LUCA REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Pixar Animated Studios are at their best when they’re creating films based on original stories that are meaningful and thematic. This is certainly true of their previous animated feature, Soul. Because of its deep and thought provoking story, it was enjoyed more by critics. Pixar’s latest film, Luca, will appeal more to families as it tells a simple story about friendship. 

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Luca is a coming-of-age story about one young boy, Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with pasta, gelato and endless scooter rides. He shares these adventures with his new found best friend, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

Luca is directed by Enrico Casarosa who previously made the Pixar animated short, La Luna, which was told a peculiar story about a young boy coming of age. In just six minutes, Casarosa was able to create a meaningful film that featured beautiful animation. A decade later, Casarosa has created Luca which is a warm and enjoyable animated film. Although it doesn’t represent Pixar at their best, it’s far from their worst films and provides viewers with ninety minutes of lighthearted entertainment. Prior to Luca’s release, Casarosa said that he was inspired by Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. The town of Portorosso is a nod to one of Studio Ghibli’s animated films, Porco Rosso. The script, written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, reminded Casarosa of his childhood friend who was called Alberto. However, the main character’s name is Luca as the director didn’t want to use his first name, Enrico. It’s clear that Luca means a lot to Casarosa and I can imagine that it’ll mean a lot to a lot of viewers as well.

Like most of Pixar’s films, the animation in Luca stands out as it’s filled with bright and vibrant visuals. The country of Italy is effectively explored and captured through the stunning animation. Pixar sent several of the film's artists to the Italian Riviera for a research trip, during which they took photos of the area's landscape and people. Luca is rooted in the 50s and 60s, a time that Casarosa has described as a "golden age that feels timeless", with the music and designs inspired from that period "to capture a little bit of this timelessness of summer." Because of its sunny and warm setting, Luca is the perfect summer film.

It is a shame that, like Soul, Luca wasn’t released in cinemas as the animation would’ve impressed more on a bigger screen. Understandably, the producers were also disappointed by Disney’s decision to release it on their streaming service, Disney+, as Disney’s latest animated feature, Raya and the Last Dragon, was released both in cinemas and on Disney+. Although I don’t mind watching films at home, I would have much preferred to have watched Luca at the cinema as they’re the perfect form of escapism. 

Luca is at its most heartwarming when it’s focusing on the friendship that develops between Luca and Alberto. Luca is shy and fearful of leaving his family, however, Alberto is confident and encourages Luca to enjoy their adventures together. The pair meet and befriend Giulia (Emma Berman), who is outgoing and charming. Together, the three become involved in the Portorosso Cup Triathlon, which involves the participants racing by swimming, eating a plate full of pasta and riding a bike to the finish line. Although Giulia has previously entered, she has never won due to throwing up but believes she can finally win with the help of Luca and Alberto. All three of these characters are interesting and fun to watch, with the talented young cast, including Tremblay, Grazer and Berman, impressing with their vocal performances. While the majority of the film focuses on Luca, Alberto and Giulia, Luca’s parents, Daniela (Maya Rudolph) and Lorenzo (Jim Gaffigan) search for him. Their scenes provide viewers with amusing physical comedy as they try and find Luca by splashing children with water. 

A lot of animated films are aimed at children and tell a simple and boring story. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Luca, which, like most of Pixar’s animated films, can be enjoyed by viewers of any age. Children will, almost certainly, enjoy the fun adventures involving Luca and Alberto, with older viewers appreciating the deeper meaning behind some of the themes. By many older viewers in the LGBTQ+ community, the story of Luca hiding his true self has been interpreted as a metaphor for a homosexual struggling to come out. Obviously, because it’s a family friendly film, the relationship between Luca and Alberto is nothing more than platonic, however, it’s easy to see why the film will mean a lot to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Luca will also mean a lot to those who had an important friend during their childhood. 

Luca features bright and warm animation and tells a heartwarming story about friendship and is packed full of adventure.

7/10

SOUL REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Pete Docter is best known for directing the Pixar animated films, Monsters, Inc., Up and Inside Out, with the latter two winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Because of this, there was a lot of excitement surrounding his latest animated feature, Soul, which was supposed to be released in cinemas earlier this year, unfortunately, after cinemas were forced to close worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Soul’s release date was delayed and it was soon announced that it would be released on the streaming site, Disney+ on Christmas Day. Prior to its official release, Soul has received a positive reception from critics with many regarding it as Pixar’s best film yet. 

Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is a middle/school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before - a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answer to some of life’s most important questions.

