Trailer Reactions #4 - How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Creed II, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Glass, Spies in Disguise

Hello! Yes, I am alive. Yes, it's been nearly a month since I posted last. The truth is, I just haven't watched very many movies the past several weeks, and that's mostly due to my extremely busy schedule (and the fact that there hasn't really been anything special out in theaters for a while). Hopefully, I'll manage to find time to finally watch Wonder Woman that I've been meaning to get to since late August. And the Fantastic Beasts sequel comes out very soon, so you can definitely expect a review on that.

Anyway, today I have another installment to the Trailer Reactions series planned. In this post, I'll be giving you my run-down of five movie trailers: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Creed II, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Glass, and Spies in Disguise.

#1 - How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

I'm honestly shocked I haven't reviewed this trailer yet. That aside, How to Train Your Dragon franchise is easily Dreamworks' best, both critically and financially. Now, the franchise is sadly coming to a close with the third and final film: The Hidden World. The visuals are beautiful in this trailer. The story looks intriguing. I love this franchise so much, and I hope it goes off with a bang.

#2 - Creed II

Creed is probably one of the better sports drama movies I've seen. I liked it a lot more than Rocky. I'm glad they're producing a sequel, but it's not being directed by Ryan Coogler, the director of the first Creed and other hits such as Black Panther. Just a little bit of tea for you, I guess.

That's not to say the movie will be bad, though. From the looks of it, I think it will be pretty epic. I don't think I'll watch it in theaters, but maybe when it's available on Redbox. Who knows.

#3 - The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

A quick PSA: this is actually the teaser trailer for the film, not the official trailer, although it's long enough I'd consider it to be an official trailer.

Anyway, The LEGO Movie is undoubtedly one of the greatest animated films of all time. No one had ever thought a movie about toys could be so beautiful, both in animation and storytelling. Naturally, the sequel has high expectations. The original directors of the first movie stepped down I believe, and now Mike Mitchell holds that position. He's done a number of Dreamworks movies. Luckily, the original directors are still working on the movie - they're doing the screenplay.

With all of that technical stuff set aside, based on the trailer, I can say that I am absolutely HYPED for this film.

#4 - Glass

I know nothing about this film. NOTHING. After doing some research - and by some, I mean like two minutes of googling - I learned that Glass is actually the third installment in a film "series" that began with Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016). I first watched this trailer while waiting for Venom to start in the theater and I was instantly interested. If Glass does well, I might just go see it in theaters - after doing a bit more research.

#5 - Spies in Disguise

Blue Sky Studios isn't my favorite animation studio. They've had a few decent films, but the rest of them aren't too memorable. This movie looks... fine. It has the talent of Will Smith and Tom Holland, which is neat, but it's not something I'm really looking forward to. Will Smith's character's design makes me cringe.

So there you have it! Thanks for reading. Let me know what your opinion on each of these five films is in the comments.

''Venom'' Review

I had the opportunity to see Venom this past Friday. Before I continue with the post, allow me to discuss the reviews for this film, by critics and by the audience.

Venom currently has a 32% critic score and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Quite the difference, don't you think?

Venom also has a 7.1/10 on IMDb.

With those statistics in mind, it's pretty safe to say that this film has received very mixed reviews. I walked into Venom acknowledging these facts, but I did not let them sway or alter my personal opinion of the movie.

And that's what you're here for, right? My opinion?

Well, here it is!

LIKES

- Tom. Freaking. Hardy. Holy crap, Hardy did SO WELL in this movie. His performance was absolutely outstanding. What a talented man.

- The Eddie Brock/Venom relationship was executed in a way I didn't know I would end up enjoying. I want a sequel just so I can have more of that. Wow.

- There are a few jokes in this film - obviously, it's not a comedy, and I don't think it's trying to be - but the jokes it does have stick the landing.

- The effects were good and the soundtrack was decent.

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- The CGI is alright. It's not amazing, but it's not terrible.

DISLIKES

- The villain was weak. Very weak.

- The beginning was a little slow, and then the rest of the movie was a bit too fast-paced. I wanted more banter between Eddie and Venom to build their chemistry.

- There was an F-bomb in the film. I hear this word all the time at school, so it didn't affect me too much, but considering the movie was given a PG-13 rating, I was slightly shocked.

Overall, the movie is an enjoyable ride. It's most definitely not perfect. It has its flaws. But if you go into the film with the right mindset, you'll come out with a smile.

''The Dark Knight" Review (SPOILERS)

I watched The Dark Knight over the weekend for the first time, just over a decade since it was first released in 2008. That's been too long of a wait for me; I've always wanted to see the film, but never really got around to it. Now I can say that I've seen it, and honestly, I had a blast.

Here's a list of my likes and dislikes.

LIKES

- Heath Ledger was - and I cannot stress this enough - PHENOMENAL. It's a shame he passed away. His talent truly shined through this movie. He is the best Joker without a doubt. He portrays the character so perfectly, I got chills every time he appeared on the screen.
- I LOVED Harvey Dent in this movie. His character arc is just absolutely mesmerizing. I wish there was more of him as Two-Face, but I also feel like too much of him would have caused the plot to drag a little.
- The complex, ever-lasting argument whether or not Batman is a menace or a savior to Gotham City really gets you thinking. I like it when movies leave room for the audience to ponder.
- The movie was dark, yes, but dark done well, unlike more modern DC films. You know who you are. *cough cough*
- The action scenes were fantastic.
- The soundtrack deserves an A+.

