December Movie Wrap-up

My final movie list of 2022! I watched a total of 238 movies in 2022, including re-watches and including The Guardians of the Galaxy special. Letterboxd had it listed, so since I logged it there I decided to include it here. I did really love it! 

Some people gasp when I tell them I watched over 200 movies this year, but let's keep in mind that the vast majority are Hallmark movies, which are less than 90 minutes long without commercials. I watch about 40ish minutes in the morning while I eat breakfast and 40ish minutes in the afternoon while I eat lunch.

Most of the movies I watched in December were Hallmark Christmas movies, with the exception of Top Gun, Top Gun Maverick, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. I was very impressed with Top Gun: Maverick. Rarely is a sequel as good as the first one, but this sequel was so much better than the first one! I am planning to review it soon (as well as Thor: Love and Thunder), but for now I will say Top Gun: Maverick was my favorite movie of 2022.

As far as the Hallmark Christmas movies go, my favorites were The Santa Stakeout, which I reviewed on Caboodle of Cozies, and It's Christmas, Eve. Neither of those were released this year, but I've been wanting to see them since last year and I finally did. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed both of them. I had no idea that LeAnn Rimes is such a talented actress!

Campfire Christmas was released in July (for Christmas in July) and I did watch it then. However, that was the movie I was watching when I realized I had that echo in my ear that ended up lasting all week. I knew I liked it when I watched it then and I wanted to watch it again without the echo in my ear. It was a more pleasant experience this time around. :-)

However, my favorite movie of the entire holiday season was Hallmark's Hanukkah on Rye. How strange that it would be included in "Countdown to Christmas", but I do appreciate the fact that Hallmark is beginning to show more diversity in various ways. Apart from that, this was just a really well-done movie. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to watch it again and make it the last movie of the year that I watched.

1  Top Gun❄❄❄❄❄💖

2  A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe❄❄❄❄

4  The Christmas Cottage❄❄❄❄

5  A Fabled Holiday❄❄❄❄❄💖

6  Long Lost Christmas❄❄❄❄❄💖

7  Write Before Christmas❄❄❄

8  A Dickens of a Holiday❄❄❄❄❄💖

9  Open by Christmas❄❄❄❄❄💖

10 Top Gun: Maverick❄❄❄❄❄💖

12 Christmas by Starlight❄❄❄❄

 

13 The Most Colorful Time of the Year❄❄

14 Top Gun: Maverick❄❄❄❄❄💖

15 A Maple Valley Christmas❄❄❄

16 Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater❄❄❄❄

19 The Santa Stakeout❄❄❄❄❄💖

20 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special❄❄❄❄❄💖

21 Hanukkah on Rye❄❄❄❄❄💖

22 The Holiday Sitter❄❄❄❄

23 'Twas the Night Before Christmas❄❄❄❄💖

24 It's Christmas, Eve❄❄❄❄❄💖

25 How the Grinch Stole Christmas❄❄❄❄

25 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special❄❄❄❄❄💖

25 Haul Out the Holly❄❄❄❄💖

27 The Santa Stakeout❄❄❄❄❄💖

28 Window Wonderland❄❄❄❄💖

30 Campfire Christmas❄❄❄❄💖

30 Holiday Heritage❄❄❄❄

31 Hanukkah on Rye❄❄❄❄❄💖

And that's a wrap! This will be the last time I am posting my monthly movie wrap-up on this blog. From now on I will post it on Caboodle of Cozies. I'll be slightly altering the theme of that blog so it fits with everything else I post there. I hope to see you there!

November Movies

And here are my November movies watched, now that we are almost at the end of December!

Most of them were Hallmark movies, with the exceptions being Thor: Love and Thunder (I really will review this one soon...) and Christmas at the Drive-In (another epic fail from Great American Family). This is not to say that Hallmark never has bad movies, because they do (Fly Away With Me being one of them), but GAF overall has a very different vibe. As I said in my October list, I know they are surrounded by controversy, but I wanted to give them a fair chance. It's not going well so far.

Dating the Delaneys was the biggest surprise for me. In one way it was your average Hallmark movie, but it had a certain kind of flair to it. Maybe it was the acting. Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell rarely disappoint. 

I started watching Christmas movies in November because there are so many I want to watch. The highlight was Christmas Connection, which was released in 2017. My favorite newly released Christmas movie I watched in November was Ghosts of Christmas Always (a very unique and charming twist on A Christmas Carol). This movie was cleverly released the day before Halloween. That was followed by Haul Out the Holly, which was a very close second for me. The only reason I didn't give it five falling leaves/stars is because the plot had some issues, but overall it was a delightfully hilarious movie. There was a lot of hype around Three Wise Men and a Baby, rightfully so. Though I had some issues with the plot, it was a great movie with lots of laughs, but not a favorite of mine. I may or may not watch it again next year.

So without further ado, here's the list!

1  Love's Portrait🍂🍂🍂

2  Dating the Delaneys🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

3  Marry Me In Yosemite🍂🍂🍂🍂

4  Fly Away With Me🍂🍂

7  Romance in Style🍂🍂🍂🍂

10 Lights, Camera, Christmas!🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

11 Journey Back to Christmas🍂🍂🍂🍂

13 The Most Wonderful Time of the Year🍂🍂🍂🍂

14 A Magical Christmas Village🍂🍂🍂

15 Thor: Love and Thunder🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

16 Christmas in Homestead🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

17 A Cozy Christmas Inn🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

18 The Royal Nanny🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

21 Three Wise Men and a Baby🍂🍂🍂🍂

21 A Bride for Christmas🍂🍂🍂🍂

22 Christmas Connection🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

23 Ghosts of Christmas Always🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

25 Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂💖

28 Christmas at the Drive-In🍂🍂

30 Haul Out the Holly 🍂🍂🍂🍂💖 

October Movies

Yay! I am finally posting my October list of movies watched. I was pleased with most of the ones I watched, with The Good Witch Hallmark series being the highlight and Home for Harvest, a GAF (Great American Family) movie being the low-light. (I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding this channel, but I wanted to give it a fair chance. This was the first movie on this channel that I watched and the only one I watched on it this month.)

