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Review by Adam Donato  Oh the fall from grace that Disney Animation Studios has experienced in the past decade. They used to be the class of animation, but now they are hit or miss. Three of their last four original movies have been critical and box office flops. Their last three sequels have been huge box office hits, but aren’t widely well received. They haven’t had an undisputed overall hit since, well, 2016 when Zootopia and Moana were both home runs. Luckily, Zootopia 2 was planned as a sequel all along, whereas Moana 2 was a converted Disney+ show. Zootopia had their own Disney+ show with ten minute episodes focused on favorite side characters from the movie. The first Zootopia movie made a billion dollars and won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, which is a disgustingly high bar to reach. Can Judy, Nick, and company recapture the magic with another fun buddy cop adventure? An unnecessary Zootopia sequel is somehow less offensive than most other Disney cash grab sequels. There’s a new case this time around that further challenges the relationship between the two leads and explores different settings in this animal world. The relationship drama is totally just going through the motions. One of the big jokes is just them eloquently explaining their deep seeded personal issues, which just acts as a lazy substitute for actual character development. There’s really only one new location that is explored. The whole story is about how there’s a snake in Zootopia for the first time in forever so one of the locations they go to is this swamp like terrain where reptiles can live on the down low. Feels like a missed opportunity to not explore more places to make this world feel even bigger and make this movie feel more epic.  Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman are back together again to collect another paycheck. Their dynamic is nowhere near as fun this time around. The big new addition to the cast is Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake. He does a great job voice acting here due to his infectious personality and signature voice. Comedian Fortune Feimster also shines as Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver who helps our heroes on their journey. Two new additions that were disappointing are Andy Samberg and Patrick Warburton. Both are veteran voice actors, which makes their inclusion just feel lazy as they’re not doing anything new here.
The story of this sequel feels like it retreads the themes from the first movie. In the first movie, the themes about racism felt much more effective. Especially since there it directly involved our main characters whereas the case this time around isn’t personal for our heroes at all. The reveal of this film is blatantly obvious right from the jump. It also just feels haphazardly thrown together at the end. There’s that shot from the first teaser trailer of a hooded figure towering above our heroes and that’s not a scene in this movie. Feels reminiscent of Frozen II where the movie wasn’t finished until right before the deadline. In every single way, Zootopia 2 is inferior to the first movie. A phoned in sequel that would be a good television season, but falters as a proper follow up to the first film. There’s a high floor as there’s plenty of silly animal puns and fun adventure sequences to keep family audiences happy. It’s a cute enough watch, but not one that adults can revisit like the first movie was. It’ll be lucky to get a Best Animated Feature nomination, but will likely still crush at the box office. It’s safe to wait for this one on Disney+ if you’re not already a fan. Zootopia 2 is in theaters on November 26. Rating: 3/5
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Review by Adam Donato  One of the biggest players during last year’s awards season was The Brutalist from Brady Corbet. His co-writer and producer, Mona Fastvold, takes her turn in the director’s chair for The Testament of Ann Lee. Corbet, in turn, co-writes and produces here. Amanda Seyfried famously lobbied to play Glinda in Wicked and now stars in an opposing awards hopeful musical. Young stars Lewis Pullman and Thomasin McKenzie round out the cast of this historical musical drama. The movie tells the story of the woman who founded the Shaker Movement. Can The Testament of Ann Lee compete this awards season? The best decision The Testament of Ann Lee made was to make this into a musical. It’s awkward watching this so close to seeing Wicked: For Good because this movie is on a whole other level. The scenes depicting their worship method are absolutely electrifying. A lot of credit goes to the dance choreography and the framing. The songs feel like incantations pulling you into this cult like religion. The rest of the movie plays a lot more like a typical historical biopic so these musical and dance sequences inject life into the movie. It’s a clear case of doing so much with so little. Several songs that are sure to make it onto the playlist.  Amanda Seyfried hasn’t really had her moment in the sun. The Emmy winner was nominated for an Oscar for Mank in 2021, but that’s the only nomination to her name. It will be a major snub if this performance is not prioritized this awards season. Her performance is reminiscent of Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc. Both play these strong-willed female characters who claim to have prophetic visions. It’s at times a very physical performance as Seyfried’s character is put through the ringer here. It’s the best performance of her career so far. She has a more commercial role in The Housemaid, coming out during the Christmas season, which will hopefully draw attention to a much smaller movie like this. A handful of nominations would help, too.
