Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)—Masterpiece of Aesthetic and Music
Based on a popular novel of the same name by Diane Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle revolves around a young girl named Sophie, a simple...
_edited.jpg)
At Film Purgatory, we are a group of film critics who review a variety of movies from new releases and underrated classics to the occasional bad film.
Search
Michael Li
- Mar 16
- 3 min
Treasure Planet (2002)—Disney’s Hidden Masterpiece
When it comes to animated films, Pixar and Japanese anime films such as Your Name often dominate the box office. However, that doesn’t...
43 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Feb 15
- 3 min
Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)—Batman’s Greatest Failure Brought to Life
In 1983, D.C. Comics created a new Robin for the Caped Crusader after the previous Robin, Dick Grayson, became Nightwing. Jason was a...
80 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Feb 8
- 4 min
Belle (2021)—A Gorgeous and Imaginative Take on a Classic Fairytale
Beauty and the Beast is a classic French tale from 1756 and was so beloved that Disney created an animated film that has become iconic....
65 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Jan 19
- 4 min
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999) and the Result of the Increasing Militarization of Police
The subject of police officers is one of the most controversial topics in the U.S. right now. Police officers often get a bad reputation...
35 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Jan 11
- 4 min
5 Centimeters per Second (2007)—A Harsh Reality in a Beautiful Lie
It’s funny how life works. Your friends in childhood may drift away from you one way or another, and despite our best efforts to keep in...
63 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Jan 10
- 4 min
Paprika (2006): An Exploration of the Distorted World of Dreams
Satoshi Kon, perhaps best known for his films Perfect Blue and Tokyo Godfathers, returns for his fourth and final film in this...
40 views0 comments
Owen Gonzalez
- Dec 28, 2021
- 3 min
Arthur Christmas (2011): An Overlooked Holiday Film from an Overlooked Studio
Of all the animation studios that have had major critical acclaim, but hasn’t been talked about often is Aardman Animations; best known...
25 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Dec 7, 2021
- 4 min
Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005): Star Wars Meets Samurai Jack
In 2003, a year after Attack of the Clones, Lucasfilm had a noble idea: they needed more toys. Oh yeah, they also would’ve liked...
62 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Oct 17, 2021
- 4 min
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)— A Forgotten Gem
One of the most underrated Batman films, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) is an animated Batman film that follows Batman Beyond,...
33 views0 comments
Gray Kruse
- Oct 13, 2021
- 5 min
The Mitchells vs. the Machines: Family, Growing Up, and the Robot Uprising
If you told someone in 2017 that one year after the release of The Emoji Movie, Sony Pictures Animation would put out the best animated...
34 views0 comments
Noah Kloss
- Oct 12, 2021
- 3 min
Rango (2011): A Hilarious Homage to Classic Westerns
Love or hate Johnny Depp, you have to admit his filmography is diverse. He played a gangster in Public Enemies (2009), a pirate in...
49 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Oct 6, 2021
- 3 min
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)—All Style, Little Substance
The Vampire Hunter D series is relatively unknown compared to a lot of hard-hitting manga and anime of the 1980s and 1990s. Written by...
12 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Sep 27, 2021
- 6 min
The Animatrix (2003)—A Matrix film better than the Sequels?
In 1999, The Matrix was released to theaters around the world to much critical appraise and left such an impression in pop culture that...
32 views0 comments
Michael Li
- Jan 5, 2021
- 5 min
Redline (2009) and The Unappreciated Potential of Animated Films
Anime has always been a staple in Japanese entertainment. It is so popular that it even made debuts overseas and has become embraced by...
181 views0 comments