Review of SUNSHINE: Advocating for Agency

 July 23, 2025

19-year old Sunshine Francisco (Maris Racal) had been a serious rhythmic gymnast for 9 years already.  She had been successful in local and international tournaments, so she had a legion of admirers. She had daily training sessions with her coach (Merylle Soriano), as the Olympic team qualifying competition was coming up in three months.  One afternoon, she collapsed in the middle of her ribbon routine. Her worst fear was confirmed by a test kit.

A Filipino film about a woman contemplating abortion for an unexpected pregnancy is bound to be controversial. During the 18th Cinemalaya Filmfest, "12 Weeks" (2022) by Anna Isabelle Matutina told the story of Alice (Max Eigenmann), a 40 year-old journalist whose unexpected pregnancy in middle age shook her self-confidence, so she thought of aborting it. (I'm not sure if Matutina's nickname Sunshine somehow inspired the title of this new film.)

Now if that film raised eyebrows, what more this new film? Here, veteran director Antonette Jadaone that told the story of Sunshine, a teenager who naively engaged in unprotected sex with her boyfriend Miggy (Elijah Canlas). He was the first person she told about her predicament, and the creep just hastily ordered her to get rid of it, with no remorse nor compassion, leaving her all alone to solve her problem herself, in the streets of Quiapo.

Sunshine lived in a small house in a poor neighborhood, with her elder sister (Jennica Garcia) who was struggling to raise an infant on her own. The circumstances why their situation was like this was never even brought up. It was enough to know that Sunshine knew how much sacrifice it entailed to be a young mother without a responsible partner. Sunshine certainly knew she did not want this baby, and missing the Olympics team was not the only reason.   

If her coach (Meryll Soriano) knew the truth, Sunshine knew she would be out of the national team outright. Her BFF Thea (Xyriel Manabat) chose to obey her mother's close-minded instructions to abandon her friend. However, Sunshine did have someone playing devil's advocate and external conscience for her. There was this mysterious unnamed little girl (Annika Co) who randomly appeared to argue against Sunshine's decisions. 

This film did not shirk from showing the harrowing consequences of attempting an abortion. It showed how desperate girls blindly trust shady pills bought from a street vendor, or a neighborhood "hilot" with questionable unsterile techniques, not knowing how it could cause severe complications that could bring them to the brink of death. Then, they have to face judgmental and sanctimonious doctors (like Dra. Asuncion played by Madeleine Nicolas) who deride them for being rash and immoral.

It all boils down to a woman's right to have agency over her own body, not anyone else. And as long as abortion remained illegal, women with unwanted pregnancies have to resort to medically-unsafe ways of getting rid of the fetus, putting their lives in danger. However, no matter how this film ends, abortion will always be a contentious issue that will probably not gain much traction in ultra-conservative, predominantly Catholic Philippine society any time soon. It certainly took chutzpah for these filmmakers to produce a film like this. 

That said, the film was very well-made, with excellent camera work by cinematographer by Pao Orendain and that suspenseful musical score by Rico Blanco.  In the titular role, Maris Racal gives a performance with grit and honesty well outside her usual comfort zone. Her ribbon routines look very authentic, thanks to editor Benjamin Tolentino. Garcia, Co and Rhed Bustamante (as pregnant 13 year-old Mary Grace) gave strong supporting turns.  8/10

 

Review of THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS: Fighting as a Family

July 22, 2025

On the alternate reality world of 828 Earth, the Fantastic Four were celebrating their anniversary as a team of protectors of the planet. They were astronauts who gained their superpowers from an exposure to cosmic rays during an interstellar mission. Upon their return, they used their super-human abilities to fight various nefarious villains, earning them the love and admiration of humans. They even had their own Saturday morning cartoon show on TV.

At this time, Sue was pregnant with her first baby after several years of trying. Husband Reed was very concerned about if their baby would inherit any of their superpowers, while their other two teammates / housemates were excited to be the best uncles to this special child. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garder) appeared on Times Square as a herald to a planet-eating entity named Galactus (Ralph Ineson) who had Earth next in line to destroy.  