The Testament of Ann Lee is the best musical of the awards season and deserves to be seen in a theater. Corbet and Fastvold are a winning duo and hopefully continue the momentum from The Brutalist. Musical veteran at this point, Amanda Seyfried makes her case for the Best Actress Oscar this awards season. It’s not your typical historical biopic. The Testament of Ann Lee will be in theaters on December 25. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  Brendan Fraser has seemingly already completed the fairytale narrative of his career. The goofy hunk returns to Hollywood and wins Best Actor. Now he stars in another potential awards player in Rental Family. The film is directed by Hikari, who recently directed some of Beef for Netflix after directing a few Japanese features. The story follows an American actor struggling to find meaningful roles in Japan until he gets recruited by a Rental Family company that hires actors for social situations. What does Fraser do when the relationships he’s artificially forming start to leave an impression on him? Feel-good movie to the max. Hikari is instantly a name to be watched going forward, and this movie’s likability is hopefully enough to sneak it into some awards conversations. The story has Fraser developing relationships with different types of clients that complement each other perfectly. It really speaks to the concept of perception versus reality. In a world where AI is making our world more fake, this movie explores how dangerous it can be for us to manipulate others with manufactured connections. While America is currently worried about getting rid of immigrants, Hikari uses this film as an opportunity to express to white Americans how difficult it is to make a life in another country. Fraser looks different from everyone else, speaks a different language, and experiences racial microaggressions that limit his career opportunities on a regular basis. Despite these disadvantages (which would be worse in America), the character persists and is able to connect with his fellow man.  Arguably the greatest Fraser performance of all time? The Smashing Machine saw The Rock actually try despite a career history of blockbuster action movie roles, but the conversation seems to be to make him wait to reward him. The Whale was Fraser’s first nomination, and he won. Now it seems he has the opportunity to chase sustained critical success. While The Whale had Fraser looking nearly unrecognizable, Rental Family sees a Fraser that could make you imagine a The Mummy requel much more realistically. Whether it’s standing in as the father of a precocious girl or taking in wisdom from an elderly former actor, Fraser brings a softness that makes for a wonderful experience. He has this oafish element to him that adds a lot of humor to the film. This performance carries the ability to make audiences happy and sad cry. More often, a movie’s issue is running too long, but Rental Family could’ve allowed audiences to hang out with this guy for longer.
Rental Family will indeed get good word of mouth this winter to put it on cinephile’s radar, but Wicked: For Good will totally dwarf it at the box office. The Whale made good money when all was said and done, but it’s still up for debate whether Fraser had any box office pull. Regardless of success, Rental Family is a delightful film that can appeal to anybody. Be sure to check out Rental Family in theaters while it lasts. Rental Family is in theaters on November 21. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  What a major win for movie musicals was that first Wicked movie. Not only was it an absolute box office smash hit, but also brought home some hardware during awards season. The decision to break the musical into a two part epic came with some skepticism as the popular opinion is that the second act of Wicked is not as good as the first act. They’re optimistic they can improve upon the second act in this adaptation, in part because of some new songs. It’s in line to outdo the first movie's opening weekend and it’s projected to get the same awards nominations the first film received, but will the film live up to the hype? The unique position that Wicked: For Good finds itself in is that it’s not really a sequel as much as it is an act two of a musical. This story is meant to be told in one evening with a small intermission between the two acts. When you make a movie and then release a sequel exactly a year later, the expectations are different from how the story was originally intended. The majority of the iconic songs that the musical is known for are in the first movie. The types of songs that are in this movie are mostly sad and reflective. This is in stark contrast to the light and fun musical numbers that flood the first film. Even on an emotional level, none of the songs in this film come close to Defying Gravity. Wonderful is the closest we get to fun. No Good Deed and For Good are the closest we get to being emotional. Every other song grinds the movie to a complete stop. If you prefer sad and reflective solo numbers, then this is the movie for you. Just don’t expect any popular numbers that will have you dancing through life.  Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in these two roles is a moment in cinema. Partially because of the eerily tight bond between the two actresses in the media. Neither was given the Oscar despite being nominated and in some cases favored to win, but there was an air of hope as they would get a second chance with the sequel. Maybe akin to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where they wait to give it its flowers until the finale. Grande feels like the better shot because this time around, she’s less silly/cute and more maturely reflective. Also, supporting actress is usually a less competitive category than lead. Erivo will see another nomination, but with no Defying Gravity punch, it’s unlikely she gets taken seriously. Regardless, the two have great chemistry and land these characters’ journeys to the best of their ability.
