JASMINE's THOUGHTS on How To Train Your Dragon 2025

Genre:

Family

Epic Action/Adventure

Fantasy/Drama/Comedy

Rating:

PG

Release Date:

June 13, 2025

Run Time:

2 hrs 5 min

Directed by:

Dean DeBlois

Written by:

Dean DeBlois, William Davies, Chris Sanders

Based on the book by:

Cressida Cowell

Production Co.:

Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Animation, Marc Platt Productions

Distribution Co.:

Universal Pictures

Social Media:

     

Cast:

Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, Murray McArthur

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

Plot Summary:

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker; Dumbo, The Last of Us) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; Snow White and the Huntsman, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.

As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Well, from all that was said about the making of this live-action adaptation, I was expecting much of the scenes from the animated film to come to life in this live action. Of course, I kept an open mind... with a side of high hopes. 😄

I would have to say that this live action adaptation definitely lived up to the hype. Luckily, the animated film showed on HBO the night before... haha! So... How To Train Your Dragon was definitely fresh in my mind. 😁 From beginning to end, this live action followed through. Of course, there were some changes and/or additions to the development of a few characters and scenes which worked with the cohesive and well-rounded story development and flow.

However, there is a particular scene that did not make it to this live action adaptation. Although the story flowed, this particular scene would connect another scene which would explain a particular action in another scene. 🤔🤔🤔 Now, if you watched it, and if you caught it, then you know what I mean. 🤣 I even liked that omitted scene in the animated film.

As for the CGI, I really liked how it worked. The dragons looked realistic. As for Toothless, they absolutely captured the realism in his animated facial expressions. The cinematography was breathtaking, especially during Toothless' flying scenes. It was beautiful. 😍

All in all, this live-action adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon, was spot on when comparing it to the original animated film. We already know that no live-action film adaptation is ever going to be scene to scene exact. But, as long as the live-action film can capture that same feeling and stay true to the story, then I would say they did a good job. I would have to say that this live-action adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon was almost flawless, but I whole-heartedly enjoyed watching this. 😄

My rating:

JASMINE's THOUGHTS on Lilo & Stich (2025)

Genre:

Adventure, Comedy, Family, Live Action, Drama, Science Fiction

Rating:

PG

Release Date:

May 23, 2025

Run Time:

1 hr 48 min

Directed by:

Dean Fleischer Camp

Screenplay by:

Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes

Produced by:

Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a., Dan Lin

Production Co.:

Walt Disney Pictures

Rideback

Social Media:

    

Cast:

Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

Plot Summary:

Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family. The film is directed by award-winning filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp, with a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, and stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, and introducing Maia Kealoha. Lilo & Stitch is produced by Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a. and Dan Lin, with Tom Peitzman, Ryan Halprin, Louie Provost, Thomas Schumacher serving as executive producers.

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Okay... We already know live-action adaptations of Disney's animated movies have always been a hit or miss. That is why, I went in to the theatre with no high expectations. But... I would have to say all the teasers and trailer(s) that I have seen has gotten my hopes up... just a tad bit. 😆

Well, I walked out of the theatre satisfied. I enjoyed the movie. I was not disappointed. The casting was great. The casting was spot on, especially of Maia Kealoha as Lilo. Maia Kealoha definitely embodied the character Lilo. I absolutely loved that the voice actors from the animated movie was also in this live-action adaptation. Given that any adaptation will not be scene by scene exact, this Lilo & Stitch live-action adaptation is one of the best to date. I loved the story in the animated movie, and this live-action adaptation captured that feeling as well.

Of course, we already know there will always be a variation when it comes to any live-action movie adaptations. Yes, I was somewhat disappointed that Captain Gantu did not make it into this adaptation. I was also somewhat disappointed on the portrayal of Jumba and Pleakley. I was also disappointed with some scenes being omitted out. However, these were not, in no way, major disappointments that would deter me from loving this live-action adaptation. But, of course, I loved that other "major" scenes were included. I can see how that certain scenes were kept or omitted to keep that cohesive storytelling.

I get it though, any adaptations, be it a movie or a book, will always be a variation of the source material. What's important is that these adaptations stay true to the source material... Not skew so far off and away changing the heart of the story. In regards, to Lilo & Stitch, I still had that same heart-warming feeling I did with the animated movie. So... It is a win for me. 😆

This live-action adaptation of Disney's Lilo & Stitch is by far one of Disney's best adaptations thus far. This captured that heart-touching and heart-warming story of family. Like Stitch said, "This is my family. I found it all on my own. It's little and broken, but still good..."

Lilo & Stitch 2025 captured my heart, just as much as the animated movie did. 🤗

via GIPHY

My rating:

JASMINE's THOUGHTS on Mortal Kombat 2021

Genre:

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Rating:

R

Release Date:

April 23, 2021

Run Time:

1 hr 50 mins

Directed by:

 Simon McQuoid

Based on the Video game created by:

Ed Boon & John Tobias

Story by:

Oren Uziel & Greg Russo

Screenplay by:

Greg Russo & Dave Callahan

Production Co.:

New Line Cinema

Atomic Monster/Broken Road

Distribution Co.:

Warner Bros. Pictures

HBO Max

Social Media:

   

Cast:

Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joe Taslim, Tadanobu Asano, Chin Han. Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Max Huang, Matilda Kimber, Laura Brent

 (For full cast and crew on IMDB)

Plot Summary:

From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure “Mortal Kombat,” inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, Mortal Kombat 11. The film is helmed by award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid, marking his feature directorial debut, and produced by James Wan (“The Conjuring” universe films, “Aquaman,”), Todd Garner (“Into the Storm,” “Tag”), McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh (“Men in Black: International,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”).

