Having never seen the show I was actually surprised by how well of a stand alone film this turned out to be. It did a decent job of setting up the characters and relaying the information about where the show left off. I enjoy a good whodunit movie and this was just that. I could tell from the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience in my theater that the film paid enough fan-service to the fan-base as well, and seemed to wrap up the storyline nicely for everyone.

3 Stars (out of 5)

This is a well-paced, perfectly acted, and optimistic bio-pic set during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Mathew McConaughey does a bang-up job here, which would have been almost inconceivable just a few years ago, when all he was doing was terrible rom-coms with no soul. Jared Leto almost steals the show with his insane method acting style and Jennifer Garner does a good job not acting exactly the same as she normally does in all her films, but scene after scene it was McConaughey that was always the strongest. Alright, alright, alright.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

A fun kid's movie and a beautiful ode to the best toy ever invented. It manages to balance being entertaining, bringing a positive message to the audience, and including enough inside jokes and homages that a second viewing is required. The message of the film seems to be about not always following the directions and allowing ourselves to be as creative as we want, even if all we can come up with is a double-decker couch.

I only wish the Lego company could take this advice themselves. Every time I look down the Lego aisle at my favorite toy store I see endless kits with franchise tie-ins and stringent building plans. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to find a decent tub of just basic blocks nowadays with Star Wars, Spongebob, and Harry Potter taking up all the shelf-space. It's hard for kids to be creative when building from an already preconceived world.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

While this is a fun and often times moving film, I worry it is exactly the sort of thing P.L. Travers would have frowned upon, turning her personal story into a fanciful caricature for commercial gain. I'll admit I smiled and laughed, and even cried while watching, and it was well-worth a watch, but during the end credits they play actual audio recordings of Mrs. Travers making her "crazy" demands back in the writing room, and it all made me feel a little dirty. It's as if the filmmakers are trying to say, see, we're not even making this stuff up! And we the audience are meant to laugh at how ridicules she was being. Laugh at a real woman trying to do her best to keep her legacy from being mocked by future generations. The irony is not lost on me.

All in all though the film does help remind us all the joy the Mary Poppins film has brought to many people over the last half-century, including myself. If it happens to sell more Mary Poppins Blurays in the process for Disney, then I suppose it's a win-win for everyone. And it might even mean another Oscar for the deserving and always entertaining Emma Thompson.

3 Stars (out of 5)

Finally a Disney animated feature that's a true musical again! The songs were well-written, beautifully performed, and spaced out evenly throughout the film. Bravo to Disney for remembering what made the films of the Disney Renaissance special. Frozen has a complicated and somewhat less conventional plot for a Disney film, especially for one with princesses. Building on the themes of individuality in Tangled and Brave, Frozen is much less about romance with a handsome prince to solve all your problems and more about staying true to yourself as the real way to true happiness. Plus, don't ever take advice from trolls.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

This film looks tremendously better than Disney's recent works. Tangled, Bolt, and even Wreck it Ralph don't come close to the richly textured world of Frozen. Also, it's rare to see a widescreen format animated film, but it really added an epic feel to everything and the 3D was used tastefully bringing the rich backgrounds to life. In other words, now that Pixar is waning it looks like Disney is ready to pick up the slack. As long as someone fires their trailer cutting staff!

While I could definitely tell the budget was higher this time and the director seemed more competent I wouldn't say the film is any better than the first. It suffers from being the middle story of a trilogy. As it goes on you realize this is all just a long set-up for the next film(s). Jennifer Lawrence is good, as always, but there isn't much for her to show off her range except for a few short emotional outbursts. Regardless of these films' somewhat lackluster feel I'm still very interested in the story and cannot wait for the next one so they're doing something right. At least they got rid of the obnoxious shaky camera work this time.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

If only DC could learn from the Marvel movies. Here is a fun superhero movie that knows you don't have to be dark, serious, and three hours long to be good. This is a colorful fun romp of a film that does a good job of not taking itself too serious. Unlike the first Thor this one manages to balance the comedy and more serious moments more seamlessly. I really enjoy the Marvel movies but I never see the same one twice. With new ones coming out twice a year there's not enough time to re-visit the old ones on Bluray.

I'm not a fan of the TV show though. You have to draw the line somewhere.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)