How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Year: 2019

Director: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, and Craig Ferguson
Tagline: Their Final Quest

Synopsis: Although Hiccup has succeeded in making Berk a dragon/viking utopia, a new threat emerges to threaten all of them and their way of life.

Review

It is no easy feat to tie up a trilogy.  Some do it well (LOTR, Toy Story, the original Star Wars).  Others ... not so much (Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, Spider-Man).  I'm pleased to say that The Hidden World is an enjoyable, fitting, and emotionally satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy.

I really liked the movie.  And if you liked the previous installments, you should definitely go see it.  Take the family and see it.  Enjoy one more flight with Hiccup and Toothless.

That said, the movie has its flaws.  And there were a few things that were disappointing.  Let's get those out of the way so we can get back to what was good.

I like all three How to Train Your Dragon movies.  But let's face it, they all have a rather similar plot: someone wants to kill/enslave dragons, Hiccup tries to stop them, Hiccup fails, Toothless is captured, Hiccup goes through character growth in order to save Toothless and everybody else, Toothless does something awesome, the enemy is thwarted.  Yes, there are variations.  But that sums up all three movies.

I've never understood the point of characters who are purposefully annoying.  Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut are actually more annoying in this film (Fishlegs is fine and likable).  The trilogy has covered six years; how have none of them matured even the slightest bit?  Ruffnut and his beard and advice get old really quickly.  And I'm not entirely sure what was up between Snotlout, Eret, and Valka.

Which leads me to another point.  We get a lot of Hiccup's peers, but not very much of Eret or Valka, both of whom are far more interesting.  Eret is basically in the movie for two reasons: 1) to offer backstory for the villain, and 2) because he is voiced by Kit Harrington who is now fairly famous thanks to his role in Game of Thrones.  Valka at least has a bit more to do, and it does make sense for her to still be rather awkward in her relationship with Hiccup.

My biggest grievance with the film was the music.  The first movie has an amazing soundtrack with all sorts of epic and exciting themes.  The second movie carried those over.  I kept waiting for them in the third movie ... and they kept not coming.  The music isn't bad, but it isn't the epic music I wanted.  It seemed like only one theme was reused, and not until the third act.  Why?!

Sorry, enough complaints.

One thing I really liked in this film was Grimmel, the dragon hunter.  Visually, he is a total opposite of Stoick and Drago.  They were massive and dark-haired where Grimmel is skinny and light-haired.  Where the previous antagonists were the kind to barrel in with brute force, Grimmel is calm and calculating.  He uses ingenuity rather than force.  And he always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else.  He was a fitting villain for this final chapter.

The highlight of all three films is the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless.  That is no different this time.  Their playful banter is the heart of the film.  And Toothless is as endearing as ever, especially when he is trying so hard to woo the Light Fury.  She is an interesting character, although we never get much of her personality.

Also good is the continuing relationship between Hiccup and Astrid.  Gobber awkwardly tries to move them along toward matrimony.  Valka wisely encourages Astrid to help and stand by Hiccup when all is going wrong.

Lastly, The Hidden World is beautiful.  The visuals in this one are simply amazing.  Whether we are in the midst of a fight or other action scene or flying through the hidden world, the details are incredible.  And the world is so rich with details, many of which are the "blink and you'll miss it" kind.  It's definitely a film to experience on the big screen.

I won't spoil the ending (although if you watch the trailers, you can figure out what is bound to happen).  Suffice it to say, the ending is perfect.  Completely perfect.

The film is rated PG for pretty much the same reasons as the previous one.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a fun, beautiful, and exciting film.  And although it isn't perfect, it is still a fitting finale to a beloved trilogy.  I definitely recommend it.  And stay through the credits.  The first part has scenes from Hiccup and Toothless' friendship from all three movies.  Then the scrolling credits have fun animated drawings that fit with each department (e.g., I roughly drawn viking painting a landscape for the Backgrounds crew).  There isn't a scene at the end; the credits are just fun.

*** Spoiler Section ***

From the first scene on Berk, we quickly realize that Hiccup has created an enjoyable, but ultimately unsustainable society.  There are dragons everywhere.  Big dragons knocking over buildings.  Small dragons getting in the stew.  Happy as the Berk vikings may be, their way of life cannot continue on its current trajectory.  It's a good setup, one that makes the ending -- though heartbreaking -- unavoidable.

