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animation

“Mary and Max” combined stubby designs with sleek emotions

Mary and Max
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Adam Elliot’s claymation offering was Philip Seymour Hoffman’s only animated film, but it’s as thorough as his other efforts.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on November 16, 2020November 16, 2020

“A Creepshow Animated Special” is a fun little Halloween treat

A Creepshow Animated Special
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Though it loses its steam in the second half, Shudder’s adaptation of Stephen King & Joe Hill stories is perfect holiday viewing.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on October 28, 2020October 28, 2020

“F Is for Family” again in its fourth season, but F is no longer for funny

F Is for Family
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The return of Netflix’s adult animated sitcom brings with it a few moving moments and arcs, but it’s too lacking in laughs.

Tim Stevens Posted on June 10, 2020June 18, 2020

“Promare” is a constantly gorgeous, largely joyous action anime

Promare
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TRIGGER’s debut feature boasts a bevy of color palettes and visual styles that come to life in the new home release from Shout! Factory.

Justin Harrison Posted on May 23, 2020May 23, 2020

“Solar Opposites” is more bright, brazen work from the “Rick and Morty” team

Solar Opposites
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Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan’s Hulu series looks at human folly from an alien—and fittingly cynical—perspective.

Sean Price Posted on May 6, 2020May 5, 2020

“The Willoughbys” Is Messy, Madcap Fun

The Willoughbys
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Netflix leans more into unconventional family fare with a stylized, Roald Dahl-ian adventure more focused on gags than story.

Douglas Laman Posted on April 22, 2020April 22, 2020

Box Office: Audiences Say “Onward, No!” To Newest Pixar Movie

Onward
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With Pixar having one of their lowest openings yet, the box office experienced one of the worst weekends for this time of year in over a decade.

Douglas Laman Posted on March 9, 2020March 8, 2020

The 2020 Oscar-Nominated Shorts, Reviewed

Oscar Nominated Shorts
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From live-action to animated to documentaries, we flip through the Academy Awards’ shorts offerings to see what we think should win.

Clint Worthington Posted on February 2, 2020February 2, 2020

“Weathering With You” Is an Animated Ray of Sunshine

Weathering With You
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Makoto Shinkai’s followup to Your Name is another charming coming-of-age tale with a supernatural twist.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on January 18, 2020January 18, 2020

Box Office Report: “Frozen 2” Beats the Bitter November Cold

Frozen 2
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Frozen 2 breaks the ice of November’s box-office chill — and the year’s downward trend of family movie sequels.

Douglas Laman Posted on November 26, 2019November 26, 2019

The Immersive Pleasure of “Fantastic Mr. Fox”

Fantastic Mr. Fox
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Wes Anderson took stop-motion animation to another level in a charming story of friendship & adventure.

Douglas Laman Posted on November 17, 2019November 16, 2019

Arctic Dogs Review: Turns Your Brain Into Mush

Arctic Dogs
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Jeremy Renner moves from failed app to failed kid’s movie in this half-hearted CG kid’s flick.

Douglas Laman Posted on November 3, 2019November 3, 2019

Fantastic Fest: Johannes Nyholm on Gender, Grief, and Puppetry in “Koko-Di Koko-Da”

Johannes Nyholm, Koko-Di Koko-Da
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As Fantastic Fest opens, we talk to Johannes Nyholm, the director of the darkly imaginative Koko-Di Koko-Da, about grief, trauma, and the bizarre.

Clint Worthington Posted on September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

Undone Review: Amazon’s Rotoscoped Drama Feels Revolutionary

Undone
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Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy poignantly swim through the recesses of time, animation and the mind in an ingenious new series.

Sarah Gorr Posted on September 4, 2019September 4, 2019

The Angry Birds Movie 2 Review: Leave After “Hair Love”

The Angry Birds Movie 2
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It may be prefaced by a brilliant, heartfelt short, but Sony Pictures Animation’s latest, like its adaptation, is a huge waste of time.

Sarah Gorr Posted on August 11, 2019August 11, 2019

Review: “Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling” Goes Post-Modern

Rocko's Modern Life Static Cling
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Netflix brings back the classic Nick cartoon twenty years later for a one-off special filled with heart and surprisingly complicated musings on the passage of time.

Matt Cipolla Posted on August 9, 2019July 2, 2020

Fantasia 2019: “SHe” Cobbles Together Patriarchal Hell on Heels

Fantasia SHe
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Zhou Shengwei turns shoes into symbols for the systemic oppression of women in capitalist systems in this dizzying, expressionistic experiment.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 17, 2019July 17, 2019

Fantasia 2019: “The Wonderland” Is a Sweet Ghibli-Esque Fantasy

The Wonderland
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Keiichi Hara’s candy-colored fairy tale is certainly a feast for the eyes, even if its story is skin deep.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 17, 2019July 23, 2019

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