Sausage Party

Release date: August 12, 2016 (Canada)

Directors: Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan

Edited by Kevin Pavlovic

Production companies: Nitrogen Studios, Annapurna Pictures, Point Grey Pictures

⅘ Bones

It’s a well-known fact that inside everyone lives a 13-year-old boy. His first language is Sarcasm and his second is Eye-rolling.  He doodles penises on his desk and notebooks and sometimes sticks them in the bag of a pretty girl. He thinks saying swear words make him more grown-up but has to stop himself from giggling when he murmurs ‘fuck you’ to his teacher’s retreating back.

Finding Dory

* ⅘ Bones *

So here's a very good animated film about living with disability/ having a child with a disability. Whoa. There is no one other than Pixar that has proven themselves capable of approaching this subject matter.

Suicide Squad

Nice things first: The marketing campaign for this film was brilliant. The trailers were fun and punchy, but the real star were the fantastic illustrated posters. It’s very rare to get illustrated posters these days and these looked amazing.

1.5 / 5 Bones

Directed By: David Ayer

Written By: David Ayer

In Theaters: August 4, 2016 

Studio: DC Pictures, Warner Brothers

My brother used to rewatch movies constantly. I don’t remember what umpteenth time it was when Peter Pan flew across my screen that I started to hate him. I don’t remember how old I was when I started hoping that the movie would end differently just once, and maybe, this time, Captain Hook would win. Maybe just this once, he could get what he so desperately wanted.

But every time, the film ended the same way: Captain Hook running across the water to escape a salivating crocodile with a speed that surely would’ve impressed Big J himself. So ended most of the Disney films. Watch them on repeat enough, and maybe, like me, you’ll start to feel that itch. The urge to rebel against the gears of the story, the formula assuming you’d cheer for the character they’ve decided is dull enough to be the protagonist - after all, you have to like them - they’re the good guys. They’re going to win. And you, dear audience -  you like winners.

Only...most people don't feel like winners. Sometimes we can kid ourselves into thinking we are the protagonists of our stories, maybe sometimes we can even trick ourselves into thinking all of space and time came together just so our story could unfold. At the end of the day, though… it can feel as if the person writing your script doesn’t feel the same way. Maybe that's why, as a fallible kid, I related to the constant failures and character flaws only villains seemed to share with me.

This is relatable to me for some reason. 

Star Trek: Beyond

Directed By: Justin Lin

Written By: Doug Jung , Simon Pegg

(WHEE yes thank you! All hail the Pegg!)

In Theaters: Jul 22, 2016 wide

Studio:Paramount Pictures

*3 / 5 Bones*

You know what I hate?...

You’re gonna hate me for it.

...

Zombies.

There, I said it.

Phantom Boy

*2.5/5 Bones*

Directors: Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli

Release: October 14, 2015 (France), July 29th, 2016 (Canada)

Language: French, English Dubbed

(I saw the GKids English dub of this film)

Conventional wisdom has it that if you have to, pick substance over style. But once in awhile something comes along that looks so different from convention that it can hold your attention, even as the story fails to be as interesting.

April and the Extraordinary World / Avril et le monde truqué

* 3.9/5 Bones *

Release date: February 19, 2016 (Canada) 
Directors: Franck Ekinci, Christian Desmares 
Story by: Jacques Tardi 
Production companies: Canal+, Eurimages 

Language: French, English Subtitles

What was the first comic you ever read? If it was Marvel or DC Superhero comics, there’s a good chance that their ascension to the silver screen was something that excited you. Me, eh, as a kid, couldn’t care less about the body-painted streakers. I read my father’s comics - the French classics of The Adventures of Tintin and The Adventures of Asterix were the favourite of my brother and I. When I saw the trailers and concept art for April and the Extraordinary World, it looked more Tintin than the Tintin film. Its drawing style, magic-like technology and mystery investigation seemed a love letter to Hergé. Throw a couple of boobs and a black bob on that Tintin doll I know some of you have (koff koff Alex), add a dollop of steampunk, and let’s see if April can stand up to the nostalgia of childhood and the brutishness of a freshly graduated animation student.