In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?

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*My Thoughts*

Well... 🤔 This was an entertaining film. Story-wise... Eh.🤷‍♀️ Fight scenes/visual effects... Nice! Bloody... Yup! Setting up for more... Yes, it does!

It has been years since I even learned about the game, way back when, so remembering all the players.... Well, I don't... Ha! Let alone the new characters that have been created and evolved since. Anyways, for the most part, the movie had familiar characters that I do remember. 

I liked the beginning which set the story between the characters Sub-Zero and Scorpion rivalry. Although the story just didn't feel like it was developed enough, I thought there should have been more to the movie. It gave enough to set up the characters and story in general. I also enjoyed some of the light humor that was mixed in. That Kano... Haha! Such a jackass. 🤣 With that being said, I thought the cast was a good fit for the characters. As the story unfolded, it felt more and more like an opening for more stories in the Mortal Kombat universe.

All in all, Mortal Kombat is an entertaining film with all that magic, humor, slight drama, and those fight scenes. I would like to see more since this left it open for more stories to tell in this Mortal Kombat universe.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Bleach (2018)

 
Genre:

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Drama

Rating:

TV-14

Run Time:

1 hr 48 mins

Release Date:

July 20, 2018 (Japan)

September 14, 2018 (U.S.)

Based on the Manga series by:

 Tite Kubo

Directed by:

 Shinsuke Sato

Producers:

Warner Bros. Japan, New Line Cinema, TX Network, Shueisha, Pierrot, UMG Japan, Dentsu, Ken-On, KDDI, Pony Canyon, GYAO!

source

Distribution:

Warner Bros. (Japan)

Netflix (U.S./Worldwide)

Cast:

Sôta Fukushi, Hana Sugisaki, Ryô Yoshizawa, Erina Mano, Yû Koyanagi, Seiichi Tanabe, Taichi Saotome, Miyavi, Masami Nagasawa, Yôsuke Eguchi

See Full List of Cast & Crew on IMDB

Plot Summary:

When high schooler Ichigois suddenly given reaper abilities, he really wants to give the powers back. But he'll have to reap some souls first.

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*My Thoughts*

The original allure, action, and mood of the anime and manga Bleach are brought back in the Bleach (2018) live-action movie, but could we fix Rukia Kuchiki’s’s hair or majority of the character’s hair. Their hairstyles would look weird, but Bleach isn’t exactly normal when we think about ghosts, spirits, and hollows running around. The live action version brought back slicing up hollows, shooting arrows, and the shōnen feel of Tite Kubo’s popular manga series thanks to Kubo’s involvement in the movie’s production. As a Bleach fan, I can’t complain about the storyline of the live action movie because of how closely written it is to the anime and manga. The world of Bleach was easily introduced by explanations from the characters and demonstrations of power such as when Uryu Ishida revealed his Quincy powers to a recently made substitute soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki. The concept of hollows and lost souls were introduced in a familiar fashion for faithful fans of the series but also broken down into its simplest components for new viewers. Bleach (2018) kept the original humor in Ichigo’s repetitive interactions with his classmates, particularly who I assumed was one of Ichigo’s friends named Keigo. In a short summary, Ichigo Kurosaki got help from a soul reaper, befriended them, and the story follows his intense battle scenes to protect his friends.

The live-action film also kept the personalities of these characters, save for the short appearances of characters like Keigo. Ichigo Kurosaki was an average high schooler with a big heart but a lot of fight in him, Chad was a silent and protective giant, Orihime still had an unrequited crush on Ichigo, and Rukia Kuchiki was a serious soul reaper but was naïve to modern Japan and its trends. The Rukia of Bleach (2018) was as mysterious as manga Rukia when she was first introduced. But her relationship with her elder brother was made clear despite only a few moments of screen time together because of the sincerity of Hana Sugisaki’s performance as Rukia Kuchiki. Sugisaki’s Rukia respected Byakuya much like her manga counterpart. As Bleach’s (2018) main character, Ichigo was given the most backstory and character development for his skills and abilities. It may have seemed rushed, but the message got across. But other characters fell flat in comparison. It was easy to tell Chad and Orihime were familiar with Ichigo but they never surpassed being his classmates despite Chad and Orihime being main characters later in the original series.

