed in a number that was intentionally left off the soundtrack, ‘Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us’, so that the live show could have something all its own). Moving over to Act 2, Ramos also plays Hamilton’s firstborn son Philip, who’s shown to be a bona fide prodigy like his father… but is tragically killed young in a duel that came to be because of Philip defending his father’s honor. But while both of Ramos’ characters end up dying tragically, the strong rapport between Hamilton and Laurens in Act 1 really shows how much Ramos has flourished from Miranda’s material, which can be further illustrated by him taking on Miranda’s In the Heights role of Usnavi in the upcoming film adaptation. The final dual-role member of the cast is Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan in Act 1 and James Madison (who, like Thomas Jefferson, would go on to become President) in Act 2. And while these two are very much supporting players in the larger story, Onaodowan makes the most out of them whether he’s the boisterous Mulligan or the calm and collected Madison. Finally, who can forget Jonathan Groff as King George III? Sure, it may not have been exactly necessary to have him be in the story since he isn’t directly involved with any of the main characters’ affairs, but Groff is another standout as the delightfully hammy tyrant with some of the musical’s most entertaining songs.   

I should probably note that, at the time of this review’s publication, I’m one of the many who have yet to see Hamilton performed ‘live’. Obviously, a lot of this is due to it being such a big hit that the hunt for tickets has often been nigh impossible, but even when it came to Rhode Island via one of its U.S. tours in 2019… that was at a point where I had officially moved down to Florida. With all this in mind, there’s certainly a lot to appreciate when it comes to this new release. While it obviously doesn’t replace the experience of seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s modern masterpiece in the way that it should truly be seen, RadicalMedia’s sharply-produced filming of the original production is a wonderful option for those whose sole experience with Hamilton is its soundtrack. And really, I’m curious if this ends up paving the way for more filmed productions of popular Broadway shows down the road. Now, to be clear, Hamilton isn’t the first Broadway musical to get this treatment as it has happened before with shows like Cats and Phantom of the Opera. In fact, this isn’t even RadicalMedia’s first foray into the medium as they also did one of these for Rent in 2008 (which, ironically, also starred Renée Elise Goldsberry). But perhaps the most important thing to note here is that, despite what I just said, I do recognize why, from a financial standpoint, this is usually a rare occurrence. Basically, to go off of what I noted earlier, while it does provide a way for those who either A.) don’t live in New York or B.) can’t really afford Broadway tickets to see these shows, it still doesn’t come close to replicating the experience of seeing them live. And considering the current predicament we’re in thanks to COVID-19, this is a case just like the film industry where the world of theater needs all the support that it can get right now. Still, given that this version of Hamilton was recorded several years ago with the long-departed original Broadway cast, it ultimately serves as an example of how something like this can be done in a reasonable manner that won’t hurt the theater industry, especially since we’re talking about a musical that does live up to the hype.

Rating: 5/5!

Frozen II (2019) review

Calling Disney Animation’s 2013 release Frozen one of the most successful projects that they’ve ever made would easily be one of the biggest understatements of all-time. Upon its release, this loose adaptation of author Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen became the studio’s first animated film to gross over $1 billion worldwide (not counting subsidiary Pixar’s Toy Story 3, which did the same thing in 2010). It won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature and has widely been regarded as one of Disney Animation’s modern masterpieces. And while there have undoubtedly been a select number of folks out there who were likely driven mad by the truly extensive mark that the film left on pop culture, there’s no denying that Frozen was very much one of those films that was fully deserving of becoming the full-on cultural phenomenon that it still is today. Whether it was thanks to its lovable cast of characters or its undeniably catchy soundtrack, Frozen quickly blossomed into one of Disney’s biggest animated franchises that would later spawn a few animated shorts to build up hype for the film’s heavily anticipated feature-length follow-up. And now, the story of the Royal Sisters of Arendelle officially continues with Disney Animation’s 58^th official animated feature, Frozen II. Luckily, for fans of the franchise, this sequel brings back almost all the key players from the first film, including songwriters Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez, the core quartet of leads Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad, and directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. And because of this, Frozen II is a fantastic sequel to its equally fantastic predecessor as it flawlessly retains everything that made the original Frozen a beloved Disney classic.

