The Personal History Of David Copperfield

This review may contain spoilers!

This film totes an impressive ensemble cast who unfortunately cannot bring this confused and inconsistent film into high regard. I would give The Personal History Of David Copperfield a 4.5/10.

An adaptation of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, this feature follows the title role as he endures a series of trying obstacles throughout his young life. This film is presented as a witty comedy of sorts, with a very unusual method of presentation for a period-set feature. The story itself maintained a really strong introduction and I thought the way David Copperfield was introduced and explored was quite interesting. Throughout the film I found that most of the charm within the narrative came from the wit in the dialogue, as well as neat moments of character introspection that happened from scene to occasional scene. The cinematography for this film tended to be quite the impressive venture, particularly in the first and final acts. There were some real attempts to show that this was a narrative reflecting upon itself by a storyteller through some very expressive visual shots that really showed some vision at work.

Nikki Amuka-Bird, who played Mrs Steerforth, is a genuine regal matriarach throughout this piece; Amuka-Bird has this presence about her that enables her to enter a scene and immediately feel like one of the most powerful figures there. Aneurin Barnard, who played Steerforth, presents one of the more chaotic yet charismatic figures in this piece; Steerforth is a very foppish and self-destructive individual who becomes significantly more tragic as the plot wears on. Darren Boyd and Gwendoline Christie, who played Edward Murdstone and Jane Murdstone respectively, are fantastic antagonists for the first act of the feature; Christie is a seriously imposing invader while Boyd is a tyrannical stepfather for young Copperfield. Morfydd Clark, who played Clara Copperfield and Dora Spenlow, didn't give the strongest performance initially as Copperfield's mother but really came into her own with Dora; this ditzy yet high-energy role is a lot of fun and the source of some of the best comedy in the final act. Daisy May Cooper, who played Peggotty, is a strong kindly figure who really connects with both actors portraying Copperfield; Cooper clearly is a comedic powerhouse as she deals some of the funniest dialogue in the feature. Hugh Laurie, who played Mr Dick, is a very discombobulated individual at the best of times; Laurie presents a figure of great intellect who is almost plagued by a series of thoughts that invade his mind. Tilda Swinton, who played Betsey Trotwood, is right at home with this non-nonsense if not somewhat eccentric character; Swinton's role is to be a guiding presence in a household that never ceases to be turbulent. Jairaj Varsani, who played Young David Copperfield, has to be one of the best young performers I've seen in a few months; Varsani really embraces the way his role is lost in the character and worlds presented to him by other people. Ben Whishaw, who played Uriah Heep, is a really convincing antagonist for this feature; Whishaw's simpering and conniving figure is the idea of raw ambition turned sour and it is a treat to watch.

However, the best performance came from Dev Patel, who played David Copperfield. Dev Patel has always emerged as a strong leading performer in projects and he helms this one quite nicely too. Patel manages to preserve the charisma and kindness that is at the heart of the role which immediately endears him to the audience. I liked seeing Copperfield as this desperate yet determined individual, one who struggled to completely connect with others yet undeniably formed lasting social bonds. I felt that Patel had this incredible ability to emulate other performances, altering how his role interacted around other characters in order to bond with them. The points in the movie wherein Copperfield feels defeated and sees things slipping out of his control are really powerful and strongly played to. Furthermore, this is arole with a particular talent for hearing the voice and words of others and forming it into how he thinks and expresses himself that I think Patel worked really hard to nail perfectly. This was a seriously driven performance that Patel worked hard to achieve.

The Personal History Of David Copperfield showed a lot of promise when I sat down and first got engaged with it, but after twenty minutes it became clear the film couldn't maintain it's unique method of storytelling. What had been a compelling visual blend of storytelling and character introduction gave way to a more linear narrative that dragged the pacing right down. The film had started with some of the most interesting narration I had seen of late but this was canned rather suddenly. The way the film presented storylines was a manner of blending plots together initially but afterwards we were set on a very stagnant path, so Copperfield's journey throughout became dull to watch. The characters and situations started to turn to the melodramatic and even the plot around Uriah Heep as the antagonist felt like a rather two-dimensional direction to take. It was disappointing because the further the film went, the more it lost everything that had made it appealing going in. A nice, if not rather rushed final ten minutes did nothing to help a film that had clearly lost its way. The editing for this film started out pretty impressively and crafted a distinct visual presentation; but was abandoned not long into the film for very simple cutting and a much slower pace. The score for David Copperfield wasn't anything particularly noteworthy for a period film, leaning in to the familiar rather than attempting to craft something new.

