Category: Watching

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Review: Flight of the Navigator

Flight of the Navigator

Watching Flight of the Navigator with the kids, and in the first 10 minutes we see David and his brother ride unbuckled and wrestling in the back of a station wagon, find out he keeps a giant box of fireworks next to his bed, and then that his parents expect his 8 year old brother to walk home in the dark in the woods and across the train tracks.

The 80s man.

First time I’ve seen this since the 80s myself. All I could remember was thinking it was scary, which watching again with my own 7 year old makes me realize I must have been quite the weenie. She really enjoyed the early mystery and then the tiny cute alien, and unlike her dad didn’t find it one bit scary. It was fun watching it with her and I enjoyed the first 2/3rds, but when the alien ship turns into Pee Wee Herman it lost me a bit for a while before picking up again towards the end.

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💿 Buy the Flight of the Navigator DVD on Amazon

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Alice in Wonderland – ★★★

Alice in Wonderland box art

Overall, to me at least, the illustration and animation in Alice in Wonderland just isn’t as good as some of the older Disney classics and the story is too madcap (pun intended) and silly for me personally.

I don’t know, but this has always been the Disney movie I have least affection and connection with. I’m not 100% sure when/if I’ve really ever sat and watched the whole thing before this rewatch, at least not in the last 30 years. I’m not sure my kids have ever really watched it or been interested in it either.

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💿 Buy the Alice in Wonderland Blu-ray on Amazon

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie – ★★★½

Super Mario Bros. Movie

Fantastic looking and tons of fun references. Adequate storyline that anyone whose ever played a Mario game could predict, but good enough for a fun afternoon at the theater with the kids.

Although it is not a nonstop laugh fest, it got several big laughs from my kids, despite the fact that they are more into Minecraft/The Sims than they are into Mario. It is definitely a kids’ movie with references for us “olds,” but it was made lovingly and shows a real understanding and appreciation of the Mario characters and worlds.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s Peach and especially Jack Black’s Bowser were definitely the highlights, but all of the performances were good. Yes, including Chris Pratt.

Special shoutout to the nihilistic Lumalee the Luma who stole the show in their brief appearances.

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💿 Buy the Super Mario Bros. Movie Blu-ray on Amazon

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Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach – ★★★½

Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach

Watched this with my youngest kid in 4k thanks to the fantastic restoration available on the Internet Archive. Looked surprisingly great and considering it is from only one year after the original Super Mario Bros. for NES there were a number of characters rendered surprisingly close to what they’d eventually look like in games 20+ years later. Definitely bonkers in some places and all the toad characters are certifiably horrifying.

Now I’m looking forward to the new Super Mario Bros movie’s post credit scene revealing the hot anime Prince Haru spinoff.

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🎥 Watch Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach via the Internet Archive

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MLB Opening Day 2023

MLB and Braves Opening Day is here. Will watch probably 120+ games via MLB.tv between now and end of season. Since 2020, Braves games (mostly on mute) have been back as a background of my daily life/work/tv/podcast. Great and comforting to have it back.

Screenshot of the Atlanta Braves opening day game vs the Washington Nationals.

First baserunner/batter of the season and Braves have already stolen a base. (Primer on all the 2023 rules changes for those who are curious.)

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Fun and Fancy Free – ★★½

Fun and Fancy Free

The framing device with Candice Bergen’s weird ventriloquist father takes off half a star from this by ruining Mickey and The Beanstalk. He wasn’t even very good at keeping his mouth from moving and half the time he did the dummies’ lines from off camera.

And according to Candice it sounds like he loved that puppet more than he loved her. (Which considering the puppet was in his will and she wasn’t seems like it might be true.)

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💿 Buy Fun and Fancy Free on Amazon