Tag: Comedy

The Entire Ninjago Crystalized Season Should’ve Been A Movie

Ninjago Crystalized feels very anticlimactic, and yes, a new season is expected in 2023.

Ninjago CrystalizedComing to Netflix Canada on December 1st
Spoiler Alert

Season 16 of Ninjago should simply be called Ninjago Crystalized The Movie. I refrained from continuing to post weekly looks back a few episodes after the mid-season cliffhanger when I realised that. Now that the run is finished on Teletoon, I can finally reflect upon all that’s been revealed, said and done. With no surprise, now that one contract is over, other services can stream it.

These days, the team led by Lloyd isn’t always hailed as heroes. Nearly everybody loves them, except for the new Mayor and certain bounty hunters like Hounddog McBrag. That made up the first half of the series. By the time the team figures out who’s the mastermind, chaos erupts, we learn a few emotional things about certain characters, namely P.I.X.E.L., and see the return of characters from previous seasons. With no surprise, when the populace sees the Overlord is back, everyone is running! Even that leader of the city is considering abandoning his post.

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Love Ryan Reynolds? You’ll Be “Spirited” Away With This Holiday Movie.

To say this movie is very Spirited is a very bad pun but it must be said.

Spirited Movie PosterApple TV Plus’ Spirited lives up to its name as a musical, and it’s a holiday movie which delivers a finale that I didn’t expect! The central idea behind this work is to believe anyone can change for the better. And as a film adds to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol mythos, I loved the world that’s presented which expands upon why people of a certain nature gets haunted.

Even though I think it’s too early to have these types of films out, I was curious, and delayed posting after the American Thanksgiving weekend. That way, I can at least say this movie is worth watching to get into the coming Holiday spirit. The fact there haven’t been many adaptations of Dickens’ tale to the musical format, this was one movie I had to watch.

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Does The 3rd Outing of Tad The Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet Have to Be His Last?

Sadly, most of what’s presented in Tad The Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet is not all that memorable.

Tad The Lost Explorer and the Emerald TabletBlink, and it’s easy to find Tad The Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet has come and gone. Thankfully, finding it on Roku saved the day, since not everyone may have been aware of its limited run in the States at AMC Theatres. 

Not everyone is aware of this Spanish film franchise, either. That’s because the time between releases is very long. The first self-titled movie was released in 2012. The Secret of King Midas was in 2017 and this latest in 2022. The graphic novels on which the films are based never got translated to English, and that’s why it’s never been on the radar for many. Had it been given the proper love by some publisher in the States, I’m sure no one would complain about enjoying a comedy-archaeological-adventure similar to Jackie Chan’s Adventures.

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Late Thoughts on Transformers Earthspark, More Than Meets the Eye

In the debut pair of Transformers Earthspark episodes, the new bots are unlike their kin from planet Cybertron, and have much to learn.

Transformers EarthsparkPresented on YTV Nov 11, 2022

The robots in disguise that we all love have gone Terran, and this new series continues from where Generation One ended. Although the events took place many decades ago–the flashback sequences present the original designs–Transformers Earthspark literally evolves the story further. Unlike past sagas set in its own continuity (i.e. universe), this one sees the battle between the Autobots and Deceptions finally over.

But as for the new threat, who we’re dealing with is like M.E.C.H. from Transformers Prime. This was formerly led by Leland (Silas) Bishop. Here, Dr. Meridian wants to merge a man with mecha and his agenda is nothing like Headmasters.

Like every other series, every introduction requires youths discovering these robots. However, for brother and sister Robby Malto (Sydney Mikayla) and Mo (Zion Broadnax), what they discover are creations that may well be Earth’s firstborn techno-biological lifeforms. They did not crash-land on this planet, but rose from its primordial goo that looks suspiciously like a lake of energon. Because they interfaced with it, they too wear a special gauntlet, so they can feel each other’s emotions. Thus, Twitch (Kathreen Khavari) and Thrash (Zeno Robinson) are born, and are probably the same age. They behave like their human counterparts, to which they’ve “bonded” to.

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DreamWorks’ Abominable and the Invisible City Truly Shines When…

The folklore in Abominable and the Invisible City has been expanded upon, and just how Yi, Jin, and Peng has to face next is familiar.

Abominable and the Invisible CityAvailable on Peacock, Hulu
and Family Channel (Canada)
Spoiler Alert

Although Abominable and the Invisible City started off very weakly, the build up to what Yi, Jin, and Peng must protect takes on similar vibes as Lilo and Stitch TV series. But instead of finding each experiment their forever home, what this trio must do is to keep the magical creatures safe from others like Burnish. But at the end of the film, this villain turned over a new leaf; his role is to provide help when requested.

This television series is a decent continuation but I didn’t find enough to say it’s good because every episode ended with Yi soothing some savage beast with her violin playing. The joy didn’t come until the mid-way point, where it got serious about looking at what can sometimes go on in a modern Chinese family. This one has a touch more drama, and it’s comparable to what has been explored cinematically in Turning Red and Everything, Everywhere All At Once.

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My Father’s Dragon, More Than A Thoughtful and Magical Adventure

I can’t help but wonder if My Father’s Dragon should’ve been what PIXAR’s The Good Dinosaur wanted to become.

My Father's DragonNow on Netflix

Elmer Elevator (Jacob Tremblay) is young and optimistic, but his mother Dela (Golshifteh Farahani) is worried about making ends meet in My Father’s Dragon. This animated fantasy is loaded with splendid production design, and Cartoon Saloon never fails to deliver. We are never told what happened to his father. It’s assumed he passed on and was the “breadwinner,” but since he’s gone, the family is struggling. Nora Twomey‘s last film had that title, and its story is very similar to this one.

In part one, he’s forced to move to a new town with his mom, and they’re struggling to pay the bills. The boy wants to help, but he’s going all about it wrong. After an argument, he runs away.

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