2023 - The Highlights (EHeroFlareNeos)

Although the world has pretty much opened back up, even with COVID-19 still floating around, the pandemic’s effect on film releases has remained irreversibly altered. In turn, we’ve since adopted a practice where we only go to a theater if it’s a film that we’d actually pay money to see and otherwise waiting until something hits its respective streaming platform (or, in the case of something like Five Nights at Freddy’s, watching it theatrically or waiting for home video if it would go to a service that we don’t have access to). As usual, only films we’ve seen or games we’ve played have a chance to end up on this list.

Top Movies of 2023

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Video game films have seen an upswing in quality over the years and The Super Mario Bros. Movie represents a great next step forward. Despite the hit and miss pedigree of animation studio Illumination, Nintendo’s heavy involvement ensured that Mario’s second crack at the big screen featured very faithful writing and animation, as well as a surprisingly fitting and talented voice cast and a trove of Easter eggs. While not completely perfect, as it could have used with another five minutes or so to better let certain scenes breathe, the future looks a lot more hopeful.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a long string of duds as of late, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 proved itself the lone exception from this year thanks to its strong, emotional writing and a very well-acted villain. Even if you didn’t care about any of the MCU films after Avengers: Endgame, this is still one worth watching, especially if you already liked the titular Guardians of the Galaxy.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

This isn’t the first tabletop game adaptation, nor is it the first Dungeons & Dragons adaptation, but Honor Among Thieves is sure to steal your heart. Though based more directly on the game’s world and rules, it's written in a very accessible way with engaging and likeable characters, coupled with a plot that even complete newcomers can easily follow. If you didn’t have any knowledge of D&D going in, you may also find yourself curious on the way out.

Oppenheimer

Although I’m not normally attracted to this kind of film, and one that’s three hours long no less, I still found myself completely engaged with the Oppenheimer half of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. The strong acting really carries the story and J. Robert Oppenheimer comes off as a very complex individual, a truly brilliant man with a strong scientific drive, but also very complex with his morality. Even though most of the film features people talking in a room, the incredible recreation of the New Mexico atomic bomb test alone makes it worth watching in the highest possible quality.

Gran Turismo

As with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Gran Turismo represents a good step forward for video game adaptations, this time in the realm of live-action. Rather than create a story whole cloth for a series that historically doesn’t have one, this film instead adapts the story of real-life racer Jann Mardenborough, who went from playing the games to actually competing as a professional racer. While the timeline of his career isn’t 100% accurate, the emotionally gripping story works very well regardless and the strong performances help keep it engaging throughout. As an added bonus, you can enjoy it even if you’re like us and have never played a single Gran Turismo game in your life.

Rohan at the Louvre

Rohan at the Louvre may have its roots in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but you won’t need any knowledge of its parent series or the spinoff Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe one-shots. Indeed, this film completely divorces itself from the source material and lets the strength of its story speak for itself, with only a brief introduction of who Rohan Kishibe is and what makes him unique as a manga artist. Its strong cast, carried over from the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama, does a remarkable job here, especially Issey Takahashi and Marie Iitoyo in the lead roles, and the cinematic camera angles help bring out the beauty of the Louvre in all its glory. A can’t-miss, including for foreign film lovers looking for something new.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Based on the famous 1970 Judy Blume novel of the same name, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is a fantastic film that does the source material justice. Its frank depictions of the realities of female puberty, including the physical and emotional changes that come with it, remain universal for its target demographic, but even male viewers can still relate to Margaret Simon’s struggles with finding herself, trying to fit in and adapting to changing circumstances beyond her control.

Top Games of 2023

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – Ruin

Due to varying circumstances, I didn’t play very many video games from this year. However, I did want to highlight the Ruin DLC for Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach as an example of what happens when a developer really plays to their strengths and somehow delivers an experience better and more focused than the base game. It’s not necessarily the same level as something like Minerva’s Den from BioShock 2 (another instance of DLC offering a better experience than the base game), but it does show a level of polish that offers a glimmer of hope for Steel Wool’s further ventures into FNAF, even if not completely bug-free.

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Capcom’s trend of remaking the Resident Evil series inevitably led to a remake of the highly regarded Resident Evil 4 (2005) and while Resident Evil 4 (2023) has a much more grounded and serious tone, you can really feel the passion put into the project. Just about any and all blemishes I had noticed while playing the original were handled masterfully here, including deeper characterizations, more natural story beats and, rather importantly, the ability to move and shoot at the same time. Although some fans would understandably prefer the tone and style of the original game, which Capcom has graciously made available on all the same platforms as the new version (including at least one HD remaster), the remake is still a fantastic game in its own right and I would highly recommend it.