October was a crazy month for me and I didn't get to finish watching The Good Witch series of movies. That just means I have more to look forward to next year! My favorite non-Good Witch Hallmark movie was October Kiss. Sometimes they do produce something exceptional and this one definitely was. It was released in 2015. Unfortunately, none of the current October movies appealed to me as much as The Good Witch series and October Kiss did.

I really enjoyed Thor: Love and Thunder and I promise you I will review it soon. Unfortunately, Hocus Pocus 2 did not live up the excellence of the first one, but I guess that can be expected with sequels. It was okay, but not great. Also, I had forgotten how blah Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is.  I had seen it before and after this year I don't think I'll be watching it again.

So, here is the list of movies I watched in October, with the dates I watched them on the left and ghost/star ratings on the right. The sparkling heart indicates that it's a favorite even though it may not have earned all five ghosts.

2  Thor: Love and Thunder👻👻👻👻💖

3  Hocus Pocus👻👻👻👻👻💖

13 Hocus Pocus 2👻👻👻

14 October Kiss👻👻👻👻👻💖

16 The Good Witch👻👻👻👻👻💖

17 The Good Witch's Garden👻👻👻👻👻💖

19 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events👻👻👻

25 Autumn in the City👻👻👻👻💖

26 Pumpkin Everything👻👻👻

27 A Harvest Wedding👻👻👻

28 Home for Harvest👻👻

29 The Good Witch's Gift👻👻👻👻👻💖

30 The Good Witch's Family👻👻👻👻💖

31 Pumpkin Pie Wars👻👻👻👻💖  

31 The Good Witch's Charm👻👻👻👻💖

"Top Gun" (1986)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm finally going to be able to watch the sequel soon, so I decided to re-watch the original Top Gun because, you know, after seeing it more than a dozen times I just had to refresh my memory in case I forgot something. Plus, Bell and Fiona had never seen it before.

Pete Mitchell (a.k.a. Maverick) and his best friend and wingman, Nick Bradshaw (a.k.a. Goose), are admitted to the Naval Fighter Weapons School where the best of the best train to hone their skills as fighter pilots. Maverick's journey to grow as a pilot and as a person is set in motion.

There are some movies that I used to love and now when I watch them I ask myself, "What was I thinking?"

Top Gun is a rare exception. I still love this movie as much as I did the first time I watched it. I love movies that move me and make me feel something. This one does that in every way possible. It isn't about being the best, but it is about doing our own personal best. It's about love, loss, friendship, letting go, and moving on while still remembering those we've lost along the way. It's about leaving our ego behind so we can face what's in front of us. "Top Gun" makes me smile, laugh, cry, and reflect. It reminds me that in order to move on, I must let go.

The musical score accompanies the story with perfection. The movie wouldn't be as impactful without the soundtrack. The action scenes are engaging and purposeful. The movie is so good overall that some of the cheesy dialogue on the ground and the occasional foul language (I'm certain nowadays this would be rated PG-13, not PG) doesn't even bother me. There is also just the right amount of Hallmark-ish romance. The love story is there and I felt it, but it doesn't distract the viewer from the overall meaning of the movie.

I have some thoughts about the directions in which the sequel can go and I'm excited to see how it plays out. I've heard and read from so many people that the sequel is even better than the first movie, which is rare. Clearly, I loved the first one and it will be a tough act to follow. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for my follow-up review!

September Movies

Here we are at the end of October and I'm finally posting my September list of movies watched.

Ten of these are Hallmark movies. I have had "The Wedding Veil" trilogy on my list ever since it first aired earlier this year. I am pleased to say it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed them. The only issue I had was the way the third one ended. It seemed rushed and unrealistic to me. Other than that, these are all movies I would most likely watch again in the future.

I re-watched a couple of cozy mysteries. I still need to post my review (on my Caboodle of Cozies blog) for "Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate". I've now seen it twice and still haven't reviewed it. "Her Pen Pal" and "The Secrets of Bella Vista" were just okay for me. "The Perfect Bride" was good, but probably not one I'll watch again. I really enjoyed "Sweet Autumn" and "Harvest Moon. I can see myself watching those again sometime in the future. In the fall, of course.

I'm probably in the minority, but I enjoyed the 2022 version of "Pinocchio". Yes, it's a little different, but it's still a good movie in my opinion. Not perfect, but good enough for me to call it a September favorite. I'll probably post a review of it when I get my act together.

"Pride and Prejudice" will always be a favorite even though the 2005 movie version doesn't measure up to the 1995 mini series. I could watch either of them any day. 

"Enchanted" was recommended to me. I thought it was average.

National Pirates Day was on September 19th, so I watched "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Treasure Island" on that day. I wish I could say I liked either of them enough to watch again, but that was not the case. I enjoyed "Pirates of the Caribbean" more than "Treasure Island", though. This was my second time watching "Pirates of the Caribbean". I probably won't watch it again and I am not planning to watch the rest in the series. (I should go hide now because I know some people will strongly disagree with me on this.)

"Thor: Love and Thunder" was not as good as the previous Thor movies, but I did thoroughly enjoy it. I will eventually post a review of it, but at this point I'd probably have to watch it again first. I'm okay with that.

So without further ado, here is the full list for September. I've "hearted" my favorites, though the hearts may be difficult to see because they happen to be the same color as the maple leaves.

2  "Her Pen Pal"🍁🍁🍁🍁

8  "Pinocchio" (2022)🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

11 "Pride and Prejudice" (2005)🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

14 "Enchanted"🍁🍁🍁

15 "Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery"🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

16 "Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate"🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

19 "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"🍁🍁🍁

19 "Treasure Island"🍁🍁

20 "The Secrets of Bella Vista"🍁🍁🍁

21 "The Perfect Bride"🍁🍁🍁🍁

22 "Thor: Love and Thunder"🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

23 "Sweet Autumn"🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

26 "The Wedding Veil"🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

27 "The Wedding Veil Unveiled"🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

28 "The Wedding Veil Legacy"🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

30 "Harvest Moon"🍁🍁🍁🍁💖

August at the Movies

Here we are at the end of September and I'm just getting to my August list of movies watched. 

