2020 Mini-Review Compilation

2020 MINI-REVIEW COMPILATION! 

By Nico Beland

DOLPHIN REEF: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

DISNEYNATURE (DISNEY+)

Dolphin Reef boasts breathtaking ocean sequences that immerse the viewer with up-close encounters of dolphins and other sea creatures with a heartfelt story about parenting, growing up, and gaining independence; another worthy entry in the Disneynature catalog!

The film is narrated by Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Thor 1 and 2, Jackie).

 

ELEPHANT: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEYNATURE (DISNEY+)

Elephant adds another beautifully filmed, heartfelt, and downright adorable entry to the Disneynature library!

The film is narrated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. 

STARGIRL: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Stargirl hits a lot of familiar beats as other coming-of-age stories; but it has enough charm between its talented leads as well as some genuine sweet moments to elevate it above sappy teen romance!

The film stars singer-songwriter, Grace VanderWaal and Graham Verchere (Fargo (TV series), The Good Doctor, Summer of 84). 

 

TIMMY FAILURE: MISTAKES WERE MADE: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made offers a fun, all-ages mystery and a surprisingly thought-provoking coming-of-age story with plenty of imagination, hijinks, and a bold message about growing up to boot!

The film stars newcomer, Winslow Fegley, Ophelia Lovibond (Nowhere Boy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocketman), Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Toy Story franchise, Marriage Story), and Craig Robinson (The Office, Pineapple Express, This is the End). 

 

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

The One and Only Ivan may not be the film the real-life titular gorilla deserves, but it has enough heart and genuine emotion to elevate it above disposable talking animal kids’ movie fare!

The film stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Godzilla (2014), Trumbo), Ramón Rodríguez (The Wire, The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), and the voices of Sam Rockwell (Moon, Iron Man 2, Vice), Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted, Maleficent 1 and 2, Eternals), Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jumanji: The Next Level), and Helen Mirren (Excalibur, The Queen, RED 1 and 2). 

 

HAMILTON: 

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY+

Phenomenal songs and musical numbers, incredible set design, terrific acting, amazing choreography and an ingenious blend of comedy and drama, Hamilton is masterfully brought to both the stage and screen by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns, In the Heights)!

 

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

The Personal History of David Copperfield offers a clever and funny take on the classic Charles Dickens story made even better thanks to the charm of its leads!

The film stars Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, Hotel Mumbai), Hugh Laurie (Stuart Little 1 and 2, House, Arthur Christmas), Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, Burn After Reading, Marvel Cinematic Universe), Ben Whishaw (James Bond franchise, Paddington 1 and 2, Mary Poppins Returns), Benedict Wong (Marco Polo, The Martian, Marvel Cinematic Universe), and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Star Wars franchise).

 

BLACK BEAUTY: 

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

DISNEY+

While it features strong performances by Mackenzie Foy (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Parts 1 and 2, Interstellar, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms) and the voice of Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road, Steve Jobs), and has some genuinely heartfelt and poignant moments, this recent adaptation of Black Beauty plays it too safe compared to other, better retellings of the beloved story!

 

LOVE AND MONSTERS: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

While a comedic take on a monster apocalypse is nothing new, Love and Monsters makes the most of its delightfully kooky premise!

The film stars Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner trilogy, Deepwater Horizon, American Assassin), Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Marvel Cinematic Universe Television), and Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Super, Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2). 

 

SAFETY: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Uplifting and inspiring, Safety doesn't quite do much new with the inspirational sports movie genre, but its compelling, fact-based story and performances by its leads will likely have fans of the genre cheering!

The film stars newcomers Jay Reeves and Thaddeus J. Mixson, Corinne Foxx (David Blaine: Real or Magic, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, All-Star Weekend), Matthew Glave (The Wedding Singer, Argo, First Man), James Badge Dale (The Grey, Iron Man 3, Only the Brave), and Amanda Warren (The Adjustment Bureau, Seven Psychopaths, Roman J. Israel, Esq.). 

 

GODMOTHERED: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

While the whole "Mystical Character Interacting with Modern Society" premise has been done before in other, better movies, Godmothered has just enough creativity, laughs, and heart to make for a familiar but enjoyable family film with likable performances by Jillian Bell (Goosebumps, The Night Before, Brittany Runs a Marathon) and Isla Fisher (I Heart Huckabees, Wedding Crashers, Rise of the Guardians) to boot!

