Pixar's "Hoppers" captures hearts of children and minds of adults, like in its golden age

 

Don't let the promotional materials (a bear's jaw holding a small beaver) and the cute furry animals fool you: Hoppers is very much adult entertainment as much as it is children's. An environmentalist tale about a young girl, Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) who takes on the powerful politicians in her quest to save a local animal sanctuary, the movie is cute, yet, but it is also hilarious. Characters are clever, oddly shaped, and come in all colors and sizes. Mabel's quest becomes equal parts Avatar and Wall-E; she communicates with animals and humans, and learns how to compromise with both along the way.

Like the best that Pixar as to offer (Up, Toy Story series, Wall-E, Finding Nemo), Hoppers exceeds all expectations, without ever falling into the overly sentimental or preachy territory. It combines new technology, where human consciousness is transported into a robotic animal, creating solutions (and a few obstacles along the way) that are as fascinating as they are inventive. This is top notch entertainment, destined to be a long lasting classic in the Pixar vault.

☆☆☆1/2

Rehabilitation and re-education are mercilessly tackled in bold "Heel"

 

A wild young man, Tommy (Ansoon Boon), drinks hard, takes hard drugs, gets with multiple women (during the same night), and parties like there's no tomorrow. When he mysteriously appears in the basement of a married couple, Chris and Kathryn (Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough), chained by the neck, little does he know the rehabilitation program they have in mind for him. But why? And who are these people? Eventually we learn some things, and are equally left in the dark about the rest. Just like Tommy.

Jan Komasa's Heel (also known as Good Boy in some markets) is a mature, original drama, one that examines an isolated family dealing with grief (allegedly) and a young man who's been on the wrong side of the tracks for... well... likely all his life. The third act features a brief stint of violence that ends before it ever really begins, and the final scene is surprisingly uplifting in unforeseen ways. Heel deserves a wider audience; here's hoping it finds one on video/streaming platforms.

☆☆☆

A cliched sports formula drowns this "Goat" in mediocrity

 

In the 21st century, outside of Pixar/Disney, high budget animated movies have been rather mundane. There are exceptions, of course (How to Train Your Dragon series, most notably), but you know what I mean. Columbia Pictures' latest basketball themed animated feature GOAT, borrows every cliche from the sports movie narrative. A small, undersized goat (voiced by Will Harris) dreams of becoming a professional basketball player, in a world much like Zootopia's array of various animal species. Along the way, he'll stumble a few times, get his ass kicked, but when all's said and done, he'll hit the low percentage game winner that'll guarantee his team the coveted championship.

Goat is too loud, I'd say even too colorful (I know: I didn't think that could be an issue, but here we are), and features basketball plays ran at such frenetic pace that it's hard to tell what's going on. The one thing that was clear, however, was that the 'bad' guys dunk almost exclusively. Such lack of suspense is typical in movies this brainless: no one hardly ever misses a shot. Kids may like this, but I doubt they'll remember it for long; adults are bound to be bored, as was yours truly. 

So do yourselves a favor, and watch either of the two Zootopia movies, for this is only a poor knockoff of those superior universes.

☆1/2

Devastation in "Help" is well matched by its convincing two leads

 

Sami Raimi has made some of the most memorable horror/suspense-noir/superhero movies of our time (Evil Dead 1 & 2, A Simple Plan, Spider Man 2) that it's no wonder he's the man behind this year's (thus far) most exciting, blood soaked thriller. In Send Help, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) and Bradley Preston (Dylan O'Brien) play an employee and a boss of a big company who get stranded on an island in the South Pacific. In addition to facing the cruel nature and general hunger, each must also deal with the other's contrasting mission.

The movie is violent, to put it mildly. It is also extremely clever, tense, and engrossing enough to make us forgive a final act turn that might be just a bit too Deus Ex Machina-ish. McAdams does some of her best work here, and although the ending will make many wonder if there are protagonists worth empathizing with, the adrenaline rush it generates will more than make up for it. A taut, engaging film that is hard to look away from.

☆☆☆

Shudder Original farts out another dud with this "Reaper"

 

Shudder Original platform, for all their expertise in the field of macabre, is bound to put out a decent product once in a while. If for nothing else, than for the law of averages. Sadly, that movie is not Night of the Reaper, their latest retro slasher, where the skeleton faced murderer is obsessed with young babysitters. If there is one thing the movie gets right, it is certainly the poster; reminiscent of 1980s classics (most notably Fright Night), it will make a hard core movie afficionado nostalgic for the golden cinema of yesteryear. 