The Fantastic Four were led by Reed Richards or Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) who can stretch his body like rubber; his wife Sue Storm or Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) who can generate force shields and turn invisible; Sue's younger brother Johnny Storm or the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) who can turn himself into a flying rocket of flames; and Reed's best friend Ben Grimm or The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) whose skin was made of rock.  

The first film about Marvel's First Family was "Fantastic Four" (2005) starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Chris Evans in his Marvel debut. Despite the mixed reviews, it had a sequel "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (2007), which also had middling to bad reviews. A forgettable reboot "Fantastic Four" (2015) starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan in his Marvel debut, was a critical and commercial disaster.

Directed by Matt Shakman, the look was totally different, as the new production design, pastel color palette and retro costumes had a classic vibe, reflecting how the first FF comics by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee came out in the early 1960s, with futuristic elements like a flying car and a delightful robot butler H.E.R.B.I.E.  As a reboot of a franchise that struggled to be portrayed on the big screen before, this one had a totally fresh vibe, a clean start and re-introduction.

It tackled the same Silver Surfer and Galactus storyline from the 2007 film, but it incorporated the birth of Reed and Sue's son Franklin into the mix. This made the stakes more personal for the FF team than ever, as this baby became the bargaining chip upon which the salvation of planet Earth hinged on. As a result, the final showdown between FF and Galactus became a showcase for the emotional dynamics of this team as a family with heartfelt sincerity. 

The personalities of the four members of FF felt different from how they were portrayed in films before. Pascal's Reed Richards was a ball of insecurities beside the cool confidence of Kirby's Sue Storm. Quinn's Johnny Storm was a funny guy, but his reputation as a ladies' man was played down here. The pure loyalty Moss-Bachrach's Grimm came across solidly, as his budding crush for teacher Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) was only hinted at, so far.  

The throwback feel may slow at the start, especially as the FF's origin story was summarized as a flashback narration for a TV special of talk show host Ted Gilbert (Matt Gatiss). However, the film really came alive whenever the bad guys were on the screen. The production's decision to gender-switch the Silver Surfer and to represent Galactus as a solid armored colossus proved to be astute, tweaking their portrayal in the 2007 film for the better. 7/10

Review of BRING HER BACK: Foster with Fear

July 17, 2025

17 year-old Andy (Billy Barratt) was a good elder brother to his visually-impaired step-sister Piper (Sora Wong). When their father suddenly died, they had to be taken to stay with a foster parent. They were assigned to veteran counselor Laura (Sally Hawkins) to take care of them. Laura seemed friendly even as she was still mourning the death of her blind daughter Cathy (Mischa Heywood) and was also raising a deaf-mute boy Ollie (Jonah Wren Phillips).  

In the last decade or so, Australian horror movies have been picking up momentum, and being appreciated all over the world for its unusual take on the usual horror tropes. The first Australian horror I've seen was of the disturbing, psychological kind. "Dead Calm" (1989), starring Sam Neill with pre-famous Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane, was about a couple sailing on their yacht who picked up a marooned stranger who may be a killer .

However, the current attention with Australian horror was revived with "The Babadook" (2014), about a widow raising her disturbed young son, who believed the monster in his bedtime storybook is alive. Following that, there was "Killing Ground" (2016) about a family vacation gone grisly wrong, "Hounds of Love" (2016) about a couple on a serial killing spree, and the depressing "Relic" (2020) about an elderly widow dealing with dementia. 

In 2022, twin brothers and YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou made their directorial debut with "Talk to Me." This was about a group of teenagers playing with a ceramic hand, which allowed the holder to communicate and be possessed by spirits.  "Talk to Me" was co-produced by Causeway Films, which also produced "The Babadook." This film now ranks among the biggest worldwide box-office hit films distributed by A24. 