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX, PARAMOUNT PICTURES, AND DREAMWORKS PICTURES

Boasted by a star-studded cast and a topical and timely fact-based story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 brings a powerful and compelling legal drama to the screen with writer-director Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball, Molly’s Game) at the top of his game!

The film stars Sacha Baron Cohen (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Borat, The Spy), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl, Fantastic Beasts franchise), Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Jeremy Strong (Molly’s Game, Succession, The Gentlemen), John Carroll Lynch (Fargo, American Horror Story, The Founder), Noah Robbins (Indignation, Miss Sloane, The Assistant), Daniel Flaherty (Skins, Goat, November Criminals), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, Us, Watchmen (TV series)), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, The BFG, Dunkirk), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper), Ben Shenkman (Angels in America, Blue Valentine, Royal Pains), J.C. MacKenzie (The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, Robot & Frank, Captain Fantastic), Kevin Harrison Jr. (Ender’s Game, 12 Years a Slave, It Comes at Night), Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice, Batman 1 and 2, Birdman), John Doman (Oz, ER, Gotham), Caitlin FitzGerald (Masters of Sex, Sweetbitter, Damsels in Distress), Max Adler (Glee, Switched at Birth, Sully), C.J. Wilson (Demolition, The Intern, Manchester by the Sea), and Damien Young (The Comeback, House of Cards, Birdman). 

CLOUDS: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

 

Clouds hits a lot of familiar notes, but it has plenty of genuinely sweet and heartfelt moments with a talented cast to boot that elevate it above disposable young-adult melodrama!

The film stars Fin Argus (The Gifted, Total Eclipse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Madison Iseman (Still the King, Jumanji 2 and 3, Annabelle Comes Home), Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World, Adventures in Babysitting (2016), The Hate U Give), Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out, Rel), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!, An American Werewolf in Paris, La La Land), Neve Campbell (The Craft, Scream franchise, Wild Things), Vivien Endicott-Douglas (Shoebox Zoo, Terry, The Line), and Dylan Everett (How To Be Indie, Wingin’ It, Degrassi).

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX

 

Unmissable albeit bittersweet, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom pays a loving tribute to a legendary blues artist as well as Black culture as a whole with electrifying performances by Viola Davis (The Help, Fences, Widows) and Chadwick Boseman (42, Get on Up, Marvel Cinematic Universe) in his final film role taking center stage! 

The film also stars Glynn Turman (A Different World, The Wire, The Way Back), Colman Domingo (Euphoria, Fear the Walking Dead, Candyman (2021)), Michael Potts (The Wire, The Book of Mormon, True Detective), Jonny Coyne (Alcatraz, Once Upon a Time, Gangster Squad), Taylour Paige (Hit the Floor, White Boy Rick, Zola), and Jeremy Shamos (Birdman, The Big Sick, Bad Education). 

THE VAST OF NIGHT: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

AMAZON STUDIOS

 

Campy fun but also thought-provoking, The Vast of Night is a loving sendup to classic 1950s science-fiction that doesn't shy away from bold storytelling or compelling characters while continuing to prove that sometimes the best sci-fi stories are the ones that don't rely on flashy special-effects or overblown action sequences!

The film is the directorial debut of Andrew Patterson and stars Sierra McCormick (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Supernatural, A.N.T. Farm), newcomer Jake Horowitz, and Gail Cronauer (JFK, LAX, Beyond the Farthest Star). 

SOUND OF METAL: 

Movie Review: **** out of 4

AMAZON STUDIOS

 

Ambitious and daring without being the least bit forced in its execution, Sound of Metal offers an honest but quite moving look inside the Deaf community with a strong narrative, passionate direction from newcomer Darius Marder, and a tour de force performance by Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), this is one Metal show not to be missed!

The film also stars Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Ready Player One), Paul Raci (Baskets, Parks and Recreation), Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead, Children of a Lesser God, Eternals), and Mathieu Amalric (Munich, Quantum of Solace, The Grand Budapest Hotel). 

