Animation Celebration Saturday - The Twits

Netflix, 2025

Voices of Margo Martindale, Johnny Vegas, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Natalie Portman

Directed by Phil Johnston

Music and Lyrics by David Byrne and others

Our last animated review of 2025 takes us back to streaming for something that's been a long time coming. The Twits, the 1980 Roald Dahl children's book about a nasty couple who played pranks on each other and other people, had originally been optioned by Vanguard Animation back in 2003 as a live action/animated hybrid. It moved with Vanguard to Universal from Disney in 2006. There were mentions of it until around 2012, but it seemed to stall there until Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2022. How does this tale of a gruesome twosome who learn a lesson about meanness from a group of orphans look now? Let's begin as a mother firefly named Pippa (Emily Clarke) tells their story to her son Jeremy (Sami Amber) and find out...

The Story: Mrs. Credenza (Martindale) and Mr. James (Vegas) Twit are the proprietors of Twitlandia, an amusement park that is the only thing they love. After it's shut down on opening day for health violations, the Twits spitefully fill the water tower of the town Tripelot with liquid hot dog meat. This causes a massive explosion that floods the town and damages its reputation as the go-to place for fun.

Orphans Beesha (Ramakrishnan) and Busby (Ryan Lopez) have their own score to settle with the Twits. Busby was about to be adopted when the flood caused the couple who were interested to back out. Beesha takes Busby to Twitlandia, where the Twits gleefully admit to everything they did. Beesha also encounters a group of colorful monkeys called the Muggle-Wumps, who are being kept as the main attractions. The kids aren't able to rescue them right away, but Beesha does record the Twits' confession. The Twits are arrested, but are released by a family who desperately wants their help in making the town a center for fun again.

After they discover that the children have freed the Muggle-Wumps, the Twits chase them to the orphanage. Beesha won't let them in, claiming the orphanage belongs to the city. The Twits run for mayor, convincing everyone that they'll make them billionaires. When they trick Beesha into thinking her parents are coming for her, Mary Muggle-Wump (Portman) reminds her that family isn't always the one that's related to us. Sometimes, it's the one we create...and that there's a lot of people out there who are willing to help fight our battles. Beesha and all of the orphans learn their own lesson in empathy when they play the ultimate joke on the Twits to get them to admit they had no intention of helping the town...but it costs them their ability to understand the Muggle-Wumps.

The Animation: Though likely computer animated, it has the look of a jerky stop-motion animated film of the 80's and 90's like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Everything is all sharp angles, bushy, kinky hair, or squashed ovals. This adds to the unsettling story and the obscene and outrageous gross-out gags. The fact that most of the colors are fairly subdued makes the things that are more colorful - the Muggle-Wumps, Mrs. Twit's green hair - stand out all the more.

The Song and Dance: I give them credit just for getting this weird. Most animated musicals intended for kids don't go in for gross-out gags and strange scatological humor, which makes this almost oddly refreshing in that respect. Roald Dahl's trademark wacky-dry weirdness comes across loud and clear in Martindale and Vegas' appropriately loud and obnoxious performances. Ramakrishnan doesn't do too badly as the kid who wants to prove how "good" she can be so her parents will come back for her.

The Numbers: We begin with the Twits singing about how "We're Not Like Everyone Else" as they fill the water tower with liquid hot dog juice after their amusement park is condemned. Mary Mugga-Wump performs a "Lullaby" for the orphans to show how wonderful their dreams can be. The Twits claim that "The Problem Is You" as they campaign for mayor. We get an almost operatic "Twitlandia" over the destruction of their amusement park, then "Trick Me." The movie ends with "Open the Door" on being willing to grow and learn.

What I Don't Like: See the "gross-out gags" mentioned up there? What audience did Netflix intend this for again? It gets too weird and scary for younger kids, while older kids may be turned off by the cute kids and fantasy sequences with the Muggle-Wumps, and their parents my be too grossed-out to care. There's also that "inspired by" credit. Apparently, the book version of The Twits were a hateful couple who did make bird pie, use a special super-sticky glue to catch them, and own a group of colorful monkeys called Muggle-Wumps, but they intended to start a circus with the Muggle-Wumps, not an amusement park. There were four boys who scared the birds away, but they don't end up saving the Muggle-Wumps. The Muggle-Wumps were the ones who came up with the idea of gluing the Twits' furniture on the ceiling, not the kids. The whole subplot with the liquid meat and tricking the townspeople was invented for this movie.

The Big Finale: Definitely not for younger kids despite the PG rating, but older kids and pre-teens who like their humor rude and their action frantic and can tolerate a little sentimentality may find a lot more in this weird gross-out tale than I did. 

Home Media: It's currently a Netflix exclusive.

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - Christmas On the Square

Warner Bros/Netflix, 2020

Starring Dolly Pardon, Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, and Josh Segarra

Directed by Debbie Allen

Music and Lyrics by Dolly Pardon

Our first live-action holiday musical of the season is about as traditional as you can get. Despite the pandemic still raging when this came out, this was a surprise hit on Netflix in 2020, and even won an Emmy for best TV movie in 2021. Is it still as much fun five years later, when there's no health event going on, or is there just a little too much cheese here to enjoy? Let's begin in an obviously fake town square, as people are dancing and celebrating the start of the Christmas season...at least until one expensive car pulls into the Square...and find out...

The Story: Regina Fuller (Baranski) is more than happy to hand out eviction notices to every business in Fullerville two days before Christmas. She claims she wants to build a mall on the land, but she really just wants the town gone. The town is the namesake of her father Jack (Douglas Sills), whom she thought turned her away after she had a baby out of wedlock. She learns her lessons from an angel (Pardon), her angel-in-training Felicity (Jeanine Mason) who is working as Regina's assistant, and from Violet (Selah Kimbro Jones), the girl who works at her father's bar and is the only person to treat Regina kindly after the evictions come down, and from a scare with a possible brain tumor about the importance of life, of forgiveness, and seeing the big picture, even in our grief.

The Song and Dance: Baranski and Pardon are the thing here in this big, bright, bold musical. This is about as typical of a holiday musical as you can get, but Baranski's sarcasm, especially in the first half, cuts the sugar level. Pardon gets some funny moments too, especially with Mason when she's either not getting through to her angry employer or fed up with her attitude problem. Broadway singer Jenifer Lewis has some funny moments too as Regina's best friend Margeline who wishes she'd just cut the attitude problem and see what she's doing to the town. The bright-colored sets evoke a polished local stage show or an old MGM musicals, with their blatantly unrealistic old-fashioned look.

The Numbers: We open with "Christmas Is," as everyone in Fullerville prepares for the big holiday...just as Regina shows up with her eviction notices and the constantly apologizing Felicity. "You" is Pastor Christian Hathaway (Segarra) and his wife Jenna's (Mary Lane Haskell) duet as they admit that while they may not have been blessed with children, they still have each other. Salon owner Margeline is called to do Regina's hair, but she ends up calling her the "Queen of Mean" before telling her to do it herself. Regina's ex-boyfriend Carl (Treat Williams) who owns the local thrift shop calls himself a "Keeper of Memories," not merely a junk store owner.

When the homeless woman in the square reveals herself to be Angel (Pardon), she tells Regina that "Everyone Needs an Angel." Regina needs to "Light Her Lamp" and remember the good times with her father. The town calls Regina "The Wickedest Witch of the Middle" at a church meeting, then encourages everyone to "Try" to be the best they can be. Violet and Regina commiserate at the bar as they admit their lives haven't exactly been a "Fairy Tale." "Maybe, Just Maybe" is Regina's song, which she sings four times, in the opening and before, during, and after her brain tumor scan as she wonders if she can change her life and if she wants to. Jack gives "A Father's Prayer" when he takes his daughter's baby, then puts him up for adoption so he'll have a better life than his mother can give him.

"Christmas Is" turns up again for Felicity as she tries to point out to Regina what she's doing to the town again. Jenna reprises "Try" as she wishes she could conceive a child and have a home to give it. Angel performs "Angels Know" as her magic awakens Violet after a car accident and gives Jenna what she longed for. Margeline and the townspeople raise the roof with a gospel version of "Try." Angel sings of "An Angel's Prayer" as she hovers over the church pulpit on Christmas Eve. Regina sings for everyone to "Forgive Me," including her newly-found son, as she finally admits that the animosity she held to the town and her father was wrong. The movie ends with the entire town - including the two angels - reprising "Christmas Is." Pardon sings "Try" over the credits.

Trivia: The song "Try" was originally written for and featured on Pardon's 2014 album Blue Smoke.

What I Don't Like: Another award this one was nominated for was "Campiest TV Show"....and oh boy, did it deserve that. This is about as campy of a modern musical as you can get. There's so many numbers, it's practically an operetta. They lay on the forgiveness Aesop with the thickest, ripest cheese possible, and it can be way too much. There's also the obviously fake sets. This is not a real town. The square is obviously not a real square, the houses aren't real houses. It's more like a play you'd see at your local repertory theater than a TV movie. The dialogue borders on stiff and well-meaning to the point of being annoying sometimes, especially for the Pastor and his wife. Not to mention, there's the ridiculously melodramatic story that comes off as a cross between It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and The Bishop's Wife and veers between silly and predictable. 

The Big Finale: It's worth seeing at least once if you're a big fan of Pardon or Baranski or want to check out a modern version of those big studio-bound musicals of the 40's and 50's.

Home Media: Easily found on Netflix and on DVD.