Resident Evil 4 – Separate Ways

Four months after Resident Evil 4 (2023), Capcom released the Separate Ways DLC, which remakes the campaign of the same name from the original 2005 version, but in a way that feels developed alongside the new game rather than after it. Although rather linear, its story provides a perfect capstone to the main campaign, with a proper sense of closure that also hints at a remake of Resident Evil 5. Though I didn’t really like that Capcom put this DLC behind a $10 paywall when the original version came with its base game for free (at least from the PS2 version onwards), it’s still a must-play for those who have already beaten the new RE4.

Top Disappointments of 2023

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Where the original Shazam! was easily one of the best DCEU films thanks to its fun atmosphere, Fury of the Gods is unfortunately a letdown. An unfocused story, forced jokes (including a plot-critical Skittles product placement) and an overreliance on CGI hold this sequel back from greatness. Though its unknown if a third film will surface, we can only hope that if one does, they learn form the mistakes of this one.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

There’s no getting around the fact that Quantumania is easily the worst of the Ant-Man trilogy. Terrible pacing, a muddied storyline, including the near lack of personal stakes on Scott Lang’s end, and subpar CG plague every aspect of this film. Add to that the cherry on top of expecting the audience to have seen Loki, a TV series locked behind the paywall of Disney+. The only neat thing that came from this film’s time theft is that Scott’s in-universe memoir, Look Out For The Little Guy!, was made into a real book.

Bluey: The Videogame

As a big fan of Bluey, I really wanted to like this game for real life, but I unfortunately found myself let down. Although it perfectly captures the spirit of the show audibly and visually and does a good job at making itself accessible to younger players, the experience is riddled with glitches even a month after launch, the animations are janky (with a very noticeable contrast between the 2D models and 3D objects) and the voice acting isn't quite the same level as the show itself. Worst of all, there are only four short and awkwardly-paced levels, meaning you can beat the entire game in only an hour, maybe three if you go for all of the collectables (I got the Platinum Trophy in under two). The only saving grace was that I didn't pay the steep $40 asking price and got it at a discount very shortly after launch (and so should you).

2023 - The Highlights (Tetris_King)

While the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t as much of a threat as it was back in 2020, I still take precautions to avoid infection, though my interest in seeing films in a theater has become less about whether or not I can and more about whether or not it seems worth it, now that our household has integrated streaming options for newer titles. That said, between both streaming and the theater, so many films came out this year that I liked that my list was difficult to pare down, but I am overall satisfied with my final list. Due to various circumstances, however, I didn’t get to play too many new games this year, but I did manage enough to still put a list of my favorites together.

Each list is presented in no particular order, with links to reviews where applicable.

Top Movies

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

 

 

Following the end of the Infinity Saga, the quality of subsequent MCU films has overall been on a decline, but I was still dedicated to seeing the Guardians of the Galaxy sub-series through since it had generally remained consistent, and also since the third film would be the last Marvel would see of director James Gunn before his move to DC. Not only did Vol. 3 provide a surprisingly emotional arc for Rocket Raccoon, it also has arguably the best MCU villain since Thanos in the form of the High Evolutionary, thanks largely to a stellar performance by Chukwudi Iwuji. For those who have been following the Guardians’ exploits and/or want a good dropping off point from the seemingly-endless Marvel train, this is a must-see.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 

As someone who has only a general idea of D&D, not to say I haven’t tried to dip my toe in it before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film going in, but came away wholly enjoying it thanks to its well-timed humor and having the general atmosphere of a D&D session in a good way. I enjoyed it so much that I not only bought every D&D transforming Diceling figure with the Honor Among Thieves branding, but it also made me seriously consider giving the game itself another shot.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

 

 

After seeing how good Bumblebee turned out, I gained a renewed interest in the Transformers film series as it began to pivot in a new direction, especially with its sequel Transformers: Rise of the Beasts finally venturing outside the franchise’s then-overextended stay in its G1-inspired comfort zone. While my expectations were tempered with cautious optimism going in, said expectations were exceeded thanks to its well-written human cast and its expanded robot cast somehow feeling decently well-balanced. One ending scene even has me excited for what’s to come in this new universe, though I first hope that the upcoming Transformers: One animated prequel film can maintain the same level of quality.