Peter Capaldi, who played Mr Micawber, is a performer who tends to overact without ever finding some semblance of the essence of his role; Capaldi's temperament is for the melodramatic and whimsical but he lacks the finer ability to nurture a role within a comedic performance. Rosalind Eleazar, who played Agnes, is a poor fitting romantic lead against Patel; Eleazar seems content in the background and her role's personality is often dwarfed by others in a scene. Aimee Kelly, Anthony Welsh and Paul Whitehouse, who played Emily, Ham and Mr Peggotty respectively, are a collective group of characters who fail to really claim their place in this narrative; Kelly's erratic portrayal of her role's affair and Welsh's descent into a brooding persona are some of the more disappointing qualities of the feature. Benedict Wong, who played Mr Wickfield, really doesn't suit the role of confused drunkard; Wong struggles to find a natural approach to his character's place in the comedic wit of the piece.

Artemis Fowl

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We're only halfway into 2020 and already I think we might have one of the worst book to film adaptations of the decade on our hands. I would give Artemis Fowl a 2.5/10.

Artemis Fowl follows the titular role as he rushes to secure a magical fairy artefact after his father is kidnapped by a fairy criminal, in this blockbuster human clashes with fairy but unlikely alliances will prevail. While most of this feature really struggles to achieve anything inspired with the plot, I didn't enjoy the set up of the Fowl Manor siege. You really felt that the main role was outnumbered and outgunned which was what made things actually impressive when he positioned himself to still have authority in the face of such odds. I think the one triumph that came out of this film (aside from some performances from well recognised actors) was the visually impressive special effects; you felt transported whenever we were presented with the technically advanced fairy world and I really liked how images of fairies flying or the time bubble looked to the viewer.

Colin Farrell, who played Artemis Fowl Sr., wasn't in this film a lot but brought a seasoned hand to his scenes; Farrell built a strong father/son bond and delivered an insight into a world that felt magic before we even saw magical creatures. 

However, the best performance came from Judi Dench, who played Commander Root. This was a film that thrived when experienced characters were onscreen, and none had to do more leg work than Judi Dench. Commander Root is the sort of gruff, no-nonsense role that you would hope from a military character; grizzled from years of experience and the intensity of calling the shots. I think Dench handled this role really well because you see the moments in which the character can be soft to other roles she likes, or the moments of minute self-doubt in her tactical decisions. This leads to some good character conflict around whether she is still capable of leading her force, having to stake her claim and dig her heels in as the film progresses. Dench is a generous performer who gives time to other performers and seeks out what a scene needs to thrive; the only pity is that the rest of the film didn't rise to the standards she had very clearly set herself.

As someone who grew up reading the Artemis Fowl books there was a part of me being disappointed on two levels; on one hand this failed to even remotely resemble a faithful adaptation, while on the other hand this film failed to satisfy me in any way as a fan of cinema. The film foregoes the more complicated route of having a young criminal mastermind and instead opts for a bland child genius protagonist who struggles to fit in; this leading role fails to ever excite the audience as a title character so this change seems ill advised from the start. The entire film opts to mold a story around a magical artefact that all involved parties are racing to get, there's the usual ticking clock and a big villain in the shadows who is never revealed (probably out of a desperate hope for a sequel). There are several big moments of action but they come across as goofy and the actors struggle to interact with the visual effects crafted around them. The entire direction of this piece feels misguided, like someone has taken a hodge podge of puzzle pieces from five different boxes and tried to make something fairly coherent. The film struggles as a family blockbuster as it lacks charm and humour, every piece of 'funny' dialogue falls flat or is poorly delivered. I watched this movie constantly feeling it might have fit back when features like Spy Kids were a big deal, because it felt like a feature at least a decade behind the times. The cinematography was all over the place, the framing often looking sloppy and not very visually appealling. The score for the feature was about as generic as you could get, a lot of empty sound to try lift things a bit for the action scenes and little more.