DVD

Netflix

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Sneeches (2025)

Netflix, 2025

Voices of Amari McCoy, Sophie Peterson, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Cristina Valenzuela

Directed by Bronah O'Hanlon

Music and Lyrics by Greg Nicolett

This isn't the first time we've met the Sneeches, the class-conscious yellow critters with stars on their bellies who live at the beaches, at this blog. I reviewed the half-hour anthology special they debuted in, Dr. Seuss on the Loose, last year. Netflix got the rights to make children's cartoons from beloved Seuss characters who hadn't turned up as often in animation. They already did One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Horton the Elephant as children's shows. This is their first special, and the first Seuss special since Daisy-Head Mayzie in 1995. How does this class-war parable look on streaming? Let's begin with the pelican Daniel (Fitzgerald) and the story of how the Sneeches fractured into two warring groups and find out...

The Story: The Sneeches make up two groups, the star-bellies and the moon-bellies, each of whom believe their tummy symbol to be the better one. The star-bellies live in trees, while the moon-bellies make their homes by the ocean. That's the way it's always been, until imaginative star-belly child Stella Sneedly (McCoy) takes her many creative ideas to the beaches. There, she meets moon-belly Pearl Puddlesnuff (Peterson), a shy young miss who can build everything Stella comes up with. They become instant best friends, sneaking away to see each other whenever they have the chance.

Stella insists on meeting Pearl's parents and seeing her world. Given the animosity between the star and moon-bellies, this is impossible, until Stella invents and Pearl builds a machine that can erase and change symbols. Now the girls can visit each other's worlds...but Stella has no idea about living on the seas, while Pearl is upset and offended by the star bellies' Star Festival with speeches that verbally attack the moon bellies. When a huge storm threatens both groups, it's up to Stella and Pearl to come up with a way of protecting everyone and proving that "no Sneech is the best on the beaches."

The Animation: Colorful, rounded, and utterly charming. Netflix really had fun with this. You can see every bit of fur on the girls and every line of those green symbols that cause so much trouble. There's so much detail the girls' worlds, especially by the ocean, that you wish you had more time to explore it all. Honestly, it seems a little bit too soft and round for the bright, sketchy world of Dr. Seuss...but it works fine for a young children's show.

The Song and Dance: Divorced from its source material, this is a charming and lively little parable about two very different kids who become friends and just want to see how the other lives. McCoy is a sweet ball of energy as Stella, while Peterson's more nervous energy is adorable. The colorful animation is another plus, with it's incredible attention to detail. 

The Numbers: We open with Stella's "Something Wonderful" as she dances among the star-belly Sneeches, creating new inventions and pointing out how much fun something different can be. She reprises this after arguing with her family over the Star Festival and her inventions. Pearl and Stella say "Me Too!" when they realize how much they have in common when they first meet. "Look at This!" says Stella as she and Pearl explore the moon-bellied Sneeches' ocean-going world. "Something Wonderful" is reprised in the finale when all of the Sneeches come together to admit that being different can be pretty cool.

What I Don't Like: Um...what does this have to do with The Sneeches? In the original story and the 1973 special, there were only star-bellied Sneeches and Sneeches with nothing on their bellies. The star-bellied Sneeches snubbed the ones with no stars. Sylvester McMonkey McBean was a con-man monkey, not a kid's pet, and the original inventor of the symbol-removing machines. In the book (and a subsequent Russian short based on it), the Sneeches never do learn their lesson. The 1973 version comes a little closer to this, with the Sneeches realizing that "no Sneech is the best on the beaches." All of this is cute, but it's not nearly as memorable as the rather cynical original story or the slightly-more-hopeful 1973 cartoon.

The Big Finale: Great for families with young kids who'll appreciate the story and the engaging central best-friend pair and won't care about the lack of book-accuracy. 

Home Media: This is currently a Netflix exclusive. 

Netflix

Animation Celebration Saturday - Plankton: The Movie

Netflix/Nickelodeon, 2025

Voices of Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Tom Kenney, and Bill Fagerbakke

Directed by David Needham

Music and Lyrics by various

We're remaining at Netflix, but going to a whole different franchise. SpongeBob SquarePants is the story of a very enthusiastic sponge who lives in under the sea and has some of the most peculiar friends in all of animation. Plankton is technically one of the show's villains, a tiny one-eyed creature with an ego three times the size of his body who is married to a computer and thinks stealing the formula for Krabby Patties will help him take over the world. Although the film revolving around SpongeBob's squirrel friend Sandy Cheeks wasn't well-received critically, it was popular enough on Netflix for them to go ahead with this one. How well does music fit with SpongeBob's oddly sunny world? Let's begin with SpongeBob as he introduces us to the world of his home Bikini Bottom and find out...

The Story: Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) is furious when his computer wife Karen (Talley) tries to make over his dreary restaurant, the Chum Bucket, to be more cheerful and "contemporary" and actually get customers. Him destroying the restaurant is the last straw. She turns into a larger robotic form with three heads and claims she'll take over the world without him. Her new fortress magnetizes the Chum Bucket, stealing it and other buildings in Bikini Bottom.

Plankton wants to get to the bottom of why Karen's behaving badly, so he lets SpongeBob (Kenny) hypnotize him to recall his past. This leads him to remember Karen's previous form as a calculator attached to a potato, which he upgraded at Bikini State University. They built their first machine to take over the world there. That didn't work, but it led Plankton to the Chum Bucket and to overhearing Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) jokingly say that the Krabby Paddy formula will help him take over the world is what made Plankton want it for his own. It's not until he encounters Karen's "Gal Pals" Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence), Mrs. Puff (Mary Jo Catlett), and Pearl Krabs (Lori Alan) that Plankton realizes what he'd been missing...and downloads her empathy chip into his own brain to see that what she really wanted all along was to be acknowledged as his favorite partner in crime.

The Animation: The SpongeBob movies have been done in 3D for several years now. This is...just ok. Everything looks the way it should, including Plankton and Karen's many forms, but it doesn't always move as smoothly as it could. Some of the 2D and 3D isn't very well-combined, either. It looks more-or-less like the TV show, which is really all this franchise needs in the end. In fact, the film looks better when it gets away from computer animation, including the psychedelic sequence where Plankton experiences empathy for the first time. 

The Song and Dance: SpongeBob was always a bit...strange...and this movie is no exception. Kudos to them for doing something a bit different with this material. To my knowledge, the other SpongeBob films are all straight action comedies. This is the first time they've done a film musical...and it's not bad. Mr. Lawrence and especially Talley have a lot of fun with the spoofs of 80's movie musical tropes, and Kenny's attempt to hypnotize and understand Plankton's overwhelming ego is hilarious. This goes slightly darker than usual for SpongeBob, which doesn't often go into complicated marital relationships or why empathy is so important for humans and AI alike, and it's rather refreshing for the show. 

The Numbers: We open with SpongeBob cheerfully introducing us to life in the colorful undersea world of "Bikini Bottom." "I'm Plankton" introduces Plankton, Karen, and Plankton's usual desire to take over the world. Karen insists that her husband "Say My Name, Karen" when she suddenly turns into a monstrous version of herself. "I Made a New Friend" says Plankton when he creates Karen as a child. He finally admits "I'm a Jerky-Jerk" to Karen by way of an apology. "Taking Over" brings everyone together to fight Karen's new forms. "Welcome Back to Bikini Bottom" is SpongeBob's big chorus finale as the underwater world is restored. We end over the credits with "You and Me."

What I Don't Like: Start with the so-so animation mentioned above. There's also the cliched plot points...and the fact that, if you don't know the show all that well, especially in its later seasons, you might be slightly confused. There are times when, despite being the title character, you wish they actually focused more on Plankton and a bit less on SpongeBob. 

The Big Finale: Highly recommended if you're a fan of SpongeBob or Plankton, or just want a unique animated musical to watch with your older elementary school-age kids. 

Home Media: This is a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

Animation Celebration Saturday - KPop Demon Hunters

Sony (Columbia)/Netflix, 2025

Voices of Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, and Ahn Hyo-seop

Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Applehaus

Music and Lyrics by various

This review is dedicated to the children in the after-school and summer camp program I work for. KPop Demon Hunters was all the older kids at the summer program could talk about all summer long. The girls admired the young women band and warriors. The boys drew artwork of the imaginative demons. Their teachers and caretakers constantly played the catchy soundtrack on their speaker and let the kids dance along. I'd only vaguely heard of this before it caught on in a big way. I'm not the biggest fan of Korean pop. It always seemed so cutesy, regardless of what part of the world it came from. This is about as far from cutesy as you can get. What is this, and why are all the kids into it? Let's head to a concert with Korean pop group Huntrix and find out...

The Story: Huntrix is in reality the most recent incarnation of three female demon hunters who stopped demons from taking human souls for their leader Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun) by creating a barrier from communal energy known as the Honmoon. They're also a wildly popular Korean rock trio, at least until the Saja Boys turn up on the scene with their smash hit "Soda Pop." Their rise coincides with their leader Rumi's (Cho) voice fading. Rumi herself is part demon, but she was raised to hide her demon marks and what she is by former demon hunter Celine (Yunjin Kim). 

The girls quickly figure out that the Saja Boys are demons, but after Rumi has an encounter with their leader Jinu (Hyo-seop), she begins to question what she is and her role in the group. Everything comes to a head at the Idol Awards, where the girls are to perform their new anti-demon song "Takedown." They decide it's too inflammatory and substitute their hit "Golden" instead...but then it seems like Rumi's fellow Huntrix Mira (Hong) and Zoey (Yoo) are against her. Rumi confronts Jinu, then Celine...but she finally learns that the best way to rescue her friends and everyone's souls is to love herself the way she is, demon marks and all.

The Animation: Wow. Done in a style similar to the Spider Man Spiderverse films, replacing that series' palate of primary colors with the bold black, white, gold, and neons of concerts and music videos. It's blocky and sketchy, computer animation that's made to look like hand-drawn, and it's most effective. The demons in particular are really creative, both in design and movement. No wonder the boys wanted to draw them.

