ryanperez-1999

When it comes to Pixar, I make it a point to see everything they create or announce. Dream Productions was fantastic. Win or Lose? Another winner. Elio is good, but it suffers from structural issues. There are moments I genuinely enjoyed. Even some surprisingly effective horror-inspired scenes that worked better than expected.

However, Elio's emotional journey, especially the abduction plot following the loss of his parents, feels rushed. As a result, it's hard to fully connect with him. Compare that to Coco, where Miguel's desire to become a musician is clearly established, and his arc pays off beautifully. The film might have worked from opening with Elio's love for space; something he inherits from his astronaut parents followed by the tragedy of losing them and getting lost in space for five years. That kind of setup would've deepened the emotional stakes and made his wish to be abducted more understandable and powerful. He also could have more great scenes with his Aunt Olga. Elio's first interaction with Glordon is charming, but overall, it feels like key scenes were cut that could have elevated the film into a modern Pixar classic. Still, I recommend supporting Elio. It's worth seeing. Just know that it doesn't quite reach the emotional or storytelling heights of Monsters, Inc. Or Inside Out.

Tom Cruise and his team really hit a home run. Now, I did like the train sequence in Dead Reckoning but the film felt underdeveloped. Like the stunts was the story rather than having an actual story. Here, the team fixed the issues and made a gripping story that's just as exhilarating as Fallout. Everything about this movie is beautiful. The callbacks, music, the emotional stakes and of course, the stunts. James Cameron may be the master of directing underwater sequences but Christopher McQuarrie is the new master of crafting exhilarating sequences. The submarine sequence is tense, nail-biting and jaw-dropping. And yes, the airplane sequence is a straight up WTF moment. Like "How did they shoot that?" Esai Morales had more time with his character that he became so cold-hearted that Philip Seymour Hoffman would be proud. There is a small plot hole involving Luther that wasn't fully explained. They could have explored it and Ethan's relationship with Marie from Dead Reckoning part 1. Even if the movie goes on even longer, I still would call it a masterpiece. Either way, this movie is the best of the year so far. Hopefully, it'll be the first in the series to win some Academy Awards. A true cinematic experience which I haven't had this much fun since Endgame and Ethan Hunt is way better than James Bond. Go see it in IMAX and be part of the fun that you'll never forget. For a letter grade, A+++.

I was practically done with Netflix after they forced the creators to cancelled Hilda and Kid Cosmic and animation in general. Until, the trailer for this show popped up on my radar. At first, it looked like an animated version of Stephen King's Firestarter but after I saw the first episode, I was blown away. The soundtrack, the gorgeous animation and characters are amazing. Jentry is an awesome character and her great-aunt Gugu is funny. It had so many twists and turns like Gravity Falls, it kept me glued to the screen. Some people say a love triangle ruins a story. And I agree about the whole Legend of Korra fiasco. But this love triangle worked. You'll see what I mean. The show felt like it was done by Tim Burton and Henry Selick with the creature designs and body horror imagery but it was fun. Highly recommend it if you want good storytelling and beautiful animation. And yes, I want a season 2.