I wish the trailers hadn't made the ending so clear.  They made it fairly obvious that the trilogy would end with Hiccup and Toothless having to part ways.  While the ending still tugs at the heartstrings and gets some eye allergies going, it lost some of its impact by being a foregone confusion before even the previews roll.  Perhaps it was meant to soften the blow?  I think audiences can be trusted more than that.

Apparently, Drago (the villain from the second film) was supposed to return for this film.  He was decidedly not killed off at the end of the movie; he simply disappeared.  (Although we know where his alpha dragon went, which was a nice touch.)  Drago would have returned and ultimately have been redeemed.  But, the studio decided that would take too much additional time and the story line was scrapped.  Too bad.

Even without that, the finale of The Hidden World is perfect.  It is then wonderful to see (new) Berk rebuilt with buildings paying homage to their dragons.  It's also fun to see Hiccup and Astrid finish growing up and get married.  And it's awesome to see them, years later, take their children to reconnect with Toothless and his family.  I cannot think of a better way to end the trilogy.

Quotable Quotes

• "There were dragons, when I was a boy." -- Hiccup
• "It's you and me, bud.  Always." -- Hiccup to Toothless
• "Not a word." -- Hiccup, after having been knocked off Toothless by the Light Fury
• "I feel like I'm always asking this, but is there an actual plan?" -- Gobber to Hiccup
• "You need to lose the limp."  "I have a prosthetic leg!" -- Ruffnut and Hiccup
• "So, what are you going to do about it?"  "Probably something stupid."  "That's the Hiccup I know." -- Astrid and Hiccup

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

Year: 2019

Director: Mike Mitchell
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, and Stephanie Beatriz
Tagline: They come in pieces

Synopsis: Five years after the first movie, everything is not awesome in Bricksburg, now Apocalypseburg. When a mysterious visitor kidnaps his friends, Emmett must set out to rescue them before Our-Mom-Ageddon.

Review

Frenetic: fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way.  Also, the word that best describes The LEGO Movie 2.

Like its predecessor, LM2 is a wild ride of pop culture references, colorful animation, and catchy songs.  It's funny and enjoyable, and requires multiple viewings to catch it all.  The animation is still top notch.  Kids will love it.  Adults will likely find plenty of things to enjoy (such as a certain air duct cameo). 

Also like the first movie, the film has a real world story that ties in.  That story is good, and has a satisfactory, makes-ya-smile conclusion.  The only problem with it is that it isn't a surprise this time.  The first movie only hinted that there was a reality outside of the LEGO world.  So when real world Will Ferrell walked down the stairs, the entire movie changed and was put into a new perspective.  This movie didn't have the chance for such a dramatic reveal.  As clever as the "Sis-star System" is, we always knew where this would lead and how it would likely wrap up.  It was emotionally satisfying, but it didn't have the same impact as the first movie.

I did enjoy LM2.  It is funny and at times quite clever.  But the entire time I was comparing it to the first movie, and it simply couldn't compare.  The satirical elements and self-referential jokes were there, but they weren't as on point.  The "Catchy Tune" was no worse musically than "Everything Is Awesome," but it had no substance.  OK, "Everything Is Awesome" isn't really substantive, but it relayed a lot about who Emmett was and the world he lived in.  So it fit the story.  "Catchy Tune" is a hollow song simply designed to "get stuck inside your head."  And it does.

The first film also had clear themes.  It was about the reconciliation of a father and son; about learning to work together, which sometimes means following "the instructions"; and that we all have unique traits that can make us "special" as we use them to contribute to the team. 

This film is about, um, being yourself ... so long as being yourself is in line with everyone else and involves glitter and sparkles and catchy pop tunes.  No, that can't be it.  It's about how we all need to toughen up and be brooding and cynical, because that couldn't possibly backfire and be disastrous.  Hmm.  It's about how we shouldn't end up cynical and brooding ... that we should all be kumbaya happy and just get along ... that females can be just as horrible communicators as males ... I'm not really sure what the moral of the story is.  I guess it's that brothers and sisters should learn to get along and that they shouldn't leave LEGOs on the floor.

I know, that's a bit harsh.  Perhaps my expectations were too high after the first movie.  But while LM2 is fun and enjoyable, it's about as empty as its "Catchy Tune."

The film is rated PG for pretty much the same reasons as the first one.