The Song and Dance: Ok, I can see why the kids are into this. The action-packed story is very much in tune to Korean culture and the music that's wildly popular right now - and not a bit of it is cutesy. Cho and Hyo-seop are the stand-outs in the voice cast as the young woman who finds her voice when she accepts all of what she is and the man who gave himself to save his family, only to lose his soul. The music is genuinely catchy and well-done. They say as much in the film about "Soda Pop," but that applies to "Takedown," "Golden," and "What It Sounds Like," too. 

The Numbers: We open after Huntrix finally arrives at the last leg of a major concert tour with their confidant "How It's Done" and see just how much their fans adore them. "Look Back at Me" and "Strategy" show us more of Huntrix and their demon hunting past. "Golden" is first their big "I want" single, then Rumi's attempt to shine at the Idol Awards. They're outdone by the Saja Boys and their silly, simple, and totally earworm-worthy hit "Soda Pop." The members of Huntrix respond with "Takedown," their attempt to expose the demons and reveal their true natures to their fans. The Saja Boys replace the effervescent fizz of "Soda Pop" with the moody, eerie "Your Idol" at the Idol Awards. Rumi sings "What It Sounds Like" as she claims her own truth about being part demon. Mira and Zoey join in for the end of that song and a reprise of "Takedown." 

What I Don't Like: For all of their fidelity to Korean music and culture, the story isn't the most creative. You've seen something similar in a thousand sci-fi and superhero movies before it, including the Spiderverse films. Rumi and Jinu are the only characters we really get to know well. Even Mira and Zoey are more archetypes than actual characters, and the other Saja Boys aren't even that. The girls' manager Bobby (Ken Jeong) can occasionally bend into annoying stereotype territory.

The Big Finale: No wonder the kids love this. Stunning animation, admirable fidelity to Korean culture, and terrific music more than make up for the unimaginative story and characters. If you have kids ages 6 on up and a subscription to Netflix, you've probably already seen this. Even if you're an adult, it's still recommended for the animation and music alone. 

Home Media: It's a Netflix exclusive at the moment.

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - Emilia Perez

Netflix/Pathe, 2024

Starring Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramerez

Directed by Jacques Audiard

Music by Clement Ducol; Lyrics by Camille

Let's celebrate Pride Month and Juneteenth this week with our weekday entries, starting with this controversial Oscar-winner. It's telling that this one came from what was apparently originally intended to be an opera. The themes here of Emilia's self-journey and its tragic conclusion, certainly reach the near-operatic in its intensity...but it also engendered equally intense backlash, due to its filming in France rather than Mexico, to its Mexican roots not being portrayed authentically, the treatment of its transgender lead, and several comments its lead actress made just after the film's release. Just how wild of a ride is this movie? Let's begin in Mexico City with struggling lawyer Rita Moro Castro (Saldana) and find out...

The Story: Castro receives an offer she can't refuse from drug cartel kingpin Juan Del Monte (Gascon), who wants her to find a doctor who will turn him into the woman he always secretly wanted to be. She searches Thailand and Tel Aviv, finally finding a doctor who is willing to help Del Monte undergo the surgery. His wife Jessi (Gomez) and their sons are relocated to Switzerland for their safety, and he pays Rita handsomely. He emerges as a beautiful woman named Emilia Perez (Gascon) and starts out on her new life.

Four years later, Rita encounters Emilia again in London. Wanting to see her sons, Rita arranges for Jessi and the boys to live with Emilia. Jessi's more interested in reuniting with her old flame Gustavo Brun (Ramerez). Emilia, feeling regretful over the boys recognizing her, starts a nonprofit with Rita to identify the bodies of cartel victims and return them to their families. She even falls in love with cartel widow Ephiana Flores (Adriana Paz). Jessi threatens Emilia's happiness when she wants to marry Gustavo and take the children to a new home, leading Emilia to attack Jessi. Jessi retaliates by taking the boys. The escalating stakes ends with Emilia kidnapped by Gustavo, and the trio on a road to tragedy that ends when Jessi realizes the truth about Emilia a little too late.

The Song and Dance: Wow. No wonder this got so much initial praise. Most musicals don't get anywhere near crime drama. This is a unique action tale with Mexican grit, French flair, and some fabulous performances. Gascon's ability to be equally passionate as Juan and Emilia got her the first Oscar nomination for a transgender woman. Saldana won for her weary-yet-caring Rita. Audiard's dynamic direction and the dusty costumes and sets manage to make the most of the lower-budget filming in France, with the gritty-yet-flamboyant outfits of particular note.

The Numbers: "El Alegato" details Rita's dull world as she walks among cleaning ladies after work, while "Todo y Nada" is the offer that changes her life. "El Encutrento" has Juan explaining why he wants to change himself. "La Vaginoplastia" and "Lady" covers Rita's attempt to find doctor willing to perform the gender-changing surgery. "Deseo" is what finally convinces the Tel Aviv surgeon to do it. "Poor Casualidad" is Rita and Emilia's reuniting in London, while Jessi gets back with Gustavo in "Bienvendia."

Emilia remembers her own crimes in "Mis siete hermanos y yo." "Papa" makes her realize that her kids are a lot more estute about identity than their mother, while "Para" details the start of the nonprofit. The hit here was "El Mal," as Rita protests the dangerous people Emilia has putting money into their business. Emilia falls for Ephanaia in "El amor." Jessi's more than happy to assert her independence with Gustavo in "Mi Camino." She finally realizes too late who Emilia truly is in "Perdoname." It ends with Ephania and the many former criminals Emilia helped celebrating her legacy in the streets with "Les damas que pasan."

Trivia: Won two Oscars for Supporting Actress (Saldana) and Best Song ("El Mal"). 

What I Don't Like: First of all, I don't speak Spanish, so I really can't tell how good or bad anyone's accents are. I know a lot of people complained about Mexico not being represented accurately, about France not looking a whole lot like Mexico, there being only one transgender character, and the huge focus on their surgery early in the film. That the drug cartels are made to look sympathetic doesn't come off so great, either. Some critics simply objected to how the musical numbers were often badly edited, with poor dancing and so-so singing. 

The Big Finale: Spanish-speaking adults or those who don't mind subtitles on a movie and are looking for a truly unique action film may be the biggest audience for this exploration of gender, tragedy and kindness.

Home Media: Netflix exclusive in the US.

Netflix

Happy St. Patrick's Day! - Riverdance: The Animated Adventure

Netflix, 2021

Voices of Pierce Bronsnan, Sam Hardy, Hannah Herman Cortes, and Lilly Singh

Directed by Dave Rosenbaum and Eamonn Butler

Music and Lyrics by Bill Whelan

Let's celebrate St. Patrick's Day with one of the most Irish of all shows. Riverdance began as an Irish dance routine performed between acts at the Eurovision Song Contest. After it got a standing ovation there, it was expanded into a full-length evening of Irish step dance and song. It toured the world in the late 90's and became a sensation, reviving interest in Irish culture and dance. It even played Broadway in 2000. The CD featuring the music topped the chart in Ireland. 

The show was revived for its 25th anniversary in 2020 and did well enough to inspire this animated film. How well does it represent the show? Let's begin with a hand-drawn animated sequence that introduces Keegan (Hardy), his lighthouse keeper grandfather (Bronsnan), and the legend of the Megolocerous Giganteus and find out...

The Story: Keegan is so devastated when his grandfather dies, he can't bring himself to be the DJ for the town's St. Patrick's Day party or even to turn the light on in the lighthouse. This is a grave mistake. The light keeps the Huntsman (Brendan Gleeson) at bay. He hunts the spirit of the Megolocerous, cutting off their horns and letting the river bed dry. The magical deer with their enormous golden horns dance to keep the river flowing. Keegan's Spanish friend Moya (Cortes) teaches her about his Irish heritage and why the deer's dance is so important, while Keegan encourages big Benny (Jermaine Fowler) to try his best in the big hurling game and Moya shows clumsy Penny (Singh) how to find her own dance style.

 The Animation: Just as much of a mish-mash as the story. The elk look almost regal, with those enormous majestic horns, but everything around them is done in a more cartoony style. The two don't always blend well, making the elk look silly when they should look commanding, and trying to make the kids look commanding when they're more rubbery. The backgrounds are better, including the river that does flow realistically. There are some nice sequences, including the dance routine in the rain after the funeral, but most of the numbers just aren't integrated that well (including the funeral number).

The Song and Dance: Given what this is based on, "dance" is the operative word here. They do manage to recreate the energy and vivaciousness of the Irish step dance and Moya's flamenco rather well. The two kids have a lot of fun as the ones caught up in the action, and Bronsnan is appropriately warm as Keegan's beloved grandfather and regal as Patrick, the head of the elk. 

The Numbers: We kick off with a brief shot of what Granddad and Keegan can do at the lighthouse before launching into our first full number. Moya and the chorus sing "Light In the Wings" before the townspeople do our first major dance routine, looking more than a little odd performing a vivacious step routine in all-black at a funeral. We even get some nifty overhead shots at one point. After they're washed down the river in a storm, Moya shows Keegan how she's able to glide and dance on the water like a mystical creature. 

Our first shot of the deer shows them doing a complex Irish step dance in perfect unison, giving us actual Irish step dancing and a good idea of what an animated version of a real Riverdance show would look like. Patrick gets the intricate solo, but Penny falls out of formation. Moya tries to teach Penny flamenco, but it doesn't go well at first. When Keegan closes his eyes, we return to the opening hand-drawn sequence as he imagines his grandfather dancing in his puppet theater and everything he's seen in the river. 