"Bring Her Back" is the much-anticipated second film of the Philippou twins, also co-produced by Causeway Films and distributed by A24. The centerpiece of its horror is the completely unhinged performance of Sally Hawkins as Laura, a woman driven to murderous psychosis by the death of her daughter. From the start, Laura exuded an air of weirdness, which Hawkins expertly escalated into full psycho-biddy mayhem with measured skill.

Barratt's Andy was abused and gaslighted, but he would still do what he can to protect his sister. Wong, really visually- impaired with her inborn coloboma and microphthalmia, was naturally vulnerable in her film debut. Wren Phillips's Ollie had the most disgusting scenes here, including a knife-chewing stunt sure to make you flinch.  Child abuse is true horror, never easy to swallow, especially now when disturbingly magnified on the big screen like this. 7/10

Review of SUPERMAN (2025): Concerning Clark and his Choices

July 7, 2025

After gaining access to files from the Fortress of Solitude, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) has accused Superman (David Corenswet) of being sent to Earth to subdue it in the name of Krypton. With his powerful henchmen -- the nanotechnology-charged Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) and the mysterious masked fighter Hammer of Boravia -- Luthor was able to bring Superman down on his knees and incarcerate him in a pocket dimension. 

Writer-director James Gunn began the film with an intro recounting events from 3 centuries ago, 3 decades ago, 3 years ago, 3 days ago, 3 hours ago, up to 3 minutes ago until we see a severely injured Superman hurtling down from the sky into the snows of Antarctica. He was involved in an armed conflict between two countries -- Boravia and Jarhanpur. Of course, Luthor was behind the scenes manipulating the strings of the war, and the Hammer.

As we have previously seen in his previous Marvel films -- the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series (2014, 2017 and 2023) and the reboot of "The Suicide Squad" (2021) -- Gunn's signature brand of action and humor and pop rock music are also all over his version of "Superman." With this heartful story that made Superman the unexpected underdog, Gunn was able to restore our emotional connection to this beloved superhero from planet Krypton. 

A major factor for this film's success was the casting of David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Aside from his relatively unfamiliar and unwieldy name, Corenswet is coming in with the disadvantage of taking over the role many fans think should have stayed with Henry Cavill of the Zack Snyder DC films. However, Corenswet brought to his Superman a winsome charm, as well as a tangible sense of human vulnerability that makes us care for him.

The humanity of this Superman are obvious in his various personal relationships. Corenswet's Clark Kent has an electric chemistry with Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, certainly more than Cavill and Adams did. The scenes he shared with his Earth parents Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell) creates a wave of filial nostalgia. Even how Superman treated the robots of the Fortress, like Greg (Alan Tudyk), evoked pure kindness.

Particularly delightful among Superman's relationships was the one he had with the super-dog Krypto.  It is a Kryptonian breed, but it looked furrier and more terrier-like than the cartoon Krypto.  This naughty canine would just do whatever chaotic activity it set its mind on doing, while poor Supes helplessly tried to order him to stop, to no avail, resulting in some of this film's most unpredictable and unruly scenes. Dog owners will identify, and smile. 

Superman also interacts with a new group of heroes called the Justice Gang. Their Green Lantern  (Nathan Fillion) with a weird streak and who sported a blond bowl haircut. Their Hawkgirl (Isabel Merced) was a fearsome flying fighter, but had a grumpy attitude about her.  The coolest of these new heroes was Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), whose extraordinary techie action scenes elicited spontaneous applause. Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), a metahuman who can convert his body into any element, is introduced with a conflict of dramatic heft. 

And then there is the classic genius villain -- Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult gave him an air of angry pride we did not see from previous actors. The way this Luthor was "personally" fighting Superman virtually by calling out every punch and kick delivered by the Hammer was ingeniously executed. This Luthor evil was borne out of extreme envy, the intensity of which Hoult conveyed with such remarkable restraint, which may make him Oscar-bound.

There were several callbacks to the original 1977 "Superman" film by Richard Donner from which Gunn gained his inspiration for this version. Of course, the iconic theme music by John Williams was heard many times, evoking memories of younger days past. The singular silver font and presentation of the closing credits was met with cheers. Christopher Reeve's son Will Reeve even has a cameo appearance as a news reporter. 