To speak much of the plot is pointless, for despite its mundane, uninspired 'scares', it hardly harbors an original thought throughout. Not even the twist it attempts to pull off late in the final act can save it from the ninety minutes of cheap cinematography and uninspired writing. The killer seems to be a poor man's ghostface: black robe, topped off with a mask representing death. When their identity is finally revealed, the result is laughable rather than shocking. Night of the Reaper is living proof that a low budget movie can indeed be just as bad as a low IQ high budget Hollywood action blockbuster.

☆

Charming "Arco" impresses early on, but struggles with weak narrative

 

It's taken me a long time to see Arco, a movie whose poster charmed me when I first laid eyes on it in late 2025. A sci-fi fantasy story about the titular boy, who accidentally travels to the wrong time period (he was trying to witness the rule of dinosaurs on Earth), the movie is a charming, colorful experience, reminiscent of Japanese anime. It comments not only on climate change, but the inevitable rise of AI/robotics, and what an essential part they'll play in the future of humankind.

But despite all of its good intentions, the movie's narrative, once we settle deep into the second act, stagnates and drags. By the time Arco's parents and sister arrive, aged and battered, the time travel paradox/fascination wears thin. I imagine kids will eat this up, but parents will wonder why in the world did the time travelling aspect have to be this mundane and uninteresting?

☆☆1/2

Fennell's adaptation of "Heights" modernizes the romances but ignores the social class disparity

 

Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is not the best adaptation of Emily Bronte's literary masterpiece, but it may just be the most beautifully entertaining one. Featuring the handsome leads (Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi) as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, the movie features some haunting looking set pieces, and a location (enchanting hills drenched in a perpetual hovering fog) that was born out of the Gothic dictionary itself. As the star crossed (but impoverished) lovers, Catherine and Heathcliff's fates are doomed, as both are poor, and only she is able to marry upwards into unimaginable wealth. When Heathcliff returns from a long sabbatical as a much more successful (and better groomed) man, Catherine throws herself at him - heart, body and soul. 

The soundtrack is a notable one, as well. It features contemporary music (most by Charli XCX) that modernizes the period piece from the early nineteenth century England into something the younger viewers unfamiliar with the novel will appreciate. This adaptation is by no means a masterpiece, but it is, nonetheless, a remarkable visual achievement, despite mostly ignoring the social class disparity that exists among its central characters. Fennell may not be a recognizable name among Hollywood's elite directors, but judging with what original flair she carries herself, it may not be long before she reaches that escheleon.

☆☆☆

A (somewhat) unpopular opinion: it's time to end "Scream" franchise

 

Scream 7 is the first movie of the popular horror franchise to be directed by the man whose screenplay spawned the franchise to begin with: Kevin Williamson. To speak of the plot is rather pointless, for the same thing that always happens takes place here. The ghostface killer is back, murdering people close to Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her daughter (Mckenna Grace) for reasons unknown - other than Hollywood trying to extend a cash cow. Back is also Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), the TV newswoman/journalist/reporter who's also had some very close encounters with the masked murderer in the past.

The movie takes the violence up a few notches, displaying spilled guts in ways uncommon for the franchise. In addition, the reveal of the killer(s) is a major disappointment, for the people behind the murders felt so irrelevant and inconsequential that I was left scratching my head, and wondering why such a lazy storyline was ever approved. Let's hope this franchise doesn't reach the Saw series' double digit number; it's this close to being something we laugh at, instead of with. 

☆1/2

Schlock and splatter never quite reach camp levels in this "Storage"

 

Reminiscent of Street Trash, Slither and Planet Terror, Cold Storage is a cute throwback to the splatter movies of gore, where otherworldly monsters/aliens/diseases wreak havoc in a small city/town/community to the point of calling in the national guard/army/military. Joe Keery plays Travis, a young man working at a 24-hour storage facility. Along with Naomi (Georgina Campbell), he discovers a strange, green fungus within his work place. The fungus converts those it encounters into monsters, eventually causing them to explode. Good times.