My focus was mostly on summer-themed Hallmark movies, but I also watched two others - "Death on the Nile" (starting the book today!) and "Grease". "Grease" was Qandi's favorite movie to listen to and after Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy, recently passed I wanted to watch it again. It's a sweet story, I think. It isn't perfect, but the singing and dancing in it are amazing. It's a feel-good movie. Death on the Nile is a mystery with some cozy elements in it. I thought the first half was very slow, but the second half made it worth watching.

As you can see from the very few hearts in the list below, I was not overly impressed with the Hallmark movies I watched in August. I was especially looking forward to the ones that were filmed on location somewhere else besides the U.S. and Canada, but several of them were a disappointment. I found that in those movies the scenery was stunning, but the story not so much. They weren't terrible, but they weren't all that memorable either. Honestly, I can't even remember why I liked "Two Tickets to Paradise" so much. Lol. I might have to watch that one again next year if it airs then.

So here's the August list:

1  "A Splash of Love"🌞🌞🌞🌞

2  "Sweet Pecan Summer"🌞🌞🌞

3  "Moriah's Lighthouse"🌞🌞🌞🌞

4  "Two Tickets to Paradise"🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞💖 

5  "Sun, Sand, and Romance"🌞🌞🌞🌞

8  "Summer of Dreams"🌞🌞🌞🌞

9  "Wedding of Dreams"🌞🌞🌞🌞

10 "A Taste of Summer"🌞🌞🌞

12 "The Baker's Son"🌞🌞

15 "The 27-Hour Day"🌞🌞🌞

15 "Grease"🌞🌞🌞🌞💖

16 "Hidden Gems"🌞🌞🌞

22 "Groundswell"🌞🌞🌞🌞

23 "Big Sky River"🌞🌞🌞🌞

24 "Feeling Butterflies"🌞🌞

26 "Like Cats and Dogs"🌞🌞

29 "Death on the Nile" (2022)🌞🌞🌞🌞💖

31 "Love on Safari"🌞🌞🌞🌞

Stay tuned for my September list of movies watched coming soon and don't forget to check out Caboodle of Cozies where I post five days a week most months!

"Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast"

⭐⭐⭐⭐

We've reached the end of the Disney Fairies road. The last one is "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast". This is a misleading title because the protagonist in this movie is Fawn, an animal fairy and Tinker Bell's friend. Fawn loves animals and tries to help them. Like Tinker Bell, she is curious and determined to find answers even when it means putting herself into the midst of potentially dangerous situations. She encounters a strange beast and, despite being reprimanded by Queen Clarion for previous actions, Fawn sets out to figure out exactly what this creature is all about. 

This movie has a slightly darker vibe (even more so than "The Pirate Fairy") and somber tone. It moves along a little slow, but ultimately becomes a beautiful story with another great life lesson in it. The animation is once again top notch, though not as vibrantly colorful as it is in some of the previous ones. I am glad this one has narration at the beginning and end because it really ties the story together nicely. One thing that stood out to me in this one that didn't as much in the previous ones was the lyrics in the songs. The song lyrics really capture the essence of this movie. 

This is the final feature length movie in the Disney Fairies series. There are some movie shorts, but I'm not sure where to find them to watch. They are indeed very short, so I most likely won't be actively seeking them out. While the last movie isn't the best, I am glad this franchise exists. It truly has been a magical experience watching all of them and I can almost guarantee I will watch some of them (especially the seasonal ones) again.

"The Pirate Fairy"

⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The Pirate Fairy" is the second to last film in the Disney Fairies franchise. The movie begins with the story of Zarina, a dust fairy whose thirst for knowledge ends up causing chaos in Pixie Hollow. When Fairy Gary, her supervisor, prohibits her from working with pixie dust, she runs away. 

The movie then fast forwards to one year later at the Four Seasons Festival when Zarina flies in and wreaks havoc on the celebration. Tink and her friends realize she has stolen pixie dust, which by now we know is needed for fairies to fly. Tink and her friends follow Zarina, only to find out she has become the captain of a crew of pirates. The fairy friends set out to retrieve the pixie dust...and Zarina.

I was almost immediately turned off from this movie when Fairy Gary prohibited Zarina from working with pixie dust and didn't offer her any other options. As a dust fairy, this is what she does. What's a fairy to do when her entire livelihood is taken away from her? Of course she's going to be lost in life.

I was able to put that shortcoming aside and enjoy the rest of the movie, though. It's an action-packed adventure unlike any of the previous movies in the franchise. It doesn't have the "it factor" that some of the others have, but it's still a well-made movie with all of the main characters, impeccable (though not as vibrantly striking) animation, and a well-developed plot. This one is a little darker than the previous movies, which is one reason it doesn't resonate with me as much as the others.

In this movie, the one character who stood out to me the most was Captain Hook, voiced by none other than Tom Hiddleston! Marvel fans will remember him as Loki. He makes the perfect Captain Hook. The other characters are well-voiced as well, but Captain Hook is new to the Disney Fairies franchise and it was a good choice to add him.

So, this movie is not up to par with the others, but it's still worth watching if you've been enjoying the rest of the feature length Disney Fairies films.

One more Disney Fairies movie to go. Stay tuned!

"Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The magic has returned! After a lackluster "Pixie Hollow Games", "Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings" delivered another phenomenal computer-animated feature length film.

The movie begins like some of the previous ones, with a narration that is beautifully done by Loreena Mc Kennitt. There are no human characters (well, except very briefly in something that is like a flashback scene), which is the way I prefer it. The core cast is still present, but we are also introduced to some new fairies who I love just as much as the main characters from the previous movies. 