When talking about Bleach, we need to keep in mind the sword clashes, monsters, bloodshed, and destruction of buildings. My commentary on the action from the movie is “it’s not cheesy.” I did not see a slow motion, in the air choreography. It felt like real-time life or death situations. Renji’s Zabimaru, the released version of his katana, flowed, retracted, and clashed with Ichigo’s over-sized katana with fluid motion. Grand Fisher was a large and destructive hollow, but it looked more plant-like rather than a hollow covered in fur. Bleach (2018) covers the most important aspects of the first arc and I’m not wholly disappointed. After Ichigo met Rukia, I wished the movie had more content like showing Chad and Orihime’s abilities. Considering it was one arc of the anime and manga condensed into a movie, the Bleach (2018) team had to wrap up the Agent of the Shinigami arc in the too short amount of a time. If they wanted to continue into the Soul Society arc, other characters could have been fully introduced and their personalities expanded upon.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on FullMetal Alchemist (2017)

 

Genre:

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Drama

Rating:

TV-14

Run Time:

2 hr 14 mins

Release Date:

December 1, 2017 (Japan)

February 19, 2018 (U.S.)

Based on the Manga series by:

Hiromu Arakawa

Directed by:

 Fumihiko Sori

Producers:

Oxybot,Square Enix Company,Warner Bros.

Distribution:

Warner Bros. (Japan)

Netflix (U.S.)

Funimation (U.S.)

Cast:

Ryôsuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka, Misako Renbutsu, Kanata Hongô, Shinji Uchiyama, Jun Kunimura, Yô Ôizumi, Ryûta Satô, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yasuko Matsuyuki

See Full List of Cast & Crew on IMDB

Plot Summary:

While alchemist Edward Elric searches for a way to restore his brother Al's body, the military goverment and mysertious monsters are watching closely.

 source

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*My Thoughts*

For what it’s worth, as a standalone movie, FullMetal Alchemist (2017) lacks much story, emotional connection, and gives a weak plot but as an anime live-action, FullMetal Alchemist (2017) is a satisfactory adaptation the anime community can rejoice about. FullMetal Alchemist (2017), although it deviates a little from the original series, has everything it needs to be a part of the popular anime and manga series, action, lighthearted moments, dramatization, and mystery. It is also a good, quick introduction to those unfamiliar with the FullMetal Alchemist manga by Hiromu Arakawa. The movie makes a quick overview of all the characters and assumes the viewers are familiar with each person in the main cast i.e. Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Maes Hughes, and Roy Mustang. The introduction of the homunculi Lust, Envy, and Gluttony make them a mysterious trio with influence in the military but hardly expands on their motives. The movies’ main antagonists shift from Shou Tucker to General Hakuro and then homunculi so swiftly that there is no time to hate any of them. Except for Tucker. To say the least, he’s still a selfish and depraved scumbag like in the anime and manga. The movie flows so quickly it’s difficult to properly make an emotional connection with the characters. So, it doesn’t bring the anime and manga’s original intensity and seriousness. Because of it is a quick introduction and overall mystery, FullMetal Alchemist (2017) leaves the live adaptations open to more productions.

The characters may have been swiftly introduced but I can’t deny that I liked the acting. Ryosuke Yamada makes a strong impression as Edward Elric. He had Edwards’ pipsqueak, teenage voice down to a T, Edwards’ rage when he fought Al, but I would like to say Yamada’s reactions to being called short could use more comedic rage to them. Ryuta Sato as Maes Hughes is energetic, friendly, and a loving father-figure that the Elric brothers didn’t have growing up. Overall, I believe my favorite actor is Yasuko Matsuyuki who plays the homunculus Lust. During the each of her appearances in the movie, I was fixated on how she carried Lust’s persona. Matsuyuki’s Lust gave me the impression of both 2003 and 2009 Lust, which is an interesting combination because 2003 Lust is more human while 2009 Lust is an arrogant and faithful homunculus. She was elegant and dignified with Lust’s malice in her voice but dies with an inkling of humanity in her final thoughts. Many of the others fulfilled their roles and I hope they reprise their role into the next possible live-action FullMetal Alchemist (2017), mostly for continuity. I can’t un-see the actors that have taken their role as their respective FullMetal Alchemist characters. It also has the chance to continue building the story, characters, and add more characters from the original series such as Greed, Scar, or Bradley.

Instead of looking at FullMetal Alchemist (2017) as a FullMetal Alchemist the manga and anime-based movie and more like a standalone film, the story is rushed, characters get very little to no backstory, and the antagonists are easily killed. Now going back to it as a faithful adaptation, it loosely follows the manga most notably when Lust briefly mentions the homunculi’s creator and frequently calls Edward “a good sacrifice.” The movies’ Shou Tucker plays a slightly larger role in comparison to his anime and manga counterpart by kidnapping Al and Winry. But overall, the movie seems to hint at the homunculus having power in the military and therefore sets them up as the possible major antagonist in later productions. If I had to make complaints about FullMetal Alchemist (2017) as a live-action adaptation, I wish Envy’s character in the movie had more of the sass and arrogance of the manga’s Envy. The movies’ Envy was more disgusted with humans but wholly said nothing against humanity. The movie introduces the lesser homunculi too early as the movies’ antagonist, General Hakuro, uses them in a failed plot to take over the world. I won’t say FullMetal Alchemist (2017) is a spectacular, God-sent live-action, but it certainly is refreshing.

My rating:

Japanese movie poster