DISLIKES

- The Dark Knight is just ten minutes short of the length of Infinity War if you can believe it. Considering it didn't have ten years of buildup, the movie was a little too long for me.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal's acting as Rachel Dawes was... unbelievable. And not in a particularly good way. Unbelievable as in I wasn't convinced she actually wanted the role in the first place.
- Christian Bale's voice as Batman is kind of cringy at times.

To sum all of this up, The Dark Knight goes down as one of the best superhero films ever. I know that I'm Marvel-biased, but I truly did enjoy this movie.

Trailer Reactions #3 - Captain Marvel, Mary Poppins Returns, Venom, Wreck-It-Ralph 2, Smallfoot

It's been almost a month since I posted last, and that's mainly due to the extremely little amount of free time that I've had these past four weeks of my life. But I'm back, and that's what matters. Today, I'll be adding on another segment to the Trailer Reactions post series.

Today I will be reviewing the trailers for Captain Marvel, Mary Poppins Returns, Venom, Wreck-It-Ralph 2, and Smallfoot.

#1 - Captain Marvel

When the trailer was released Tuesday morning for Captain Marvel, I could barely wait to watch it, so when it was time to pick my friend up from her house to go to school, I arrived early so we could experience it together. Overall, I am quite pleased with how the next addition to the MCU looks so far. I am so excited to learn more about Carol Danvers in this presumably epic origin story set in the 90's. Although I have to admit, this trailer left me slightly underwhelmed compared to the other amazing MCU trailers. Hopefully, the next trailer will get the general audience hyped up.

Oh, and one more thing - Captain Mar-Vell (Shazam) and Captain Marvel are NOT the same thing.

#2 - Mary Poppins Returns

I watched Mary Poppins a lot growing up, and that's because it was one of my grandma's favorite films. My grandma loved the original movie, and I bet she'll love this remake. However, being the silly person I am, I couldn't take this trailer seriously because I kept thinking of the scene GOTG 2 with Yondu. Anyways, Emily Blunt looks great as Mary Poppins, and - oh my goodness - is that LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!? Take my money.

#3 - Venom

I was worried this movie would turn out to be rated R, and while a lot of people probably would have enjoyed that, I wouldn't have because I wouldn't have been able to watch it. Recently, however, it was confirmed that Venom is rated PG-13, so I guess that means I'm seeing it in theaters! I really hope this movie does well. Venom is definitely one of my favorite Marvel villains - he's just so cool.

#4 - Wreck-It-Ralph 2

The first couple of trailers for this movie honestly had me a bit concerned. It seemed like Disney was trying too hard to shove heaps of pop culture references into our faces, wishing to get a laugh or two out of good ol' Gen Z. I mean, it worked; Twitter was blowing up after seeing the Disney princesses. But this particular trailer softened me. We get to see a few more glimpses of what the plot is actually about, but not too much that it gives the entire movie away. That gives me hope.

#5 - Smallfoot

Smallfoot is a cute idea, and I think it has the potential to be a cute kids movie. Forgettable, but cute. It gets released next week, so we'll see how things go. Personally, I doubt I'll watch this in theaters. Maybe on a long car ride where we have to rent a movie from Redbox.

Now it's your turn to give your opinions on these five movies and their trailers, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading!

''Isle of Dogs'' Review (SPOILERS)

Last night I finally had the opportunity to watch Isle of Dogs, a Wes Anderson-directed, stop-motion film about... well, dogs. I haven't seen Fantastic Mr. Fox, but that didn't stop me from giving this particular movie a chance.

The film is set in futuristic Japan where a sudden outbreak of ''canine flu'' causes the government to exile all dogs to a vast island full of trash. A 12-year-old boy named Atari (who also happens to be the mayor's ward) comes to the island alone after hijacking a plane in hopes of finding his long-lost pet, Spots. He receives help from a pack of dogs who have also been exiled, and his quest inspires other members of his community to expose a government conspiracy.

An extremely creative concept, I must say.

The animation is beautiful, from the gorgeous landscapes to the smallest of details such as the furs on the dogs blowing in the wind. Visually, the film is a pleasurable treat for the eye.

The characters are unique and likable. Their conversations might even give the viewer a laugh or two: I'll admit, I giggled here and there. Chief, voiced by Bryan Cranston, probably had the most character depth, being an outcast for much of his life in Megasaki City, unlike his fellow canine friends who all fully experienced the company of human masters.

Though the film has a charming personality, the one thing that bothered me the most was the plot. Yes, I did mention the concept of the plot was outstandingly imaginative, but the way it was executed left me - and I hate to say this - bored. The script definitely isn't perfect, and after the first half the movie kind of drags on a bit. I actually fell asleep as I was watching Isle of Dogs in my bed with the laptop. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't. The plot carries on just a little too slowly for my liking, and the climax was slightly dull. Perhaps it's because I'm so used to the mainstream Hollywood norm of intense action and adventure movies, but I guess we'll never know.