The LEGO Movie 2 is a fun, wild ride of a movie.  It's very funny.  And the human storyline has heart.  Go see it.  Take the kiddos to see it.  Just don't have expectations that it will be as good as the first movie.

*** Spoiler Section ***

Time travel is always tricky.  I did love all the time machines Rex stole parts from in order to make his own.  And I loved that it was in the shape of a destructive fist.  But the time-space continuum logic there at the end ... I don't think it quite worked.  Maybe it does.  It's making my head hurt to try and figure it out.

My biggest gripe with LM2 started in the trailers.  General Mayhem breaks in and asks who the fiercest warrior is.  Lucy tells about how Emmett saved the world.  But then Mayhem points out that Lucy did all the building and fighting, and they leave it there with Emmett coming across as the hapless male (which he kinda sorta is).  At no point (that I recall) do they remember how Emmett was the one who brought them all together to work as a team and that without him, none of what Lucy did would have mattered.  Moreover, all the other Bricksburg citizens have forgotten how to be special and work together.  And never once is it mentioned that Emmett sacrificed his life to save his friends and all of Bricksburg.  Lucy is great.  And she does a lot of great things and is a likable character.  But undermining what Emmett did does not somehow make her more heroic by the contrast.  (That's a part of Hollywood "feminism" I can't stand. <gets off soapbox>)

Quotable Quotes

• "With Batman gone and Marvel not returning our calls ..." -- Gandalf
• "Emmett! Did you draw stubble dots on your face?" "What?  No." -- Lucy and Emmett
• "Behold, the Sis-star System." "Whooooa!" "No 'whoas'! Do not giver her the satisfaction of whoaing this." "Ooooohhh!" "That's even worse." "Ahhhh!" "Stop it!" -- General Mayhem, Unikitty, Metal Beard, Batman, Benny, and Lucy
• "Bruce Willis?" "I, uh, spend a lot of time in air ducts." -- Lucy and Bruce Willis

The Kid Who Would Be King

Year: 2019

Director: Joe Cornish
Starring: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Angus Imrie, Patrick Stewart, and Rebecca Ferguson
Tagline: Evil gets schooled

Synopsis: While running away from bullies, Alexander finds a sword in a stone and pulls it out.  Soon Merlin arrives to tell him it is up to him and his friends to save the world from the return of Morgana (King Arthur's evil half-sister).

Review

This isn't a widely known movie.  Which is too bad, because it is really enjoyable and a good family film.

The story is a modern reimagining of the Arthur legends.  The film even begins by recounting the applicable stories about King Arthur through an animated storybook sequence.  Cut to the modern day world where history is about to repeat itself and a new hero must arise.

The film has a good story with some clever dialogue and relatable characters.  It also has a timely message about working together.  In his quest, Alexander enlists the help of two bullies who constantly pick on him and his friend.  He sees their potential as allies and they slowly learn to get along and then work together.  By the end, enemies have become friends.  And because it is so tied up into the narrative, the moral never feels heavy handed.  Each character also has their own arc where they have to learn and grow and overcome their weaknesses.

The actors playing the kids all do a good job.  Young Merlin was a bit odd, but then that was what they were going for.  His quirkiness worked for a medieval person in modern day Britain.  But I found myself more drawn to Merlin when he was older and portrayed by Patrick Stewart.

It is fairly clear that The Kid Who Would Be King didn't have a blockbuster budget to work with.  The visuals aren't bad, but they are limited.  One interesting segment involves some obligatory training for the young heroes.  It's like they weren't taught to wield a sword in middle school or something.  What's fun about the scene is that they are fighting against, and being taught by, trees.  Not talking trees, just moving trees with lots of branches.  The animation at the beginning was also quite good.

About the only thing I didn't like about the movie was the musical score.  It was merely adequate.  The film deserved a more epic soundtrack.  The one it got felt more like the temp track used while the real score was being written.

The film is rated PG for some action (mostly the destruction of flaming skeletons) and mild peril (mostly from flaming skeletons ... and a dragon).  I don't recall any swearing.  We do see young Merlin without clothes on.  But it is from a distance and there is a convenient layer of low fog obscuring his behind.

Ultimately, The Kid Who Would Be King is a story about people (in this case kids) coming together to right that which is wrong and triumph over the things that would otherwise destroy our world.  It's a timely message in a fun film.  It may not be an instant classic, but it's worth watching.

