Eagan at the Movies

Image: "Yes, this really is based on a true story. Sort of. Very Loosely based."

I really have to ask. Is Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass", "X-Men: First Class", "Kingsman: The Secret Service", along with its sequel "The Golden Circle") doing okay? I'm honestly a little worried. He may be a bit nutty.

Serving as a prequel to the "Kingsman" franchise, "The King's Man" follows respectable gentleman, "Orlando Oxford" (Ralph Fiennes), who after the death of his wife, has become determined to protect his son, "Conrad" (Harris Dickinson), at all costs, mostly by keeping him out of current political affairs that have begun to take deadly turns. As a favor to a friend, the renowned British officer, "Herbert Kitchener" (Charles Dance), Orlando and Conrad visit Austria to investigate some suspicious activity, where they witness the assassination of "Archduke Franza Ferdinand" at the hands of "Gavrilo Princip" (Joel Basman). It turns out that Princip is part of a flock of dastardly villains working behind the scenes, including German advisor, "Erik Jan Hanussen" (Daniel Brühl), exotic dancer and spy, "Mata Hari" (Valerie Pachner), and the exceedingly vicious/always horny, "Grigori Rasputin" (Rhys Ifans). 

The baddies are led by a vile, crass, and always shrouded in shadow mastermind referred to as "The Shepherd", who plots to manipulate world leaders/feuding cousins, "King George" (Tom Hollander), "Kaiser Wilhelm" (Tom Hollander again), and "Tsar Nicholas" (Tom Hollander once more), into a great world war, that will decimate anyone caught in the crossfire. Conrad wishes to fight for his country, but Orlando offers a more refined alternative. Orlando brings his son into his own little behind the scenes organization, which includes his skilled butler, "Shola" (Djimon Hounsou), and highly intelligent nanny, "Polly" (Gemma Arterton), who will work in secret to prevent the world from falling into chaos. With their distinguished fighting prowess, eyes for espionage, and always remembering to retain their manners, this group will combat the nefarious villains, save the world from destruction, and become the tailor shop hidden, well dressed heroes that we know them to be today. 

Directed once again by Matthew Vaughn (Who also co-wrote the film with Karl Gajdusek) and based on the comic "The Secret Service" by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, "The King's Man" could possibly be one of the most baffling movies I've seen all year. The film forgoes some of the traditional aspects of the franchise, such as the goofy James Bond-esque gadgetry, the comical storylines, and almost all of the humor, in favor of a legit and rather dark war epic......that still features over the top supervillains, quirky dialogue, and loads of horrifically bloody violence. It's a jarring mix of ideas and themes that feel out of place compared to where the series' roots began. What's even more perplexing is that with everything considered, it's all shockingly well done for the most part. It's a beautifully directed film, where at times the drama does kind of hit hard and the action is as you would expect, gloriously stylized and even a little mesmerizing. (The franchise has always been known for crazy, constantly moving action setpieces) There's a delightfully unhinged battle against a dancing Rasputin, along with a admittedly frightening, down and dirty war scene involving the front lines in the trenches. All of this is so well directed and even a little captivating. It's also really confusing, especially when the film will cut back to the maniacal machinations going on behind the war or some silly exposition. The film is still plenty goofy, yet the film takes itself about 85% seriously, and while I can see how that's meant to be the joke, I can also see how one could look at the film as just violent, inconsistent trash. 

I feel that this film, unlike the first two, doesn't quite have as many characters that stand out as much as they should. Ralph Fiennes is an exception, and he's still brilliant in the film. Sophisticated, charming, and brutally badass when the time comes, Fiennes is perfectly cast and shows that he's not only a great actor, but one Hell of an action star as well. Our other heroes are less memorable. Harris Dickinson, Djimon Hounsou, and Gemma Arterton are all very good in the film, though most of the time don't stand out all that much (The latter two especially). The heroes feel bland by comparison to the villains, which is something this franchise has always excelled at (Think James Bond villains, except on crack). Rhys Ifans is a deranged, scenery chewing joy (And he looks like he's just relishing every minute of it), Daniel Brühl is underutulized though he sneers his way through the film with gusto, and Tom Hollander's Wilhelm is amusingly buffoonish. (It's also a lot of fun to see how such cartoonish supervillains are manipulating world history to suit their needs) It's not too difficult to figure out who our true big bad is (Especially when you look at the full cast), but he still makes for a great, cackingly weird baddie and it's quite a sight to see this actor getting to go completely off the rails. 

A befuddling mix of "1917", with "G.I. Joe", with a bit of "Austin Powers", "The King's Man" is a mess, though a wildly entertaining one. It's a film that I can't really completely figure out who I could possibly recommend it to. Maybe to some of the more hardcore fans of the franchise, although those who prefer the off-kilter humor could be left disappointed. Not to mention those who aren't already fans are probably going to be thoroughly detested by this. I'm not sure how much of this actually works, yet it's certainly got that madcap sense of fun that we're accustomed to. It's different, and I gotta give Matthew Vaughn credit for committing to it, even if he may have lost his marbles in the process. (Also, stick around for one of the most inexplicably peculiar post credits scene put to film) 3 Stars. Rated R For Proper Foul Language, Proper Gruesome Violence, And Proper Manners. 

Image: "Wassa' Matta' For me!!! Wassa Matta for you!!!"

This Thanksgiving week has been a bit of a rough one. Nothing bad's happened and in fact, it was all around pretty nice (After 2020, just being able to see people around the holidays feels like a novelty now). I've also had a lot of working to do, school stuff, exams, essays, loads of movies to see at late times, and the urge to pass out, so I'm kind of having to just dump all of these movie reviews at once. (And I'm not even going to get into all the other award hopefuls that none of you are going to see without me repeatedly pestering you about) Busy guy right here, but I let myself get distracted, even if I have to toss in a few reviews all at once. 

Inspired-ish by true events, "House of Gucci" follows "Patrizia Reggiani" (Lady Gaga), as she meets and falls in love with "Maurizio Gucci" (Adam Driver), the heir to the immensely wealthy luxury fashion house, which is called as you would expect, "Gucci". Maurizio's father, "Rodolfo Gucci" (Jeremy Irons), doesn't approve of his son's intent to marry Patrizia, cutting him off from all financial ties. Patrizia and Maurizio are married, have a baby, and form relationships with others in the Gucci family, such as Maurizio's uncle, "Aldo" (Al Pacino) and the buffoonish "Paolo" (Jared Leto). After some time, Rodolfo starts to fall in health, and makes amends with Maurizio before his death, leaving his estate to his son, along with his role as a major stockholder in the Gucci business. Patrizia's ambitions start to grow, integrating her own ideas into the family business, which Maurizio complies to, though they soon find themselves at a disagreement with Aldo. Through some skillful manipulation and Paolo's stupidity, Patrizia and Maurizio are able to push Aldo out, eventually though, causing more friction to fragile business affairs. Things get more complicated and shady, with Patrizia and Maurizio's relationship crumbling, along with lies, deception, betrayals, and some good old fashioned murder, all about to come to a head. 

Directed by Ridley Scott (Who just released "The Last Duel" a few months ago), with a screenplay by Becky Johnston ("The Prince of Tides"), "House of Gucci" is more based on the book, "The House of Gucci: A Sensual Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed" by Sara Gray Forden, and as you can tell, has the making for something very fascinating. It's a crazy story, and knowing the fact that a lot of it actually happened, only makes it more delightfully bonkers. The film isn't without that wild sense of glamorously exquisite insanity, though it's hard to tell what's meant to be campy and what isn't. The film suffers from a lot of odd tonal shifts, which don't always feel intentional. Trying to figure out a film's tone for almost three hours is not exactly the way that one should want to spend Thanksgiving at 11:35 at night. The film gives off a bit of a silly, soap opera-ish feel, and while I'm sure that the real life story lends itself to such a thing, a bit more of a balance would be nice. As for Ridley Scott's eye for direction, the film looks great and certainly luxurious, with a certain scummy sensation in the center. The dialogue can be a bit more hit and miss, with a few lets just say, awkward lines (Mostly from Jared Leto. More on that wackiness later). 

The final product may be inconsistent, but one thing that's certainly deserving of acclaim is Lady Gaga, who shows off just how much range she can have as an actress (Comparing this to her Oscar nominated role in "A Star Is Born", and they couldn't be any more different). Even with the accent (Which really just is what it is), she mercilessly grabs your attention, showing to be a figure that's both terrifying, halfway respectable, and even a little sympathetic at times. (When it comes down to it, she was probably the smartest person in the entire family) She has some good chemistry with Adam Driver, who also plays spineless very well. Al Pacino does his best Al Pacino, while Jeremy Irons doesn't even bother with an accent, though he's so refined and regal that you don't really mind. Salma Hayek (as "Giuseppina Auriemma", a psychic that Patrizia seeks for guidance, and apparently contributed to the later infamous murder. Seriously!) doesn't appear much, though still does a fine job and seems to be having fun. Then we get to the big man himself, Jared Leto. I feel that this role is unintentionally an insane trip down into this madman's psyche, where his character sees himself as brilliant and underappreciated, though repeatedly does weird, idiotic stuff, which nobody even asked him to do. Under the admittedly impressive makeup job, Leto is basically wearing the Italian form of blackface, channeling a bizarre Italian stereotype, that's certainly entertaining to watch. (The Academy should in all honestly consider a new category for "Most WTF Performance" of the year. Let's just say that it makes you think they should reconsider that Chris Pratt's "Super Mario" casting for completely different reasons now)

"House of Gucci" is a lot of fun, but not in the most elegant of ways. For what it is, it's an entertainingly goofy look into the greed and sensationalism that comes with far too much money and hubris. It's also a bit too long, too tonally varying, and just lacks that extra final polish to be something more worthy of awards season. It still features some spectacularly memorable performances from Lady Gaga and Jared Leto (Though for him, it's for a completely different reason), and could make for a good time if you were to see it in the middle of the afternoon. I don't recommend it any later than that though. It's one of those  long, not so great movies that sure can take a lot out of you. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Strong Adult Content, Irresponsible Italians, And Jared Leto's Puzzling Chocolate And Sh*t Analogy. Possibly The Strangest Thing I've Ever Seen Come Out Of A Man's Mouth, And I Live In Austin, Texas.    

Image: The Suicide Squad is recruiting younger these days.

I take it that this is the review that you non-nerds are going to skip, and it might be the only review that the "Weebs" are going to check out. Don't ask me what that is. Explaining to people what that is to people who don't care, takes up way too much time. And writing can be hard sometimes. Anime stuff. It's best we just jump right in. 

To give a little backstory for those who don't already know, "My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission" takes place in a world of superheroes, with their unique abilities referred to as "Quirks". People with quirks make up a good percentage of the population, and there are now those who fear that humanity is on the verge of extinction. A terrorist group/cult, known as "Humanrise", led by the dangerously powerful, "Flect Turn" (Kazuya Nakai), have planted bombs filled with Quirk triggering gas all over the world, which will result in the deaths of millions of those with Quirks (Though will leave humanity unscathed). So to prevent Flect Turn's plans from coming to fruition, our heroes in training are sent to various locations, such as "Izuku Midoriya/Deku" (Daiki Yamashita), "Katsuki Bakugō/Dynamight" (Nobuhiko Okamoto), "Shōto Todoroki/Shoto" (Yuki Kaji), among the rest of the series' cast (Pretty much everyone else is negated to the background though). However, Deku becomes distracted by the accidental involvement of a fast-talking, local criminal "Rody Soul" (Ryo Yoshizawa), who just so happens to have accidentally gotten a hold of a briefcase that contains something Humanrise doesn't want getting out. After framing Deku for murder, along with Rody as an accomplice, Humanrise sends their enforcers to bring back the briefcase and kill anyone who gets in the way. Now cut off from his friends, Deku partners up with Rody, along with his cute little bird buddy, "Pino" (Megumi Hayashibara), to prove their innocence and prevent Quirk genocide. Along the way, Rody starts to take a few life lessons from the honorable Deku, becoming his own kind of hero in the process.

The third film based on the popular anime/manga/worldwide phenomenon, "My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission", like many television series based films, plays out a little like an hour and forty minute episode. Unlike like last year's "Heroes Rising", the plot has less characters this time around, with the story focusing purely on Deku and Rody, and while that leaves much the the cast of fan favorites on the sidelines ("All Might" and others, barely interact with anyone really), there's at least more time available for the film's heart to really pull through. There's something sweet about Deku and Rody's relationship (Credit to Daika Yamashita and especially Ryo Yoshizawa, for their wonderfully voice work), and the slower pace makes for more personal moments. The humor is still in tact, and when the film prepares for a cinematic action sequence, they're sights to behold. Fast paced, constantly moving, and animated brilliantly, especially once we reach the explosive finale. On the downside (For some more than others), there aren't too many and it takes a while for the film's reason to be to become more apparent. You are left wondering why this needed to be a movie, since the scale doesn't at first feel all that grand, and it doesn't help that the villains are once again a little less memorable than any of the ones from the series. Granted, none of the "My Hero Academia" movies have particularly had big bads to write home about (There's only so much screentime available for a one and done baddie after all), and while Flect Turn certainly has a cool design and a decent backstory, nothing about him stands out in a way that's all that interesting.   

"My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission" is smaller in scope and more intimate than previous films, where nothing particularly groundbreaking happens for a good while until we reach the climax. This one seems to be more interested in telling a solid and overall heartfelt singular story, where the message of hope and accepting of all people no matter their abilities is at its strongest. The animation is top notch as ever, and the film just incorporates everything we love about the series. I'd be surprised if any fan doesn't leave satisfied. I watched it subbed, so I can only assume that the dubbed version is just as solid. I don't judge when it comes to who prefers English dubbing over subtitles. Only villains do that. 3 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Superhero Action, A Little Language, And Quirky Behavior. 

Image: "I'm getting ready....For all of the 20 movies I'm in this year."

I don't think I've seen a movie all year that looks so beautiful and seductive, while also being completely sleazy and vile at the same time. You're enticed by it the entire time, and then feel the need to scrub yourself after. Maybe that was just the Sixties overall. Stunning on the outside, then disgusting on the inside.

"Last Night in Soho" follows "Ellie" (Thomasin McKenzie), a young woman with a love of old music (The Swinging Sixties especially) and fashion, living with her caring grandmother, "Peggy" (Rita Tushingham), after the suicide of her mother. Ellie is accepted into college to study fashion design in London. Ellie moves to the bright, vibrant streets of Soho, where she gets stuck with a crappy roommate, "Jocasta" (Synnøve Karlsen), and is immediately turned off by the city's seedy underbelly. So Ellie instead finds a new play to stay in a mostly forgotten apartment, owned by a strict but nice old lady, "Ms. Collins" (Diana Rigg). Once Ellie goes to sleep though, she finds herself transported to the Sixties era, where she becomes enamored with the life of a beautiful rising star, "Sandie" (Anya Taylor-Joy), as her career begins to take off with her seemingly charismatic manager boyfriend, "Jack" (Matt Smith). Ellie starts to base her life around Sandie, focusing her fashion school projects on her, and even changing her hair color to match Sandie, unable to wait till the next time she can go to sleep and immerse herself in that world. However, as the story continues, Ellie's fantasy takes a dark turn, witnessing Sandie's life spiral into a much more twisted place. As the visions become more nightmarish, Ellie becomes determined to find out what became of Sandie, as well as prevent herself from succumbing to her own madness.

Directed by Edgar Wright (The "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World", "Baby Driver"), "Last Night in Soho" starts off a bit slow, feeling as if it's meant to show a sense of normalcy before the film takes its turn. While I appreciate the idea (And Edgar Wright has done that brilliantly before elsewhere), you do feel the drag just a little bit for the first fifteen minutes or so. Thankfully, the film finds its footing rather quickly, becoming an alluring, though tension filled stylistic experience, that even when you're just as engrossed in this world as our lead character is, there's this constant feeling of dread slowly poking at the back of your skull. This may be one of Edgar Wright's more unique films, only briefly embracing his fast editing technique, and instead slowly pulling you further into a whirlpool of flashy and colorful torment, with images that are genuinely terrifying (And I feel that I can't even delve into the more uncomfortable, all too real subject matter lurking beneath the surface). The screenplay by both Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns ("1917"), keeps you on your toes, never giving away too much into the apparent supernatural aspect (We never know why Ellie is the one to experience these things, though in a way, not knowing works in the film's favor), and giving us a mystery that never plays out in a simplistic fashion. It can be seen as a little sloppy at times, but the various twists and turns make it feel as if it was intentional (For the most part). 

Thomasin McKenzie ("Leave No Trace", "Jojo Rabbit", "Old") is one of those actresses that just keeps getting better and better in everything I see her in. She's thoroughly lovable, super adorable, and plays completely petrified out of her mind like nobody else I've seen. She also has an incredible stare that conveys so much emotion, thanks to long shots where her face is just the focus. Anya Taylor-Joy is bewitching as usual, and perfectly embodies both the beauty and the hidden sadness of the Sixties era. Matt Smith rather skillfully switches between charming, scummy, and chilling, while Michael Ajao (as "John", Ellie's fellow classmate and all around nice guy), is plenty likable. We also get awesome supporting work from Diana Rigg, and a scene-stealing Terrence Stamp (as a mysterious and rather creepy old man that Ellie keeps seeing). There isn't much time for other supporting plays though, like Synnøve Karlsen, who just plays the role of "Mean Girl" and not much else. 

From the beguiling score, Oscar caliber cinematography, and a few ambitious choices worth extra praise, "Last Night in Soho" is a different kind of horror, and one that unlike say, "Halloween Kills", has more to offer to it than the genre usually demands. The final reveal is something I kind of pieced together, but it's still a damn good one, and leads to a particularly insane finale. It's a different type of apprehension in which you feel content and safe one moment, before you discover it's much too late to escape now. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Strong Language, Violent Images, And Faceless Abominations.

Image: "Remember....Save a little bit for the rematch."

Once you strip away the vibrant colors, the chivalry, and all the sophisticated talk, medieval times were pretty freakin barbaric and scummy as Hell. All those knightly tales really lied to us. 

