Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

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Much like anyone that grew up in the nineties, “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible…” was a childhood favorite. It’s a really good and funny book about bad luck and how we make our own. Surely Alexander looks like a boy who is perpetually cursed, but really if he hadn’t been so careless the night before, perhaps his day would have been better. My expectations for the film adaptation were slim, considering the book is only about thirty two pages long. Much like “Liar Liar,” the film is based on a slight touch of fantasy, and unfolds like a less menacing and violent “Three O’Clock High.”

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Teen Beach 2 (2015) (DVD)

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I’m still not sure I enjoyed the way the movie just took us in to a time bending twist in the finale of “Teen Beach 2.” Surely it’s more female driven and based around empowerment by reversing the previous roles, but other than that it brings about more questions than answers, and left me completely baffled. By the way the internet has sparked since the premiere of “Teen Beach 2” I’m not alone in the judgment of how the movie just completely takes us in to a completely new direction. If Mack and Brady’s relationship depended on “Wet Side Story” why didn’t anyone else’s relationships remold?

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The Tom and Jerry Show Season One Part Two: Funny Side Up (DVD)

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There will never be anyone who can top the original Tom and Jerry shorts, but I’m surprised that “The Tom and Jerry Show” comes shockingly close to the original successful formula. This time, rather than hand drawn animation, we’re forced to endure flash animation, and that’s what holds down an otherwise fun series. What’s the point of flash animation for a tried and true comedy duo? I don’t understand it.

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Ted 2 (2015)

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Is it possible McFarlane must have handed the reins over to someone competent? Is it entirely possible McFarlane had someone with comic knowledge to guide him in to what it a superior sequel to an abysmal first film? “Ted 2” is surprisingly good. Much better than the first, and I say that as someone who genuinely dislikes McFarlane’s cheap excuse for comedy. Sure, “Ted 2” is still very much a McFarlane film with his personal stamps all over it, but it also manages a competent story and interesting characters. Hell I even cared about Ted this time around. I had rock bottom expectations for “Ted 2,” especially considering I loathe almost everything Seth McFarlane puts his hands on.

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Teen Beach 2 (2015)

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As a Disney-phile, I have to admit that “Teen Beach Movie” was a great DCOM. It was also one of my favorite movies of 2013. It was fun, light, and had some genuinely great music. So it’s a shame to admit that “Teen Beach 2” is kind of a let down. Judged on its own merits it misses the point of its predecessor and rides off the rails in to its own new narrative. Not to mention it can be painfully convoluted, which doesn’t help when the original film was so simple. It’s been two months since the original movie, and Mack and Brady are going to school together. After enjoying the rest of the summer, they’re prepared for college but realize they’re on different wave lengths.

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Inside Out (2015)

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It’s remarkable how Pixar continues to top themselves in the arena of family entertainment that’s artistic, pleasing, and so multifaceted. “Inside Out” is that rare family film that demonstrates originality by appealing to its audience and tries to understand the experience of being a child in the modern age, rather than condescend or berate. “Inside Out” is one of Pixar’s greatest films to date; its complex, it’s heartbreaking, it’s sweet, and damn it, it should go down in the annals of animated Disney masterpieces.

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The Alchemist’s Letter (2015)

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Director Carlos Andre Stevens’s “The Alchemist’s Letter” is quite an accomplishment. It’s a fairy tale that also works as a cautionary tale about the ills of greed, and the dangers of over ambition. Would you trade memories and family for piles of gold? That’s what the alchemist asks his son when he leaves behind a letter that gives him a stern warning on what putting aspirations over the truly important things can do to a person.

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