Animation Archives

‘The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act’ Review: A Fitting Finale For Fervent Fans

June 15, 2026 John Daniel Tangalin Animation, Fantasy Films & Shows, Netflix 5 min read

Gooseworx‘s The Amazing Digital Circus follows young people trapped in a virtual realm. Characters embark on various quests, similar to Pendleton Ward‘s Adventure Time or Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy‘s Westworld. Jester-like protagonist Pomni (voiced by Lizzie Freeman) befriends other “avatars” stuck in the circus. Together, they face non-playable characters (NPCs), explore a haunted manor, run a fast food joint, and

Movie Reviews Reviews

‘I Am Frankelda’ Review: A Handcrafted Nightmare of Pure Magic

June 14, 2026 Vin Animation, Family Films & Shows, Musical, Netflix 5 min read

I Am Frankelda is a brand new dark fantasy musical, and Mexico’s very first stopmotion feature film. Directed and written by brothers Arturo & Roy Ambriz, the movie is the ideal introduction to their growing Frankelda universe of dark fantasy stories. The project originally began as a YouTube pilot in 2019. That short grew into Frankelda’s Book of Spooks (2021), a

Comics & Collectibles Comics Reviews Reviews Stellar Picks

Comic Book Review: ‘Ben 10’ #1 (2026) Evolves The Beloved Series in Intriguing Ways

May 26, 2026 Wiktor Reinfuss Animation, Comics, Recommended Reading 8 min read

The world of Ben 10 is one of my favorites. Even though the franchise has existed in a strange place inside pop culture, especially after the bad reboot, it was fantastic during its peak. It shaped an entire generation of superhero cartoons, sold loads of toys and games, and somehow still never truly disappeared. Even when new animated versions divided people,

Reviews TV & Streaming Series Reviews

‘Maul – Shadow Lord’ Takes Star Wars Animation to New Heights

May 6, 2026 Cameron Brook Animation, Disney+, Lucasfilm, Sci-Fi Films & Shows, Star Wars, Star Wars Animation, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 11 min read

Star Wars animation is one of the best bits of Star Wars out there. From the Clone Wars, to Rebels and The Bad Batch, each show has brought exciting art styles and directions as well as amazing new characters, some of which have since made their live-action debuts. Animated Star Wars is a way to tell different stories and have unlimited

Reviews TV & Streaming Series Reviews

‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ Premiere Review

April 7, 2026 Wiktor Reinfuss Animation, Disney+, Lucasfilm, Star Wars, Star Wars Animation, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars 6 min read

For years, Sam Witwer fought for a Maul solo project, and he worked really hard to achieve it. Even when animation expanded his story in The Clone Wars and Rebels, the character remained more myth than man. And now it’s finally time to explore what happened in between those projects. Thankfully, this isn’t just another side story project. It’s an attempt

Movie Reviews Reviews

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ is a Cosmic Mess

March 31, 2026 John Dotson Animation, Family Films & Shows, Illumination, Nintendo, Universal Studios 5 min read

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

spongebob movie -search-for-squarepants review

Movie Reviews Reviews

‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ is a Hilarious Return to Classic SpongeBob

March 30, 2026 Joshua Ryan Animation, Comedy Films & Shows, Family Films & Shows, Paramount+ 4 min read

The 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

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Happy Feet: Revisiting the Beloved Animated Classic

March 29, 2026 John Daniel Tangalin Animation, Family Films & Shows, Warner Bros 4 min read

Producer 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

Reviews TV & Streaming Series Reviews

‘Invincible’ Season 4: More Ambitious and Emotional Than Ever

March 17, 2026 Wiktor Reinfuss Animation, Comicbook Films & Shows, Prime Video 6 min read

Over 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