*** Spoiler Section ***

The false climax and aftermath both worked and didn't work.  It worked within the story itself.  But if you'd seen any of the trailers, you knew some very important scenes hadn't yet happened.

Although I liked how the movie wrapped up -- it was quite fitting for the story and the moral -- I did want to know a bit more about the battle's aftermath.  Was everything magically cleaned up?  Don't any of the other school kids have a million questions?

Quotable Quotes

• "Where did you learn how to drive?"  "Mario Kart." -- Bedders and Kaye
• "We're the knights of the round table!"  "You are such a nerd."  Alexander and Kaye
• "All hail the king!" "Don't, it's just embarrassing." -- Lance (kneeling) and Alexander
• "We are history.  They are the future!" -- Merlin to Morgana

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Year: 2018

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, Chris Pine, Liev Schreiber, Nicolas Cage, and John Mulaney
Tagline: Enter a universe where more than one wears the mask.

Synopsis: Miles Morales finds himself as the new Spider-Man.  With the help of other Spider-People from other dimensions, Miles fights to save his world and all the others.

Review

I'm not sure how to go about this review.  Rotten Tomatoes has this film at 97% fresh.  A few people I've talked to have called it the best Spider-Man movie yet.  It just won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture -- Animated.  It's a well made, boundary pushing movie.

I didn't like it.

I acknowledge that it is a good movie.  The action is impressive.  The voice cast fits.  The animation is new and bold.  And the story went in all sorts of new directions.

For one thing, I only sorta liked the animation.  It did feel like a comic book (graphic novel, whatever).  But I didn't like that it was sometimes blurry or fuzzy in places.  And at times there was simply too much going on.  In a comic book, you are limited to one page at a time and can absorb it at your own pace.  This was too much, too quickly, and all over the place at times.  Not all the time.  But sometimes.

The film is certainly funny.  I liked the initial voice-over intro by Spider-Man which acknowledges and pays tribute to the various previous film incarnations (including the infamous emo walk in Spider-Man 3).  There are lots of other funny lines and moments.  Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Ham are interesting and amusing characters based on their very existence.  But again, they just seemed like too much.

Which leads to the main reason I personally didn't like it.  I just don't like all the multi-universe, multi-dimension stuff.  It's why I don't actually like comic books.  I prefer straightforward stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end (like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Christopher Nolan's Batman movies).  For me, there is only one Spider-Man, and that's Peter Parker.  That's me and my preferences.  For a long time I wasn't even going to see Into the Spider-Verse, but it got such good reviews I thought I'd give it a try.  I enjoyed elements, but on the whole I just didn't like it.

That's probably not a very helpful review.  If you love comic books and love Spider-Man, you will probably enjoy it.  Like I said, it's a good movie, although not without some plot holes.

The film is rated PG and has typical superhero violence including the deaths of various characters.

*** Spoiler Section ***

Everyone in the city finds out that Peter Parker was Spider-Man.  Which means they also know that Aunt May was his aunt.  So whether Miles was tracked or not, it makes sense for the bad guys to go straight for Aunt May's house.  Also, how in the world did they build that underground lab without any of the neighbors noticing?  And could they really afford that off of Spidey's merchandising?

Another thing that bothered me was how Miles felt guilt for his Uncle Aaron's death.  His uncle was the Prowler, a villain subordinate of Kingpin.  We saw two entire scenes where the Prowler was bent on killing Spider-Man (both of them, any of them?).  And he goes about it in a way that shows this isn't his first time.  Of course Miles feels sorrow for his uncle's death.  Of course he still loves his uncle.  But Aaron's death came at the hands of Kingpin and because he made choices that led him down a dangerous and deadly path.  Maybe Miles could have helped him back to the light.  Maybe.  But clearly Aaron was in too deep and Kingpin didn't hesitate when Aaron did.  None of that is on Miles.

I don't know much about the villain Kingpin, but I was under the impression he is a pretty smart guy.  His plot in the film is not very smart.  Yes, it is driven by emotion and loss.  But is he really so grief-stricken that he thinks he can rip his other dimensional wife and son from their own dimension and somehow make them happy in his own?  Does he think that somehow this time he could hide who he really is from them?  It seems like someone who has gone that far down the mental rabbit hole would not be able to keep up appearances in the rest of his life.  But maybe that is simply the Kingpin character.

