Pinocchio (★★★★1/2) – Still one of the peaks for technical ambition in commercial animation, in a way that makes the bizarrely-shaped narrative work at all. I don't always love it to watch (Monstro climax excepted), but I respect every inch of the thing beyond compare. (1/2)

The sad truth is this will almost certainly just result in studios tightening the deals for sequels and merch even when they have no expectation for such. But it is nice to see the creatives win for once. They certainly deserve it more than the massive fees voice actors sometimes grab for sequels.

Like some others, for the 9 Games trend, I opted for formative experience rather than purely quality. Healthy mix of a genre/series' intro, personal favourite/best of some series that left many warm memories, or other sentimental reasons. Still not fully sure, but it looks reasonable. my9games.com

Hoppers (★★★) – In some respects a little more structurally sound then recent Pixar, though it absolutely never reconciles the straight and warped sides of its tone. The genial slice-of-life sincerity Daniel Chong brings from his past work helps, though only so much. (1/2)

A Fistful of Dollars (★★★★) – Definitely some kinks, but the confidence with which this turns the Western amoral, coupled with that music and Eastwood’s modulated swagger, make for quite the setter of the genre's turn towards nihilism. Uncredited Yojimbo copy and all. (1/2)

New bug found in the Generation III games on GBA #pokémon

This has me crying in real life 😂😂😂 🦁

Been on a roll of retro game pickups lately, 14 this year already. 2nd pic is from a retro game fair last weekend (first privately from one who turned out to be a vendor there). Wish I’d bought more, the indecisiveness was ever-present, but I loved the event, and am very satisfied with my pickups. 😇

Tarzan (★★★★) – Closest thing to a truly underrated 90s Disney flick. Not as much transcendent as some others, but it minimises the 90s kids schtick more than most and better melds Disney sentimentality to the story's myth. Plus it's a visual feast, Deep Canvas on down. (1/2)

Snow Bear (★★★1/2) – As labour of love short films from former Disney animators go, this one transitions very well. Not trying to break away, just tell a warm, sentimental story with no burden of executive notes. Exquisite draftsmanship on full display. (1/2) @aaronblaiseart.bsky.social

Porco Rosso (★★★★) – Blends its romantic, adventure and pensive tones wonderfully, mixing Golden Age Hollywood text with as soulful a self-portrait as Miyazaki possibly ever did. Great animation of the squishy lead, plus an awestruck depiction of aviation, round it out. (1/2)

Little Amélie (★★★★) – The rare film about childhood that's totally innocent and pure yet not condescending at all, enhanced wonderfully by the no-line character design, animation and colour palette capturing the malleable moods through, without ever feeling showoff-y. (1/2)

HOT FUZZ was released 19 years ago today. The second entry in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy and one of the most beloved British comedies this century, the tale of how it was made is like firing two guns whilst jumping through the air… 1/46

This style of light doesn't really appear in animation anymore. You know it when you see it -- it's bright, hot and almost dangerous. Our new issue explores the tricks behind it, and how one artist has revived the look for the digital age: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/dangerous-...

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie - (★★★1/2) – Not free of nitpicks (some moderate, most minor) but awfully likeable, and threads the needle between tribute and its own thing very nicely (the deep cuts are glorious). Plus, it's just funny, no reservations. (1/2)

Taking you back to 1996. Soak in the sounds of Super Mario 64.

While not the series’ strongest debut (Forgotten Land shifted 2.1m in 2 weeks), this is still a great start, already outselling the original’s 1.35m lifetime (and on less consoles, 17.37m to the GameCube’s 21.74m). Coming this early, and as a multiplayer racer, it’s bound to have legs. (1/2)

Ex Machina (★★★★) – Not a flawless script, but so interesting and profound to barely matter. Technically immaculate with fantastic acting, and even if few of the ideas are new, the way they're grappled with and intertwined makes for a classic thriller-cum-horror-noir. (1/2)

CASABLANCA was released 84 years ago. One of the biggest and most iconic films to ever come out of Hollywood, the story behind the scenes is like the beginning of a beautiful friendship… 1/53

you should never... EVER. TAKE A GUESS! ( @alblune.bsky.social i promise to deduce logically from here on! )

Ever since uncovering the Girls’ model sheets during my animation portfolio days, the work and design principles that goes into making such seemingly simple designs work so well, and how the smallest details of proportion, shape and line matter so much, has really stuck with me. Praise be, Craig.

It's done. A crash course on growing your followers and engagement rate for new Bluesky users, particularly VTubers. A lot of Twitter VTubers struggle to grow on Bluesky since they use algorithm-based growth tricks... those don't work here! Here's what does nsfw.leaflet.pub/3md7uyxr3t22y

In what could be a hugely consequential move for indie animation distribution, Laika is breaking with tradition on 'Wildwood,' partnering with Fathom for the film's North American release. www.cartoonbrew.com/distribution...