With Monsters, Inc. he showed us a world where monsters were afraid of humans. With Up, he broke our hearts with one of the most moving opening sequences ever created before taking us on an exciting adventure. With Inside Out, he gave us an insight into our emotions. Now, with Soul, Docter continues to establish himself as one of the most imaginative directors and has created a thoughtful and heartfelt animated feature. 

Many animated films are aimed more at children and are filled with immature jokes and a predictable and unoriginal story, making it a dull watch for older viewers. However, with Pixar’s films, I’ve always appreciated their ability to appeal to viewers of all ages, with their unique premises and thematic stories. This is certainly the case with Soul, which will, most likely, be enjoyed more by older viewers. Earlier this year, Pixar released Onward, a fun, fantasy animated films that was full of adventure. I think that Onward will appeal to children more because of its lighthearted tone and adventure filled story. However, Soul is the better film due to its thematic and meaningful story. 

As is usually the case with most of Pixar’s animated features, the strength of Soul lies in their animation. A lot of hard work and effort has clearly gone into making the animation, which brings the busy location of New York City to life and also giving viewers an insight into the unique worlds of the Great Beyond and the Great Before. Those who live in New York City will be impressed at seeing their home city explored and captured in a realistic way. I’ve never been to New York City, however, the animators clearly think fondly of the city and the visuals perfectly bring it to life. The animation is at its most imaginative when it’s exploring the unique worlds, including The Great Beyond. What I’ve always liked about animation is that there is no limit to one’s imagination and that’s the case with Soul. With The Great Beyond and The Great Before, Docter has created two unique worlds filled with fascinating and strange characters, including the soul counsellors who are all named Jerry and Moonwind (Graham Norton), a spiritual and eccentric sign twirler who helps Joe and 22. For 22, the animators created a distinctive design, as the character had not been on Earth but has begun to evolve. Pixar animators created an "unprecedent" technique of line drawing to complete the film's screen image. 

Soul is one of Pixar’s most significant features as it’s the first to have an African American in the main role. It is quite shocking that their animated films are lacking in terms of race and skin colour, with the majority of their main characters consisting of anthropomorphised animals and white people. Pixar was mindful of the history of racist imagery in animation, and set out to create characters who were recognisably black while avoiding the stereotypes in old cartoons. Acknowledging this effort, Docter stated that there's a “long and painful history of caricatured racist design tropes that were used to mock African-Americans." As a way to highlight the ethnic diversity in the living world, the animators used lighting. They also sought to capture the fine details of these black characters, including the textures of black hair and the way light plays on various tones of black skin. Animators used footage of several music performers, including jazz composer Jon Batiste, performing as reference for the film's musical sequences. An aspect of Pixar’s features that never fails to impress is their animation and that is true of Soul. The animation in Soul highlights how far Pixar have come since they made their first animated feature, Toy Story, which represented a breakthrough when it was released in 1995. 

Soul is one of Pixar’s most meaningful films as it explores themes of identity and self worth which will resonate with a lot of people. I can imagine many viewers relating to Joe as he struggles to follow his dream of being a successful jazz musician. The story is also really inspiring as it sends out the message of following your dreams. 

Prior to watching Soul, I was expecting it to be serious due to its mature themes, however, I was surprised by how funny it was. Most of the humour comes from 22 who ends up in Joe’s body while the latter ends up in a cat’s body. This makes for an amusing sequence as 22 awkwardly struggles in Joe’s body. While this sequence is where Soul is at its most entertaining, it’s also very touching and poignant, with 22, in Joe’s body, having a meaningful conversation with his barber, Dez (Donnell Rawlings). There’s also a moving scene between Joe and his mother, Libba (Phylicia Rashad), who doesn’t approve of Joe’s desire to be a jazz musician. Although children will probably find the story too complex to follow, I think they’ll enjoy the fun sequence that sees 22 stuck in Joe’s body.

An important part of animation films are the vocal performances. If an actor simply reads the lines instead of performing them, it could impact the viewer’s connection to the character and overall quality of the film. Fortunately, most of the cast deliver strong performances. Foxx captures Joe’s passion and determination to be a jazz musician, making him an easy character to like. Fey, a talented comedienne, is, unsurprisingly, witty as 22, who has no desire to live as a human on Earth, however, when she ends up in Joe’s body, she finds pleasure in the simplest of things including food, music and nature. Irish chat show host, Norton, is perfectly eccentric as Moonwind, with British comedian and director, Richard Ayoade, delivering a dry but no less funny performance as Jerry, one of the soul counsellors.