Lastly, although it works for the scene, I'd think it would be emotionally difficult for Mary Jane to be in a room with so many people dressed as her recently deceased husband, tribute or not.

Quotable Quotes

• "Hey, fellas."  "Is he in black and white?"  "Where is that wind coming from?  We're in a basement."  "Wherever I go, the wind follows." -- Spider-Man Noir, Miles, and Peter
• "Do animals talk in this dimension? 'Cause I don't wanna freak anyone out." -- Spider-Ham
• "With great power comes great --"  "Don't you dare finish that sentence!  Don't do it.  I'm sick of it." -- Miles and Peter
• "I have an excellent theme song and a so-so popsicle." -- Peter

Aquaman

Year: 2018

Director: James Wan
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Tagline: Home is calling

Synopsis: Arthur Curry is half human and half Atlantean.  When both worlds are in danger, he must find his path as hero and king.

Review

Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman) was one of the best parts in Justice League, so I was pleased but hesitant when I saw that he was getting a solo film.  Is it perfect?  Nah.  Is it a whole lot of fun?  You betcha!  Unlike the Batman and Superman films of the DCEU (DC comics extended universe), Aquaman is fun, bright, and wise enough to never take itself too seriously.

One thing the DCEU has struggled with has been the "grim dark" nature of the Batman and Superman led films.  Wonder Woman went against that trend and was a terrific movie.  Aquaman followed the same path.  The visuals are bright, colorful, and unlike any movies I can recall seeing.  Atlantis is stunning to behold.  It's also neat to see underwater fights.  I'm not sure how believable those fights are, but then nothing in this film really tries to be too believable.

And that's part of what makes Aquaman so enjoyable.  It's fun.  It's funny.  It doesn't go into the territory of campiness.  It's not a parody.  But the film does recognize this is a movie about a hero who can talk to fish.  So it rolls with that.  The closest it comes to being over the top is right before a dramatic duel in the Ring of Fire (<insert Finding Nemo joke here>).  As you might expect, a big  ceremonial duel for the throne is accompanied by ceremonial drums.  And those drums are played by a very large octopus.  Because why not?  It's a quick, "wait, did I really see that" moment that doesn't overstay its welcome.

Arthur and Mera are also great with the one liners and have a good banter.

I liked the various characters.  Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry) proves he is a big enough personality to helm his own film.  Amber Heard (Mera) is a fitting partner for him, and it is fun to see her character as a fish out of water.  Orm (Arthur's half brother) is a pretty standard villain, but he does have reasonable cause to dislike us surface dwellers.  Black Manta is the other villain and he is a formidable foe indeed.  I also liked Tom Curry and Atlanna and their relationship.

Oddly enough, this is the second movie during the holiday season that featured actor Dolph Lundgren.  In Aquaman he plays King Nereus.  In the Rocky/Creed movies he is Ivan Drago.

The film also features one of my new favorite cameos.  It's uncredited, and if I hadn't known who it was beforehand, I might not have picked it up.  But since I did know, I could hear the real voice within the highly edited ("monsterized") voice of the Karathen.  Who voices the enormous, tentacled sea monster?  That would be none other than Julie Andrews.  And it works.  It works so well.

As for the story, it is the typical superhero origin movie.  I felt there were enough new elements to keep it fresh though.  And, despite some plot holes, the story works fairly well.

Lastly, I enjoyed the music.  The soundtrack was good.  It was a little different, but it totally fit the tone of the film.  And there were a few well-placed songs.

Aquaman is visually spectacular and a fun time at the movies.  So grab some popcorn and hang on for the underwater ride.  Be sure to stay for a mid-credits scene.

The film is rated PG-13 for typical superhero violence and a number of s-words and a-words.

*** Spoiler Section ***

The final battle is pretty epic.  I'm trying to think of another movie with a great undersea battle.  Nothing is coming to mind.  But Aquaman has people, aquatic ships, sea creatures, sea animals, and a Karathen all going at it.  Again, the characters are wholly invested in the battle.  But the movie itself acknowledges its own silliness.  Name one other movie where someone gets skewered by a narwhal.

I would also like to point out that it sure is lucky nobody ever knocked over or damaged that statue of Romulus over the course of hundreds of years.  All the others seemed to have fared poorly, but good old Romulus was preserved.

