Incredibles 2 3D Movie Review

Written By: Adolph Vega

3D

Sadly low-key is the best way to describe the 3D visuals for this movie. The 3D is largely forgettable for the vast majority of the movie. The character of ‘Elastic Girl’ has some notable scenes with good pop-out 3D, but it feels muted. Objects only slightly pop out of the screen when they could easily pop-out more. 3D depth is used in a few fun scenes with portals and long hallways. I did enjoy the 3D visuals in a few scenes, but they are few and far between. The movie has many darkly lit scenes and scenes with a strobe visual effect that can disrupt the 3D aspect for the viewer. Perplexedly the end credits show off some of the best use of 3D. The credits themselves look very nice and are stylized for 3D. Some of the animated scenes in the credits also use 3D layering in fun ways. Nobody cares about having nice looking 3D end credits so this is moot point. The 3D in this movie isn’t bad but it is underutilized and left me wanting more.

Final Verdict:

Weak 3D 2D Recommended

Movie

People have been wanting a sequel to “The Incredibles” for over a decade so can this movie really deliver after such a long wait? Sadly “Incredibles 2” is totally dependent on the original and in many ways serves as the 4th, 5th and 6th acts for the original movie. If you haven’t seen the first movie you will be lost by this movie. It some ways this movie is a rehash of the original but also serves as a continuation of the original, but it never really feels like it’s own thing.

“The Incredibles” originally ended on a cheeky cliffhanger and this second movie starts immediately where the first movie concludes. A new villain called the “Screenslaver” is terrorizing the city and Elastic Girl is on the mission to stop him. You follow Elastic Girl for the majority of this movie. The several action scenes in this movie are well choreographed and are fun to watch. You also get a secondary plot with the father Mr. Incredible staying at home and taking care of the household. Many sequels will reference their predecessors but in many ways this movie feels like a carbon copy of the original . Many aspects of the plot directly echo events from the predecessor and it feels repetitive and unimaginative. Overall the plot feels lazy, uninspired and is largely predictable. The comedic events of the movie work well. The movie is well written and is enjoyable but ultimately it feels unnecessary. Pacing is also an issue with the movie and it can drag and become slow and boring. Many times the plot can become overly generic, cliche and simplistic. The movie expands the roster of super heroes, but it does very little with them. The new Superheroes are simply a way to advance the plot and don’t have any real depth. The movie feels rushed and is sloppy with many plot holes. The movie also has no real stakes and the plot ultimately feels meaningless.

The movie fails to deliver a compelling narrative. The movie doesn’t dramatically advance the characters or scenario in any meaningful ways. The movie is fun but is largely a frivolous forgettable affair. “Incredibles 2” lacks the charm, magic, and originality of its predecessor. There is nothing incredible about “Incredibles 2”, sadly this movie is not amazing, or spectacular, or fantastic, or super or even marvelous , it is mediocre.

Final Verdict: 6/10

Incredibles 2 Official movie website

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Coco

3D Movie Review Written By: Adolph Vega

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3D

I actually watched this movie twice in the theaters for the sake of this review. My first viewing was in 2D in English , and the second viewing was in 3D in Spanish. I don’t regret watching this movie twice because my second viewing was a different experience compared to the first viewing, and I enjoyed the movie enough to want to watch it again. Unfortunately the 3D visuals for this movie are a nice but minor addition to the movie. During some scenes with large crowds you can clearly distinguish between individuals within the crowd because of the depth based 3D. Pop out 3D is rarely used within this movie and is largely a non-factor. One example of pop out 3D was during one scene a specific character points their finger outward toward the camera and the finger pops out of the screen. This happens for a split second and you can easily blink during this scene and miss it . The viewing experience is not dramatically different or enhanced because of the 3D, and I literally forgot the movie was in 3D for many scenes. You can call me little crazy, but I didn’t find anything memorable about the 3D element of this movie. The 3D visuals are pleasant and done with care but ultimately I just don’t care about it. Simply put the 3D is not worthwhile and I cannot recommend it.

