A TRUE “DISNEY” PRINCESS PROBLEM Back in 1937, Walt Disney Studios released its very first animated feature film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Inspired by the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the film—supervised by David Hand and directed by a team of five sequence directors (Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson, and Ben
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A BLOCKBUSTER SPECTACLE OF CINEMATIC EXCELLENCE In 2022, Navy Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell soared back into the spotlight with Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film starred Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, and Val Kilmer, and followed Maverick as he confronted his past
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A FRANCHISE RUNNING ON FOSSIL FUMES In 2022, Universal Pictures released Jurassic World: Dominion, the sixth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and the third entry in the Jurassic World saga. Directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill, the film is set four years after Fallen Kingdom and
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A PIXAR JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF, GROWTH, AND GALAXIES In 2024, Pixar Animation Studios brought audiences back into the mind of Riley with Inside Out 2, the highly anticipated sequel to their 2015 hit. Directed by Kelsey Mann and featuring the voice talents of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, and Ayo Edebiri, the
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WICK’S WORLD, HER WAR In 2023, the legendary Baba Yaga returned to the cinematic battlefield with the release of John Wick: Chapter 4. Directed by Chad Stahelski, the film starred Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Clancy Brown, and Ian McShane, following John Wick as he sought revenge against the High Table and those who left him
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WHOLESOME PADDINGTON FUN, BUT TO A LESSER DEGREE In 2017, StudioCanal released Paddington 2, the follow-up to 2014’s beloved Paddington. Directed by Paul King, the sequel starred Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, and Hugh Grant. The story followed Paddington Bear as he was wrongly accused and imprisoned for a burglary he didn’t commit, prompting
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A LEGACY REFORGED: HICCUP AND TOOTHLESS TAKE FLIGHT AGAIN Back at the start of the 2010s, DreamWorks Animation released How to Train Your Dragon, a new animated feature based on the popular young readers series by author Cressida Cowell. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the film followed Hiccup, an undersized teenage Viking who longs to slay dragons
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OLD MOVES, NEW SPIRIT The Karate Kid franchise has long thrived on cinematic purpose and nostalgic charm, revolving around the central theme of young protagonists trained in martial arts by seasoned mentors, enabling them to confront bullies or assert themselves in challenging circumstances. Originating with the iconic 1984 film, The Karate Kid laid the groundwork by chronicling Daniel LaRusso’s
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“STITCH” ING TOGETHER A BETTER DISNEY REMAKE In 2002, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Lilo & Stitch, an original animated feature directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Featuring the voice talents of Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, Zoe Caldwell, and Kevin Michael Richardson, the film told the
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GOOFY FUN, BLOCKY MAYHEM, AND AN UNEVEN ADVENTURE Everyone was a kid once, and most of us can trace our childhoods through the toys, games, and colorful brands that filled those early years, from toddler favorites to teenage obsessions. These products stick with us, becoming nostalgic touchstones we carry into adulthood. Naturally, Hollywood has tapped into that sentiment over
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