 Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Animation, 2020. "The Croods: A New Age," I guess, is harmless fun...that is, unless you decide to go see this in theaters with your family during a global pandemic. It's the follow-up to the 2013 film that no one really asked for, but one that had been kicked around in Hollywood for nearly 7 years before landing at our feet just in time for Thanksgiving (rumor has it, "The Croods: A New Age" will debut on streaming platforms in mid-December but as of now this has not been confirmed).
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Disney+ Review: 'LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special' a nod to the classic, disastrous 1978 special11/16/2020  Who could forget the classic "Star Wars Holiday Special" that aired on CBS during the Christmas holiday of 1978? The answer is, even if you were lucky enough to have seen it when it originally aired, you would have tried forgetting about it almost immediately. The special is famously BAD, despite starring the cast from the films, including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. It was so terrible that it never aired again, and has never, ever seen an official release, making it all the more of a cult-favorite item when VHS recordings of it would pop up at conventions years later.
Knowing full-well how legendary that special has become, to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of its airing, Disney+ is releasing an all-new "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special." This new version features the recent Star Wars heroes like Rey, Finn and Poe in their own "Life Day" adventure. as it honors the entire saga new and old, poking fun at the famous special in which it is based all the while.  Apple TV+, 2020. You don't quite realize how "soft" and watered-down animated films in America have become over the years, until you see a film from overseas. Cartoon Saloon and Mélusine Productions (an Ireland-Luxembourg-France co-production) brings us the original Apple TV+ film, "Wolfwalkers," a film that is definitely family-friendly but that doesn't shy away from more mature themes.
Plus, it's an absolute stunning visual achievement.  101 Studios, 2020. Be careful what you wish for. Yes movie theaters in Michigan are re-opening this weekend, but you'd have to be crazy or quite desperate if you're going to take that calculated risk just to see "The War with Grandpa." It's one of the worst films of the year and one of the worst screenplays in several years.
 Netflix, 2020. Millie Bobby Brown owes a great deal to Netflix, and vice versa. As the break-out star of the hit "Stranger Things," the sixteen-year-old actress is now branching out into feature films...and as the young, adventurous "Enola Holmes," she might have just landed smack-dab in the middle of what could be a very popular movie franchise-in-the-making for the streaming service that helped catapult her career.
 Lionsgate, 2020. It's hard to believe a movie like "Four Kids and It" was ever meant for the big-screen pre-pandemic. This is as throw-away as they come, probably better suited for a DVD bargain bin in a grocery store, let alone a streaming platform. But at least it's harmless.
 Disney+, 2020. Originally intended for a mid-Summer blockbuster theatrical release, the family-friendly adventure "Artemis Fowl" finds its way to Disney+ this weekend.
Review: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' races right past all other video game movies, against all odds2/13/2020  Paramount Pictures, 2020. Expectations were not exactly high heading into the "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie. But I fell - fast - for his first big-screen adventure.
 Universal Pictures, 2020. Take my film critic credentials and throw them in the ocean. "Dolittle" is not good...it's quite bad in fact. Still, there's worse ways to spend a weekend afternoon with the kiddies. A glowing endorsement, right?
 Walt Disney Pictures, 2019. Despite being crushed by critics, the newest version of Disney's "The Lion King" is anything but soulless. Let me explain.
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tom santilli movie reviews
Tom Santilli is a professional film critic, TV personality, host and
the Executive Producer of Movie Show Plus.
He also is the film critic for WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
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