This was the first series of articles I started about 3 years ago. I only did 3 and want to restart doing more articles and themes. Most of the review is recycled from when I first wrote it in 2020. My thoughts on the movie haven’t changed since then. I just added a short summary of the film and that’s it. I hope to complete the series this time around. These will usually have two ratings. One for the film itself and the other for how it compares to the original.
Simba’s daughter Kiara is growing up fast and is following in her father’s paw prints when it comes to getting in trouble. She hits it off with Kovu, an Outsider who’s family is loyal to Scar. Because of this, Simba tries to keep the cubs apart. Kovu’s mother blames Simba for Scar’s death and is busy plotting her revenge. She uses Kovu to try get to get to Simba so that they can kill him. Then Kovu can take his place as Scar’s heir. But all the scheming and overprotectiveness can’t stop Kovu and Kiara from falling in love in typical Disney fashion. Together they can reunite the pride, unless Zira’s thirst for revenge and Simba’s pride get in the way.
As a sequel, I give it 5/5. This is one of the best of the bunch. The animation is great and only pales slightly when compared with the original. The story is good. There are several standout songs including We Are One, Love Will Find A Way, and my personal favorite, The music gets me every time I hear and within the movie’s context, meaning not just listening to the song on YouTube, it’s a powerful scene. I loved Kiara and Kovu. I enjoy Jason Marsden in everything I’ve seen/heard him in. And Pumbaa and Timon as always are a riot. If Lion King was Hamlet, Simba’s Pride is Romeo and Juliet.
Compared with Lion King, I’ll give it a 4.5/5. It’s not quite as great as Lion King, but still is a worthy sequel. Too bad it was sent straight to video and not given a chance in the theater. As I said before the animation only pales slightly in comparison to Lion King. I like the Villain Zira, but compared with Scar, she’s all bite and no style like Scar had in the original. Upendi was my least favorite song. I found it annoying and it definitely doesn’t hold a candle to Can You Feel The Love Tonight?
All in all Lion King 2 is very enjoyable movie, and I will be watching it again in the future!
Scott Calvin’s (Tim Allen) magic is failing. After some encouragement from his wife, he takes it as a sign that it’s time to retire after nearly three decades as Santa Claus. The family hasn’t spent Christmas together in years and Scott feels he needs to be home with his family so he begins his search for his replacement. He settles on Simon Choski (Kal Penn) for the position and him and family settle for a normal life in Chicago. But Simon quickly turns out to be the wrong choice for Santa with his Christmas Every Day plan and turning the North Pole into corporation effectively killing Christmas spirit. Things go from Bad to worse when elves start disappearing.
Bernard the elf (David Krumholtz) makes his long-awaited return to talk some sense into Scott in the hope that he’ll come back to the North Pole and reclaim his role as Santa before Christmas is destroyed forever!
I loved this mini-series! The original Santa Clause trilogy are some of my all-time favorite Christmas so it was great to see the story continue with some great new characters including Scott’s daughter Sandra played by Tim Allen’s daughter Elizabeth. The series wasn’t as good as the original movies, but I rated it 5/5 because the last two episodes were the best and earned it that rating. The episodes got better with each release in general and I’m so glad Disney decided to greenlight this. Guess Tim wasn’t completely cancelled after all. ♥️ They apparently liked it so much that this limited series got renewed for a season two. I CAN’T WAIT!!! A great Christmas comedy for the entire family. Stream the entire series on Disney Plus!
Set after the events of the original Avengers, Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) has to deal with the mental and emotional aftermath of 2012’s Battle of New York. But once again, crap’s hitting the fan before Tony has the chance to breathe. Back in ‘99, Tony ditches a meeting with a young inventor in favor of a one-night stand, and now Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) wants revenge. Then the mysterious Mandarin shows up and starts to destroy everyone and everything that Tony cares about and no one is safe not even Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). Tony doesn’t have long to get to the bottom of who’s behind all the destruction before more lives are destroyed and the bomb is ticking.
Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie, OK?! It’s my Die Hard. It’s set at Christmas so it counts! It’s also my favorite Iron Man movie. It’s got everything I like. A main character who makes morally questionable decisions who’s sarcastic and struggles with anxiety, intense fights, and explosions. Lots and lots of explosions. And the best thing Marvel ever did was pair Tony up with a ten-year-old sidekick who’s just like him. This is one of my favorite MCU movies overall. It’s got one of my all-time favorite heroes and in my opinion, the best of the trilogy. It also has a great villain and some of the best action scenes in the MCU. When Tony’s house gets destroyed and the fight at the end with all the Iron Man suits are two of my favorite scenes. Also Pepper finally gets her time to shine as more than Tony’s girlfriend and assistant. She’s a hero in her own right. Rhodey (Don Cheedle) also has a couple action-packed standout moments as well. I also love how they dealt with anxiety in this movie. It was realistically represented and done well.
Naturally, a movie like this includes violence and language like ass, damn, hell, pissed, shit, son of a bitch, and misuse of God’s name. Once paired with damn. People get shot and blown up. Several are killed or almost killed and there’s imagery of terrorist attacks. And there’s one closed-door sex scene. Not recommended for children, but fine for older teens and adults. It gets dark, but good triumphs over evil in the end. Stream it now on Disney Plus.
Daddy’s Home isn’t technically a Christmas movie, but there is one Christmas scene so I’m counting it. I’m ignoring that it takes in April because it’s my blog and I do whatever I want here. Brad (Will Ferrell) has it all including a gorgeous wife and two kids. Ok so the kids aren’t his biologically, but that doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, he can’t have kids of his own, so being a stepfather is the next best thing, or it would be if the kids accepted him. Then bio dad Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) flies in for a visit and tries to move in on Brad’s territory by trying to get his family back. This puts the two guys in a competition of dad vs. step-dad. May the best dad win. This is a movie on fatherhood and the importance of dads in general, but a large part of the plot involves male infertility which is a total blast to watch with your own father in the room. Ask me how I know. 😜 You also get to see Will Ferrell’s butt and with his shirt off which is more than I ever personally wanted to see.
Daddy’s Home is very funny and has a lot of heart. It also has a lot of language. All the usual hits are here including shit, ass, damn, twice paired with God’s name. A couple uses of bitch used once each by both child stars. Sounds even better when kids say it. sarcasm Several misuses of both God and Jesus along with a plethora of other unnecessary language. And despite all that, it still manages to be one of my favorite comedies. Go figure. For added viewing pleasure, just add parents. It’s not awkward. At all. This movie is both sour and sweet. How much sour you’re willing to sit through in order to get to the sweet is up to you.
Brad (Will Ferrell) and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) had a rough road to get here but now their co-dad BFFs to the point where it’s over the top and at times annoying. The guys hatch a plan for their blended families to spend Christmas together, but didn’t plan on having both of their fathers joining them. Dusty’s dad, Kurt (Mel Gibson), constantly makes fun of his son’s progressive parenting choices, and Brad’ dad, Don (John Lithgow), is just as wholesomely annoying as he is. They rent an Airbnb together for Christmas. One big happy family. Many different personalities and parenting styles under one roof. What could possibly go wrong?
This sequel is far more family friendly than the original! I think Will Ferrell is at his best when making Christmas movies. It’s everything I loved about the original with the amount of language cut in half. Language includes the usual like damn, ass, shit, bitch, several misuses of God’s name, and several unnecessary exclamations. Daddy’s Home 2 is not as crass and just as fun the second time around. A fun but imperfect Christmas comedy for families with older children. You can rent it from online retailers or borrow it from the library.
Shrek is technically not a Halloween movie, but it’s about a grumpy ogre who lives in a swamp so I’m going with it!
Shrek (Mike Myers) who prefers to live alone in his swamp, finds several unwelcome fairy tale creatures at his front step who thanks to Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) have been evicted from their homes. Shrek, along with his new pesky, talkative sidekick Donkey (Eddie Murphy), make a deal with him: Rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and bring her to him to marry so he can become King, and Shrek will get his swamp back. Sounds easier said than done especially since the Princess is hiding a secret of her own. As Shrek’s tagline says: This is the greatest fairy tale never told.
