5 Stars

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film A Very Jonas Christmas Movie.

Story

This is a combination of the “must get home for Christmas” and American “European vacation” tropes. It’s done extremely PG but never feels like they held back on their humour. It wasn’t original but didn’t need to be. The story delivered with lots of emotion. I really appreciate magic being the reason for all the mishaps instead of the brothers doing stupid things.

Score: 1

Characters

No matter how intense your knowledge of the band is, the characters they play are very obvious. The neurotic “mom friend”, the womanizer, and the innocent everyman. They play the roles well and even managed to do a good job of fleshing out their feelings. The story arc for each character is fun and rewarding.

Do yourself a favour and watch it with a longtime fan, they’ll let you know the in-jokes.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Standard brother banter. I like that sometimes when they teased each other it hurt. So often in movies, men will say horribly mean things to each other and there are no consequences.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The visuals were standard Disney TV fare. Nothing special, but they did a good job.

The music was excellent and I look forward to getting the album.

Score: 1

Fun

I don’t know the group super well but I enjoyed this a lot. It was feel good, low angst, and fun. The whole family was glued to their seats.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun Christmas movie for anyone, even if you know little about the Jonas brothers. The music, the dialogue, and the hijinks are all delightful.

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.

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.

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.

Heads of State – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Heads of State.

Story

The perfect meld of comedy and action with a story that keeps you guessing and never condescends.

Score: 1

Characters

This movie would have been interesting with one well fleshed out character but in a film with this much action it’s rare to get three mains and a half dozen others with realistic motivations and nuanced backstories.

The three main characters not only hold the film together, they make it both entertaining and interesting.

Score: 1

Dialogue

A lot of the dialogue is hammy but done in an intentional way. The trailer shows a lot of these lines without the buildup which made seeing the whole thing more interesting.

There are a few lines that really stand out because of their delivery. The British PM is complaining about how bad a day they’re having in the middle of the banter and the American President replies with something along the lines of tell that to all the people who died. It’s an exchange that starts out funny but reminds both the characters and the audience about the stakes of the movie. It also shows the kindness of the president and helps to build character.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The movie avoids the sin of shaky-cam and uses some extraordinary pans. The cinematography matched the tone and the events in the film, leaning into the comic book action when needed and then the more dignified when it became more serious.

The song choices were perfect, really focussing on what was going on and not just going for the feeling of a scene. The score was good and its use was fantastic.

Score: 1

Fun

Witty banter, silly fights, a hopeful message, and lots of social commentary. It was lots of fun. The whole family liked it.

Score: 1

Overall

A film that balances humour, action, and hope in a way that I wish more did. This is a movie that believes humanity can be great but only if we work together, without being preachy or ignoring our faults. It’s cheesy, funny, and the three leads are fantastically charismatic.

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.

KPop Demon Hunters – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film KPop Demon Hunters.

Story

The story, like everything in this movie, is a clever combination of tropes, story structures, and character archetypes. It does something that most animation targeting children doesn’t: it creates a world with loose ends that can be explored later or just by the fans.

Score: 1

Characters

The characters take a lot of influence from Kpop personalities with a dash of fantasy archetypes and some mythological references. The design, the costumes, the movements, everything is intentional and recognizable to multiple different audiences.

I do wish we’d found out a little more about the other boys in the band, but I understand that would have bogged down the story.

Score: 1

Dialogue

So quipy and irreverent it was great. The dialogue that is said for drama purposes hits so much harder because of the humour in the rest of the movie.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

Seen as a whole, the movie was stunning. There were a few times where they went lower resolution and the characters looked like claymation from adult swim. I’m not a fan of that style, but the rest of it is absolutely gorgeous.

The music was spectacular and is playing on repeat in our house.

Score: 1

Fun

My first time watching it, I was stressed for the characters and loved all the little twists. It’s a movie with a lot of layers. The second watch really showed how much detail they put into everything.

Jen and the kids are obsessed (as are a lot of other people). It’s a fun and heartwarming movie that doesn’t shy away from the dark.

Score: 1

Overall

Every detail matters and the movie has rich storytelling and fantastic music. The worst part of the movie is how epic a world they built and how we have to wait for more.

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.

My Spy – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2020 film My Spy.

Story

The show feels like it’s both paying homage and mocking spy movies and it pulls it off with heart. The story is fresh and has a few good twists that, even if you see them coming, are satisfying.

