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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Matrix Resurrections (2021) in Movies
Dec 25, 2021 (Updated Dec 30, 2021)
Before watching The Matrix Resurrections, I was pretty much in the mindset that it didn't need to exist. The finished product did nothing to change my mind, however, it was entertaining enough that I genuinely enjoyed being back in this universe for another spin.
The whole narrative kind of felt inconsequential. Whereas in the original trilogy, Neo was woken up to save humanity. This time round, he's woken up for reasons that aren't made clear whatsoever, or at least, if they were then I completely missed them. By the time the story concludes, I found myself thinking "that was cool, but did anything actually happen?"
Like so many franchises these days, Resurrections leans heavily into nostalgia territory. I'm indifferent to this in all honesty. I see why some take issue with it, but I don't hate it. It doesn't feel too over the top, but the movie tries to get away with it by including a lot of meta dialogue about sequels and reboots. Some if it lands, some of it is horrifically on the nose. All of this combined really gives the impression that Resurrections purely exists to make money. The original sequels are riddled with issues, but at least it felt like a story was being told.
All of this being said, I still had a damn good time. It's a pleasure to see Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back together, and it successfully hammers home that The Matrix was always centered around the love between Neo and Trinity. The supporting cast ain't too shabby either. Jessica Henwick is great, as is Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Neil Patrick Harris. The action scenes don't quite reach iconic status, but are still a blast to watch unfold, and the whole thing is visually pleasing, as is expected.
Resurrections is ultimately a mixed bag. There's plenty of material to enjoy, but there's equally a whole bunch of ideas that aren't executed particularly well. Unfortunately for any films that followed, the original movie is pretty much untouchable, but to its credit, Resurrections doesn't flinch in its commitment to remain part of a layered sci-fi saga, despite its blockbuster status, and for that, I can respect what Lana Wachowski has cooked up, even if it feels a little shallow at times.
The whole narrative kind of felt inconsequential. Whereas in the original trilogy, Neo was woken up to save humanity. This time round, he's woken up for reasons that aren't made clear whatsoever, or at least, if they were then I completely missed them. By the time the story concludes, I found myself thinking "that was cool, but did anything actually happen?"
Like so many franchises these days, Resurrections leans heavily into nostalgia territory. I'm indifferent to this in all honesty. I see why some take issue with it, but I don't hate it. It doesn't feel too over the top, but the movie tries to get away with it by including a lot of meta dialogue about sequels and reboots. Some if it lands, some of it is horrifically on the nose. All of this combined really gives the impression that Resurrections purely exists to make money. The original sequels are riddled with issues, but at least it felt like a story was being told.
All of this being said, I still had a damn good time. It's a pleasure to see Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back together, and it successfully hammers home that The Matrix was always centered around the love between Neo and Trinity. The supporting cast ain't too shabby either. Jessica Henwick is great, as is Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Neil Patrick Harris. The action scenes don't quite reach iconic status, but are still a blast to watch unfold, and the whole thing is visually pleasing, as is expected.
Resurrections is ultimately a mixed bag. There's plenty of material to enjoy, but there's equally a whole bunch of ideas that aren't executed particularly well. Unfortunately for any films that followed, the original movie is pretty much untouchable, but to its credit, Resurrections doesn't flinch in its commitment to remain part of a layered sci-fi saga, despite its blockbuster status, and for that, I can respect what Lana Wachowski has cooked up, even if it feels a little shallow at times.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Crushingly Mediocre
I’d read the bad reviews, but thought “Hey, it’s Tom Cruise – how bad could it be?” The answer is, “Pretty bad”.
It’s an ominous sign when a film starts with a voice-over (even if done by the sonorous tones of Russell Crowe). Regular readers of this blog will know I generally abhor voice-overs: it invariably belies a belief by the scriptwriters that they think the audience are too damn stupid to join up the plot-dots themselves. Here we portentously walk through the ancient Egyptian backstory of princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella, “Kingsman: The Secret Service“; “Star Trek Beyond“) cursed to become the titular Mummy. We then skip forward to the present day and the film settles down, promisingly enough, with scavenging adventurer Nick Morton (Cruise, in Indiana Jones mode), discovering a lost Egyptian temple in war-torn modern-day Mesopotamia that for the sake of the world should have stayed lost.