 

For the past three years, the Kingdom of Arendelle has thrived under Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), especially after she was able to rekindle her relationship with her younger sister, Princess Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell). However, on one faithful night, Elsa becomes entranced by a mysterious voice calling out to her from afar, and when she finally interacts with it, the kingdom is suddenly ravaged by mysterious elemental forces. Elsa and Anna soon learn from the wise troll Grand Pabbie (voiced by Ciaran Hinds) that this recent turn of events is due to Elsa unintentionally awakening the four elemental spirits of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. And as he informs them, the only way to set things right is to travel to the Enchanted Forest that their parents, King Agnarr (voiced by Alfred Molina, replacing Maurice LaMarche from the first film) and Queen Iduna (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood, replacing director Jennifer Lee from the first film) told them about when they were younger. For years, this Enchanted Forest has been consumed by an impenetrable wall of mist that has trapped all those inside it after an unexpected fight occurred between the native Northuldra tribe and a group of Arendellian forces. Thus, Elsa, Anna, sentient snowman Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad), and Anna’s ice harvester boyfriend Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff) embark on a journey to appease the elemental spirits, specifically by uncovering the cause of this long-standing conflict. Along the way, Anna and Elsa even begin to discover the secrets behind the magical ice powers that the latter has possessed her whole life.

Frozen II certainly fits the bill when it comes to being a ‘bigger sequel’ in every sense of the phrase. The adventure that Anna and Elsa go on in this film is far grander in scale than the one from the first film, and while it does continue to maintain the usual light-hearted atmosphere of a Disney animated film, it is a little darker in tone compared to its predecessor. In other words, Frozen II does what any good sequel should do by naturally expanding its universe while also showing a genuine sense of maturity from a storytelling perspective. At the same time, though, it never loses sight of any of the things that made its predecessor so iconic, especially the strong and loving relationship between its lead sister duo. The animation is superb as always and the new songs by Robert and Kirsten-Anderson Lopez arguably stand toe to toe with the first film’s truly unforgettable soundtrack. Highlights of the sequel’s soundtrack include but are not limited to Elsa’s big solo ‘Into the Unknown’, Anna’s downright devastating solo ‘The Next Right Thing’, which stems from what is quite possibly the most emotional moment in the whole film, and Kristoff’s 80’s power ballad (yes, I know what I just said…) ‘Lost in the Woods’. Now, if there was any sort of shortcoming with this film, it’s that, because of how its story is structured to focus primarily on Anna and Elsa above everything else, Frozen II doesn’t really spend a lot of time with the new characters that it introduces. As such, certain subplots like the feud between the Northuldra tribe and the Arendelle soldiers who got trapped in the Enchanted Forest sometimes tend to get overlooked. And yet, I don’t even remotely consider that to be a bad thing in this instance since this series has always done a wonderful job of exploring the theme of how love truly does conquer all through the phenomenal heroines who headline it.

