Movie Reviews

Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Buried at C – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Buried at C.

Story

The story is fairly well constructed but had way too many moving parts and didn’t have the screentime to give them proper attention.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Too many characters with too little time for their stories. The brother added a nice emotional anchor but once he knew her secret, he sort of faded into the background. There were hints that he and the Siobhan were going to have a romance subplot but nothing happened, a lot like the love triangle.

The main character and the ghost was great and I liked the cast of suspects.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue was witty, heartwarming, and a lot of fun.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

Once again, the countryside and locations are spectacular. The camera angles and cinematography are excellent.

The music was great and the father’s song was a nice touch.

Score: 1

Fun

This was another cozy and fun mystery. The characters are interesting and the banter is great. The whole family liked this one.

Score: 1

Overall

Sequels don’t always need to get bigger and more intense. This tries but falls a little short. However, the banter and mystery are solid and it’s a fun watch.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in G Major – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2023 film Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in G Major.

Story

The mystery was challenging enough to be fun and the rest of the story was engaging. Adding ghosts added an extra fun element.

Score: 1

Characters

Cozy stories sink or swim based on their characters and setting. The main character and the ghost had excellent banter and everyone in the town was a character I’d like to know more about. I found it was an interesting twist, especially for a Hallmark movie, to leave the love triangle unresolved.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Mostly good dialogue, lots of great banter and charming small town elements.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The town and scenery were practically another character and they were lovely. The cinematography was solid, the special effects subtle, and the locations lovely.

The music was a mix of traditional and vaguely Irish background music and it added to the cozy feel.

Score: 1

Fun

The movie felt like watching Murder, She Wrote. It was calm and character driven. I love the more action packed mysteries, but this type needs to make a comeback. Everyone in the family loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

This is a wonderful cozy mystery with a slight supernatural twist. It’s well written with solid characters, and a gorgeous location. If you like cozy mysteries, you’ll love this.

Final Score: 5 Stars out of 5*

*A 5 star review doesn’t mean the movie was perfect nor that it is perfect for everyone but it is a movie I believe is as close to perfect as possible.

The Last Mimzy – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2007 film The Last Mimzy.

Story

A great adaptation of the short story, if only in spirit. It unfortunately relies a lot on the “parents don’t believe” trope which I hate.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The parents read like a dynamic from movies in the 70’s or 80’s. The mom is all over the place and the dad is an ass. I’m glad that they were supportive after they saw proof but they were by far the worst part of the movie.

The kids were fantastic and I loved the teacher and his wife.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The kids’ dialogue felt well done but some of the spiritual stuff was a little meh and the science overly simple.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The movie held up in the way it was shot and its special effects. It relied a lot on the kids interacting with the effects and it really worked.

The music was fantastic and I loved it even if I recognized some shades of Lord of the Rings.

Score: 1

Fun

The 9yo wasn’t impressed but the 6yo loved it. The adults all enjoyed it and so did I.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun science fiction with a great message and some adorable kids.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Knives Out – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2019 film Knives Out.

Story

The movie throws so much information at you and barely gives you time to sort anything before adding more. It’s delightfully confusing in the best way. The down side of it is that you risk hitting a point where you just don’t care.

Score: 0.5

Characters

So many characters and so much talent. The movie is great and Daniel Craig plays a great detective even if his accent fluctuates a little.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The entire dynamic of the family is completely believable and the minor amount of politics are just as relevant six years after it was released… unfortunately.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The visuals are fast and filled with interesting things. The set, the costumes, and the locations are spectacular.

The music is good and supports the story.

Score: 1

Fun

This was my first rewatch since I saw it in theatres and I was surprised by how much I remembered. It was just as fun working it out the second time. The rest of the family enjoyed it, although the 6yo was a little bored.

Score: 1

Overall

A wonderful revival of the detective film with an allstar cast and fascinating mystery. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is a welcome addition to Holmes, Poirot, etc.

Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical.

Story

There’s nothing new or special here except that the writers perfectly captured the spirit of Peanuts.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Each character was exactly as I expected. Some of the voices weren’t perfect but it really shows how the actors and the writers love the source material.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Cute, wholesome, and clever; just like the rest of the shows and comics.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The animation was thankfully 2D and fairly well done. There’s a warmth missing that only comes from traditional animation but it’s still lovely.

The music was cute but utterly forgettable.

Score: 0.5

Fun

This gets massive nostalgia points from me. The rest of the family loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

A faithful and entertaining addition to the Peanuts catalogue. Made with love and lots of heart.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

Princess of Thieves – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2001 film Princess of Thieves.

Story

The story feels like a mid 1990’s feelgood made for TV movie. It’s slightly silly and it refuses to let its main character do much.

Score: 0

Characters

The main love pair are a lot of fun when they’re together. The rest of the cast is much too good for the material.

I am severely annoyed that they talked her up as being an expert archer, rider, and swordsman but she only seemed able to shoot. She needed saving far too often. They’d never have written the character in the same way had it been a boy.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

Some lines could be iconic, others are just bad. It has a lot of, “But daddy!” energy that could have been way more annoying with another actor.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The visuals are pretty good, it shows that they filmed on location. The camera work is steady and well done, if very 90’s in style.

