Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender

It goes without saying that Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) proved very popular and successful, so much so that it spawned two follow-up series, The Legend of Korra (Korra) and the upcoming Seven Havens. In the interim, however, it has had two divisive live-action adaptations, M. Night Shyamalan’s infamous The Last Airbender film and the Avatar: The Last Airbender remake from Netflix. Creative differences regarding the latter would inspire the formation of Avatar Studios, with series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko at the helm, to expand the world of ATLA, starting with what would become the film Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (Avatar Aang). This project would later receive more notoriety not just for a pivot from the original theatrical distribution to streaming directly on Paramount+, but also for someone leaking the entire finished film online months in advance.

Of course, release plans moved forward, with a premiere at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 (I attended the event, but didn’t go to the screening) and a limited run in only two theaters solely to qualify for the Oscars shortlist, despite protest from fans and members of the crew. Although I would have seen the film anyway as an ATLA fan, the increased awareness from the troubles surrounding the film’s production and release further piqued my curiosity. Although I found the film enjoyable, it did unfortunately fall short where it counted the most.

Stubs - Toy Story 5

Toy Story 5 (2026) voices Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O'Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson, Frank Welker. Directed by Andrew Stanton. Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Kenna Harris Produced by Lindsey Collins, Jessica Choi Run Time: 102 minutes. Color. USA Animated, Adventure, Comedy

The toys are back in town and it’s good to see them.

Honestly, I was a little nervous about this film, based on fears that the Toy Story franchise would eventually run out of steam. But after 31 years, I’m happy to say that it can still make me cry.

Second Opinion - Toy Story 4

Note: This review contains spoilers for Toy Story 4.

Toy Story 3 had arguably the perfect sendoff to the original Toy Story trilogy, ending it on a very emotional high note. The enduring popularity of the Toy Story brand, however, would ensure this would not last long, as a fourth entry, Toy Story 4, was released nine years later in 2019. While this movie is arguably a good example of an unnecessary sequel - I remember liking it when I first saw it, even importing a 3D Blu-ray copy - I hadn’t actually watched it again until recently when revisiting the series for the next unnecessary sequel, Toy Story 5. I still liked it on a second viewing, but still felt it didn't quite reach the same emotional high as the third film.

Toy Story 3 (Film)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.

While a third entry to the popular Toy Story franchise would seem inevitable due to high box office returns, Toy Story 3 had quite a rough development. The short version is that, due to the distribution contract Pixar had signed, Disney owned the rights to all of their characters and could make sequels for any of their films, which strained the relationship between the two companies. Disney would push forward with their own Toy Story 3, to be produced by new studio Circle Seven Animation, for a 2008 release. Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, however, placed Disney Animation under new management, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, with Circle Seven shutting down shortly after and sequel production transferred to Pixar. Pixar would craft a whole new story, which would eventually see the light of day as the final version of Toy Story 3 in 2010. Although the film would cost about $200 million to create, making it one of the most expensive films ever made at the time, it was the first animated film to make over $1 billion, even becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever until Frozen, and would receive numerous nominations and awards, including an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“We Belong Together”).

At the time the film came out, when I was in high school, I felt cautious optimism going in; optimism from Pixar’s flawless track record up to then and caution from how the third film in a series usually isn’t as good as the first two. Fortunately, it stuck the landing as perhaps the perfect ending to the trilogy (with not a dry eye in the audience by the time the credits rolled). Admittedly, I hadn’t seen this entry as much in the interim, partly due to the devastating emotional core and some rather heavy imagery, but by the time I finished watching it now, over 15 years later, I remembered why it had left an impact at the time it had come out. However, I had also forgotten how intense it could be at the same time.

The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act

Note: This review contains spoilers for The Amazing Digital Circus Episodes 1-8.