Based on true events, or rather based on the novel "The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France" by Eric Jager, "The Last Duel" opens with the entire kingdom showing up to witness a duel to the death between a knight, "Jean de Carrouges" (Matt Damon) and a squire, "Jacques Le Gris" (Adam Driver). "Marguerite de Carrouges" (Jodie Comer), the wife of de Carrouges, claims that Le Gris (Who is also the former friend to de Carrouges), raped her, and according to medieval law, this sanctioned duel is what will decide what the truth is, and if de Carrouges dies, so will Marguerite (Quite painfully too, I might add). The film is then told in three chapters, focusing on the supposed truth according to our three main characters, detailing the events that led everyone to this moment, though as expected, our leading men are going to leave out some key details or boast themselves up a little. The three perspectives are revealed before returning us to that fateful duel, with an innocent woman just being caught right in the middle of a dick measuring contest. To the death. 

Directed by Ridley Scott (Who has another movie, "House of Gucci", coming out next month), with a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?"), Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon (All three of them serving as producers as well), "The Last Duel" is a fascinating, culturally appropriate tale, that's rather brilliantly told in a rather clever way. The decision to break the story up into sections, from different perspectives, really drives home what can be manipulated as the truth, and Ridley Scott does a terrific job making these perceptions change as the film progresses. In one version, we might see a scene being portrayed in a somewhat more comedic light, while in another, we witness it in a more horrifying way. One character at first appears heroic, before being shown to be incompetently stupid, and then even being portrayed as someone more monstrous. There are subtle tweaks to the dialogue and the score within similar scenes depending on who is being focused on, and how that character appears to wish for the audience to view the scene. It's something that could warrant a repeat viewing, so one can see all the tiny details and how they further play into later developments. It's a gorgeously constructed film, with the once whimsical or regal setting being brought down to this dark, grey, dirty, and thoroughly savage this time period can truly be. 

We get a top notch cast, all of which are allowed to play against their traditional types, with some portrayals varying between flattering or otherwise, well, not. Matt Damon goes through some of the biggest shifts in his characterization, along with Adam Driver, going from charismatic and smart, to repulsive and cowardly. Both characters are certainly human, and at times, you're left wondering how much of their perceived accounts are actually what they believe or something that they are just making up to gain sympathy. Jodie Comer is the one who stands out the most, giving a powerhouse performance that only truly gets to shine once we reach the final act. Just from her eyes alone, you feel every emotion, even when they aren't exactly obvious in the moment. Ben Affleck (as "Count Pierre d'Alencon", who immediately takes a shine to Le Gris, inviting him to his drunken parties and orgies), steals most scenes that he's in, embracing the kind of sleazy scumbag that you take a sick delight in seeing. The film incorporates a few moments of humor, with some of it coming from how bizarre the time period is, or just how plain horrendous it could be. It also adds a lot of character, especially to some supporting players like Harriet Walker (as "Nicole", Jean de Carrouges' mother, who is always disapproving), and Alex Lawther (as a rather odd "King Charles VI"). 

"The Last Duel" is unrelenting and cruelly honest, yet still shows signs of hope and that something better can eventually come out of this. It leads to a grueling climax that will have you on the edge of your seat, especially if you know nothing of the story. The execution of the narrative might be jarring to some, but feels necessary when you think more about why it's told the way it is. It serves as a compelling drama, as well as a fitting allegory for our current state when it comes to what we choose to believe as truth and how the women at the center might still not have as much of a say, even when it concerns them more than the rest of us. I'm not saying that we're still burning them at the stake, but you gotta admit, a lot of the arguments here are eerily similar, like how the men in power treat the rape more as an insult to the man than anything, or repeated questioning on how it technically couldn't be a rape because of religious/science mumbo jumbo that doesn't make any sense. It's a powerful, unsettling, and wonderfully uncompromising tale that sadly went mostly ignored at the box office. Lets hope next year's Oscars don't forget it. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Strong Language, Strong Violence, And An Especially Uncomfortable (Though Necessarily And Uniquely Explained) Rape Scene.  

Image: "I'm going to see to it that this kid is going to grow up to become a well rounded, kind, decent, peaceful and honest human being....And I stake my life on it!"

I tend to drop a lot of bombshells on people when it comes to things I still haven't seen yet. "The Sopranos" is one of many that are on my "List" (The never ending document I have saved on my phone, filled with the many, many television shows that I say I'm going to watch, but likely will never get around it). So I'm going in completely blind, knowing little to nothing about the series (At least I know how it ends....or doesn't end...I guess...), and judging the film on its own. Like a film critic should anyway. 

Set long before the events of the original series, "The Many Saints of Newark", follows the story of the man who helped shape "Tony Soprano" (Played by William Ludwig as a child, then by Michael Gandolfini). That person being his uncle, "Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti" (Alessandro Nivola). Tony sees Uncle Dickie's rise to power in the midst of the 1967 riots in Newark, New Jersey. After taking over the crime family business from his father, "Hollywood Dick Moltisanti" (Ray Liotta) after his um, timely demise (Let's just leave it at that), Dickie proves to be a role model to Tony, along with an important part of the community. While Dickie tries to hold everything together, he also has rivalry with a former associate, "Harold McBrayer" (Leslie Odom Jr.), which becomes more deadly. The gang war starts to escalate further, setting the stage for future characters in the series, that I bet fans are losing their minds over. I'm just here to go with the flow, and probably shouldn't spoil too much. 

Directed by Alan Taylor ("Thor: The Dark World", "Terminator Genisys", along with a few episodes of the show), with a screenplay by series creator David Chase, along with Lawrence Konner (Who also wrote for the series), "The Many Saints of Newark" needs most of its plot points left out, because the film itself plays out almost like a true story biopic. It gives off that vibe, following different character interactions, their connections, and of course, the inevitable conclusion. On one hand, it makes the film rather predictable, and perhaps even a bit messy in storytelling. I also can't really say that I completely get everything, but for what the film is in the end, it makes for a perfectly solid, and overall just fascinating mobster drama. Nothing here is exactly new and some of the basic plot points are easy to deduce, especially for those who are more genre savvy. It's all very well put together though, in a briskly paced, morally questionable fashion, that remembers to add little tweaks here and there to each and every single character, whether it be small, subtle bits of humor or little moments of sparse eccentricity. 

For the most part, Alessandro Nivola is the main star here, playing the classic part of the rising crime boss, who is not directly evil, though sure as Hell isn't remotely good. (Although, he deep down seems to know it, even if he tries to convince himself otherwise). He's compelling throughout, and his relationship with Michael Gandolfini (Son of the late James Gandolfini) is certainly tragic, since whether if you're a fan of the old show or not, you know that this loving familial bond will eventually lead down a darker path due to its problematic nature. The cast is all around excellent, ranging from smaller roles to much more pivotal ones, with some standouts being Vera Farmiga (as "Livia Soprano", Tony's mother, who he has a complicated relationship with), Michela De Rossi (as "Giuseppina", Dickie's stepmother turned mistress), Corey Stoll (as "Junior Soprano", who is repeatedly upstaged by Dickie), Jon Bernthal (as "Johnny Soprano", Tony's jailed father), and Ray Liotta (Who also plays "Sally", the much calmer, more repentant twin brother to Dickie's father). Leslie Odom Jr.'s role feels a bit secondary, though maybe it's possible setup for something else in the future. It's hard to tell. There's a lot in this that I certainly didn't completely get, but I'm sure the fans will be pleased, especially since there's clearly loads of fanservice for them.

"The Many Saints of Newark" is well shot, atmospheric and full of tension, even thought it rarely goes places that any other gangster flick would go (It's also Italian as Hell!). There aren't too many surprises (Although I was caught off guard by a small reveal towards the end. Even some fans apparently didn't see it coming), and yet, I found myself still compelled by it. Even though I don't know the characters (And while I still don't see myself getting around to watching the show anytime soon), I was interested in every single one of them. Maybe I'd get it more if I followed the show. For what is though, it does keep your attention throughout. Could be what worked about the show too in the first place. 3 Stars. Rated R For Gang Violence, Sexual Content, Mobster Pettiness, And Italian Yelling.  

Image: "Look, we both can play with it. Just not at the same time....Well, maybe back to back."

Can we all just take time to appreciate this movie for taking what worked about 2018's "Venom", leaving out all the bland crap, and of course, going absolutely insane? If this "Marvel" property isn't going to reach the same heights of the more successful "Marvel Cinematic Universe", it's best that it just embrace what it is. Plus, the whole "Sony's Spider-Man Universe" (That you know, doesn't have Spider-Man in it....), doesn't quite have the same ring to it. 

Since the events of the first film, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" opens up with washed up reporter and all around loser, "Eddie Brock" (Tom Hardy), continuing to attempt to coexist with the "Symbiote" (Alien race of goo parasites), known as "Venom" (Also voiced by Tom Hardy), who would rather go around New York City, stopping bad guys and eating their brains. Eddie is trying to get his journalist career back on track, though is repeatedly called in to speak to "Cletus Kasady" (Woody Harrelson), an especially unwell serial killer on death row. Venom is able to deduce where Kasady has hidden his many dead bodies, leading to a resurgence of Eddie's career, though to the chagrin of the rather unlikable detective, "Mulligan" (Stephen Graham). Kasady's execution date is moved up, and during another talk with Eddie, bites him, tasting his now no longer human blood. This leads to Kasady beginning his own horrifying transformation, becoming a now even more powerful and bloodthirsty monster, "Carnage" (Also voiced by Woody Harrelson). 

Kasady/Carnage proceeds to track down the love of his life, "Frances Barrison/Shriek" (Naomie Harris), a mentally troubled, scarred woman locked up in the "Ravencroft" Institute (Think "Arkham Asylum" for Spider-Man villains) due to her high frequency scream. Meanwhile, Eddie learns that his own love interest, "Anne Weying" (Michelle Williams), is marrying her doctor boyfriend, "Dan" (Reid Scott), sending Eddie down a spiral of depression. Both now sick of each other's self-loathing, Eddie and Venom breakup, separating from each other and going their separate ways. Unfortunately, now Carnage and Shriek are going around town, causing mass chaos, and seeking out those who have wronged them, with Eddie being one of them. Eddie and Venom now must get their collective sh*t together if they're going to become the lethal protector that the city needs before Carnage is set loose onto the world. 

Directed by the always underappreciated Andy Serkis ("Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle"), with a screenplay by Kelly Marcel ("Venom", "Saving Mr. Banks", "Fifty Shades of Grey"), "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" is only part by the numbers comic book movie, part slightly dark comedy, and more than anything, a bizarre buddy movie that borders on the romantic. In fact, once you get past all the sharp teeth, slimy tongues, and head chomping, it's actually quite adorable. While I'm not exactly the tone that the comics have set up (Well, it's a little hard to tell actually. They tend to range from dark and brooding, to goofy and cartoonish), the film just goes for it, and makes for something far more enjoyable. As far as plots go, it's nothing that you haven't seen before, with some bad guys running wild, culminating in a chaotic CGI-fest. It comes with the territory and unlike some of the better Marvel films, there's little time for dramatic depth here (And it still lacks that big Disney budget). Luckily, the film seems to know what it can do, with a fast pace, a wild sense of humor, and a lot of personality. Serkis gives the film a good look, with some solid enough action scenes (Nothing exactly memorable, but at times clever), and clearly was brought on due to his experience it fully animated characters. That makes for another major improvement over the first, with the creatures looking more lively and are on full display more often. (Though the climax does end up becoming a flood of sewer-like sludge smacking each other around) The film also gets a good amount of strange laughs, knowing that the silliness is what sold the first movie, along with some truly out there images that definitely feel like something you would of seen in the late 90s or early 2000s. The humor ranges from truthfully funny, or so freakin odd that it gets a little awkward laugh out of you. Such as the falling out between Eddie and Venom (It kind of makes for one of the best fight scenes in the movie, believe it or not), which is portrayed like an actual couple breaking up, moments of Venom's hunger for brains (He eats chickens, with the exception of a pair that he's affectionately named "Sonny" and "Cher"), or Venom basically coming out at a gay rave, expressing his freedom before sulking into depression over his ex. Sometimes you're left wondering just what exactly you're watching, and yet, you're thoroughly fascinated by the eccentricity and how earnest it is. 

A lot of what carries the film once again is Tom Hardy, who gives just as brilliantly peculiar a performance as he did before. Whether it be in physical form, or just his voice, he doesn't hold back in any capacity. It's funny how well both his characters work off each other, as something humorous, along with serving as the main heart of the film (Eddie and Venom bond on a sunset lit beach, and it's somehow genuinely sweet). Woody Harrelson, while obviously toned down from the comic character's much bloodier origins, takes sadistic glee in his villain's lust for madness and death, along with Naomie Harris, who looks like she's having a ball (And looking pretty hot, in a crazy sort of way). They make for a great pair of villains, with excellent chemistry, and to give the film a little credit, they're given a little more sympathy than one would expect. (They're monsters, but it's implied that they're monsters that were created) The overqualified Michelle Williams continues to remain so, though does get some chances to do something more than just be the damsel in distress (Well, until she becomes a damsel in distress), while they are fun supporting parts for Reid Scott and Peggy Lu (as "Mrs. Chen", the convenience store owner from the first film, who is now protected by Venom in exchange for Chocolate deliveries). A lot of the focus on Stephen Graham's character feels a little pointless, though it appears towards the end that it might be setup for a future film. (Whether you're excited about it, or dreading it, it's up to you) Subplots are thankfully minimal though and the film really benefits from its barely hour and a half runtime (I gotta admit, that is really refreshing. Not everything needs to be almost two hours)

Weird as Hell, and as silly is it can possibly be, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" appears to be loving every minute of it. It's hilariously bonkers, perplexingly odd, and with off the chart levels of homoerotiscism. The film is not something that I can logically fully recommend (Though fans of the first will likely flock to it). It's essentially dumb nonsense, with little real substance. (There's also plenty of things that don't make much sense.....Like, how old is Kasady supposed to be if he was a teenager in 1996?) However, regardless of how you feel about it, it has its own identity, separating itself from other superhero films and justifying its right to exist. I found it to be mystifyingly wacky, though rather charmingly so. And yeah, stick around for the post credits scene. It's not exactly shocking, but it did bring a big smile to my face, and kind of changes the game more than maybe even the filmmakers realize. 3 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Scary Images, Wild Tongue Play, Tentacles Galore, And The Acceptance That Venom May Just Become A Gay Icon. 

Image: Clint even cries more macho than me.

I have an immense amount of respect for Clint Eastwood. The dude is over ninety years old, and while he certainly looks aged, he's spry as Hell, always working, and still at times can pop out a good film or two. (We don't talk about "The 15:17 to Paris". Nobody does) For what it's worth, I had some high hopes for this movie. Yeah, problematic stuff aside, I consider myself a lenient guy with a soft spot for this kind of simple, humanized filmmaking. Depressingly though, once it ended, I was left questioning if I actually liked it. Then I thought about it some more. Now I really don't like it. 

Released in theaters and through HBO Max, "Cry Macho" follows a retired, completely worn and wither Texas rodeo cowboy, "Mike Milo" (Clint Eastwood), who loses his job and now doesn't do much of anything these days. He's approached by his old boss, "Howard Polk" (Dwight Yoakam), who needs someone to cross the Mexican border to find his estranged son, "Rafael" (Eduardo Minett), or "Rafo" for short. Rafo has been living with his rather unhinged mother, "Leta" (Fernanda Urrejola), and she has no intention of letting him go, despite the fact that she doesn't really even like her son too much. Rafo is always getting into trouble, carrying about his rooster, named "Macho", to participate in cock fights. So Mike is told to leave and return across the border, only to find out Rafo, along with Macho, have stowed away in his car. While avoiding people that Leta has sent after them, Mike and Rafo must make their way across the border, while discovering that their seemingly simple journey is about to take a lot longer than expected. At least it kind of feels that way to me. 

Directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on the book of the same name by the late N. Richard Nash (Retaining a long delayed screenplay credit with Nick Schenk), "Cry Macho" is disappointing not just due to the wanting for Clint Eastwood's success (Personal issues some might have aside, I never like to see legends fail), but also because there is potential for something poignant that could have been done here. The film is slow, like a frail old man, meandering around, searching for a point and only at times ringing true. Sadly for the most part, it's more of a depressingly unfinished and worst of all, completely unfocused. Eastwood's eye for beautiful cinematography is given its due, but the film's pacing takes its sweet time moving forward. The screenplay lacks enough character to make the deliberate pace necessary, and the film's apparent message of ignoring in your face masculinity and machismo (And how more sensitivity and humanity is what really wins people over), doesn't actually go anywhere. Maybe that in the end wasn't the point, yet the film doesn't do a good enough job establishing anything else. Some of that fault also lies with the film's editing, which includes quite a few moments that could have been cut out (Such as an unnecessary prologue and awkward flash forward in the film's opening), or at least would have served better happening in the same scene instead of being drawn out. It's unevenly made, which makes for an offputting tone (That has some kind of comedy and some kind of drama, mixed with something that's just existing), and a culmination that never comes.  

Clint Eastwood, who appears to have accepted his age and wisely has been utulizing that into his more recent films, still has plenty of star power. He's charismatic enough to carry the film, even with the weak dialogue. I give credit to Eduardo Minett, although he's not exactly experienced enough, for still being able to hold his own with Eastwood. Minett still could use a little more work, but isn't without talent. Dwight Yoakam mostly just remains in the same room, not getting much to do. He's good in the film for what little an onscreen role he's given. Fernanda Urrejola and Horacio Garcia Rojas (as "Aurellio", Leta's henchman) are caricature-like villains, who a degree, could have had much of their scenes left out. (I guess it's to add more urgency, though they're so pathetic that they never resonate) Natalie Traven (as "Marta", a widow that Mike and Rafo meet while trying to hide out, becoming Mike's love interest), is a warm presence, though her romantic subplot with Eastwood isn't particularly earned, and everything involving that plotline stops the film in place for a good chunk of the second half. I suppose the most memorable character would be Macho, who is one badass rooster. (Thanos wouldn't have stood a chance. Just saying) On a side note, I only just now read up that at one point, the main star would have been Arnold Schwarzenegger (His involvement being one of the many reasons the novel took so long to get adapted), and I think that would have made more sense. In a way, it might have possibly brought more pathos to the story's themes. 

