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For me, the first two Kung Fu Panda movies are on a league of its own. Sure, at first look, they may seem like standard kiddie fare, but they're leaps and bounds ahead from it. Whether it's the impeccable production design, the amazingly choreographed fighting sequences or the deep, somewhat dark themes that lie under the comedic story lines, there's always been a handful of reasons why this franchise has the potential to appeal to both children and adults like myself. Which brings us to this last installment, which is not a bad film by any means, but certainly sets itself more on the kid's side of the spectrum.

The story picks up right after the ending of part 2, where we learn that Po's father, Li Zhan, is still alive and living in a secret village full of pandas. The action moves to this place with a new cast full of colorful and fun characters in addition to some returning faces that aid Po in his quest to stop the evil spirit warrior Kai from stealing the chis (energy) of all the warriors in China.

Kids will love the film, while parents and older folks in general will likely appreciate the detailed, gorgeous animation, some racy jokes and cultural references, the great score by Hans Zimmer and (if they're fans of the franchise) the fact that the franchise comes full circle. In conclusion, Kung Fu Panda 3, while more juvenile than the previous entries, still feels true to the spirit of the characters and settings previously established and provides a satisfying conclusion to Po's journey in what seems to be the ending (if Dreamworks doesn't get greedy...) to the film franchise.

8 out of 10.

"The Babadook" does two things that seem almost impossible for a modern horror film: create a tense, creepy sense of discomfort from beginning to end without resorting to lame jump scares or over the top gore, and develop its characters enough that we actually care about them.

Drifting away from the "cinema-veritas" style that seems almost a rule for horror nowadays, the film tells the story of a family that is haunted by the titular monster, the "babadook", a creature that, even when he doesn't make a "real appearance" on the screen, now rivals icons such as Michael Myers, Chucky and Jason Voorhees in my book. But the short appearances of the monster are all for the best, as in horror "the less you know, the scarier it is". Each shot is also beautifully crafted, each one guaranteed to build up momentum until the climax arrives. And finally, the performances are particularly strong for a horror film (someone get that kid an Oscar!).

There are still a few shortcomings, particularly on the effects department, but all is forgiven given its low budget, and, aren't all the best horror movies made with heart over money? The only other fault I see in the film is that it could have been a little shorter, but again, this is just a minor criticism.

If you're a horror fan or you're just in for a good scare, you should see this right now! (even William Friedkin, director of "The Exorcist" loves it!) Let's just hope Hollywood does not the turn the well dry ("Paranormal Activity" series, I'm looking in you direction...) and leaves this movie at is: a beautiful, nearly perfect little film that is not only the best horror film of the year (BY FAR!) but of the most wildly inventive horror features of the decade.

9 out of 10

I remember watching this film in 2007 on a packed theater and being extremely disappointed by it. In the words of the great Roger Ebert: "I hated, hated, hated this movie", I was like, 14 at the time, and I think it was actually the first time I had been let down by a film on my entire life (although I remember being quite sad after watching Godzilla 98', even at age 5). I had loved the previous two films and I was so angered that the third film had turned out to be so dull and unfunny that I lost my faith on the whole franchise.. and yes! i still watched the fourth film (Shrek Forever After, i think...) but I waited for the DVD (actually didn't buy it, just rented it) and kept my expectations extremely low... and it kinda worked because I remember being quite amused by it.

So, the other night I was surfing around the channels and I came across this film.. and I knew I swore I would never see it again but somehow I decided to give it a chance.. I didn't really have anything better to do... or to watch (thanks a lot basic cable!). So I watched the whole affair and once it was over I thought: "Hey, this isn't actually that bad". And don't get me wrong, I don't think this a good film, not by any stretch, nor does it hold a candle to the first two films. But I certainly find it funnier and much better that the first time I watched it (maybe it's the magical force of the low expectations taking place again... I don't know..). Maybe it's because now I get some of the more adult references this film has in comparison with its predecessors, or maybe I've come to appreciate more the raunchier humor. There are still two huge, huge problems with the film that I will simply boil down to two characters: Merlin and (specially) Artie. And... SURPRISE! They're practically the only two new faces that the movie brings to the table. They aren't funny nor special, their interactions with all the other characters feels forced and ultimately it feels that the film could do nothing but improve if they were absent.

There are other problems with the film (mostly jokes that don't land or characters that feel somewhat off) but in the end, it's not that bad of a movie. I can recognize my extreme disappointment with it on its original release because the Shrek franchise was a big deal to me back then, but now on the eyes of a full grown adult, I think of it as a silly little movie I could totally watch on a silly Sunday afternoon without feeling to fall asleep or check my phone all the time to not get bored, which is kind of a compliment given the extremely low quality of Hollywood's children entertainment nowadays (and that's pretty sad, the more you think about it).

5 / 10