MANK: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX

 

Thanks to slick writing and an excellent performance by Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight trilogy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Darkest Hour), Mank offers a fascinating look inside the making of one of the greatest films of all time with director David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network, Gone Girl) affectionately making 1930s Hollywood come alive every step of the way!

The film also stars Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Jennifer’s Body, Les Miserables (2012)), Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply, Tolkien, Emily in Paris), Arliss Howard (Full Metal Jacket, Amistad, Moneyball), Tom Pelphrey (Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Ozark), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Imitation Game, The Crown), Sam Troughton (Alien VS Predator, Vera Drake, Chernobyl), Ferdinand Kingsley (The Last Legion, Dracula Untold, Victoria), Tuppence Middleton (The Imitation Game, The Current War, Downton Abbey (film)), Tom Burke (War & Peace, Strike, The Souvenir), Joseph Cross (Running with Scissors, Flags of our Fathers, Lincoln), Jamie McShane (Sons of Anarchy, Southland, Bloodline), Toby Leonard Moore (John Wick, Daredevil (Netflix series), Billions), Leven Rambin (Grey’s Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Hunger Games), Bill Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Bill Nye Saves the World), and Jeff Harms (The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo). 

SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND-BORN ROYALS: 

Movie Review: * out of 4

DISNEY+

Aside from some mostly fine acting, Secret Society of Second-Born Royals wastes a potentially fun and interesting premise in favor of lazily ripping off superhero movie, young-adult fantasy, and Disney Princess tropes with nothing new or unique added to them, already tired Disney Channel-esque and "Not Your Average Fairy Tale" clichés that better films like Shrek and Enchanted made popular, an unoriginal plot that desperately tries to be like X-Men mixed with Harry Potter, The Avengers, and Disney Princesses, but with a complete lack of understanding of why we love those stories in the first place, resulting in one of the worst, cringiest things to ever have the Disney name that makes even the worst Disney Channel movies look credible by comparison!

The film stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack, The Lion Guard, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.), Niles Fitch (St. Vincent, This is Us, Roman J. Israel, Esq.), Isabella Blake-Thomas (Green Balloon Club, Once Upon a Time, Game Shakers), Olivia Deeble (Little Lunch, Home and Away), Noah Lomax (The Walking Dead, 99 Homes, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water), Ashley Liao (Fuller House, Always Be My Maybe, Spirit Riding Free), Samuel Page (Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, House of Cards), Skylar Astin (Hamlet 2, Taking Woodstock, Pitch Perfect 1 and 2), Élodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Daredevil (Netflix series), The Defenders), Greg Bryk (A History of Violence, ReGenesis, Far Cry 5/Far Cry: New Dawn), and Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin, The Brave, Blood & Treasure). 

MAGIC CAMP: 

Movie Review: ** out of 4

DISNEY+

Magic Camp has its moments as well as some enjoyable performances by Adam DeVine (Pitch Perfect 1 and 2, Modern Family, Workaholics), Jeffrey Tambor (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Arrested Development, Hellboy 1 and 2), and Gillian Jacobs (Community, Girls, Life Partners), but it's a mostly standard and disposable kids’ movie that ironically isn't all that "Magical"!

The film also stars Cole Sand (Austin & Ally, Parenthood (TV series), Tales of Arcadia), Isabella Crovetti (The Neighbors, Colony, Vampirina), J.J. Totah (Jessie, Other People, Champions), Izabella Alvarez (Shameless, Westworld, The Loud House), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton, Hidden Figures, The Invisible Man (2020)), Rochelle Aytes (Trick ‘r Treat, The Forgotten (TV series), Mistresses), Krystal Joy Brown (Castle, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Sydney to the Max), Desmond Chiam (Reef Break, The Shannara Chronicles, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and Michael Hitchcock (Glee, Bridesmaids, Super 8). 

HOWARD:

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY+

Bittersweet but also inspiring and poignant, Howard beautifully pays tribute to the legacy and life of the incredible artist behind the soundtracks to some of the most iconic Disney films of all time!

The film is directed by Don Hahn (Waking Sleeping Beauty) and documents the life of songwriter Howard Ashman who wrote the lyrics for the songs in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin as well as the stage musical, Little Shop of Horrors who tragically died in 1991 of complications from AIDS at the age of 40.