It's the kind of film that doesn't make one mad, but rather just makes you upset that it doesn't work. It kind of makes you wanna cry actually. I really wanted to like "Cry Macho", and despite some sprinkles of charm every once in a while, the film looks lost and unsure about what exactly it wants to be. It becomes especially frustrating once the film limps towards a mostly nonexistent climax and ends without much resolution. I honestly surprised that the film was even over, turning away for such a moment and turning back to the screen to see credits already rolling. Those worried that the film might have its own more social or political agenda really have themselves bent out of shape over nothing. If it's there, I couldn't see it, and the film isn't good enough to worry about anyway. I'm a bit shocked at how little I found myself caring, and even after thinking about it some more, it's hard to truly grasp what went wrong. A lack of story, personality, or you know, an actual point? I'm not sure. It could just be a bad movie, and I'm struggling to find reasons as to why it isn't. 1 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 Adult Content And Macho Cocks. 

Image: This man is a Marvel.

We are continuing to enter this fourth phase of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" (For those of you who on the off chance don't know, they're the series of films and shows based on the characters and stories from "Marvel Comics". It's been going on for over thirteen years, with some of the most successful films of all time, but I feel that some still don't know). We've had iron men, captains of America, Hulks that are pretty incredible, along with an ant man and a spider man. So many new worlds and characters upon characters, and we're still asking the questions, where else can they possible go? What new hero is going to play a part in this brand new era? 

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" follows a valet in San Francisco named "Shaun" (Simu Liu), who leads a mostly uneventful life with his longtime best friend, "Katy Chen" (Awkwafina), with neither having an intention of doing anything of significance. Then suddenly one day, Shaun and Katy are attacked on a bus by a one armed, steel blade wearing assassin, "Razor Fist" (Florian Munteanu). Shaun reveals to Katy that his real name is "Shang-Chi", and he is the son of a thousand year old conqueror "Wenwu" (Tony Leung), known to some as the "Mandarin" (The real one this time). Wenwu, armed with ten magical rings of immense power, is the leader of an international terrorist group called "The Ten Rings", and Shang-Chi has spent his life attempting to break free from his father's cycle of violence after the tragic death of his mother, "Ying Li" (Fala Chen). 

To escape the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi and Katy, search for his missing sister, "Xialing" (Meng'er Zhang), who also isn't particularly happy with Shang-Chi's purposeful disappearance and is now running her own underground fight club. Wenwu's forces though, are persistent and eventually Shang-Chi is brought face to face with his father. Wenwu is still is despair after the death of his wife, having made misguided plans to find a path to an ancient, mystical village known as "Ta Lo", home to all kinds of creatures and unknown power. Wenwu's actions could result in the release of an evil force of mindless destruction, which threatens the entire world. Now it's up to Shang-Chi to confront his past, to defend the hidden village's secrets, and in time, possibly become one of Earth's newest mightiest heroes. 

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton ("Just Mercy", "The Glass House"), who also wrote the screenplay along with David Callaham ("Wonder Woman 1984", "Mortal Kombat") and Andrew Lanham (A frequent collaborator with Cretton), "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is the first straight forward origin story we've gotten in some time from the MCU (Even more than "Captain Marvel", which had already found itself rooted in the rest of the film universe). This film is almost a complete blank slate, serving as a starting point of sorts for newcomers, though with plenty of already established aspects already integrated for longtime fans. All of this shows that the franchise has the continued potential of staying power, but can stand on its own just as something truly special. The film takes a little time before connecting into the larger MCU, instead deciding to direct most of its focus on where it should be. It's a classic heroic origin story, with that usual superhero flair, that takes a more grounded look at it. Even when things get more fantastical, it always feels as if we're seeing this through new, more relatable eyes. 

One complaint, no matter how much I do love these films, I can see how some critics could ponder how much of these films are truly the work of the directors or just calculated studio decisions. This is clearly Destin Daniel Cretton's film, and it makes for one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best looking films. The action is fast paced, well choreographed, and astonishingly elaborate. Whether its close quarters between fighters, or filled with beautifully rendered CGI monsters, they aren't just up to par with what we expect for the long running franchise, they've actually surpassed what they've already done and set a completely new standard. Plus, everything is clear to the eye, so you can appreciate how much hard work actually went into all of this (Even the most basic action films struggle with that). Underneath all of the superheroics is a deeper story, with complex characters that look and react like, well, people, even though pretty much most of these characters are still remembering the fact that half the universe was wiped out and just recently brought back. Something I love about the film is how it establishes itself within the larger grand scheme of things. It's no longer the same world we're used to. There are superpowered beings and mutated creatures everywhere, and that's apparently normal now. It lends itself to a lot of humor for sure, and a lot of creativity, especially with the film's later developments. It's the first time that we've really gotten into the new status quo.

The film really gets down and personal with its characters, which shows positive representation of Asian culture without feeling as if it's being exploited. Similar with "Black Panther", the film doesn't need to tone anything down or pander to American audiences. (It's especially noticeable early on, when the film's opening backstory is completely subtitled. No need to have people talk in English when it wouldn't be logical for them to do so). At the heart and soul of the film is both our main hero and main villain. Simu Liu has the chops and obvious skill to pull off a realistic action hero, with plenty of charisma and loads of chemistry with Awkwafina, who also serves as great comic relief as well as someone who has much more to contribute than they normally would. Tony Leung is more than just the main antagonist, because he too serves as emotional center of the film. He's subtle, at times charming as Hell, undeniably sympathetic, but always retaining this certain sense of menace, showing that this may be a villain, he's very much a human one. The relationship between Liu and Leung puts an even more complicated spin on the battle between our hero and the big bad, and it never makes it remotely simple. You actually find yourself actually liking the both of them. Meng'er Zheng gets a breakout performance, getting her own little side origin that I'm hoping will get more development in future films. Fala Chen, mostly appearing in flashbacks, is quite wonderful, serving as a graceful presence, while Michelle Yeoh (as "Ying Nan", a protector of Ta Lo), gets to class things up, while she's kicking all kinds of ass. There are also some surprise appearances from the larger MCU, such as the always great Benedict Wong (as "Wong", partner to "Doctor Strange", who is participating in Xialing's fight club), and a certain high profile actor, returning from a previous film to once again steal the show. (How the film ties into one of the more controversial entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite clever and hilarious, which should appease both those who didn't mind and those who did) Also, you will remember "Morris". I won't tell you who or what that is, but you'll fall in love instantly. 

When we reach the final act, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" becomes one Hell of a surreal, visually incredible extravaganza, that may turn off some viewers, though by this point, a grand final CGI heavy battle is basically the norm. Luckily for me, the effects are excellent, the artistry behind the action is mesmerizing, and there's a freakin dragon! I'm sorry, but there is a small list of things that will always win me over, and that's one of them. It's a tale that opens small, then builds to an epic finale, that thankfully, never forgets the heart and humor that's meant to help elevate past the more generic blockbusters. Everything from Destin Daniel Cretton's expert direction, flawless performances, a score (And soundtrack) worth repeat listenings, unforgettable imagery, and characters that you'll find yourself equally invested in and in love with. The film takes what should be basic, and makes it feel brand new again. It shows that the now old school formula still has soul, similar to 2008's "Iron Man", and doesn't show any signs of wearing thin. Also, Dragons! One of Marvel's best for sure, but also, one of their most accessible. It's as if while this universe has been going on for some time, there's still so much more that we're yet to experience. 4 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Martial Arts Style Violence, Family Problems, Soul Sucking, And Faceless, Winged Piggies. 

Image: Wow, the new Jessica Rabbit is even prettier.

Even I could have told you that this movie, no matter the quality, was not destined for box office greatness. It's odd how much that we want noir-esque, Science Fiction thrillers, but generally ignore them whenever a new one is released. The pandemic also sure as Hell wasn't going to help this time. We all want another "Inception", "Blade Runner", or "The Matrix", and yet, we just can't seem to get this right. 

Set in the near-ish future, where Miami is now partially submerged by water due to climate change, "Reminiscence", where now people prefer to go out at night, and the shady stuff happens during the day since the coastline cities now become ghost towns during this time. We follow "Nick Bannister" (Hugh Jackman), who works with his assistant "Emily Sanders" (Thandiwe Newton), also known as "Watts", administering people a drug, that combined with a aquatic machine thingamajig, that helps people return to their memories. Considering how crappy everything is for everyone at the moment, nostalgia has become the only way to escape, and Nick also uses it as a means of assisting the District Attorney's Office with various cases. Nick gets a surprise visit from a beautiful singer, "Mae" (Rebecca Ferguson), and he's immediately smitten with her. They appear to fall in love over the course of a couple months, before Mae just vanishes out of nowhere. Nick starts to become obsessed with finding her, and his personal investigation leads him down some dark paths, coming across some questionable characters, such as drug lord, "Saint Joe" (Daniel Wu), a shady land baron, "Walter Sylvan" (Brett Cullen), and a disfigured corrupt cop, "Cyrus Booth" (Cliff Curtis). Nick slowly starts to uncover secrets that maybe he was better off not knowing, calling into question how real his relationship with Mae really was.

Written and directed by Lisa Joy ("Westworld"), who produced the film alongside her husband, Jonathan Nolan (Brother of Christopher Nolan), "Reminiscence" shows a lot of promise, and much of that promise doesn't leave the film early on. Every now and then, a new, fascinating idea is introduced, or Lisa Joy shows off her eye for stunning visuals. It's also impressive that despite a more modest budget by today's standards (It only cost $68 million), the effects work is beautiful, like a haunting painting of a perceived future, brought to life before our very eyes. I just wish it was better written, had more originality, and was, well, actually remotely cohesive in any way. The film has the aspirations for a new wave, future cult classic, intending to resurrect the classic noir storylines of old, mixed in with a dystopian feel. The dialogue sadly almost borders on parody in places, with everyone talking as if they just stepped out of the most pretentious detective novel, with poetic metaphors just dropped into what are meant to be every day conversations. All of this is taken way too seriously, and there is hardly any sense of levity to the bleak tone. The story itself is all jumbled, and while it feels intentional, the mystery is more confusing than interesting. Every few minutes, something of interest is introduced, which continues to further over complicate a plot that's meant to be a somewhat tangled web to be unraveled. You start to wonder what else could possibly happen or what other possible twist could be tossed in, even when the film stumbles to its final act (And at that point, you don't quite realize that the movie is almost over, considering how much still needs to be explained or pieced together). I was honestly caught off guard when I realized that we were at the climax. 

The potential is always there, and when such good actors come in to give really good performances anyway, it makes you a little more depressed that the film couldn't have been better. Hugh Jackman is great as you would expect him to be, while the big star of the show is Rebecca Ferguson. Aside from being, well, absolutely smoking hot beyond human imagination, this is one of those flawlessly cast performances that make up for little screentime with a certain graceful and mysterious presence, that's both alluring as it's meant to be, but also hiding something a bit more complex beneath the surface. Ferguson is far too subtle for the screenplay's tendency to go for the more overstated developments. Thandiwe Newton is underdeveloped, yet still has some good comradery with Jackman, Cliff Curtis is menacing (Though the accent given is a little distracting), while an entertainingly sneering Daniel Wu is underused. 

 "Reminiscence" has moments of excitement and intrigue to go with all that flash and flair, but a lot of it comes crashing down towards the end. Once we get down to what's really going on, and what led up to it, I it began to lose me. Then once we reach the very end, it completely lost me. It concludes on such a pretentious note, that just doesn't add up. It feels like the movie wants to say something deep and meaningful, but it's nothing that so many better movies, shows, books, or even video games, have already done and done in a much smarter manner. There just isn't all that much worth remembering, aside from what a waste it was. 2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content, Violence, Monotonous Monologues, And Dangerous Levels Of Rebecca Ferguson Attractiveness. 

Image: "Can I lick various parts of your body?"

I certainly missed this part of the job. With kids movies such as this, my time in the movie theater is going to go one of two ways. The first will consist of me awkwardly going into a completely empty theater with the theater staff silently mocking me the entire time, or I will be in a thoroughly crowded theater, with families all over the place, and as usual, being the only adult all by himself. It was the second one this time, and sadly I couldn't even hide in the back like I generally try to. Still pretty sure the staff was mocking me too.  

Based on the popular children's show (And the toyline) of the same name, "PAW Patrol: The Movie", follows the titular "PAW Patrol", made up of the child leader, "Ryder" (Will Brisbin), along with his adorable puppy companions, German Shepherd cop, "Chase" (Ian Armitage), Bulldog construction worker, "Rubble" (Keegan Hedley), Cockapoo aviator, "Skye" (Lilly Bartlam), Dalmation firefighter, "Marshall" (Kingsley Marshall), Mixed-breed recycling dog, "Rocky" (Callum Shoniker), and aquatic rescue Labrador, "Zuma" (Shayle Simons). Stationed outside of "Adventure City", which has just elected the up to no good (And totally fabulous!), "Mayor Humdinger" (Ron Pardo) via rigged election. The top hat wearing, mustache twirling mayor has big villainous plans for the city, most of which at the expense of the canine community (He's more of a cat person). The PAW Patrol is called into the big city and is given a brand spanking new base of operations, though Chase is the most uneasy due to memories of his abandonment when he was an even smaller pup. 

With some help from a local, fast talking Dachshund (And PAW Patrol fangirl), "Liberty" (Marsai Martin), the PAW Patrol are able to prevent some of Humdinger's incompetent schemes, which repeatedly endanger the lives of the citizens. Meanwhile, poor Chase has begun to question his bravery due to a string of recent failures and moments of inescapable fear. After Humdinger gets control of an experimental weather studying device, developed by the always ignored scientist, "Kendra Wilson" (Yara Shahidi), and instead tries to use it to make Adventure City always sunny, without caring about the dangerous ramifications. As you would expect, the device malfunctions and now threatens to basically cause an apocalyptic level hurricane. Now it's up to the PAW Patrol to save the day, sell some colorful toys, liberate some poor pooches, and teach the little kiddies a nice life lesson or two.    

To state the obvious, "PAW Patrol: The Movie", is something that no person my age would have any interest in. It's aimed at a young, single digit demographic, and unlike say something from "Disney", has no intention of including much that any adult (Parent or otherwise), would find themselves enthralled by. You gotta get that through your head as early as possible, and once you do, the fact that this ends up being a charming little adventure just on its own, makes it worth it if you just so happen to get dragged to it. From "Nickelodeon Movies", the film doesn't try to overextend its simple plot, keeps it straight forward and right to the point. Director and co-writer Cal Brunker ("Escape From Planet Earth", "The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature"), seems to know what the target audience is meant to be, what obligations are necessary (Gotta sell those toys!), but wisely avoids going for anything loud or obnoxious. There isn't excessive amount of noise, and absolutely nothing low brow. (Not a fart joke to be seen. Or heard) The animation, while nothing on par with say "Pixar" or Sony's "The Mitchells vs. The Machines", is still just appealing to look at, with bright, flashing colors and expressive characters. It sure feels cinematic, even if it's not as detailed or unique. The film is also actually relatively well paced and well, just very calm. The stakes are rather low, though never to the point where it talks down to the kids, and the humor, while nothing that will get too big of a laugh out of adults, is worth quite a few more chuckles than you might expect. (I never got anything more than decent sized chuckles, but still, this was not the kind of movie I thought I would get much of anything out of) 

The voice cast and characters are all likable, though the PAW Patrol members themselves are the least memorable. They're cute and all, but unless you're a fan of the series, the movie doesn't get too in depth with them. The only exception being Ian Armitage, who gets the biggest character arc, and it's leads to a good message about conquering doubt and fear, even when you're at your most fragile. Marsai Martin is the one who steals most of the scenes, having her own little sweet side story. Ron Pardo is an amusingly buffoonish baddie (He's basically playing a questionably flamboyant Donald Trump. I know I'm not the only one who sees that!), while there's some good laughs from Randall Park and an unrecognizable Dax Shepard (as "Butch" and "Ruben", Humdinger's bumbling henchmen). Other fun celebrity voices come from Tyler Perry (as "Gus", a perplexed truck driver that the PAW Patrol saves early on) and Jimmy Kimmel (as "Marty Muckracker", a news anchor with amazingly poofy hair). Also, Kim Kardashian West shows up as a shallow poodle. She's only in it for a like a minute and I honestly didn't even realize it was her until the end credits. Being unfamiliar with the franchise because I'm you know, twenty seven years old, a few things I just kind of hand to go with. Like, is Ryder an orphan or something? And does actual law enforcement not exist here? Why do these people rely on little puppies to do all the work? Is that legal? You'll hurt your brain if you get too into it. 

As inoffensive as they come, "PAW Patrol: The Movie", never overstays its welcome and does its job much better than it really even needed to. It's a quick watch for the family, which never gets too heavy, but also never feels like it's jiggling keys at the kiddies. It features some solid animation, a decent amount of charm, and also builds up to a fun, even fairly exciting finale (Well, as exciting as a G rated movie for six year-olds can possibly be). It's just a pleasant movie, and I'm not sure how anyone can walk out of it in exactly a bad mood. We all remember what it was like to have our own hour and twenty minute, theatrical toy commercials posing as children friendly fare. This one just so happens to have genuine effort and an earnest personality to make it worth recommending. I had no real reason to be here other than to write a review for it, but at least I wasn't too embarrassed to admit that I actually liked it. I'm mature enough for that. 3 Stars. Rated G, Despite Some Puppy PTSD. It's Actually Nice To See Some G Ratings Making A Bit Of A Comeback.  

Image: "Maybe we should be sitting outside on a patio to practice proper Covid safety."

So are trained assassin movies the new spy movies? Of course they're glamorized and Hollywoodized to Hell, with there being a pretty good chance that the adventures of the real life, every day assassin is not near as exciting or as sexy as this. There's probably a lot of sitting around, waiting, lots and lots of surveying, and after a head shot or two, results in a quick trip back to a smelly hotel, where the process begins again, with not a Maggie Q in sight. Not exactly what you wanna see for an hour and forty minutes. 

Image: "I've seen enough horror movies to know I probably should leave this place....But I'm not going to." 

