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Love, Death & Robots
Love, Death & Robots
2019 | Action, Animation, Comedy
Unique And Visceral Experience
Love, Death, & Robots is an adult animated anthology tv series on Netflix. The series is produced by Joshua Donen, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller, and Tim Miller. Each of the 18 episodes released on the first season was animated by different crews from a range of countries. It's also a re-imagining of 1981 animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Topher Grace, Gary Cole, Samira Wiley, and Stefan Kapicic.


Produced by different casts and crews, and consisting of 18 stand-alone episodes, each under 20 minutes, the title of the series refers to the recurring themes of love, death, and robots in each episode. Full of terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy, it's a collection of animated short stories spanning several genres like horror, comedy, fantasy, and science fiction. Captivating stories come to life with world-class animation in a plethora of tales unlike anything else.


This series was wicked awesome. Reminded me of some of the other animated anthologies I've seen such as The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, except quite a bit more NSFW. This series also gave me a Twilight Zone vibe but bit darker. More blood and guts and highly sexual. Even though it's pretty graphic, I really liked a lot of the stories they told and the twists that most had in the end as well. Some are kind of hit or miss or just better than others but I think that there is definitely something for everyone despite the gore and nudity and language. I especially enjoyed the following episodes, 1. Sonnie's Edge, 8. Good Hunting, 10. Shape-Shifters, 13. Lucky 13, and 18. Secret War. The way they went about the story telling and world building in each episode was phenomenal. I really feel that some of these episodes deserve their own individual films or series to do them better justice. I mean some were just so good and less than 20 minutes felt like not enough or that they could have been even better. I give the entire series overall a 9/10.
  
The Grinch (2018)
The Grinch (2018)
2018 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
After watching The Grinch my heart grew three times.

This is the first time that I've ever encountered The Grinch... yes, ever. Apart from calling people a grinch when they moan about Christmas. Never read the book, never seen previous incarnations. I really don't know how.

I'm really pleased that this film was good. After most of Secret Life Of Pets and all of Sing I was starting to lose faith in Illumination. This is a much better offering and genuinely a nice film. It's funny, it's thoughtful and it's Christmassy all rolled into one.

Despite the film being called The Grinch the stars of the show were Max and Fred. Max shows you just how happy a dog can be all of the time even if they're surrounded by negative feelings, and Fred, well... those puppy dog eyes... good boys! I did also love Cindy-Lou Who. That kids has a fantastic eye for gadgets that must come from repeated viewings of other holiday classics like Home Alone.



There really isn't a lot else to say about this other than it's a great film. Cindy-Lou is a great motivational speaker and the whole film in general fills you with the desire to do good things and take a new perspective on things... well it did for me... this film might have brainwashed me.

As a little extra we also take a step back to the good old days where you got a cartoon before the main screening! Yellow Is The New Black. An amusing diversion. Those poor little minions.

(P.S. The reason this is getting four and a half stars and not five is that the alarm clock. If you've seen the trailer you'll understand my slight disappointment... I suppose what they've done is more in keeping though. *grumpy sigh*)

What you should do

Don't be a Grinch. You should go and see this... kids, no kids, it doesn't really matter. It's brilliant animation with a wonderful story to tell.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

I'll take a giant portion of Cindy-Lou's ingenuity please!
  
Coco (2017)
Coco (2017)
2017 | Adventure, Animation
PIXAR movies have a formula that expertly combines an adorable hero/heroine with a story that tugs at the heartstrings. There is always a moment or two where you have to reach for tissue or surreptitiously dash a few tears away with your sleeve. With writers and directors from Finding Nemo, the Good Dinosaur, Toy Story 3 and Monsters University, Coco is no exception.
Coco is the colorful tale of a young boy named Miguel who dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, the late Ernesto de la Cruz, despite his family’s ban on music that has spanned multiple generations
When an opportunity arises for him to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in desperate need of a guitar. So desperate, that the plan he devises ends up taking him to the colorful Land of the Dead.
In the Land of the Dead, Miguel teams up with Hector, a trickster voiced by Gael Garcia Bernal, who promises to help him meet the great Ernesto de la Cruz, voiced by Benjamin Bratt, and get back to the Land of the Living.
Anthony Gonzalez infuses Miguel with charm and earnest determination which, of course, you can’t help but root for. Bratt brings a perfect blend of suave and smarm to Ernesto while Bernal brings a good dose of mischief to warm-hearted Hector.
Rich with cultural lessons, stunning animation and beautiful music, Coco is simply a delight. I learned a lot about Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, which is very similar to my own culture’s observance of All Souls Day and All Saints Day in the Philippines.
Coco’s winsome depiction of what honoring our departed loved ones means is incredibly heartwarming, and honestly if the Land of the Dead is truly how PIXAR imagines it, I hope they are right.
Much like Moana, so much of the family in Coco reminded me of my own that I left the theater emotionally compromised at the end. You will, too, especially if you’re easily touched by sweet songs and tender moments between parents and their children. Coco is a moving lesson about the love of family and believing in yourself and how one can strengthen the other in turns.