review

Hoppers – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2026 film Hoppers.

Story

The first three quarters of the movie felt a lot like an older environmental movie (Fern Gully etc.) but the last part added a lot to the message and was something I hadn’t seen before.

Score: 1

Characters

Everyone does a great job acting and the characters are good. I found the main character acted younger than her age and the maniacal Titus was a little on the nose.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

There’s a lot of great quotes and a lot of resonating messages. The kindness and love shown by George is wonderful and refreshing.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The animation is stunning and the use of the camera is excellent. I really appreciate the characters’ changes depending on who is perceiving them.

Score: 1

Fun

There are some laugh out loud moments and lots of good stuff in this movie. The kids loved it and so did the adults.

Score: 1

Overall

Another excellent story from Pixar that will make you laugh and cry in turn. The message of co-operation and seeing the best in people is deeply needed in today’s world.

Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5

The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2022 film The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay.

Story

This felt like a middle grade book from the early nineties. The twists of the mystery are simple but satisfying and the overall ecological message is solid. It’s definitely aimed at a younger audience.

Score: 1

Characters

I liked the characters on their own and when they got along but the fighting between the girls was frustrating. One of those, “Just talk to each other!” type of things.

The villain was well hidden and a lot of the secondary characters were very likeable.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

Some of the dialogue was very young but overall it was okay.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The setting was spectacular and it elevated everything. The camera work was solid and the use of shadows was great.

The music was kinda bland but still did it’s job

Score: 0.5

Fun

The whole family liked it and we’ll probably watch it again. Loved the queer representation and acceptance.

Score: 1

Overall

A solid middle grade story with plenty of beautiful scenery and good acting to make it worth everyones while.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Shotgun Wedding – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2022 film Shotgun Wedding.

Story

A classic “Die Hard” style story with a fighting couple that borders on enemy to lovers. The plot is simple and only complicated by bad decisions.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The cast is fabulous and the characters wonderfully flawed. I like that they had no combat training and survived by luck and a little skill.

They did make a lot of really foolish decisions, and at times it felt forced.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue is cheesy and fun with lots of quips. It is really frustrating how much of the dialogue happens where the bad guys should hear them.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The location was beautiful and the costuming was amazing and consistent. The camera work was good and steady.

The music was okay and did a good job of punctuating when the dialogue was dangerous and when it was just exposition.

Score: 1

Fun

It was a lot of fun to watch, even with the frustrations of poor character decisions.

Score: 1

Overall

A solidly written homage to Die Hard with a wedding twist. The characters have no idea what they’re doing in combat or love but by the end they find both.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Rise of the Guardians – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2012 film Rise of the Guardians.

Story

A fun twist on the reluctant hero story with a better lineup than the Avengers. The story is fresh while still using standard superhero tropes. The worldbuilding is amazing.

Score: 1

Characters

Each of the characters had unique feel and character motivations. The actors did a great job, really throwing themselves into it. Even with a larger cast there was a lot of character development for all of them except Sandy.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Very quippy, funny, and isn’t afraid of being serious at the same time.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The animation has aged fairly well, there are some lighting issues and a few less smooth sections but it’s still very pretty.

The music is phenomenal and worth listening to if you ever need to get pumped up.

Score: 1

Fun

I saw this in theatres and loved it. This was the kids’ first time and they were glued to the screen. Everyone had a great time.

Score: 1

Overall

A classic animated film that has more heart and goes way harder than it needed to. The acting, writing, and music make this a family favourite and an all around fun 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.

Boss Level  – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2020 film Boss Level.

Story

A hyper violent time loop story. I’m surprised there aren’t more than a few of these. The story was good and unfolded well but felt like the character development wasn’t as extreme as most time loop movies. The ending felt like the screenwriters got stuck and couldn’t think of anything better.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The main character is likeable and trying really hard to pretend to be a dick. The interactions and emotion with his son are the best part of the movie.

The rest of the cast does a great job but most of them are very cartoonish.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The narration was fantastic and the snappy dialogue was a lot of fun. Again, the dialogue between the main character and his son make the movie.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The action was great, the cinematography passable, and the special effects were well done.

The music was perfect for the film.

Score: 1

Fun

I watched this one on my own and there are so many fun moments but the ending was so bad it made me enjoy the movie less.

Score: 0.5

Overall

A run of the mill time loop movie where the action and character drama are fantastic but the story and ending are mediocre.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

The Princess Diaries – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2001 film The Princess Diaries.