But after an impressive plane crash (with zero G scenes filmed for real in a “Vomit Comet”) the plot dissolves into a completely incoherent mush. With B-movie lines forcing B-movie acting performances, the film lurches from plot crisis to plot crisis in a similar manner to the comically lurching undead Zombie-like creatures that Ahmanet has sucked the life out of. (After 110 minutes of this, I know how they feel!)
What were actors of this calibre doing in this mess? When I first saw the trailer for this, and saw that Cruise was in it, I thought this felt like an unusual career misstep for the megastar. After seeing the film, I’m even more mystified. Nick Morton is supposed to be an immoral bad guy. Immoral bad guy?? Tom Cruise?? Nope, you lost the audience on that one in the first ten minutes. Cruise, who is STILL only a year younger than I am (damn him, for real!) is still in great shape and must spend ALL his time in the gym. There must be a time soon coming though where he gets to a “Roger Moore in View to a Kill” moment where these action hero roles just no longer become credible anymore.
And what was Russell Crowe, as a famous / infamous (yes, both!) doctor from literature doing in this? His character’s involvement in the plot was almost completely inconsequential. In fact his ‘affliction’ only serves as a coincidental diversion (how convenient!) for bad Mummy-related action to happen. His character has no backstory and seems to serve only as a backbone for Universal’s “Dark Universe” franchise that this movie is supposed to launch. (Good luck with that Universal after this stinker!) Surely it would have made more sense to have the first film in the series to be the origins story for Crowe’s character and the organisation he sets up. This would have made far more sense.
Annabelle Wallis, who is sweet and “only” 22 years his junior, plays Cruise’s love interest in the film and equips herself well, given the material she has to play with. However (after “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword“) she must be kicking herself for not picking the ‘right’ summer blockbusters for her CV.
The main culprit here is the plot, which again is mystifying given that the writing team includes David Koepp (“Jurassic Park”; “Mission Impossible”); Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects”, “Edge of Tomorrow“) and Jon Spaihts (“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation“, “Doctor Strange“). A poor script can sometimes be salvaged by a good director, but here we have Alex Kurtzman, who has only one other directing credit to his name. And I’m afraid it shows. All round, not a good day at the office.
Brian Tyler did the music (aside from the Danny Elfman opening “Dark Universe” fanfare) but it comprises what I would term “running and jumping music”, with few discernible leitmotifs for the characters breaking through.
“Was that supposed to be funny?” My wife’s reaction after the film sums up that this really is a bit of a stinker. Best avoided.
It’s an ominous sign when a film starts with a voice-over (even if done by the sonorous tones of Russell Crowe). Regular readers of this blog will know I generally abhor voice-overs: it invariably belies a belief by the scriptwriters that they think the audience are too damn stupid to join up the plot-dots themselves. Here we portentously walk through the ancient Egyptian backstory of princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella, “Kingsman: The Secret Service“; “Star Trek Beyond“) cursed to become the titular Mummy. We then skip forward to the present day and the film settles down, promisingly enough, with scavenging adventurer Nick Morton (Cruise, in Indiana Jones mode), discovering a lost Egyptian temple in war-torn modern-day Mesopotamia that for the sake of the world should have stayed lost.
But after an impressive plane crash (with zero G scenes filmed for real in a “Vomit Comet”) the plot dissolves into a completely incoherent mush. With B-movie lines forcing B-movie acting performances, the film lurches from plot crisis to plot crisis in a similar manner to the comically lurching undead Zombie-like creatures that Ahmanet has sucked the life out of. (After 110 minutes of this, I know how they feel!)
What were actors of this calibre doing in this mess? When I first saw the trailer for this, and saw that Cruise was in it, I thought this felt like an unusual career misstep for the megastar. After seeing the film, I’m even more mystified. Nick Morton is supposed to be an immoral bad guy. Immoral bad guy?? Tom Cruise?? Nope, you lost the audience on that one in the first ten minutes. Cruise, who is STILL only a year younger than I am (damn him, for real!) is still in great shape and must spend ALL his time in the gym. There must be a time soon coming though where he gets to a “Roger Moore in View to a Kill” moment where these action hero roles just no longer become credible anymore.
And what was Russell Crowe, as a famous / infamous (yes, both!) doctor from literature doing in this? His character’s involvement in the plot was almost completely inconsequential. In fact his ‘affliction’ only serves as a coincidental diversion (how convenient!) for bad Mummy-related action to happen. His character has no backstory and seems to serve only as a backbone for Universal’s “Dark Universe” franchise that this movie is supposed to launch. (Good luck with that Universal after this stinker!) Surely it would have made more sense to have the first film in the series to be the origins story for Crowe’s character and the organisation he sets up. This would have made far more sense.