Score: 1

Characters

I expected, from the trailers, that this would be a cringe comedy, but Dave Bautista brings warmth and humility to the role, and Chloe Coleman is both funny and precocious in the best way. One of the things I really appreciated about this was how competent each character was at what they do. The humour comes from them being out of their element.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Clever, fun, and often really funny. The eight year old’s sarcasm is spot-on.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The camera work is solid and the action scenes are very well choreographed.

The music was perfect for the movie and complimented it well.

Score: 1

Fun

The entire family loved the movie. It was funny and heartwarming.

Score: 1

Overall

One of the many films that got shuffled away to streaming because of the pandemic, it deserves so much more. It’s a fun, funny, and lovable movie.

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 Mask of Zorro – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro.

Story

The story and myth of Zorro is based on the “Fox” archetype. (Robin Hood, Reynard the Fox, or The Scarlet Pimpernel) I like the addition of the apprentice and especially the nod to Joaquin Murrieta. It’s an extremely good example of how to adapt a story.

Score: 1

Characters

Each character was perfectly written. The only part I had issue believing was Antonio Banderas needing help on how to be charming. The villains were nuanced enough to be realistic but evil enough to deserve their fate. The parallel stories and character development between the older and younger characters was excellent.

Catherine Zeta-Jones manages to balance damsel and kick-ass in an extremely believable way.

Score: 1

Dialogue

I’d give full points for, “So the devil will know who sent you.” alone. The rest of the dialogue balanced heroics, humour, drama, and romance in a perfectly believable way.

Score: !

Visuals and Music

This film, thankfully, came out before shaky-cam. The fights are wonderfully choreographed and the practical effects have aged fantastically.

The music is equal to any modern superhero and really amps up the emotion.

Score: 1

Fun

Swashbuckling, explosions, witty one liners, and at its core a big heart. I’m sounding old but this kind of movie isn’t made anymore and that makes me sad. The whole family loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

One of the best adventure / swashbuckling movies. The emotion and character drama anchor the action and heroics, making everything feel so much more. Modern superhero movies could learn a lot from this movie.

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.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 1966 special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Story

The Grinch is sick of crass commercialism and is overstimulated by the “noise, noise, noise, noise”; therefore he hates Christmas. Despite the eight-year-old’s protests that they need the tragic backstory, this was done fantasticly for a twenty-three minute special. There’s an economy of story that is quite impressive.

Score: 1

Characters

There’s really only the Grinch, Cindy-Lou, and Max but they are all fairly well fleshed out. The animators did a fanatastic job giving Max a personality without any lines.

Boris Karloff kills it as the Grinch and the narrator.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The dialogue is pulled straight from the book and is both absurd and rife with meaning.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The animation is spectacular for its time. bringing the exaggerated style of Dr. Seuss and giving the motions to match is great. The movement and framing are what all future Dr. Seuss adaptations would use as a base.

Score: 1

Fun

Huge nostalgia points from me. Despite its age, it stood up well. I’d love a cleaned up version from the original film. The kids were both glued and complained it was too short.

Score: 1

Overall

A holiday classic with lots of heart. This is a combination of amazing animation and wonderful voicework.

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.

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Abigail – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2024 film Abigail.

Story

A remake of the Daughter of Dracula, they make a good effort to update the story and add some fun twists. The pacing was good and the references to other books and movies were a nice bonus.

Score: 1

Characters

It’s hard to balance this much blood, violence, and atmosphere while still giving the large cast of characters time to breathe. Not only do we get to know the characters but even like them, despite the fact that they were all willing to kidnap and maybe torture a child. The actors did a fantastic job at making horror action tropes into real feeling people.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The dialogue feels like it belongs in more of a mystery or action movie and that’s a good thing. The horror is built with atmosphere and intercharacter tension as much as the vampire.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The special effects were minimal and practical which worked really well. The quantity of fake blood was awe inspiring.

The music was perfect. I’ll never hear the nutcracker the same way and the rest of the score did everything it could to enhance the action.

Score: 1

Fun

Bad guys getting destroyed by monsters is a fun relaxing night for me. (I might be weird.) This was perfect and it even gave me the “Final girl gets pissed and fights back” trope that I love so much.

Score: 1

Overall

If you like old-style slashers and watching bag guys getting ripped to shreds, this is a lot of fun. It’s a smart horror that knows enough to reference its influences and do its own thing. Coupled with a great cast, it’s a perfect film.

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.