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Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie | Review

★★★★

Tra la la!

To young fans of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants book series, that hark of arrival is as familiar and welcome a caw as ‘to the Batmobile’ might be to their parents. The novels have sold more than 70m copies the world over since launching in 1997, with the series concluding at book twelve only two years ago. Given their success – Captain Underpants has been translated into over 20 languages – it’s perhaps surprising that it’s take this long for a film to materialise.

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Every Pixar Film Ranked (by YOU!)

We asked you which is the greatest Pixar film?
The votes are in, the people have spoken!
Here is the ultimate Pixar ranking, as decided by YOU!

17. Cars 2 (John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, 2011)

Cars 2 (John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, 2011)

Not all that surprising that the first Cars sequel is doing the lap of shame.

16. Brave (Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell, 2012)

Brave (Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell, 2012)

Pixar went very Disney with their first fairytale. A decent film, this far down the ranking…there’s no sign of a reprise.

15. Finding Dory (Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane, 2016)

Finding Dory (Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane, 2016)

They just kept swimming with this would-be franchise.

14. A Bug’s Life (John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, 1998)

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Sweet and entertaining, maybe Pixar’s sophomore outing sits just on the wrong side of forgettable in their back catalogue.

13. The Good Dinosaur (Peter Sohn, 2015)

The Good Dinosaur (Peter Sohn, 2015)

All style and no substance makes Pixar a dull film…

12. Monsters University (Dan Scanlon, 2013)

Monsters University (Dan Scanlon, 2013)

A welcome return for the lovable monsters, if not one all that inspired.

11. Cars (John Lasseter, Joe Ranft, 2006)

Cars (John Lasseter, Joe Ranft, 2006)

A fun feature for younger viewers. Doesn’t justify its sequels but does offer a jolly ride.

10. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)

WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)

Both out-of-this-world and down-to-earth, WALL-E is spectacular.

9. Ratatouille (Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, 2007)

ratatouille_movie_stills-1680x1050Ratatouille (Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, 2007)

Is it just me that remembers the ad campaign (‘It’s pronounced…) more than the film? Still, well worthy of a top ten spot.

8. Inside Out (Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen, 2015)

Inside Out (Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen, 2015)

A triumph that conducts your emotions like a philharmonic orchestra.

7. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010)

Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010)

It’s the lowest Toy Story on the list but, make no mistake, this third outing concluded a magnificent trilogy with real panache.

6. Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, 2003)

Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, 2003)

Pixar’s first winner of the Best Animated Feature Award at the Oscars, first of many!

5. Monsters Inc. (Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, David Silverman, 2001)

Monsters Inc. (Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, David Silverman, 2001)

Incredible by virtue of its sheer creative innovation, not to mention of course the stunning animation of Sully’s fur!

4. Toy Story 2 (John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon, 1999)

Toy Story 2 (John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon, 1999)

Jessie and Bullseye proved to by perfect – and devastating (‘When Somebody Loved Me’ – additions.

3. Up (Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, 2009)

Up (Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, 2009)

Those infamous first five minutes earn this one a top three spot.

2. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004)

The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004)

One of the best superhero films of all time! Avengers eat your heart out!

1. Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995)

Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995)

Well, of course.

How would you rank Pixar’s films? Comment your list below!

War for the Planet of the Apes | Review

★★★★

Apocalypse Now is the new Spartacus. Certainly, declaring yourself to be a film in imitation of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam war classic seems very much in vogue this year.

For those who found the poster for Kong: Skull Island ‘on the nose’ just wait until you see the shot for shot likenesses to be found in War for the Planet of the Apes, the third in Matt Reeves’ Planet of the Apes reboot series. Heck, at one point – getting one up on hacks ready with the puns – the slogan: ‘Ape-ocalypse Now’ can be seen sprayed over the walls of an underground tunnel. Unlike Kong, however, Reeves’ film borrows both style and substance in his homage. War is a hugely satisfying round off to a superlative trilogy.

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