The Daily Planet crew were all there, led by their gruff editor-in-chief Perry White (Wendell Pierce). For serious DC fans in the know, there were cameos by government agent Rick Flag, Jr. (Frank Grillo), and tech billionaire Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), who was the corporate sponsor behind the Justice Gang. Before the film ended, there was also a sneak preview of a certain Super relative who is set to have a movie of her own in 2026. 

Overall, Gunn's vision of Superman was old-fashioned and sentimental, but updated with complex science fiction with innovative technology. How Lois Lane can pilot a new-fangled air craft or how Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) could be an irresistible ladies' man may seem silly, but chalk those up to Gunn's campy sense of comedy. I have high hopes this film could give the struggling DC film universe the boost it needs to reach new heights it deserves. 9/10

Review of JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH: Misguided Mutants

July 3, 2025

A giant pharmaceutical company, Parker Genix, is planning to develop a cardiology wonder drug from the DNA of dinosaurs.  Company agent Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) recruited covert operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) to lead an expedition to acquire blood samples from three massive dinosaurs from sea (the Mosasaurus), land (the Titanosaurus) and air (the Quetzalcoatalis). 

To get to the Ile Saint-Hubert in the Atlantic Ocean, they hire the boat and team of Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali). However, before they reached their destination, Duncan's radio picked up a distress call sent by a father Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), when the sailboat carrying him, his daughters Teresa (Luna Blaise) and Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and Teresa's spaced-out boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono), capsized. 

The "Jurassic Park" franchise was born in 1993, when the first film directed by Steven Spielberg was released, enthralling the whole world with its life-like resurrection of three-dimensional dinosaurs on the big screen. Sequels were released in 1997 and 2001. The series was rebooted with another trilogy retitled "Jurassic World," shown in 2015, 2018 and 2022. To be honest, none of the sequels ever matched the magical quality of the original. 

This present film is yet another attempt to revive interest in the franchise. For the screenplay, they brought back David Koepp, who co-wrote the first film along with Michael Crichton. The mood of the story reflected real life issues. Set 32 years after the dinosaurs were revived, public interest about them has already waned, a concern which pushed Dr. Loomis to accept the project. I suspect this revival of interest was also what this reboot wants to achieve. 

We know that people watch these Jurassic Park / World films more for the dinosaurs, not the annoying human characters. You can easily predict who among the humans will survive to the end -- just look at the cast list. Characters played by the lesser-known actors will die first (except the children, of course). As expected, the most evil character will die in the most grisly way (though nothing tops the way Dennis Nedry died in the first film).  

The absolute best action sequence in this new film was the one that featured a gigantic T-Rex chasing Reuben's family as they rode a sturdy rubber emergency raft down a raging river. The scene of a tearful Dr. Loomis during a close encounter with titanosauruses in the cornfield was awe-inspiring, though not as much as awesome as the initial brachiosaurus sighting in the first film. They teased about a velociraptor but it turned out to only be a short cameo. 

In the grounds of the abandoned lab, Zora, Loomis and company were attacked dino-mutants, tragic freaks born out of failed genetic experiments in the past. Seeing these hideous man-made creatures were not my cup of tea at all. We watch Jurassic Park to see dinosaurs that really existed come to life, not to see ugly deformed monsters, sorry.  I hope future installments of the coming trilogy will not dwell on these mutants anymore. 6/10

Netflix: Review of K-POP DEMON HUNTERS: Shielding with Song

July 1, 2025

Demons have been stealing the souls of poor unsuspecting humans and channeling them to strengthen their leader, Gwi-Ma. A group of three enchanted women came together to hunt and fight these demons. With their gift of song, these women united the souls of the people to created a shield called the Honmoon to protect the human world. Succeeding generations of Hunters used their singing voices to maintain the Honmoon.