Quotable Quotes

• "I am Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis." "I am Thomas, keeper of lighthouse." -- Atlanna and Tom
• "Bogey at six o'clock!" "What does that even mean?" "Enemy behind us!" "Why didn't you just say so?" -- Arthur and Mera
• "Wait!  Shouldn't we have written it down?"  "I memorized it.  Didn't you?"  "Uh, yeah."  "What did it say?"  "Something something trident." -- Arthur and Mera
• "You based our escape on a children's book [Pinocchio]?" "It's a book?  No, I based it on the movie." -- Mera and Arthur
• "Atlantis has always had a king.  Now it needs something more." "What could be greater than a king?" "A hero." "A king fights for his own people.  A hero fights for everyone." -- Mera, Arthur, and Atlanna

Mary Poppins Returns

Year: 2018

Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Dick Van Dyke, and Angela Lansbury
Tagline: When you lose your way, just remember the magic always returns

Synopsis: Mary Poppins returns to 17 Cherry Tree Lane, this time to help the grown up Jane and Michael.

Review

As I'm sure was the case for many, I grew up watching Mary Poppins on VHS.  When I heard they were making a sequel 50+ years later, I was dubious.  So, how is Mary Poppins Returns?  My takeaway is it is a fun-filled adventure worth seeing, even if it isn't as practically perfect as the original.

You simply can't watch Mary Poppins Returns without comparing it to its predecessor in two ways: the titular character and the story itself.

Emily Blunt is fantastic as the magical nanny.  She fills the role perfectly.  She doesn't pretend to be the Julie Andrews version.  She is her own version.  And both versions are wonderful.

As for the story, it is fun and magical.  But it rides a bit too carefully on the coattails of the original.  We hit all the same plot points: the introduction to magic, a scene with live action and animation intermixed, the visit to an eccentric relative, a mishap at the bank, a rousing song-and-dance number, and an uplifting ending.  While most of those things work within the story and are indeed fun, it means the film doesn't bring much that is new.

What is new, however, is the addition of a villain and the ticking clock cliche.  Again, neither is bad and both serve the story as it is.  But the original film was able to pack an emotional punch and wrap up satisfactorily without either of those things.

I've already raved about Emily Blunt.  The rest of the cast also do a good job.  Lin-Manuel Miranda's Jack (a lamplighter) is charming through and through.  Ben Whishaw brings the grown Michael Banks to life and takes a character that could have been too sentimental and keeps him grounded.  Emily Mortimer is a believable grown up Jane.  Julie Walters is excellent as Ellen the housekeeper (the same housekeeper character as in the original).  Colin Firth and Meryl Streep both look like they are having a marvelous time in their respective roles.  The kids do a good job, especially since I read that this was the youngest's first acting role.

Two other returning characters are Admiral Boom and his first mate, Mr. Binnacle.  The admiral's little side story made me happy.

But what made me the happiest in the entire film was when Dick Van Dyke showed up for the climax.  I could not suppress the grin on my face seeing him as Mr. Dawes Jr. (originally he was Mr. Dawes Sr.).  Equally smile-worthy was seeing Angela Lansbury as the Balloon Lady in the finale.  Seeing two Disney legends (and stars from my childhood) was fantastic.

As you would expect from the House of Mouse, the production values are top notch throughout.  The costumes, the sets, the choreography, and all else are spot on.  And the animated sequences are beautiful.  I'm so glad the director insisted on using traditional, hand drawn animation, in keeping with the original.  The colors are vibrant and the interaction with the live action characters is seamless.

And that leaves only the music.  Most of the songs are indeed catchy (and may well get stuck in your head).  But for me, most of the songs weren't as good or as truly memorable as those from the original.  Those songs have become classics.  These songs are nice.  My personal favorites are "A Conversation," "Can You Imagine That?," and "The Place Where Lost Things Go."  Still, it was when motifs from the original songs were interwoven into the score that I got most excited.

All told, Mary Poppins Returns is a worthy sequel.  The film is full of wonderful small moments, some endearing songs, and plenty of nostalgia.  Emily Blunt is terrific.  I recommend taking yourself and your family to "trip a little light fantastic" with Mary Poppins, Jack, and all the others.

The film is rated PG for some mild peril.

*** Spoiler Section ***

As emotionally satisfying as the climax is, the deus ex machina doesn't really work when you think about it.  Having Dawes Jr. explain how the tuppence from the first film are now rescuing them financially in this film is a lovely twist.  But let's face it, even over 20 years with the wisest of investments, there's no way that tuppence (two pennies) are going to have grown into a substantial sum of money.  That's not realistic during the best of economic times.  And the film takes place during the early 1930s, i.e., anything but the best of economic times.

