The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has prompted deep reflection in me. Back in 2023, I was still a new writer here. In fact, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was one of my first reviews here at The Cosmic Circus. At the time, I called the animated film “an acceptable nostalgic delight.” My reasons were that the animated film embraced the game’s
Read MoreThe very first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999. I was twelve years old at the time, and I remember thinking I was too old for a ridiculous-looking cartoon about a juvenile sea sponge. I watched the premiere with a close childhood friend, fully intent on mocking what I was certain would be a cringe-inducing flop of
Read MoreProducer George Miller, co-producers Judy Morris and Warren Coleman, and John Collee’s musical comedy adventure animated film, Happy Feet, briefly returned to Regal Theaters this past weekend. This is due to their “And the Award Goes to…” daily re-release of award-winning films for the month of March, from the classics to this year’s Academy Awards nominees. Revisiting Happy Feet I remember
Read MoreOver the years, Invincible built itself a reputation for pushing its characters to emotional and physical limits while smoothly creating new characters, new stories, and unexpected plot twists. The popular Prime Video animated series is on the way to becoming one of the most successful animations of the last decade. Now, Invincible season 4 releases at a perfect time when the story is
Read MoreFor a long time, I’ve asked myself the following question: Have I aged out of Pixar, or has Pixar lost its magic? With Daniel Chong’s Hoppers, we finally have an answer to this question. It was the latter. In a post-Incredibles 2 era, only Turning Red felt like the masterpieces the animation studio consistently released and pushed the medium forward in
Read MoreMamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet, a derivative adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The film begins with the most spiritually charged image of the Japanese animator’s career as the titular character (voiced by Mana Ashida) arrives in the “Otherworld,” a purgatory that stands between life and “nothingness.” Scarlet attempts to fight her internal (and external) demons and prove to the forces that be that
Read MoreIt feels strange that Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow, the American adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s All You Need Is Kill, is somehow better than Kenichiro Akimoto’s more faithful and less Hollywoodized 2026 transposition for Japanese audiences. There’s no denying Studio 4°C is an animation powerhouse, but the timeloop has become the most stale and unimaginative subgenre that’s always in need of
Read More2026 is an important year for Star Wars; while quieter in many regards, there is still plenty to look forward to for fans. Rogue One will celebrate its 10th anniversary, and the franchise as a whole heads towards its 50th anniversary. Read on to see what is in store for Star Wars in its many forms this year! The Mandalorian &
Read MoreAfter the revival’s premiere on Hulu back in July, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball has returned for its second season in the midst of the holiday season. This latest batch of another 20 episodes has the common Gumball shenanigans we’ve come to know and love through its mixed media animation and wacky characters and in this overview of the season
Read MoreStar Wars: Visions returns with volume 3 for a spectacular new season of amazing short stories set in a galaxy far, far away. Not being tied to any canon timeline or canon of the films and shows allows these animation studios, brought on to create these shorts, to work with their full creativity to bring fresh and exciting stories to life.
Read MoreHazbin Hotel season 2 is one of those shows that we needed to see this year. Compared to the previous season, we needed to see higher stakes in the war between heaven and hell, we needed more world-building, to be introduced to new characters, and a more concentrated narrative. We don’t have to see again whether Charlie’s (Erika Henningsen) dream of
Read MoreGoing into Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (that title is a mouthful, which is why it will be mostly referred to as “Infinity Castle” from now on), it was immediately apparent that the first part of a planned trilogy of films to wrap up Koyoharu Gotuge’s adaptation of his own manga series would be filled with
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