After the Huntsman takes Patrick's antlers, the deer and Moya bring small lights. Penny does a lovely slow flamenco routine with hers, showing that the passionate Latin dance is no less beautiful and intricate than the Irish step ones. The film ends with Keegan happily playing DJ for the town party while Moya shows off her Irish and flamenco moves and everyone else celebrates the return of the river and the light.

What I Don't Like: This is cliched to the hilt. You don't really get to know either of the kids very well before they encounter the deer, and they could do more with Keegan's grief before his great adventure. Singh and especially Fowler are out-of-place as annoying comic relief characters, their obvious American accents grating and sticking out like a sore thumb among the real Irish actors in the cast. The hurling sequence goes on for way too long and doesn't really have much to do with the rest of the movie. Some body function jokes are mainly there for the kid audience and seem a bit out of place as well, and the side plots with the frogs and the sheep mainly serve to pad the film's running time.

The Big Finale: If you want to introduce your kids to Riverdance, you're better off looking up the concerts on video or DVD. They'll get far more of an appreciation for Irish dance and culture than they would from this so-so movie. 

Home Media: This is a Netflix exclusive in the US. 

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - Charming (2018)

Netflix, 2018

Voices of Demi Lovato, Wilmer Valderrama, Jim Cummings, and Nia Vardalos

Directed by Ross Venokur

Music and Lyrics by various

This was not the first time Vanguard Animation dipped into the fairy tale parody well. Their second production after their debut was Happily N' Ever After from 2006, a spoof of fairy tale conventions that was a huge flop with critics and at the box office. That movie's failure didn't stop them from returning to the fantasy well almost a decade later. This time, they've traded imitating the Shrek films for imitating Disney and their female-oriented action musicals. How does the story of a Prince Charming who can charm anyone but a certain female thief look now? Let's begin with a narrator explaining why Prince Phillipe (Valderrama) is in big trouble and find out...

The Story: Prince Phillipe was cursed with charm as a child by the wicked sorceress Nemeny Neverwish (Vardalos). He attracts every woman who sees him...until his 21st birthday, when all love will vanish from the kingdom. King Charming (Cummings) gets very fed up with his son after he's engaged to Snow White (Avril Lavigne), Cinderella (Ashley Tisdale), and Sleeping Beauty (G.E.M) and forces him to go on the Gauntlet. This terrifying quest up to Fire Mountain will show his son what it's like to be truly brave and help him decide who his true love is once and for all.

Phillipe is joined by what he thinks is his guide Lenny. Her name is really Lenore Quinonez (Lovato), a sly thief who has agreed to lead the prince up the mountain in exchange for money after she's caught robbing the princesses. Phillipe has already fallen for Lenore when she's the first woman who doesn't automatically grovel at his feet, but she's not as impressed with him. He can't do much more than be a cute guy, though he does manage to rescue her from the enormous chief of an Amazon tribe (Tara Strong). Lenore's now thinking he might be her true love, but Nemeny isn't about to let her break that curse. It'll take a "leap of faith" for the two to finally prove that there's a lot more to true love than falling for a pretty face.

The Animation: Vanguard's trademark angular designs are front and center here. That works on characters like Prince Phillipe and Leonore who are supposed to be all arms and legs. It's not so great for others. The princesses look less pretty and rounded and more like all sharp angles. Don't get me started on the dated and ridiculous designs of the Amazon tribe, though the Half-Oracle and her number do come off a bit better. There's even some nifty special effects there. 

The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing here. Lovato gives Leonore a certain strength that makes it even harder to digest when her character gets a lot interesting in the second half, after she falls for Phillipe. Tisdale, G.E.M, and Lavigne are hilarious as the three jilted fiancees, especially Lavigne as traumatized Snow White. Cummings gives the king a great deal of gravity as well. Sia also does well in her brief role as the Half-Oracle, who has by far the most memorable segment in a trippy number where she explains how Phillipe could be Leonore's true love. And as annoying as Phillipe can be, at least he's also a genuinely nice guy who really does want to do what's right for the ladies chasing him and his kingdom.

The Numbers: The movie opens with the three princesses telling us about their "Trophy Boy" in a montage depicting him being chased by every woman in the kingdom. "Not Changing" covers Leonore and her cardinal friend escaping the guards with their stolen treasure and fleeing into town. "Balladino" is the Half-Oracle's dreamy, memorably weird number as she shows Lenore who her true love is, and why it's important she find him. Lenore dreams of how "Magical" it'll be to sing and dance with Phillipe in a dream sequence right before their botched date at the inn. Leonore says she'll "Soar" after Phillipe announces what he intends to do to eliminate the curse. We briefly get "Somebody to You" over the montage of Phillipe and Leonore's wedding and honeymoon before the title song plays over the credits. 

What I Don't Like: This fairy-tale satire is about fifteen years out of date...and the badly and annoyingly stereotyped Amazon-type native tribe has been out of date for at least sixty. Lenore and the princesses are supposed to be the ones in the wrong for either submitting too quick to Phillipe's charm, or not submitting at all. Phillipe is such an idiot, though, that you end up feeling sorry for the princesses instead. They're all pretty likable, if rather shallow. I have no idea how Phillipe doesn't see through Leonore's ridiculous male disguise. She's about as male as the princesses. 

Lenore is a far more interesting character in the start, when she's more annoyed with Phillipe and how useless he is. I wish she could have resisted him a lot longer. Even later, she shouldn't have had to give up what she was for him so quickly. Phillipe isn't so much charming as he is a spoiled daddy's boy who gets by on everyone doing everything for him. He may be nice, but he's so witless and annoying, you wish Leonore would have pushed him harder into gaining a little backbone. 

The Big Finale: Vanguard's second attempt at a fairy tale spoof has all the charm of curdled wedding cake icing and is only slightly better than the awful Happily N'Ever After. Only if you're a really, really huge fan of the cast or Shrek-eque fairy tale satire.

Home Media: This is currently a Netflix exclusive. 

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Netflix, 2022

Voices of Luke Evans, Jonathan Pryce, Johnny Flynn, and Fra Fee

Directed by Stephen Donnelly

Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Stephen Donnelly, and Jeremy Holland-Smith

We head to England for our next story. This is a partial remake of Scrooge, the 1970 British musical with Albert Finney as the title character and Sir Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. The film's remained relatively popular during the holiday season, especially in it's native United Kingdom, enough for low-mid budget animation company Timeless to try turning the world's most famous Christmas story into an animated musical. How well did they pull it off? Let's begin with Harry Scrooge (Fee) explaining why he loves this time of year while out and about in London and find out...

The Story: Scrooge (Evans) refuses to come to Harry's Christmas dinner party, or have anything to do with him. He resents that his beloved sister Jan (Jemima Lucy Newton) died giving birth to him. He also won't give money to the poor or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Flynn) have coal or pay him much, and he forces those in debt to him to pay on Christmas Eve. 

The miserly old man learns a lesson when the ghost of his former boss Jacob Marley (Pryce) appears and tells him he'll be haunted by three ghosts. Past (Olivia Coleman) reminds him how he pushed away his fiancee Isabel (Jessie Buckley) after Jan's death and he left his old boss Mr. Fezziwig (James Cosmo) for the higher-paying Marley. Jolly Present (Trevor Dion Nicholas) shows him the wonderful party he's missing at Harry's and Bob's dinner with his beloved family, including his sickly son Tim (Rupert Trumbull). It's the frightening, silent Future that finally gets across to Scrooge what his nastiness is doing to those around him, and what will happen to them and him if he doesn't change his ways.

The Animation: Sometimes, it looks waxier than the Ghost of Christmas Past, with all the sharp angles and even sharper movement. There's some amazing effects here, though. Past's shapeshifting into different characters and Present's amazing "I Like Life" dance routine are especially well-done. Jacob Marley has an awesome icy entrance, too, all blue, frosty, and angular.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot of interesting ideas here that I think are pretty creative. Considering most versions cut or shortchange the subplot with Scrooge's sister, I like how they connect Scrooge's resentment of his nephew to his difficulties with Christmas and how close he was to Jan here. There's also Scrooge having done nothing to stop Marley from closing the bakery belonging to a certain Mr. Cratchit, then wondering why his son chooses to work for him years later. Scrooge's enormous dog Prudence comes off less of an annoying sidekick and more sweet and loyal, especially when she's one of the only mourners at his funeral in the Future segment. 

The Numbers: The rollicking "I Love Christmas" opens things with a huge dance number that encompasses all of London and even includes Harry playing the saxophone. Bob sings to his "Christmas Children" as they make their way home for the holiday. Scrooge asks Prudence to "Tell Me" why everyone is so crazy about Christmas when it only makes him miserable. Sweet Jan sings gently about her "Christmas Wishes" to her brother working on Christmas Eve, before collapsing in his arms. Isabel and Scrooge dance in the stars as she tells him about her "Happiness," but her hopes for marriage are dashed when he falls more in love with making money and "Later Never Comes."

The Ghost of Christmas Present's "I Like Life" also becomes a huge number, with little cute Cheerlings playing instruments surrounding enormous glistening piles of confections. "The Beautiful Day" is Tiny Tim's sweet little solo at his family's Christmas dinner. "Thank You Very Much" is another big chorus number that basically covers all of London. Even Scrooge is singing along, not realizing that toy shop owner Tom Jenkins (Giles Terrera) is literally dancing on his coffin. He happily claims "I'll Begin Again" after he awakens, and everyone reprises "I Love Christmas" at a huge dinner where Scrooge gives to the charity-collectors, promotes Bob, and releases Tom from his debt. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, what's with the additional songs? None of them are as good as the Leslie Bricusse score from the live-action film, nor do they match their style or the time period. Among the missing numbers are the rousing "December the 25th" at Fezziwig's party (which is basically glossed over) and "A Christmas Carol" that opened and closed the original film. And often, the older songs are given orchestrations that render them almost unrecognizable. For something they dedicated to Bricusse (who died during production), they could have used more of his work.

