Nick Pantalones

Perhaps it's because I'm a sucker for Brit TV and musical numbers that I enjoyed watching Beautiful People (2008-2009). But what I really find endearing about the show, aside from its madcap story lines, is the wonderful ensemble. Luke Ward-Wilkinson's character is multifaceted - he is Oliver Twist and Annie and the Man of La Mancha. Meera Syal maintains both a dignified and outrageous presence (although in my opinion she should've played bigger parts in many of the episodes). And Olivia Colman - always a delight, regardless of what she plays.

I didn't see the first Angry Birds movie (2016). That said, The Angry Birds Movie 2 proved to be a fast-paced, funny (outright hilarious in many scenes), and enjoyable film. The story-line may be simple, but one can only stretch a premise borne out of a game app so much. But it is cohesive story-telling, which propels the CGI animation splendidly without suffering through contrived dialogue, specifically dialogue peppered with so much trendy slang in an attempt by many movie companies to broaden the target audience to include young adults - that demographic who'd be "too cool" to be caught dead watching a movie that's supposedly aimed at younger kids. It's worth noting that this is Thurop Van Orman's directorial debut, and he doesn't disappoint. Fans of his work will not only recognize his comedic style but will also appreciate how he evolved into masterly orchestrating a full-length feature. Some critics might point out that the inclusion of jokes about bodily functions is just lazy writing/directing (i.e., pandering to children in the audience), but the potty humor in this movie is not overwhelming, and certainly not employed ad nauseam especially when compared to movies supposedly aimed at an older audience.