Dann Michalski

Beatrix Potter’s beloved characters are brought to life in the family comedy Peter Rabbit. After Jeremy Fisher inherits a country farm from his uncle he gets more than he bargained for when a rabble of farm animals, led by a mischievous rabbit, begin pilfering his garden. Featuring Rose Burn along with the voice talents of James Corden, Margot Robbie, and Daisy Ridley, the film has a pretty strong cast. And the CGI is especially good, as are the character designs for the animals. Also, the comedy is really funny, with jokes and gags for all ages. Delivering a lot of laughs, Peter Rabbit is a fun and entertaining film.

A spin-off of JAG, NCIS is an exciting crime procedural from CBS. In Season 1 former secret service officer Caitlin Todd is recruited to join NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Services), gets to know the team, and learns how to investigate crimes involving military personnel. The writers do an impressive job at using Todd as an audience surrogate to introduce what NCIS is, how it operates, and the team. They also come up with a number of interesting cases-of-the-week, from missing persons to terrorism to murder. Also, the main cast, featuring Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, and Sasha Alexander, is especially strong and has good chemistry. Additionally, there are a number of interesting guest stars, such as Emilie de Ravin, Sherilyn Fenn, Terry O’Quinn, Adam Baldwin, and Julie Benz. Season 1 of NCIS may look like a typical procedural at first, but it has a unique style that mixes earnestness and lighthearted humor.

The Fast and the Furious is a fast-paced and explosive action film that's incredibly entertaining. The story follows an undercover cop who attempts to infiltrate the underground street racing circuit in order to find a criminal group that's robbing semi-trucks on the highways of Southern California. The writing is pretty strong, and does an especially good job at developing the characters. Featuring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Michelle Rodriguez, the casting's fairly solid; Diesel in particular has tremendous screen presence. And, the stunt work for the car chases is quite impressive. Exciting and action-packed, The Fast and the Furious is a thrilling, high-octane adventure.

A disappointing entry in this storied series, Cult of Chucky attempts to set a new course and makes a mess of things in the process. After her family is killed by Chucky, Nica is committed to a mental hospital but finds that Chucky has followed her there looking to finish the job. There’s also a worthless subplot with Andy (from the first three films) that the writers don’t seem to know what to do with but got boxed into by Curse’s end credit scenes. And all the old mythology about Charles Ray (aka Chucky) and his voodoo powers gets thrown out and replaced. Still, the kills are pretty entertaining (in a horror movie king of way), and there’s a bit of mystery as to which of the two dolls at the hospital is the real Chucky and what his plan is. Cult of Chucky lacks vision and ends up as just another dumb, pointless slasher film.

In its fifth and final season (on the WB) Buffy the Vampire Slayer attempts to deliver the series' most powerful and epic saga. While there is a “big bad” this season, the focus is on Buffy herself, as she explores the true natural of what “the slayer” actually is. The main story arc follows the appearance of Buffy’s mysterious new sister, and her possible connection to a hell god named Glory. Michelle Trachtenberg makes for a good addition to the cast and gives a new dynamic to the show; with Buffy taking on a sisterly role. The writing this season is also quite ambitious, leading to one of the most shocking season finales in modern television. Still, there are some tonal problems as the series mixes its usual camp and lightheartedness with the more serious and dramatic themes of this season. In many ways Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer marks the end of an era and a conclusion to Buffy’s story arc as a slayer.

The often overlooked black sheep of the franchise, the 2002 Twilight Zone delivers a solidly entertaining season of the strange and fantastical. Produced by Ira Steven Behr (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) the season features 43 sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural tales; including a couple of remakes of classic episodes, such as “Eye of the Beholder” and “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” and several others that are inspired by original episodes. Still, the episodes are rather hit-and-miss. The writing is a little weak, at times telegraphing the twist and rushing the story. Yet overall it does a good job at modernizing the series and tackles a lot of same political, social, and theological issues that the original show did. Hosted by Forest Whitaker and featuring a host of impressive guest stars (Katherine Heigl, Portia de Rossi, Jeremy Piven, Elizabeth Berkley, Andrew McCarthy, Jaime Pressly, Jason Bateman) the shows has a lot of talent behind it. It has some flaws, but overall the 2002 Twilight Zone proves to be a worthy revival of Rod Serling’s classic series.

