Frozen II sees sisters Anna and Elsa venturing to the Enchanted Forest, upstream from their own kingdom. There, they will discover a land in need of saving and learn some shocking secrets about their own family history.

Astonishingly, the pre-title sequence is really, really rough. Like, first draft rough. (More likely, it’s the result of too many rewrites, but you get the idea.) The film soon picks up, but even at its best, the script needed one more dialogue pass. The writing simply doesn’t pop in the way that Frozen and Moana‘s scripts did.

We get a few new characters, none of which stick in the mind after the credits roll, except one, who exists purely for the purposes of further queerbaiting (seriously, the sooner Disney takes the plunge with regards to Elsa, the better.) There’s subtext to be found – something about the environment, something about addressing our colonial past – but there’s nothing bold or thought-provoking about it.

The animation is 2019-standard, nothing mind-blowing like the water or hair animation in Moana.

Acceptable describes just about everything in Frozen II. It feels like it could have been a Disney+ exclusive, rather than a fully-fledged cinema release. This film had the same $150 million budget that the first did six years ago, which surprised me. Surely the highest-grossing animated film of all time deserved a bigger, bolder sequel?

I’m curious to see what the legions of fans thought of this. A significant proportion of them may have actually ‘grown out’ of the property, which is the risk you run when you take such a long time developing a follow-up.

Whilst I was never blown away by Frozen, I could at least see why it captured the hearts and minds of so many. With Frozen II, there is very little to set it apart from the scores of other 3D animated movies of the past ten years.

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Whilst I’ve only mentioned She-Ra in passing here on hoopla.nu, it’s a show of such high quality that it consistently surprises me. With Noelle Stevenson behind the wheel, it was always going to be good (seriously, ‘Lumberjanes’ is one of the best kids comics I’ve ever read), but this show excels on every level.

First off, the character designs are great updates of the originals. Whenever we’re introduced to someone new, it’s fun to Google the old toys to see how much they’ve changed whilst still retaining the spirit of the original. The background art is also reminiscent of late 70s/early 80s sci-fi and fantasy. Overall it’s got a Moebius-meets-80s-Miyazaki vibe.

The script is equally impressive. Snappy and hilarious, the dialogue ensures the pacing never drags. Even better, all of the villains actually have depth. It’s invariably a case of “doing the wrong thing for the right reasons”, which ensures that, whilst it’s a cartoon, the antagonists are never purely cartoonish. And central to the drama is of course the relationship between Adora and Catra – one of the most interesting examples of friends-turned-rivals-turned-enemies that I’ve ever seen in children’s programming.

Season 3’s arc is epic, even if it only comprises six episodes. The mythos gets expanded in a big way, and we learn more and more about Etherea and Adora’s place in the world.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is effortlessly inclusive whilst also, at its core, being about your traditional good-versus-evil struggles. The emotional complexities put most of the 80s cartoons I watched growing up to shame. I can only hope that, like She-Ra, Kevin Smith’s recently-announced ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ reboot also manages to be as good as I remember the original series being, and not as lame as it actually was. (Seriously, if there’s one show that should remain in your memories, it’s He-Man; don’t be tempted to try and relive the glory days by rewatching it, folks.)

From a show purely designed to sell toys to a complex, hilarious and inclusive cartoon, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power continues to go from strength to strength. I’d just prefer if they released each actual season in its entirely, rather than splitting them up.

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The animation here looks stunning. I am completely in love with the visual style. The sharp-edged characters remind me of ‘Batman: the Animated Series’, whilst the backgrounds have a wonderful 60s vibe. The action is perfectly framed, and it’s clear that the animators have a good sense of how to both mimic live action features and take advantage of all that 2D animation has to offer.

The story is a mix of genres, including heist caper, James Bond-type spy movie and even a dash of Indiana Jones. Carmen herself, voiced by Gina Rodriguez, is a great lead, whilst Finn Wolfhard continues his ascent as the biggest star to emerge from ‘Stranger Things’, portraying whiz kid computer hacker, Player. But the MVP is truly Rafael Petardi as the clueless policeman on Carmen’s trail, Chase Devineaux. His delivery constantly gets the biggest laughs, even if the punchlines aren’t that clever.

Carmen has made the switch from baddie to goodie – strange when you consider we spent the original videogames trying to catch her, rather than playing as her – but the really weird part is how similar her origin story is to She-Ra’s.

I love the educational diversions here, precisely because they are so obviously shoehorned in. The basic geography lessons are kind of charming. It is frustrating, however, to watch the episode set in Australia. The accents are woeful, and what’s more they decided to go with a plot concerning a rocket launch near Uluru – a strange choice, considering there haven’t been any rocket launches in Australia since 1970. If I fancy some mental acrobatics, I could try to convince myself that the show is actually set in the 1960s (but a 1960s with internet and smartphones and etc. etc.)