The present day Demon Hunters were in the form of K-pop girl group called Huntr/x, namely lead singer Rumi, dancer MIra and rapper Zoey. They were under the tutelage of Celine, a former demon hunter who raised Rumi, whose late mom was also a hunter. One day after their world tour, Rumi lost her voice as mysterious marks were appearing on her skin. Meanwhile, a boy band of demons called Saja Boys were fast gaining in popularity.

Co-writer and co-director Maggie Kang came up with main story, mixing in elements of Korean mythology and K-pop to create her dream culturally-focused animated movie. The principle of demon hunters and the impenetrable Honmoon created by their songs that kept humankind safe were fascinating. Just as interesting was the idea that gaining a bigger fandom was the be-all and end-all solution to the critical problem

K-pop is so ubiquitous nowadays, every song in the film is so catchy. Huntr/x had songs like "How It's Done," "Golden" and "What It Sounds Like." They even had a song Rumi did not like called "Takedown," but it wasn't any less poppy. The Saja Boys were winsomeright off the bat with the irresistibly sing-along-able fiest hit, "Soda Pop." Their second song "Your Idol" could  be a metaphor of how the public can easily be brainwashed by their hypnotically powerful music.

The handsome rendition of Saja leader Jinu and his romantic interactions with Rumi will thrill fans, especially the young female kind.  The Ru-Jinu love team had great chemistry together, as evidenced by their duet "Free." There were also other aspects of Korean life shown here, like relaxing in bath houses, medicinal tonics that can be fake, wacky TV game shows with celebrities, the cute tiger and the cuter bird with the hat. 8/10

 

Review of F1 THE MOVIE: A Racer's Redemption

July 1, 2025

Back in the 1990s, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was considered a promising prodigy in Formula One (or F1) car racing. However, in 1993, he experienced a bad car crash during the Spanish Grand Prix. He  sustained serious back injuries and had to prematurely drop out of the F1 circuit for good. In the years following this accident, Sonny continued a racer-for-hire in minor races as he battled gambling addiction and failed marriages. 

One day, Sonny was approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who was now the owner of the APXGP F1 Team. Ruben's team had not been doing well in the current season, finishing last in the previous championship. Investors have threatened to withdraw support if APX fails to win any of the remaining GP races that year. Ruben wanted Sonny to drive for his team, together with rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

As an actor, Brad Pitt has consistently done well both commercially and critically. He had one Oscar for Acting (Supporting for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"), nominated for 3 more.  He is also very active as a film producer in his own production outfit Plan B entertainment, which he owned on his own since 2005. Plan B had won three Oscars for Best Picture ("The Departed," "12 Years a Slave" and "Moonlight"), nominated for eight more.  

F1 is the latest project released by Plan B, and it does not seem farfetched that it will attract Academy Award attention as well. The story is simple and frankly, quite familiar, so may find yourself predicting what will happen next in the strained relationship between Sonny and Joshua, and likely guess a lot of things right. The star power of Brad Pitt was a big factor to make the dramatic redemption story of Sonny Hayes pop out on the big screen, enhanced by awesome production design by Ben Munro and cool costumes by Julian Day. 

Ehren Kruger's screenplay put Sonny and Joshua into all kinds of tight situations and perilous accidents in Grand Prixes in Britain, Belgium, Italy, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi. Director Joseph Kosinki upped the danger and suspense of these racing scenes with intense cinematography by Claudio MIranda, rapid editing by Stephen Mirrione and heart-pounding music by Hans Zimmer. After this, Kosinki's plan for a sequel featuring Pitt's Sonny and Tom Cruise's Cole from "Days of Thunder" (Tony Scott, 1990) is a certainly a very exciting idea. 8/10

Review of 28 YEARS LATER: Persistence of a Plague

June 24, 2025

28 years after the second outbreak of the Rage Virus, the British Isles remained to the only place in Europe still overrun by the infected. There was an isolated group of survivors living in Lindisfarne island. One day, scavenger Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) brought his 12 year old son Spike (Alfie Williams) across the tidal causeway to the mainland for a coming-of-age ritual of hunting down infecteds, some of whom had mutated into giant Alphas. 