In its third season Buffy the Vampire Slayer delivers an epic conclusion to the high school phase of the series. This season a number of interesting storylines are setup, including the return of Angel, the appearance of a rogue slayer, the rise of Willow as a witch, and the replacement of Giles as Buffy’s watcher. And, the long alluded to Mayor rises up to become the “Big Bad” of the season as he attempts to carry out a nefarious plan that could destroy the town. Additionally, there are a number of daring and provocative self-contained episodes; including the infamous school shooting episode that was all too timely. Featuring recurring guest stars Eliza Dushku, Alexis Denisof, and Emma Caulfield, the supporting cast brings a lot of energy to the show and creates some fascinating characters that will continue on throughout the Buffy/Angel series. Season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is incredibly thrilling and dramatic, and moves the show beyond its original vision.

Though the plot's absurd, National Treasure is wildly entertaining. Treasure hunter Ben Gates endeavors to steal the Declaration of Independence and ends up on a quest to find the fabled treasure of the Knights Templar. The film has a great cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, and Harvey Keitel; who all give strong performances. As crazy as the plot is, it's a lot of fun, and is rather clever in how it strings together the Knights Templar, Masons, and the Founding Fathers into a vast conspiracy. Plus, the film is packed with thrilling chases and riveting action scenes. The film has its flaws, but National Treasure is an incredible fun adventure.

The Patriot is a magnificent and compelling Revolutionary War epic. The film follows the story of Benjamin Martin, who reluctantly joins the American Revolution in order to save his family. The cast is spectacular, and includes Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, and Tom Wilkinson. The actors all give excellent performances and have good chemistry together; which makes the story all the more dramatic and moving. Additionally, the costumes and set designs are quite elaborate and help give the film an authentic feel. And the battle sequences are breathtaking. The Patriot is a powerful and thrilling war epic that delves into the American Revolution as never before.

Toy Story 3 may be the best film of the series. In their final adventure Woody must rescue Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang from a tyrannical daycare center. Once again Pixar delivers another poignant story about the life of a toy, and an inspirational message about friendship and loyalty. Though some of the material is derivative of the first two films, it works without coming off as a rehash or stale. For a generation that has grown up with Pixar, the Toy Story characters have become old friends and watching this film feels like coming home again. Toy Story 3 is a wonderful film that will entertain audiences to infinity and beyond.

Toy Story is a masterpiece, and one of those few films that changed the medium forever. It was the first fully computer animated film, and took CGI to a whole new level. But more than that, it created a whole new way of storytelling that could appeal to both children and adults. With a powerhouse cast that included Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jim Varney, and Wallace Shawn, it’s clear that Pixar took the film seriously and wanted quality performers to bring the animation to life; and they did. Toy Story is a creative and imaginative film that elevated filmmaking to a new level.

Pixar strikes again with another brilliant installation of the Toy Story series. Woody, Buzz, Rex, Slinky and the gang return once more for another excursion into the world of toys. Toy Story 2 is one of those rare films that surpasses the original. Not only has the quality of the CG animation improved, but the story has more heart to it. Even the comedy seems a bit sharper and is a bit funnier now that we know the characters. Toy Story 2 is a shining example of a sequel done right.

In its second season Buffy the Vampire Slayer builds a deep and rich mythology. While the show continues the monster-of-the-week format, it also continues to have a seasonal “Big Bad.” This season's arc follows a pair of vampires named Spike and Drusilla who come to Sunnydale and seize power in the wake of the Master’s death. And while the over-arcing story is well-written and remarkably compelling, there are several duds in the monster-of-the-week episodes. Recurring guest stars James Marsters and Juliet Landau make for wonderful additions to the cast and have incredible onscreen chemistry, both with each other and with the other cast members. Seth Green is also added to the cast in a recurring role, and brings a new dynamic to the established character relationships. Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer attempts to develop the series into an epic saga, and delivers some of the most riveting and compelling storytelling in television.

Joss Whedon's cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer gets off to a rough start in Season 1. The show follows the adventures of seemingly normal high school sophomore Buffy Summers, who lives a double life as the Slayer; the "Chosen One" who has superhuman abilities and battles against the forces of evil that are drawn to the mystical energies that emanate from the small coastal California city of Sunnydale. The tone of the show is rather uneven; which at times is dark and gothic, and at other times is campy and lighthearted. And, the low-budget production values are fairly apparent and detract from the episodes. Still, there's some good storytelling and clever, witty dialog that's typical of Whedon's work. Additionally, Sarah Michelle Gellar proves to be an impressive lead and handles the material extremely well. While it's a little crude, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 1 is entertaining and fun, and sets the groundwork for what would become a groundbreaking series in genre fiction.