The music is a great match to the Disney Robin Hood and later versions. It’s heroic and fun.

Score: 1

Fun

This is the kind of movie that I expect is someone’s childhood favourite. It has all the elements to be great but needs the imagination of a child to put it together in a more coherent way.

Score: 0.5

Overall

A fun period movie that is bound to be someone’s favourite but that can’t decide what it wants to be. The acting and locations are excellent, but the rest is a little meh.

Final Score: 2.5 Stars out of 5

The Wild Robot – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film The Wild Robot.

Story

This treads the line between traumatic and adorable. On its surface, it’s a cutesy film about adoption and found family. Below the surface, the movie has a lot of awkward colonial tones.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The voice actors did a fabulous job. I particularly loved Lupita Nyong’o’s evolution throughout the movie from pure robotic to more humanized.

At the beginning it felt like the characters acted out for the gag more than the plot and it was a little tiresome.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue was good mostly. It was a nice exploration of what it means to be a parent and a friend. The jokes were sometimes funny and sometimes over the top.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The movie was beautifully animated and really did a great job giving each animal a personality.

The music was good, it did a great job at helping with the mood.

Score: 0.5

Fun

It was a fun movie. There are a lot of unanswered questions and word building issues, but they probably just annoyed me and weren’t that important.

The kids loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun kids movie that explores what it means to be a family while showing the importance of change. It has its flaws but the acting will make you forget about it.

Final Score: 3 Stars out of 5

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2010 film The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Story

This story takes liberties with history, mythology, literature, and physics but it has excellent beats and a good urban-fantasy story.

Score: 1

Characters

The leads are charismatic and so are the villains. There’s a distinct arc for all the characters and it’s well acted. I did find the love interest a little bland and his behaviour around her a little creepy. She felt like she was in the wrong movie but she did save their asses so that’s nice.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

Cheese and one liners between scenes of pining and info-dumps. It sounds tedious but they did an excellent job of alternating and keeping thing fresh.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The movie was stunning. The special effects look fresh even a decade and a half after it’s release. They did a great job with night filming without making it too dark.

The music used the original theme extremely well and created a pretty epic soundtrack.

Score: 1

Fun

This movie was made for fun and everyone in the family loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

One of the best urban-fantasy movies, it keeps you on your toes and despite the warping of history, it’s well paced and wonderfully acted.

Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Thunderbolts* – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Thunderbolts*.

Story

A strong story about mental health, found family, and trying to be better, dressed up in superhero tights. The movie is both touching and one of Marvel’s funniest.

Score: 1

Characters

‘All the most forgettable MCU characters team up with the Winter Soldier’ doesn’t sound all that great, but each character received development, humanizing, and some time to shine.

It was well acted and believable despite the wild and ridiculous scenes.

Score: 1

Dialogue

This movie has all the quippiness needed for a Marvel superhero movie and throws in some road trip and found family jokes along the way.

The more serious parts tackled feelings of loneliness and nihilism in a way that was comforting without being condescending.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The use of shadow throughout the movie is beautiful and works so well with the themes. Every camera movement feels thought out and I really appreciate the way they shot the fight scenes. It was chaotic without being overwhelming or nauseating.

Score: 1

Fun

I wasn’t sure I’d like this one but I really enjoyed it and hope to see more of the characters. The entire family also seemed to like it.

Score: 1

Overall

One of Marvel’s strongest recent films that doesn’t shy away from serious topic but still knows how to laugh and have some fun.

Final Score: 5 Stars out of 5*

*A 5 star review doesn’t mean the movie was perfect nor that it is perfect for everyone but it is a movie I believe is as close to perfect as possible.

The Thursday Murder Club – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film The Thursday Murder Club.

Story

Two of the hardest things to write are adaptations and mysteries. Netflix succeeds at both with this movie that is as much fun to watch as it is to guess the murderer.

Score: 1

Characters

A group of retired professionals try and solve cold cases. It’s a fantastic idea to expand the Marple formula. Each of the four main characters has their own arcs and specialties.

The rest of the cast is large enough to make sure we already know who did it and small enough that we can recognize them all.

Score: 1

Dialogue

There are more jokes in this about the actors’ previous roles than I can count. I’ll need to rewatch a few times to catch them all. It’s clever, cheeky, and definitely well written and delivered with an abundances of skill.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The camera angles are well done and the movie is mostly shot in a very calm way that makes you forget you’re watching something. The residence, clothes, and sets are vibrant and beautiful. I particularly liked how each apartment reflected the style of the resident.

Score: 1

Fun

This was a great mystery and so much fun to watch. The whole family was glued to their seats.

Score: 1

Overall

A mystery story that is both fun and well written. Once you’ve watched it for the mystery, rewatch it for the references, jokes, and fantastic acting.

Final Score: 5 Stars out of 5*

*A 5 star review doesn’t mean the movie was perfect nor that it is perfect for everyone but it is a movie I believe is as close to perfect as possible.