Josh Gad, who played Mulch Diggums, has done the rounds with Disney for a littlw while now but this is a role that he really couldn't master; the tough criminal side and Gad's natural bearing towards light-hearted comedy clashed almost constantly in his portrayal. Ferdia Shaw, who played Artemis Fowl, is one of the most lacklustre young performers I've seen of late; Shaw would have struggled with a supporting role and completely failed with the pressure of the main role. Nonso Anozie, who played Domovoi Butler, neither feels like the toughest character in a scene nor seems to have any real sense about the nature of his character; Anozie seems torn between a stoic role and a more comedic performance and this split portrayal really doesn't do wonders. Lara McDonnell, who played Holly Short, had the most potential of the cast but never quite managed to stick the landing as the tough LEP officer; this role probably needed someone older to fit the bill but McDonnell really gave it a solid shot. Joshua McGuire, who played Briar Cudgeon, is a poor excuse for the only true antagonist we get to see; McGuire's highly strung officer just pales next to Dench and doesn't ever feel like a genuine threat. Tamara Smart, who played Juliet, is one of the most unnecessary roles in the film and literally takes up screen time she doesn't need to; Smart's only purpose is to give Shaw another child performer to act against until more main cast can arrive into the plot. Nikesh Patel, who played Chief Tech Officer Foaly, is your usual exposition mouthpiece in lieu of a genuine character for this feature; Patel is now one of the small pool of actors who've had to whinny to portray a centaur, yikes.

The Lovebirds

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The onscreen relationship presented by Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani is one of the best I've seen this year. I would give The Lovebirds a 7.5/10.

The Lovebirds follows Leilani and Jibran, a long-term couple whose relationship is on the rocks when their car gets hijacked by a criminal who then utilises it to commit a murder. Caught in the fallout of the event the pair decide to solve the murder on their own rather than become implicated as suspects; what occurs after that is nothing short of irreverent comedic genius. The strength of the film relies heavily upon how interesting the two lead characters are, both individually and as a couple. Watching how the film begins you can't help but be drawn into the budding of ordinary love; but the time jump into the same relationship four years later does an amazing job of presenting a very grounded, if not tumultuous relationship. I found these characters to be wholly unique, not really the personalities that would normally headline your generic romantic action-comedy; and really the film benefits from this fresh voice. I felt like I was watching a very grounded narrative that refused to sacrifice story for comedy and sought out moments of comedy in a very natural way. The story around the murder had some very interesting plot elements, such as the secret cult, that have never really been done before as well. The cinematography is expertly framed around the leading duo, the shots look really polished and puts the style of this comedy ahead of a great many others I've seen.

Issa Rae, who played Leilani, is a strong leading comedic performer who has some seriously strong line delivery that will have you cracking up; Rae plays a role who is desperate to be validated by others and not entirely confident with her self-image and I think the manner in which she develops her role is an incredible arc.

However, the best performance came from Kumail Nanjiani, who played Jibran. For a long time now Nanjiani has excelled when his comedic talents have been applied to grounded, fresh comedies that have really set the bar for comedic cinema. I really like watching Nanjiani, he knows how to play to a likeable character and has a gentle delivery that sets him apart from other comedic performers. I think Jibran as a role is such a rich character; he's very self-conscious and introspective. There are a number of scenes in which he deflects from his stress by comedically monologuing about the situation around him, a real strength of the film. I also really can't stress enough just how impressive the romantic onscreen chemistry is between Nanjiani and Rae. Kumail Nanjiani is one of the best comedic talents performing right now and I seriously can't wait for whatever he has in store for us next.

I think The Lovebirds is a fresh comedy that benefits from pulling punches but because it does this there are some large moments of the film that don't really feel fulfilled. The comedic quality of the film is really good but there's not always enough of it, you can go several scenes before the characters start bouncing off one another or find themselves in a funny situation again. Likewise, because the film wants to prioritise telling the story of the relationship or playing to moments of comedy, the engaging murder mystery narrative can miss out which makes the big confrontation in the final act a little anti-climatic by comparison. The film isn't lacking for content and it never tries to push things too far, but it doesn't take enough risks and for that the feature does suffer. The editing for the film isn't very inspired, instead keeping to quite a gradual slower pace. The soundtrack for the film has some heartening or comedic moments but as a whole it doesn't have much of a 'wow' factor; while the score keeps to the trend of comedies lacking interesting original music.