Although several of their sequels, including Incredibles  2 and Toy Story 4, have been successful, Soul proves that Pixar are at their best when they’re creating meaningful animated features that have a unique premise. There’s no question that Soul will be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards next year.

With a unique premise and outstanding animation, Soul represents one of Pixar’s most meaningful and thematic films yet.

8/10

ONWARD REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Pixar Animated Studios are at their best when they're telling original stories that have an emotional impact. This statement was proven with one of their previous features, Coco, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards. While their recent sequels, including Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, have been successful, with the latter winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar at this year's Academy Awards, Pixar's latest feature, Onward, further proves my earlier statement. 

Onward is set a suburban spin on a fantasy world, where teenage elf, Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and his brother Barley (Chris Pratt) inherit a wizard's staff, charged with enough magical power to bring their father back to life. But when the spell goes disastrously wrong, Ian and Barley must set out on an epic quest to bring the rest of him back – meeting a menagerie of mythical creatures along the way.

With Onward, the director, Dan Scanlon, has created an adventure filled animated film that is never anything less than fun and entertaining for the majority of its 103 minute runtime. Scanlon previously directed the prequel to Monsters, Inc., Monsters University. Although I enjoyed it, I don't think it shows Pixar at its best. Onward is an improvement over Scanlon's previous feature as it provides viewers with an original and heartfelt story co-written by Scanlon, Keith Bunin and Jason Headley. Within their story, they've included themes of grief and brotherhood which are both effectively highlighted in Onward. Scanlon was inspired to write the story after hearing an audio clip of his late father who passed away when he was younger. Scanlon grew up with an older brother and based Ian and Barley’s relationship on the one he had with his brother. This is why their relationship is effective as it feels real and I’m sure that those who grew up with a brother will be able to relate to Ian and Barley.

Because their father died before Ian was born and when Barley was young, they want more than anything to meet him, even just for a day. On Ian's sixteenth birthday, they are given that opportunity when their mother presents them with a gift left by their father which turns out to be a magical staff containing a phoenix gem. They immediately use a spell to bring their father to life but only succeed in bringing the bottom half of his body back. This leads to the brothers going on an adventure together to find another phoenix gem in order to fully bring their father back to life, however, they only have twenty four hours to do it. Viewers who have had a family member or loved one pass away will be able to relate to Ian and Barley's determination to bring their father back to life. I think that, if we had the chance to bring back someone we loved from the dead, we would take that chance.
I think that Onward will resonate more to those that have grown up with a brother as Ian and Barley’s relationship is effectively captured. Although Barley is a few years older than Ian, the brothers are very close, however, their relationship isn’t perfect and there are a few times in Onward where the two have a small falling out after Ian unintentionally hurts his feelings. However, with the help of their father, the brothers are able to overcome their differences. Onward succeeds in capturing that of a relationship between brothers that is realistic and effective. Although I have older brothers, I’m not super close with them so I couldn’t relate to the main characters, however, that didn’t prevent me from enjoying it.
Onward features a strong voice cast, with Holland and Pratt standing out. Holland perfectly captures Ian’s awkward and introverted personality. Pratt is equally as impressive and delivers an energetic and lively performance as Barley, whose big personality is in contrast to Ian, who is shy and finds it difficult to make friends. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer are amusing as the brothers’ mother, Laurel, and Corey, a manticore restaurant owner who Ian and Barley go to for help on their quest. I’ve seen quiet a few comments regarding the subplot, that sees Laurel teaming up with Corey in order to find her sons, as unnecessary and distracting from the main narrative. For me, I enjoyed the scenes involving Laurel and Corey and found them to be an amusing pair, especially the latter. I didn’t realise she was was voiced by Spencer until halfway through Onward.
Although Onward features elves, wizards, dragons centaurs and pixies, their world is very similar to ours, in terms of technology. Instead of using their wings to fly, pixies are seen riding motorcycles and aren’t as friendly as they appear to be. Laurel’s boyfriend is a centaur and a police officer who drives a car, instead of using his legs. Because technology has become so advanced, there is no need for magic, however, Ian and Barley’s journey proves that magic does still exist.
With the majority of their animated features, Pixar have created original stories that have left an emotional impact. This is the case for Onward. While, for the majority of its 103 minute runtime, it’s an adventure film, we’re hoping that it ends with Ian being able to meet his father. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen and Ian only sees his fully formed father from a distance before he disappears. This scene is touching and will definitely move viewers to tears as it’s sad knowing that Ian will never meet his father. While the ending is sad, it’s also realistic. Ian and Barley spend their journey hoping to bring the father back to life, however, it leads to Ian realising that, while he never had a relationship with his father, he had his older brother and he appreciates their relationship more.
With Onward, Pixar have created an animated feature that is full of adventure and features strong vocal performances from Tom Holland and Chris Pratt.
8/10