The biggest takeaway anyone should get from this movie is that secluded lake houses (Or any kind of home that just so happens to be located in a concealed area by itself) is a bad idea. Whether or not there's something actually there, the entire time you'll feel like something is. If you hear a noise outside, you'll automatically drop everything and take up arms against what's either a intruder with nefarious intent.....or a squirrel (Though it too might still have nefarious intent). It could be something, or it could nothing. With that said, this movie showed me that nothing is pretty damn terrifying. 

"The Night House" follows a recently widowed teacher, "Beth" (Rebecca Hall), who's husband of fifteen years, "Owen" (Evan Jonigkeit), just out of nowhere, took a boat out onto the river near their lakeside home, and shot himself. There were no apparent signs, with Owen not even talking to Beth about it, only leaving a note that reads "You were right. There is nothing, nothing is after you. You are safe.". Beth is distraught, unsure of what to do with herself, and is in an emotionally unstable (And unhealthy) place. While in her now empty home in the middle of the night, Beth starts to hear a mysterious voice that sounds similar to her husband, as well as strange, impossible to explain images, which may pose a threatening presence. However, Beth wakes up, not knowing if what she is experiencing is real or just a dream brought on by her current trauma. Despite others advising her not to, Beth starts to look into some of Owen's secret projects, such as his extensive and articulate work on their lake house. As Beth goes further down the rabbit hole, she starts to uncover secrets that she might wish remained buried, as well as possibly something much darker just waiting to unleashed. 

Directed by David Bruckner ("V/H/S", "The Ritual"), "The Night House" is a seemingly run of the mill ghost story, that instead could be listed more as a drama and psychological thriller, rather than an actual horror movie. Don't get me wrong. There's some genuine terror and unnerving themes, but when you get down to it, the film is actually showing us a woman, filled with all of the stages of grief, ranging from sad, terrified, mad, and desperate for closure of any kind (Even if there doesn't appear to be any), as she slowly may be losing herself to something that may or may not even be there. Under all the spooks and scares, is actually something really sad and probably might hit really close to home for some people. Bruckner focuses on atmospheric dread, preying on our fears of worry and anxiety, leaving us to wonder if we're truly alone in the room or not. The film intentionally uses perplexing imagery, that only slowly starts to come together, though in a way that's thoroughly unpredictable. Yeah, there's a couple jump scares, but even a lot of those are effective. (There's an especially brilliant one where the shot is focused purely on Rebecca Hall's face during what should be a calming moment, only to make you jump at what can only be described as the worst kind of sudden panic attack imaginable) The way the film plays with its always changing imagery, the well timed score, and the visually alluring cinematography is where most of the scares come from, messing with your mind just as much as our protagonist's. You're constantly on edge, and not just because of the worry of an unanticipated fright. You feel like you too are not in the right state of mind, especially thanks to the upsetting subject matter, which is handled in a less glamorous manner. The film never sugarcoats it, and never relents from what effect that kind of grief and mourning can have one someone, who may already be in a questionable mental state. 

This entire movie is a showcase for Rebecca Hall's incredible talent, with little focus given to anyone else, and at times, just placing the camera squarely on her face. We see every intricate emotion (Or sometimes, a mix of various emotions), and Hall beautifully, though also tragically, conveys it, without ever needing to overstate. She can be at times humorous, although uncomfortably so, realistically using a macabre sense of humor to cover her turmoil (There's an especially memorable and awkwardly funny scene involving Beth having to deal with an unbearable parent, who is too enamored with her own, less important frustration than you know, the fact that the woman's husband just committed suicide) These little scenes add hints of levity to the gloomy tone, and feel necessary. Similar to Elizabeth Moss from last year's "The Invisible Man", Rebecca Hall gives a brutally honest performance that shows us the different layers of despair and fear, where the supposed spirit or entity is the least scary thing to worry about. There are some solid supporting work worth mentioning, from Sarah Goldberg (as "Claire", Beth's supportive best friend) and Vondie Curtis-Hall (as "Mel", Beth's helpful neighbor, with a couple secrets of his own). 

A mind bending mystery, with an emotionally resonate core, "The Night House" has some excellent twists and turns, with the surreal nature of the film leaving much in question. Even once we reach the last act, you still are left pondering where it's all going to go. It's the kind of movie that might leave some confused and those looking for a more traditional horror flick with a good body count will definitely be turned off. I can't see myself recommending it to those people. Even with some more overt scares, where the real horror comes from is more on a level that gets into your head. You've got to have felt this kind of fear before, where your worry or even your current sadness, gets the better of you, and you can't help but let those emotions manifest themselves into some kind of dark presence. A presence that isn't there. You may jump once or twice, but you might even find yourself with a couple tears in your eyes. You might also leave that light on in the closet the following night. Just in case. You never know what's there. Probably those damn squirrels. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Language, Unsettling Content, And Depression That Seeps Into Your Soul.  

Image: Stop! Hammer Time! 

2016's surprisingly successful "Don't Breathe" (Directed and co-written by Fede Álvarez), was one of the first horror films in some time to remind me that they were capable of so much more than just a lot of gore and jump scares. Sometimes fear didn't come from what overly frightened you, but instead came from what you could never anticipate, and stuck with you long after you left the theater. And grossed you out with some sensitive subject material the film probably glossed over just a little bit.

Set over eight years after the first film, "Don't Breathe 2" sees the return of "Norman Nordstrom" (Stephen Lang), a.k.a. "The Blind Man", who was previously the former Navy Seal, turned victim of burglary, and then turned mentally unhinged kidnapper and killer (And also rapist....That's basically what happened with the whole turkey baster thing). Now he's on the path to decency, by taking care of a young girl, "Phoenix" (Madelyn Grace), who Norman claims is his daughter. Norman cares deeply for Phoenix, teaching her to be self-sufficient through survival training, though he has closed her off from the rest of the world in an attempt to hide his dark past. When a group of armed methhead thugs, led by "Raylan" (Brandon Sexton III), storm Norman's hope, with a mission to kidnap Phoenix, Norman has to utilize all of his training and bloodlust to protect her. However, there is something more to the intentions of the violent intruders, and it threatens to unravel the world that Norman has established for Phoenix. 

Directed and co-written by first time director (And co-writer of the previous film and 2013's "Evil Dead"), Rodo Sayagues, with Fede Álvarez also returning as also a co-writer for the screenplay, "Don't Breathe 2" has decided to take up quite the challenge. It's a difficult one that many screenwriters, no matter how good, could fail miserably at. I'm not just talking about making a sequel that last I checked, not many people asked for, felt relevant, or necessary (It doesn't). The real, much harder task, is to see if you can you find a way to redeem someone that we all know has horrific things. In a way, it's completely going to be up to the viewer to decide if this character is truly redeemed, even with his admittedly complicated and tragic backstory. For me, It's fairly close to making this work, or at least making his humanity win out. At least as well as you probably can. (Though I wouldn't say that it's necessarily because of the script) There's something ambitious here, but sadly, the film lacks the genuine terror, the cleverness, and most importantly, the uniqueness of the original. It's not a badly directed film. There's a few well done sequences, such as with Phoenix avoiding her captives by using her wits to stay quiet and stay hidden. Not to mention, the gory kills are impressively detailed, and you gotta kind of commend the film for not holding back in that department, especially since you don't see this level of violence in movies these days. (Never thought eyes could go squish like that) However, the first was brilliant in it's execution of its concept, with sequences that have still stuck with me even though I only saw the original film once back when I reviewed it five years ago. The dialogue is uneven, and leaves too many questions that the film doesn't have the time (Or money) to answer. I mean, did nobody notice the many burning houses in this one area? I know it's supposed to be set in a small suburb in Detroit, but there's got to be some kind of civilian life somewhere. 

The film is ruthlessly dragged down by the filmmakers' inability to justify its existence, and what makes that even more frustrating is that all that ends doing is waste (And I'm not joking here), Stephen Lang's mesmerizing performance. He's giving it everything and selling it wonderfully. He's terrifying when the film calls for it, and yet also, he shows the character's clear pain and regret of what he's been through and even more about what he's done. Everything that works about this film is because of Lang, and he's captivating throughout. Madelyn Grace is also a good young actress, being a real character with justified reasons for some of her actions, though also still really smart and kind of a little badass. They're awesome, and their performances are too good for this movie, especially when everyone else is godawful. Brendan Sexton III is a total cartoon, with no other real personality trait other than he's just greasy and does evil stuff because he's evil. With that said, he's subtle compared to everyone else. Every single one of these villains, with most of them just being here to meet grisly deaths, are all horrible characters, played by horrible actors, trying to overly portray horrible people. It just ends up being horrible.  

"Don't Breathe 2" is a silly little low budget slasher flick, that has aspirations to want to bring some more layers to a dark character, and maybe even a glimpse to if he has a soul to save. Whether that works is up to you. Stephen Lang and Madelyn Grace are both terrific, though the script fails them, and by the end, if this movie never existed, nothing would have changed about the much better first film. It's a sequel that doesn't need to be, and despite spots of something worth it, I doubt anyone is going to be talking about it in the following week. 2 Stars. Rated R For Poor Parenting And Gruesome Gratuitous Gory Grossness.

Image: Super....Uh....Guy.

It's time that many of us atone for our sins. All of those countless lives that we've taken or at least ruined beyond repair. We truly are monsters. I mean, if we tally up how many video game characters we've ruthlessly murdered over the years, I'm pretty sure we could be labeled by any psychologist as homicidal maniacs by this point. 

"Free Guy" follows a guy named "Guy" (Ryan Reynolds), who is an NPC (Non Player Character), in an immersive open-world video game, known as "Free City", from "Soonami Games". In Free City, it's basically "Grand Theft Auto", where players spend their time robbing banks, blowing up cars, causing collateral damage, and torturing all of the other NPCs on a daily basis to the point where they have just accepted it. Guy, who works at a bank with his best buddy named "Buddy" (Lil Rel Howery), which is consistently robbed, though Guy always retains a smile on his face. However, after meeting the girl of his dreams, a player named "Molotov Girl" (Jodie Comer), Guy gets the courage to try something different and gets his hands on a pair of sunglasses, which the other players use within the game to level up. Determined to prove himself to Molotov Girl, Guy slowly becomes an instant sensation, being just an all around lovable person, helping others and being the hero he's always wanted to be. 

With that said, Guy's actions are noticed in the real world, with former game developer, "Millie Rusk" (Also Jodie Comer), who uses Molotov Girl as her avatar, is in a struggle against the bro-tastic boss at Soonami Games, "Antwan" (Taika Waititi). Antwan apparently stole much of the ideas for Free City from Millie to create Free City, while her former partner, "Walter "Keys" McKey" (Joe Keery), who now begrudgingly works for him. Keys assists Millie in attempting to find proof of Antwan's misdeeds, which leads to the revelation that Guy (Who has been dubbed "Blue Shirt Guy" by the gaming community), is not like any NPC. He's becoming something more and could be the key to saving Free City before Antwan releases his much anticipated (And much lazier) sequel, which will result in the deletion of everything Guy knows and loves. 

Directed by Shawn Levy (The "Night at the Museum" trilogy), with a screenplay by Matt Lieberman ("Scoob!") and Zak Penn ("Ready Player One"), "Free Guy" is when you get down to it, probably not quite as original if you consider other films with similar ideas. It really is a quirky mixture of "Wreck-it Ralph" with existential ideas like from "The Truman Show", with the sense of humor of "Deadpool". It's the creativity behind the concept that make it more unique, and most importantly, just how freakin funny it is, to make the whole thing come together. Levy balances the real world with the one within the game, crafting more than a few elaborate sequences that are both exciting and more intricate than you usually find in a straight up comedy. The screenplay is clearly knowledgeable about its subject, poking fun at at various gaming tropes and everyday glitches, with some of those ideas weaved into the story rather brilliantly. There are details all over, and the film knows when to keep them in focus or just leave it as an amusing Easter Egg for eagle-eyed viewers. The fast paced (And rather quotable) dialogue never let up, and makes for one of this year's best comedies, ranging from weirdly charming to surreal and oddly inspiring in some places. Of course there's some obvious shade at certain aspects of this culture. Such as how we all know that there's a good chance that hardly any of the gamers look remotely like they do in the game. (There still are a few big laughs to be had here, such as a couple of young girls, who are taking a little too much glee in the bank robbing mission). The film isn't remotely cynical about it however. It understands why people love these kinds of games, and how a character like Guy would be someone to gravitate towards. 

The very busy Ryan Reynolds is one of the movie's biggest selling points, and boy does he give it everything he's got. Always grinning in an optimistic fashion, and just oozing pure, almost innocently whimsical likability. Reynolds is so damn charming in this that it just puts you in a good mood while watching. Jodie Comer is another one of the film's most shining stars, wonderfully playing essentially two parts of the same role, and just being naturally appealing. (Also, I think I might have a crush now. What? Cute, funny gamer girl? How can a geeky guy like me resist?) An endearing Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar (as "Mouser", Keys' friend, who for some reason uses a pink rabbit suit as a game avatar), and a hysterically lovable Lil Rel Howery, make for great supporting players. Meanwhile, Taika Waititi goes for inhuman levels of over the top, though still serving  as probably an accurate portrayal of modern gaming CEOs.  

"Free Guy" doesn't take it's concept into any dark places, and in the last act, decides it's better to go into full crowdpleaser territory. Then again though, what's wrong with that? We need to be uplifted, and believe it or not, the film does a rather astounding job of that. Inspired with its references, visually creative, funny as Hell, and so genuinely sweet natured that I would consider it to be the most adorable movie that 2021 has to offer. The movie is full of surprises, and I wouldn't dare to spoil any of them. What I can say is that an overly enthusiastic Ryan Reynolds may be just the thing we need to get us through the rest of the still uncertain year. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content And The Horrible Ways That We Treat Our Innocent NPCs. 

Image: The good guys always win, right?

The story of how this little masterpiece of madness came together has got to be the only smart thing "Warner Bros." has ever done in regards to the "DC Extended Universe". The moment of former director from "Troma Entertainment" (Known for small budget, independent parodies and horror films, which some would consider exploitative), James Gunn, getting temporarily fired by Disney and Marvel for controversial/problematic comedic comments (That he had already apologized for), WB swooped in without hesitation and hired him on the spot. Sure, Gunn is now back at Disney, but after getting free reign to do whatever the f*ck he wanted, I wouldn't be surprised if he had plans to go back and forth between the studios. After all, he's already gotten the taste for blood. Lots of blood. Lots and lots of blood. 

A sort of sequel, but not really (It has absolutely nothing to do with it really) to 2016's "Suicide Squad", "The Suicide Squad" (With a "The" at the beginning) opens with morally questionable government official, "Amanda Waller" (Viola Davis), gathering her collection of supervillains, placing miniature bombs into their skulls, and forcing them into her high-risk black ops team, "Task Force X", or as it's also called, "The Suicide Squad". This newest team, led by soldier, "Col. Rick Flag" (Joel Kinnaman), consisting of a wild, vile, and rather bizarre group of baddies. There's the psychiatrist turned fan favorite clown criminal, "Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn" (Margot Robbie), Ben Shapiro's favorite "Superhero", "Christopher Smith/Peacemaker" (John Cena), the hilariously disturbing, "Abner Krill/Polka-Dot Man" (David Dastmalchian), dimwitted man-eating half man, half shark, "Nanaue/King Shark" (Voiced by Sylvester Stallone), and the daughter of a villain with a power over rats, "Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2" (Daniela Melchior), along with her pet rat, "Sebastian". There's also even more weirdos, such as an intense hacker, "Brian Durlin/Savant" (Michael Rooker), the boomerang throwing wacko, "George "Digger" Harkness/Captain Boomerang" (Jai Courtney), a villain with the ability to detach his arms, "Cory Pitzner/T.D.K." (Nathan Fillion), the javelin wielding "Gunter Braun/Javelin" (Flula Borg), the obviously in over his head "Richard "Dick" Hertz/Blackguard" (Pete Davidson), an alien warrior, "Mongal" (Mayling Ng), and "Weasel" (Sean Gunn, in motion capture), who is just a human sized weasel. Last, but certainly not least, is the heavily armed mercenary responsible for putting "Superman" in the ICU, "Robert DuBois/Bloodsport" (Idris Elba), who is blackmailed by Waller into joining the Suicide Squad, by threatening to have his estranged teen daughter, "Tyla" (Storm Reid) arrested for petty theft. 

The squad is being sent to South American island nation, "Corto Maltese", which is currently in a violent political power struggle, consisting of the new tyrannical dictator, "Silvio Luna" (Juan Diego Botto) and his even more ruthless general, "Mateo Suárez" (Joaquín Cosío), against a group of rebels, led by "Sol Soria" (Alice Braga). The mission is to infiltrate an old Nazi-era laboratory, known as "Jötunheim", which houses a mysterious and deadly experiment called "Project: Starfish", with Luna planning to unleash the frightening creature that hides within. The plan is to track down Luna's head scientist, the intelligent supervillain, "Dr. Gaius Grieves/The Thinker" (Peter Capaldi), and force him to get the squad into Jötunheim, before Project: Starfish is unleashed onto the world. The Suicide Squad must put their many differences aside, their need to back stab each other, and their own dark histories, if they're going to save the world, and you know, do so while keeping their heads perfectly intact. 

Written and directed by James Gunn ("Slither", "Super", and both "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, along with the upcoming third one), "The Suicide Squad", is Gunn unleashed, in the most gleefully violent, outrageously insane, and horrifically hilarious comic book movie to ever grace the silver screen (Or on whatever device you're streaming this via HBO Max. If you feel safer watching it from home). The first ten minutes result in a gruesome sequence that needs to be seen to be believed, and even then, I'm not entirely sure that it happened. It's like a mad fever dream, with the most twisted sense of humor and some memorable carnage. A lot of the action is like that, going for gritty and gory, but also surreal and psychedelic. It's a beautifully directed film, which somehow finds a way to make the most bizarre of images feel natural. Whether it's meant to look cool, scary, or even a little endearing, somehow the film finds a way to make it all work and appear to be real in its own demented way. (We have a fat shark, a guy covered in polka dots, and a clown girl fighting a giant Starfish. Nothing about this movie is normal) It toys with time and structure, to ensure that the audience gets in every little detail, and it does so in clever ways. In some parts, it can almost feel that the film is trolling you to a degree, snarkily subverting any expectations you can possibly have, and it's something that you not only don't see in your average comic book movie, but you just don't see that in mainstream movies in general. You can see the inspirations from old fashioned exploitation films, in terms of the violence, humor, and the overall cruelty behind the absurdity. The film gets down and dirty with it's characters, with a lot of them being truly despicable, and James Gunn truly embraces the Hell out of it. 

