If you’re at all familiar with Steven Spielberg’s life story and how he related to his family, then “The Fabelmans” has been a long time coming. As someone who read his biography, it’s interesting to explore Spielberg’s home life and how his relationship with his father and mother ultimately crafted who he’d become not just as a man but as a filmmaker. While “The Fabelmans” suffers from being a tad schmaltzy here and there, it’s a worthwhile and engaging drama about family, and how film as a medium can help us view life as we’ve never seen it before.
Tag Archives: Family
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Hey, it’s better than “Black Adam.”
That’s about the biggest glowing opinion I can give “Fury of the Gods” when all is said and done. The follow up to the 2019 crowd pleaser is a perfectly fine film. It’s a solid adaptation of a unique comic book series, and it’s a good chance this is the last time we’ll see “Shazam!” with this cast. That being said, I liked “Fury of the Gods” even if I wasn’t a big fan of how much they toned down the content to make it so much more appealing to the younger audience. “Shazam!” had demons, and “Fury of the Gods” has unicorns.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse (2022)
“Asking for help isn’t giving up. It’s refusing to give up.”
Based on a best selling book by British author and illustrator Charles Mackesy, who co-wrote and co-directed the film version, “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse” is a beautiful short worthy of a young audience. It was released around the holidays in 2022, and while it does compliment the Christmas aesthetic, it works wonderfully as a genuine fable about empathy and innocence.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Director Peyton Reed’s style and sensibility really matches up well with the third “Ant-Man” movie series, a franchise that’s been a lot about an underdog hero. In a world where he’s even second to Spider-Man, a fellow under dog superhero, it’s interesting to see how “Quantumania” depicts the idea of family and how dads can be all the heroes we need when all is said and done. Deep down, “Quantumania” is a movie about family, about the unconventional family unit and how it works in a world that they’re woefully unprepared for.
Charlie and the Hunt (2022) [Slamdance 2023]
UNSTOPPABLE SHORTS BLOCK 2
If you’re looking for a break from the heavier and political fare at “Slamdance,” Jenn Shaw’s “Charlie and the Hunt” is the perfect antidote. It’s rare that there are such wholesome shorts featured and it’s nice to see something a lot more about whimsy and the relationships that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
I’m surprised it took this long for a super pets movie to be conceived by Warner Bros. It’s always been a recurring theme in DC Comics with superheroes having their own super pets. Hell, even Superman had a Super Horse at one time or another. In either case, “League of Super-Pets” feels like a next interesting step in the DC animated universe that I hope can continue in one way or another. While the movie isn’t perfect, it sure is a fun diversion with a neat narrative.
Pinocchio (2022)
Disney continues their latest studio motto of remaking and sequelizing everything that they’ve ever produced. The last being the horrendous “Lion King” CGI remake. Of course the Devil’s Advocate will explain that “Pinocchio” is more of another adaptation (one of three in 2022!) of the 1883 tale, but it’s a remake of the 1940 animated movie. Every character look like their animated counterparts, right down to Tom Hanks as Geppetto. God love Tom Hanks, he certainly tries his best here, and even does his best with the musical number he’s given. But it’s all an uphill battle for a lot of what is established here.