Tag: Animation

Movie Review: Lesbian Space Princess (2025)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Title: Lesbian Space Princess
Release Date: September 11, 2025
Director:  Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese
Production Company: We Made A Thing Studios
Main Cast:

  • Shabana Azeez as Saira
  • Bernie Van Tiel as Kiki
  • Gemma Chua-Tran as Willow
  • Richard Roxburgh as Problematic Ship
  • Kween Kong as Blade
  • Aunty Donna as the Straight White Maliens
    • Mark Bonanno as the Leader
    • Zachary Ruane as Larry
    • Broden Kelly as Josh
  • Madeleine Sami as Queen Anne
  • Jordan Raskopoulos as Queen Leanne
  • Demi Lardner as the DNM Girl
  • Reuben Kaye as Safety Bubble

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A space princess is thrust out of her sheltered life and into a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from evil incel aliens.

My Thoughts:

Saira, a lesbian princess in space, is an introvert with no self-esteem struggling with living up to the expectations of her mothers and being dumped by her first girlfriend, Kiki.  When Kiki is abducted, Saira has to go outside her double (literally) to try an rescue her.  This is an extremely goofy movie full of corny jokes.  In fact, it gets its funniness from the barrage of jokes and callbacks.  It’s also a musical with indie pop songs that comment on the action, many performed by the character Willow (who is my favorite part of the movie, and they deserved better).

Rating: ***

Movie Review: Boys Go to Jupiter (2025)

~ Liam ~ 1 Comment

Title: Boys Go to Jupiter
Release Date: August 8, 2025
Director: Julian Glander
Production Company: Glanderco
Main Cast:

  • Jack Corbett as Billy 5000
  • Janeane Garofalo as Dr. Dolphin
  • Tavi Gevinson as Glarba
  • Elsie Fisher as Beatbox
  • Grace Kuhlenschmidt as Freckles
  • Julio Torres as T-bone
  • Joe Pera as Herschel Cretaceous
  • Miya Folick as Rozebud
  • Sarah Sherman as Miss Sharon
  • Cole Escola as Old Slippy
  • Max Wittert as Byron
  • Chris Fleming as Weenie
  • Eva Victor as Gail 5000
  • River L. Ramirez as Gordon Spaghetti
  • Demi Adejuyigbe as Mr. Moolah
  • J.R. Phillips as Peanut

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A teenager in suburban Florida desperately hustles to make $5,000 in this dreamy and surreal animated coming-of-age story.

My Thoughts:

In a delightfully bizarre animated film, teenaged Billy 5000 is hustling in the gig economy to make enough money to move out of his sister’s house in coastal Florida.  His deliveries bring him into contact with eccentric customers and the corporate juice factories of Dr. Dolphin.  Oh, and also, aliens.  And while this movie is not officially tagged as a musical, the indie rock/dream pop soundtrack offers a wry commentary on the film.

Rating: ***1/2

365 Movies in 365 Days: Last Year’s Snow Was Falling (1983)

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This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Last Year’s Snow Was Falling 
Release Date: December 31, 1983
Director: Aleksandr Tatarskiy
Production Company: Ekran
Main Cast:

  • Stanislav Sadalskiy – Narrator

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Funny adventures of the clumsy fellow whom his wife dispatched to the forest to bring home a New Year tree…

My Thoughts:

With my 365 Movies in 365 Days Project coming to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief that this will be the final highly-regarded (by everyone but me) Soviet-era animation I will be watching.  The movie breaks the the fourth wall with the narrator interacting with the main character and commenting on the story as a film, but does so long past the point of it being clever.  The main story involves the “funny” pratfalls of a foolish man looking to cut down a tree.  “The End” appears on the screen about halfway through this short, and I was so disappointed it was a “joke” and not the actual end of the film.

Rating: **

365 Movies in 365 Days: The Snowman (1982)

~ Liam ~ 2 Comments

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: The Snowman 
Release Date: December 27, 1982
Director: Dianne Jackson
Production Company: TVC London | Snowman Enterprises
Main Cast:

  • Raymond Briggs – Narrator

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A young boy makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life at midnight and takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus

My Thoughts:

The Snowman was released right at the age when I would’ve thought I was “too grown up” for this kind of story, so although I was familiar with it, I’d never watched it before.  It’s with a little regret because I’d like to know what it’s like to see through a child’s imaginative eyes, even a jaded preteen.  The story is pretty simple, and a little bit strange.  A boy creates a snowman and at night it comes to life and they go on adventures together.  The snowman can even fly which is not something I expected snow people to do, but then again it’s not that big a stretch from a snowman walking and talking.