Oppenheimer

 

 

Films such as Oppenheimer are not usually my speed, especially ones with hefty runtimes, but I went to see this anyway, and in the highest quality possible, so I could be a participant in the Barbenheimer phenomenon. Despite my personal feelings on these types of films, and much of it consisting of people talking, I was actually hooked from start to finish and was particularly blown away by the surprisingly-tense nuclear bomb test scene. This scene alone is the main reason to see it in the best quality you can, something the sold-out 4K sets can attest to, though I would still strongly recommend this film anyway.

Gran Turismo

 

 

While video game movies usually attempt to adapt the game’s premise to the big screen, with mixed results that have gotten steadily better in recent years, Gran Turismo takes a different approach by adapting the story of a real-life event surrounding the game, with a few liberties taken for the sake of dramatization. The result is far better in its own right than one might expect, with a very suspenseful racing story that even those (such as myself) with no familiarity with the game itself can enjoy it, as well as a multitude of Easter eggs for those who are.

Rohan at the Louvre

 

While this film already grabbed my interest as a fan of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan spinoffs, I found it to be both an excellent adaptation of the original one-shot and a solid suspense film on its own merits, thanks in no small part to the spot-on performance of Issey Takahashi in the role of Rohan Kishibe. Fortunately, this film is also written in such a way that anyone who is not familiar in any way with the world of JoJo can enjoy it, succeeding where the live-action Diamond is Unbreakable film fell short. Although not required viewing for this film, I would also highly recommend newcomers to watch the Thus Spoke KIshibe Rohan live-action drama, which this film shares a universe with and also successfully divorces itself from JoJo, if they can.

Top Games

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

 

 

In a pleasant surprise for April Fool’s Day, a new Sonic the Hedgehog game was released for free, placing the characters in a visual novel mystery about Sonic’s death, though the events turn out to be more mundane than initially let on (at least at first). For a free game, it has some amazing production values on all fronts, with some funny and clever writing that makes it a joyful ride from start to finish.

We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie

 

Part of Bandai Namco’s latest series of remasters of older Namco games included Katamari Damacy Reroll, which already excited me as a fan of the series, but I was even more surprised by the announcement of We Love Katamari Reroll and became further interested by the new Royal Reverie content. Much like the first, this is a remaster done right and the most ideal way to play this classic title, featuring cleaner visuals and several quality-of-life changes to bring the addictive gameplay to newer audiences, along with some new levels that expand on the game’s lore. While I would like to see the Katamari remasters continue, I would also hope the fact they made a second remaster means more of a full-on revival for the once-dormant IP.

Tron: Identity

 

 

It’s not too often we get any new Tron media since the franchise was put on hold after Tron: Legacy, so the announcement of a new Tron game at D23 Expo got me very excited for having any new media at all. While a choice-driven visual novel mystery might not be to everyone’s liking, with the main gameplay outside of that being Identity Disk puzzles, Tron: Identity has some very intriguing world-building and characters, as well as a great soundtrack, that makes it worth playing for anyone starving for new Tron content prior to the upcoming Tron: Ares.

God of War: Ragnarök – Valhalla

 

In celebration of God of War: Ragnarök’s one-year anniversary, the game received a bit of DLC content that serves as an epilogue to main story and mixes things up with rougelite gameplay, all for free. Said gameplay loop provides an extra challenge that can be freely adjusted to one’s desires, backed by a short bit of story that satisfactorily caps off Kratos’ character arc in the Norse games as he learns to make peace with the actions of his younger self. While a must-play for fans of the series, it is strongly recommended you brush up on both the Greek and Norse games if you care about the plot.

Top Disappointments

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

 

 

Where the original Shazam! film felt like a step in the right direction for what the DCEU could be, Fury of the Gods felt like a step back, with an overreliance on computer effects and a more complex storyline that takes away the more intimate focus that helped the first film stand out. While not one of the worst DC films out there, it is certainly one of the weakest and is more likely to disappoint fans of the original.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

 

 

The Ant-Man sub-series of the MCU isn’t one of the strongest, starting with a pretty funny first film and followed up by a less-well-written second installment whose main redeeming factor is its relationship with the Infinity Saga. Now that the MCU is in the midst of the Multiverse Saga, Quantumania represents everything wrong with the MCU at its current point, with a plot that takes comic book logic to its absolute extreme even by Marvel Studios standards and a setting that feels more like Star Wars than Marvel, not to mention weak villains, convoluted multiverse logic and a reliance on the viewer having seen a bunch of TV shows locked behind a Disney+ paywall. Unless you’re wholly devoted to the Marvel lifestyle, you can safely skip this one.

