The Dark Knight

At what point does genuine concern and compassion for the welfare of children cross the line into an overstated politically correct witch hunt built on, at best, circumstantial evidence? Should government agencies be given carte blanche powers to tell parents how to raise their children (particularly when cultural, religious and philosophical considerations are involved), and when (and what kind of) limits should be imposed? And can the statements of allegedly victimized children be unquestionably trusted without undeniably convincing evidence to back up their contentions, especially if they have axes to grind with their parents? Such are the questions raised in this fact-based domestic docudrama from writer-director Cristian Mungiu, a picture that captured the prestigious *Palme d’Or* and FIPRESCI Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. When the Gheorghiu family relocates from...

I think this is one of the best animated feature films I have ever seen, perhaps even the best one. It is very imaginative, for a start, colorful in ways that capture the eye, and its message is as deep as you want it to be. By that I mean it would be productive and fun to watch this with children of all ages. The older or more mature the child is, the deeper you can delve into the issues of what to do about feelings of anger, sadness, and so on. With young children, you could even watch it first time through as it is, and save comments or life lessons for additional viewings. There is plenty of action and humor to be found here to entertain hem on that level. And as a side note, we have no small children to watch this with, but it is also a good movie for adults to settle into, especially during times of stress or worry. We read a recommendation for it during the COVID19 crisis.

Feels more like a Dreamworks movie than a Pixar one. It was pretty fun but it felt unambitious compared to their other movies, there aren't many characters of note or many locations to make it feel like an adventure (most of the movie takes place in the glade or the university, both of which are fairly simple). The overarching story is also a bit... Meh. I feel like a lot of characters could've been explored and the story could've been more than just "save the glade". It's still a good popcorn flick but it's missing a lot for it to be memorable.