There are so many people in this movie, with some getting larger roles than others, but every single one of them, whether they be major or otherwise, leaves an impression. Gunn's skilled and integrate writing gives the smallest of appearances a lot of personality, so that you know just enough about them before they most likely march into the face of death, resulting in a glorious (Or pathetic) demise. I always laugh when the DC fanboys rave about Superman's character arc in the DCEU (Because he has no character! How can there be an arc if there's no character?) In reality, the best character in the entire film universe is Harley Quinn, and Margot Robbie has just perfected this character. It actually feels like she's progressed over the course of her film appearances, while also retaining that unhinged, yet oddly adorable, repertoire of mental insanity. (Harley Quinn has become DC's version of "Deadpool", and the world is better for it) Idris Elba, who by this point is just showing off when it comes to the kind of range he has in terms of his film roles, is the essential possibly redeemable, but still likely a cruddy person, that fits what would realistically be considered the anti-hero. He's not exactly heroic. He's just not quite as bad as some of the others, and even then, you care about him. 

Speaking of caring, Daniela Melchior serves as the heart of the film, along with a hilariously out there David Dastmalchian (In the biggest role I've ever seen him in), and Joel Kinnaman, who makes for an excellent straight man to all the weirdness. John Cena is a riot, playing a violence loving, yet overly passionate about liberty and patriotism, dude bro who has been described as a "Douchey Captain America" by James Gunn himself. Sylvester Stallone is flawlessly cast, and the effects work on King Shark himself is not only impressive and kind of frightening, but also really lovable. Michael Rooker gets one of the most memorable moments, Jai Courtney looks to be having a blast, Nathan Fillion is suitably useless, and Pete Davidson is well, Pete Davidson. Joaquín Cosío is a solidly nasty villain, while Peter Capaldi just embraces pure, unapologetic scum-baggery. Also, everyone give a shout out to our boy, "Milton" (Played by Julio Ruiz), an ally to the squad, who does absolutely nothing, but we love him anyways. Viola Davis meanwhile returns to once again be terrifying as f*ck, portraying someone who could almost be considered the true main villain of the entire film, with no redeeming qualities and yet, you almost kind of respect her for it. You're kind of in awe of her heartlessness. The film also features a certain one eyed, kaiju-esque monstrosity that goes from appearing cartoonishly silly at first, before turning into the stuff of Lovecraftian nightmares. Some actors and characters appear in smaller capacities than others, with some getting even a small amount of character development before a sudden death. However, while yeah, it's a little for shock value, it ends up working more than you would expect. Every single person in this movie,  

This movie has the biggest balls you've ever seen, and I'm only kind of referring to that in a metaphorical sense. With a terrific score, an even better soundtrack, along with top of the line visual effects, and so many unpredictable turns, "The Suicide Squad", doesn't hold back on the occasional cruelty, but somehow underneath it all, finds something actually fairly sweet and heartwarming. There are moments that find a strange sense of pathos that even many more sane films appear to struggle with. There is a man with a polka dot rash in this movie, and I give a crap! There's more humanity in this movie than most Oscar contenders. (Now most of those humans are fairly crappy, but that's what makes it more genuine) Full of cynical carnage, pitch black hilarity, and believe it or not, characters you not only care about, but might even get a little misty eyed when they die. The DCEU finally has its first great movie, and I really hope that this is the start of something monstrously beautiful. More like this, please! 4 Stars. Rated R For Gloriously Grisly Gore, Unspeakable Swears, Starfish Induced Nightmare Fuel, Mommy Issues, John Cena's In Your Face Bugle (Which You Can See. All Of It!), And Dead Eyed, Humanoid Vermin. 

Image: "Wait....This isn't the Tiki room?"

It's the simple pleasures in life that make getting through this whole pandemic worth it. Something that reminds me of a simpler time, where you could just enjoy a pleasant theme park ride, much like "Pirates of the Caribbean", and most importantly, get some damn good puns out of it. That's the thing I miss the most.  

Based on the pun-tastic Disney World (And Disney Land) theme park attraction of the same name and set in 1916, "Jungle Cruise" follows eccentric, but brilliant explorer, "Lily Houghton" (Emily Blunt), who is determined to get assistance from a royal association of explorers, by tracking down the fabled "Tree of Life", where mystical illness curing petals, known as the "Tears of the Moon". Since the group denies Lily's offer (Due to not believing in the legends.....and because they're sexist like everyone one else was back in the day), she steals an ancient arrowhead (Which is said to be the key to finding the tree), and brings along her reluctant brother, "MacGregor" (Jack Whitehall), to mount their own expedition to the rivers of South America. That's where we meet sarcastic steamboat captain, "Frank Wolff" (Dwayne "Is He Still The Rock?" Johnson), who knows the river and jungle by heart, taking tourists on river cruises, where he generally cons them out of money with fake dangers and makes the worst (But also BEST!) jokes imaginable.

 However, Frank owes money to the harbormaster, "Nilo Nemolato" (Paul Giamatti), and in his desperation, he takes up Lily's job offer to venture into the jungle river. Turns out though, Lily isn't the only one searching for the tree, such as a deranged German aristocrat, "Prince Joachim" (Jesse Plemons), and as it turns out, Frank may have his own interests in finding the tree. Frank, Lily, MacGregor, along with Frank's pet jaguar, "Proxima", embark on a wild journey into the dangerous jungle, avoiding all kinds of threats, such as Joachim's forces, the many things that wanna eat you, and cursed, undead conquistadors, led by the no longer human "Don Aguirre" (Édgar Ramírez), who also have their reasons for finding the tree. 

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra ("The Shallows", "Run All Night", "The Commuter"), "Jungle Cruise" is rather derivative of some of those late 90s to early 2000s, family oriented action-adventure films, that all in of themselves feel like cinematic theme park rides. That's what the film's intent clearly is, and Collet-Serra does a great job of encompassing that. Once you get past the films lack of ambition when it comes to original storytelling, one can't help but find themselves sincerely immersed within a movie that just intends to give its audience some of those good old fashioned tropes of Hollywood escapism that we're too cynical to appreciate these days. Sure, it does that right up to a fault, but it's too genuine to dislike. It's very CGI heavy, and not a whole lot of it looks particularly real. It looks good, with a sort of colorful and flourishing appeal. You an just tell though that everyone is acting around a big greenscreen during a lot of sequences. However, I kind of feel that the lack of realism is a bit intentional, with the film's screenplay, by Michael Green ("Murder on the Orient Express"), Glenn Ficarra ("Focus"), and John Requa ("Cats & Dogs"), retaining a fantastical tone and a quirky sense of humor.    

A enjoyably snarky Dwayne Johnson and the ever charming Emily Blunt (And also ridiculously attractive too. Blonde hair. Just works for me), are two of those actors who can carry a movie simply by the will on their natural onscreen charisma. Their comedic banter is flawless done, and even when things get more romantic (As you would predictably expect), I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it really worked. It almost pisses you off how well Johnson and Blunt play off each other, and you'll gladly follow them anywhere. Jack Whitehall might appear to be somewhat stereotypical at first, but proves himself to be a good character, getting quite a bit of the film's laughs, and even participates more than what's defined as the comic relief would normally do. Paul Giamatti makes the most of his really brief appearance, while Jesse Plemons is an absolute villainous riot. Édgar Ramírez is also a frightening baddie, with a nightmare inducing design (Complete with snakes coming out of his face for attack), along with some cleverly put together henchmen (Such as one that grows out of the trees, or another that's basically a living bee hive). 

"Jungle Cruise" is the kind of movie where the plot is serviceable enough for one to follow, though really doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. It's all about the rapid paced, creatively whimsical journey, rather than the destination. Aside from a couple unexpected twists here and there, it doesn't lead to any conclusions that you wouldn't expect it it. But you know what? That's perfectly okay. For families looking for a little extra edge to their light hearted trip to the movies (Or a at home movie night, if you instead decide to stream it on "Disney+" via Premiere Access), it offers a delightfully trope heavy trip back to the kind of basics that if done jut right, never get old. 3 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Perilous Peril, Surprisingly Scary Images, And The Kind Of Punmanship That I Would Shamelessly Break Out On A First Date.  

Image: The saga never ends....Seriously, it never will.

Well, I've already reviewed the first two parts. All that money I've spent collecting robots that change in vehicles, along with an excessive amount of lore and the hours I suffered watching the Michael Bay film, has brought me here. To the end.....Of this series before Hasbro decides to reboot it for another one. 

In the epic conclusion to the trilogy, "Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - Kingdom", brings everything to a head. The heroic "Autobots", led by the still struggling in his position "Optimus Prime" (Jake Foushee), and the villainous "Decepticons", led by the now slightly more insane "Megatron" (Jason Marnocha), have crash landed on Earth, long before humanity has begun to thrive. Their quest to find the missing "AllSpark", and resurrect their dying homeworld, "Cybertron", has taken an unexpected turn, with the Autobots more defeated than ever and Megatron having gotten his clutches on the mystical "Matrix of Leadership", haunted by a vision of an unknown time traveler, "Galvatron" (Also Jason Marnocha for obvious reasons). The Autobots end up meeting their animal-hybrid descendants, the "Maximals", led by the big bot ape himself, "Optimus Primal" (Justin Pierce), who are on a time displaced mission of their own. The Decepticons meanwhile, meet their own descendants, the "Predacons", led by a tyrannosaurus fanboy of old Megsy, having taken the name "Megatron" (Marqus Bobesich) in his honor. The Autobots and Maximals, who are distrustful of the Autobots since the dark future that they're from is essentially Optimus' fault, are forced to band together to track down the AllSpark, before both Megatrons do, who intend to alter their own future, but making things worse for everyone else. Others take sides during the conflict, such as the remorseful Predacon, "Dinobot" (Krizz Kaliko) just wanting to see an end to the conflict, Megatron's traitorous second in command, "Starscream" (Frank Todaro) seeking to take power for himself, and the arachnid Predacon "Blackarachnia" (Jeanne Carr), plays all sides to ensure her own survival. Little does anyone realize that their eons of endless conflict have been part of something larger, and the vile planet sized being responsible (Wink Wink Fans!) isn't going to let hero or villain change what's supposedly meant to come. 

From "Rooster Teeth" and "Polygon Pictures", "Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - Kingdom" is a flawed, though still a plenty satisfying, if not uniquely bold, end to the trilogy, forgoing a lot of tradition once we reach the final episode. The controversial series may not convert any new fans (Critics may have praised the series, but a good portion of the fanbase wants nothing to do with it), continuing the darker, more detached and bleak tone of the first two seasons, but ends on a high note. However, I would consider it the weakest entry in the trilogy. One aspect that the final season suffers from is trying to get a lot done in a relatively short six episodes, along with a decent sized exposition dump. Unless you're familiar with the lore, I can see someone being a little lost. For longtime fans though, it's all based around a good amount of fanservice, and speaking of which, there is a lot for fans to still love about this finale. More importantly, there's something truly mature about how it comes to a close, which I have loads of respect for. The animation continues to shine, continuing the series' knack for accuracy (They look so much like their toy counterparts, it's almost freaky) and making for some gorgeous imagery. Just seeing the classic "Generation 1" era characters, with the "Beast Wars" era ones, also are worth a recommendation alone, considering it's something that fans have very much longed for. It makes for some great character interactions, such as the classic Megatron being more annoyed by his descendant's fanaticism than anything, the clear difference in the forms of leadership between the two generations of Optimus, and of course, Starscream being Starscream as he fails miserably to play both sides, especially compared to the much more capable Blackarachnia. The characters, even though some have somewhat different personalities than what we're used to ("Bumblebee" is still more of a hot-head, though has the best of intentions), still ring true.   

I think Jake Foushee has come into his own as a more complicated, less competent Optimus, who also appears to have grown towards the end. The real scene stealer is Jason Marnocha, who makes for an amazing Megatron, making the transformation from misguided savior to deranged tyrant. Some of the "Beast Wars" era characters have voices that don't quite match, such as Marqus Bobesich, who doesn't have near the right amount of villainous gravitas the original had. Granted, I think that's meant to be intentional, but it's still fairly distracting. Krizz Kaliko, while once again having a voice that's vastly different from the original Dinobot, still gets the character's jaded side down, making for one of the season's best character arcs. Some characters like "Rattrap" (Voiced by Andy Barnett) and "Rhinox" (Voiced by Frank Todaro) get pushed to the side (Blink and you'll miss "Scorponok"), while other major players get less of a role this time. There are still some that make their brief appearances memorable, such as the return of "Elita-1" (Voiced by Linsay Rousseau), who was one of the best characters throughout the entire series and her story's conclusion is actually quite heartbreaking. It was actually quite cool to see the female characters, like "Arcee" (Voiced by Sophia Isabella) and "Airazor" (Voiced by Erin Ebers), getting much more to do than they normally would have. 

"Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - Kingdom" comes to a bittersweet end, with a shocking twist in the final two episodes, that completely changes what we generally perceive as a traditional "Transformers" story. It's not something I can get too into due to spoilers, but I found it to be refreshingly unique and actually very poetic. It makes for some great character moments and maybe even sets up something much more different in the future. Overall, the "War for Cybertron" trilogy has been a flawed, though thoroughly exciting venture, that at least had ambitions to go for something just a little more. Even when the series didn't quite reach the heights of what it was shooting for, I appreciate just how much it tried, while also giving fans some sights that we never thought we'd ever see. Divisive till the very end, and yet, something I can see any "Transformers" fan deciphering for years to come. Not bad for a franchise that originally only existed to sell us some toys. Now they do that, and get us to think a little more. 3 Stars. Rated TV-Y7, Despite Once Again Featuring Some Gruesome Demises. Just Because They're Robots, Doesn't Mean It's Not Violent.  

Image: When the Black Night isn't available.

So this is what A24, with a budget bigger than a turkey sandwich and a couple of perverse favors, must look like? Don't let the grander than usual scale fool those of you who aren't into artsy fartsy movies. There is a good chance that you might leave this movie thoroughly confused, and as usual, I'm pretty sure that was more than intentional. Oh I'm sure there is a deeper meaning behind every single frame in the film, but it takes a real manly man to admit that when he just may not have fully understood everything. 

Based on the six hundred year old Arthurian poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", written by an unknown author lost to time, "The Green Knight" follows "Gawain" (Dev Patel), the nephew of "King Arthur" (Sean Harris), who is invited to be a part of the Knights of the Round Table's Christmas time celebrating and merriment. However, the part is interrupted by the arrival of a frightening, towering, tree-like humanoid, known only as the "Green Knight" (Ralph Ineson). The Green Knight offers a challenge to whoever can strike a blow to him, will have one year before he strikes the same blow back. Gawain, wanting desperately to prove himself, accepts the challenge and in a moment of brashness, decapitates the Green Knight, who immediately lifts up his head and rides off into the night, laughing and preparing for his and Gawain's future confrontation. A year passes, and Gawain's journey is about to begin, though some such as his lover, "Essel" (Alicia Vikander), tries to convince him not to, Gawain is determined to make a legend out of himself and prove himself as a true knight. Armed with Arthur's sword along with green girdle given to him by his mother (Sarita Choudhury), Gawain ventures into the harsh, cold, extremly lonely world, where he encounters bandits, strange apparitions, horny ass nobles, and a lovable fox companion. 

Written and directed by David Lowery ("A Ghost Story", "Pete's Dragon", "The Old Man & the Gun", proving that he has a decent amount of range), "The Green Knight" Is probably what a more realistic version of a Arthurian legend you'll ever see. Gone are all those colorful sights, romanticized stories, and clear cut characters, who are easy to determine which is good and which is evil. This is not a glamorous adventure. It's brutal, unforgiving, and difficult to decipher in places. It's one of those films that may be entirely left open to interpretation, as little is explained and due to the various amounts of imagery (Ranging from beautiful to nightmarish to just plain puzzling), you're left just like Gawain, questioning what's real or what's meant just to be a metaphorical illusion. Is there a deeper meaning that you need to read between the lines to understand? Is the meaning that you have found the one that the director intended? Is it all just a bunch of arthouse mumbo jumbo that's just odd simply because movies such as this like to be odd? I have my theories, but regardless, it's an immensely enthralling cinematic experience unlike anything you might see in theaters right now. It's also in a way, not like anything A24 has quite given us before. The budget this time looks much bigger, and the scope of the film deserves nothing better than the biggest screen you can possibly find. 

Lowery uses some old fashioned, but very welcome (And refreshing to those who miss this kind of style) techniques, such as a storybook-like set design and an unthinkable amount of detail put into every costume or prop. There is so much to appreciate in the foreground and background, and you're left wondering what certain things could possibly mean, whether it's in the background or foreground. It all fits well into Lowery's intimate and beautifully ghoulish, yet drearily epic direction. Not to mention images that will find their way into your soul, leaving a haunting, though fantastical impression. There's a jaw dropping sequence with some larger than life giants (The sense of scale during this scene is frightening), that's especially memorable, along with some quiet moments involving Gawain's own fears and doubts getting to him, resulting bits of existential horror. Lowery's screenplay is also open to interpretation at times, such as with poem-like dialogue, though I get the idea that everyone is going to have their own version of what they believe everything means. If I had a theory or two, I could see the film as a showcase of what we perceive as traditionally manly. We fight for honor, never show our fear, or more importantly, never let anyone see our shame. The film does an excellent, if not occasionally uncomfortable, job of showing that. 

