Tag Archives: Animation

Your Letter (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): Searching for his letters

Posted on October 4, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean animation feature film “Your Letter” is a simple but engaging coming-of-age drama about friendship and solidarity. Often reminiscent of the mood and style of Japanese animation films, the movie has several lovely visual moments to remember, and that … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Animation, Bullying, Friendship, Middle School, South Korean Film, Student | 1 Comment

Piece by Piece (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Merely pleasant and amusing

Posted on January 12, 2025 by kaist455

Morgan Neville’s new documentary film “Piece by Piece” is merely pleasant and amusing despite some novelty in the presentation of its main human subject. As that figure in question suggests early in the documentary, it surely sounds cool to present … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Animation, Documentary, Musician, Real-life figure, Real-life story | Leave a comment

They Shot the Piano Player (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The disappearance of Francisco Tenório Júnior

Posted on April 28, 2024 by kaist455

How much I actually came to learn about Francisco Tenório Júnior? That was a lingering question left in my mind after I watched animated docudrama film “They Shot the Piano Player”, which was mainly about the real-life disappearance and presumed … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Animation, Disappearance, Docudrama, Musician, Real-life figure, Real-life story | Leave a comment

Suzume (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): Love and earthquake

Posted on March 10, 2023 by kaist455

Makoto Shinkai’s latest animation film “Suzume” is visually gorgeous enough to compensate for its typical mix of fantasy, adventure, and romance. Although I often felt rather distant to the story and characters due to several weak aspects, the film has … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Adventure, Animation, Earthquake, Fantasy, Romance | 1 Comment

Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): They’re back… with lots of IPs

Posted on May 23, 2022 by kaist455

My mind mildly alternated between nostalgia and annoyance while I watched “Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers”, which was released on Disney+ on last Friday. Because that old Disney TV animation series of the same name has occupied a small but … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Actor, Animation, Crime, Fantasy | Leave a comment

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A colorful quest for trust and unity

Posted on March 5, 2021 by kaist455

Disney animation feature film “Raya and the Last Dragon”, which was supposed to be released around the end of the last year but then gets released in this month instead due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is charming and exuberant … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Animation, Dragon, Fantasy, Quest | 3 Comments

Toy Story 4 (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Another closure for Woody and his friends

Posted on June 23, 2019 by kaist455

“Toy Story 4”, the latest animation feature film from Pixar Animation Studios, is another entertaining entry of the endearing franchise which has lasted for more than 20 years. While its existence seems rather redundant at first due to that nearly … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged action, Animation, Children, Comedy, Toy | 2 Comments

Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An animation film about therapeutic heist

Posted on May 4, 2019 by kaist455

Hungarian animation feature film “Ruben Brandt, Collector” is a visual joy to behold. Freely and joyfully wielding its wacky, distinctive style across the screen, the film constantly dazzles us with numerous fantastic sights apparently inspired by many different artworks from … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Animation, Art, Crime, Fantasy, Heist, Psychiatrist | 1 Comment

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A timeless live-action/animated fantasy

Posted on June 22, 2018 by kaist455

Still holding its place well in the history of movie special effects even after 30 years, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” remains as a timeless entertainment. Although mixing animation into live-action scenes has been relatively less awesome these days thanks to … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Animation, Fantasy, Mystery, Private Detective | Leave a comment

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Silly but uproarious

Posted on December 11, 2017 by kaist455

While being as silly as its title suggests, animation film “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie” is often quite funny as gleefully and knowingly embracing its sheer goofiness. When I watched its trailer early in this year, I thought it … Continue reading →