Bluey: The Videogame

 

With the immense popularity of the Australian animated series Bluey, to the point of it even getting a successful stage production, a video game adaptation seemed inevitable. Sadly, Bluey: The Videogame can't live up to the quality of the cartoon, mainly due to its severe lack of content for the asking price ($40) that can be beaten within an hour, maybe two or three if you make the time to gather all of the collectibles and Trophies. The voice acting and music are all there and the art style is faithfully recreated, but these alone do not make up for the janky animations and odd glitches that make the end product feel oddly rushed. I did not pay full price for the game, and neither should you (I got a physical PS5 copy on sale for $25), but I could tell I would most certainly have felt ripped off if I did.

2023 - The Highlights (lionsroar)

Each year the reviewers at Trophy Unlocked decide which films are the highlights of the past year and which are the biggest disappointments. We started to see more films in theaters, but there are still some that we watched on various streaming services, and in some cases, that is the only way some of these can be seen.

The choice of films to include are the ones that we decided to watch during the year and to pay for, so this is not drawn from a complete list of all movies released but from the ones we chose to watch.

Highlights of 2023 (in no particular order):

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The end of the MCU as we knew it, James Gunn's farewell to Guardians, was one of the few comic book film highlights of 2023. You have to give him credit for making you care about a foulmouthed CGI character's backstory. And you have to wonder, as the MCU grapples for change, if they battled the new central villain of the franchise going forward, the High Evolutionary. I'm not sure I really care anymore. With a few exceptions, this might be my jumping off point from the MCU. All good things come to an end.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Not having played DnD more than a couple of times, I might have been unsure about this movie going in, which is partially why we didn't catch it in theaters. However, this film is a lot of fun and really doesn't require any knowledge of the game in the title. The strong ensemble cast develops some really great characters and it was a lot of fun to watch. Too bad, I don't think there will be any sequels coming.

Oppenheimer

For me, Christopher Nolan is a little hit and miss as a director, but Oppenheimer was one of his better outings and perhaps the best picture I saw in a theater, though it very well might be my last at the once great Chinese theater in Hollywood. Nolan manages to make a three-hour movie that doesn't seem like three hours and Cillian Murphy does a great job as the brilliant but flawed man. The Academy has disappointed me before, but I hope they see their way to give this film the praise it deserves.

Gran Turismo

Not a film based on the video game of the same name, but rather a slightly fictionalized biography of  real life racecar driver, Jann Mardenborough. Mardenborough, who gets a chance to really drive a racecar rather than a virtual, succeeds in an against all-odds sort of story, building on some of the skills he learned playing the video game. I went in never having heard of Mardenborough, but I left moved by his story.

Merry Little Batman

From Amazon/MGM comes one of the best new holiday films, Merry Little Batman, which provides a new twist on a DC character. Single parent Bruce Wayne has a son, Damian, who wants to follow in his father's footsteps. We get the usual roster of Batman villains, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, Bane, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and The Joker, but in a more family friendly way, sinister without being other the top. The movie has good voice work, animation and story to please any fan of the Caped Crusader.

Rohan at the Louvre

A spin-off of sorts from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Rohan got a live-action series, which culminated in the feature Rohan at the Louvre, which is about a mysterious all-black Japanese painting in storage at the famed museum. One of the real reasons to watch is Issei Takahashi in the title role. Takahashi inhabits the character in a way few actors can. Even if you're not a huge JoJo fan, this should be a film to see.

Disappointments of 2023

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

You might see a trend here, but it seems sometimes that superhero films seem to be resting on their laurels. The original Shazam! (2019) was one of the better DCEU titles to come out, but the sequel seems to have lost some of the magic. The film was disappointing and a flop at the box office, so what started off with promise four years ago, along with the current DCEU, ends badly. Are fans tired of superheroes or tired of being counted on to come no matter the film?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Talk about a colossal waste of time. The main point of the film wasn't to see more of Ant-Man, but a hamfisted way to introduce the MCU to Kang (Jonathan Majors), who was supposed to carry the next phase of films for the now beleaguered franchise. Post conviction, Majors has been dropped and the MCU will look elsewhere for a Thanos replacement. It was a disappointing Ant-Man film and as it turns out, unnecessary. There's two hours I won't get back.