Rating: ****

365 Movies in 365 Days: Good Will To Men (1955)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Good Will To Men
Release Date: Dcember 23, 1955
Director: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Production Company: MGM Cartoon Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Main Cast:

  • Daws Butler – Elderly Choirmaster

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A group of young mice is in the ruins of a church, practicing singing for an upcoming service. After singing an adulterated version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” the mice wonder about the last line, “Good will to men.” One of them asks the choirmaster, an old mouse, “What are men?” The old mouse explains that they all killed each other off by building bigger and more destructive weapons, first guns, then missiles, then bombs.

My Thoughts:

In a future where humanity is destroyed by nuclear war, mice – who’ve apparently adopted Christianity – gather in the ruins of a church to celebrate Christmas.  An elderly choirmaster tells the young mice in the choir about humankind and how we eliminated ourselves.  It’s as dark and harrowing as it sounds!  Honestly, I’m surprised this got made in the 1950s and yet Hanna and Barbera didn’t get called before HUAC.

Rating: ***1/2

365 Movies in 365 Days: Snow Bear (2024)

~ Liam ~ 1 Comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Snow Bear  
Release Date: November 21, 2024
Director:  Aaron Blaise
Main Cast:

  • Alexandra W. Smith – Polar Bear

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

When a lonely polar bear can’t find a friend… he makes one. Set in a rapidly changing world, “Snow Bear” tells the story of a polar bear in an unforgiving environment on his quest to find a friend. This independently produced 2D hand drawn film was painstakingly created entirely by Aaron Blaise over 3 years.

My Thoughts:

A polar bear can’t find anyone to play with so it builds one out of snow.  It’s nice to see in 2025 a sweet and lovingly-crafted hand-drawn animation with the heart of an early Pixar movie.  Plus there’s the subtext of the losses the come from climate change.

Rating:  ***1/2

365 Movies in 365 Days: Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas
Release Date: December 3, 2001
Director: Steve Cox
Production Company: Aardman
Main Cast:

  • Justin Fletcher – Shaun/Timmy
  • John Sparkes – The Farmer/Bitzer
  • Kate Harbour – Timmy’s Mother
  • Laura Aikman – Ella
  • Marcus Brigstocke – Farmer Ben
  • Anna Leong Brophy – Jin
  • Simon Greenall
  • Andy Nyman
  • Emma Tate
  • Rich Webber

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Shaun’s seasonal excitement turns to dismay when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the flock inadvertently leads to Timmy going missing. Can Shaun get Timmy back before he becomes someone else’s present?

My Thoughts:

Shaun and his flock get into hijinks and misadventure in a wild chase to find little Timmy.  As always with Aardman films, the pantomime, slapstick, and visual gags are on point.  While there’s nothing here that elevates it to a “Holiday Classic” it’s nevertheless quite enjoyable.

Rating: ***

365 Movies in 365 Days: The Night Before Christmas (1941)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: The Night Before Christmas
Release Date: December 6, 1941
Director: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Production Company: MGM Cartoon Studio | Rudolf Ising Productions | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Main Cast:

  • Frank Graham – Narrator

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

It’s snowy and cold outside, and warm inside where Jerry squeezes past a mousetrap to cavort under a present-laden Christmas tree. Mistaking the sleeping Tom for a plush toy, Jerry wakes him and a mad chase ensues.

My Thoughts:

Tom & Jerry: But what if they kissed?

On Christmas Eve, Jerry cavorts beneath the Christmas tree causing havoc eventually catching a sleeping Tom’s attention.  In a rare case of Tom actually winning, Tom traps Jerry outside.  But then he feels guilty about Jerry freezing in the snow, so he brings Jerry back in and they celebrate their bromance by Christmas lights.  I joke, but this is actually top quality Tom & Jerry!

Rating: ****

 

365 Movies in 365 Days Niccolò (2025)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Niccolò
Release Date:  October 8, 2025
Director: David Florian, Axelle Granet, Sirui Liu, Hugo Michalet, Clémentine Di Prizio, Njolai Pachomius
Production Company: Gobelins
Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

From innocent to genius. Niccolò is a young violonist destined to become a legend.

My Thoughts:

In a gorgeously-animated short, the Romantic Era composer and violinist Niccolò Paganini experiences the metaphorical conflict of artistic freedom versus pleasing the public.

Rating: ***

365 Movies in 365 Days: World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime (2020)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime
Release Date: October 9, 2020
Director: Don Hertzfeldt
Production Company: Bitter Films
Main Cast:

  • Julia Pott – Emily
  • Jack Parrett – Young David

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A hidden memory sends David across the far reaches of time and space to solve a deadly mystery involving his time-traveling future selves.

My Thoughts:

The third, longest, and to date final installment of World of Tomorrow series changes protagonists to David, the supposed love of Emily’s life.  David goes to the ends of the galaxy removing parts of his personality as he goes along to find a message left for him by an Emily clone which ultimately leads him into an Inception-like time travel murder plot.  This is the darkest of the three films and is not leavened by the child’s voice of young Emily. It was a bit too much for me, but still magnificently animated.

Rating: ***