Dark and atmospheric, Curse of Chucky is a return to form for the Child's Play series. A semi-reboot, the plot seemingly ignores some parts of the last few films but sticks to the overall continuity. Chucky reemerges once again and stalks a family with which he has a score to settle. It's pretty rote, tried-and-true horror stuff; a creepy old rundown house, heavy storms, people going missing/being murdered one by one, etc., etc. And while it's standard fare for this type of film, it works well enough in setting a mood. Additionally, the kill scenes are fairly creative and suspenseful. However, the script is poorly paced and doesn't flesh out the characters (which makes it hard for the audience to invest in them). Curse of Chucky has problems, but on the whole it delivers enough frights and scares to satisfy horror fans.

The Purge is adapted for television as a USA limited series. Season 1 follows a business woman, a returning marine, a member of a cult, and a power couple on Purge Night (when all crimes are legal) as they navigate the dangers and obstacles they encounter. The cast is fairly good and delivers some strong performances. And the writers do an impressive job at building story arcs and at developing the characters throughout the season. Also, they address a number of sociopolitical issues without being heavy handed (as the films often were). Additionally, the show’s able to retain the suspense and terror of the films while toning down the violence (though there’s still plenty of violence and implied violence). It’s not without its problems, but for what it is The Purge: Season 1 is a solid continuation of the film series.

Rip-roaringly fun, Futurama delivers non-stop laughs in Season 4. The writing is incredibly good with lots of clever satire and parodies, resulting in ridiculously hilarious episodes like "Roswell That Ends Well," "A Tale of Two Santas," and "Godfellas." But the capstone has to be the Star Trek reunion episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before," which features the entire original cast (minus DeForest Kelley and James Doohan). However, the guest stars don't stop there; Sigourney Weaver, Lucy Liu, and Hank Aaron make appearances throughout the season. But the episodes aren't all wild hijinks and craziness, as there's some nice character building with Leela finding her parents and Bender facing an existential crisis after meeting "god." Extraordinarily entertaining, Season 4 of Futurama is one of the best seasons of the series.

Jam packed with laughs, Futurama moves into its third season and pushes the series into unexplored territory. The show really opens up as the Planet Express ship goes to exciting new places. Full of hilarious adventures, Leela joins an environmental group to protect penguins, Zoidberg goes to Hollywood to make a movie with his uncle, Bender adopts a dozen orphans, and Fry is committed to a robot insane asylum. The season does a good job at developing the characters and their relationships, particularly Fry and Leela's. Additionally, secondary characters, such as Calculon, Capt. Brannigan, and Pres. Nixon, are used impressively well. And the season includes several notable guest stars, including Sarah Silverman, Lucy Liu, and Beck. Season 3 of Futurama continues to deliver the zany comedy that makes the series so incredibly entertaining.

Matt Groening and David X. Cohen deliver more laughs as Futurama launches into a second season. Full of hilarious adventures, this season Bender joins the Robot Mafia, Zoidberg returns to his home planet to mate, Fry enrolls in Mars University, and Lela finds another cyclops. There are also some brilliant parody episodes of Titanic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Animal House. And along the way several new recurring characters are introduced, including Lrrr, Cubert, the Donbot, and Santa Claus. Additionally, a host of guest stars make appearances: John Goodman, Bob Barker, Vice President Al Gore, Claudia Schiffer, and Stephen Hawking. Season 2 of Futurama continues the smart, outrageous comedy styling that makes the show so ridiculously funny.

From The Simpsons creator Matt Groening comes the animated sci-fi comedy Futurama. Smart and satirical, the show delivers a unique and edgy brand of comedy that's a lot of fun. Season 1 follows a pizza delivery boy named Fry who is accidentally cryogenically frozen on New Year's Eve 2000 and wakes up a thousand years later to a future that he never could have imagined. It's an interesting setup and the show does a good job at world building; creating colorful aliens and strange new technologies for the 31st century. And aside from its great cast of regular characters, some special guest stars stop by; including Leonard Nimoy, Pamela Anderson, and the Beastie Boys. Futurama's first season is wonderfully charming, and brilliantly spoofs the sci-fi genre.

From USA comes the thrilling spy series Burn Notice. In Season 1 CIA spy Michael Westen is burned (cut off and disavowed) and is forced to return home to Miami, where he precedes to try to uncover who burned him and get his job back. But in the meantime, he takes odd jobs helping people with his ex-girlfriend Fiona and retired Navy friend Sam Axe. Starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, and Bruce Campbell, the cast is really good and balances the action and comedy especially well. And the writing does an excellent job at using voice over narration; with Michael giving spy tips and explaining the spy trade throughout the episodes. The show also does an impressive job at building an over-arching story for the season while keeping each episode a case-of-the-week, and the actions scenes are incredibly exciting and fun. Additionally, a number of notable guest stars are featured; including David Zayas, Mark Pellegrino, Ray Wise, Lucy Lawless, and Trica Helfer. One of the best shows on television, Burn Notice delivers a remarkable first season and promises to get even better in the next.