 

The Flash

While the MCU maybe floundering post-Avengers, the DCEU never really seemed to get off the ground. Ballyhooed as the greatest superhero film ever, The Flash was pretty much a flop and deservedly so. There are some bright moments, like Michael Keaton's return as Batman and Sasha Calle as Supergirl, they seem to be wasted in this overly long, too dependent on bad special effects dud. While we all wish James Gunn success at revitalizing the franchise, you wonder if it might be too late.

Elemental

Remember when Pixar could do no wrong and you couldn't wait to see their new one in a theater upon release? Sadly those days are over. We waited until the film hit streaming and while it is better than advertised, it makes it look like Pixar is running out of new ideas. Having gone through their initial book of ideas, they're left with Fire and Water for their animated Rom Com. Opposites attract, right? Many of the plot points are too obvious and the film gets a little preachy at the expense of experimental and fun.

Barbie

I know that you wouldn't expect the biggest film of the year to be on a list of disappointments, but here it is. Being male and not having played with Barbies before, my reason to go to see the film was to see what all the fuss was about. While Margot Robbie nails the title character's look and the pink sets looked great, I can't say that the film was really all that enjoyable. More political than entertaining, having seen it once, I can't imagine going to see it again.

Stubs - Wonka

Wonka (2023) starring Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant Directed by Paul King. Screenplay by Simon Farnaby, Paul King. Based on Characters created by Roald Dahl. Produced by David Heyman, Alexandra Derbyshire, Luke Kelly Color. Run time: 116 minutes. UK/USA.Musical, Fantasy

A sort of prequel to the modern classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Wonka hit theaters on December 15 in the U.S. The film attempts, and for the most part succeeds, in telling the Willy Wanka origin story, though it does not seamlessly fit into the 1971 film, the way Rogue One (2016) flowed into Star Wars (1977).

God of War: Ragnarök - Valhalla (DLC)

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

In celebration of the anniversary of God of War: Ragnarök (Ragnarök­), a piece of free DLC, known as Valhalla, was announced at The Game Awards 2023, for release later in the month. Not only does this DLC contain new story content, it also provides a unique gameplay experience different from the base game, constructed more like a rougelite and with a separate menu option so you can freely jump into it. Having overall enjoyed the base game, I downloaded and played the DLC as soon as I could, finding the story direction intriguing and the gameplay loop well-executed.

The Sword in the Stone

 

While there are various accounts of the legends of King Arthur, few can say they’ve been adapted into a Disney film. Such is the case with The Sword in the Stone, based on the first book in The Once and Future King tetralogy by T. H. White. While one of the lesser-known entries in the Animated Canon, it does carry some historical significance for the company, as it was the last of these films to be released within Walt Disney’s lifetime, as well as the first entry in the Canon to feature music by the Sherman Brothers. Looking back on the film, although it hasn’t been given the same franchise treatment as many of Disney’s other films at the time, looking back on it yields one of the more overlooked and underrated classic Disney films.

Stubs - Lady on a Train

Lady on a Train (1945) Starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce, George Coulouris, Allen Jenkins, Dan Duryea, Edward Everett Horton. Directed by Charles David, Screenplay by Edmund Beloin, Robert O'Brien. Produced by Felix Jackson. Run time: 105 minutes. USA Black and White. Mystery, Christmas.

The definition of a Christmas movie has changed somewhat over time. The story of the birth of Christ, the source of the holiday, has given way to a wide variety of films that either emphasize the meaning of the holiday or take place around it. One such film is Lady on a Train, which, while taking place around and on Christmas, really never touches on the holiday, or the true meaning of it, except for a very brief scene with gift-giving.

Tron 2.0: Killer App (Xbox)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Tron and Tron 2.0

Back in 2010, Disney released Tron: Legacy, the official sequel to the 1982 film Tron, which had gained a cult following at the time. While most modern Tron fans would know of Legacy (often erroneously labeled a reboot) and maybe its spinoff media, including the criminally underrated Tron: Uprising, few today may remember that Tron once had a different official sequel, a video game appropriately titled Tron 2.0, as far back as 2003. Monolith Productions, perhaps best known now for F.E.A.R. and the Middle-earth games, developed the original PC version of Tron 2.0, which would receive two mobile versions (subtitled Light Cycles and Discs of Tron) developed by Lavastorm Analytics, an Xbox port (subtitled Killer App) developed by Climax LA (who would later develop Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories) and a Game Boy Advance prequel (also subtitled Killer App) developed by Digital Eclipse. All versions of the game received mixed to positive reviews from critics, though the game unfortunately didn’t sell very well and the publisher, Buena Vista Games, dropped support for the game two years later.