Spike had a different mission in mind -- to find a doctor for his mother Isla (Jodie Comer) who had been mysteriously ill for some time. Upon his successful return to their island with his father, Spike brought his mother to the mainland himself to search for the reclusive survivor Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) for a possible treatment. Along the way, they encountered a Swedish soldier Erik (Edvin Ryding) and helped a pregnant infected (Celi Crossland) give birth. 

This new sequel comes 18 years after the first sequel "28 Weeks Later" (2007). The first film "28 Days Later" (2002) is now considered a horror classic that revived interest for zombie films in the new millennium. The original creators of this first film -- director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland -- are both back on board to continue the tale they first told. Garland wrote this to be the first film of a new trilogy, with a sequel already set for release by January 2026.

Of course, there were still the blood-splattering scenes of our heroes Jamie and Spike shooting arrows into the heads or hearts of attacking infecteds. We are also introduced to the mutant infecteds called Alphas, physically bigger and supposedly more intelligent variants. In particular, there was one Alpha called Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) with his imposing size (and appendage), whose kill style was ripping off his victim's head and spine. 

When Spike and Isla finally meet Dr. Kesler, the tone shifted radically to a more sober, contemplative tone. We see the grisly tower of skulls seen in the posters, and learn of its significance. For those wondering what that 2002 flashback prologue about vicar's son Jimmy was all about, the answer would only be revealed at the very end when Spike met grown-up Jimmy (Jack O'Connell), whom I guess we'll see more of in the coming sequels.  7/10

Review of UNCONDITIONAL: Transman Trials

June 22, 2025

Anna (Rhian Ramos) was a professional social media marketing manager. She had already broken up with her toxic boyfriend Mark (Paulo Gumabao), but the guy still kept calling her to ask if she would accept his politician father's offer to work for him. Her best friend Uly (Rico Barrera) invited Anna to go with him to spend a few weeks in beautiful Siargao to get her mind off the negative thoughts which were bothering her. 

Several years ago, Greg (Allen Dizon) brought his mother Dolores (Elizabeth Oropesa) from their hometown in Batangas to Siargao where his elder sister Terry (Lotlot de Leon) had set up a business selling island souvenirs. He worked at the coffee shop of his good friend Liam (Brandon Ramirez) as a barista. One day, when Uly needed to go back to Manila earlier than expected, he dutifully endorsed Anna to Greg's care. 

On the surface, it would seem like this was just another love story set in the backdrop of a picturesque island paradise. However, in that first sequence where we meet Greg, we are immediately shown that he had a couple of big scars located in his chest under his two nipples. We are shown that he was injecting the contents of a medicinal ampule trans-dermally into a fold of skin he had pinched on the inner aspect of his thigh. 

We see his mother suffering from dementia, and she always called him by the name of Regina. So, when we put all these introductory clues together, we come to the conclusion that Greg was actually a transgender man. So this was the big twist of this romance, and director Adolfo Alix Jr. decided to reveal it from the start. This way we can effectively feel his fear and reluctance to declare the feelings of love he had for Anna. 

This is certainly a new acting challenge for Allen Dizon as he is playing a female character who had already transitioned into a male. As Greg, Dizon was mainly acting manly, but he was also able to project Regina's femininity long repressed within him.  While some may prefer a real trans man actor to play Greg, Dizon's restrained performance was brave and admirable, especially in that unprecedented nude gender reveal scene. 

Rhian Ramos's Anna was a woman working out various inner conflicts: tolerating demanding calls from an ex, wondering why this new man kept on keeping away. This portrayal of fluid lover Uly was Rico Barrera's most natural performance recently. Elizabeth Oropesa's Dolores was a mother battling with dementia, whose love for her children still shone through.  Comebacking Brandon Ramirez had an acting moment as Liam opened up to Greg. 7/10

Review of ELIO: Aspiring to be Abducted by Aliens

June 23, 2025

After both his parents passed away, the care of Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) was turned over to the guardianship of his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana). She was an officer in the Air Force, but she had to give up her dreams of being an astronaut when Elio came into her life. Because of this, Elio never connected emotionally with her, try as she might. Elio believed that she lost her chance to achieve her dream because of him, so Olga did not want him in her life. 