When Glitch Productions released the pilot episode for The Amazing Digital Circus (TADC), created by Gooseworx, back in 2023, no one could have predicted its viral popularity. As someone who had watched the series since day one, it was interesting seeing that popularity grow in real time to the point that it had a very packed panel at San Diego Comic-Con and the series finale would receive a limited theatrical release via Fathom Events starting two weeks before the official YouTube premiere. Naturally, I secured tickets to the opening weekend as soon as I found out about it so that I could witness a historical event in indie animation for myself. Although this finale did get leaked onto the internet ahead of the screening, I went in spoiler-free following a series rewatch and, as per Glitch’s instructions, I will not spoil the finale in return. However, I am allowed to share my thoughts on it, so here’s why I felt that The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (The Last Act) felt fitting, but imperfect.

Second Look - Toy Story 2

Note: This review contains spoilers for Toy Story 1 and 2.

Following the success of the original Toy Story film, Disney desired to capitalize on it with a sequel, developing one themselves for the direct-to-video market. When the project, Toy Story 2, was upgraded to a theatrical release, Pixar were unsatisfied with what had been made and were given permission to overhaul it themselves, but they only had nine months to do the whole thing due to Disney not wanting to budge on the 1999 release date. While I was too young to see the original Toy Story when it first came out in a theater, I was old enough to see Toy Story 2 this way, and many of its themes and contributions to Toy Story canon stuck with me well into adulthood. Looking back on it, where the original Toy Story has held up as a timeless classic, Toy Story 2 has managed to solidify itself as another classic in its own right thanks to its strong writing and well-handled themes.

Second Opinion - Toy Story

Note: This review contains spoilers for Toy Story.

Back in 1995, years before the studio tied the knot with Disney, Pixar made history with Toy Story, the first ever completely CGI animated film. Its impact on the animation industry, for better or worse, cannot be understated, as it revolutionized the medium and opened up more of its potential. The most impressive thing about the film, however, isn’t that it spawned an ongoing multimedia franchise or made a lasting mark on pop culture through iconic characters and moments, but that even over 30 years later, despite the animation showing its age, it still holds up as one of the studio’s best films and among the best that the medium has to offer.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Note: This review contains spoilers for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, grossing over $1 billion on a $100 million budget, would naturally justify a sequel, announced one year later and released in 2026. Despite animation studio Illumination’s track record for the inconsistent quality of their output, I still enjoyed The Super Mario Bros. Movie (in spite of its flaws) and felt growing hype as the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, drew closer, enough that I finally played the original game that it was based on, Super Mario Galaxy. Although some skepticism and negative critic reviews popped up during the lead-in to the film’s release, I felt that I should see first-hand how it shaped up compared to the original. Unfortunately, for every enjoyable element, there is something that holds it back from greatness.

Stubs - Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (2025) English voices: Lily Gilliam, Lucille Ainsworth, Francesca Calo, Page Leong, Jayne Taini. Directed by Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han Screenplay by Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade, Eddine Noël. Based on the novel The Character of Rain (Métaphysique des tubes) by Amélie Nothomb. Produced by Claire La Combe, Edwina Liard, Henri Magalon, Nidia Santiago. Run time: 78 minutes. Color. France, Belgium Animated. Drama.

Sometimes, it takes awards season to make you aware of the films that were released, which is what brought Little Amélie or the Character of Rain to my attention. This year, it was one of five films nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. That awareness took the film from unknown to one of my favorite animated films of the year and my personal front runner to win that award.

Zootopia 2

Ever since seeing the original Zootopia in 2016, I’ve always felt that there was a lot of untapped storytelling potential for its setting. While this has come in the form of comics and children’s books, as well as the short-form Disney+ series Zootopia+, I’ve felt a lot more could be done with a longer story, as the premise seems to lend itself perfectly to an episodic TV series. While this does not appear to be happening, the next best thing came nearly 10 years later with the announcement of the sequel film Zootopia 2, though my expectations were tempered a bit by Disney’s recent sequel track record. It is then fortunate that the film not only surpassed these expectations, but actually managed to improve on the first in some ways.