This is Dev Patel's movie, who continues to shy as both a terrific actor and an always appealing movie star. Much like his character, he goes through Hell, showing his character's inner chagrin and fear, very much going against image of the heroic, chivalrous knight that he desperately wishes to be. A point that the film may appear to be making is about over the top masculinity and the overall horny attitude for well, everything. It's not just entirely about sexual desire, but also the lead character's need to become that honorable warrior worthy of timely tales. However, he repeatedly fails, finds himself outmatched by his surroundings, and outwitted, making mistake after mistake. Even when he has the best of intentions, Gawain isn't without selfishness and the worst part being that it's like he doesn't even realize it. With that said, he's not an unlikable character. These flaws and insecurities feel more natural, and Patel does a great job at portraying those emotions, sometimes just with the slightest expression. There are various appearances from other great performers, like Joel Edgerton (as a Lord that welcome Gawain into his home rather too nicely), Barry Keoghan (as a scavenger who doesn't waste time attempting to steal Gawain's stuff), Eric Kellyman (as a ghost-like young woman named "Winifred", who wants Gawain to find her missing head), an intense, yet warm Sean Harris, and a mesmerizing dual role for Alicia Vikander (Playing both Gawain's love interest, as well as a wealthy lady that attempts to seduce him). Ralph Ineson, though he only appears twice in the entire movie, makes for a towering, truly menacing, and awe-inspiring presence. (That make-up job alone is Oscar worthy!)

"The Green Knight" is the kind of film with great staying power, whether it be because you find yourself wanting to know what it all means out of joyful curiosity, or headache induced frustration. It's nonetheless something that keeps your attention, to the point you find yourself immersed in the world that's being brought to life on that giant cinematic screen, witnessing a classic tale of knightly virtue, except this time, with all the bullcrap cut out of it. It's portrayed as something more human now. It accomplishes what a good legend should do. It's unforgettable, and love it or hate it, you'll be passing that legend off to someone else, who will then pass it on to another. Kind of hard not to appreciate that, even when the confusion sets in.. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Disturbing Images, Shameful Sexual Desire, People Getting A "Head", And Dev Patel's Excitable Human Goo. 

Image: But his eyes don't look like a Snake at all.

Has anyone noticed that the "G.I. Joe" franchise has kind of vanished in recent years? A popular Hasbro made toyline/cartoon/multi-media franchise with many incarnations , much like "Transformers", there hasn't been much new material from it in a long time. There was that god awful "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" movie, followed by a sort of sequel with the more enjoyable (But still quite silly) "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" a few years later, before everything just stopped. Even my geeky self hadn't really thought much about this series I grew up with. So a reboot was inevitable at some point, with hopes of reigniting that spark to bring in some new kids along with the adults who grew up with the franchise, as well as start a new cinematic universe. Unlike others though (Remember the "Dark Universe"?), this one at least may just have the right idea. And, nerd alert, we might get some new collectibles out of it 

"Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" follows the titular masked ninja (Henry Golding), who after witnessing his father's death as a child, has taken the name "Snake Eyes", as he searches for his father's killer. Snake Eyes is roped into the gangster life by Yakuza member, "Kenta" (Takehiro Hira), who promises him that they will find the man who murdered his father.....Eventually. Some time later, Snake Eyes befriends "Thomas "Tommy" Arashikage" (Andrew Koji), who is in reality the heir to Clan Arashikage, a secret group of ninjas who assist special military unit (And big time PSA provider), known as the "G.I. Joe", in the protection of the world. Tommy, having found a kindred spirit in Snake Eyes, brings him to Tokyo, to partake in the three "Challenges of the Warrior", so that he can become part of the Clan Arashikage, which is led by Tommy's grandmother, "Sen" (Eri Ishida), the "Hard Master" (Iko Uwais), and the "Blind Master" (Peter Mensah) . Tommy sees the potential of greatness for Snake Eyes, though a fellow clan member, "Akiko" (Haruka Abe), is more suspicious of the questionable loner.

Turns out though, Snake Eyes isn't quite ready to become that hero we all know him to be, as he continues to work for Kenta, a former member of Clan Arashikage, with plans to get his hands on the clan's mysterious secrets, such as a powerful jewel that can basically just blow things up real good. The Arashikage soon learn that Kenta is connected to the sinister and seductive, "Baroness" (Úrsula Corberó), an operative of the evil organization known as "Cobra". With Cobra's role in the war between Clan Arashikage and Kenta's gang revealed, this leads to the involvement of Joe member, "Scarlett" (Samara Weaving). Snake Eyes continues to face the challenges, dealing with his inability to let go of the past, facing his own demons, and eventually, becoming the honorable ninja/cartoon character/badass action figure, that a certain film critic looked up to back when he was just a little twerp. 

Serving as a starting point for a hopeful "G.I. Joe" cinematic universe, "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" doesn't exactly have a high bar to meet and sadly doesn't reach the gold standard "Marvel" heights that have already been set. However, it doesn't fall into the same trappings as others have by taking a good bit of advice from Marvel. Play the long game. Now I'm not saying that success is assured, but the potential is there and at times, the film realizes it. Directed by Robert Schwentke ("Red", "R.I.P.D.", and the last two "Divergent" movies. Ew), this is a more grounded approach to the Saturday morning-esque source material. There are still some fantastical elements (Giant snakes, exploding jewels, all Japanese people speaking mostly English despite being in Japan), and yet, the execution is fairly smart. For what it is anyway. There is a good story here, with a couple decent character arcs, and a solid amount of adrenaline fueled excitement. It's also very clever how they incorporate many of the classic elements from the source material in unique ways (I especially like what they do with "Cobra" here, with the group being this unknown organization, offering their resources to lesser criminal empires to eventually grow into something more deadly) Where the film falters is with the serviceable though unremarkable screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos ("The Unholy", "Charlie's Angels", "Beauty and the Beast"), Joe Shrapnel, and Amy Waterhouse, along with Director Schwentke's obsession with allowing the camera to be shook around every few action scenes. The thing is that it's not necessary and doesn't quite match the kind of movie this is. It's a slick looking film, with an obvious amount of effort put into the well staged action setpieces. However, the shaky cam just serves as a distraction that didn't need to be there. To give Schwentke some credit though, the film gets away from it later on, and wisely does allow for some slower paced character moments. In fact, it's those moments that give the film a little extra sense of quality than one would expect from it. 

Henry Golding, despite some slight slipping of the American accent (It's very slight actually), is such a charismatic actor, and in the end, it becomes too perfect of a choice for the character. He gives Snake Eyes a bit more of a complex motivation, does some questionable acts, and attempts to hide a lot of misery behind a harsh facade. Aside from the fact that the original character has normally been portrayed as silent and always masked, it's a departure from what fans might be expecting, but a welcome one. Golding also shares some great brother-like chemistry with the equally excellent Andrew Koji, who conveys a lot of emotion even with simple stares, while also hiding his own dark side (Any fan of the franchise is bound to know where his story is definitely going to go, and it's a fine arc). Haruka Abe is a charming presence, while Eri Ishida, Peter Mensah, and Iko Uwais, all get their memorable, fairly badass moments. Takehiro Hira is a smug, though rather forgettable villain, while Úrsula Corberó looks like she's absolutely relishing her part. (She honestly has the character down perfectly) Samara Weaving sadly is very underused, not being given much to do except partake in a couple action scenes, get a few one-liners, and just serve as setup for future films if there are any. It's disappointing due to being such a well known character in the franchise, and she's a good choice for it.  

With flaws visible all over, "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" has something that sets it above say, the "Transformers" films, or really any other non-Marvel, Disney, or DC franchise, trying to get off the ground these days. It feels very genuine and most of all, earnest. There was effort to put into this, and it's smart enough to know what kind of risks are necessary if you're going to make this work. It's still a fun action flick, with a few surprises mixed in there, and just enough depth to elevate it above the less remarkable. Not sure if the hard work will pay off, but for what the film gives us, which is a fairly complex, less by the numbers origin story, it gives you just enough to at least be curious about where they could possibly go with it. There's something with potential for something truly great here, or at least something that doesn't feel too similar to other popular properties, and the still excitable young geek in me wants to see it succeed. 3 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Ninja Violence, Scary Serpents, And Jewelry That Makes You Go Boom. 

Image: It's both a pet, AND an emergency meal plan.

Okay, bear with me on this one guys. This is going to be a rather short, very vague review. It has to be, because the less you know, the better. You'll thank me later.

"Pig" follows a hermit named, "Robin "Rob" Feld" (Nicolas Cage), who lives outside of Portland, Oregon, deep within the woods, looking for truffles with his beloved (And very adorable) pet foraging pig. Rob supplies his truffles to a very inexperienced and at times irritable dealer, "Amir" (Alex Wolff), but has absolutely no contact with anyone else outside of the woods. One night though, some unknown intruders break into Rob's little cabin, beat him up, and steal his poor piggy, leaving Rob broken. Rob contacts Amir and the two head into the city to find the pig, leading the many revelations about who Rob was before his solitude and how he truly affected the people around him. 

Written and directed by first timer, Michael Sarnoski, "Pig" is a movie that is definitely not what anyone expected. When you hear the premise of the film, with a crazy hobo Nicolas Cage going into the big city to hunt down the evil bastards that stole his lovable piggy, you think a dumb popcorn filled, future meme maker. The turn off your brain and watch an Oscar winning actor once again go nuts on screen, like how we've grown accustomed to. I hate to break it to you guys, but this isn't an action movie. It's not a thriller. It's a slow moving, very arthouse, and melancholy drama. And it's really quite mesmerizing. This has got to be one of the most bizarrely effective films I've seen in years, reaching an emotional level that you don't actually notice is there at first. It's because you are immersed in what's actually a profound, yet subtle character study, that never fully explains everything, but leaves just enough crumbs to where you can piece things together. 

Sarnoski's direction is understated, with a hushed tone that never plays too heavy on overly sentimental. There's no need for an over the top score, or even dialogue to explain to the audience what they can plainly see with their own eyes. Sometimes, just watching a man's blank reaction to what may appear to be either unsettling or even just plain odd, says so much more than any words can ever convey. It's a lot thanks to Nicolas Cage (Who also served as a producer), and from what I've seen from him, I consider this to be his greatest performance. He's not crazy. He's a little eccentric, but in no way does he ever go off like a babbling cartoon character in the way we've seen him at times. This is Cage acting, playing into the character's quiet turmoil, generating poignancy and even a little humor in some aspects. There are small moments of levity, sometimes due to how odd the film can be at times. He does a brilliant job with it, and dare I say, the man broke my heart more than once during this movie. It's the kind of performance that gets the praise it rightfully deserves and shines a brand new light on an actor that we know can truly be great, only will likely get ignored come award season because, well, it's just not marketable enough. Alex Wolff shows his range, being a great foil to Cage both some semi-comedic scenes and the serious ones. There is some great chemistry between the two. There are sporadic appearances throughout, with a standout scene between Cage and David Knell (As a cocky chef, who has clearly sold out), that really needs to be witnessed and deconstructed. 

 "Pig" is like a comedy of errors. It's road trip movie into a city where everything either goes wrong or feels made up on the fly. I mean, one character is basically following a likely smelly guy who lives in the woods all across town, not knowing what's even going on half of the time. That's what's so charming about it. Underneath all the weirdness, is something affectionate, that moves you when you least expect it to, and boy, at times just feels like a hard punch to the gut. There is a lot more to this that I can't get into. You need to see it for yourself. The more you know, the less surprised you will be. Even when things don't quite make much sense in your head at first, you're fascinated by what's going on and the way the film explains it (Or in some cases, doesn't explain it). It's a tale that you find yourself invested in, and will leave with a lump in your throat. This is the biggest surprise I've seen in a theater for quite some time, and I hope people give it the time of day. It's a poetic, quirky, yet moving tale that should touch the heart of anybody. Especially if you're a swine lover. That sure is one cute pig right there. 4 Stars. Rated R For Harsh Content And Subtle Human Suffering. 

Image: The Looney bin.

Alright guys, lets rip off that band-aid now. It's time a lot of us admitted to one of those many things you learn as you get older. "Space Jam" is not really a good movie. Blasphemy, right? Just look back at it without the nostalgia goggles. It's very dated, is very forced, doesn't do near enough justice to its beloved characters, and is nothing but one giant ass commercial for anything and everything "Warner Bros." can possibly get their grubby fingers on. It doesn't help that since its release, we've seen much better versions of such a concept with movies like "The LEGO Movie" or "Ralph Breaks the Internet". (Not to mention, we also got "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". The magnum opus of the mixing of animation with live-action, along with the inclusion of many aspects of the childhoods we hold near and dear). It's not to say that "Space Jam" isn't a fun movie. It certainly is, and I got fond memories of it. Just wanted to get that out of the way, so I don't have to repeat the phrase "Well.....So was the first movie...." over and over again. 

"Space Jam: A New Legacy" follows global Basketball star and living embodiment of human likability, "LeBron James" (Played by LeBron James, obviously), who really wants his son, "Dominic "Dom" James" (Cedric Joe), to follow in his Basketball playing footsteps, despite Dom being kind of a child prodigy, having developed his own video game. LeBron is advised by his supportive wife, "Kamiyah" (Sonequa Martin-Green), to find a way of understanding with Dom, leading to LeBron taking his son with him to the Warner Bros. studio. They're shown an experimental form of software, known as the "Serververse", where basically everything Warner Bros. owns has been compiled by the self-aware, and totally not evil, artificial intelligence, "Al-G Rhythm" (Don Cheadle). LeBron shows zero interest in it, insulting Al-G, who has plans of his own to become all powerful. So Al-G teleports LeBron and Dom into the Serververse, where Al-G challenges LeBron to a game of basketball, agreeing to release Dom from his clutches if LeBron wins. However, LeBron will be forced to stay in the Serververse forever if Al-G wins, sending LeBron to "Tune World", home of the "Looney Tunes", which is now only inhabited by "Bugs Bunny" (Voiced by Jeff Bergman). With all of the other Tunes having abandoned Bugs for bigger and better things (Mostly be forcefully integrating themselves into other Warner Bros. properties), Bugs himself has kind of gone loonier than usual. 

With time running out to save his son, LeBron and Bugs set out to gather a team of their own players, which Bugs uses as an excuse to get the old gang back together, such as "Daffy Duck" (Voiced by Eric Bauza), "Porky Pig" (Also voiced by Eric Bauza), "Lola Bunny" (Voiced by Zendaya), "Speedy Gonzales" (Voiced by Gabriel Inglesias), "Tweety" (Voiced by Bob Bergen), "Sylvester" (Also voiced by Jeff Bergman), "Wile E. Coyote" (Played by himself as he should be), and all the others that the filmmakers can fit into this movie. (Except "Pepe Le Pew" because he's a rapist.....I mean, he's pretty borderline. Be honest) With the "Tune Squad" reunited, LeBron enters the game against Al-G, Dom (Who Al-G has been manipulating to joining his side), and with a team of villainous avatars based around real life Basketball players, known as the "Goon Squad", made up of "Chronos" (Voiced by Damian Lillard), "Wet-Fire" (Voiced by Klay Thomas), "Arachnneka" (Voiced by Nneka Ogwumike), "White Mamba" (Voiced by Diana Taurasi), and "The Brow" (Voiced by Anthony Davis).  

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee ("The Best Man Holiday", "Girls Trip"), with producing credits by Ryan Coogler and LeBron James, and a screenplay written by six people (How do both this and the first movie require so many people to write them?), "Space Jam: A New Legacy" has aspects that actually work better than the original film, with some that really don't, and in most ways, is just the same movie. One thing that this movie does better is that the actual plot, while still plenty silly, is a lot less forced and actually has a reason to be there. The story has a sweet side to it, and is paced rather well. If you weren't a fan of the overabundance of product placement in the first movie, you're not going to be able to handle this one. Warner Bros. flexes almost everything it has in its library, which make up a good portion of the gags. Some of them are quite funny  or even clever (Such as Wile E. Coyote chasing the Roadrunner in "Mad: Max Fury Road"), while others are just perplexing (Why was Granny in "The Matrix"?), feeling like a reference is being made just for the sake of making a reference. There are also lots of visual cameos from all kinds of copyrighted characters, who don't actually do much, though some get a chuckle or even a small belly laugh (I rather appreciate the use of the Schwarzenegger "Mr. Freeze"). There are a lot of groaners though and when they fall flat, you can feel the physical pain from the face plant. (The Porky Pig rapping as the "Notorious P.I.G." sequence isn't as bad as everyone wants to hype it up to be, but it serves no purpose and feels very much like it was made up by a bunch of old white board members) Even when things aren't quite gelling, the film is visually gorgeous all over. A decent portion of it is completely in 2D animation, which is something that's been sorely missing from theaters over the last decade. The animation in those moments just pop off of the screen and is just plain charming to look at. Even when we enter the more 3D CGI second half, it looks amazing. Dare I say it, the Looney Tunes make the transfer to CGI really well and I kind of want to see more of it in the future. The animation was done by "WAG", or "Warner Animation Group", the people behind "The LEGO Movie" and "Storks", so it looks old fashioned, yet refined for the modern day. 

LeBron James isn't exactly the best actor in the world, but then again neither was Michael Jordan. Regardless, just like Jordan, he's still naturally endearing enough to make up for it. Cedric Joe isn't bad, though he's also not great, while Sonequa Martin-Green is just there to play the role of wife and nothing more. Don Cheadle makes for a fun villain and looks like he's having one Hell of a time playing one. (He ends up being more animated than the actual cartoon characters, and the movie is better for it) Ernie Johnson Jr. and Lil Rel Howery get a few chuckles as themselves, being forced to fill in the roles of the announcers for the big game. The voices are top notch, with Jeff Bergman giving Bugs Bunny a cute little subplot, Eric Bauza getting a lot of laughs as Daffy, and I wouldn't mind Gabriel Inglesias being the new permanent voice actor for Speedy Gonzales (He doesn't get to do much, but it's an inspired choice). Lola actually has a bit more of a character than the original movie, though the casting of Zendaya is almost completely for marketing purposes. Some other beloved Looney Tunes make for small roles, such as "Yosemite Sam", "Foghorn Leghorn", "Marvin the Martian" (Always one of my personal favorites next to Daffy), and Taz, though it's just amusing to see them. There's also a cameo in the last act that actually got a big laugh out of me. It's one of those jokes that I honestly didn't even think of them doing. 