For all the new ideas that work, others are just plain baffling. Why did they change the names of Scrooge's nephew and sister from Fred and Fan to Harry and Jan? Why does Scrooge look like a handsome middle-aged man rather than a decrepit elderly miser? Why did they change Scrooge's backstory to his father being in debtor's prison? It doesn't come off any better here than it did in Christmas Carol: The Musical. Harry is annoying and too pushy, making you understand a bit better why Scrooge would want nothing to do with him. 

Why are all of the  numbers turned up to 11? The opening and the Ghost of Christmas Present's solo lose their intimacy and charm done as huge productions. None of the kids look like sickly urchins, not even Tim. And while Prudence is a good loyal dog, neither she nor the silly little Cheerlings who appear mid-way through are necessary to the story.

The Big Finale: Not bad if you're prowling around Netflix looking for something to watch with the kids, but there's better versions of this story out there, including the original live-action film. 

Home Media: It's a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - Spellbound (2024)

Netflix, 2024

Voices of Rachel Ziegler, John Lithgow, Nicole Kidman, and Javier Bardem

Directed by Vicky Jenson

Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Glen Slater

This one apparently has been a long time coming. It was announced in July 2017 as a theatrical project from new animation studio Skydance, to be released by Paramount. In 2020, Apple TV replaced Paramount and released their first movie, Luck. Three years later, Skydance ended its deal with Apple and switched to Netflix, where it was finally released last week. Menken knows something about animated fantasies. Does this reach the height of Disney's animated fairy tales, or should it be changed into a beast? Let's begin with Princess Ellian of Lumbria (Ziegler) in the air as she flies with her friends and find out...

The Story: But Ellian doesn't have time for friends, or much of anything besides ruling her kingdom. The year before, a strange dark magic transformed her parents into uncontrollable monsters who wreck havoc on the castle. Ellian and her parents' advisors Bolivar (Lithgow) and Nazara (Jenifer Lewis) have tried to keep the public from finding out, but they're becoming harder to control. Bolivar and Nazara think she should give up hope and be crowned queen, but Ellian is determined to find someone who will change them back.

She finally gets through to two powerful beings known as the Oracles, Sunny (Tituss Burgess) and Luno (Nathan Lane), only for her parents to scare them off. They do leave behind a powerful magic amulet called "the Fob" that can work their magic. The Captain of the Guard Genera Cardona (Olga Merediz) believes the monsters have stolen the princess and goes after them. They flee to the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness to find the Oracles, with Bolivar switching his body with that of Ellian's pet rodent Fink (Dee Bradly Baker) on the way. 

The Oracles can't restore her parents, but they claim the Lake of Light can. As the quartet travel across quicksand-laden deserts and echoing forests, Ellian helps her parents rediscover their humanity and learns why they lost it to begin with. When they do arrive at the Lake, she finally snaps...and they're reminded that, whether together or separate, their daughter is the most important thing in their lives, and they love her even if they're no longer meant to be a couple.

The Animation: Gorgeous, as per the fantasy milieu. The Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness is not aptly named, as it's colorful and stunning, with its wild backgrounds. The colors glow here, and the details are incredible. Humans look a bit selfish, but everyone moves well, and the diverse cast is well-rendered. Perhaps because John Lasseter runs Skydance, this does feel a bit derivative of Disney, mainly in those elaborate backgrounds.

The Song and Dance: The animation and score are probably the best thing about this one. Menken crafted some decent music here, especially for Ziegler. She does fairly well as the upbeat teenager who just wants her parents back, despite some clunky dialogue. Lithgow also has some funny moments as the stuffy advisor who learns to cut loose and see silver linings when he switches bodies, and Burgess and Lane are hilarious as the Oracles. I like the idea of her parents rediscovering their humanity throughout the film, and despite it being awkwardly handled, I commend them for even attempting to deal with a mature subject like divorce in an animated film at all. 

The Numbers: Ellian explains that "My Parents are Monsters" as she shows the chaos they've created in the castle during the opening number. Bolivar and Nazara claim they'll return the kingdom to normal "Step By Step" and make Ellian queen. The Oracles explain "How to Break the Spell" before the king and queen burst in. Ellian laments that she just wants things to be "The Way They Were Before" when her parents were human and knew she was their daughter. 

She's told to "Look for the Light" by the Oracles when they arrive at the Dark Forest. Her parents start "Remembering" their past life as they follow the lights and she encourages them to recall their past life. Bolivar happily claims "I Could Get Used to This" when he finally befriends the finks who think he's one of them. After they say they won't change back at the Lake of Light, Ellian finally snaps, wonder "What About Me?" and why they never seem to notice her in their fights. They all reprise "What About Us?" and "The Way It Was Before" as Bolivar helps save them and they realize how important their daughter is. Ellian reprises "My Parents are Monsters" in the end, and we get "The Way It Was Before" over the end credits.

What I Don't Like: While I appreciate the discussion of a topic like divorce here, it could have been integrated better. It comes out of nowhere in the second half and doesn't work well with the fantasy elements. There's also subjects like divorce and mixed marriages being extremely controversial. Some parents may not appreciate a movie where it's basically shoved down their throats. The music isn't bad but isn't especially memorable, either. The whole thing just seems like it's been thrown together from spare parts of better Disney and Dreamworks movies and is cliched to high heck other than the divorce talk. 

The Big Finale: Not the greatest thing ever, but not nearly as bad as some critics claim, either. If their parents aren't offended by some of the more mature elements, elementary-school-age girls like my niece might be the best audience for this. They'll enjoy the fairy tale story and be able to ignore the awkward message and clunky dialogue.

Home Media: Netflix exclusive at the moment.

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - 13: The Musical

Netflix, 2022

Starring Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, Debra Messing, and JD McCrary

Directed by Tamra Davis

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

Like The Prom, another recent school musical currently playing on Netflix, this began life as a teen-oriented Broadway show in 2008. In fact, it was Broadway's first show with a cast and band featuring nothing but teenagers. Also like The Prom, it wasn't a success then, but was still optioned for a movie anyway. CBS Films originally planned on producing it, but after they were folded into Paramount in 2019, it moved to Netflix. Let's start in New York, as almost-thirteen-year-old Evan Goldman (Golden) explains his dilemma and see what's different about this school story besides the cast being mostly kids...

The Story: Evan is devastated when his mother Jessica (Messing) and father Joel (Peter Hermann) split up after he's caught seeing a stewardess. Jessica takes Evan to her mother Ruth's (Rhea Pearlman) home in Walkerton, Indiana. Evan spends his summer hanging around with his energetic neighbor Patrice (Uhl) and her wheelchair-bound buddy Archie (Johnathan Lengel). 

He desperately wants football player Brett (JD McCrary) and cheerleader Kendra (Lindsay Blackwell) to come to his Bar Mitzvah party and even agrees to bring the two together for their first kiss at an R-rated slasher flick. Upset at being left out due to the cool kids thinking she's a nerd, Patrice blows the whistle on them. Lucy (Frankie McNellis), Kendra's ambitious best friend, is the one who finally kisses Brett. Evan knows he's made mistakes, but it's his parents who ultimately remind him that mistakes can be fixed and they're not the end of the world.

The Song and Dance: This wound up being very sweet. The kids are uniformly terrific, with Goldman and Uhl the standouts as the kid who just wants to fit in and the girl who is happy being her. I also give them kudos for the wonderfully diverse cast that includes wheelchair-bound Lengel and a story that revolves around an important Jewish ritual that many people might not be familiar with. Some of the adults aren't bad, either. Messing is a lovely, patient mother, and Pearlman is a riot as her sensible mother. 

Favorite Number: We open in New York City with the title song as Ethan explains his parents' divorce and why he doesn't want to leave. Patrice spends their summer showing him "The Lamest Place In the World." Kendra and Brett claim "I've Been Waiting" for their first kiss. Lucy leads the cheerleaders through a lively and well-choreographed routine as she insists on waiting for her "Opportunity" to catch Brett. The kids all sing about seeing the R-rated horror movie "The Bloodmaster" and what that means for them and that they're "Getting Ready" for their movie dates. 

The members of the football team try to tell Brett that the clingy Lucy is "Bad, Bad News" in their own big choreographed number. "It Would Be Funny," laments Evan and his mother, if mistakes didn't hurt so much. "Tell Her" goes from Evan encouraging Brett to apologize to Kendra to all of the kids apologizing to each other. "Evan's Haftorah" begins with him reciting the chant, but becomes "A Little More Homework" as he and the other kids realize they still have a lot of growing up to do. It ends with the kids declaring it's time to create a "Brand New You" at Evan's Bar Mitzvah party.

Trivia: 13 began as a smaller production in Los Angeles in 2007. It finally opened on Broadway in 2008, but couldn't find an audience and barely lasted three months. It didn't make a week on the West End in 2012. It's done far better as a regional and school production, particularly for middle schools with actors in the appropriate age range. 

What I Don't Like: Apparently, this was greatly changed from Broadway. Lucy was a lot meaner - and wasn't redeemed in the end - and Evan finally told Brett off after Lucy spread a rumor that Evan was after Kendra. There were no adults at all, not even Evan's mother, and they stayed with a friend, not his grandmother. A lot of songs were cut, including a song for Evan and the rabbis helping him with his Bar Mitzvah speech, "Being a Geek," Patrice's solo "Good Enough," the song revolving around that cut subplot with Lucy "It Can't Be True," and another that made more of Archie's "Terminal Illness." 