Elio

I hate to say this about a studio that I loved growing up, but the 2020s have not been kind to Pixar. Although they’ve had hits with Soul and Luca, duds like Lightyear and, to a lesser extent, Elemental have stood out far more than they would have in the past. This feeling perhaps contributed to my lack of motivation to see Elio, their latest release, based on both the original 2023 teaser and revised 2024 teaser, the latter of which had occurred due to a test screening in which not a single person said they liked it enough to watch it in a theater. My apathy felt justified when, despite the revised direction and positive critical reception, the film had bombed at the box office, making only $154 million on a budget of about $150-200 million. Of course, we remained undeterred in our streak of viewing every single Pixar film in some form or another and finally gave it a try when it hit Disney+. Sadly, although I did like it a little more than I thought I would, I still thought while the credits rolled that I would have felt ripped off if I had paid for the full theatrical experience.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle

Note: This review contains spoilers for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Although the original Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga had ended in 2020, the anime adaptation by Ufotable is still going strong, so much so that their interpretation of the Infinity Castle arc was announced as a film trilogy. The first part, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (Full title: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns) (Infinity Castle) released this year to strong critical reviews and an equally explosive box office, breaking several records and surpassing 2020’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train (Mugen Train) as the highest-grossing Japanese film worldwide. Rather impressive, to say the least, which is how I watched the English dub alongside those who had only seen Mugen Train and Episode 63 of the anime, contrasting with my own experience as an anime-only viewer who had kept up with the series from the beginning. Although I did feel that Infinity Castle lived up to the hype, I couldn’t help feeling that the film format had, ironically, created a major issue that Mugen Train did so well at avoiding.

The Bad Guys 2

 

Following the release of the first The Bad Guys film, I was hyped enough by it and the prospect of a sequel that I caught up, and kept up with, the book series until it finished (I was not a fan of how it ended). On seeing trailers for The Bad Guys 2, I was hyped once again based on how much I liked the first, but practiced cautious optimism for how it would handle the introduction of new characters from the source material. These fears were put to rest on seeing the actual movie, which only reinforced my opinion that the films were superior to the books.

Stubs - Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver’s Travels (1939) Voices by Sam Parker, Pinto Colvig, Jack Mercer, Tedd Pierce, Jessica Dragonette, Livonia Warren, Lanny Ross, Cal Howard. Directed by Dave Fleischer. Screenplay by Dan Gordon, Cal Howard, Ted Pierce, I. Sparber, Edmond Seward. Based on the book Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World by Lemuel Gulliver by Jonathan Swift (London, 1726). Produced by Max Fleischer. Run Time: 76 minutes. USA Color Animated, Fantasy

While Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first animated feature, animation rival Fleischer Studios’ Gulliver’s Travels was the second. The brothers Fleischer left Bray Studios to found their own company Out of the Inkwell, Inc., in 1921, changing its name in 1929. In the beginning, the studio produced novelty films called Out of the Inkwell, which used the Rotoscope, invented by Fleischer. Rotoscoping is an animation technique used to trace over live-action motion picture footage, frame-by-frame. It produces a realistic animation. Out of the Inkwell also used live-action footage mixed with the animation in such shorts as Modeling (1921).

Kronk's New Groove

In the mid-90s and throughout most of the 2000s, Disney released a number of direct-to-video sequels for some of their films, regardless of box office performance. Some, like Atlantis: Milo’s Return, are actually three episodes of a canned TV series stapled together. One such DTV sequel was Kronk’s New Groove (titled onscreen as The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove), which released in 2005 despite its parent film, The Emperor’s New Groove, not turning a profit in its initial release. Considering that the spinoff series The Emperor’s New School lasted two seasons with 52 episodes, however, post-release popularity must have come into play. In any case, Kronk’s New Groove notably scored a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, but considering that it only has seven critic reviews, I didn’t consider that an accurate barometer of its quality. Since I owned the film on a Blu-ray with both installments, I thought it best to watch it for myself, though I did go in with already low expectations (Tony Leondis, best known for The Emoji Movie, even had a story credit, for what it’s worth). I found it better than I was originally led to believe, although it’s (unsurprisingly) still a step down from the original film.