Paul Sparks, who played Moustache, is about as interesting as his character name; the film doesn't really place much importance on his role as an antagonist so you never really feel he gets anymore dangerous than when you meet him in his first scene. Anna Camp, who played Edie, is another antagonist that doesn't work strongly into the film; Camp has more of a quirky villain at her disposal but the performance and scene are pretty confusing to watch. Andrene Ward-Hammond, who played Detective Martin, plays her criminal investigator as quite a generic figure in the film; when Ward-Hammond is paired off against other figures she tends to differ to them and never has a commanding presence in a scene. Moses Storm, who played Steve, has a lot of potential as a young suspect being interrogated by the inexperienced leading roles but he never really seizes the moment; Storm's scene is a lot of fun and one of the more unique to watch in the feature but he never finds an angle to make his performance and role notable.

Scoob!

This review may contain spoilers!

While this certainly has Scooby-Doo in it, this film lacks a lot of the qualities that make for a good Scooby-Doo feature. I would give Scoob! a 5.5/10.

Scoob! is the most recent animated adventure for Scooby-Doo and the gang; in this action-packed adventure Shaggy and Scooby team up with the Blue Falcon and Dynomutt to stop Dick Dastardly from unleashing the ghost dog, Cerberus, upon the world. At the heart of this movie is a really nice examination of the bond between Shaggy and Scooby, how their friendship came to be and the bond they share now as a mystery-solving duo. The bond of loyalty and friendship between man and his dog is really lovingly handled throughout this feature; with Dick going to great lengths to open the underworld in order to save his dog Muttley and Shaggy sacrificing himself so that Scooby could live. I felt the emphasis placed on these relationships is what really lent this feature heart in scenes where it really counted. I enjoyed seeing some nostalgic references to classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons visually and the classic sound effects blended into the film was a creative stylistic touch.

Mark Wahlberg, who voiced Blue Falcon, was this larger than life charismatic superhero role who really wowed when he appeared onscreen; Wahlberg got to play a new hero who was still learning how to fill his predecessors shoes. Gina Rodriguez, who played Velma Dinkley, gives a very fresh take on this classic role; not only is Velma the smartest person in the group but she quickly establishes herself as more of an entertaining leader figure. Amanda Seyfried, who voiced Daphne Blake, is a really kind and compassionate role who forms strong bonds with other characters; Seyfried finds a strong positive side in Daphne making her role the heart of Mystery Inc. Ken Jeong, who voiced Dynomutt, gets to play to a more serious figure with this seasoned professional crimefighter canine; Jeong plays his character as highly skeptical of his new superhero partner (Wahlberg) and has to steadily come to accept the new hero into the fold. Frank Welker, who voiced Scooby-Doo, does a good job hitting all the notes of the title character; this film certainly throws more dialogue than Scooby would normally deliver but Welker still manages to find a way to present Scoob in a convincing and likeable manner. Iain Armitage, Mckenna Grace, Pierce Gagnon and Ariana Greenblatt, who voiced Young Shaggy, Young Daphne, Young Fred and Young Velma respectively, are a showcase of some of the best young talent in Hollywood right now; each of these young performers came together as a more recognisable Mystery Inc. than what the main story managed.

However, the best performance came from Jason Isaacs, who voiced Dick Dastardly. As far as main animated villains go Dick is supposed to be a classic mastermind caricature and you really feel like Isaacs had some fun playing to that. Everything that went into this role was unerringly sinister, he would lean into a darker tone and dealt some menacing lines throughout. I really enjoyed seeing how manipulative this character got, trying to trick the main characters and using a variety of disguises to achieve his schemes. This was a very grandiose villain with an inflated ego to boot, Isaacs played up the arrogance and self-confidence with Dastardly constantly which was a lot of fun to watch. The best thing about this performance that made it so fresh was that he had this dark exterior but was constantly playing to the subtext that he loved and missed his lost dog, Muttley; literally doing whatever it took to get him back.

The biggest thing that let this film down was just how busy it was, the fact that there were so many characters from the Hanna-Barbera era was great from a reference standpoint but terrible as a film. Suddenly what seemed like a simple Scooby-Doo movie became extremely busy with characters we didn't really know and weren't really being given enough information about. It didn't feel like the creators had enough confidence in the Mystery Inc. gang to hold down their own story, instead banking on a whole host of characters to push this bigger Scooby world. Really this film felt like a soft pitch to audiences, practically begging for the beginnings of a shared universe without ever really doing the leg work to earn it. The entire Cerberus story feels like it should be significant but this big event at the end of the film is pretty lacklustre when it starts unfolding, the softer character moments in the background landing more of an impact than the main plot itself. The animation for Scoob! really looks like some of Warner Animation's worst work yet in recent years, the level of background detail is seriously poor and the character models don't have much visual appeal. The soundtrack for this film doesn't really seem to be very connected, instead offering a bizarre mix of pop and hip hop that seems about as far removed from a Scooby-Doo film as you could get.