True to Tink's nature, her curiosity once again gets the best of her. She guides some furry (not fairy) friends to the border where Winter Woods begins. Tink is very curious about the wonder of Winter Woods, but the residents of Pixie Hollow are not allowed to venture into it. Of course, this does not stop Tink from going there anyway. There is also a bit of a subplot in this movie that is predictable, but no less enjoyable.

I love that this movie focuses on the wings of the fairies. The wings are something that stood out to me from the very first movie in the series. It makes perfect fairy sense to film an entire movie about them. There's also a reading fairy and I love that Tink turns to a book to try and find some answers.

What unfolds is a light mystery with a beautiful and ever so slightly suspenseful story. While the music is not as much a part of this film as it is the previous feature length Disney fairy films, when it does happen it is classic Disney magic. The computer animation is spectacular, even surpassing those of the previous films in the series. Since this movie is winter-themed, the colors match the season and are still vividly striking. 

On a personal note, there is a cat in this movie named Fiona. I didn't know this until I saw the movie. She plays a small, but very important role in it.  Imagine my delight when I realized there is a movie featuring both "Bell" and "Fiona"! And this happened to be the first feature length film I watched since adopting my two kittens! (Check out my other blog, Caboodle of Cozies, to read more about them each week.)

There is nothing I don't like about "Secret of the Wings". I highly recommend it for children and adults alike. You will be transformed into a magical world of wonder that you won't want to leave. You don't have to watch the previous films in order to know what's going on, but why skip them? They are all worth watching.

We're not done yet! There is more to come in this series!

"Pixie Hollow Games"

⭐⭐⭐

"Pixie Hollow Games" is a 22 minute t.v. short featuring the computer-animated Disney fairies, including new arrival, Chloe. Rosetta and Chloe join forces to make an attempt to end the losing legacy of the garden fairies. Clank and Bobble, two male tinker fairy friends who have prominent roles in the previous films in the series call the action at the Games.

It pains me to give a Disney Fairies movie only three stars, but this short really is just average. I do love that it took place in Pixie Hollow and their were no humans present. Most of the characters are from the previous movies, but this one focused more on fairies other than Tinker Bell (although she did play a small role in this one). It was good to see the focus on her friends, but I also missed not having Tinker Bell around as much. The animation is good, but not as striking as it is in the previous movies. As for the music, I can only sort of remember one song. Overall, the music is not as impactful as it is in the previous movies.

In the previous movies, I adored the character of Rosetta, but her dislike for dirt, bugs, etc. (despite her being a nature fairy) is highly exaggerated in "Pixie Hollow Games" and this made me not like her as much. I think she was meant to come across that way in this movie, but it just felt like such a departure from her personality. It didn't sit well with me. There is also no narration in this short, which I missed. In the feature films, the narration is only at the beginning and end of each one, but it really enhances the entire experience.

"Pixie Hollow Games" does have a beautiful lesson at the end, but the 20-ish minute journey to get there was a rough ride. I do think young children will enjoy this one, but unlike the previous Disney Fairies movies, adults may have a tough time with it (unless they're parents accompanying their children). It just lacks a bit of the magic that the previous feature length films have. 

I am looking forward to watching the rest of movies in the series, which are all feature-length films.

"Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue"

⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" is the first in the Disney Fairies series to include humans (in the form of computer animation as the rest of the characters are) that are main characters. I knew this going into the movie and I had concerns. One of the things I love about the first two is that they don't feature humans as main characters. "Tinker Bell" had humans in it, but only for a few minutes. "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" didn't have any humans in it.

In the world of Disney fairies, humans are believed to be dangerous and they must be avoided. In "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue", Tinker Bell's curiosity gets the best of her and she finds herself in a precarious situation - inside the home of humans, specifically Lizzy and her father. (Is it a coincidence that this is the same name as one of the main characters in "Pride and Prejudice"?) When Tink's fairy friends find out what has happened, they set out to rescue her, counting on "faith, trust, and pixie dust". As with the first two movies, while it is somewhat predictable, it's wonderful to see how it all happens. And in this movie, there is a bit of a twist at the end.

I love how, so far, these movies clearly take place in certain seasons. This one takes place in the summer. We are treated to lots of vibrant greenery, along with other summary colors, such as yellow. It is once again a feast for the eyes. I enjoyed seeing the same main characters that were in the first two, but I missed seeing at least one other one who made only a couple of brief appearances in "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue". One supporting character in particular has shown a lot of personal growth since the first movie. If you haven't seen the first two, I highly recommend that you watch them. Unfortunately, since most of this movie does not take place in Pixie Hollow, we are missing a lot of the other whimsical creatures that made the first two movies so magical.

A new animal character in this movie is Lizzy's cat. I'm still trying to sort out my feelings about him. In one way, he fits the typical stereotype often portrayed in movies that cats are mean, but in another way, I can accept that a lot of his behavior is simply typical cat behavior.

The story that unfolds had my interest in the beginning. I loved the interaction Tinker Bell had with Lizzy, the little girl. Tinker Bell can understand Lizzy, but Lizzy cannot hear Tinker Bell speak. She can only see her and hear a bell when she speaks. So they have to find ways to effectively communicate and it's beautiful to watch how this happens.

I know that the father was necessary for the plot to develop the way it did, but I wasn't crazy about this character. I also question his role towards the end. I can't say too much without giving it away, so I'll just say what happened is not in alignment with what I've learned about fairies.

Despite its shortcomings, "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" is a fantastic movie. If you've enjoyed the first two, it is definitely worth watching this one.

More reviews in this series to come!

"Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Tinker Bell", the first movie in the Disney Fairies series, set high standards. It is a masterpiece. Often sequels are not as good as their predecessors, so I didn't set my expectations too high for the next one. Still, I was very excited to watch "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure". I'm happy to say, it did not disappoint.

While "Tinker Bell" takes place in the spring, "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" spans an entire autumn season. When I realized this in the first few seconds of the movie, I was already hooked. You mean they made a movie with fairies in my favorite season?! It's like I won the lottery.

