Santa’s awkward younger son has to deliver an overlooked gift so that Christmas can be saved. Excellent, quirky and gently-subversive animation with heart and brains, delivering slapstick, pathos and some flashes of dark humour. Lots to enjoy, including shout-outs to other Aardman characters.
Tag: James McAvoy
Dark Phoenix [AKA X-Men: Dark Phoenix] (2019, dir. Simon Kinberg)
![Dark Phoenix [AKA X-Men: Dark Phoenix] (2019, dir. Simon Kinberg)](https://255review.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/dp.jpg?w=590)
1992: the orphaned young Jean Grey is exposed to an interstellar flare; her energies grow exponentially. Okay-but-formulaic last X-film, suffering in part because of the plot already being used by the film series before. Better than its predecessor Apocalypse, but this is for series completists only, despite solid work from those still under contract.
It: Chapter Two (2019, dir. Andy Muschetti)
The now-adult Losers’ Club return to Derry to face Pennywise again 27 years later. Oddly baggy second half; the adults don’t get enough attention, and the resolution still doesn’t work. Pennywise turns out to be a lot less scary when facing down grownups. Gives the impression there’s a better miniseries-length edit of the movies somewhere.
255 Review 