The only other disappointment is that the plot features some ‘surprises’ that we adults can see coming from a long way off. This didn’t annoy me too much, since the narrative construction and characterisation is tight enough that said twists are quite cleverly plotted – everything makes sense, rather than having abrupt 180 twists for the sake of them.

As far as rebooting 80s IPs so that grown-up kids of the era can watch the shows with their kids, this cartoon is surprisingly lacking in cynicism. Where ‘Stranger Things’ annoys me with its habit of reassuring late gen Xers and Millennials that yes, their era was GOAT, Carmen Sandiego is a solid story, well-told. Bring on season 2.

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I’d like to say that such an approach has yielded quality results. And it has…up until now. Alas, The Hidden World is unspectacular. It’s not that there’s a lot wrong with it; more that it feels like an addendum rather than a glorious final chapter.

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) has taken the village of Berk into a bold new world, but he still doesn’t feel confident in his role as their chieftain. When Berk is threatened by a new villain, Hiccup and his friends must find a new land for his people and their dragons.

The story is so slight that you could spoil the whole thing in a sentence or two. There isn’t much in the way of subplots, and there are no real character arcs. Astrid (America Ferrera) was cool and kick-arse by 2010 standards, but here she’s simply playing second fiddle to Hiccup, apparently existing only to support her man. I have no sense of what her ambitions or dreams are. Hiccup’s mum, Valka (Cate Blanchett), is present also…but has nothing to do. The new villain, Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), shows promise but is never much of a threat. Continuing the trend of underwhelming the audience, even the titular Hidden World proves to be…just around the corner.

In fact, the writers messed up big time with regards to the geography. Berk always felt like an isolated village, and yet we have a whole new evil army nearby that no one’s mentioned before, and it’s only a few hours’ flight to the nearest island. Everything about this film is small. Inconsequential, even.

The animation is, of course, impressive. And it’s cool to see how much has changed in the industry in the last nine years. But it seems DreamWorks was too distracted by the technology. The dynamic lighting, the various textures and the ability to have hundreds of characters on screen at once is incredible. But it also makes it hard to watch at times. Sometimes, there’s simply too much going on. This is where good animation would utilise various techniques – composition, lighting, focal depth, no matter how unrealistic – to focus the eye on the important bits. At worst, it’s like the Special Edition versions of the Star Wars films, where locations such as Mos Eisley became distractingly busy.

The Hidden World is a disappointing end to a strong franchise. It’s not as epic or action-packed as the second film, nor is it as emotionally effective as the first. They should have gone out with a bang, not with a whimper.

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That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it – I had a great time at the cinema. But the story is bland, and there are a number of subplots that are hinted at but never come to fruition.

Opening only moments after the first film ended, Incredibles 2 sees the Parrs continuing to deal with the hazards of being a superhero family. They’re still homeless and supers are still illegal. When an opportunity comes their way, Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Bob/Mr Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) will find themselves having to deal with new challenges and responsibilities, not to mention an enemy they can’t see.

As you’d expect, Incredibles 2 looks fantastic. The 60s chic continues – aside from the odd contemporary haircut – and the animation is slick as can be. Once again, Brad Bird knocks the action scenes out of the park. The ease with which he lets the action beats flow, even at incredible speed, is truly inspiring. There are a number of new supers, and their powers are visually stunning. The comedic beats work well, and the film never gets boring.

So it’s sad to see that there’s not much going on beneath the generic superhero movie plot. There are zero surprises, and quite a few twists are signposted. I appreciate that this is a kids’ film, but Pixar have done better. There are no scenes that will become instant classics, and aside from being pure, unadulterated fun, Incredibles 2 doesn’t offer much.

It’s frustrating, considering we had to sit through two Cars sequels (and two Cars spin-offs) before we got a sequel to the film that had the most potential…only to have it disappoint. At the end of the day, the film’s core dynamic is old-fashioned. “Dad is bad at being a stay-at-home parent” isn’t the most original take. Even the mostly brilliant Inside Out had a problem with its dated depiction of the differences between men and women.

Look, if you’re excited for this film, by all means go out and see it. I really enjoyed an extra two hours with this super-powered family. Just don’t expect anything particularly clever or subversive.