In "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure", Tinker Bell is tasked with creating a scepter for the moonstone. At the end of the season, the annual Great Autumn Revelry will take place. This is when the moonstone will be placed perfectly on the scepter and when the blue moon peaks, moon rays will pass through it.  This will create pixie dust and restore the pixie dust tree. Pixie dust is vital to the lives of fairies, so this will be a critical point in time for their survival. There is only one moonstone and since precise measurements need to be taken when creating the scepter, Tinker Bell must handle it with care.

The upcoming Revelry is a special one since it will coincide with a rare blue moon, which only happens every eight years. As a result, even more pixie dust is expected to be created this year. This is a lot of pressure to put on a fairy who always means well, but whose temper causes her to repeatedly make costly mistakes. Still, the Minister of Autumn, Queen Clarion, and Fairy Mary all believe in her.

What unfolds in the next hour or so is something so enchanting. While the overall outcome is predictable, the journey to get their and the ways in which their problems are solved is an unforgettable experience. At its core are the themes of friendship and forgiveness. It also touches on how to deal with stressful situations in a calm way. The characters are brought to life with incredible animation as well as impeccable voice acting. The colors are rich autumn tones and while the music is not as impactful as it is in "Tinker Bell", it still works its magic in "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure". The fairies as well as the animal characters are given human-like qualities and they are simply delightful to watch and listen to. I can't unsee and unhear the symphony of crickets the way this movie portrays them. There are some other details that stood out to me as well, like the pen made of wood that Tinker Bell uses to take notes and make lists. 

I can't say much else about this movie without giving away spoilers. It is my hope that if you haven't already seen it, you'll give "Tinker Bell" and "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" a chance. These movies for me have ended up being treasures I have now found and that I will watch many more times in the years to come.

Stay tuned for reviews of the rest movies in the series.

"Tinker Bell"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I recently read a cozy mystery called "A Sprinkling of Murder", by Daryl Wood Gerber. I will be reviewing it on my Caboodle of Cozies blog in September, but for now I will tell you it was this book that made me fall head over wings in love with fairies. This is why I decided to watch "Tinker Bell".

"Tinker Bell" is the first in a series of computer-animated Disney Fairies movies. This first one is the origin and coming-of-age story of the iconic Disney fairy, Tinker Bell. It takes place long before she met Peter Pan. 

"Tinker Bell" begins with her delightful birth and arrival into Pixie Hollow. She finds out what her talent is, which determines her job as a tinker. Tinker Bell, as she is named, befriends other fairies with different talents and when she finds out she will not be traveling to the mainland like many of them will, she struggles with who she is and who she wants to be. Although it is overall predictable, there are many surprises along the way, and it's beautiful to see who she becomes.

I am not a huge fan of the classic Disney movie, "Peter Pan". I recently watched it for the first time and it just did not resonate with me. (Although, I saw it performed live in a dinner theater a few years ago and I loved it.) "Tinker Bell", on the other hand, is a masterpiece. It has become my favorite animated movie, and quite possibly my favorite movie overall. The story is relatable to children and young adults who are trying to figure out their place in this world. There are boy fairies in it as well, so it is not just a movie for girls. The theme can be relatable to older adults as well.

The animation is the best I've ever seen in an aminated movie. It is clean, crisp, and simply stunning. The colors are eye-catching, but not overdone. The facial expressions of the characters are masterfully done and can we please talk about those fluttering fairy wings? I could not take my eyes off of them! All of the characters, including those like the weeds that come to life and the little birdie who is afraid to spread its wings, are quite entertaining to watch.

Not only is the movie visually appealing. The musical score is also brilliant. "Tinker Bell" contains a combination of classic Disney-sounding songs, as well as Celtic music. They made me want to dance and sing along.

"Tinker Bell" evokes emotions of all kinds. There were times when I laughed out loud and other times when I shed some tears. I felt a connection with every character, which were wonderfully voiced. Pixie Hollow is a warm and inviting place, one that I would love to visit myself. It's a very easy movie to watch. The plot is straightforward, but entertaining. I could not take my eyes off of the screen. I've watched it a few times and I never get tired of it. 

I encourage you to watch this movie if you haven't seen it yet. I'm confident it will leave you smiling and feeling happy. But consider yourself forewarned - you may also come away from it believing in fairies.

Christmas in July (and More) Movies

I had a couple of themes going with my movies watched in July. Hallmark celebrated Christmas in July, and so did I. There was only on true Christmas in July movie (one where they celebrate Christmas in the month of July) and it was good.  The others were simply Christmas movies that they aired in July. 

My favorite on this list is "The Nine Kittens of Christmas" (which my kittens chose not to watch with me...maybe they were jealous?). I left that one and "The Nine Lives of Christmas" on the DVR so I can watch them again around Christmastime. Maybe by then Bell and Fiona will want to watch it with me. You can read my reviews of both of those feline movies by clicking on the titles in the list below.

I watched "A Nashville Christmas Carol" twice because I really enjoyed it. That's another one I saved on the DVR so I can watch it again in December. You might think "Oh no, not ANOTHER version of A Christmas Carol", but this one was quite different, while still keeping with the main theme of the original story. It is a star-studded film with several country singers making appearances. This could have gone all wrong, but it didn't. It was very enjoyable.

My other main theme was the Disney Fairies movies. I finally finished watching the entire series and I will be posting reviews on this blog soon. What I'll tell you for now is that I am really impressed with the overall series. It's Disney at its best.

I finally watched "Hamilton", which blew me away. It lived up to the hype it so rightfully received. You can click on the title in the list below to read my full review.

I watched "The Batman" twice. The first time I thought it was just okay. I watched it again thinking I would enjoy it more the second time around. Unfortunately, I was even more turned off by it the second time. I know I'm in the minority, as it's a very popular movie. It just isn't the kind of movie that appeals to me. I didn't like the dark (literal and figurative) tone, nor the frequent use of bad language. I couldn't even bring myself to write a review about it.