I enjoyed Shrek a lot more this time around than I did the last time I watched it. It’s so funny, especially every time Donkey opens his mouth! Eddie Murphy steals the whole show! It’s also a fun, creative story overall. Although as fun as Shrek can be, it’s hard to believe this is a children’s movie, though that’s the audience it’s intended for! There’s several curse-words like damn, Jackass, and kiss-ass. It’s surprising for what’s supposed to be a family movie. I wouldn’t sit young children in front of this one unless you want their vocabulary to expand in a more colorful direction. You can stream Shrek now on NBC’s streaming service Peacock. It’s available for free if you have Xfinity.
Now married, Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have been invited by Fiona’s parents, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lilian (Julie Andrews) to Far Far Away to celebrate their marriage. When it’s discovered that Shrek is an ogre, the king schemes with Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) to break Shrek and Fiona’s marriage up so that she will marry Prince Charming instead.
Shrek will do anything to stay married to Fiona. Even if it means becoming a human and staying that way…permanently.
This romance-focused sequel is a strong follow-up to the original. There’s no sequel slump here! It’s even better than the original since there’s none of the language that was in the first. I always love hearing Julie Andrews in things, and Antonio Banderas steals every scene he’s in as Puss in Boots. This movie is far less problematic than the original. There’s only one use of ass and it’s used in context not as a swear. And Pinocchio lies about wearing girls underwear Other than that, It’s more suitable for families than the original ever was. You can stream Shrek 2 now on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.
King Harold (John Cleese) dies leaving Shrek (Mike Myers) the reluctant heir to the throne. Knowing the life of a Royal isn’t for him, he sets off with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to find the next in line, Arthur (Justin Timberlake). He leaves a pregnant Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to fend off a coup from Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) who’s rallied the villains of Far Far Away to fight for their version of a Happy Ending. Shrek the Third has always been my favorite of the franchise. It’s also the most family friendly with zero bad language! Too bad the first two couldn’t be like this one. This movie also plays around with the Freaky Friday concept when Donkey and Puss switch bodies with funny results. I love how it mixes Disney fairytales with a bit of King Arthur mythology. It’s very enjoyable. You can rent it from online retailers or borrow it from the library.
All good things must come to an end.
In this Final Chapter, Shrek (Mike Myers) is having a mid-life crisis. He longs for the days where he was a single and scary ogre instead of a married sideshow freak who can’t ever take a mud bath in peace. Enter Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn). He’s always wanted to rule Far Far Away and seizes his chance at the first opportunity. He convinces Shrek to make a deal: One day as a care-free ogre in exchange for one of Shrek’s memories. Shrek agrees and Rumple takes the memory of when Shrek was born giving him 24 hours before disappearing from existence forever. The only way to break the deal is True Love’s Kiss. The only problem with that is that Fiona (Cameron Diaz) doesn’t remember him. Shrek only has 24 hours to make her fall in love with him again. No pressure!
They saved the best for last! This was the strongest Shrek sequel yet. It’s darker and a bit more mature in tone than it’s predecessor. Some of the scenes can be a little intense, especially for young children. It’s got some good action and comedic moments. And the romance storyline is great with a good lesson on being grateful for the life you have in the present instead of wishing for the life you had in the past. Best part yet is that there’s zero language. You can rent Shrek Forever After from online retailers or borrow it from the library.
After his rental car breaks down, shy bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) finds a mysterious mask one night floating in the sea. He tries it on when he gets home and the mask transforms him into a cartoony superhero, complete with animated antics, and brings his inner personality including newfound confidence and romantic side to the surface. He has two simple goals for using his newly acquired powers: To put a stop to the gangsters robbing the bank and win over the girl of dreams, lounge singer Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz).
It’s ironic that in real life, people wear masks to obscure who they are, but in the movie, the mask brings out the best in Stanley while bringing out the worst in the main gangster, Dorian (Peter Greene).