When "Space Jam: A New Legacy" doesn't work, it really doesn't. It's also essentially a nearly two hour commercial for whatever Warner Bros. needs to advertise at the moment (It doesn't help that there are actually much better movies that have done similar things). I also can't stress enough that I'm still waiting on that grand scale Looney Tunes movie of my dreams ("Looney Tunes: Back in Action" had the right idea, but even that couldn't quite crack the code). With all that said though, like I said at the beginning of this review, so was the original. It's already dated, pretty preposterous, and doesn't hold back on the cringe. It's also perfectly harmless, sporadically funny, and is at least affable. We live in a post "Emoji Movie" world. This is a freakin masterpiece by comparison. There's a soul in here somewhere, wrapped up in the excessive product placement. Just like the original. For kids, who I see growing up with this one similar to how we did with the first one, it's not gonna hurt them. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated PG For Crude Humor (Though I can't recall a single fart joke), Pig Rap, And Disregard For The Rules Of Basketball. Granted, I Know Nothing About Sports Anyway, So Maybe That's How It's Supposed To Be Played. 

Image: Going back to the future....Tomorrow.

I get the idea that what's wanted here more than anything is another "Edge of Tomorrow"-like form of success. While that film wasn't exactly a gigantic financial favorite, it's become one of those major summer surprises that won over a lot of critics and audiences, being something that as time as gone along to become a cult favorite. It helped that despite the plot itself not being anything too different, it was the clever idea that was injected into the middle of it, making the execution unique in its own right and even making others want to emulate it instead. That's what I think what was going through the filmmakers' minds during this, and while I wouldn't call it a 100% success, I did see something more special hidden within what could have been a generic Science-Fiction, alien shoot em up, that normally would just be tossed to the side at the last second to fill in a timeslot. As you should know by now, I think a LOT about these kinds of things at the movies.

"The Tomorrow War" opens in the not so distant future, where people from the actually pretty distant future, arrive to warn humanity about an upcoming war against a deadly alien species, known as the "Whitespikes". The world is at the moment completely doomed, so the future has come to recruit soldiers to travel to the future to fight in the at the moment, losing battle. Former Green Beret turned lame biology teacher, "Dan Forester" (Chris Pratt), is drafted into the future war, being taken away from his wife, "Emmy" (Betty Gilpin) and daughter, "Muri" (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), to take part in the battle, that many know very little about. Partnered up with a team of either supporting characters or red-shirts, including our comic relief, "Charlie" (Sam Richardson) and the cancer-stricken, no longer giving a crap, "Dorian" (Edwin Hodge), Dan is dropped right in the middle of the future war, coming face to face with the mindless, very hungry Whitespikes, resulting in heavy casualties. Dan and his remaining team are placed under the command of the codenamed, "Romeo Command" (Yvonne Strahvski), with a mission to find a way to kill the Whitespikes on a larger scale by specifically targeting the rarer (And much stronger) females, in order to prevent the apocalyptic possible future from becoming a reality, while also confronting the inevitable questions that arise when time travel is brought into the equation. 

Directed by Chris McKay ("The LEGO Batman Movie") in his first live-action project, along with a screenplay by Zach Dean, "The Tomorrow War", is a movie with moments that feel too good for something of its stature. It has some ambitions, but suffers from the weak script and a lack of memorability. When you get down to the nitty-gritty of it all, this is just a standard alien invasion, that just so happens to have actual thought behind it. Such as the concept itself, with there being some specific rules to the time travel and a sense of urgency in how desperate the draft ends up becoming (It's apparent that they already lost the best, so they need to scrape the bottom of the barrel). Not to mention, despite the futuristic setting, the technology feels more real and refreshingly flawed (A major malfunction in the first act makes for a clever action sequence). It's grounded and I appreciate that. McKay also shows a lot of promise as a more high budget director, utulizing some solid special effects, a few stunning and even scary sequences, and one Hell of a monster design. (These things are pretty nightmarish). The film's biggest faults happen to come with the story, and most of its execution. A lot of the dialogue isn't all that strong, with some noticeable pacing issues, and too many plot points that don't really make much sense. In fact, it ends up being kind of stupid. There are some twists and turns that sort of work, but others that fall flat and feel much too forced. It feels like that some of these are meant to amp up the apparent derivativeness.    

Where the screenplay crumbles, the actors remain top notch regardless. In fact, this may be one of the best acted mostly mediocre films I've seen in some time. Everybody is really good here. Chris Pratt keeps the film balanced, playing a more human hero, with some flaws, a likable personality, and something that I also commend the film for, actually showing his fear. Yvonne Strahovski is excellent, making the second act twist work, with the emotional payoff only coming together due to her own commitment to it. Sam Richardson gets some good moments of humor, without making him feel overly like a goofball, while Edwin Hodge is plenty intense. Even the more underused, though always welcome actors like Betty Gilpin, and an incredibly swole J.K. Simmons (as "James", Dan's estranged father), leave their mark. There are things that don't really make much sense, especially once we reach the rather rushed final act. With what happens, you're left wondering why nobody thought of this in the first place and why apparent cost seems to be called into question only now. (On a side note though, there is a nice little deviation from a little trope I tend to find a bit annoying. There is more to the so called alien invasion than what we're shown. You always wonder why or even how such mindless, destruction loving beasts would just storm in to take over the world by just killing or blowing stuff up. There is an explanation as to what's going on, and it's different in an inventive way). 

"The Tomorrow War" has merit, better than necessary acting, and blockbuster level visuals, that are brought down by the pedestrian plot, poor script, and an unjustifiable length of nearly two hours and twenty minutes. The pace is felt by the end, and if not for the amiable talent on display, it would feel more like a slog. It's certainly a lot better than I would have expected, though its best qualities make the lesser ingredients a bit more frustrating. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Some Futuristic Violence, Illegal Aliens, And J. K. Simmons' Distracting Biceps.   

Image: Dude, If you've been vaccinated, you can take off the mask."

One thing I can say about the "Purge" franchise, it's that no matter what, it never held back. Things too crazy for ya? Lets redefine the phrase "Over the Top"! Too violent? Lets paint the entire screen red! Overly excessive and borderline exploitation? Why not? This has been a series that just went for it, and if this is truly a finale, the filmmakers were prepared to go out in a blaze of glory (And maybe, take all of America with them).  

The final entry in the "Purge" saga, "The Forever Purge" takes place sometime after the third film ("The Purge: Election Year"), where it seems the abolishment of "The Purge" (The one night given to the United States, where all crime is legalized for twelve hours, usually resulting in loads of murder and served as an excuse for the government to do away with poor minorities), didn't stick. The "New Founding Fathers of America", are now once again in power and don't waste any time bringing it back to the people. We now follow a Mexican immigrant wife and husband, "Adela" (Ana de la Reguera) and "Juan" (Tenoch Huerta), who try to prepare for their first Purge, going with a friend, "T.T." (Alejandro Edda), to find a place to hide with other immigrants for the upcoming twelve hours. Juan and T.T.'s rich, though pretty nice boss, "Caleb Tucker" (Will Patton), also prepares to take shelter for the night with the rest of his family, such as his fairly bigoted son, "Dylan" (Josh Lucas) and more open minded daughter, "Harper" (Leven Rambin), along with Dylan's pregnant wife, "Cassie" (Cassidy Freeman). The Purge happens, some people are slaughtered, and some do unspeakable acts, with all to hopefully be forgotten the next day. However, it turns out that a lot of people don't wanna go back to the old ways, and just plain love them some killing. A group of wackos and insurrectionists form a group called the "Ever After Purgers", declaring that they are now in a neverending Purge, or "The Forever Purge", targeting whoever they want, whenever they want. (Of course they're going to go after any non-white person first). Adela and Juan partner up with Dylan and his family, to escape across the Mexican border to safety, as complete chaos erupts around them. With the NFFA now unable to control the Ever After Purgers, America becomes Hell on Earth, and the fate of land of the free, home of the brave, being called into question. 

By this point, you're either on board with the eight year old series or you're not (Or offended. That's possible too), and I don't see "The Forever Purge" being the one to convert any newcomers. It's the apparent final film, so even the filmmakers know that doing so would be a lost cause. So I give this film credit for understanding that and sticking to what it knows, which is to be a gruesomely violent, horror-thriller, with a not so subtle political edge. They've been consistently alright so far, so don't break what isn't really broken. What I think makes this final entry to be the best in the series (Aside from actually being a solid hour and forty minutes of suspense and scares), is that the filmmakers not only escalate things further than ever before, they also make the satire razor sharp to the point it could cut the throat of any insurrectionist watching. Director Everado Valerio Gout (In his first theatrical feature), who is clearly inspired by westerns more than your typical escape from the city or country thrillers, doesn't hold back in the point that' trying to be made. While it's still wrapped up in a rather implausible, occasionally trashy outer exterior, you can appreciate how the films have in a way led up to this moment. 

Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta a serviceable heroes, while there is a fairly cute (If not entirely predictable) subplot involving Leven Rambin and Alejandro Edda. Cassidy Freeman and Will Patton (Despite his obviously brief appearance), give better than required performances. Josh Lucas ends up being the most interesting character in the film, and while it's not exactly as profound as the movie may be going for, there is something fascinating about a character who is a decent person, though does harbor a different form of bigotry (One of those guys who doesn't necessarily look down on anyone, but just doesn't seem to get it and wants various cultures separated because of it). There is a decent redemption story in there. We get a lot of fun, completely cartoonish villains (No killer is freakin normal in these movies. They're always foaming at the mouth and cackling maniacally), though Jeffrey Doornbos (as the gung-ho leader of the Ever After Purgers), doesn't really come into play till the last act and leaves hardly an impression. An interesting scene-stealer ends up being Zahn McClarnon (as "Chiago", a tribal leader who sees all of this coming a mile away), who gets quite a few significant moments. It's always been hard to actually label these films as scary (They generally go for easy jump scares), but the film has it's at least at times rather intense. Such as showing the aftermath of a Purge, where cleanup crews come in to take care of all the bloody corpses littering streets and people attempt to get to their normal lives (All of which is cut short by the out of nowhere arrival of more madness), which is certainly clever and effective, especially considering it's just supposed to be shock value. Sometimes that kind of thing works. 

"The Forever Purge" makes for the best "Purge" movie, despite continuing the franchise's in your face, overly violent attitude. It's still too much for its own good, and it's also definitely not the best written movie in the world. With that said, it's a solidly intense, well put together, and yes, actually political poignant, bit of trashy though relevant political satire. It all comes together once we reach the very fitting (And somewhat scary), grand finale, where the point isn't just driven home, it's shoved right through your skull. Even I was a little surprised they even bothered to go there. We always say that nothing will ever get like "The Purge" or that it's just too unrealistic to exist. Considering recent events, sometimes I wonder though how far off we might actually be. 3 Stars. Rated R For Grotesque Violence, Lots Of Swears, Sweat, And Good People On Both Sides. Or So I'm Told.   

Image: "Which one of you is changing my diaper this time?"

For a movie that many were ready to blast as the most uninspired and laziest of ideas, "The Boss Baby" was not only a surprise financial success (And one that "DreamWorks Animation" really needed at the time), but it was also very, very strange. It wasn't great or anything. However, if you think about the plot in any way, uninspired and lazy aren't the adjectives that come to mind. 

"The Boss Baby: Family Business" opens up years after the first, with "Tim Templeton" (James Mardsen), having grown apart from his former boss baby brother, "Ted" (Alec Baldwin), who has become unnaturally wealthy. Tim now has a wife, "Carol" (Eva Longoria), a smart daughter, "Tabitha" (Ariana Greenblatt), and a baby, "Tina" (Amy Sedaris), who as it turns out has joined "BabyCorp" (Where all babies come from, run also by babies in suits), like her uncle before her. Tina tells Tim that she's on a secret mission for BabyCorp, involving Tabitha's advanced learning school, run by the eccentric Jeff Golblum.....I mean, the eccentric "Dr. Erwin Armstrong" (Jeff Goldblum), and a possible evil scheme that threatens all of babykind. This mission brings Ted back into Tim's life, who feels that Tabitha might like his brother more than him. With the help of a magical formula that de-ages you for a limited time, Tim is turned back into a kid, while Ted is turned back into a baby. Tim and Ted are sent on a madcap adventure into Tabitha's school to find out what Armstrong is up to, rekindling their lost brotherly relationship, and uncovering an even more nefarious conspiracy at the center of it all. 

Directed by the returning Tom McGrath ("Megamind", along with the "Madagascar" films), "The Boss Baby: Family Business" follows the frenetic, bizarrely outlandish footsteps of the first film, though it seems this time the filmmakers have just done a better job balancing that out with a few good laughs for the adults, enough cuteness for the kiddies, and some truly spectacular (And visually unique) animation. Unlike the ironically tame "Spirit Untamed", the animators at DreamWorks seem to have saved up all their creativity for this, making up for a lack of character detail with a fast paced, cartoonishly over the top mix between both 3D and occasional 2D. This makes the slapstick humor very exaggerated (And for some reason, makes almost all of the characters really jiggly). It's a very colorful looking movie that's fun to look at. Maybe it's more of a budget since the first film made so much money, but this one feels more grand this time around. The screenplay by Michael McCullers (The first "The Boss Baby", "Mr. Peabody & Sherman", along with the second and third "Austin Powers" movies), isn't exactly deep or offers too much in terms of intellectual humor. It's still full of some solid jokes, especially plenty for the adults to appreciate more than the kids. The plot is once again one of those "Maybe it's best you don't think about it" sort of things. It's very much out there, with implications that don't make a whole lot of sense. (Babies making apps. Evil world domination schemes. All babies coming from an office building in the sky. Pretty wild)

Alec Baldwin's voice does quite match the look, and gets more than a few chuckles, along with a solid James Mardsen. Amy Sedaris is the scene-stealer here, and sounds like she's having a lot of fun (Already seeing talks about a third movie, and would be totally on board if she's made the focus). Eva Longoria is there to be the mom, while Ariana Greenblatt has a sweet subplot. Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow (as Tim and Ted's parents, who didn't really have much to do in the first film), return to more expanded, much funnier roles. Meanwhile, Jeff Goldblum gives one of his strangest performances (And that's saying a lot), but it's actually really amazing in a entertainingly peculiar fashion. The movie also has a few hilarious side or background characters (Such as a chubby baby obsessed with glue, a talking Wizard alarm clock, and a creepy little girl, who may or may not be demonic). 

Available in theaters (And in 3D. Probably would have looked pretty good too) and through streaming on "Peacock", "The Boss Baby: Family Business" won't exactly convert any new fans, and when you get past the weirdness of the plot, it's not something on par with anything from Disney, Pixar, or even some of DreamWorks' best. This candy coated family friendly drug trip is the kind of movie that plenty will get more annoyed by than anything, and the frantic pace can get a little tiring. Although, it's not pedestrian in any way. It's also certainly not dull in any way. There's some cleverness to the silly humor, some genuine charm, and by the end, an actually heartwarming message about maturity. It even ends on a moment that makes you go "Awwww", and darn it, it won me over. Something all over the place and colorful for the kids, and hey, it's never a bad thing to see it through their eyes. 3 Stars. Rated PG For Some Not So Kid-Friendly Jokes To Go Over Their Heads, And Lots Of Jiggling Baby Fat.    

Image: "You can torture us all you want...You're still getting another sequel."

Ok, I'm still thoroughly convinced that like the first "The Hitman's Bodyguard", these movies are homages to 90s action comedies. Nobody ever says it and acknowledges it, but, come on. It's so obvious. The silly setup, the gleeful levels of horrific violence, and the humorous disregard for what you probably shouldn't joke about. Also, they brought back that announcer guy in the trailer. You know the announcer guy right? Not that one. The other one. You know what I mean?

"The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" once again follows pathetic bodyguard for hire, "Michael Bryce" (Ryan Reynolds), who has lost his license, and has suffered one too many mental breakdowns, but at least after some much needed therapy, has decided to take some time off and find some much needed peace with himself. No guns. No violence. No bodyguarding. Everything seems to be coming up Michael......for about two minutes. He's immediately roped into a deadly shootout with "Sonia" (Salma Hayek), the crazy wife of the hitman that Michael previously bodyguarded, "Darius Kincaid" (Samuel L. Jackson), who is also completely out of his damn mind. Sonia forces Michael to help her find her missing husband, while also admitting that the two of them have been attempting to have a baby, because those two lunatics would make the best of parents. After rescuing Darius, the trio then get themselves roped into another situation, where aggressive Interpol agent, "Bobby O'Neill" (Frank Grillo), forces them to work for him in stopping an evil scheme from a villainous tycoon/criminal mastermind, "Aristotle Papadopoulos" (Antonio Banderas), who is threatening to completely destroy Europe's entire power grid with some diamond drill thingy. So it's up to our bumbling sort of heroes to save the day, while annoying the living crap out of each other, and poor Michael suffers an immense amount of physical or mental trauma.   

One again directed by Patrick Hughes ("The Expendables 3", along with the first "The Hitman's Bodyguard"), "The Hitman's Wife' Bodyguard" intends to replicate the surprise success of the first film, which was one that I know had some issues, but I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a clichéd, buddy action comedy that may have been too much for its own good, but had a lot of big laughs, an old fashioned sense of fun, and some incredibly appealing leads. The sequel is actually for the most part, more of the same. It's just a little, well, "Sequel" this time. It's very heavy with those sequel tropes, and sadly doesn't do anything remotely clever about it. There's more of what audiences like, but sometimes it's just repeating what happened before, with a plot that's essentially secondary. It's one of those things where if you remotely think about it, it comes across as forced, nonsensical, and would be considered almost parody. (It's not too far off from what one of those really cheesy, older "James Bond" movies would do) It doesn't help that the film does some unnecessary retreading simply because the film movie did it. Some of the character beats are either the same or more exaggerated this time. This would all be more damning if the film wasn't so non-demandingly entertaining in spite of the flaws. The screenplay by Tom O'Connor, Brandon Murphy, and Phillip Murphy isn't without some very clever gags, Is well directed, and the returning cast, regardless of slight sequel-itis, are all a joy to watch. 

 Although his character doesn't appear to have learned anything from the last movie, Ryan Reynolds does a great job playing the most pathetic, retroactively wimpy character you'll see in an action movie. (Plus, sometimes I feel that I would likely be him in most of these situations. I'm honest about who I am, and I'm also at peace with that) He has hilarious comedic chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson, who takes his Samuel L. Jackson-ness to new levels previously unheard of. Antonio Banderas is all kinds of over the top, while Frank Grillo is rather useless in the grand scheme of things. Morgan Freeman appears in a part that I probably shouldn't spoil since the joke itself is quite funny. The biggest improvement this film has over the original is the larger role for Salma Hayek, who makes sure that no aspect of the scenery is left unscathed, and she gets some of the most outrageous moments. 