Final Verdict:

Weak 3D 2D Recommended

Movie

Coco is the newest animated movie from Disney / Pixar. The movie is about a young boy named Miguel who lives in Mexico and wants to be a musician but his family disapproves. Miguel accidentally travels to the land of the dead and needs to find his way back to the land of the living. Can Miguel find his way home? Will Miguel be able achieve his dreams and become a musician?

The first thing I want to mention in this review is that I am Hispanic. I am mentioning this out of pure transparency. My parents are from Mexico and I am comfortable and familiar with Mexican culture, so I can relate to this movie. I do not believe my upbringing will influence or detract my critique for this movie. That being said, I did feel that this movie does a fantastic job of showcasing the Mexican heritage without abruptly pandering to it. The movie feels authentic and respectful to the norms and customs of Mexican culture and never seems to play up to any stereotypes or gross over simplifications. I especially enjoyed the Spanish dub for this movie. If you don’t understand Spanish I don’t recommend watching the movie in Spanish, the English version of this movie is perfectly fine. That being said the English version of this movie does occasionally mix Spanish words into the dialog. Don’t worry if you don’t understand Spanish because those words are not integral to the plot. I feel like watching this movie in Spanish is the superior way to watch the movie. The best analogy to explain why I feel the Spanish version is superior is this is to discuss the difference between bottled Coca-Cola from Mexico and the typical Coca-Cola from the US. The Coca-Cola from Mexico is made with real sugar and presented in a glass bottle. In contrast the US Coca-Cola is made from high-fructose corn syrup and usually presented in plastic bottles or aluminum cans. Both Coca-Cola from Mexico and American are essentially the same recipe, but I can taste the subtle difference in the flavor and prefer the Mexican version. In a similar fashion Coco is the same movie in Spanish and English but I was able to enjoy Coco more in Spanish because of the subtle cultural differences. The various songs within the movie are great in english, but sound wonderful in Spanish. Regardless if you watch the movie in Spanish or English I think the filmmakers managed to make an excellent movie that anyone can enjoy regardless of their own life experience.

Spanish version of the Song "Remember Me"

English version of the song "Remember Me"

Coco succeeds as a movie because of its fantastic storytelling and touching character moments. The story has a warm heart that is well presented . The several emotional moments feel earned and are not forced in any way. The voice acting and dialogue are excellent and feel natural and is well written. Miguel has legitimate talent to play the guitar, but his grandmother is justified to not allow him to become a musician because of the family history. I really appreciate that both sides of this argument are valid. The movie is highly entertaining and just a joy to watch. This is partially because of the beautiful and vivid visuals. The movie has a distinct look that appears realistic yet stylized. The musical aspect of this movie is also well done with several original songs that are fun and make sense within the context of the movie. The dynamic between the major characters feels very genuine and real. Coco is an animated movie but in many ways it feels like an exaggerated live action movie, because the characters and story feel fantastical yet are grounded and relatable.

As much as I enjoyed Coco the movie is not perfect. The movie is very fast paced and hurries itself to the next plot point and feels rushed. The movie has a huge cast of characters, not all of which are given a proper introduction or sufficient screen time. Many characters are superfluous and entirely one dimensional. Why even bother to have so many characters only to give them one line or no lines at all? Many secondary characters could have been eliminated without any loss to the story. The movie introduces the idea of spirit animals but it never explains what they are in detail. Miguel never takes in the spectacle or grandiose nature that is the afterlife. I understand this is meant to be a children's movie but I felt like the elements of life and death are glossed over within the movie. I wanted Miguel to soak in what the afterlife has to offer and consider the deeper elements of what living is. Once the movie goes to the afterlife it rarely if ever goes back to the land of the living, and that aspect of the story is almost entirely forgotten. I also found several elements of the story to be predictable. I also had problems with the dog named Dante. The dog is cute but annoying and is given too much time on screen. The movie is very enjoyable, but the small issues I had with it keep it from cinematic perfection.

Overall Coco is an excellent movie. I cried, I laughed, and I was immensely entertained with this movie. Coco is not a perfect movie but it is easily one of the best movies of 2017. I won’t forget this movie, and I can easily recommend it to everyone.

Final Verdict : 9/10

Click here to download and listen to our audio podcast review of coco

Coco Official website