Jim Carrey brings his A-game and his trademark animated physical comedy as the titular character of The Mask and in my opinion is one of his best performances. You can even hear and see a bit of what he would bring to another well-known green character years later. Hint: He hates Christmas!
The Mask is funny and a ton of fun, but isn’t meant for kids. Language is frequent including such classics as damn, what the hell, son of a bitch, and several misuses of God’s name. There’s also a lot of gun violence, some for comedic reasons, and some with the intention of hurting certain characters. Whoever wears the mask can be shot at and not permanently hurt or killed. This might give kids the wrong impression. There’s a little bit of innuendo as well. This movie is fine for teens and adults, but parents will want to wait until younger kids are older for them to watch. You can stream it til the end of this month on Tubi or rent it on Amazon.
All good things must unfortunately come to an end.
Dracula (Brian Hull) is planning on retiring and giving the hotel to Johnny (Andy Samberg) and Mavis (Selena Gomez) but changes his mind when Johhny starts listing all the changes he’ll make to the hotel. To make matters worse, he lies about his reasons for changing his mind, Johnny goes to Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) for help. He wants to become a monster so that he can keep the hotel and fit in with the rest of Mavis’s family. His wish is granted, but it comes with a price: becoming a crazed, mindless beast forever. Due to the magic crystal backfiring, the monsters become humans. “It’s like Freaky Friday, but on a Tuesday though!” They have a limited amount of time to fix things before their Freaky Friday on a Tuesday becomes permanent.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was a great end to one of my favorite movie series. It’s so much fun! The Freaky Friday plot is perfect for animation. Brian Hull replaces Adam Sandler and is so good I can’t tell the difference! It’s too bad there won’t be any more Hotel Transylvania movies. I think they could easily keep the franchise, but four is a good place to stop. At least they ended on a high note. You can stream it now on Amazon Prime.
With the announcement of a Winnie the Pooh horror movie about to be released, I decided to rewatch the only Pooh live-action reboot that matters: Christopher Robin.
The movie poses the question: What happens when Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) grows up? The answer? He grows up, gets married, has a family, becomes a workaholic, and leaves any wonder and imagination in the past where it belongs. He’s an adult now. There’s no time for that sort of thing, and his friends from the 100- Acre Wood are best left as a distant memory. But some memories refuse to be forgotten. Pooh (Jim Cummings) wakes up one morning to find his friends missing. Not knowing what to do, he goes to find his old friend Christopher Robin for help. Thinking he’s hallucinating, Christopher refuses to believe his childhood friend is real, then he’s deep to return Pooh home so he can return to his real adult life. It’s up to Pooh and the rest to remind Christopher that it’s alright to be childish sometimes. If he doesn’t, he could risk losing everything important.
This movie is one of Disney’s best remakes, if you can even call it that. It’s more of a continuation. It’s heartwarming and funny. Brad Garrett as Eyore was the perfect casting. Perfect voice for the role and so funny! Another standout was Toby Jones as Piglet. Even better as Piglet than as Dobby. And he was great as Dobby. And it was smart on Disney’s part to bring Jim Cummings back as both Pooh and Tigger as well.
Christopher Robin is the perfect Pooh live-action remake. It’s great for adults while keeping the spirit of the original source material in tact. They can keep that Horror piece of crap. This is the only live-action version I need! You can stream it now on Disney Plus.
I get to geek out over one of the nerdiest things out there: Anime! Prepare for a total Nerd Alert because I’m cranking it up all the way up to ELEVEN! But before I ramble too much, here’s everything you need to know about the book!
About Finding God in Anime
Have you ever wanted a season two of your favorite anime but found out it is unlikely for the company to produce one?
Stinks, doesn’t it? Well, Finding God in Animedefinitely isn’t like that. After all, you’re looking at volume two right now!