Annabelle Wallis, who is sweet and “only” 22 years his junior, plays Cruise’s love interest in the film and equips herself well, given the material she has to play with. However (after “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword“) she must be kicking herself for not picking the ‘right’ summer blockbusters for her CV.
The main culprit here is the plot, which again is mystifying given that the writing team includes David Koepp (“Jurassic Park”; “Mission Impossible”); Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects”, “Edge of Tomorrow“) and Jon Spaihts (“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation“, “Doctor Strange“). A poor script can sometimes be salvaged by a good director, but here we have Alex Kurtzman, who has only one other directing credit to his name. And I’m afraid it shows. All round, not a good day at the office.
Brian Tyler did the music (aside from the Danny Elfman opening “Dark Universe” fanfare) but it comprises what I would term “running and jumping music”, with few discernible leitmotifs for the characters breaking through.
“Was that supposed to be funny?” My wife’s reaction after the film sums up that this really is a bit of a stinker. Best avoided.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Extraordinary X-Men, Vol 1: X-Haven in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night of the Living Trekkies in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Not as imaginative or funny as I'd hoped, <u>Night of the Living Trekkies</u> was still a fun read, some may even call it a brainless read. As far as zombie stories go, this doesn't cover any new territory, but that's where Star Trek helps the book out. Chock full of references, storyline parallels, and chapters named after episodes, it's clear this is devoted to Star Trek fans, whether they be Trekkies or Trekkers. The authors clearly know what they're writing about and lovingly poke fun at Star Trek and its fans. There's even some Star Wars love thrown in for good measure, and not with the usual rivalry between the two either.
In order to fully enjoy this book, I think it is essential that readers have a passable knowledge of the Star Trek universe, like zombies, and appreciate pulp, or at least have two of those three; otherwise, I can't imagine this would appeal to anyone outside of those factors. Overall, I had a good time with <u>Night of the Living Trekkies</u>, there were moments that made me laugh-out-loud (I especially liked the tale of the "Red Shirts") and though it's predictable, the story was well-told, and at around 250 pages, it's a very easy read. Readers could do worse than to pick up this book; what you see on the awesome cover is pretty much what you get on the inside: pure, pulpy entertainment that's well-envisioned and could easily be made into a movie.
3.5 Warp Speed
This has one of the best trailers I've ever seen, certainly the best book trailer:
Not part of the book at all but definitely goes along with it: http://molitorious.blogspot.com/2009/06/zombie-trek.html
In order to fully enjoy this book, I think it is essential that readers have a passable knowledge of the Star Trek universe, like zombies, and appreciate pulp, or at least have two of those three; otherwise, I can't imagine this would appeal to anyone outside of those factors. Overall, I had a good time with <u>Night of the Living Trekkies</u>, there were moments that made me laugh-out-loud (I especially liked the tale of the "Red Shirts") and though it's predictable, the story was well-told, and at around 250 pages, it's a very easy read. Readers could do worse than to pick up this book; what you see on the awesome cover is pretty much what you get on the inside: pure, pulpy entertainment that's well-envisioned and could easily be made into a movie.
3.5 Warp Speed
This has one of the best trailers I've ever seen, certainly the best book trailer:
Not part of the book at all but definitely goes along with it: http://molitorious.blogspot.com/2009/06/zombie-trek.html
David McK (3425 KP) rated Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The New Republic, Vol. 2 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
One of the biggest casualties to come out of Disney's acquisisiton of LucasArts back in 2012 was the abolition of the old 'Expanded Universe' content: suddenly, all those connected stories, comics and video-games were no longer considered in-canon; no longer relevant.
While understandable in light of their plans to create new movies (of which we have had one so far - 'The Force Awakens' - with another off-shoot to come this year in 'Rogue One') my sense is that there was a bit of a back-lash to this (hence the reason for these 'Legends Epic collections'): I'm even guilty of it myself a bit, in that I would quite have liked to see a movie based on either [a: Timothy Zahn|12479|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1215545810p2/12479.jpg]'s [b: Heir to the Empire|216443|Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398253847s/216443.jpg|1133995] trilogy, or even on any of the X-Wing books/comics.