I concluded the month with an all-time favorite, the original cartoon version of "Beauty and the Beast". I only gave it four stars (sunflowers on this list) because it didn't have the same magic it did when I first watched it years ago. It's still a great movie, though.

"Romance on the Menu" is the only non-Christmas Hallmark movie I watched in July. In the U.S. it's called "Hearts Down Under". The Australian setting is what appealed to me (plus I like the lead actress, Cindy Busby), but the overall movie was just average. 

In the list below, I included sparkling hearts if there was something extra special I liked about it (even if it didn't earn five stars). I don't include the hearts in my reviews anymore, but I'm still including them in my monthly wrap-up.

Without further ado, here's the full July list!

1  "Hamilton"🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

6  "Pixie Hollow Games"🌻🌻🌻

7  "Secret of the Wings"🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

7  "Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

8  "A Cheerful Christmas"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

8  "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

11 "The Nine Lives of Christmas"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

11 "The Nine Kittens of Christmas"🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

12 "My Grown-Up Christmas List"🌻🌻🌻🌻

14 "Romance on the Menu" (A.K.A. "Hearts Down Under")🌻🌻🌻

15 "Christmas in Dollywood"🌻🌻🌻🌻

18 "Campfire Christmas"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

19 "The Batman"🌻🌻🌻

20 "Christmas at Graceland"🌻🌻🌻

21 "Last Vermont Christmas"🌻🌻🌻🌻

22 "A Nashville Christmas Carol"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

22 "The Batman"🌻🌻

24 "A Nashville Christmas Carol"🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

28 "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)🌻🌻🌻🌻💖

Be on the lookout for my reviews of the Tinker Bell series. I'll soon be posting reviews of each individual movie.

Do you celebrate Christmas in July? If so, how? Tell me in the comments below!

"Hamilton"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Birthday, America!

"Hamilton" is a live Broadway musical that originally started playing in 2015. Five years later, on July 3, 2020, it started streaming on Disney+. The version on Disney+ was filmed from the Broadway musical over the course of three days. "Hamilton" was already very popular and well-loved, but it hit a new level of success when it started streaming. It was something positive to focus on in the midst of the pandemic when staying home was the norm.

However, I was not subscribing to any streaming service at the time, so I did not watch it then. Now that I subscribe to Disney+, I finally watched it a few days ago. I've had it on my watchlist to enjoy around Independence Day.

"Hamilton", the musical, was inspired by the book, "Alexander Hamilton", by Ron Chernow. The genius who composed the musical is Lin-Manuel Miranda. It tells the story of one of our Founding Fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury. And it uses a good bit of rap music to do so.

In my experience, people either seem to love it or have a strong dislike for it. Honestly, I can see both sides. It all depends on your perspective. If you're looking for a historically accurate portrayal, you're going to be disappointed. Maybe even offended. It is based on facts, but not all of it is factual. 

If you're looking at it from a creative perspective, you'll view it differently. This is how I see it. Almost all of the actors are minorities, which is of course not the way it really was back then. The music is ear-catching. I'm not usually a fan of rap music, but it really works in "Hamilton". It's history being told from a modern day perspective. It had my attention, which is saying a lot since History was my least favorite subject in school.

You can't believe everything you hear or see on television. That goes for "Hamilton" and applies to literally everything else on television as well. However, what this musical did for me is make me curious to learn more. While I was watching it, I stopped it several times to look things up and learn more. Even after it was over, I was still doing some online research about Alexander Hamilton. It sparked my interest in listening to the audiobook that inspired it, which I immediately borrowed from the library after watching the musical. No other musical that I've seen has had this much of an impact on me. 

Some people criticize the fact that slavery is not accurately portrayed in this musical, if at all. I agree that it isn't, and so does the composer himself. However, that is what history books and classes are for. We should never forget that slavery is part of our history, but "Hamilton" is meant to entertain. How can you have an upbeat, entertaining musical if it's about slavery? There are other resources from which we can get that information.

I will most likely watch "Hamilton" again if it's still streaming on Disney+ next July 4th weekend. I have a feeling it will be. I know I did not pick up on all of the details, so I'll watch it again for that purpose, as well as for the pure enjoyment of it.

Not Quite 23 Movies I Watched in June

June was a busy month since the wall-to-wall carpet was replaced. It was chaos for a while and it's been quite the feat putting everything back together again, though it's also been a good opportunity to declutter and donate.

In the midst of the chaos I have found a reprieve in lots of great movies, although not quite 23 in June. Hallmark aired a bunch of wedding-themed movies over the past few months and I recorded them so I could watch them during wedding season here in the U.S. The first one I watched, "One Perfect Wedding" is part of a trilogy. Unfortunately, this third one was not as good as the first two ("One Winter Weekend" and "One Winter Proposal").

Not all of the Hallmark movies I watched are wedding-themed, though. I loved "Rip in Time" so much that I watched it again this month. I do need to review that one. "Color My World with Love" is semi-wedding-themed and the two leads have Down Syndrome (in real life, too). At some point soon, I want to post a review about that one. There were also a few summer-themed Hallmark romcoms that I watched. I'm such a seasonal movie-watcher and I'm glad Hallmark caters to this. While not all Hallmark movies are spectacular, even the average ones are a great comfort to me.

I also watched some of the Disney Fairies movies, which so far are AMAZING!! There are seven Disney Fairies movies and I am planning to watch and post reviews of all of them, most likely in July. 

The only mystery movie I watched was a Miss Marple one. The Miss Marple movies are not bad, but they are also not my favorites. I've also been watching season 2 of "Murder, She Wrote" and some of the Sherlock Holmes television episodes. I really enjoy both of those, but especially "Murder, She Wrote". I will be reviewing "Murder, She Wrote", but it will probably be about another month before I share that one.

Disney+ released "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" in June. I watched it twice. I enjoyed it even less the second time! To see my full review of it, you can click on the link in the list below.

On Disney+, I also watched the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series and I'm still watching "Ms. Marvel". I reviewed "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and I'll be doing the same for "Ms. Marvel" in a couple of weeks after the finale airs.