Despite its decent premise, Cold Storage never quite reaches the campy fun levels of the aforementioned classics. When the so-called 'horror' finally unfolds (in the movie's final third), it occurs way too late in the narrative, and produces very little action of note. The actors do their best (including Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville), but unless this produces a more daring sequel (it's suggested in the closing credits), it will remain a mildly entertaining creature-feature that few will happily re-watch years from now.

☆☆

Seyfried's fearlessness is the most notable aspect in "Anne Lee"

 

As an 'epic' (so to speak), The Testament of Ann Lee checks most of the boxes. It is beautifully photographed, shows off exquisite set pieces, and features scenes of numerous actors dancing and singing to choreography complex and - at times - beautiful. To top it off, Amanda Seyfried's performance in the titular lead role is brave and admirably engrossing. The story centers on Ann Lee, a woman in rural england in late 18th century who, disillusioned with sexism and inequality, begins the religious Shaker movement. The first thirty minutes are equal parts compelling and disturbing (all of Ann's four children die before reaching the age of one), instilling within the viewer a conflicted sense of euphoric disconcertment.

Yet for all its bravado, the movie, at well over two hours, delves far too often into the devout religious dogma, focusing on the Shaker faith rather than any rational, internal conflicts of its characters. The dialogue is heavy handed, and often distances the viewer further from the protagonists they're supposed to identify with. One can only watch dozens of cultish faithful swaying and singing, praying to the imaginary heavens for something that never manifests into a palpable reality, before saying, Wtf is this?? 

The Testament of Ann Lee is that rare misfire, a near perfect production, technically superb, and marred only by an insignificant script. The real shame is that Seyfried's performance is wasted on such drivel; she deserves a better story than this irrelevant fluff. 

☆1/2

Narcissism of the rich and powerful is on full display in laughable "Melania"

 

There's never been a movie quite like Melania. A product of a shameless bribe ($40 million, allegedly) from billionaire Jeff Bezos to Donald Trump's wife, it is less a documentary than a series of scenes that illuminate everything the First Lady is - and does. From the opening shot, where the camera focuses on Melania Trump's feet as she exits Mar A Lago and enters a black SUV, we never get closer to understanding who this woman really is. For all we know, she's a fembot, an AI creation and robotic entity who only nods and smiles and spews the most mundane nonsense. 

Her famous mantra, "Be Best", is equivalent to a soulless individual saying "breathe to live," and still  believing they've uttered something profound. The disgraced director, Brett Ratner, does nothing complex with his subject matter (it's understandable that he was just a hired tool, with little to no creative control), and the result is a propaganda piece whose objective was to gloss and glorify an empty human being. Melania insisists that she's "against bullying (her husband's favorite pastime), believes in children's welfare (MAGA has done nothing to supply underprivileged children with free school lunches), favors education (as her husband's administration guts the Department of Education), and favors personal liberty (as MAGA advocates to illegalize abortion). Every single of her principles is a lie, and shamelessly so.

Melania Trump is undeniably a joke of a first lady, just as Melania is a disgrace to the medium of film. Let's hope nothing this shallow and empty ever graces the big screens again.

ZERO STARS

"Have Fun" may be the most self aware AI threat movie of the century

 

Gore Verbinski's latest, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, is as good of a movie as he's ever made. Written by Matthew Robinson, this sci-fi action comedy focuses on an unkempt, belligerent man (Sam Rockwell), who appears (out of nowhere) at an American small town diner. There, he declares to all the customers that he's from the future, and has come to save the world - only if some of them would help him in the endeavor. The movie unfolds quickly and brazenly, dazzling with its clever writing and seamless direction, until it concludes in a big bang of special/visual effects, pulling the rug from underneath us for who knows how many times.

The characters we meet along the way are equally fascinating. There's Mark (Michael Pena), a substitute teacher disillusioned by the modern day students constantly staring at their phones during class. We also meet Susan (Juno Temple), whose son is killed in a school shooting, a tragedy that makes her resort to making an odd, difficult choice. And last but not least, there's Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), a young woman who dresses as a Disney princess and works at children's parties, while intermittently bleeding from her nose anytime a cell phone intrudes her vicinity. All are three dimensional, complex characters, whose plight is as relevant and timely as ever. 