TOY STORY 4 REVIEW

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Since the release of Toy Story in 1995, Pixar Animated Studios have released over twenty animated features, with the majority of them impressing critics and succeeding at the box office. While I think that Pixar are at their best when they're releasing original films, the Toy Story sequels are just as good. Toy Story was a breakthrough as it was the first full-length animated feature to be created using computer-generated imagery. Its first sequel was released four years later and it matched the quality of its predecessor. For over a decade, Pixar focused on creating original films before releasing Toy Story 3 in 2010. Ir ended with Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and the rest of Andy’s toys being passed on to Bonnie (Emily Hahn). It was an emotional ending and, for a while, it served as an conclusion to the franchise. However, at the end of 2014, Pixar announced that there would be a fourth instalment. I was surprised by this news as I think that Toy Story 3 had a perfect ending and worked really well as a conclusion. Despite this, I was still excited for Toy Story 4.

Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that's Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie's beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as "trash" and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family's road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo's adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they're worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that's the least of their worries.

Because Toy Story 3 was successful, both with critics and at the box office, there was a lot of pressure for director, Josh Cooley, to create a sequel that lived up to expectations and matched the quality of its predecessors. Fortunately, with Toy Story 4, he has succeeded.

The majority of the story focuses on Woody searching for Forky and trying to reunite him with Bonnie. His search leads him to an antiques shop where he meets a doll called Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) whose voice box is broken and wants to steal Woody's. At first, she is seen as the main antagonist and she does seem quite menacing, however, she is soon redeemed by the end. This is what I found refreshing about Toy Story 4 as, unlike in the previous films, there's no villain. 

The antiques shop is also where he reunites with Bo. Since her absence, Bo has enjoyed her independence and what I liked most about her character is that she's developed more into just Woody's love interest and she is also given a lot more to do. 

Those expecting to see more of their old favourite toys such as Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Allen), Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr and Mrs Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris) and Slinky Dog (Blake Clarke) may be disappointed as they don't feature much in Toy Story 4. While I was surprised by their lack of screentime, I can understand why the writers wanted to introduce viewers to new characters. The story mainly focuses on Woody trying to reunite Forky with Bonnie. A subplot involves Buzz trying to find Woody which leads to him ending up on a local fairground. This is where he meets Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele), two toys who aren't as cute and cuddly as they appear to be. Forky is a unique new toy who believes he's trash. He provides most of the film's humour and I wouldn't be surprised if younger viewers began making their own Forky after watching the film. Another memorable new character is Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves), who is a Canadian daredevil toy.

The most impressive aspect of Toy Story 4 is its animation, which has definitely improved since the first film. With each new animated feature, Pixar continues to pride itself as a exceptional studio willing to tell fresh, enriching stories and bring new, invigorating ideas to the forefront — even when those feature familiar, well-established characters. From Toy Story to Toy Story 4, you can see how Pixar has grown significantly as a top-tier animation house. To look at the animation from Toy Story 4 is to see how Pixar has come so far in a little under 30 years time. The animation in Toy Story 4 is some of the best in the company's history, matching Finding Nemo and Wall-E in terms of shot composition, lighting, framing and realistic designs. It's obvious that Pixar has continued to develop its animation skills, with advancing technology allowing them to excel with each new film. The result is a gorgeous-looking animated feature with an emotional heart tug to really bring into focus how far we've come.

While I didn't think Toy Story 4 was necessary as I think its predecessor ended perfectly, I can understand why the filmmakers wanted to create another sequel as the characters are still so beloved, despite it being over two decades since the release of Toy Story. I found this to be a satisfying conclusion to one of the most successful animated franchises. I was also surprised by the ending, which sees Woody leaving Bonnie's toys behind to live a more independent life with Bo. I think I should have seen this ending coming as the film hints at it near the beginning where Bonnie plays with her other toys instead of with Woody. 

Overall, Toy Story 4 features impressive animation, a story that is thoroughly entertaining and is a satisfying conclusion to the franchise.