It's those comics that comprise this collection, which consists of the following stories:
X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1-3
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: The Phantom Affair (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: Battleground: Tattoine (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Warrior Princess (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron Special
as well as some content from 'Star Wars Tales' #12 and #23
As this is a compilation of such, the art style is not consistent throughout (although it is consistent in-story: I found some tales to have better, clearer art than others. I'm also somewhat surprised that the left out those stories connected to Baron Soontir Fel in this collection!
While understandable in light of their plans to create new movies (of which we have had one so far - 'The Force Awakens' - with another off-shoot to come this year in 'Rogue One') my sense is that there was a bit of a back-lash to this (hence the reason for these 'Legends Epic collections'): I'm even guilty of it myself a bit, in that I would quite have liked to see a movie based on either [a: Timothy Zahn|12479|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1215545810p2/12479.jpg]'s [b: Heir to the Empire|216443|Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398253847s/216443.jpg|1133995] trilogy, or even on any of the X-Wing books/comics.
It's those comics that comprise this collection, which consists of the following stories:
X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1-3
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: The Phantom Affair (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: Battleground: Tattoine (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Warrior Princess (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron Special
as well as some content from 'Star Wars Tales' #12 and #23
As this is a compilation of such, the art style is not consistent throughout (although it is consistent in-story: I found some tales to have better, clearer art than others. I'm also somewhat surprised that the left out those stories connected to Baron Soontir Fel in this collection!
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Honestly I think I'm still recovering from the midnight screening, but it was well worth going to. Lots of fans showed up. A real mix across the board, had a lot of banter with them. Slightly disappointed with some that left before the end of the credits... seriously... you should know by now.
I don't want to really give spoilers so this is going to be brief.
I was basically in shock from about minute three of the film right through to the end.
One bit really made me cry, and that annoyed me.
I laughed a lot.
Everyone loves a pirate angel baby.
The atmosphere in the cinema was incredible and it really upped the enjoyment of the film for me. Yes, that is fairly tricky to do as it was already right up there, but there's no denying that it was way better with all those reactions. I was buzzing when I left the cinema at 3am, as was everyone else.
The only thing I would say is that I'm not really sure why people were coming out and acting so shocked... they know what films are in the pipeline and who is signed up for more films... and there's still part two to come... yes, I died a little bit inside by the end of the movie, but you know the outcome for some of the characters. Take a breath and enjoy everything.
Minor off topic (sort of) annoyance... another film with a trailer full of things that you don't see, or don't see quite the same, in the film.
Honestly I think I'm still recovering from the midnight screening, but it was well worth going to. Lots of fans showed up. A real mix across the board, had a lot of banter with them. Slightly disappointed with some that left before the end of the credits... seriously... you should know by now.
I don't want to really give spoilers so this is going to be brief.
I was basically in shock from about minute three of the film right through to the end.
One bit really made me cry, and that annoyed me.
I laughed a lot.
Everyone loves a pirate angel baby.
The atmosphere in the cinema was incredible and it really upped the enjoyment of the film for me. Yes, that is fairly tricky to do as it was already right up there, but there's no denying that it was way better with all those reactions. I was buzzing when I left the cinema at 3am, as was everyone else.
The only thing I would say is that I'm not really sure why people were coming out and acting so shocked... they know what films are in the pipeline and who is signed up for more films... and there's still part two to come... yes, I died a little bit inside by the end of the movie, but you know the outcome for some of the characters. Take a breath and enjoy everything.
Minor off topic (sort of) annoyance... another film with a trailer full of things that you don't see, or don't see quite the same, in the film.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Oct 1, 2019
A glimmer of hope
Contains spoilers, click to show
After a fleeting visit in Batman vs Superman (bleugh), my hopes weren't high for Wonder Woman.
But as everyone knows, it's actually pretty good.
One of the main problems with BvS is that it felt rushed, like Warner Bros were trying to pack in as much as they could in a short amount of time to establish a far reaching movie universe. Wonder Woman is a perfect example of why they should be concentrating on standalone movies first.
Given a full film to shine, Gal Gadot is a great fit as DCs First Lady. The time devoted to her backstory makes you care for her, and her surrounding team mates.
Gadot, and Chris Pine make a duo worth rooting for.
The story being set in wartime is used to great effect. The scene where Diana steps out into No Man's Land is nothing short of breathtaking. The visuals used throughout are great, and the script is a vast improvement on what we've had so far. There are no silly gimmicks like with Suicide Squad, just a good solid superhero adventure, with a good solid lead.