The movie evokes the hyperkinetic sci-fi elements of 2022's Everything Everywhere All at Once, a masterpiece of interdimensional travel that is equally complex and original. I realize that 2026 is barely underway, but Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die is already on my "Best of" list, and I doubt that it'll be bumped off by December's end - regardless of the year's cinematic output.

☆☆☆☆

Foster's bilingual juggling is impressive, but this "Life" is duller than water

 

In Rebecca Zlotowski's A Private Life, Jodie Foster plays Dr. Lilian Steiner, a bilingual American psychologist who lives in Paris. When one of her patients (Virginie Efira) commits suicide, the Doctor is convinced the woman was murdered. The most likely suspect? The husband, played by Mathieu Amalric, a philandering man who answers a stranger's appearance on his front door completely naked - among other things.

Despite the movie's desire to incorporate elements of Hitchcock and Bergman, it never amounts to a less than stellar climax, which, when it arrives, falls flatter than an opened can of week old beer. The most remarkable aspect, if I must choose one, is Foster's performance. Her character does not only drink a lot of wine, shed several fistfuls of tears, and start an affair with her ex-husband. She also speaks French with the expertise of a virtuoso linguist, an achievement rather rare for an American these days (or any days, really). A Private Life is (somewhat of) a missfire, all things being equal, but at least it's an ambitious one.

☆☆

If only "The Moment" lasted that long, instead of dragging on to no avail

 

As a pop star, Charli XCX is entertaining and provocative, a kind of a British Lady Gaga. Of her released albums, I've enjoyed the first one, hated the second, and found the third mildly entertaining. But that's where my praise for her star appeal ends. In The Moment, a so-called mockumentary semi based on one of her concert shows, she plays a fictional version of herself (I think). The only issue? The director/writer, Aidan Zamiri (and co-writer Bertie Brandes) provide her with a script so mundane and banal that it's hard to believe she ever agreed to it.

Labeled as a "Comedy" on Rotten Tomatoes, The Moment is equivalent to watching paint dry on a urinal. It's neither funny, nor moving, nor insightful, nor straight up provocative (if only it was). Of the so-called-plot-and-story, I've said nothing, and for good reason. There really isn't one. Its title is also grossly misleading: this abomination lasts more than one hundred minutes, making the viewer (yours truly, in any case) ever believe it was anywhere as exciting as Charli's average music video.

☆

Statham's action hero shtick is elevated by a surprisingly moving father-daughter dynamic in "Shelter"

 

Jason Statham is a world class overachiever. Debuting in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (way back when in1998), he has since found international stardom as a Stallone-Schwarzenegger-Seagal clone, of sorts. In the new action thriller Shelter, he plays (for who knows how many times) a bad-ass former government special agent, Michael Mason. Mason kicks ass first and asks questions later, while living in isolation on an island off the coast of Scotland. 

When his hideout is compromised, he is forced to go on the run, as numerous assassins and government agents chase him. But he's no longer alone. In tow is the young Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), a girl whose only family member has been killed, and whom Mason feels he needs to protect, at all costs. Along the way, they form an unusual bond. Their dynamic is the best part of Shelter.

Unfortunately, despite its few genuine thrills, the movie succumbs to way too many cliches. The mysterious assassin sent to eliminate Mason and Jessie, for some reason, is a gifted sharpshooter from afar; except when he's firing at the two main characters from up close (often from waaaaay up close). In such cases, he can't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Shelter is a mixed pleasure, and will be enjoyed only by the most devout Statham fans. There are worse movies out there, I suppose, but that's not saying much.

☆☆

Palestinian suffering is on real time display in authentic "Hind Rajab"

 

Not so much a narrative movie as a documentation of Palestinian suffering in Gaza, The Voice of Hind Rajab is an emotionally gut wrenching experience for anyone possessing a ticking heart. Taking place on January 29, 2024, the movie it focuses on a team of Red Crescent volunteers who receive a phone call from a girl whose family has been murdered, and who is now stuck in a car, under siege by IDF. We do not witness or see any conflict or gunfire; we only hear the desperation in the little girl's voice, as her world closes in all around her.

Director Kaouther Ben Hania has deservedly received the Grand Jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival. At this divisive time in our history, when Israel is shamelessly getting away with murder on the world stage, movies like this are revolutionary. I hope the it wins the Best International Feature at the upcoming Academy Awards, for although it may not be the best of the five nominees, it is indeed the most indispensable, as I've heard someone say.