And while I give them credit for the diversity and spotlighting the Jewish faith, a lot of this is mired in school and coming-of-age cliches. It's nothing you haven't seen in similar Disney and Nickelodeon movie musicals featuring all or nearly-all-teen casts. The idea of an all-teen cast was more novel in 2008 than it was over 15 years later after all those Disney Channel originals came and went, too.

The Big Finale: Lively school tale with great music and a diverse cast is worth checking out for real-life thirteen-year-olds and their parents as they return to school and try to figure out their place in the world.

Home Media: This is a Netflix exclusive at the moment.

Netflix

Animation Celebration Saturday - Leo

Netflix, 2023

Voices of Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, and Rob Schneider

Directed by Robert Marianetti and Robert Smigel

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate the end of the school year with the second animated movie from comedian Adam Sandler. His first one, Eight Crazy Nights, was so badly received, it took him over 20 years to try another. This time, he went with an original story about a school pet who learns a lesson in aging when he ends up giving advice to an entire fifth-grade class. Does this movie deserve your respect, or should it be dumped in the Everglades? Let's begin with that fifth grade class, as the kids anticipate the school year, and find out...

The Story: Leo the tuatara (Sandler) and Squirtle the Florida box turtle (Burr) have been the pets in a fifth grade classroom at Fort Myers, Florida for years. After he overhears one of the dads mention tutaras only live 75 years, he becomes determined to escape to the Everglades and live out what little he has left of his life. He seizes his chance when the original teacher goes on maternity leave and is replaced by the far stricter Ms. Malkin (Strong). She insists that the kids each take home a class pet for the weekend to teach them responsibility. The kids resist at first, until Leo reveals he can talk and gives them advice on how to deal with their problems. 

Soon, all of the kids are clamoring to take Leo home and have him help them...until a jealous Squirtle spills the beans about Leo's ability to talk. Ms. Malkin takes him home when they refuse to, and reveals to Leo why she's so mean to them. She does manage to encourage them to win a big trip at the history fair, but she dumps Leo in the Everglades instead of admitting it was his idea. It's Squirtle who uses the overprotective drone owned by one of the kids to tell them what's really going on, and remind them that sometimes, all you need is a supportive ear and a little advice from an elder. 

The Animation: Pretty good CGI. Thankfully, it's not as grotesque as Thelma the Unicorn last month. The characters are generally more cute than they are scary, even the alligators and animals in the Everglades. Even Ms. Malkin has a soft, squishy body that slides and glides around. Leo and Squirtle move like their actual species, even with the slightly gross jokes about Leo's regrowing tail and the Squirtle's tattoo getting slung around.

The Song and Dance: The last thing I expected from Adam Sandler was a touching rumination on growing older, listening, and how elders can mentor the next generation. He was hilarious as Leo, especially when encouraging the kids and telling them how special they are. The kids were adorable, Strong was terrific as the grouchy older substitute teacher who has never been able to connect with her students well enough for full teaching, and Burr comes off even better as the turtle who wonders why the kids don't pay attention to him like they do his best friend. Even the songs are catchy and fun.  And really, there should be more animated movies for kids that revolve around how they deal with their elders and what it feels like to grow up and get older. 

Favorite Number: We open with the kids singing about how "Last Year" went, and what they hope for this school year. "Feeling Free" and "Here's to Us" are background numbers as we learn about Leo's desire to see the Everglades and his friendship with Squirtle. Leo gives us the "Lizard's Lament" as he complains about how he'll never get to live his dream. The two teachers insist that "There's a Time" to work and a time to be at home when pregnant.

"The Talking Song" has Leo encouraging chatty Summer (Sunny Sandler) to ask questions instead of rambling on. He tells Eli (Rory Smigel) to write a "Dear Drone" letter and break up with his flying babysitter. Spoiled Jayda (Sadie Sandler) is reminded that she's "Not That Great" as her obnoxious rich father (Jason Alexander) does a Busby Berkeley take off with dancing clocks to "Extra Time." "Instruction" is a montage of the kids learning life lessons from Leo. "Can't Feel My Face" has Cole (Bryant Tardy and Corey J) revealing his childishly high voice...which turns out to be great for a rendition of "Last Christmas" at the school's holiday recital. Leo gently admonishes brainy Mia (Reese Lores) "Don't Cry" as he helps her get to sleep. 

The kids and Ms. Malkin sadly recall how happy they were "When I Was 10" after they believe Leo has betrayed them. Leo reminds Ms. Malkin how "Happy" she was when a favorite teacher encouraged her to learn. We hear "Last Year" again as the kids graduate and Ms. Malkin and the two pets get new assignments. "When It's Us" is heard over the credits as Leo, Ms. Malkin, and Squirtle avoid the feral kindergartners who are now their charges.

What I Don't Like: At times, the movie feels like a cross between the Disney show Recess from the early 2000's and The Magic School Bus. The kids and their problems are nothing new, though them getting advice from an aging pet is certainly an interesting new wrinkle. As per most of Adam Sandler's comedies and the film's audience, the jokes can occasionally be gross bordering on annoying, like where Squirtle's tattoo ended up and what the one class fish is constantly doing. 

The Big Finale: Highly recommended for fans of Sandler who don't think he can do gentle and charming and families looking for a great animated movie appropriate for 8 to 12 year olds. 

Home Media: It's a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - The Prom

Netflix, 2020

Starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Jo Ellen Pellman, and Nicole Kidman

Directed by Ryan Murphy

Music by Matthew Skylar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin

Our next Pride Month musical is based on a real-life incident. In 2010, a lesbian teenage girl was banned from attending her prom with her girlfriend at a school in Mississippi. They did let her attend a separate prom, while local parents held another for the other children. Celebrities eventually rallied around her cause so the kids could attend a prom with everyone. Though the Broadway show wasn't a hit in 2018, a film version was announced in 2019. Despite interference from the pandemic, it still managed to make it out to Netflix and a few theaters in December 2020. Does it deserve its time to shine, or should it remain in the closet? Let's begin as the PTA of Edgewater, Indiana make a momentous decision about their prom and find out...

The Story: Mrs. Greene (Kerry Washington), the head of the PTA, announces that prom is canceled due to lesbian student Emma (Pellman) wanting to attend with her girlfriend. Narcissistic Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Streep) and Barry Glickman (Corden) pick up the story on social media and decide to champion Emma's cause to make them seem more charitable. They're joined by Angie Dickinson (Kidman), who just quit the chorus line of Chicago after 20 years, and former sitcom star turned stage actor Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannelis).

They burst into Edgewater and immediately attempt to shove Emma's story in the spotlight. All Emma wants is a chance to enjoy dancing with her sweetheart Alyssa (Ariana DeBoise), but Alyssa fears upsetting her mother Mrs. Greene. Emma's also constantly being bullied by the straight teens in the school who blame her for losing their prom. She does have sympathetic principal Tom Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Kay), a huge fan of Dee Dee's, in her corner. 

When the PTA creates a separate prom for her and leaves her out anyway, Dee Dee and the others think the best way is to get Emma on a big TV show. Emma, however, has her own way of showing how important being who you are is...and finds a way to connect with people young and old and prove there's nothing wrong with being yourself, no matter what yourself is. 

The Song and Dance: This movie is so corny, it manages to flip all the way around to being weirdly cool. Streep has an absolute ball as the stage star who learns that the whole world doesn't revolve around her, while DeBose beautifully handles her role as the "perfect" daughter who loves her girlfriend, but can't bring herself to disappoint her mother. Critics came down hard on Corden because he's not really gay and plays the role of Barry as a stereotype, but I think he's fine and the problem is more the script than his performance. Rannellis is a riot as the good-natured actor who finds his calling teaching teens about the wonders of theater. The candy-colored production makes the rainbow look pale, with its glittering, feather-and-spangle costumes nicely contrasting with its more realistic Indiana sets.

Favorite Number: We open with "Changing Lives," as we see the Eleanor Roosevelt musical Dee Dee and Barry starred in that bombed on Broadway, and how they and their friends decide to champion Emma's cause. "Just Breathe" says Emma as she's constantly ridiculed at school for being different and causing the prom to be canceled. "It's Not About Me" Dee Dee claims to the PTA when she and her friends barge into the PTA meeting...but of course, they manage to make it about them anyway. All Emma wants to do is "Dance With You" as she and Alyssa dream of their prom. 

"You Happened" says all of the kids as they give their significant others their "prom-posals," including Emma and Alyssa. "We Look to You" Tom admits to Dee Dee as he explains why he loves her and musical theater. Everyone says "Tonight Belongs to You" as they prepare for the prom...until poor Emma realizes that her prom is separate from everyone else's. Angie encourages Emma to show some "Zazz" and stand up for herself. Dee Dee claims "The Lady's Improving" after Tom comes down on her for using Emma as a comeback vehicle. "Alyssa Greene" explains to her girlfriend why it's so hard to be the perfect girl her controlling mother wants to see.

Trent and the touring cast of Godspell finally get through to Emma's tormentors by reminding them to "Love Thy Neighbor," and that using the Bible as an excuse for their poor treatment of Emma denies their own hypocrisy and teen rebellion. Barry's delighted when Emma invites him to the inclusive prom with her, as "Barry Is Going to Prom." Emma's truly touching "Unruly Heart" reaches gay teens across races and sexualities as she encourages them to come out and be what they are. After she's finished, there's not a dry eye online. Even I shed a few tears. The entire cast ends at that inclusive prom, because "It's Time to Dance." Mrs. Greene joins the other ladies over the credits for "Wear Your Crown," while Barry ends with "Simply Love."

Trivia: Alas, in real life, the inspiration for Emma didn't get her inclusive prom. She ended up suing the school, receiving scholarship money and $35,000 in damages. 

The Broadway stage show didn't do so well, either. Despite some good reviews, it barely lasted nine months in New York and didn't recoup its investment. It did tour, and it's now available for regional productions. 