In lieu of the loneliness he felt at home and at school (where he was picked on by bullies), Elio turned his attention to outer space. He actually wished he could be abducted by aliens. When an opportunity came up, he left a message for the aliens to come and get him. One day, Elio's wish actually came true, and an alien ship picked him up and brought to a place called Communiverse. They offered Elio to be the ambassador of Earth, and he accepted.

Just like another recent Disney film "Strange World," the story of "Elio" gave the Disney Pixar artists free rein to create their own alien world and creatures. The design of the villain character Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) looked based on Zurg from the Toy Story films. The most memorable thing about him was that his imposing metallic armor housed a fat worm-like creature with gelatinous limbs, fireproof skin and multi-layered sharp teeth.  

Like many other Disney films before it, this film was also about a headstrong child lead character who took it upon themselves to embark on a big adventure in their lives, even if this went against the wishes of their elders. Elio was given a deeper psychological backstory given that he was adopted by his aunt in an unexpected manner. While this situation gave Elio a feeling of being unwanted, his Aunt Olga's point of view was not fully explored. 

Elio's first alien friend Glordon (Remy Edgerly) had another common problem faced by young people. Being of a gentler, more friendly nature, he did not want to be the war machine that his father Grigon wanted him to be.  Even then, Glordon was ready to accept his fate than face his father's fearsome wrath. It is to Pixar's credit that it dares to push and tackle these emotional issues which real children face, even if the final resolution tended to be too clean.

This film began with the vision of Adrian Molina (co-director and co-writer of "Coco"), but was later turned over to two other directors, Domee Shi (director of "Bao" and "Turning Red") and Madeline Sharafian (director of "Burrow"). The final screenplay was written by Julia Cho (co-writer of "Turning Red"), Mike Jones (co-writer of "Luca") and Mark Hammer. Perhaps this complicated production history would explain why the film can feel rather disjointed. 7/10 

Review of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2025): The Dilemma with Dragons

June 16, 2025

Hiccup (Mason Thames) was the son of Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), the heroic chieftain of their Viking village of Berk. Unlike other villages, the big pest problem of Berk did not ordinary bugs. Instead, they are dragons who fly into their fields grabbing their sheep and burning down their homes. Hiccup was told that his mother had died because of a dragon. He grew up wanting to be able to kill dragons. However, he was physically incapable of doing so. 

In 2010, Dreamworks released "How to Train Your Dragon," an animated feature about the friendship between a Viking boy and a Night Fury dragon, based on the 2003 novel and book series of the same title by Cressida Cowell. A commercial and critical success, this film launched its own franchise, including two sequels (2014 and 2019). This year, Dreamworks followed Disney's lead and produced its own live action remake of this modern classic.

The first film was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Will Deblois. Deblois alone wrote and directed this remake. (Meanwhile, Sanders worked on and released the live-action remake of his 2002 animated film "Lilo and Stitch" for Disney.)  Also back from the original films was Gerald Butler. He once voiced the character of Stoick the Vast, an important source of dramatic conflict in the story. Now, we see Butler himself perform on the big screen. 

Having live actors led to more emotional engagement between characters. Scenes of dorky Hiccup (Thames in a winsome performance) and his stern father had a lot more depth, especially in the third act. Astrid (a pretty, badass Nico Parker) was given more screen action, including a scene in a dragon's mouth. Snoutlout (Gabriel Howell) even had a subplot with his father not in the original. A mystic Elder Gothi (Naomi Wirthner) was prominently featured. 

This live action remake followed the animated original loyally -- practically scene for scene and line for line. This new version ran for 125 minutes, while the original ran for only 98 minutes. The major difference that caused this difference in running time was that the human versus dragon action sequences were much more prolonged. All the 3D CGI dragons now look a lot larger, more menacing, less cartoonish-looking than the original animated dragons. 8/10