Will Forte, who voiced Shaggy Rogers, is one of the two leading performers for this feature and never manages to capture his character; Forte just doesn't the presence to lead the film and his wilting impression of Shaggy lets down the subplot around Shaggy and and Scooby's friendship. Zac Efron, who voiced Fred Jones, embodies all of the stupidity Fred can emanate and none of the leadership or charm; Efron's Fred feels like the character has been knocked out of him for the purpose of a few okay punchlines. Kiersey Clemons, who voiced Dee Dee Skyes, is the generic font for exposition in this feature; Clemons would pause the film to impart a heavy flow of explanation before resting in the background once more. Tracy Morgan, who voiced Captain Caveman, never really justifies his character being in this film either as a role or comedically; in this Captain Caveman blunders through quips in a setting that seems roughly forced into the story for the sake of his cameo. Simon Cowell, who played himself, gives a really disappointing cameo; as the surprise investor in this film Cowell's presence fails to further the plot, provide any laughs or deliver any shock value.

Extraction

This review may contain spoilers!

Beyond Thor, this has to be one of the best Chris Hemsworth roles I have ever seen. I would give Extraction an 8/10.

Extraction follows Tyler Rake, an elite Australian mercenary who accepts a suicidal extraction mission to rescue the son of a Mumbai drug lord from the clutches of his Dhaka rival. When the mission turns bad Tyler has half the city hunting him and an extraction window that is dwindling by the second. I was suitably impressed with gritty mercantile nature of this action-thriller, the first act grounds you in this world of the professional mercenary. These are all very human characters as the feature plays out but they react to combat and violence with impassivity and determination. The premise of these warring drug lords playing pawns off against one another is very well done and a lot of the significant characters are middle men fighting for these tycoons over the fate of the kid, Ovi. In particular, Saju's betrayal of the extraction team as a result of his boss not having enough money to pay them was one of the finer written moments of the feature. This film generates a conflict that is nothing but morally grey and no character emerges from this with their hands clean. It is a compelling fight to the end and I was hooked right up until the final shot. A very worthy mention for this film is the cinematography, the fluid nature in which the camera moves through combat with the intent of showing all aspects of what is occurring is phenomenal; not to mention the sheer number of carefully framed or unbroken tracking shots. The score for this feature is a melancholy one that suits the tone nicely, throughout the movie the music hits in like a despairing harbinger of death and it often enhances a number of key scenes.

Rudhraksh Jaiswal, who played Ovi Mahajan, was a great civilian counter to the mercenary lead of the film; Jaiswal had this ability of provoking these really emotional scenes in a genetle way that really took this feature to another level. Randeep Hooda, who played Saju, is a very desperate role torn between keeping his family safe and his loyalty to his drug lord boss; seeing Hooda tearfully bid farewell to his onscreen family one scene while viciously fighting tooth and claw through both forces he is up against is impressive. Pankaj Tripathi, who played Ovi Mahajan Sr., was an imposing drug lord figure who seethed menace throughout his scene; Tripathi presented a tyrant who was inclined to a warpath but impeded by the restrictions of his prison cell. Golshifteh Farahani, who played Nik Khan, was a calculating figure with a professional demeanour; Farahani was driven by the job and little more but as a commanding figure she worked her scenes beautifully. Priyanshu Painyuli, who played Amir Asif, is a very different criminal kingpin figure to that of Tripathi; Painyuli's crime lord is a cunning snake who wages his battle with intellect and strategy.

However, the best performance came from Chris Hemsworth, who played Tyler Rake. As a mercenary with extensive military experience Hemsworth's Rake is everything you could expect: a warrior in combat, impassive towards violence and other duties of the field and at all times driven towards his objective. Yet I liked seeing these walls slowly chip away naturally, moving towards his objective for the sake of the life he was protecting. When first we meet Rake, Hemsworth presents him as dishevelled, with little drive in his personal life and a significant substance abuse problem. Yet he was by all means a proficient operator and the best option for this job, even if it seemed the only reason he had taken it was to meet death. Yet as Hemsworth explored his role further, unveiling the cowardice Rake felt about fleeing from his son's death, his reasons for remaining in the op change. The journey to self-sacrifice we see Hemsworth take us through is powerful and one of the feats of his acting career.

