Special: Noelle, Klaus, Let It Snow Mini-Reviews

Noelle:

Synopsis: After Santa Claus decides to retire and his son gets cold feet on Christmas Eve, it falls to his daughter Noelle to take over the family business.

My thoughts: Noelle is a fantastic entry into the yearly Christmas movies to watch in December. It might be a tad on the silly side but it's likeable leads and great job of balancing everything you could want in a Christmas movie more than make up for it. I was shocked the reviews for this film weren't strong since the closest comparable title I could think of is the much beloved Elf. Obviously Grinches won't enjoy this film but honestly I don't think they would want to but in the event they do, their heart may just grow 2 sizes after a singular viewing. If this and Lady & The Tramp is any indication, Disney+ Original films are going to be top notch.

Final verdict: 4.5 snowcones out of 5.

Klaus:

Synopsis: When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy's worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (Oscar winner J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care.

My thoughts: The animation was beautiful and the story was sweet but the first hour or so could've been better but the final 40 minutes is among the best time I've spent watching animation this year. If only they could've stretched that over the film's entire runtime this would be the best Christmas film this year.

Final verdict: 3.5 post offices out of 5.

Let It Snow:

Synopsis: When a snowstorm hits a small midwestern town on Christmas Eve, a group of high school seniors find their friendships and love lives colliding thanks to a stranded pop star, a stolen keg, a squad of competitive dancers, a mysterious woman covered in tin foil, and an epic party at the local Waffle Town. Come Christmas morning, nothing will be the same.

My thoughts: Featuring a laundry list of "Hey I know them from something". This ensemble is really good, and it has the perfect amount of holiday cheer. The only thing that really holds this back is all the teenage cliches it contains. I tried to ignore most of it for the sake of the film, which is usually something that can be done, especially in holiday films but it's still hard to do. But in saying that it's still worthy of a once a year watch like Klaus above to fill us with some Christmas joy.

Final verdict: 3.5 waffle houses out of 5.

Special: The King, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, The Angry Birds 2 Mini-Reviews

The King:

Synopsis: Hal (Timothée Chalamet), wayward prince and reluctant heir to the English throne, has turned his back on royal life and is living among the people. But when his tyrannical father dies, Hal is crowned King Henry V and is forced to embrace the life he had previously tried to escape. Now the young king must navigate the palace politics, chaos and war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life -- including his relationship with his closest friend and mentor, the ageing alcoholic knight, John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton).

My thoughts: I expected The King to be a typical Oscar fodder film and I'm happy to report that I was right. It's slow moving with incredible performances and cinematography. The plot had some twists and turns I did not expect which gave it a nice closing but there wasn't much depth to keep me entertained throughout the film. You can certainly do worst than watch The King but you could also definitely do better.

Final verdict: 3 crowns out of 5.

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark:

Synopsis: It's l968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind... but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time--stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah's terrifying tome.

My thoughts: August was apparently a great month for horror following up my previous review of Ready Or Not. This movie has an insanely fun plot and lots of creepy material mixed in to the individual stories. The film does a great job of intertwining those stories into 1 cohesive overarching story which is tough to do given the source material is an anthology. Good casting and good pacing. The only downfall was the lack of any true scares, relying on a creepy factor instead.

Final verdict: 4 killer ghosts out of 5.

The Angry Birds Movie 2:

Synopsis: The flightless angry birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds Movie 2! When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck's sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save their homes.

My thoughts: I'm not sure how this has such better reviews compared to the first (which has aged surprisingly well). It's definitely a step below it's predecessor, though not a huge one. The script works well enough, especially considering this is the 2nd movie they made based on a phone app with no story basis whatsoever.

Final verdict: 3.5 bird-pig team-ups out of 5.