Welcome to the second installment of the acclaimed devotional: Finding God in Anime! Each bite-size piece comes straight from the passionate otaku souls in our collective of Christian authors. You will find anime-inspired pieces from across tons of beloved genres within this devotional, and each one presents a unique and Biblical outlook on your favorite shows!
Find God’s fatherly love in Daddy’s Girl, inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist
Go down to your atoms to discover God’s purpose for us in Jobs, inspired by Cells at Work
Huddle up to hear God’s game plan for living like Him in Get Your Head in the Game, inspired by Kuroko’s Basketball
…and so many others! So grab your shuriken or computerized make-up compact and join us on the exciting adventure of finding God’s teachings in anime!
You can purchase the book at the links down below. The ebook is available to download for FREE at Amazon and other book retailers! The best news is that it’s available TODAY!
Now that the official stuff is out of the way, I can now unleash my inner Otaku!
I was surprised when I stumbled across the news of the first Finding God in Anime volume last year. I didn’t know or even think that a devotional revolving completely around anime could be a thing, but I knew it was something I needed to support.
The last place I ever expected to find God was in anime. I was shocked almost to tears when He showed up for me in a place where I was convinced He couldn’t be found which is what drove me to contribute a piece based on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I’m so excited that it was accepted, and that our fearless organizers, Laura A. Grace and Moriah Jane, loved it!
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The following thoughts are my own. A positive review wasn’t required, but I’m giving one anyway because I loved it so much!
Sometimes you have to wait forever for a favorite anime to get a second season or as the case may be never get one. (*Cough* Ouran High School Host Club *Cough*). And sometimes you get a second season only to be disappointed ( I know The Promised Neverland fans can relate!). Finding God in Anime is back and better than ever! I’m pleased to say that there’s no sequel slump here and that this volume is even better than the first!
This devotional has 45 bite-size pieces focused on a variety of anime from FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood and Fairy Tail to Fruits Basket and Yona of the Dawn There’s something in here for everyone! (I know the Foreward is the easiest part of the book to skip, but don’t skip this one! Twwk from Beneath the Tangles did an amazing job writing it. It’ll be well-worth your time. Don’t Miss Out!)
Some of my favorites included To Rely On Our Comrades by Wyn Estelle Owens which is based on Naruto. While I have no experience with Naruto, this piece moved me nearly to tears when it talked about how a lot of times we’re not the ones who are going to save our lost loved ones. God equips and sends other people to do what we won’t be able to. This is so relevant to my life right now it hurts!
Others included Our True Form (Fruits Basket) by my friend Writer Rockbell, Unequal Exchange (Fullmetal Alchemist) by Matt Starr, The Ultimate Sacrifice (Fairy Tail ) by Kayla E. Green, and Naruto And Taming The Beast Within (Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden) by Hannah Mae. Special mention goes to both Demon Slayer devotions, Laugh Without Fear and Breathe Deeply by Laura A. Grace and Moriah Jane respectively. Both of them centered around not being afraid which is another message I need right now. I LOVED the entire thing! Every devotional is AMAZING in its own way! These were just a few that stood out to me the most my first time reading! Each devotion impacted me emotionally in some way, gave me a lot to think about, and I feel like this little book came out at the right time.
It’s amazing to me that 25 different authors who’ve never met each other managed to write a devotional revolving around several major themes with thoughts and ideas that are extremely similar to each other. You would have thought we had a group chat and collaborated on our pieces, but we didn’t. Most of us have never spoken to each other, and yet here is this cohesive little volume at the end of it. I’d almost think it was creepy if I didn’t believe that God planned it this way. Several themes revolve around God’s gift of salvation, His perfect design, that we’re “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and His great love for us, extending mercy to those who don’t deserve it, and more!
Reading through this book was an enjoyable and at times an emotional experience for me. I hope that these devotionals encourage others the way that they’ve encouraged me. I’m honored to have played a small part in this project. The piece that I wrote was the hardest thing I’ve ever written, I experienced a rollercoaster ride of emotions including doubt and fear. I almost didn’t write it at all. I nearly talked myself out of it! But I’m glad I didn’t give in to any of my negative emotions. I felt strongly that I needed to write this. It’s the only time I felt like I NEEDED to write something. It NEEDED to get out. I’ve never felt that way about anything I’ve ever written. It felt important. So I wrote it. I hope and pray that this book can shine God’s light in someone’s life and draw them closer to Him.