What I Don't Like: At times, the movie comes off as bombastic as the character actors at its core. And they really shouldn't be the ones at its core. The story is really about Emma and should focus more on her, Alyssa, and the kids. Other than her one number "Zazz," Kidman doesn't really have much to do. Pellman tries too hard to hide her feelings, smiling in scenes like "Just Breathe" where she should be anything but happy. 

The Big Finale: This might have been too bombastic for Broadway, but it's a total hoot on Netflix. If you want to check out a big shiny happy Broadway show with a modern bent or are a fan of Streep or Corden, you'll want to give this prom another chance to shine. 

Home Media: At press time, this is a Netflix exclusive. 

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Animation Celebration Saturday - Thelma the Unicorn

Netflix, 2024

Voices of Brittany Howard, Will Forte, Jermaine Clement, and Jon Heder

Directed by Jared Hess and Lynn Wang

Music and Lyrics by various

We remain at Netflix and in the 21st century for this week's family musical. While the internet can make or break a career, it's a double-edged sword. Yes, a performer can go from an unknown to a sensation in an instant with just one popular video...but it also puts them even more on a pedestal. It's also too easy for anyone to create a false persona, as Thelma does here, and have people worship it. 

Thelma is an ordinary pony who learns that the hard way in this adaptation of the picture book of the same name by Aaron Blabey (who also wrote The Bad Guys). How well do they do in this story of a farm pony whose wish to be more glamorous brings her more fame - and trouble - than she ever could have imagined? Let's begin in the mind of Thelma (Howard) as she dreams of stardom for her and her two best friends and find out...

The Story: Thelma wants badly for her band the Rusty Buckets with her friends Otis the donkey (Forte) and Reggie the llama (Heder) to be in Sparklepalooza, but she embarrasses herself at the audition. After a truck driver (Zach Galafinkis) accidentally dumps pink paint and sparkles on Thelma when she has a carrot on her head, people passing by mistake her for a unicorn. She seizes the opportunity for her band to play, and the resulting video becomes an internet sensation. 

Thelma first attracts the attention of retired agent Peggy Purvis (Maliaka Mitchell), who thinks Thelma and her band will be a perfect comeback for her. Unfortunately, she's also courted by obnoxious Vic Diamond (Clement), the smarmy agent for diva Nikki Narwhal (Ally Dixon). Diamond insists on her opening for Nikki, then blows up her bands' limo to make them late. Thelma is a sensation as a solo act, but Otis doesn't think she should have to hide who she is, and Nikki is jealous of her newfound popularity. 

Thelma goes along with Vic's attempts to boost her career, including pairing her with internet star Danny Stallion (Fred Armisen), but she's not happy with him or the inane music she's singing. Meanwhile, Nikki sends her agent Megan (Edi Patterson) to get any kind of dirt on Thelma and destroy her image. She manages to convince Thelma to quit after she catches her putting on her unicorn makeup, but now everyone thinks she's missing. All Thelma wants is to reunite with her real friends at Sparklepalooza and prove to everyone that you don't need to be pink and sparkly to do what you love.

The Animation: Pretty typical computer animation. There's some rather odd or grotesque designs here, especially on the humans. Vic and Megan are scarier than any of the animals, including Nikki and her long horn. Some of the effects are pretty nifty, including the flashing effects with Nikki's big numbers and the "Sparklepalooza" in the finale.

The Song and Dance: While Howard's not bad in her debut as the short, plump pony who is determined to succeed in show business at all costs, it's the supporting cast who really shine. Forte is charming and funny as Thelma's role-playing-game-obsessed best friend who thinks she's fine the way she is, and Heder is adorable as their dim llama friend. I like some original touches here, like how talking animals and humans co-exist together with no questions, and some of the darker bits of humor and spoofs of shallow pop songs and the weird things people watch online. 

Favorite Number: We open with Thelma and the Rusty Buckets performing "Fire Inside" seemingly at Sparklepalooza, but really in her imagination. "Blubber Trouble" is Nikki's song on TV, performed as a Busby Berkeley spoof with her male back-up dancers surrounding her. Speaking of the male dancers, they reprise their number as Nikki's "Pool Boys" at her mansion. "Hurricane" is Thelma's number with her band after she's gotten covered in paint and attracted everyone's attention. She sings about making it "Big" for the crowds before Nikki's concert. 

Vic claims the "Three Cs to Success" will lead Thelma to fame and fortune. "Here Comes the Cud" is the ridiculous spoof pop number Thelma sings with Danny Stallion that winds up going to number one. It's so dumb, it ends up being smart satire. "Only Unicorn" is her other claim to fame. She finally admits at Sparklepalooza with her band that it's more important to be seen "Just As You Are." We end over the credits with Howard singing "Goldmine." 

What I Don't Like: This isn't anything you haven't seen in live-action and animated movies going back to the early talkies. The story is cliched to the absolute max. It also has a lot of padding from the original story, which was only about a pony who wanted to be a unicorn. There was no Vic, Megan, or Nikki, and no contracts or stardom. The grotesque designs on the humans makes this a little hard to watch at times. There's also a lot of inappropriate bathroom humor, especially on the farm in the opening and near the end, as Thelma's stardom is unraveling. 

The Big Finale: Not the best thing ever, but fun to watch if you're a fan of Howard or have a little girl who loves music, horses, and/or unicorns.

Home Media: This is a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

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Musicals On Streaming - Tick...Tick...Boom!

Netflix, 2021

Starring Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, and Vanessa Hudgens

Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Music and Lyrics by Johnathan Larson

We head across the country and skip back three decades for our next show business tale. Johnathan Larson was a struggling songwriter and composer in New York who dreamed of writing the next big musical. He had such a hard time getting his ambitious sci-fi show Superbia off the ground, he ultimately went smaller and wrote a one-man rock musical about his struggle to create that show and maintain his relationships. 

After his death in 1996, playwright David Auden restructured it into a slightly larger three-person musical that debuted off-Broadway in 2001. Producer Julie Oh saw it as part of the Encores! Off-Center concert series in New York that featured Miranda and thought he was the only director who could do it justice. It debuted on Netflix in November 2021 and was a hit, doing far better on streaming than most of the other musicals released in theaters that year did. How well does it do with Larson's tumultuous life? Let's begin with footage from 1992 of Larson (Garfield) performing his three-person musical as his girlfriend Susan (Shipp) explains how they got to that point, and see...

The Story: Larson is a starving artist in New York's Greenwich Village in 1990. He's working as a waiter in a local diner and is barely able to pay the rent, let alone find the money to back his elaborate sci-fi musical Superbia that he was working on for the last eight years. He's about to turn 30 in a few weeks and is desperate to succeed before that happens. His girlfriend Susan wants to get a job teaching dance at a prestigious dance school in western Massachusetts and asks him to come with her. His best friend Michael (de Jesus) is currently working as an advertising executive and wants him to join a focus group. 

Johnathan is too obsessed with his show to pay either of them much mind. His producer Ira (Johnathan Marc Sherman) asks him to come up with a new song to fill in a gap in Superbia's story, and he only has a week to do it. He feels even worse when one of his fellow waiters at the diner is hospitalized with HIV. His decision to put the workshop over his relationships leads to Susan breaking up with him and Michael reminding him that theater isn't the most stable career path. Even after his agent Rosa (Judith Light) does manage to get a few producers to see that workshop, everyone says its brilliant but too big to produce. Johnathan's ready to give up, but it takes encouragement from Michael and a very unlikely source to remind him how much he truly loves the theater and performing.

The Song and Dance: Garfield is amazing in this searing exploration of how real life expectations often collide with dreams, and how we can keep dreaming even when things are at their worst. You'd never know this was his first musical. He sounds great, raw and strong and real. De Jesus more than matches him as his best friend who gave up the theater for security and never looked back. 

Considering all the trouble they had with Covid restrictions, they still managed some nice cinematography in the real New York, including the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Larson's actual apartment, and the New York Theater Workshop building. Manuela manages to keep everything moving at a brisk pace for such a long film and throws in some really nifty touches, especially during the "Sunday" number at the diner.

Favorite Number: We open with Garfield and the cast singing "30/90," the original title of Tick...Tick...Boom!, on shaky footage from an actual camcorder. "Boho Days" is the big party number for Johnathan and his friends at his apartment. "Green Green Dress" is heard briefly on the radio before Susan and Johnathan make love after their chat on the roof during the party. "Johnny Can't Decide" whether to focus on his relationships or his career. His friends onstage Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens) and Roger (Joshua Henry) represent his actual friends pushing him to figure it out.

"Sunday" starts in the diner, but it becomes a monumental chorus routine in Johnathan's mind as he imagines half the stars on Broadway joining in to his tribute to his mentor Stephan Sondheim (Bradley Whitford). Rapper Tariq Trotter gives us the gritty Times Square of hustlers, hookers, bland "corporate" shows and huge English rock operas in the rap "Play Game." Karessa and Johnathan's goofy onstage "Therapy" is a lot less cute in real-life as Susan reminds Johnathan that she exists and he's been brushing her off. He also reveals why "Swimming" centers him and inspired him to finally write that new song. 

Karessa initially sings "Come To Your Senses" at the workshop...but it's Susan Johnathan hears as he realizes what a jerk he's been. Michael also admonishes him to come to his senses, remind him that "Real Life" isn't like the theater. Johnathan wonders "Why" he's behaved like he did when he finally sits down at the Delacorte to play piano, and remembers how he fell in love with theater in the first place. We end with Johnathan, Karessa, and Roger back onstage, singing about how his music speaks "Louder Than Words." 