Here's the full list of movies I watched in June, next to the dates on which I watched them. Since the roses have been blooming, that's what I used to rate them (five roses being the highest rating), along with the heart if they are extra special.

2  "Tinker Bell"🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

3  "One Perfect Wedding"🌹🌹½

4  "Tinker Bell"🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

6  "Miss Marple:  The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" (1992)🌹🌹🌹

7  "The Last Bridesmaid"🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

9  "Wedding Every Weekend"🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

10 "Stop the Wedding"🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

12 "Rip in Time"🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

13 "Color My World with Love"🌹🌹🌹🌹½💖

14 "In My Dreams"🌹🌹🌹🌹

21 "Caribbean Summer"🌹🌹🌹🌹

22 "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"🌹🌹🌹

23 "Chasing Waterfalls"🌹🌹🌹🌹

24 "Every Time a Bell Rings"🌹🌹🌹

26 "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"🌹🌹

27 "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure"🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

27 "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue"🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

28 "The Vows We Keep"🌹🌹🌹🌹💖

30 "In the Key of Love"🌹🌹🌹

Starting in July, I will not be using ½ stars anymore and I probably won't use hearts anymore either. I want to have a consistent rating system for books and movies, and since Goodreads does not allow ½ stars nor hearts, I've decided to use their rating system for movies as well. I hope you'll take a look at my list of books read this year on the right sidebar of my blog. I will definitely be reviewing books soon, just like I do some movies, In fact, I have something brand new coming later in July specifically for cozy mysteries, so stay tuned for that!

As far as movies go in July, Hallmark is doing Christmas in July, so I'll be watching a lot of those. I'll also continue watching, "Murder, She Wrote", "Ms. Marvel", and the Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes movies and episodes. This in addition to reading a few more books, too. I'm looking forward to another fun-filled month ahead!

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"

⭐⭐

This film had a lot of potential, but despite creative material to work with (that being the Multiverse), elaborate set designs, a talented cast, eye-catching special effects, and a whole lot of horror-ific make-up, it ultimately failed to deliver.

Although "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" picks up where other movies left off, it is mostly a sequel to WandaVision. WandaVision is a limited series that started streaming on Disney+ last year. If you're not familiar with WandaVision before watching "Multiverse", you're likely  going to be confused. I'm thankful that I did see WandaVision first and I did enjoy seeing her in this movie, but even that doesn't save "Multiverse" from being an epic fail. I thought WandaVision was a brilliant series. I also enjoyed the first "Doctor Strange" movie. Not so much "Multiverse".

If I had saved this movie for October, Halloween month, and I was told it was a horror flick, I may have been more accepting of it. But even so, the whole thing just seemed like a hodge podge of horrific events. In fact, I would classify it primarily as a horror movie, one with a lot of action and some suspense, but very little substance. Thankfully, it did not have a lot of gore, so it was watchable for me. And that was it. Watchable.

This is the May Movie-thon

Woweeeee! This was indeed The May. Far more than 23 movies were watched!

My main focus in May, as you can see, was Star Wars. I had seen all of the Star Wars live-action movies before, some more than once, but this time I re-watched and reviewed all of them. In the list below, organized by date watched, I linked them to the posts where I reviewed them. Some are listed twice...because I watched them twice this May. :-) I really wanted to get a full understanding of them and I believe I accomplished that, though I'll probably give the sequel trilogy another chance next year.

I couldn't make May all about Star Wars, though. I did watch other movies. Most others are Hallmark. Some are romcoms and others are cozy mysteries. One series of movies I watched were Hallmark's Flower Shop Mysteries, starring Brooke Shields as the amateur sleuth. I was not entirely impressed with this series and I'm not upset that they no longer make them. Those are my least favorite Hallmark mysteries that I've seen so far.

I also watched two Miss Marple and one Hercule Poirot movies on DVDs that are part of a set which was a birthday gift. These are two of the most famous amateur sleuths in the history of cozy mysteries, created by Agatha Christie. Overall, I prefer the more modern cozy mysteries, but these are not too bad either.

In addition to these, I've also been watching "Murder, She Wrote" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". These are old t.v. series that I'll review after watching each season. I am almost done watching the first season of "Murder, She Wrote", but it may be a while before I review them because I only watch those once a week or once every couple of weeks.

My favorite movie this month was by far "Rip In Time". It's a new Hallmark movie and while it is a romcom, it's very different than any others I've seen. I came to really love Niall Matter in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries and he did an exceptional job starring in "Rip In Time". It's a fresh take with a unique twist on the classic tale, "Rip Van Winkle". "Rip in Time is both heart-warming and hilarious. I laughed out loud throughout the movie.  I will definitely watch that one again soon and maybe post a review of it.

This month I used stars to represent Star Wars to rate the movies, plus the sparkling heart if there was something extra special about them. The total number of stars possible is five.

Here's the full month of May list:

1 "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope"🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

2 "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

3 "Mum's the Word: A Flower Shop Mystery"🌟🌟🌟

4 "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back"🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

5 "Snipped in the Bud: A Flower Shop Mystery"🌟🌟🌟½

6 "Dearly Depotted: A Flower Shop Mystery"🌟🌟🌟🌟

6 "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

8 "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones"🌟🌟🌟🌟

9 "Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage" (1986)🌟🌟🌟

10 "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (2000)🌟🌟🌟🌟

10 "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

11 "Surprised By Love"🌟🌟🌟½

12 "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

12 "Solo: A Star Wars Story"🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

13 "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

14 "Solo: A Star Wars Story"🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

14 "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi"🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

16 "Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

17 "Heart of the Matter"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

18 "Warming Up To You"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

19 "The Magic of Ordinary Days"🌟🌟🌟🌟

20 "The Love Letter" (1998)🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

21 "Bottled With Love"🌟🌟🌟

23 "Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery" (1989)🌟🌟🌟

24 "Rip In Time"🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

25 "The Presence of Love"🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

26 "The Irresistible Blueberry Farm"🌟🌟🌟🌟

27 "Just One Kiss"🌟🌟🌟

28 "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens"🌟🌟🌟🌟½💖

29 "Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi"🌟🌟🌟

30 "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker"🌟🌟🌟½💖

June will be filled with wedding-themed Hallmark romcoms. A photographer friend of mine told me we're in the midst of wedding season, so this is the perfect time of year to watch those (most of which have been recorded over the past few months).