8/10

INCREDIBLES 2 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Those who know me will know that The Incredibles is my all-time favourite Disney/Pixar feature. Because of this, you can imagine my excitement when the director, Brad Bird, announced in 2014 that he would be releasing a sequel to his superhero-based animated feature. Fourteen years after its release and the wait is finally over. 

Everyone's favorite family of superheroes is back in Incredibles 2 - but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Dash (Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of "normal" life. It's a tough transistion for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack's emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again - which is easier said than done, even when they're all Incredible.

While it's been released to impressive results in the US, Incredibles 2 isn't released in the UK until next month, on July 13th. I was expecting to see it then, however, my local cinema announced they were holding a 'Secret Screening' of a film, which meant audiences wouldn't know what they were watching until the film started. As I sat down in my seat, I wasn't expecting it to be the sequel to one of my favourite films so I was so incredibly happy (no pun intended) when Incredibles 2 popped up on my screen. With a lot of sequels, they tend to disappoint, due to it lacking quality of its predecessor. Fortunately, this can't be said for Incredibles 2 which lives up to expectations and is just as action packed and entertaining as the previous film.

Sequels that are rushed and released within a few years of the first film tend to disappoint, however, because Bird took his time with the sequel for The Incredibles, the overall result is successful. Over the years since its release, Bird has discussed ideas for a sequel but didn't want to rush it and wanted to make sure he had the perfect story. He didn't want to retread the first film, instead, he wanted to pick the film up from where it had left off, with the family of superheroes fighting the Underminer, who makes his appearance right at the end of the first film. This was a good idea as it doesn't feel like fourteen years have passed since we last saw the superheroes. 

The plot for the first film involved Mr. Incredible returning to his superhero lifestyle and he got the most of the action, whilst Helen was the stay-at-home mother, looking after the children. After Mr. Incredible gets into trouble, we do eventually get to see Elastigirl in action as she uses her super stretching abilities to save her husband. Those who wanted to see more of Elastigirl in action will not be disappointed with this sequel. In the first film, superheroes are deemed illegal due to the many lawsuits they faced and the damaged they caused. After failing to capture the Underminer, the family are forced to resume their ordinary lives and, due to the events of the first film that led to their home being destroyed, live in a motel. However, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone are contacted by Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), the owner of DEVTECH, who is also a big superheroes fan. He proposes a publicity stunt to regain the general public's support of supers. Because Elastigirl is considered to be the least destructive of the three, she is selected to undertake the stunt by openly fighting crime in New Urbem. This means that Mr. Incredible will have to be the stay-at-home parent and, in the beginning, he finds this very difficult, due to Violet's boy troubles, Dash's maths homework and the new found discovery of Jack-Jack's powers. This is where the majority of the humour comes from and I'm sure a lot of parents will be able to relate to Bob's struggles as a single parent.

Meanwhile, Elastigirl is enjoying being a superhero once more, however, she soon discovers that there is a villain, known as the Screenslaver who is causing chaos with mind controlling abilities. This becomes her main focus as she is determined to find out who is behind the Screenslaver's mask. Unfortunately, things go wrong leading to Elastigirl succumbing to the Screenslaver's mind controlling powers. This leads to Mr. Incredible, Frozone, Violet, Dash and even Jack Jack teaming up to defeat the Screenslaver. The sequel also introduces us to new superhero characters, including Voyd (Sophia Bush), who can create voids where objects can appear and disappear; Krushauer (Phil LaMarr) who has the power of telekinesis; Helectrix (LaMarr) who has the power of controlling and projecting electrical currents and Reflux (Paul Eiding) who is an elderly Super who has the power of heaving hot lava. While these new superheroes don't get as much screentime, I would like to see them in a future sequel as they each are interesting and have unique superpowers.

We're only six months into 2018 and we've already had our fair share of superhero films released with Marvel dominating the genre and box office with their releases of Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2. However, Incredibles 2 proves that there's still room for animated and family friendly superhero films. At the time of writing this review, Incredibles 2 has been released in the US for less than a week and it's already made close to $300 million. With its release in the UK approaching, I'm sure it'll continue to become more successful.

A problem with many animated films is that they are aimed more at young children which mean that adults, who are watching the film with them, may find it boring and predictable. However, one of the praises that most Disney/Pixar films have receive is its ability to appeal to the whole family. They are the definition of family films as there's something for everyone to enjoy, including humour, action and a story that's easy to follow. The same can be said for Incredibles 2. Teenagers will be able to relate to Violet and her relationship issues with Tony Rydinger (Michael Bird), a boy she's had a crush on since the first film. Children will find Dash's energetic behaviour and Jack Jack's powers funny and parents will be able to relate to Bob's struggles of looking after the children alone. 