And because I’m super weird, backward, and totally awkward, here’s a short intro if you’re new here!
Hi! I’m Bree, and I use this site to mainly blog about movies. I do the occasional book and manga review. I love Jesus and all things nerdy and I do mean ALL the things! I especially love when I can combine my love for Jesus and nerdy interests together. It’s one of my favorite things, and I hope to do it again! I’ve reviewed one anime movie: Thumbelina: A Magical Story. Here’s the link if you’re interested:
Both movies revolve around the same story: Willy Wonka, a mysterious chocolate factory owner, hides five golden tickets in five ordinary Wonka chocolate bars for five children to find. The prize is a tour of the chocolate factory and a secret prize to be disclosed later. Four of the children are rotten to the core while Charlie manages to stay out of trouble and wins ownership of the factory. Who’s bright idea was it to have Tim Burton remake this movie?! The original was full of color and was fun to look at. The remake is darker, the colors are muted, and the life’s drained out of a movie that’s supposed to be fun. I love love love Johnny Depp, but this wasn’t isn’t his best role by a long shot. Gene Wilder owned the role of Willy Wonka. No one else’s performance can come close! The entire cast from the original is better than the one in the remake. The original doesn’t follow the book. I’ve been told the remake does, but I don’t care! The original is still better. It’s extremely rare that I prefer a movie that doesn’t closely follow its source material. The two movies actually have similar runtimes, but the remake feels like it drags on forever while the original feels short and sweet in comparison. The original is meme central and quotable. The remake only has one good line. (See next slide.) The remake obviously has better affects than the original. Special effects have come a long way since 1971. Because of this, I like the Violet Blueberry scene better in the remake. The remake has a few heartwarming moments towards the end, and then, THANK YOU, JESUS! The credits roll! The original is clearly better in nearly every way! THE END!
The Last Mimzy is a strange story about a future civilization saving themselves from complete ruin by sending a stuffed bunny into the past to collect pure DNA to save them. Noah (Chris O’Neill) and Emma Wilder (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) find some strange toys on the beach. Playing with these toys gives them special abilities like increased intelligence, telekinesis, and physic abilities. With the help of Noah’s science teacher Larry White (Rainn Wilson) and his physic Buddhist fiancee Naomi (Katheryn Hahn) the kids have to send the last mimzy back home before she and her civilization die.
This is one of the strangest little movies that I’ve ever watched with a magic system wrapped up in astrology and Buddhism which would make this movie a no-go for conservative Christian families. It’s got an interesting story that’s hard to follow in places. And it’s fun seeing Dwight Shrute and Agatha Harkness act like a married couple. That was the best part. I got ET vibes especially with the emotional attachment between Emma and Mimzy. This movie is fun, but it’s mystic mumbo jumbo make it a mixed bag of a film. Watch at your own discretion.
Sometimes nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake isn’t the best idea. Space Jam: A New Legacy is the not asked for by anyone sequel to the original Space Jam released in 1996. The original movie isn’t the best, but it’s fun and didn’t take itself to seriously. It was also shorter by 20 minutes.
The sequel is longer, (2hrs), boring, and feels completely unnecessary! Don Cheadle was great as the villain, and the Looney Tunes are always fun to watch. And Zendaya actually sounded great as Lola Bunny. (There was an unfinished clip floating around Twitter that sounded horrible.) The last third of the movie was the strongest part of the whole thing. There were a few callbacks to the original and some funny jokes. Plus a nice message centered around sacrificing every to save someone you love. Other than that, there wasn’t much here that was enjoyable. Kids will enjoy it. Parents nostalgic over childhood memories will probably like it, but that’s about it. “Th-th-th-that’s all, folks!”
2¢ Movie Reviews 