I'll also continue watching "Murder, She Wrote", "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", and the Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot movies. I've already started watching "Obi-Wan Kenobi", the Star Wars series on Disney+, and I'll also be watching the upcoming "Ms. Marvel" series.

If you want to see what I've been reading, don't forget to check out my list of books read on the right sidebar of my blog. The most current book I read will always be on top. Sometime soon I am planning to start posting reviews of books. I've been reading so many good ones and I want to share them with you!

Cheers to all of you and Happy June!

"Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker" (SPOILER ALERT)

⭐⭐⭐½💖

We have reached the end of the Star Wars road! "The Rise of Skywalker" is the (not so epic) conclusion of the entire saga. This will also probably be my last review overall with spoilers, unless it's one about a classic that most people are already familiar with. 

I sometimes look at Rotten Tomatoes ratings when I'm either on the fence about watching a movie or when I'm just curious what others think. The latter was the case for the second two movies in the sequel trilogy. I had already planned to watch them no matter what the ratings were, but I looked at them anyway.

It's interesting to note that in the case of "The Last Jedi", critics gave it a notably higher rating than general audiences did. However, in the case of "The Rise of Skywalker", the opposite is true. General audiences liked it better than critics did. For both movies, I am in the general audiences camp. While "The Rise of Skywalker" doesn't completely rise to the occasion, I did enjoy it more than "The Last Jedi".

To be fair, the team that created this movie had a gargantuan task to accomplish. This is a saga that began in the late seventies and turned into something I'm not sure anyone anticipated. We've come to expect a lot from Star Wars. I don't think anything will fully satisfy our expectations. With that in mind, while I was excited to see this movie (I first saw it at the movie theater when it was released in 2019), I don't think my expectations were as high as the typical Star Wars fan. I liked it then and I still enjoy watching it today.

There were two main things about this movie that surprised me. One is that I went into it thinking Luke Skywalker would somehow come back to life in the physical form (or we'd find out he didn't really die) and he would be the one to rise. To my surprise, while Luke did come back in some form, this was Rey's movie. She was the "Skywalker" who rose.

The second thing that shocked me was finding out Rey is Palpatine's granddaughter. Yikes!! I certainly was not expecting this at all. I love how we saw from this movie that we are in control of our present and future no matter what our past is. 

There are some really touching moments in this film and the scenery is top notch. I love that Leia used all that she had left in her to reach out to Kylo Ren. Ultimately, it was Leia who rescued him from the dark side. And then it was Ben Solo, the former Kylo Ren, who saved Rey. Both Leia and Ben in turn made the sacrifice to ultimately save Rey.

Of course, Carrie Fisher had already died before this movie was made. Some of it was actual footage they had of her that wasn't used in previous movies and some of it was computer generated. I couldn't tell the difference visually, but in my heart I knew it wasn't the same without her actually being there. I think they did her character of Leia justice in the way that she died. I just really felt the void, though, especially knowing she never got to see the conclusion of the saga.

The battle scene with Kylo Ren and Rey is epic, but the music not so much. I kept thinking to myself that something was missing from that scene and I realized it was the music. Yes, there was music playing, but to me it didn't fit the amazing scenery and atmosphere.

As for the conclusion of this epic saga. I am satisfied. I think one thing that Star Wars teaches us is that even in despair, there is always hope. Hope is how they managed to get as far as they did. When something or someone was lost, they picked themselves up and carried on because they knew they had a mission to carry out, a purpose to live. And they worked together to make it happen even when they weren't physically together. Of course, they also had a little movie magic, luck, and the Force on their side, too, but we can still take the overall lesson to heart.

I will most likely re-watch the sequel trilogy next year and no other movies before it. If my thoughts change or I have more to add, I will post new reviews then. Until then, I'll be watching and reviewing the Star Wars series (along with everything else NOT Star Wars-related that I'll be watching). I'm starting with episodes 1 and 2 of "Obi Wan Kenobi" today. I think going back close to the beginning (picking up where the prequel trilogy left off) will be an enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward visiting with some old friends from the Star Wars universe. So my next Star Wars review will be close to the end of June.

Until then...

May the Force be with you.

"Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi" (SPOILER ALERT)

⭐⭐⭐

I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. I don't know if I'm suffering from Star Wars fatigue, my expectations were too high, or if it just doesn't measure up to the ones before it. It isn't a bad movie, but compared to the others, it's just average in my opinion. There is a good bit of action, emotion, and humor, but none of it is on the level of the preceding movies. Even Luke's death scene didn't impact me as much as that of any other main character's demise. It should have, but I'm sad to admit it didn't.

I will say that the dialog in this movie is more memorable than it is in "The Force Awakens". Yoda's appearance was a welcome surprise and his presence had a purpose. He was the one who trained young Luke and here he was again close to the end of Luke's life, still offering wonderful words of wisdom. I love Yoda's quote:

 

"Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery. But weakness, failure, folly also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is. Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters." 

So often we focus on how to succeed. But knowing how to accept failure and move on from that is also so important to teach the next generation.

Another favorite quote of mine is not from any Jedi Master, but from Rose as she was talking to Finn in her dying moments. She said, "That's how we're gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love." 

Hand me the tissues, please!

Unfortunately, these kinds of scenes are few and far between. I am willing to give this movie another chance, though - next year. When I haven't watched nine other Star Wars movies, plus three Star Wars series, before it in the same month, maybe my head will be clearer and it will be able to capture my heart the way the others did. 

In the meantime, I have one more movie to watch and review this month, then the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series through June. Then I'll definitely need to return to Earth for a vacation from Star Wars.