RaeSerbeck

I was lucky enough to catch an early screening of Infinity Castle Part 1 here in Utah, and I'm still recovering-in the best way possible.

While I wouldn't call myself the world's biggest anime fan, Demon Slayer has had me completely hooked since I first stumbled across it last year. And this latest installment? It's everything I hoped for and more.

From the very first frame, my eyes were glued to the screen. The animation is nothing short of breathtaking-vibrant, fluid, and packed with the kind of emotional weight that only Demon Slayer can deliver. The art style continues to be one of the most visually stunning in the anime world, and this movie pushes it even further.

The story? Incredible. Every character beat felt earned, every twist hit hard, and the pacing kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It's a real triumph of storytelling, world-building, and artistry. You can feel the love and care that went into every second of this film.

The only downside? Knowing we have to wait two years for Part 2. I'm not emotionally prepared for that wait!

Huge congratulations and heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in making Infinity Castle Part 1. What a gift this series continues to be.

I am Rae Serbeck. I Watch and Review all Movies Large and Small!

First off, I want to thank the ones who gave me the complimentary early screening tickets, that was very kind. I had the chance to catch Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning ahead of its wide release, and while it's always a treat to preview something early, this particular outing left me with some mixed feelings.

Let's start with the obvious: this movie did not age well, and it hasn't even officially released yet. I'm not someone who leans into politics (in fact, I typically avoid it), but even I couldn't help noticing the oddly heavy-handed political undertones. There were clear parallels drawn, perhaps intentionally, to real world figures, like a "what-if" scenario imagining Kamala Harris as president. It felt like a veiled political commentary wrapped in an action blockbuster. Every line written for that character came off as forced, almost as if it were part of a campaign pitch rather than a film script. I wouldn't even bring it up if it didn't make up about a quarter of the entire movie. That said, it was at least unintentionally humorous, like watching a more polished, less inebriated version of a fictional Madam President. There's definitely a wishful thinking sentiment baked into it.

Now, onto the film itself. As far as Mission: Impossible films go, this one falls somewhere in the middle. It was better than some of the earlier entries in the franchise, but it's weighed down by a few glaring issues. Chief among them: the editing. I don't think I've ever experienced scene transitions this jarring. One moment, you're in a snow covered tundra, and the next - bam! - you're in the jungle. The transitions were abrupt to the point of being mentally disorienting. It felt less like a seamless globe-trotting adventure and more like channel surfing between locations.

The action? Fine. The acting? Also fine. Tom Cruise, as always, deserves credit for performing many of his own stunts, which earns the film a few extra points in my book. But overall, it was a "just fine" movie. If I had to rate it, I'd land somewhere around a 6 out of 10, and most of that score is out of respect for Cruise's dedication.

If you're a longtime fan of the franchise, it's worth seeing just to complete the saga. It does try to tie a bow on Ethan Hunt's story, though whether this is truly a "final reckoning" remains to be seen. My guess? We haven't seen the last of him yet.

I am Rae Serbeck, I Watch and Review all Movies Large and Small!

It's not easy adapting a video game into a film especially one like Minecraft, which famously lacks a predefined story or characters beyond the player's imagination. And yet, here we are with A Minecraft Movie, a live-action/CGI hybrid directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and headlined by Jason Momoa and Jack Black.

The premise is simple and suitably chaotic: a group of four misfit teens, including Emma Myers and Sebastian Hansen, are mysteriously transported into the pixelated Overworld of Minecraft, where they must team up with a grizzled old Steve (Jack Black) to find a way home and save the world from a piglin warlord. It's the kind of story that tries to stitch together nostalgic gameplay references with coming-of-age beats and big, effects-heavy set pieces.

Jack Black, unsurprisingly, is the film's standout. His performance as a weary, ex-doorknob-salesman version of Steve somehow works, quirky and oddly heartfelt. It's the kind of role Black can ground with humor and pathos even when the film around him wobbles.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast struggles to find footing. Despite being made up of generally likable and talented actors, their characters are flat and their arcs barely register. This feels less like a performance issue and more like a script that didn't give them much to work with. The writing, while peppered with clever nods to in-game mechanics, is mostly thin and scattershot.

To be fair, maybe this was always going to be a tough assignment. Minecraft has no inherent plot, so any film adaptation was bound to feel either too far removed or too contrived. Hess and the team lean heavily into silliness, and while some audiences (particularly younger viewers and die-hard fans) might enjoy the ride, it never quite lands emotionally or tonally.

The visuals are energetic, if a bit overwhelming, and there are fun cameos from YouTubers and Minecraft royalty that fans will appreciate. But beneath the fan service and kinetic energy, the film lacks narrative cohesion.

In the end, A Minecraft Movie is a strange mix of creative ambition and structural mess. It's not without its moments, mostly thanks to Black, but it's hard to shake the feeling that the film never really figured out what it wanted to be. I'm not even sure what I wanted from it, but I know I didn't find it here.

I'm Rae Serbeck, I Watch and Review all Movies Large and Small!