Posts tagged Monsters University
MOVIE REVIEW: Finding Dory
MOVIE REVIEW: Finding Dory

Unless the title begins with "Toy Story," Disney/Pixar has not had very good luck with effective sequels.  "Cars 2" aimed too high for a bigger international stage and "Monsters University" failed as a bonding origin story prequel.  Thirteen years after the original, "Finding Dory" changes that weak trend with a winning flourish.  Teeming with plenty of vibrant energy and anchored by Pixar's signature punch of finely tuned emotional storytelling, this sequel will delight audiences young and old and earns its mature place as a companion piece to the classic "Finding Nemo."

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2016, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanRegal City North Stadium 14 IMAX2016, 2016 Summer Movies, Disney, Disney/Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, Pixar, Finding Dory, Finding Nemo, Andrew Stanton, Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Ed O'Neill, Ty Burrell, Kaitlin Olson, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Hayden Rolence, Eugene Levy, Diane Keaton, The Hangover 2, Cars 2, Monsters University, Toy Story, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sigourney Weaver, Minions, Room, life lessons from movies, life lessons from films, life lessons from film, life lessons, movie review, Best Animated Feature, movie sequels, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, family films, PG, Every Movie Has a Lesson, Donald Shanahan, Don ShanahanComment
MOVIE REVIEW: Inside Out
MOVIE REVIEW: Inside Out

The prevailing feeling has been that the hallmark extra level of magic and poignancy that used to be Pixar's calling cards have been lost while they milked dollars from lackluster sequels and prequels like "Cars 2" and "Monsters University."  We have missed the visual originality from "Monsters Inc." and "Cars."  We have missed the sense of wonder from "Wall-E" and "Ratatouille."  Most of all, we have sorely missed the strong familial dynamics of the "Up," the "Toy Story" series, and "Finding Nemo."  "Inside Out" is exactly the redemptive return to form that Pixar desperately needed.  The film rivals each of those prior greats in each of those areas.  This is exactly what you loved and were missing while being something truly great that can stand on its own merits.

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2015, 5 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanPete Docter, Up, Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Disney/Pixar, Monsters Inc, Monsters University, Inside Out, life lessons from films, life lessons from film, life lessons from movies, life lessons, film review, film commentary, movie review, movie commentary, 2015 Early Summer Movies, 2015 Summer Movies, 2015, Every Movie Has a Lesson, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Richard Kind, Toy Story 3, Toy Story, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaitlyn Dias, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, Emotion, InceptionComment