hurtroom

It's an okay movie, but not what I was expecting story-wise. I do get why a lot of diehard Weeknd fans will like it, and I don't want to take that away from them, but coming from a semi-fan who really enjoyed the album, it could've been a lot better. A lot of fluff could have been cut to make a much better ending. And I'm not just talking about unimportant scenes, there are several moments where characters just stand and do nothing for like, 6 seconds or so. Basic information even slight fans of the Weeknd should know is spoon-fed, while critical information about the entire movie has to be pieced together as the credits roll. It is pretty emotional, it just could have been executed so much better. Also, if you at all suffer from epilepsy or dizziness, do not see this movie. There's no warning but there's a ton of bright rapidly flashing lights and fast moving camera angles.

While falling flat in a few areas, namely horror and storytelling, "Five Nights at Freddy's" is still a love letter to the long time fans of the series, with incredible set designs and performances from Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, and Piper Rubio. While I understand that being a long time fan of the series doesn't help my case here, I don't agree with most criticisms of the story, either- except for the pace that it's told at. We seemingly get half of the remaining missing context all at once at the start of the third act, and that can be overwhelming for newcomers to the series. If the sequel can up the horror, keep the story engaging, and do everything else that the first film did right, we'll hopefully start seeing more praise for this franchise.

It's a shame that the metacritic score for this movie isn't as high as it should be. The Last Wish is easily the best animated film of 2022, a great return to the beloved Shrek franchise, and a theme that actually makes the viewer emotional. Without diving into spoilers, the antagonist is a genuine threat, and his looming presence instills a feeling of dread. The movie is so colorful and vibrant too- it never feels boring to look at. This is exactly what animation should be. You never want to take your eyes off the screen, and the spectacle couldn't be achieved in live action. If I could, I'd give this movie 9.5 stars because there were some parts I felt weren't perfect, but I have no problem rounding up for this review. Easily recommend this film for anyone.