Second Look - Moana

When I first watched Moana in 2016, I will admit that I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it at the time, but I did at least like it enough to get a copy on Blu-ray to watch it again in the future. Although the Blu-ray went untouched for years, the arrival of its theatrical sequel on Disney+ gave me an excuse to revisit the movie, as well as re-evaluate it for more than just the animation. After watching it again for the first time in nearly a decade, I found it to be far better than I remembered it being. Barring maybe Encanto (which I thought was okay), I would even go so far as to say it was Disney’s last good animated movie in years.

Sherlock Gnomes

Much like Romeo and Juliet, the famous detective Sherlock Homes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has seen many adaptations and reinterpretations over the decades since the character's creation. In this sense, reinterpreting him as a garden gnome seems equally inevitable, coming in the form of a sequel to the box office hit Gnomeo & Juliet, titled Sherlock Gnomes. Much like Gnomeo & Juliet, Sherlock Gnomes is a movie I had avoided seeing for the longest time because of negative reception and an advertising campaign that failed to impress me. After finally watching Gnomeo & Juliet, however, I decided I may as well give the sequel a watch to complete the experience, and while I did think it wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting, it was still a major step down by comparison.

Stubs - The Cat in the Hat (1971)

The Cat in the Hat (1971) Starring the voices of Allan Sherman, Daws Butler, Tony Frazier, Pamelyn Ferdin, Thurl Ravenscroft, Lewis Morford Directed by Hawley Pratt. Teleplay by Dr. Seuss. Based on The Cat in the Hat, published in 1957 by Dr. Seuss. Produced by Chuck Jones and Ted Geisel. Run time: 25 minutes USA Animated, Musical, TV Special

In 1955, William Spaulding, then the director of Houghton Mifflin's education division, invited Theodor Geisel, writing under the pseudonym of Dr. Seuss, to dinner. Geisel was then best known as the author of If I Ran the Circus. Based on an article about literacy in early childhood, Spaulding supplied Geisel with a list of between 300 and 400 words every six and seven-year-old should know and reportedly challenged him to "Write me a story that first-graders can't put down!" Geisel came up with The Cat in The Hat using 236 words. And no first-grader was able to put it down. For many people, it would be their first book they could read on their own.

Stubs - The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024) voices by Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Wayne Knight, Laraine Newman Directed by Pete Browngardt. Screenplay by Darrick Bachman, Pete Browngardt, Kevin Costello, Amdrew Dickman, David Gemmill, Alex Kirwan, Ryan Kramer, Jason Reicher, Michael Ruocco, Johnny Ryan, Eddie Trigueros. Produced by Michael Baum. Run time: 91 minutes. Color. USA. Animated, Comedy

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are back on the big screen in The Day the Earth Blew Up, a Warner Bros., animation film released by Ketchup Entertainment. If you’re expecting the old Looney Tunes from your childhood, this is a good facsimile but doesn’t quite live up to expectations. Some of that may have to do with the fact that there are 11 writers on the film and while the style is reminiscent of the past, the humor is a little cruder.

Flow (2024)

One animated film from last year that flew under many people’s radars was Flow (Latvian: Straume), which I first heard about through Animation Magazine. The visual style and basic premise were enough to intrigue me, but I had a hard time finding a theater in my area that was showing it, let alone at a more convenient time, when I remembered to look for tickets. The movie winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature increased my interest further, though I opted to wait until it became available to rent through Amazon Prime Video to finally watch it. I will admit, however, that I was mildly distracted by the ongoing SoCal fires at the time of my initial viewing due to living within the vicinity, but I still did my due diligence to give the film as much of my attention as possible. With that said, although I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I still think the Golden Globe should have gone to fellow contender The Wild Robot.