Despite the impressive success Incredibles 2 has received, it's hard to say whether a third film will be released. The film ends with the family preparing to save the city once more as they don their black masks which could be a hint that there's more to come. A post-credits scene also shows that the Underminer is still at large so, if a third film was to be released, it could focus on the Incredibles defeating him once and for all. While I'm unsure about a third film, it's definitely something I'd be happy to see.

Overall, featuring plenty of action and humour, Incredibles 2 is a sequel that lives up to expectations and doesn't disappoint. 

8/10

FINDING DORY REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Finding Dory is one of the many sequels we've had this year. However, unlike some of the sequels, this one proves to be as entertaining and heartwarming as its predecessor, Finding Nemo. 

When Finding Nemo was released, it proved to be popular amongst both young children and adults, it won an Oscar for 'Best Animated Motion Picture' and it made over $860M at the box office. Of course, that obviously meant for a sequel. However, Pixar took its time with this film and instead of rushing and making an less-than-average sequel (like most film companies tend to do), they focused on making other films instead. Now, after thirteen years, we get the sequel we've been waiting for.

In the first film, we are introduced to Marlin (voice of Albert Brooks) who, after losing his son Nemo (Alexander Gould), goes on an adventure across the ocean along with his new found friend, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). Dory proved to be one of the most likable characters of the film due to being voiced by DeGeneres who is best known for being a comedian. She also suffered from short-term memory loss which made her sympathetic yet the scenes where she forgets something provided comic relief. It's understandable why the makers at Pixar decided to focus on Dory. This proved to be a wise choice as she remains one of the best characters. In this sequel, which is set a year after the events of Nemo, we learn more about Dory's background as she remembers her parents and we see in flashbacks her life as a young blue tang with her parents, Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy). These flashbacks warm the heart especially because baby Dory is really cute. These were my favourite scenes to watch.

The majority of the film focuses on Dory's adventure as she finds her parents. Of course, she still suffers from memory loss so Marlin and Nemo (now voiced by Hayden Rolence) decide to accompany her. Unfortunately, Dory gets separated from Marlin and Nemo and ends up in a conservatory that houses different species, known as the Marine Life Institute. This is where she meets Hank (Ed O'Neill), a cranky East Pacific red octopus, who, in exchange for the tag on Dory's fin, promises to help her find her parents. Meanwhile, Marlin and Nemo are on their own adventure as they try to find Dory. 

I enjoyed the majority of the film but the film's main climax a bit silly (to me, it felt like something that could've featured in one of the Madagascar films and having Louis Armstrong's classic 'What A Wonderful World' playing over this scene didn't help rid that feeling as that featured in the first Madagascar film). However, this was only minor and the rest of the film proved to be exciting and entertaining.

I think that the animation has improved as there were a lot of scenes, especially the ones set under the sea, that looked stunning. Like I said in my Finding Nemo review, this may be the closet I'll ever get to seeing the deeps of the ocean but I'm okay with that.

Like with every animated motion picture they produce, Pixar have created a short which is shown before the film. This one is called Piper and is about a mother bird who tries to teach her little one how to find food by himself. In the process, he encounters a traumatic experience that he must overcome in order to survive. It's only six minutes long but it's a great watch. I'd definitely recommend getting to your local cinema early so you can watch this short.

Overall, Finding Dory is a great sequel and will entertain the whole family.

8/10

FINDING NEMO REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

A clown fish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) lives in the Great Barrier Reef loses his son, Nemo (Alexander Gould). After he ventures into the open sea, despite his father's constant warnings about many of the ocean's dangers. Nemo is abducted by a boat and netted up and sent to a dentist's office in Sydney. So, while Marlin ventures off to try to retrieve Nemo, Marlin meets a fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang suffering from short-term memory loss. The companions travel a great distance, encountering various dangerous sea creatures such as sharks, anglerfish and jellyfish, in order to rescue Nemo from the dentist's office, which is situated by Sydney Harbor. While the two are doing this, Nemo and the other sea animals in the dentist's fish tank plot a way to return to Sydney Harbor to live their lives free again.

Pixar is known for its thematic content and there's no change here. The issues of how a parents' natural protective instinct can drive away a child and of how a child, no matter how desperate they want independence, still needing its family are identified here. However, it's not presented in a heavy handed manner. It's rather offered in a way that even the youngest viewer will be able to understand what the main message of the film is which is that a parent will do anything for their child. Another message featured within the film is the importance of diversity and harmony. This is shown through other sea creatures helping out Marlin in the search for his son by passing on the story of his journey.