On that note, one of the coolest things about Frozen II is how it manages to shake things up a bit when it comes to the overall roles that Anna and Elsa play in this story. While the original Frozen was sure to give them equal amounts of quality character development, it was fundamentally told from Anna’s perspective since it was all about her taking the initiative to set things right and rekindle her relationship with Elsa. By comparison, Frozen II focuses more on Elsa as she works to appease the four elemental spirits while also learning the truth about why she’s the one who possesses magical ice powers. Nevertheless, the unbreakable bond between these two sisters continues to be the most important aspect of this franchise, and as always, it’s primarily thanks to the phenomenal work by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel in their respective roles. Bell continues to be effortlessly charming and spunky as Anna while Menzel once again imbues Elsa with all her grace and power. Fellow returnees Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad are also excellent once again as Kristoff and Olaf, respectively, with Groff getting to explore a wonderful new side to the loyal Ice Harvester via the numerous attempts he makes at trying to propose to Anna and Gad, as to be expected, continuing to get many of the film’s best humorous moments. After that is when the previously mentioned dilemma of the film not giving its new characters a lot to do comes into play, but for what it's worth, everyone else in the cast does a solid job with what they have. This includes Sterling K. Brown as Lt. Mattias, a friendly Arendelle soldier who was amongst those trapped in the Enchanted Forest, and Evan Rachel Wood as Anna and Elsa’s mother Iduna who, despite only appearing mostly in flashbacks, does get her backstory explored in some very fascinating ways that help add to the film’s strong emotional poignancy.

While I may not have as much of a history with it compared to the likes of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, the first Frozen truly is one of my favorite Disney animated films of all-time; in fact, it’s amongst my Top 5, even, when it comes to Disney’s long line of animated classics. Granted, you might think otherwise if you look back at my original review of it from 2013 where I only gave it a 4/5, but it goes without saying that that old review is the very definition of ‘dated’. Simply put, Frozen became one of those films that I became more and more attached to as time went by, and as I noted in the intro, I’m personally glad that it became the worldwide phenomenon that it did no matter how much some people got utterly sick of it after a while. And as for Frozen II, I’m happy to report that it’s another fine addition to this beloved franchise. Just like its predecessor, Frozen II is a perfect mix of gorgeous animation, unforgettable songs, and a powerful emotional core. It expands upon the world of Frozen in ways that feel appropriate for the story that directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (the latter of whom was just recently named Disney Animation’s new Chief Creative Officer) are telling. And while it does follow the route that most sequels go by being a far bigger adventure than its predecessor, the strength and beauty that stems from the bond of the perpetually endearing sisterly duo of Anna and Elsa is still very much the driving force of this franchise. Because of all this, it goes without saying that Frozen II is yet another rousing success for Walt Disney Animation that is sure to delight the fans who made this franchise a pop-cultural landmark.

Rating: 5/5!

Coco (2017) review + Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017) review

The time has come once again, folks, for the newest effort from the legendary animation studio, Pixar. Pixar, of course, needs no introduction. Since 1995, they’ve given us an endless array of animated masterpieces that have helped to make them pioneering forces in the art of computer animation, from the early classics like the Toy Story films and The Incredibles (which is finally getting a sequel next year) to recent gems like Up and Inside Out. And now, they’re back again with their second 2017 outing (after Cars 3 was released earlier this summer) in the form of Coco. With Coco, Pixar takes us on a fantastical journey inspired by the most famous Mexican holiday, Día de Muertos AKA the Day of the Dead, where families come together to honor their fallen loved ones. In the director’s chair for this one is Lee Unkrich, who’s been a mainstay at Pixar ever since they started producing their own feature films. Initially, he was an editor for films like Toy Story and A Bug’s Life before he started to work as a co-director on projects like Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. Then, in 2010, he finally got promoted to the role of lead director for the third installment of the Toy Story franchise, and to call Toy Story 3 a success would be a massive understatement. It grossed over $1 billion worldwide and was only the third animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and while it didn’t end up winning that award, it did win the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. And as for his latest outing, Unkrich proceeds to give us yet another gorgeously animated and heartfelt Pixar adventure that treats its subject matter with the full respect that it deserves.

