Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) - 3/5

This movie is not great but it’s far from terrible, and suffers from the age-old curse of heavy-handed trailers. The humor is consistently chuckle-worthy, very different from the cringey schlock spooned out by the advertisements. Jim Carrey is captivating as Dr. Robotnik, returning to his over-the-top, career-defining roots to play the quintessential cartoonish villain. Obviously the Sonic character design overhaul was imperative, but their best kept secret was that they had good writers to back up the visuals. It’s solidly family friendly, providing kids a color-saturated, hyperactive, pop-culture junkie to watch zipping around while dropping enough nods to the source material to amuse SEGA-generation parents.

Closest comparison: It’s like Spaced Invaders (1990) by way of the live action Pete’s Dragon (2016).

Setting: Fantasy
Plot: Road Trip
Tone: Family Comedy

Flags of our Fathers - 2/5

This movie is passable in its presentation of war, muddled in its statements on hero worship, and goes on far too long to do justice to its subject matter. The battle scenes, acting, and score are all serviceable, but the writing and directing are noticeably lacking here, bringing nothing to the table. Its greatest crime is being a boring war movie, which is downright difficult to pull off.

Closest comparison: It’s like We Were Soldiers by way of Thank You For Smoking.

Setting: War
Plot: War / Drama
Tone: Drama