From visionary Gene Roddenberry comes the classic science fiction series Star Trek. Season 1 follow the starship Enterprise as it boldly goes where no man has gone before – exploring the galaxy, meeting new alien races, and battling the imperialistic Klingons. Featuring such episodes as “The Enemy Within,” “Dagger of the Mind,” “Balance of Terror,” “Space Seed,” and “The City on the Edge of Forever,” the series really hits the ground running; tackling powerful and provocative social and political issues while also delivering plenty of action and adventure. Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley, the show has a great cast that has extraordinarily good chemistry together. Also, the costumes, sets designs, and makeup effects hold up remarkable well (for the most part), having a retro ‘60s sci-fi aesthetic; which the remastered editions do an impressive job of sticking to. Season 1 of Star Trek is incredibly strong and lays the foundation for what would become one of the most influential and beloved science fiction franchises.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an ambitious and exciting film that takes on controversial real-world issues. Addressing the theme of security vs. freedom, the plot follows Steve Rogers as he investigates a possible cabal within SHIELD that's responsible for the assassination of Nick Fury. Starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, and Emily VanCamp, the casting is especially good and features some very strong performances. The special effects are also incredibly well-done and add an extra level of energy and intensity to the action sequences. Yet as strong an action film as Captain America: The Winter Soldier is, it makes some radical changes to the Avenger series and leaves it in an awkward place.

Marvel delivers its first female centric superhero film with Captain Marvel, a prequel to the Avengers series. After escaping capture by the Skrull, a Kree soldier named Vers gets stranded on Earth where she discovers that the Skrull are searching for something and during her investigation she unearths a past that she never knew about. Brie Larson gives a decent performance, though she’s clearly doing an imitation of a Tony Stark-like character (which there are already too many of in the MCU), and the supporting cast is pretty strong; featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, and Djimon Hounsou. Unfortunately the script is rather poor, as it desperately tries to avoid telling an origin story while also ham fistedly forces one in at the same time. But the action-scenes and fight sequences are fun and exciting, and there’s some lighthearted comedy that works really well (particularly the Stan Lee cameo). Also, the soundtrack is incredibly well-done; using ‘90s music to set the tone and time period. Despite some flaws, Captain Marvel is yet another solidly entertaining pop-corn film from Marvel.

DC makes a hard turn toward the fantastical with James Wan’s Aquaman. When King Orm attempts to unite the kingdoms of Atlantis to attack the surface world Princess Mera seeks out the help of Arthur Curry, the king’s half-brother, to stop Orm’s coming war. Starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, and Nicole Kidman, the film has an impressive cast. And, the special effects are pretty good; featuring a lot of interesting set and creature designs, creating a fascinating new world within the DC Universe. However, the plot is formulaic and the Atlantis mythology is rather bizarre. Still, despite some problems, Aquaman is an incredibly fun and entertaining action film.

Sony launches another Spider-Man franchise with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a fun, though bizarre, animated film. When the nefarious crime lord Kingpin opens up a dimensional portal he accidentally transports several spider superheroes from alternative universes who then team-up to defeat him. Unfortunately the animation style is incredibly poor; having a rotoscope type feel that often seems out of focus with a mesh filter (likely meant to resemble a newspaper comic-strip). Also, the multiple Spider characters kind of diminish the value and importance of Spider-Man. Still, it’s interesting to see alternate universe versions of Spider-Man, and the action is pretty exciting. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is entertaining, but it’s also a real mess that’s constantly getting in its own way.

Horrible in every way, Seed of Chucky is an atrociously awful piece of garbage. While the meta humor and jokiness worked in the last film, here it's completely out of control. The script is incredibly lazy and makes no kind of sense at all. Worse still is Jennifer Tilly's ridiculously idiotic performance as herself. Indescribably bad, Seed of Chucky is just so damn stupid that there's no fun in any of it.

Jennifer Tilly is the Bride of Chucky in this post-modern horror revival of the Child's Play series. In this chapter the former girlfriend of serial killer Charles Lee Ray, Tiffany, rebuilds and re-ensouls Chucky, who then transfers her soul into a doll. Co-starring Katherine Heigl, Alexis Arquette, and John Ritter, the casting isn't that bad; but their performances aren't very good. However, Tilly's charisma carries the film and gives new life to the series with her character of Tiffany. Additionally, the comedy really plays up the silliness and camp, which works rather well. Still, while this change in direction is refreshing and fun, Bride of Chucky is not a good movie.