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Let’s be honest: giving an eight-episode serialised story to Marceline and her mission to rid the world of vampires (‘Stakes’) might just as well have been a move specifically designed to please the likes of myself. Marceline the Vampire Queen has long been my favourite character, but it’s here she really gets to shine. This season also features what is quite possibly my new favourite Adventure Time episode: ‘The Hall of Egress.” This ethereal, hilarious conundrum of an episode feels like it was based on the writer’s dream. It sets a new high point for the show, both in terms of storytelling and visuals.

Speaking of pushing the boundaries of animation, we get a stop-motion episode too. However, we’re given no reason for its existence, and whilst it’s a decent story, it doesn’t take particular advantage of the different style.

One of my favourite things about this season is the lack of any completely off-the-wall, nutso episodes. I appreciate that some adults might like to watch Adventure Time whilst partaking in their drug of choice, but I much prefer the show when there’s a semblance of a story.

In fact, in the whole of season 7 there’s only one disappointment, ‘Crossover’. This is an addendum to ‘The Lich’ storyline that first began in season 4, and awkwardly begins with a story recap – something I don’t think the series has ever done before. Whilst some might appreciate it for tying up some lose ends regarding some paradoxes from previous eps, it did absolutely nothing for me.

But one dud out of 26 ain’t so bad, especially when it follows up with the brilliant ‘Flute Spell’, properly introducing the awesome Huntress Wizard, who up until now has only been seen in the background of some episodes.

As always, the visual fidelity of the Blu-ray is incredible, and it’s always better to enjoy Adventure Time in proper episode order, what with the multiple continuing storylines. Roll on the last three seasons!

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But the thing is, Moana’s a really good film. It’s a complex film, full of interesting issues – perhaps too complex for its own good – but it can stand proud amongst Disney’s impressive recent output.

Chief-in-waiting Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) dreams of going out beyond the reef surrounding her island, but her father, the Chief, has expressly forbidden it. One day the Ocean’s calling proves too much for her, and she sets out alongside the Demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on a quest that will change her peoples’ future.

With minority representation at the forefront, not to mention a three-dimensional female lead, Moana continues Disney’s recent efforts to diversify the cinematic landscape. That’s not to say the film lacks problems (as I understand, it skirts close to appropriating Pacific islands culture, and the depiction of Maui came under criticism) and there was certainly a problem with some of the merchandising. But this is a film where more than half the characters are female, and Moana is clearly the star of the show, rather than Johnson.

There’s a subtlety to the issues presented here, and it’s definitely got more going on than Frozen, thematically speaking. But perhaps that takes something away from the film. I did wonder if the script could have done with another pass (keeping in mind that Disney animation doesn’t really “write” scripts in the traditional sense; it’s more of a collaboration.)

The film deals with the theories of Polynesian navigation, and it’s important to note that when Thor Heyerdahl suggested such a thing in the mid-20th Century, it was met with scepticism. (See Kon-Tiki for more about this.) This is coupled with the idea of Moana wanting to become a different kind of leader from her father, whilst Maui’s dealing with his own issues, having lost his magical powers.

It may come as little surprise, but the animation here is jaw-dropping. Brave may have amazed us with Merida’s hair (Moana’s do is also spectacular) but here it’s the lighting that really stood out for me. After seeing bland and over-lit animation like The Secret Life of Pets, this was a godsend. It just goes to show that there’s still new ground to be broken in 3D animation.

Moana won’t be the hit that Frozen was, but it’s a fantastic film. I kept thinking it should have been more focussed, but what’s wrong with an animation that has narrative depth, and perhaps even requires a rewatch to take in all it has to offer?

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The Secret Life of Pets was not on my radar at all, to be honest. The trailer made the film look like the worst that non-Pixar animation had to offer, whilst the plot – an owner’s favourite dog needs to make room for a new, overbearing shaggy hound in their household – had the distinct whiff of Toy Story about it. The presence of Louis C.K., Albert Brooks, Ellie Kemper and Steve Coogan wasn’t enough to get me keen on the idea of sitting through 90 minutes of brightly-coloured animal antics, yet there I was, halfway through my Tuesday, sitting down to watch The Secret Life of Pets.

The opening montage is probably the best this film has to offer. A wonderfully larger-than-life New York is presented to us as we watch a dozen different owners leave their pets to their own devices as they go off to work. Some sit anxiously awaiting their master’s return, others laze on the couch, whilst some turn on their favourite System of a Down song and rock out.

Before you know it, Duke (Eric Stonestreet) has turned up, making Max’s (Louis C.K.) life hell, because now he has to share the attention of his owner, Katie (Ellie Kemper.) Then they’re off on an adventure (after which presumably they will become the best of buddies) traversing the New York streets, the dingy sewers and the Brooklyn Bridge, where they’ll meet all sorts of other pets.