Overall, I'd rate Isle of Dogs 7 out of 10 stars. It was creative, visually pleasing, and had a unique and imaginative storyline that most modern movies don't.

''Christopher Robin'' Review (SPOILERS)

When I saw the teaser trailer for the first time earlier this year for Christopher Robin, I instantly knew this movie would take my heart and put it through a paper shredder. While I didn't exactly grow up with Winnie the Pooh or any of the other characters from the Hundred Acre Wood, I did grow up with stuffed animals - and a whole lot of them, too. And the film stuck to its premise.

Here are a few quick thoughts on the film I would like to address...

- The CGI is very well done and the visual effects are beautiful. I mean, what else can you expect from a company like Disney? The detail on the stuffed animals from the tiniest bits of fur to the leather padding of Pooh's feet is mind-blowing.
- The simplicity of Christopher Robin, in my eyes, is essentially what makes the film what it is. It gets the message across clearly and sweetly. But even films with such simple themes as this have downsides, which is why I don't necessarily believe the movie is all that memorable.
- The movie was rather slow-paced, at least for most of it. I had no particular problem with this, but I know the younger kids in my theater did. I could feel them getting antsy around me. Personally, I liked how the film was a bit slower than what people are used to, as it gives us busybodies a chance to relax and just enjoy a lovely, innocent movie.
- The plot was quite predictable, but that's just another downside of having a ''simple'' movie. It put a smile on my face nonetheless.
- The movie was surprisingly funny! It landed a few jokes here and there that I genuinely laughed at and enjoyed.
- The only real issue I had with this film was the whole ''talking stuffed-animal'' thing. It makes sense for Christopher Robin to talk to his old friends, but for total strangers... well, that just kind of made me cringe.

Overall, Christopher Robin is a melancholic toast to our childhoods. While some of us are still engaging in ours, it serves as a reminder to never let go of those precious memories.

Trailer Reactions #2 - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, Aquaman, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Christopher Robin

Welcome back for the second installment of the Trailer Reactions post series. I had a lot of fun reviewing the movie trailers in the previous post, so naturally, I couldn't wait any longer to type up the next one. With that being said, let's get started!

Today I will be reviewing the trailers for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, Aquaman, Mission Impossible: Fallout, and Christopher Robin.

#1 - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Film Sypnosis:

Magizoologist Newt Scamander joins forces with young Albus Dumbledore to prevent the devious Gellert Grindelwald from raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings.

Ahh, I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this film! I loved Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, so you bet your bottom dollar I'm hyped. I cannot wait to see Grindelwald in action, as well as the young version of the famous Albus Dumbledore.

#2 - Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

Film Sypnosis:

A villain's maniacal plan for world domination sidetracks five teenage superheroes who dream of Hollywood stardom.

I'll be honest here - when I first learned that there would be a full-fledged CINEMATIC MOVIE about the popular cartoon Teen Titans GO!, I just about puked. For the longest time, I expected this film to be the ''Emoji Movie of 2018''. Shockingly enough, the movie sits with an astounding 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this post. The official score is bound to change within the next couple of days, but the fact that the majority of the early reviews are positive just blows my mind. I heard rumors that if this movie does well, Cartoon Network might bring back the original Teen Titans cartoon for another season... so I'm actually hoping it does fine at the box office. Maybe I'll end up watching it once it's available on Redbox someday. Who knows!

#3 - Aquaman

Film Sypnosis:

Aquaman finds himself caught between a surface world that ravages the sea and the underwater Atlanteans who are ready to revolt.

The DCEU has this reputation for being... edgy. While the graphics are shown to be rather dark-toned like most of the DCEU films in the Aquaman trailer and aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing to my eyes personally, the movie itself actually might be rather okay. Since the DCEU has basically hit rock bottom, this film desperately needs to perform well at the box office and in reviews. I'm hoping for the best! (P.S. I still need to see Wonder Woman... perhaps I'll watch that this weekend.)

#4 - Mission Impossible: Fallout

Film Sypnosis:

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. Arms dealer John Lark and a group of terrorists known as the Apostles plan to use three plutonium cores for a simultaneous nuclear attack on the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. When the weapons go missing, Ethan and his crew find themselves in a desperate race against time to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

I have yet to see a single Mission Impossible movie, so I honestly had no idea what the heck was going on in the trailer, but from what I did see, the movie looks like an action-packed adventure. Also, critics are giving the movie positive reviews, so that's a plus.

#5 - Christopher Robin

Film Sypnosis:

Winnie-the-Pooh and friends reunite with old pal Christopher Robin -- now an adult.

I am so excited for this movie! When the teaser trailer first came out a while back, I actually shed a tear or two when Pooh Bear popped up. I have a strong emotional connection to stuffed animals, so seeing all these beloved characters as old, tattered, and loved plush toys just warmed my heart up. I'll definitely be seeing this in theaters.

Which movie trailers did you like the best in this post? Comment your thoughts down below, and have a lovely day!