In a peaceful little Mexican village, a young boy named Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) finds himself in a troubling situation over one of his family’s longtime traditions. While he yearns to become a musician like his idol, the late Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), his family has regularly enforced a ban on music ever since Miguel’s great-great-grandfather left the family to embark on a musical career. Miguel’s passion for music is only fueled further, however, when an old family photo implicates that his great-great-grandfather was, in fact, Ernesto de la Cruz. Thus, on Día de Muertos, Miguel sneaks into the local mausoleum dedicated to de la Cruz and proceeds to take his guitar in the hopes of performing in a local talent contest. In the process, though, he ends up being transported to the Land of the Dead, where the deceased reside until they return to the land of the living every year on this day to visit their living relatives. While there, Miguel is reunited with all of his ancestors who must now try and get him back home before sunrise; otherwise, he would become a skeleton and be stuck in the Land of the Dead forever. But when his ancestors demand that he give up his dreams of becoming a musician as a condition of the return process, Miguel decides to try and find his great-great-grandfather so that he can return home without having to give up on his dream. And so, Miguel teams up with a charismatic con man named Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), who allegedly knows de la Cruz, to find him in the hopes of proving to his family that this is who he’s meant to be.

Prior to this film’s release, it did attract some skepticism early on from those who were fearful of how Pixar would handle a story that was based on such an important aspect of Mexican culture, especially after an incident in 2015 in which Disney tried to trademark the phrase ‘Día de Los Muertos’. And, of course, there was a lot of tumultuous uproar made by those who accused the film of being a rip-off of the 2014 animated film The Book of Life, even though its director, Jorge R. Gutierrez, clearly denied this multiple times. Well, fear not, folks, as Pixar does treat this staple of Mexican tradition with the respect that it deserves. While Coco does focus a lot on Miguel trying to follow his dreams of becoming a musician, its plot is ultimately steeped in the one thing that the Day of the Dead celebrations are all about, and that is the importance of family. During his journey, there are several instances in which Miguel tries to distance himself from his family when they discourage him from being a musician. At the same time, though, Miguel also begins to realize how much his family truly means to him when he starts to learn the truth behind the events that caused them to carry out their ban on music in the first place. This paves the way for a great plot twist in the third act that further strengthens the emotional poignancy of the story. Yes, just like all the great Pixar films, this film is sure to hit you with the feels at certain points, especially near the end (don’t worry, no spoilers…). 

As for the animation… well, it’s Pixar, what do you expect? It’s bright, crisp, and colorful, and just like the plot itself, it utilizes its Mexican roots to their full effect, effectively giving us a great visual world to explore in its version of the ‘Land of the Dead’. The great animation also ties in well to another key element of this film, its music. Yes, Coco is quite arguably the first major musical that Pixar has ever done, and the music, written in part by Frozen songwriters Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez and backed by the usual great score by Michael Giacchino, is excellent. And of course, like any great Pixar film, it boasts an excellent cast of characters. They’re so solid, in fact, that because the story is so well-handled, even the characters that initially come off as being rather stern become more sympathetic once we get to know them better. This includes the likes of Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Imelda (Alanna Ulbach), who was the first to initiate their family’s music ban after her musician husband left her all those years ago, and Miguel’s grandmother Elena (Renee Victor), who continues to enforce it to this day. But, of course, it’s ultimately the lead duo of Miguel and Hector who are the true emotional core of the story. As the film’s likable young protagonist, newcomer Anthony Gonzalez shines in what will surely be a breakout role for him, while Gael Garcia Bernal gets to work with a great redemption arc that slowly but surely begins to reveal more of the charismatic Hector’s background.

I’ve talked before about the internet’s extremely severe attitude towards Pixar in recent years that has mainly come as a result of some of the strictest expectations that have ever been seen from the film fan community. This has especially been the case ever since 2011’s Cars 2 ended up being the first project of theirs to attract primarily negative reviews. And thus, nowadays, I find that the current internet mentality towards Pixar films is that if a film of theirs isn’t a straight-up masterpiece effort of storytelling, then it is effectively deemed as a ‘failure’. This has been a fate that has sadly affected perfectly decent films like Monsters University, The Good Dinosaur, and Brave, just to name a few. Thankfully, though, that has not been the case with Pixar’s latest outing, as Coco is being regarded by many as one of the studio’s best films yet. And quite frankly, it’s easy to see why, as the film is a heartfelt tribute to arguably the most famous holiday in Mexican culture. Not only does it handle the concept of death and the afterlife in a smart manner, but it also ties it all together perfectly with a poignant story that’s focused on the most important element of Día de Muertos, family. Add in a great cast of layered characters and a toe-tapping soundtrack of songs and you have what is easily one of the best animated films of the year, if not the best. Simply put, Pixar has done it again!  