Kiki’s Delivery Service (★★★1/2) – It glides off me a little, lacking the urgency or deep personal drive empowering Miyazaki's prior works. But it's still beautiful, mature, wise about childhood ending, and tells its conventional coming-of-age story with lovely grace. (1/2)

Miracle on 34th Street (★★★★) – Totally avoids maudlin gooeyness in its matter-of-fact-but-heightened Golden Age Hollywood depiction of the concept with constant ambiguity. Strong acting, solid comedy, biting wit to push the feel-good machinery elevate it strongly too. (1/2)

From: A Town Called Panic (2009), dir. Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar, La Parti Productions

I’ve seen the series a lot more then the movie, as the former was shown as interstitials on Nickelodeon a lot in the mid 2000s, but the movie is one of the most delightfully kinetic, warped, avant-grade pieces of surrealist “animation” out there. Heavily recommended to all.

2025 was a rough year for me for playing games, but I picked up a lot! Not pictured is a 2nd copy of Black 2 that’s CiB (first was box and cart only) two Xbox 360 LEGO games (LEGO Star Wars III, LEGO Movie Videogame) and two other Spyro’s Adventure Skylanders (Voodood and Wham-Shell). Great haul! 😇

This is really starting to remind me of that tv film Barbarians at the Gate (and the real-life events it’s based on) where the top bid for that merger of the tobacco companies was also rejected, though there it was for being too unrealistic to ever pay back. And that similarity is unnerving…

My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever (★★★) – For coming this late into a show that bottomed out at the end, it barely makes any big missteps. Largely mechanical, surface-level, and light on wit, but with good heart, solid pace and enough highlights to feel warmly disposed to. (1/2)

Back to the Future (★★★★1/2) – The screenplay really is that mechanically perfect, and the breezy fun, comedic-yet-nuanced performances, score and giddiness do combine to make as perfect an 80s time capsule that is itself timeless as I can imagine. Lives up to the hype. (1/2)

Avatar: Fire and Ash (★★★★) – The "most" Avatar (and the weirdest with more emphasised psychedelic bits) is the weakest, redoing Way of Water quite a bit. But Cameron's gift for transportive, evocative cinema as experiences, not parts of a whole, remains unmatched. (1/2)

RIP Rob Reiner

As if his own directorial resume wasn’t impressive enough (and it is!) this multiplied that legacy even further. And he was a great, generous humanitarian as well. R.I.P. to him and his wife Michelle Signer.

Exactly 28 years ago today on December 16, 1997 at 6:30 PM JST, EP038: Computer Warrior Porygon (ie: Electric Soldier Porygon) aired in Japan. Due to a strobe effect, over 700 Japanese people suffered adverse health effects. The episode was banned. https://bulbapedia.b...

It's pretty sad that almost all discussion of the new Tomb Raider from both people who love and hate what they saw revolves around Lara's body and appearance, but then again that was kind of always a big part of who she was when she was introduced to the world. Mostly just a body with guns.

Every time I think the standard for shrill, brain cell killing Hollywood animation can’t go any lower, they manage to drain that bit more out of the pool…

one of the many small tweaks coming in next content update, for people who use manual scribbling of hints: Selected scribbled hint will turn transparent so it's easier to read what's bellow a scribble!

Castle in the Sky (★★★★) – Miyazaki's juggling many modes here, and thus it perhaps isn't as consistently high as some of his other works. But the Romantic adventure, sweetness, steampunk fantasy, wondrous sights and more absolutely result in rousing adventure cinema. (1/2)

Crying shame. Sheen was one of the breakout characters on that show (if, ah, not enough to carry his own show 😅), but for anyone to pass that young is tragic. Especially when they’re that talented. Sheen’s boyish enthusiasm always made his dumbness that much more endearing. RIP Mr. Garcia.

Zootopia 2 (★★1/2) – Not _deficient_ deficient like recent Disney Animation flicks, but still every inch a laboured, convoluted, messy-by-committee sequel, with the original's core strengths of a solid mystery with likeable characters and fun visual gags heavily neutered. (1/2)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (★★★★1/2) – Might well be the best 80s Star Wars-type sci-fi of its kind. Miyazaki's scope and imagination known no limits and is wonderfully executed, while the rest, if less rich in character than his later works, plenty suffices. (1/2)

The UK and Ireland trailer for The Day the Earth Blew Up A Looney Tunes Movie which is coming out in theaters on February 13th 2026!

Zootopia (★★★1/2) – For the film that instigated kids’ movies with badly-conceived racism parables, that dominates less than I remember, and the sheer variety of tones and content otherwise gives the rest a decent batting average. Sloppy, but mostly entertaining. (1/2)

West Side Story (★★★1/2) – Bounces between stagey artifice and expressionist directing after the stellar on-location prologue, but besides that and wobbly acting beyond Anita and Jeff, it succeeds at a more-then-the-sum-of-its parts musical of big, splash emotionalism. (1/2)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is celebrating today! We are always thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you for all your support! 🦃 -Marc 💫

Finally! Disney legend Andreas Deja will debut his 2D, hand-drawn short 'Mushka' online on Dec. 15, more than 13 years after sharing its first teaser. www.cartoonbrew.com/shorts/andre...

With Disney’s 'Zootopia 2' hitting theaters and introducing the brand-new character Gary De’Snake, we’re taking a look at some of the funniest, creepiest, and most memorable cartoon snakes throughout animation history. www.cartoonbrew.com/cartoon-stud...