Story

This was an interesting take on the My Fair Lady trope but without the bet. I like that the love interest is secondary but the angst and teen drama is still just as cringy as it was two decades ago.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The characters are fairly true to life for the teens while still being caricatures in a good way. It really reminds me of the early aughts.

The Queen is amazing and Joseph is absolutely perfect.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Quippy, fun, memorable, and most of all, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The cinematography is good and the framing done well. The colours feel muted a little but that could be Disney+.

The music is excellent and supports the action.

Score: 1

Fun

This movie always makes me uncomfortable and then happy. The kids liked it and the rest of the family have loved it for years.

Score: 0.5

Overall

This is a classic movie with all the teenage angst of the early 2000’s. Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews are iconic and it’s a lot of fun to revisit these characters with my kids.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

 Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2024 film Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

Story

This is the standard love story where the “prince” meets the uncommon girl and her family and before she knows who he is, they start falling for each other. Then there’s drama when she finds out and eventually they rebuild trust and love. Same plot points as a lot of Cinderella stories.

There’s nothing particularly new in it, but they tie every plot point to the emotion of the movie.

I was worried this would just be a huge ad for the team and it’s players, but it never felt that way. Even with Donna Kelce popping up.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Throw a bunch of standard, but kind, family tropes at a wall and you’ll get the characters from this movie.

That being said, they act the shit out of it. Every line, every look, and every movement is purposeful and impactful. The actors are mostly veteran TV actors and they’re lovable.

The main characters are adorable and have enough chemistry to keep us interested.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The dialogue was pure cheese but delivered so well that it felt deep.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The camera angles were good and they made Kansas City look like a small Christmas town, which is impressive.

The music did it’s job and was good.

Score: 0.5

Fun

It was a nice relaxing movie that was sweet and still pulled at my heartstrings. Both my wife and I loved it. (We watched it after the kids wree in bed.)

Score: 1

Overall

It strikes the perfect balance between cheese and real emotion with all the heart you’d need from this sort of movie.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

Jingle Bell Heist – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2025 film Jingle Bell Heist.

Story

They manage to meld the formula of a heist movie with the heart of a Christmas romance. It was happy, sad, stressful, twisty, and ends happily.

Score: 1

Characters

The two main characters could have been extremely bland but the actors were amazing and elevated them into real, feeling people.

Score: 1

Dialogue

The dialogue was good, especially when the two main characters were talking with each other, but there were times when they are talking about the heist where it felt very unnatural on the exposition.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The movie had very muted colours but overall was still pretty and well shot.

The music was excellent, melding the Christmas songs with more dramatic score.

Score: 1

Fun

We guessed several of the twists before they happened but didn’t feel cheated by it. Everyone liked it. Not sure it’ll become a yearly rewatch but it was good.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun and well thought-out combination of rom-com and heist movie set at Christmas. The actors are phenomenal and the story will keep you guessing.

Final Score: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Odd Thomas – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2016 film Odd Thomas.

Story

The screenwriters took all the fatphobia, misogyny, and ableism and removed it. They also took the overall slow story and made it feel fast paced. Unfortunately, all the polishing doesn’t help a mediocre attempt at a supernatural thriller.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The characters are made more human in this than in the book and that’s probably because of the actors and the cleaning up of the relations between characters.

Special shout out to Anton Yelchin who turned one of the least likeable characters into someone I’d want to read and watch. Also Addison Timlin who made Stormy into more than a cookie cutter manic pixie dreamgirl.

They still feel like outdated cardboard cutouts instead of real characters.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue is pompous, dated, and awkward. In the books, it was terrible, but in the movie it worked to build a sort of stylistic surrealism to the whole movie.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The digital effects look dated but everything that’s practical looks great. The cinematography and weird blue filter makes for a good match to the dialogue’s surrealism.

The music was okay. It did its job but was extremely predictable and a little dull.

Score: 0.5

Fun

I liked the movie and might even rewatch it. I watched it alone after hate-binging the novel. I don’t think the kids or the family would have enjoyed it. As a supernatural movie it was good. As an adaptation, it was better than the novel.

Score: 0.5

Overall

An amazing adaptation of a mediocre book. Anton Yelchin and Addison Timlin infuse personality and emotion into bland, borderline unlikable characters. Unfortunately, no clever writing or acting can save a tired plotline.

Final Score: 2.5 Stars out of 5