Most Pixar films are successful at making us feel all kinds of emotions. In the opening sequence, we meet Marlin and his wife, Coral (Elizabeth Perkins), who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their children. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes and Marlin is left with only one baby fish. We immediately feel sympathy for him and we understand why he is so overprotective of his only son, Nemo. Fortunately, this isn't a depressing film. The film lightens up when Dory enters the scene. DeGeneres makes Dory her own and one of the most memorable characters in animated history. Recognisable names like Willem Dafoe, Allison Janney, Geoffrey Rush and the director himself, Andrew Stanton, provide voices for other characters.

The animation in this film is stunning. It is set under the sea in Sydney, Australia and shows the beauty of it. We see fishes and sea creatures of all kinds. This is probably the closet I'll ever come to seeing the depths of the ocean but I'm happy with that.

There a lot of people who think animated films are just for children but this isn't necessarily true. This film will connect with families of all ages: young children will enjoy the animated characters, especially Dory; teenagers will be able to relate Nemo who finds his Dad embarrassing and wants to hang out with the 'cool' and 'rebellious' fish and adults will find the story both relatable and heartwarming. 

Overall, Finding Nemo proves to be one of Pixar's most beloved films because of its stunning animation and thematic content.

8/10

THE INCREDIBLES REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

The animated production company are best known for impressing critics and audiences alike in 1995 with their feature debut, Toy Story, which was the first animated film to be created using computer generated imagery. Since then, they've created many successful features that are entertaining for the whole family. The Incredibles, which was released in 2004, is no different. Since its release, it's gone on to become my favourite ever of Disney/Pixar's animated features. Yes, Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and all of their other features are great, but, in my opinion, The Incredibles is the one that stands out. It's full of action, comedy, interesting and memorable characters and a well-written villain. Combine all of this together and you get one of the best superhero films ever made.

Once one of the world's top masked crime fighters, Bob Parr (voice of Craig T. Nelson) - known to all as 'Mr. Incredible' - fought evil and saved lives on a daily basis. But now fifteen years later, Bob and his wife, Helen (Holly Hunter) - a famous superhero in her own right - have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids, Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Spencer Fox) and baby Jack Jack. Now he's a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment.

In 1999, Brad Bird released his directorial debut, which was an animated feature, The Iron Giant. It told the story of the friendship between a lonely boy and the titular Iron Giant and it had a lot of heart at its centre. Despite receiving a lot of praise from critics, the feature underperformed at the box office making $31.3 million worldwide against a budget of $70–80 million. This was blamed on an unusually poor marketing campaign. When The Iron Giant became a box office bomb, he reconnected with old friend John Lasseter at Pixar in March 2000 and pitched his story idea, about a family of superheroes, to him. Lasseter was sold on the idea and convinced Bird to come to Pixar, where the film would be done in computer animation. The studio announced a multi-film contract with Bird on May 4, 2000, breaking Pixar's mold of having directors who had all risen through the ranks. The Incredibles was written and directed solely by Brad Bird, a departure from previous Pixar productions which typically had two or three directors and as many screenwriters. In addition, it would be the company's first film in which all characters are human. 

One of the main themes of The Incredibles is family. Since retiring from superhero work, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl (now known as Bob and Helen Parr) are trying to live the normal life, with their three children, who each have powers of their own. The eldest, Violet, can turn invisible and turn on force fields and Dash is very energetic and can run incredibly fast (no pun intended). However, Jack Jack's powers aren't revealed until towards the end of the film and he can transform himself into anything. Despite their superpowers, they still try to live an ordinary life. Bird captures the family dynamic really well as we see Violet and Dash arguing at the dinner table and Helen struggling to keep them under control as they begin to fight. I think that one of the funniest thing about this scene is when the doorbell rings and they all immediately resume to their original positions on the table. I'm sure a lot of families will be able to relate.

When one thinks of superhero films, they think of The Avengers or The Dark Knight. While these are both great superhero films in their own right, they're mainly aimed at older viewers, especially the latter with its dark tone and violence. The Incredibles is a superhero film that the whole family can enjoy. The official rating is PG which means it's suitable for viewers aged 8 and over. I was 7 at the time of The Incredibles' release in 2004 and I really enjoyed it. Whenever I rewatch it, I feel really nostalgic as I remember the first time I watched it. I loved the characters, especially Elastigirl, and could relate to the brother/sister relationship between Violet and Dash as I have an older brother. The Incredibles is one of the few films from my childhood that I still enjoy after over a decade.