Rating: 5/5!

OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE – SHORT REVIEW

Now as many of you know, in lieu of the traditional Pixar short that plays before every new Pixar film, Coco was paired with a 21-minute featurette from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. This is the first time since 1990 (when The Prince and the Pauper ran in front of The Rescuers Down Under) that a short film of this length has been shown in front of a Disney film. And in this instance, it comes in the form of the continuing adventures of sisters Anna and Elsa and all of their friends from Disney’s 2013 global phenomenon, Frozen. In this new short, the lovable snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) embarks on a quest to find a new holiday tradition for Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) and Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) when the latter realizes that, because of all the time that she’s spent secluded from society, she and Anna don’t really have a family tradition of their own. As for the short itself… well, if you’re one of those people who are 100% sick to death of ‘Frozen mania’ at this point, then clearly this isn’t going to do anything for you just like when Frozen Fever ran in front of the live-action remake of Cinderella back in 2015. For the record, I still think that Frozen Fever got way too much flak from the internet, but that’s another story at the moment because… damn! This new short is clearly turning out to be far more controversial compared to its immediate predecessor just because it was paired with Coco instead of airing on TV as was originally intended. It’s been so controversial, in fact, that Mexican theaters straight-up pulled it in favor of just showing Coco. And to be perfectly frank, it isn’t doing much better here in the states…

But for those who still love the original film and its endearing cast of characters, then I’m pleased to say that this new short will provide you with even more great moments with them that will hopefully hold you over until the release of the impending sequel in 2019. Now, granted, that doesn’t mean that I think that this is as good as the original film. I do agree with a common argument that’s being brought up in that it sort of rushes through its track list of songs (which, for the record, weren’t done by Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez this time around). Still, the characters are just as lovable as ever and while the songs in this short probably won’t become as popular as the ones from the original film, the final song ‘When We’re Together’ is an undeniably sweet melody. Plus, I won’t lie… the ending is so damn heartwarming in terms of its ultimate resolution, and it serves as yet another perfect representation of the heartfelt narratives that have made up this entire franchise. In short, those who are absolutely dreading the thought of having to sit through this new entry in the Frozen franchise shouldn’t fret too much about it, because from what I’ve heard, this is only going to be running in front of Coco for a limited time. So if you’re this upset about it, just wait a while before you go to see Coco… it’s that easy. But in all seriousness, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure isn’t even remotely as bad as the internet is currently putting it out to be. I mean, really, is it ‘that’ hard to just sit through a 21-minute short film?

Rating: 4/5

UPDATE: It has just been recently announced that Olaf's Frozen Adventure will be pulled from theaters starting on December 8th, presumably in the wake of all of the backlash that it has received from audiences ever since it debuted in front of Coco. And yet, I still don't think that it's as bad as the internet says it is. I mean, seriously, I've seen several online articles recently that have accused the short of being 'offensive' to Pixar fans and for harming the reputation of Coco by overshadowing it. Well, I'm a Pixar fan... and yet I can safely say that I wasn't the least bit 'offended' by this short. Heck, if you ask me, this whole backlash towards an innocent holiday short is far more harmful to Coco's reputation than the short itself. Why? Because THAT, folks, is how Pixar's latest masterpiece is being overshadowed; not directly by the short that precedes it, but because people are truly making a mountain out of a molehill. Once again, I must ask; is it really THAT hard to sit through a 21-minute short that precedes an animated film that's just under two hours?