The film did have some minor plot pitfalls, often around some of the more obvious subplots they introduced. The biggest glaring flaw was the betrayal from Gaspar, a former mercenary friend of Rake's who was called in to save his friend. The old friend coming in to save the day and turning to the side of the antagonists is a pretty played out trope and this film didn't go to any lengths to disguise that it was coming. The inevitable betrayal from Gaspar was one of the most boring moments from the film and lacked the creative spark it had been generating up until that point. Furthermore, the manner in which the film presented the opportunity for a sequel wasn't very necessary and took away from the impact of the greater story. The editing for Extraction also set a slower, rigid pace that didn't blend with the exemplary cinematography at all.

David Harbour, who played Gaspar, never really feels like he shows up to this movie; Harbour presents quite a domesticated ex-mercenary and not even his sudden betrayal of the main characters is enough to make his performance exciting.

Trolls World Tour

This review may contain spoilers!

You can expect a great soundtrack from these Trolls films but not much else to be frank. I would give Trolls World Tour a 4.5/10.

Trolls World Tour is the sequel to 2016's Trolls feature, reuniting us with 'Pop Trolls', Poppy and Branch, as they race to stop Barb the 'Rock Troll' from stealing all six of the musical strings. I think what this film really had going for it was an exploration on what is meant to be different, not just saying we should all be united as one but rather that we should celebrate difference. I felt this film managed a really complex narrative around the diversity and history of music and how that relates to our response to diversity and acceptance in real life. The soundtrack for this isn't quite as good as the first film but still totes some really excellent, covers, medleys, parodies and originals to enjoy.

Rachel Bloom, who voiced Barb, is an excellent antagonist for this sequel; she has a relentless drive and a degree of low self-esteem that makes her a strong foil for the protagonist, Poppy.

However, the best performance came from Anna Kendrick, who voiced Poppy. Both the first and second films have really lived and died on the central character of Poppy and how much energy Kendrick puts into voicing her. Poppy is such a vibrant voice with boundless optimism that really hooks you when she's onscreen. Poppy is this relentless character who believes in achieving the best from any situation. I liked that we got to see Poppy more as a nervous figure in this film, she wasn't confident about being a queen or even how to reconcile all the different Troll tribes. Making the main character of the film one who actually had to learn and understand the film's theme was a nice simple stroke of writing and performance I felt. As always Kendrick's singing is phenomenal and makes a number of the big songs in the soundtrack.

The story for this sequel starts pretty engaging at first but as the plot progresses it becomes abundantly apparent how little thought was really put into it. It's a very simple race between the good guys and the bad guys to collect the six different strings, and the antagonist's endgame to transform all the Trolls into 'rock-zombies' felt remarkably underwhelming. Beyond that the film ending this storyline with a note of 'the music is inside us all' felt very underwhelming considering how well explored the themes in the film had been explored up until this point. The random gags in this film were a lot more noticeable than in the first film but the quality of the comedy had dipped substantially. It was also pretty tough to see a romance subplot finally come to fruition between Poppy and Branch, the chemistry isn't really there and it is by far the blandest aspect of the script. The animation for this film doesn't ever really build off the first feature, in fact there is a lot of replication and repetition while also throwing in the occasional live-action animal for some weird attempt at comedy. Overall Trolls World Tour feels like an imitation of the first film at best; there is no surprise why this was rushed to digital rather than given a delayed release date.

Justin Timberlake, who voiced Branch, is a pretty monotonous protagonist when held up against Kendrick's strong performance; Timberlake never manages to find the chemistry between the pair in order to make the romance sub-plot half interesting. James Corden, who voiced Biggie, takes on just about any voice acting role and puts the same degree of effort into each one; Corden deadpans a number of lame jokes throughout this piece and doesn't serve the story beyond that. Ron Funches, who voiced Cooper, is given more responsibility than he can really manage in the shape of his own sub-plot this film; Funches doesn't have a voice that lends itself to the deep thematic exploration his role was at the centre of. Kelly Clarkson, who voiced Delta Dawn, isn't very interesting as the morose leader of the Country Trolls; Clarkson's heavy Southern accent and melancholy singing are just generic and fall flat. Sam Rockwell, who voiced Hickory, is a fantastic live action performer but hasn't found a strong role here in the voice acting medium; Rockwell's character is meant to be all charm yet lacks personality in the same manner as Timberlake's role. Kenan Thompson and Kunal Nayyar, who voiced Tiny Diamond and Guy Diamond respectively, are some of the ensemble voice cast with the worst comedic performances I had to hear; the weird Dad/baby relationship felt like a half-baked idea that never really found it's punchline. Walt Dohrn, who voiced King Peppy, loses all the personality Tambor brought to the character in the first film; Dohrn reduces what was one of the actual good characters to a role that spouts boring exposition the audience will swiftly lose interest in.