One aspect of The Incredibles was its score by Michael Giacchino. During one of my rewatches, I'd assumed that it would've been nominated for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards in 2005, unfortunately, it wasn't. At first, I was shocked as I think Giacchino's score for The Incredibles is one of the best as it sounds triumphant, exciting and empowering. Despite Giacchino being overlooked for his score, Bird did walk away with an Oscar for Best Animated Film and the film also won the award for Best Sound Editing. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing. 

The voice cast for The Incredibles are all well chosen. The only recognisable name is Samuel L. Jackson who voices Frozone, a superhero who can freeze anything and is a friend of Bob's. He has a memorable scene when he goes to find his supersuit after he discovers chaos going on outside and he discovers it's missing. This leads to an hilarious argument between him and his wife about where his supersuit scene. Many fans of the film, including myself, think it's one of the best scenes in the film. Craig T. Nelson is the voice of the main protagonist, Mr. Incredible, who misses the life of being a superhero and jumps at the offer he receives to relive that life again. While Mr. Incredible isn't a perfect character, we can understand why he makes certain decisions. We can clearly see he's unhappy in his current job at an insurance company. Nelson proves he's the best choice to voice the character and, now, whenever I watch a film that he's in, all I can hear is Mr. Incredible's voice. Holly Hunter is perfect as his wife, Helen, as she makes her a very feisty and brave character. In the beginning, she's a stay-at-home mother, raising the children, however, she gets more action from the middle of the film as she goes to find her husband. Violet and Dash have great action scenes between them, especially the latter, who we see running away from bad guys in the jungle. As he's running away, he learns that he can run on water, which is an impressive power to have. The main villain is Syndrome (Jason Lee) who idolised Mr. Incredible when he was a child but, after Mr. Incredible is rude to him, he becomes set on getting his revenge. Fifteen years later and he's a grown man and ready to get his revenge. He's a well written villain as we understand his actions. Lee is clearly having a lot of fun voicing his character and makes him a likable villain. He has funny lines such as "You got me monologuing!" which was voted as the #15 of 'The 100 Greatest Movie Lines' by Premiere in 2007. Another voice that stands out is Edna Mode, the fashion designer who creates the costumes, voiced by none other than Brad Bird, the director. Edna was originally going to be voiced by Lily Tomlin but, after hearing Bird's vocal performance of the character, she turned it down by saying. "What do you need me for? You got it already." Bird brings comic relief with his voice performance of Edna and makes her one of the funniest and most memorable characters in the film.

Due to his previous feature, The Iron Giant, being a disappointment at the box office, it's understandable why Bird was nervous about how The Incredibles would perform, fortunately, it proved to be a big success, making over $633 million and becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 2004.

Overall, The Incredibles easily lives up to its name as it's full of action, is thoroughly entertaining and is Disney/Pixar's best animated feature.

9/10

INSIDE OUT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

People have said that this is Disney/Pixar's best film and I agree. The tagline states 'Meet The Little Voices In Your Head' and that summarises the film. The film focuses on a 11 year old girl named Riley who has just moved to San Francisco and the conflict between the five emotions (Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger) as they try to handle being at a new school and new house.

I think that this is a very clever idea and I can't understand why no one has thought of it before. The target audience for this film is younger children but I think that teenagers and even adults will enjoy it. It does a great job at explaining why you sometimes feel happy one minute and then sad the next. It is a film that everyone will be able to relate to. I definitely felt myself relating to Sadness. When Riley starts her first day of school, Sadness takes over and this is where things begin to go wrong. Joy doesn't want Riley feeling sad on her first day of school and tries to stop Sadness but they both end up being sucked through a tube and finding themselves Riley's long term memory and must get back to the control room. This leaves Disgust, Fear and Anger in control of Riley's emotions which causes conflict between her and her parents. Will Joy and Sadness be able to get back? You'll just have to watch and see.

The voices include: Amy Poehler as Joy; Phyllis Smith as Sadness; Mindy Kaling as Disgust; Bill Hader as Fear and Lewis Black as Anger. All five actors are great as their emotions, especially Amy. She has such a joyful voice which makes her perfect for Joy.

If you are a fan of Disney/Pixar films, I can guarantee you'll love this film. I would also recommend it to people who have a hard time explaining how they feel as this gives a great understanding of how the mind, metaphorically, works.

Definitely Disney/Pixar's best film.

8/10