But why should logic and realism get in the way of a satisfying ending?

Seriously, though, it made me so happy when Admiral Boom and Big Ben were back in sync.

Quotable Quotes

• "I was flying a kite and it got caught on a nanny!" -- Georgie
• "Close your mouth, please, Michael.  We are still not a codfish." -- Mary Poppins
• "She did come all this way on a kite." -- Michael to Jane
• "Cleaning is not a spectator sport." -- Mary Poppins
• "That's an interesting accent you've got.  Where're you from?" "It's a long story --" "No one knows." -- Jack, Cousin Topsy, and Mary Poppins

ISFS

Bumblebee

Year: 2018

Director: Travis Knight
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, and Pamela Adlon
Tagline: Every adventure has a beginning

Synopsis: His memories and voice gone, B-127 finds himself alone on earth until he makes friends with Charlie Watson.  Renamed "Bumblebee," he must deal with old enemies if he wants to keep his new home and friends safe.

Review

As a kid, I had a bunch of Transformers toys.  I had Jazz, Bumblebee, and, of course, Optimus Prime.  Naturally, when the Transformers movie came out in 2007 I went to see it.  And I hated it.  Completely.  I refused to see any of the subsequent films.  And then I saw a trailer for Bumblebee.  It immediately seemed like a different take on the robots in disguise.  When the positive reviews started pouring in, I got more and more intrigued.  So when I found out it was directed by the same fellow who directed Kubo and the Two Strings, I was sold on seeing it.

Forget all those other messes, Bumblebee is terrific!

Is it a perfect movie?  No.  In fact, if you were to break it down to its skeletal story, you've seen this movie before.  You know these characters.  Within 15 minutes, you could probably figure out every plot point and character arc for the rest of the film.  Did I care about any of that when I was watching it?  Not in the slightest.  I was absolutely content to go for this joyful ride through 1987 with a battered yellow Volkswagen beetle.

The film rests on one thing: the relationship between Charlie Watson (perfectly portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld) and Bumblebee.  The movie works because that relationship works.  And that's saying something.  Because Hailee was acting to nothing.  And Bumblebee is mute for the majority of the movie.  So, like WALL-E, Bumblebee's character and emotions have to be expressed through design and action.  And the filmmakers do a fantastic job making this strange array of metal parts into a character we care about.  He may be metal and wires, but Bumblebee has a very real heart.  And when he bonds with Charlie, the rest of the film falls into place.

Also good was John Cena.  He plays the typical military man who feels like he has to hunt down this dangerous alien invader.  But he also has some of the most humorous lines in the movie and manages to make his character stand out from the cliche.

There's plenty of action throughout the film.  It is mostly robots fighting other robots.  But there were also plenty of quiet moments throughout the film that allowed for character growth and bonding.

The music for Bumblebee was also quite good.  I loved the score.  The soundtrack was also enjoyable.  It served to ground the film in its 1987 setting.  I didn't know all the songs, but I knew enough, which made it fun.

The film is rated PG-13 for action and some swearing (I honestly don't remember much).  Most of the violence is between robots.  A couple of humans also get killed in a way that is quick and gore-free (but gross if you think about it).  It might be rather intense for younger viewers.

There are lots of movies to see this holiday season.  So far, Bumblebee is my favorite.  It's well-made, has just the right balance of action and heart, and it made me want to give a robot a hug (which hasn't happened since WALL-E).  Be sure to stick around for the mid-credits scenes.

*** Spoiler Section ***

During the end scene, when Bumblebee's Camaro pulls up alongside a semi, I couldn't help but smile.  And, sure enough, Optimus Prime is back for the mid-credits scene.

The first scene potentially sets up a sequel.  But the best part is when Bumblebee uses his radio to tell Optimus his new name.  Bumblebee has found his voice.

The second scene brings closure to Charlie's story.  She has finally finished fixing and restoring her father's car.  The scene says so much without a single word.

Quotable Quotes

• "Don't run!  Do not run! ... She ran." -- Agent Burns
• "They literally call themselves 'Decepticons.'  That doesn't set off any red flags?" -- Agent Burns
• "Wait.  You mean you could have been a Camaro this whole time?" -- Charlie

ISFS