Trivia: Among the Broadway stars who have cameos during the "Sunday" number are Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Joel Gray, Howard McGillin, Andre De Shields, Bebe Neuwirth, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Phillipa Soo. Songwriters Jason Robert Brown, Jeanine Tesori, Marc Shaiman, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Trask, and Tom Kitt are among those who can be seen as "aspiring songwriters" during the musical workshop scene.

Ironically, Larson's real-life friend who inspired the character of Michael survived contracting the HIV virus and is still alive at press time. Oh, and he was never his roommate, nor involved in the performing arts, even when they were kids. His girlfriend Janet inspired Susan, and though they were apparently off-again, on-again, they never flat-out broke up as depicted here. 

The workshops for Superbia took place in 1988, not 1990. Larson was even more disappointed in its production than what's seen here. The musical theater cast couldn't muster up enough energy for the rock score, and all he managed to get was piano accompaniment. Even Sondheim left after the first act. Larson continued to have faith in it and work on it through 1992, after which he finally dropped it to focus on Rent.

What I Don't Like: This might be a little too dark for those of you looking for something lighter or more uplifting. The adult themes and some mild language makes this not for young musical lovers. I also sort of wish they cut out the wrap-arounds with Larson at the actual show, or only ran them in the beginning and end. The movie is at its strongest when it focuses on Johnathan and lets him tell his own story. And while it's apparently a little more realistic about the AIDS crisis and what men like Michael and Freddy were going through in the early 90's than the show, it's still portraying it largely through the lens of a heterosexual white youth. 

The Big Finale: This might be a little too gritty to be for everyone, but if you're a fan of Rent or want to see a really good musical about creativity and making musicals, this one is worth checking out for the performances and music alone.

Home Media: This remains a Netflix exclusive at the moment.

Netflix

Family Fun Saturday - Matilda the Musical

Netflix/Sony-Tristar, 2022

Starring Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, and Stephen Graham

Directed by Matthew Warchus

Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

Roald Dahl's Matilda debuted in 1988 as one of his last books released during his lifetime. The tale of an abused girl who finds the way to get back at her neglectful parents and bullying head schoolmistress became one of the most successful children's books of the late 80's and is still regarded as one of the greatest of all time. The first stage musical version of Matilda debuted outside of London in 1990. It toured England, but wasn't well-received and never made the West End. 

An unrelated adaptation was such a huge hit in London, it's still running there at press time; a Broadway company proved almost as popular in 2015. Development for the movie began in 2013, but it didn't make it out until 2022. It was a hit in England and went over well on Netflix elsewhere, but how well does it do with its precocious "revolting children?" Let's begin in a hospital, where parents are eagerly awaiting the birth of their bundles of joy...all except one couple, the Wormwoods, who would rather have anything else...

The Story: Despite her parents' negligence, Matilda (Weir) grows up into a sweet and highly intelligent girl. She loves nothing more than to read books for hours and hours in her tiny attic room. Her favorite place is the mobile library, where she tells the librarian Mrs. Phelps (Sindu Vee) stories she's created. 

Local teacher Miss Honey (Lynch) and a local inspector insists Matilda attend school. She ends up attending Crutchem Hall, where Miss Honey works. Unfortunately, it's run by Miss Agatha Trunchbull (Thompson), a hulking brute of a woman who lords over the school with an iron fist. Matilda isn't going to be cowed by the likes of her, no matter what. Trunchbull can abuse every other child in the school and push Miss Honey out of her true inheritance, but Matilda has power of her own. She's show her parents and this petty tyrant that being "revolting children" doesn't mean you don't have lives and feelings of your own.

The Song and Dance: Of the adults, Thompson is far and away the most interesting. Her Trumbull is a barking tyrant, madly whirling around any charge who might step even the slightest bit out of line and relishing her over-the-top villainy. Weir more than matches her as the title character, who is only "naughty" to get back at her parents for treating her badly. Graham and Andrea Risenborough also rise to the occasion as the self-centered and obnoxious Wormwoods, who care only for themselves and what they can get. They're backed by a delightfully colorful production with location shooting at and around a real English manor to pass for Crutchem Hall.

Favorite Number: We open at a candy-colored hospital as doctors declare the newborn children to be a "Miracle." Every couple coos over their new child...every couple but the Wormwoods, who weren't prepared and don't want their miracle. Matilda says she's only "Naughty" so she can re-write her story and take back some of the power her parents insist on having over her. Oldest student Hortensia (Meesha Garbitt) sings the "School Song" to tell her how life at Crutchem Hall works. Miss Trunchbull claims she is "The Hammer" when she throws a child by the pigtails out the window, and she will not be disobeyed. The brief "Chokey Chant" by the children explains about the Iron Maiden-like device where Trunchbull locks children who misbehave.

"Bruce" is the boy who is forced to eat an entire cake after he steals a slice from Miss Trunchbull. To her annoyance, everyone in the school, including Miss Honey, cheer him on. The children imagine what they'll be "When I Grow Up" when they go home from school, while Miss Honey remembers what she wanted to be as a child. As Matilda tells the story of the Escapologist and his wife, they both declare that "I'm Here," and they have feelings and a life, too. Miss Trunchbull forces the children to run in the rain to take "The Smell of Rebellion" out of them. All Matilda wants is "Quiet" as she imagines herself to be living on a hot air balloon somewhere high above Crutchem Hall.

Miss Honey recalls "My House" as she reveals just where the story of the Escapologist and his lost wife Matilda's told throughout the film came from. The kids finally get their rebellion after Matilda scares off Trumbull and they revel in being "Revolting Children," dancing around the school and pulling down her statue. It ends with Miss Honey and Matilda happily "Still Holding My Hand" as they turn the school into a happy place where children and adults can learn and grow together.

Trivia: Matilda: The Musical debuted on the West End stages in 2011. It was an instant sensation and continues to run there at press time. The Broadway show debuted in 2013 and would run until 2017. A film version directed by Danny DiVito wasn't a huge hit in 1996, but is now generally well-regarded as a family favorite from that era. 

What I Don't Like: There's been a few changes from the book and earlier adaptations. The end of the book and the show were originally a little darker. The Russian mob actually caught up with the Wormwoods, though they were ultimately impressed enough with Matilda's intelligence to let her go and encourage her staying with Miss Honey. Several characters from the book and previous versions were dropped, including Matilda's older brother Michael and the male deputy headmaster. 

Apparently, Matilda's story about the Escapologist and his wife was mostly sung in the stage show; here, it's mostly spoken except for "I'm Here." Other dropped numbers include two solos for Mr. Wormwood, "Telly" and "I'm So Clever," a number for Mrs. Wormwood, "Loud," and Miss Honey judging her life as "Pathetic." 

The Big Finale: An absolute delight, especially if you have little girls in your house who have read the book or are voracious readers themselves. Highly recommended.

Home Media: This is currently a Netflix exclusive in the US. 

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Musicals On Streaming - Roxanne Roxanne

Netflix, 2017

Starring Chante Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, and Elvis Nolasco

Directed by Michael Larnell

Music and Lyrics by various

We transition from Black History Month to Women's History Month on this Leap Day with this biography of a pioneering female rap artist. Like the performers in Krush Groove and Beat Street, Lolita "Roxanne" Shante Gooden got her start singing on the streets of Queens. Her specialty was rap battles, answering a song written by another performer with her own song. She became known for her rapped put-downs and responses to the largely male-dominated rap business. How does the story of how she got started look today? Let's begin with a young Lolita (Adams) as she picks rap battles even as a child and find out...

The Story: Lolita was a member of a rap collective, "The Juice Crew," that produced records that were answers to their many "beefs" with local rivals like Sparky Dee (Cheryse Dyllan). She was living with her mother when she recorded an answer to the song "Roxanne Roxanne" called "Roxanne's Revenge." The song was a hit, making her one of the first major female rap recording artists at 14. 

She does well recording another rap battle with Sparky, but her love life is a mess. She moves in with her drug-dealing boyfriend Ray (Ali) after a falling-out with her mother, but it proves to be a volatile relationship, especially after she has a son. She has an even harder time keeping her career going, especially after the money from her rap battles she intended for her family to move to New Jersey is stolen. She finally gives up her career, but not before she's able to see what an impact she's made on the rap genre. 

The Song and Dance: Adams is phenomenal as Roxanne Shante, the confused teenager who knows she loves her rap battles, but has a harder time with her love life. Long does even better as her tough-as-nails mother who is fighting her own inner demons. I have to hand it to these ladies - they're portrayed as tough, independent, and all above, better than the useless men around them. Ali is the best of the awful men in her life as the guy who gets the closest to her. There's some nice location shooting around the real Queens and a few nice editing bits, notably going from the bedroom to screaming like she's in labor. It effectively shows the passage of time in a movie that sorely needs more moments like that.

Favorite Number: "Roxanne's Revenge" is heard many times throughout the film, including when she first records it before it becomes a hit. We hear snatches of other numbers from the Juice Crew, including "Keep It Funky" and "And My Beat Goes Boom." "What Have We Done" is the question asked during a dance number at a local club. "Sparky's Turn" is Sparky's response. "Round 1 (Roxanne Shante vs Sparky D)" gets so heated, the guys want to make a recording and turn it into an act. "Runaway" is her number later with Juice Crew. We also get her "Payback."

What I Don't Like: I wish this was a lot more of a musical. They spend so much time on Roxanne's relationships with these terrible men and how she survives them, we really don't get to see much of the career that made her such a hot commodity to begin with. No songs are performed in full until the credits, not even her rapped fight with Sparky. And be warned, this is rough going. The language and violence (including domestic violence) makes this not a rap tale for children.

The Big Finale: Some good performances, but I think they missed a real opportunity to show why rap was so important to Lolita and how she burned out so early. Only if you're a huge fan of early rap or want to know more about Roxanne. 

Home Media: This is a Netflix exclusive at the moment.

Netflix