Onward

This review may contain spoilers!

A bright sparkling adventure and a beautiful story about the relationship between two brothers. I would give Onward an 8.5/10.

Onward takes to a modern world that is not too dissimilar from our own, only populated with fantasy creatures who no longer rely upon magic due to the convenience of technology. Our story follows Ian and Barley Lightfoot, brother elves who discover a magical staff that offers them the opportunity to reunite with their deceased father for one day. The spell goes awry and the brothers are forced to embark upon an epic quest, the likes of which hasn't occurred in years. The charm and strength of this film is the relationship between Ian and Barley, the brotherly bond that the narrative lives and dies upon. This pair lean on each other for support throughout the film and obstacles they face are surpassed through how one aids the other. It's a really beautiful message about the interwoven connection of family and how through mutual care family raises one another up. Barley is the sort of character who can be quite reckless and immature but he sacrifices a lot for the sake of his brother, becoming a pillar of support throughout the film. While Ian is more of a nervous role who lacks self-esteem and gains more self-confidence through his brother pushing and encouraging him. The writer also did a brilliant job of designing a dynamic fantasy/modern world; you really buy into how a society founded around magic has adapted and changed into something quite similar to our own. I enjoyed seeing a number of characters discover the magic they could still possess if they worked for it throughout the film, it felt like a strong message to deliver about what we can achieve if we look for it. The animation style is really vibrant, blending a wide colour palette and unique designs for the varying characters to create a world you will simply fall into. The score for the film isn't the most inspired Disney/Pixar composition I've ever heard, but it still has a few significant tracks throughout that are worth noting and enhance the emotional weight of the scene.

Tom Holland, who voiced Ian Lightfoot, is perfect as the films protagonist; he really seeks out the moments where his character is morose or uncertain and presents them in a way you can really connect with. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who voiced Laurel Lightfoot, is quite entertaining as the comedic yet supportive parent figure in our protagonists' lives; Louis-Dreyfuss clearly has a lot of fun with her character's reckless side quest to save her kids. Octavia Spencer, who voiced The Manticore, is extremely funny as the overworked, highly strung restaurant/inn owner when first we meet her; Spencer showing the spiral her character goes down as she discovers the joy of the old ways is a great deal of fun to see. Kyle Bornheimer, who voiced Wilden Lightfoot, is a really strong introduction to this film; he presents the magic of the narrative in a way that is personal and hooks you almost immediately. Lena Waithe, who voiced Officer Spector, is an animated cop who is incredibly competent at her job; Waithe presents the suspicion and skill that come with her character's law enforcement instincts quite well.

However, the best performance came from Chris Pratt, who voiced Barley Lightfoot. Barley is this rambunctious character who is obsessed with the old ways of magic and adventure, an expert in role-playing games and the heritage of his surroundings. However, Pratt does a good job of presenting his role as a somewhat irresponsible jokester, not always thinking before speaking and stumbling into trouble he doesn't mean to find himself in. Barley goes through a lot of growing in this film and the confession of his fear when he saw his sick father as a child is a powerful scene that reminds us of that. I really have to praise how Pratt depicted his role as this pillar of support, a character who never once stopped showing unconditional love and care for his onscreen sibling.

Onward is another stellar must-watch from Disney/Pixar but it isn't without a few pitfalls, the chief of these being around predictability. The film clearly sets out the adventure styled narrative it wants to seek out from the get go and unfortunately because it never really veers from the beaten path none of the narrative beats are very surprising. The film often affirms exactly what it intends to do long before actually executing it, so what you see is exactly what you will get. The main characters never really face any real conflict or struggle outside of that within their sibling relationship, none of the 'dangers' they face actually seem threatening. I think directly of the curse dragon antagonist right at the end of the film being quite the underwhelming menace to pit our heroes against.

Mel Rodriguez, who voiced Colt Bronco, is one of the characters in the film who tends to play scenes up a bit too much and often gets melodramatic; Rodriguez as a step-father to the main roles doesn't connect at all and he is only useful when the film needs a punchline.