Inside Out 2 is a 2024 American film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. The sequel to Inside Out (2015), it was directed by Kelsey Mann (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Mark Nielsen, from a screenplay written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein.

Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan reprise their roles from the first film, with Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Paul Walter Hauser joining the cast.

The film tells the story of Riley’s emotions as they find themselves joined by new emotions that want to take over Riley’s head.

While this explores new territory, of being a teenager where things are a lot more complicated, it’s still as fun as the original.

Kishōtenketsu describes the structure and development of classic Chinese, Korean and Japanese narratives.

The structure originated in China and used in poetry as a four-line composition. From there, it moved to Korea and Japan

Sometimes described as a narrative structure devoid of conflict, particularly in opposition to Western narrative styles.

Parts
1. Start or introduction, usually meaning the reason a thing begins
2. Handling, process, or hardships
3. Turn, turning point, crescendo
4. Result.

This is in contrast to the traditional three act western structure.

1, Setup
2. Confrontation
3. Resolution.

As the following video explains, this is the structure of the Studio Ghibli and the director Hayao Miyazaki. It is what makes the films different and unique to westerners.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a 2023 film. Directed by Kirk DeMicco, co-directed by Faryn Pearl, and written by Brian C. Brown, Elliott DiGuiseppi and Pam Brady.

It stars  Toni Collette and Jane Fonda as Grandma.

The film follows a shy Kraken girl named Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor) who is desperate to fit in at Oceanside High. When she breaks her mother’s rule by going into the ocean with any would-be friends, she discovers that she is a direct descendant of battle-hardened krakens who have protected the sea from evil mermaids for generations.

Although one of the least successful DreamWorks films, I liked it.  It has sharp dialogue, a bright fast moving story and a few insights into human behavior.

Thematically, it is similar to Turning Red. Being mainly about a girl, growing up and her relationship with her mother and grandmother.

Despicable Me 4 is a made in 2024 and the forth of the franchise.

Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig return with Pierre Coffin (Minions), Steve Coogan (Ramsbottom) , Stephen Colbert (new neighbour Perry Prescott), Will Ferrell (Super Villain Maxime Le Mal), and Sofía Vergara.

Set Eleven months after the events of the third film, Anti-Villain League (AVL) agent Gru attends a reunion at his alma mater, Lycée Pas Bon. There, he reunites with his rival Maxime Le Mal, who harbors a grudge with Gru for stealing his talent show act when they were in school.

Maxime reveals he has enhanced himself with cockroach parts to make himself over-powered and so can conquer the world, but Gru arrests him with the help of the AVL.

Maxime escapes from the AVL prison with the help of his girlfriend Valentina. He reveals an invention that turns people into human-roach hybrids, which he plans to specifically use on Gru’s infant son Gru Jr.

It’s much the same from Grue as the previous films, but, as usual it’s the Minions who steal the show.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

A 2024 American action comedy film directed by Mark Molloy and written by Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten from a story by Beall.

Serving as the fourth installment in the Beverly Hills Cop film series and a sequel to Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Eddie Murphy (who also produces) reprises his role as Axel Foley.

First impressions is, wow there are a lot of old guys in this ‘action’ film.

Starring Eddie Murry (63)
Judge Reinhold (now 67, almost unrecognizable)
Paul Reiser (67, from Mad About You 1992-1999)
Bronson Pinchot (65 from Perfect Strangers 1986-1993)

And youngsters
Taylour Paige (33) playing Foley’s Daughter, Jane
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (43) plays a Detective,
and Kevin Bacon  (65) looking 10 years younger who, as usual, steals every scene he is in.

Fortunately there is a decent script that allows Murphy to spout his usual comedy and nonsense. And the action scenes are mainly gun battles, avoiding the problems fight scenes would cause to old guys with hip problems.

In the end it works as a fun ride that does not overstay its welcome.

The film was released into the water on this day in 1975

Ice Age Collision Course is a 2016 comedy film, the sequel to Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and the fifth and final installment in the Ice Age film series.

Voicing the characters again are Ray Romano and Queen Latifah with John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and Simon Pegg, Jennifer Lopez is Diego’s (Denis Leary) wife. Neil deGrasse Tyson as Neil deBuck Weasel, narrates the intro explanation.

And Melissa Rauch (Big Bang Theory) is Francine, a ground sloth who has a close relationship with Sid (Leguizamo). Jessie J is another Sloth and Nick Offerman plays a baddie.

Despite being the least popular of the franchise, it was fun and entertaining. Mainly because all thoughts of logic and physics was expelled from the mind of the writers. They just focused on the characters and how many laughs they could get from them.

Oppenheimer is a 2023 epic biographical thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan.

It follows the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II.

Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film chronicles Oppenheimer’s studies, his direction of the Los Alamos Laboratory, and his fall from grace after his 1954 security hearing.

Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer, alongside Robert Downey Jr. as the United States Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss. The ensemble supporting cast includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

Wonka (2023)

Wonka is a 2023 musical fantasy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby based on a story by King.

It tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a character in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, featuring his early days as a chocolatier.

The film stars Timothée Chalamet as Wonka, with Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.

Initially Timothée Chalamet, comes across as a rather minor character, without the charisma for the role. But he eventually wins you over. The singing may not be great, but there are plenty of songs by lots of characters. Overall better than the previous 2005 effort, and one I would watch before the 1971 original.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 musical fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and written by John August, based on the 1964 British novel of the same name by Roald Dahl.

The film stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, alongside David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, and Christopher Lee.

The storyline follows Charlie as he wins a contest along with four other children and is led by Wonka on a tour of his chocolate factory.

Essentially a remake of the 1971 original. They do change the ending to make it clear that nobody dies at the end. But is just lessens the impact of the film. Depp has a strangely immobile face, unlike Wilder, almost into the uncanny valley.

But for all the effects and big production, it’s not as good a the original.