Wonder Woman falls apart at the final hurdle however. After Danny Huston (who is just sort of there) is set up to be Ares, it is revealed that David Thewlis' character is in fact Ares, and what follows is a climatic battle that is a dodgy CGI overload.
I have no problem with David Thewlis playing Ares, but his little mustache peeking out from underneath his Ares war helmet looks absolutely ridiculous.
But honestly, with the exception of the last 15 minutes, director Patty Jenkins has done a pretty decent job of bringing Wonder Woman to life. It's stands alongside Shazam! in terms of quality, and I'm actually looking forward to the upcoming sequel!
But as everyone knows, it's actually pretty good.
One of the main problems with BvS is that it felt rushed, like Warner Bros were trying to pack in as much as they could in a short amount of time to establish a far reaching movie universe. Wonder Woman is a perfect example of why they should be concentrating on standalone movies first.
Given a full film to shine, Gal Gadot is a great fit as DCs First Lady. The time devoted to her backstory makes you care for her, and her surrounding team mates.
Gadot, and Chris Pine make a duo worth rooting for.
The story being set in wartime is used to great effect. The scene where Diana steps out into No Man's Land is nothing short of breathtaking. The visuals used throughout are great, and the script is a vast improvement on what we've had so far. There are no silly gimmicks like with Suicide Squad, just a good solid superhero adventure, with a good solid lead.
Wonder Woman falls apart at the final hurdle however. After Danny Huston (who is just sort of there) is set up to be Ares, it is revealed that David Thewlis' character is in fact Ares, and what follows is a climatic battle that is a dodgy CGI overload.
I have no problem with David Thewlis playing Ares, but his little mustache peeking out from underneath his Ares war helmet looks absolutely ridiculous.
But honestly, with the exception of the last 15 minutes, director Patty Jenkins has done a pretty decent job of bringing Wonder Woman to life. It's stands alongside Shazam! in terms of quality, and I'm actually looking forward to the upcoming sequel!
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Zombicide Season 3: Rue Morgue is a cooperative game set in an action-movie universe for 1 to 12...
Lee (2222 KP) rated Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (2020) in Movies
Sep 2, 2020
Like being back with old friends....
Tenet? I’m sorry, no, THIS was actually the biggest movie release of last week. Well, it is when you’re currently having to isolate at home and cannot go to the cinema for a few weeks. Despite that, I was actually way more excited for this to hit Disney+ this morning than a man my age probably should have been, and I have been for sometime, since it was first announced. I even managed to convince my daughter to get up early and watch with me, recreating those wonderful days when we both used to get up bright and early on a Saturday morning and sit and watch back to back episodes.
For the uninitiated, Phineas and Ferb are two step-brothers who spend their summer holiday coming up with highly elaborate ways to occupy every day, usually resulting in some wacky adventures and an extremely frustrated sister, Candace. Candace is forever trying to bust the boys and get their mum to catch them in the act, only to fail every time as some last second incident conveniently erases any evidence. Oh, and they also have a pet platypus called Perry, who without their knowledge works as an agent for a secret animal organisation, trying each episode to thwart the latest evil scheme hatched by Dr Doofenshmirtz. It’s very funny, features some incredibly catchy songs, and is just an extremely well written show for both kids and adults to enjoy. Running for four seasons, and racking up over 200 episodes before ending in 2015, the show also spawned a number of crossover specials involving Marvel and Star Wars.
Candace against the universe is the second feature length Phineas and Ferb movie and opens with Candace, lamenting the sad fact that no matter what she does, she never manages to successfully bust her brothers. All of this is delivered in the form of a song, and acts as a nostalgic reminder of some of the crazy inventions and adventures the boys have been involved in over the course of the series. The song ends with another perfect chance for Candace to bust the boys, who are currently enjoying themselves with their friends in the back garden. But of course, she fails. After heading out to the front of the house, and meeting up with friend Vanessa, she spots an alien spaceship. Believing her brothers to be behind it somehow, she and Vanessa are sucked up inside, before taking off and shooting up into the sky.
The boys see Candace flying away in the ship, and after photographing the alien license plate, are able to quickly identify where she’s headed (as you do…). They round up the gang and quickly rustle up a portal in their back garden (as you do…), in order to jump to the planet where Candace is being taken. The portal takes them via Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc, where they pick up Heinz Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus (unknowingly), before heading off in a spaceship of their own. When they do catch up with Candace, they discover that she is being hailed as ‘the chosen one’ by the alien race that captured her. But does the queen of the planet have a more sinister reason for bringing Candace all this way?
