Onward - 2/5

Now don’t get me wrong, this film is half Pixar and there’s a signature gut-punch at the end that works very well; it’s just everything else that mostly falls flat. The world is more or less generic fantasy with a few D&D-specific references, but the characters work well within it. There’s the kernel for a good story in there and sometimes it works. But there’s an awful lot of bad behavior justified as a necessary part of a juvenile upbringing, and those parts aren’t funny for the adult crowd and are just bad role models for kids.

Closest comparison: It’s like Rango by way of The Goonies.

Setting: Fantasy
Plot: Coming of Age
Tone: Road Trip

Hidden Figures (2017) - 4/5

This is a heartwarming family-based movie about three black women overcoming racism and sexism at NASA in the 1960's. The mathy-parts are stylized so anyone watching who doesn't understand the higher math being used won't be lost. Unfortunately, there's not enough of that math on-screen for those who do understand it, and the little they reference directly is hit-or-miss for accuracy. It will likely appeal more to fans of NASA, anti-racism, and John Glenn than fans of mathematics. The story is well told and the actors have some really good chemistry. It's a really good version of what you would expect to get from the trailers.

The Shape of Water - 4/5

It's very good, but there's a lot of nudity. Not pointless and in fact used maturely, but I also think ultimately the movie would have been better without it. On the whole the movie's beautifully shot and the story is beautifully told. Of Guillermo del Torro's other works it's closest to Pan's Laybrinth in the sense that it's a fairy tale told in a harsh world. If you like his other works and you are prepared to look away a few times, this movie is great, for the unparalleled set design and costume design at least.