It writes itself, does it not? Actually, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that this film wasn’t written on autopilot. The situations are contrived, characters come and go, and there’s no real narrative propelling the story along. At one stage, Duke starts talking about life before Katie, but that’s quickly forgotten. Another time, the animals inadvertently hop on a ferry going the wrong way across the river. Surely they just need to wait for it to go back the other – no, no, we’ve forgotten about that. There’s a sausage factory and there’s nothing like watching dogs get excited over processed meat.

So, it turns out that this is the highest grossing animated feature to not produced by Disney or Pixar, and I can’t tell if I’m bitter because it’s such an average film, or because it beat the Ghostbusters remake at the box office. At the end of the day, this is the most mediocre of films. It will keep your kids entertained, but adults will be hard-pressed to get anything out of the experience apart from an inadvertent chuckle or two. Rewatch Over the Hedge instead, or even Toy Story. Or Bolt.

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But lo and behold, Finding Dory is excellent.

Instead of the usual father/son story we’ve seen time and time again, this undersea adventure is all about Ellen DeGeneres’ Dory – a fish with a learning difficulty. In fact, when it comes to characters with disabilities, Dory is up there with Venellope from Wreck-It Ralph. From the opening scenes, where we see Dory’s childhood, this film grabs you right in the feels. I mightn’t be a parent, but I instantly empathise with Dory’s parents’ pain as they watch their child fail to keep up with the world around her.

Pretty soon, we’re off on another journey across the ocean, and whilst this may seem like mere repetition, I can only tell you that this is a much more powerful story. Dory’s quest of personal discovery sees her meeting three other characters (played by Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson and Ty Burrell) who all have their own physical challenges too. DeGeneres is fantastic in the lead role, and one of the terrible things about her talk show success was always the fact that we’ve been robbed of her presence on the big screen.

Pixar have done funnier films, to be sure, but this screenplay is top notch. The setups and callbacks are perfect – you don’t see them coming, but you kick yourself when they’re revealed because they seem so obvious in retrospect.

As with the first film, the animation doesn’t make a big impression. There’s nothing bad about it, but there’s nothing that truly wows you either. The running time is a speedy 97 minutes and as with most of Disney/Pixar’s animated output, there are no lulls.

There have been funnier Pixar films, and there have been more action-packed Pixar films, but Finding Dory really nails the narrative. It’s an emotional journey, and a triumphant and touching story of a character who was simply a comedic sidekick in the first film. Colour me impressed.

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Any animation that attracts the likes of Elijah Wood, Christopher Lloyd, John Cleese and Tim Curry has to be good, amirite? Thing is, this show is so much more than celebrity cameos. It has the weirdness and charm of Adventure Time, but is also admirably restrained.

Over the Garden Wall concerns brothers Wirt (Wood) and Gregory (Collin Dean) and their journey home through a strange land. It mightn’t sound like much, but the show hits the ground running. Like the aforementioned Adventure Time, there’s no context as to what’s going on – the brothers are simply travelling. We meet a creepy woodsman (Lloyd), a talking bluebird called Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey – the other actress from Heavenly Creatures), anthropomorphic pumpkins, a ferry full of frogs and a young woman’s creepy guardian who goes by the name Auntie Whispers (Curry).

The show is pitch perfect in its delivery. As much as I love Adventure Time, it occasionally veers into weird-for-weird’s-sake territory, or feels like it’s deliberately punking its fans. This show, however, always feels sincere, no matter how absurd proceedings become. It’s just the right amount of whimsy, balanced out with the occasional beautiful and poetic moment. This is the kind of series that adults will enjoy too, and not because they’ve simply put in some naughty jokes that will fly over younger viewers’ heads; because it’s a really beautiful story well-told. Think of it as a kind of North American gothic fairy-tale meets European folklore, much like the work of Washington Irving.

The animation is absolutely beautiful. I’d recommend forking out the extra dosh for the Blu-ray (alas, my review copy was just a DVD) because it features a really neat aesthetic that makes me thankful TV hasn’t abandoned 2D animation, even if feature film producers have. It also contains a bevy of special features that aren’t on the DVD.

Over the Garden Wall is described as a mini-series – comprising only ten 10-minute episodes – and the narrative is serialised and completely self-contained. I can’t imagine there would ever be a second season. Though this means we only have a measly 110 minutes to enjoy, I think it’s better to leave the audience wanting more rather than let the show overstay its welcome.

This is easily amongst the best that Cartoon Network has to offer, and must for animation fans. Once you’ve watched it, check out this spoilerific video, which further goes to show the hidden complexity behind the ostensibly simple plot.

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