My own memories of Tron 2.0 date back to around the year of release, or maybe a little later, when I saw a boxed copy on a retail shelf and never picked it up despite liking the original Tron. Even after I got into Tron: Legacy (Legacy) and its related media, I still had that memory in the back of my mind and found myself growing more curious about what could have been. This year, I finally sated my curiosity through the Xbox port (henceforth referred to as Killer App for the purpose of this review) in time for not only the thirteenth anniversary of this blog, but also, coincidentally, the twentieth anniversary of the game itself. While the Xbox Killer App version has some technical issues, likely brought on by the porting process, I found myself having a fun time and curious about what could have been for the franchise if it had continued in this direction.

Stubs - Fitzwilly

Fitzwilly (1967) Starring Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon, Edith Evans. Directed by Delbert Mann. Screenplay by Isobel Lennart. Based on the novel A Garden of Cucumbers by Poyntz Tyler (New York, 1960). Produced by Walter Mirisch. Run Time: 102 minutes. Color. USA. Comedy. Christmas.

The definition of a Christmas movie is pretty broad. While traditionally, a Christmas film would deal with at least the ideals of the season, being set during the season seems to be enough to land a film in the holiday bin or as part of a Christmas marathon of films.

Such is the case of Fitzwilly. Set at Christmastime, the film is really a heist comedy. Familiar settings like the now-defunct Gimbel’s department store remind you of the holidays and though there are Christmas and decorations around, these are really on backdrops.

Stubs - A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Featuring the voices of Peter Robbins, Chris Shea, Kathy Steinberg. Tracy Stratford, Bill Melendez, Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Sally Dryer, Karen Mendelson, Geoffrey Ornstein Directed by Bill Melendez. Script by Charles M. Schultz. Based on Peanuts, a comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Bill Melendez. Color. USA Run time: 25 minutes. Animated, Christmas.

For many, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is as much a tradition as watching It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). Based on the very popular comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schultz, the favorite Christmas special almost didn’t make it to air.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010), Rodrick Rules and Dog Days.

With the success of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) and Rodrick Rules, a third installment was inevitable. This third film, Dog Days, released in 2012, meaning the entire original trilogy came out within the span of only three years. While impressive in its own right, this release schedule also runs the risk of diluting the end product for the sake of meeting such tight deadlines. Unfortunately, for all of its charm, Dog Days’ quick turnaround results in the least focused of the original live-action trilogy, as though they had rushed it out so they could keep the same cast before they got too old.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) and Rodrick Rules.

As the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney proved to be popular, so did its 2010 film adaptation, leading to an annual sequel based on the second book, Rodrick Rules. Although I have not actually read any of the books, the first film turned out to be a lot better than I had expected after I watched it to see what the fuss was about, which got me interested in seeing the sequel. After having done so, I feel Rodrick Rules improves on the original enough to make it possibly the best of the original trilogy.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)

If you were around in the mid-2000s, there was a chance you had heard of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a series of still-ongoing children’s novels written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. If not that, you may have heard of the series of live-action films based on the books, with the first one, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, released in 2010. I had some awareness of both, though for whatever reason it never really caught my interest. Fast forward to 2021 and Disney+ released a new adaptation of the original book, also titled Diary of a Wimpy Kid, though I noticed more fans of the series compare it unfavorably to the original adaptation. This finally motivated me to try and see what all the fuss was about and although I went in with no expectations about its quality, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of heart in the writing and the honestly great life lesson it can impart on its target audience.

Elf

As time goes on, more Christmas films are considered classics of their genre or, depending on who you ask, staples of the season. One of these is Elf, a 2003 comedy directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell. Back when I was only eleven, I saw the film during its original theatrical run and although I had enjoyed it, I never saw it again for one reason or another. Years later, I would see the film referenced more and more to the point where I thought I would give it another try, both to experience it with essentially fresh eyes and see if it was worthy of the praise others had given it. Twenty years after its initial release, I feel it’s safe to say that not only did it hold up pretty well on its own merits, it was actually better than I had remembered.