By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Based on the children’s novel of the same name by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner is a timely and moving animated tale for both kids and adults, which has been lovingly brought to the screen by director Nora Twomey with the help of Angelina Jolie, who serves as… Read More Review: The Breadwinner
Coco Review By John Corrado ★★★★ (out of 4) At this point, Pixar has a pretty stellar track record of delivering films that draw us in with their dazzling animation, and keep us hooked with precision storytelling, memorable characters, and powerfully moving scenes. And Coco, the studio’s latest – which I have been anticipating for several… Read More Three Views: Coco
By John Corrado ★½ (out of 4) Gene (T.J. Miller) is a “meh” emoji, who lives in the messenger app inside the phone of a constantly texting high schooler named Alex (Jake T. Austin). The trouble is that Mel has more than one emotion, much to the chagrin of his parents (Steven Wright and Jennifer… Read More Blu-ray Review: The Emoji Movie
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Taking place in Japan during World War II, In This Corner of the World follows Suzu (Laura Post), a young woman who leaves her childhood home in Hiroshima to get married, and moves to the nearby city of Kure to live with her husband Shusaku (Todd Haberkorn) and… Read More Blu-ray Review: In This Corner of the World
By John Corrado Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is forced to confront the end of his racing career following a terrifying crash in Cars 3. Wanting to go out as a champion, but realizing that he is struggling to keep up in a world of newer racers, Lightning teams up with a perky young trainer named Cruz… Read More Blu-ray Review: Cars 3
By John Corrado On October 17th, Shout! Factory released special edition Blu-ray and DVD combo packs of the six Studio Ghibli films My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo, which are all directed by the legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki. These updates from the Disney releases not only… Read More Blu-ray Reviews: My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo
By John Corrado It’s hard to believe that SpongeBob SquarePants has been on the air for nearly two decades after premiering in 1999, but the ninth season of the long running animated series wrapped up earlier this year, and is now available on DVD. This set features all 26 episodes from the season which mostly… Read More DVD Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Ninth Season
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) At the start of Loving Vincent, a title card tells us that we are about to see the first ever fully hand painted feature film, crafted by a team of a hundred dedicated artists, many of whom spent years working on the film. The result is an astonishing… Read More Review: Loving Vincent
By John Corrado The latest addition to Disney’s Signature Collection is their iconic 1994 classic The Lion King, which has just gotten a shiny new Blu-ray release. Released a few years into the fabled Disney Renaissance, the film remains one of the studio’s finest and most acclaimed achievements, and it still holds up beautifully over… Read More Blu-ray Review: The Lion King: The Signature Collection
By John Corrado ★★½ (out of 4) The first fully animated Smurfs movie, Smurfs: The Lost Village finds Smurfette (Demi Lovato) struggling with the fact that she was created by the dark wizard Gargamel (Rainn Willson), and searching for her true identity and purpose as the only female in a world of male Smurfs. When… Read More Blu-ray Review: Smurfs: The Lost Village
Cars 3 Review By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is back on the racetrack in Cars 3, but now he is faced with confronting the end of his career as a world champion racer following a brutal crash, and thinking about how he will leave his mark in a world… Read More Three Views: Cars 3
By John Corrado ★★ (out of 4) Existing as a spinoff of sorts from 2014’s The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie finds its dark and brooding hero (Will Arnett) going up against his arch nemesis the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), who is vying for the place of Batman’s favourite enemy and is working with tons of other… Read More Blu-ray Review: The LEGO Batman Movie
By John Corrado Walt Disney’s 1942 animated classic Bambi is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and has gotten a new Blu-ray release as part of their Signature Collection to honour the occasion. Adapted from Austrian author Felix Salten’s 1923 novel, Bambi follows a young deer who is destined to take over his father’s place… Read More Blu-ray Review: Bambi: 75th Anniversary Edition
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Taking place between the 2010 film Tangled and the short film followup Tangled Ever After, Tangled Before Ever After is a TV movie that finds spunky princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) wanting to delay her marriage to Eugene (Zachary Levi), so that she can explore more of the kingdom. But… Read More DVD Review: Tangled Before Ever After
By John Corrado ★★★★ (out of 4) Already the highest grossing anime film of all-time, and a giant blockbuster hit in its native Japan, Your Name is finally arriving in North American theatres, and I’m happy to report that the film deserves every bit of the hype that has been surrounding it for months now. This… Read More Review: Your Name
By John Corrado Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) is a restless teenager in the South Pacific who wants to follow in the footsteps of her explorer ancestors. When the crops on their island start to die due to an ancient curse, she sets out on an ocean journey in search of demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), in order to… Read More Blu-ray Review: Moana
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Based on those classic dolls with the big hair that originated in the 1960s, DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls is a film that has enough genuine charm to work on its own terms as a highly entertaining musical. The Trolls live a blissfully happy existence in a colourful village, with designated… Read More Blu-ray Review: Trolls
By John Corrado As Disney continues to reissue animated classics on Blu-ray, the studio’s timeless 1940 film Pinocchio is the latest addition to their Signature Collection. Based on an Italian novel, the film tells the story of a wooden marionette named Pinocchio (Dickie Jones) whose lonely creator Geppetto (Christian Rub) dreams of him being a real boy, and has his wish granted… Read More Blu-ray Review: Pinocchio: The Signature Collection
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Following their mega hit The Secret Life of Pets this summer, Illumination has delivered another animated winner with Sing, a fun and often joyful pop musical that is enlivened by its colourful visuals and likeable characters. Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) is a theatre-loving koala who is struggling to… Read More Review: Sing
Moana Review By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who helped usher in the fabled Disney Renaissance with such classics like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, Moana is a solid entry into the studio’s oeuvre that continues their current hot streak. Taking place in the South Pacific, the story… Read More Three Views: Moana
The Joy of Movies 