The first movie has a very clear story thread with a proper build-up to an explosive ending. This sequel doesn’t have a clear story direction and is ultimately a total fumble of an ending. None of the dominoes that were set up in the first movie are fully satisfied here. Moments that should feel earth-shattering instead come across as awkward and rushed. The first movie has a longer run time, but somehow the sequel feels longer. This time around, the story is much more hampered by the forced connections to the original The Wizard of Oz. The political connections the film makes are overt. The themes of the film are muddied. It doesn’t really work as a part two and definitely doesn’t work as a stand on its own movie. There’s a floor for movies like this. It’s a good enough watch, but it won’t be rewatched like the first part will be. While the critical reception won’t be as warm as the first was, Wicked: For Good will still be a huge hit. In a year when more blockbuster-type films are poised to get awards recognition, Wicked: For Good will likely get boxed out due to its dip in quality. Still an enjoyable watch for fans of the musical only. Won’t have to rush to catch this one in theaters because it will be out well into the new year. Wicked: For Good will be in theaters everywhere on November 21. Rating: 3/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  Shih-Chang Tsou is most known for co-directing 2004’s Take Out with Sean Baker, the first of several collaborations between the filmmakers. Her first solo directorial effort, Left-Handed Girl, had its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Filmed on an iPhone and featuring a stellar cast of characters, this is a movie that is full of heart, charm, and interesting perspectives on its themes of family and tradition. Shu-Fen is a single mother who moves to Taipei with her two daughters, I-Ann and I-Jing. In this new environment, they attempt to open a night market stall. This movie follows the women as they navigate their new city, adapt to their newfound challenges, and deal with the relationships they have for better or for worse. It’s a simple story about characters entering a new chapter in their lives and the circumstances that arise from it. It’s an intimate story, and it’s one that seems to speak strongly to Tsou’s sensibilities as a filmmaker. Written by Tsou and Baker, it’s a movie that thrives off its small moments. And its these small moments of nuance that allow the film’s bigger moments to pay off so beautifully. I think their writing juggles the differing perspectives of its characters very well. When writing scenes from the perspective of its youngest character, there’s a certain subdued youthful exuberance that is quite infectious. This differs from the more grounded adult-drive scenes. Tsou and Baker balance these moments without losing a sense of consistency that makes the movie feel like a cohesive body of work.  The acting in this movie is a large part of why the movie works as well as it does. While they’re given great material to work with, the cast is able to inject a sense of authenticity that elevates the script and contributes a sense of earnestness into the production. Both Esther K. Chae and Janel Tsai work wonders as the main adult leads, and they play into the family dynamics of the movie convincingly.
While it might seem like a surface level examination, it’s hard to completely separate this work from the prior works of Baker (especially since he wrote and edited it). There is an undeniable sense of genuine scrappiness to the film that evokes his prior films, and it’s the kind of experience that leverages shared human experiences to expertly put you in the character’s shoes. In addition to this, one stylistic distinction is the aforementioned use of iPhones to film this movie. Much like Baker’s Tangerine, this movie’s cinematographers adapt beautifully to the limitations of the iPhone, crafting a visually impressive movie at a fraction of the cost. Left-Handed Girl is heartfelt and adorable more often than not. Tsou creates a warm hug of a movie that still isn’t afraid of tackling some of the more pressing themes about family dynamics and conflicting values. It’s a movie with no shortage of authenticity, and it’s one that beckons us to recall on our own experiences. Left-Handed Girl is in theaters November 14. Rating: 4/5 |