☆☆☆

Skarsgard turn as the wronged man only notable aspect of this "Wire"

 

Trying to ride the hostage movie coattails of Dog Day Afternoon and Inside Man, Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire is nearly as flat as the electric coil in its title. Based on true events from 1977, when a disgruntled land developer (Bill Skarsgard) kidnapped the son of a mortgage broker tycoon and kept him hostage, the movie (allegedly) reports, without entertaining. The media frenzy that followed the real thing became frontline news, involving even the smooth talking radio jockey (Colman Domingo).

Despite its cool retro look (it honestly looks and feels like late 1970s Indianapolis), Dead Man's Wire manages to elevate Skarsgard's acting range into another stratosphere, without ever taking much of a risk narratively. The protagonist is both annoying and worthy of empathy, and the ending is merely sub standard - nearly anti-climactic. This movie is proof that just because a controversial incident was ultra-news worthy, it doesn't necessarily translate into an entertaining Hollywood adaptation.

☆☆

Poots shines, but the narrative shocks all the viewers' senses in this "Water"

 

Kristen Stewart's adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir, The Chronology of Water, begins with a bang and never lets up. Sometimes this hyperkinetic approach can be a good thing; but alas, in this case, it is not. The movie introduces (well, sort of) Lidia, played by Imogen Poots, as a physically bruised and bloodied heroine whose life is 90% pain and suffering, and the rest masturbation and shaving of her pubes. Scenes unfold way too quickly, and before we can make sense of what we've just seen, we're already onto to the next one, where more physical and mental anguish are front and center.

Lidia is abused by her father, impregnated too early by a musician boyfriend, and eventually dedicates her life to writing, becoming a teacher in the Pacific Northwest. Despite the actress' courageous turn, the movie never slows down enough to lets us identify with her plight. Stewart directs with the frantic pace of someone who only has an hour to tell Lidia's entire story, when, in fact, she has more than two hours of screen time to work with. The style becomes exhausting quickly, feeling as if the whole thing is moving with someone's thumb on the fast-forward button.

The Chronology of Water is one of the most ambitious failures of 2025. Poots' performance deserves a more patient directorial approach, instead of the breakneck pace that Stewart provided for her.

☆

Foy's grief is embedded on her battered face in emotional "Hawk"

 

Claire Foy made her international 'debut' (for all intents and purposes) in the acclaimed Netflix series, The Crown. I can't say I've seen her in many features or series since. In H is for Hawk, her Helen Macdonald grieves the recent passing of her father (Brendan Gleeson) by buying and training a hawk, which she names Mabel. Helen finds comfort and healing in the majestic bird, and together, the two form an unusual bond. The human-bird dynamic on display here has not been seen on the big screen since 1969's Kes.

H is for Hawk is a sometimes moving, sometimes overlong, but thoroughly observant drama about anguish that a single, grown adults experience after losing a parent they were closer to than any other person in their lives. Foy's mental burden is palpable, evident in a scene where she delivers a lecture in front of an audience where her integrity of 'hunting and killing' with her bird is brought into question. The emotional turmoil within her leaps off the screen and latches onto us. That Foy carries her character with little to no make-up is another testament to the actress' commitment to her role, both admirable and courageous.

☆☆☆

"Dreams" breaks the golden rule: it merely tells, without showing a whole lot

 

Jessica Chastain is too talented for a mediocre effort such as Dreams, Michel Franco's lightweight film about mismatched lovers. Playing a wealthy socialite who is driven in fancy cars and flies on expensive private jets all over the place between San Francisco and Latin America, Chastain's Jennifer McCarthy certainly looks the part. However, we discover early on that she's infatuated with a younger man, Fernando (Isaac Hernandez). Fernando is a ballet dancer, and an illegal immigrant from Mexico. Their relationship, steamy in the opening minutes, quickly dissolves into mundane.

Dreams, for all its Film Festival Circuit fame, is a missed opportunity. It's an 'erotic' drama that forces its eroticism down our throats, instead of letting it come naturally. The central relationship falls apart completely in the final act, encapsulating the narrative with an act of violence, followed by a facial close up that left me scratching my head. If at least there was one character that we could've liked and understood, but alas, when the final credits rolled, I was left with more questions and answers (seldom a good thing). I imagine you will, too.

☆☆