Benjamin-M-Weilert

I've always been a fan of Aardman Animation and I usually make it a point to watch the films they put out. And while not everything can be from my favorite Wallace & Gromit franchise, their movies can be a little hit or miss, depending on a variety of factors. I appreciate that they've been trying to improve their already impressive stop-motion visuals, and The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) shows off a lot of visual style. However, the plot itself felt just average.

The most impressive visuals here are all the little details in absolutely everything. Characters. Settings. Backgrounds. All the little jokes sprinkled throughout that you'd likely have to pause to catch are a nice touch, but almost feel too hidden to be truly appreciated. The voice work is also quite good, as it relies on a ton of famous actors like Hugh Grant, David Tennant, and Martin Freeman. It's just too bad that this movie came out about 5 years too late to really capitalize on the "pirate" craze that hit the world in the early 2000s.

While not every Aardman film can pull from more famous movies (like how Chicken Run (2000) is an adaptation of The Great Escape (1963)), I didn't find the story here that compelling. Or, rather, there were too many small stories crammed together to make a full-length movie. After all, Aardman excelled with the short film format in previous Wallace & Gromit outings. Sure, it's cute-but it's also weird and funny in a British humor kind of way. Most will find something they like in this movie, but it's not likely to be for the entire film.

A visual treat from Aardman but with a somewhat weak plot, I give The Pirates! Band of Misfits 3.5 stars out of 5.

For a series that originally appealed to children, it felt like the Transformers movie franchise took a long time to focus on its original demographic again. Sure, the nostalgia bait of the early Michael Bay films led to its continued popularity. But focusing on smaller, origin-based stories like Bumblebee (2018) has brought some life back into the flashy, CGI-heavy explosion fests that these movies had become. That's why I was pleased to find Transformers One (2024) reaching back to the roots of its original audience and focusing on the medium that kicked everything off: animation.

Compared to the busy, almost incomprehensible action sequences of the previous live-action movies in the franchise, Transformers One has focused and well-designed set pieces that lean into the fact that animation can often do more than any live-action/CGI hybrid could. There was almost a beauty to the simplicity of the character designs instead of the eye-watering detail that plagued the Michael Bay movies. That it took this long to even get a movie like this likely proves that there was a sunk cost fallacy happening behind the scenes.

Plot-wise, there's nothing terribly interesting to write home about. As an origin story for Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), anyone who knew anything about Transformers would know that they wouldn't be friends by the end of the film. Still, the journey is a fun one, with only a smattering of dumb jokes that will get the kids laughing and a handful of lines that will make the adults chuckle. Ultimately, I felt this movie was more appropriate to show to my children than any of the live action ones (at least for the time being).

A great modern Transformers film to introduce new kids to the franchise, I give Transformers One 4.0 stars out of 5.

There are few films that hit home quite like Ratatouille (2007) does. Not only is it a gorgeously animated representation of French cooking (and cooking in general), but its message about pursuing your creative dreams despite the obvious challenges is an important one. I think this film and La La Land (2016) both speak volumes about what it means to work in creative spaces. True talent will rise to the top, but only if they have the grit to keep with it.

I have a soft spot for Brad Bird's films, and Ratatouille is no exception. The theme of exceptional outsiders strings through from The Iron Giant (1999) to The Incredibles (2004) and really lands here in Ratatouille. While there are so many movies out there that tell you to "follow your dreams," Ratatouille does so with such a juxtaposition that you figure it would never happen. Rats are dirty, so how could one become a famed chef? And yet, we root for Remy (Patton Oswalt) because it feels impossible and if he can achieve his goals, then maybe we can as well.

Visually, Ratatouille hits right at that peak of the rise of Pixar. Picture-perfect food was the flex they brought to the big screen just like they did with fur effects in Monsters Inc. (2001) or water effects in Finding Nemo (2003). Anchoring this movie to a real place also meant they needed it to look believable to those who have actually been to Paris-something that hadn't happened in a Pixar movie before. There's just so much about this movie to recommend it that if you haven't tried it, I suggest you give it a taste.

A powerful message wrapped in beautiful, food-filled visuals, I give Ratatouille 5.0 stars out of 5.