It’s fair to say that, unless you’re already a fan of the show, you’re unlikely to have any interest whatsoever in watching Candace Against the Universe. For fans of the show though, this is a wonderful trip down memory lane, unless you’ve already spent all of lockdown recently catching up on all of the episodes on Disney+, and it feels so good to be back in the company of such wonderful characters. There’s a lot of comfort to be had from the running gags and themes of the episode format of the show, and the only thing I found with this movie, and the crossover shows, is that they end up feeling like a dragged out episode at times, tending to sag a little around the middle.
It’s a very minor complaint though. The songs are as good as ever, including a song from Doofenshmirtz about ‘adulting’, and the humour is still smart and on point, although Buford does tend to get some of the funnier lines in my opinion. And when Buford gets ridiculed for bringing a canoe with him on their trip to the alien planet, and Doofenshmirtz gets laughed at for inventing something as stupid as a “Chicken Replace-inator” – basically a gun which swaps whatever you fire at with the nearest chicken – you just know they’re working on delivering us some great gags later on throughout the movie. And obviously, Perry the Platypus gets to save the day as usual, and without anyone even realising it. It’s like being back in the company of old friends. Fingers crossed that this isn’t the last we see of Phineas, Ferb and the gang.
For the uninitiated, Phineas and Ferb are two step-brothers who spend their summer holiday coming up with highly elaborate ways to occupy every day, usually resulting in some wacky adventures and an extremely frustrated sister, Candace. Candace is forever trying to bust the boys and get their mum to catch them in the act, only to fail every time as some last second incident conveniently erases any evidence. Oh, and they also have a pet platypus called Perry, who without their knowledge works as an agent for a secret animal organisation, trying each episode to thwart the latest evil scheme hatched by Dr Doofenshmirtz. It’s very funny, features some incredibly catchy songs, and is just an extremely well written show for both kids and adults to enjoy. Running for four seasons, and racking up over 200 episodes before ending in 2015, the show also spawned a number of crossover specials involving Marvel and Star Wars.
Candace against the universe is the second feature length Phineas and Ferb movie and opens with Candace, lamenting the sad fact that no matter what she does, she never manages to successfully bust her brothers. All of this is delivered in the form of a song, and acts as a nostalgic reminder of some of the crazy inventions and adventures the boys have been involved in over the course of the series. The song ends with another perfect chance for Candace to bust the boys, who are currently enjoying themselves with their friends in the back garden. But of course, she fails. After heading out to the front of the house, and meeting up with friend Vanessa, she spots an alien spaceship. Believing her brothers to be behind it somehow, she and Vanessa are sucked up inside, before taking off and shooting up into the sky.
The boys see Candace flying away in the ship, and after photographing the alien license plate, are able to quickly identify where she’s headed (as you do…). They round up the gang and quickly rustle up a portal in their back garden (as you do…), in order to jump to the planet where Candace is being taken. The portal takes them via Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc, where they pick up Heinz Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus (unknowingly), before heading off in a spaceship of their own. When they do catch up with Candace, they discover that she is being hailed as ‘the chosen one’ by the alien race that captured her. But does the queen of the planet have a more sinister reason for bringing Candace all this way?
It’s fair to say that, unless you’re already a fan of the show, you’re unlikely to have any interest whatsoever in watching Candace Against the Universe. For fans of the show though, this is a wonderful trip down memory lane, unless you’ve already spent all of lockdown recently catching up on all of the episodes on Disney+, and it feels so good to be back in the company of such wonderful characters. There’s a lot of comfort to be had from the running gags and themes of the episode format of the show, and the only thing I found with this movie, and the crossover shows, is that they end up feeling like a dragged out episode at times, tending to sag a little around the middle.
It’s a very minor complaint though. The songs are as good as ever, including a song from Doofenshmirtz about ‘adulting’, and the humour is still smart and on point, although Buford does tend to get some of the funnier lines in my opinion. And when Buford gets ridiculed for bringing a canoe with him on their trip to the alien planet, and Doofenshmirtz gets laughed at for inventing something as stupid as a “Chicken Replace-inator” – basically a gun which swaps whatever you fire at with the nearest chicken – you just know they’re working on delivering us some great gags later on throughout the movie. And obviously, Perry the Platypus gets to save the day as usual, and without anyone even realising it. It’s like being back in the company of old friends. Fingers crossed that this isn’t the last we see of Phineas, Ferb and the gang.