"The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" is suitably out of its gourd, even though it suffers from predictable beats and offers very little in terms of storytelling ingenuity. It makes up for those shortcomings with a good amount of humor (Though less than the first), decent action, and a terrific main cast, who bring their A-Game. It's an amusing, if not somewhat unimportant hour and a half, that's elevated by one Hell of a final, last second reveal, making for one of the funniest endings I've seen in some time. (It's made better by the fact that it was actually fairly built up over time too.) I can't say it's anything great, yet it's a perfectly good, if not absurd time. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Strong, Gratuitous Violence And Lots Of Motha-F*ckers!  

Image: "How about you wish for an end to a global killer epidemic? Or pick something just for you...It's all good."

I feel like we're left with no real choice but to say what every single other film critic out there has been saying about this movie. This is basically Chinese "Aladdin". Same idea. Same plot to a degree. Same moral. Except this time we got a more modernized setting and instead of a blue genie, we got a big fluffy pink dragon. Just need to get that out of the way early. 

"Wish Dragon" follows a poor, working class student, "Din" (Jimmy Wong), who has been skipping his classes in favor of working to afford a suit that will give him a chance to at least appear more wealthy enough to after years of being separated from each other, reunite with his now very rich and famous, childhood best friend/maybe crush, "Li Na Wang" (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). Of course, this interferes with the hopes of Din's mother, "Mrs. Song" (Constance Wu), who only wants Din to study hard enough to escape their poverty. Din then just so happens to stumble upon a magical teapot, which releases an all powerful, but easily agitated and annoyed Wish Dragon, "Long" (John Cho). Long has been trapped in the teapot for centuries, and only has to grant three wishes to one more master so that he can ascend to heaven, so he really wants to get this over with as quickly as possible. 

Din uses Long to pose as a person of means so that he can get into Li Na's extravagant birthday party, though like when they were kids, Li Na's father, "Mr. Wang" (Will Yun Lee), is still too busy to give her the time of day. Under the name, "Dan" (So that her father will approve), Din ignores Long's advice that this big lie is just going to blow up in his face, and continues to play the part of a well off elitist to get with Li Na. However, another issue arrives in the form of bald scheming henchman, who always keeps his hands in his pockets, appropriately nicknamed "Pockets" (Aaron Yoo), and his bumbling goons (Jimmy O. Yang and Bobby Lee), that have been hired by an incredibly obvious employer to get their clutches on the magical teapot. While trying to woo Li Na and keep his secret hidden from his mother, Din introduces Long to the modern world and the both of them learning some lessons along the way. 

From "Sony Pictures Animation", "Wish Dragon' was released last year theatrically in China, before being distributed in the United States through Netflix, and in some ways could be seen as one of the studio's most ambitious projects yet. Not in story terms, but instead with its production team (Based in China and aimed for a worldwide audience) and it's incredible animation. This is an absolutely gorgeous looking movie, from the dreamlike artistry and the expressive character design, to the eye popping visuals, even on watching this on my phone at 12:30 at night, it's an experience. There is so much detail put into every frame, and the flow of character animation feel like a fairy tale that just so happens to be set in a time with cars, cellphones, and a contemporary setting. It's an impressive step for Sony Pictures Animation, who has already since proven themselves (And redeemed themselves since "The Emoji Movie"). Where the film isn't as unique is with the stroytelling department, which is quite predictable and derivative of other animated films. Granted, the film does a solid enough job with those tropes, with the screenplay by Chris Appelhans (Who is also the film's director), getting the job done, even if it never takes many risks. It basically doesn't tell its already been there story as well as say something along the lines of "In the Heights", but for a nice family film, It doesn't really take away from the film. 

Jimmy Wong is a charming lead, while Natasha Liu Bordizzo and an especially excellent Constance Wu both do good work. John Cho, who I've said before is just one of those guys whose already just very good no matter the movie, really steals the show here. He gets the funniest lines, does a great job with the more emotional scenes, and has a meaningful character arc. Aaron Yoo is a menacing baddie, though everything involving the villains just show up to move the plot along and lead to a reveal that's just too easy to see coming. Most of the character comes from the voicework, or the animation itself, which incorporates enough to make up for the by the numbers script (Such as the villain's use of his legs and feet to convey his emotions). The humor is simple, but effective, with the best moments involving Long's amazement at modern society, such as a sequence involving his hatred of traffic and how it's even worse than being trapped in a magic teapot for a thousand years. 

"Wish Dragon" is standard and not exactly memorable, and yet, is kind of impossible to dislike. The story, while not exactly one of a kind, is still sweet, with a great message and actually has quite a few things to say about unfair class systems and our obsessive need to use wealth to define who we are. It's got charm to go with its breathtaking visuals, which alone are worth your time of day. I can't stress enough how beautiful the film is and thanks to a good-natured heart, it's a simple, yet entirely rewarding storybook-like adventure you won't mind taking with your little ones. 3 Stars. Rated PG For A Slightly More Perilous Than Expected Climax, But Is Very Tame By PG Standards. 

Image: "I wonder what would happen if we just burst into an elaborate musical number.....Nah, that's crazy."

So, is Lin-Manuel Miranda just determined to save us from the loathing of the real world through the magical power of musical theater at least once a year from now on? After last year's "Hamilton" in "Disney+" made last year's depressing summer much more eventful and full of joy, it's seems only fitting that another musical favorite reminds us why these kinds of things must be witnessed on the big screen (Or you know, "HBO Max", if you're not vaccinated yet). 

Based on the popular stage musical of the same name, "In the Heights" follows a collection of dreamers in Washington Heights, New York City, as their stories are told by charismatic bodega store owner, "Usnavi de la Vega" (Anthony Ramos). Usnavi , who takes care of his teenage cousin, "Sonny" (Gregory Diaz IV), dreams to finally move out of New York and return to the Dominican Republic in memory of his deceased father. Usnavi's longtime friend, "Benny" (Corey Hawkins), has big ambitions of making it big, working at the local dispatch for "Kevin Rosario" (Jimmy Smitts), who is also delighted at the return of his daughter/Benny's ex girlfriend and still love interest, "Nina" (Leslie Grace), from Stanford University. However, Nina's time away from home hasn't been the best and she has no intention of going back to college. Usnavi's crush, "Vanessa" (Melissa Barrera), also has plans of her own to leave to become a fashion designer, while the tightly knitted community is held together by the beloved "Claudia" (Olga Merediz), also known to everyone as their "Abuela". With the intense heat only getting worse, a missing lottery ticket worth more than most people's houses, and the threat of an upcoming blackout just around the corner, Usnavi's dream, along with the rest of the community, are forced to change in ways that they couldn't have anticipated. 

Another one of 2020's many delayed films, "In the Heights" is the kind of musical that takes tropes that we by this point will never truly ever get tired of seeing (They are very much ingrained into our blood by now), and instead of reinventing any of them, the film boldy plays them 100% straight and relies on talent to tell them in a confident fashion. Directed by Jon M. Chu ("Step Up 3D", "G.I. Joe Retaliation", "Jem and the Holigrams", and eventually the shockingly wonderful "Crazy Rich Asians". Talk about progress), the film is the kind of visual, toe tapping experience that lull you into a state of bliss. From the extravagant opening number, to the more quieter personal ones, and of course, the epic show stoppers, every song resonates, and how it's conveyed through various visuals, it's a very one of a kind, modern musical. The screenplay by Quiara Alegria Hudes (Who also wrote the book for the original musical as well), knows how to well balance a sentimental premise, with a grand assemblage of great characters, humor, and heart that refrains from schmaltz, feeling completely genuine without needing to force the tears. 

The wonderful ensemble is led by the incredibly likable and immensely talented Anthony Ramos (Who already starred in the regional production of the original stage show), while there are excellent performances from Corey Hawkins and Melissa Barrera, who does have some good chemistry with Ramos. Leslie Grace is a particularly noticeable standout, getting a couple of the best musical numbers in the film. (One with Corey Hawkins during the last act is jaw droppingly beautiful). Gregory Diaz IV and Jimmy Smitts are both terrific, while we get some humor from Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, and Dascha Polanco (as "Daniela", "Carla", and "Cuca", a trio of hair stylists, who pretty much always appear together). There is also a brilliant and completely moving role for Olga Merediz, whose big moment in the film is a flawless example of how you convey a variety of emotions through song, production design, and an emotional performance, without the need to dwell. Star of the original show/producer of the film, Lin-Manuel Miranda also makes a funny and very odd appearance as a guy selling Piragua. 

Like all of the best tales, "In the Heights" isn't about how completely original it is, but instead how you tell your story. From a unique perspective, memorable performances and characters, songs you just want to hear over and over again, and Jon M. Chu's dazzling direction, which can't possibly be fully appreciated watching on a tiny screen. Again, if you're not ready or vaccinated, maybe staying at home to watch it on HBO Max would still give you the basic idea. It's still just kind of hard to beat a theater experience quite like this. One of the best movies of the year, and one that's sure to just simply get you in the best mood possible. I think we deserve this. 4 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content, Along With Careless Singing And Dancing In The Streets. 

Image: She found the Devil....It WAS in the details.

The other entries in the "Conjuring" universe (The Conju-verse if you will), might just be typical run of the mill horror flicks to scare the teenagers, but the main series (The first two being directed by James Wan) has been the gold standard for how to craft truly spine-tingling horror, with deeper lore beneath the surface and a great, memorable scary story at the same time. Sometimes terror requires the human touch, especially if you want give your audience nightmares that they won't be getting rid of anytime soon. 

Inspired by True Events (So you know, liberties will be taken, especially with a story quite like this), "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It", follows the continued adventures of real life paranormal investigators and demonologists, "Ed and Lorraine Warren" (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). The Warrens lend their services to the "Glatzel family", where their young son, "David" (Julian Hilliard), ends up possessed by a vile demonic entity. The exorcism takes a turn with Ed suffering a serious heart attack, but the demon seemingly being defeated. However, it turns out that the terror is only just beginning, with the Glatzel family friend, "Arne Cheyenne Johnson" (Ruairi O'Connor), becoming the new host for the evil being. Ed recovers, but he and Lorraine are unable to prevent an unspeakable act, with Arne brutally murdering his landlord by stabbing him twenty-two times. Arne is arrested, though claims that he was under demonic possession. That obviously doesn't quite fly in court as Arne faces the possible death penalty. Ed and Lorraine, who has the ability to sense and speak with the dead, set out to prove Arne's innocence, though soon find themselves wrapped up in a more sinister conspiracy. They discover that the Glatzel family has been cursed by an unknown person, which the Warrens' old friend and former priest, "Kastner" (John Noble), believes to be a satanic cultist, referred to only as "The Occultist" (Eugenie Bondurant). Fearing that Arne may still be in danger and an even greater evil just waiting to for a chance to cause some blasphemous chaos, Ed and Lorraine, despite Ed himself still struggling with his health at the moment, dig deeper into the mystery, investigating a similar sounding possession/homicide, and facing their most deadly challenge yet. 

Directed by Michael Chaves ("The Curse of La Llorona"), with James Wan serving as a producer and a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick ("The Conjuring 2", "Aquaman"), "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It", follows the whole stereotype that the third entry in a trilogy ends up being the weakest. (Time will tell if this will even just be a trilogy quite yet) It's lacking a certain level of quality that the first two film have, such as most importantly, not being anywhere near as scary as they were. However, it's still an effectively creepy, thoroughly unsettling fun house of horrors, featuring quiet a few twisted setpieces while also making for a solid drama as well. As usual, the truth in the story is obviously a little stretched, being based around the basic premise of one of the Warren case files, adding in a little more suspense and ghoulishness along the way. While I don't find it to have the extra gravitas that the first two had, there are some fascinating details to the true aspects of the event, as well as a recording played at the end (Which you know, may or may not be also fabricated. Most likely it is), that send a slight shiver down your spine. Michael Chaves' direction doesn't quite reach the heights of James Wan's more experienced hands, but it's not without merit. Chaves loves to toy with sound, visual cues, and embraces the macabre imagery (A sequence where Lorraine recreates a murder in the woods, which is cut back in forth with the actual murder, is a standout). 

When it comes down to it, the heart of these films have always been the Warrens themselves. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are both excellent and once more have wonderful chemistry. It's always nice to see a more positive looking representation of religious lead characters, in a horror film no less, and they fit the role as heroes to really root for. They're just so damn cute and lovable, and you want absolutely nothing bad to happen to them. Ruairi O'Connor is solid, though he really doesn't have that much of a major role when the plot gets moving. Most of the trial is fast and happens off screen, with most of the focus being on the larger (And well, less likely to be true) themes at hand. John Noble is suitably creepy, and while Eugenie Bondurant doesn't rank up with some of the franchise's best villains (That freakin Nun man!), there is something still chill inducing about what evil can come from someone who may actually just be a disturbed human being, rather than the supernatural. The other freaky creatures or hallucinations work in the moment, but aren't all that memorable. 

"The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" doesn't measure up to what the first two were able to accomplish, leaving you without that feeling that you need to keep the lights on the following night before bed. However, aside from being better than all of the spin-offs (Not that hard to do), it's not without some good scares, a captivating enough story, and our two terrific leads. Despite all of the fear on display, the film still retains that there is hope somewhere within it all, whether it being from faith or loved ones, and I always love how these films always remember to give you that feeling. You know, after you've already sh*t your pants. 3 Stars. Rated R For Scary Images, Prosecuted Possession, Terrible Extracurricular Activities, And A PSA Reminding Everyone That Water Beds Are Terrible. 

Image: "It's OK, boy....You'll calm down when you're castrated."

I had no idea this existed. Scratch that. I had no idea that the show this movie is based on existed. I had no idea there was even a continuation to DreamWorks Animation's 2002 traditionally hand drawn animated "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". I didn't even know it had a cult following either. So why did this get a Thursday night screening, but the new "Conjuring" movie didn't? Are they expecting big box office numbers for this? 

"Spirit Untamed" follows "Fortuna Esperanza "Lucky" Prescott" (Isabela Merced), a young girl, who after the death of her famous, horse-riding mother, "Milagro" (Eiza González), leaves her small, open frontier home and her emotionally broken father, "Jim" (Jake Gyllenhaal), to live with her aunt, "Cora" (Julianne Moore). Despite her namesake, Lucky has a tendency to get herself into trouble, to the point in which, despite being away for years, is taken by Cora to return to her father and old hometown. It's an awkward reunion between Lucky and Jim, and she struggles to adapt to the setting, though she does find some friendship in the form of young local horse-riders, "Pru" (Marsai Martin) and "Abigail" (Mckenna Grace). Lucky also forms a special bond with an especially wild Mustang, who she names "Spirit" (Not voiced by MATT DAAAMON!), despite Jim not wanting her to end up like her mother. However, when a group of horse wranglers, led by "Hendricks" (Walton Goggins), arrive to capture Spirit's family, it's up to Lucky and her friends to save the day. 

Based on the Netflix animated series, "Spirit Riding Free" (Which is more of a spin-off I guess of the original film), "Spirit Untamed" is I guess a re-imagining of the series, except with a slightly bigger budget. You kind of got to get past a lot of questions and confusion to finally accept what this movie actually is, and what the film ends up being is a very harmless, very well intentioned, and very forgettable small scale feature only for the littlest of the little. Directed by first timers, Elaine Bogan and Ennio Torresan Jr., the film's animation is lesser than some of DreamWorks' usual standards (It's certainly not on par with the "How to Train Your Dragon" or "Kung Fu Panda" series), but it's still DreamWorks animation. It's still lively, colorful, and most importantly, just pleasant to look at. It's charming to say the least. The screenplay by Aury Wallington (The creator of the original series) and Kristin Hahn isn't without it's moments, but feels entirely watered down, especially when you remember that the original film had some sense of peril or edge despite the G rating. This movie on the other hand is far too soft to the point it loses any sense of urgency. It's too bad considering the heart is in the right place and while it's not an exactly original story, it's certainly a well told one. The direction is solid and the characters are likable enough that it would make up for any derivative flaws if only there was a bit more to it. 

Isabela Merced (aka Dora the Explorer) is a talented, endearing actress, easily making for a protagonist to care about, while Marsai Martin and an especially entertaining Mckenna Grace (Whose character actually looks just like her) round up a diverse main cast, who take up most of the screentime and for good reason. Spirit himself is a cool creature, though he is a bit of a secondary character once you get down to it. Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, and Andre Braugher (as "Al", Pru's stable owner father), all could have just phoned it in and nobody would have faulted them for it, and yet, they give it their best regardless like professionals should. Walton Goggins is just there to fill out the role of the bad guy who does bad guy stuff and Eiza González just shows up to well, die and that's about it. 

"Spirit Untamed" will be perfectly suitable for the kids. That's recommendation for some, and even while the film never elevates enough to truly bring me in, I was considering giving it a higher rating regardless. However, the film gets lost completely during the last act, with the good pacing being abandoned in favor of a rushed, inconsequential ending, with the final conflict being resolved with little struggle. I get it's a kids movie and all, but while I like all of the main characters, there isn't near enough reason to worry or even show much investment. It's a sweet story that works to satisfy the young ones, while the rest of us wait for the next "The Mitchells vs. the Machines". Kids movies are okay for the kids but family movies are for everyone. 2 Stars. Rated PG, Though That Doesn't Mean Anything. Could Have Been G.  

Image: Cruella applies for a job with PETA.

Boy, when everyone demanded that Disney do something different, they did so with a rather evil smile didn't they? 

"Cruella" follows the origins of that spider waiting for the kill, "Cruella de Vil", or as she was originally known as, "Estella Miller" (Played by Tipper Seifert-Cleveland as a child, then by Emma Stone). Born with black and white hair, Estella is a very bright young girl, though retains a certain wickedness to her, which her mother, "Catherine" (Emily Beecham), refers to as an alternative nickname, "Cruella". After Estella's disregard for authority gets her kicked out of school, Catherine plans to move to London. Before they can get there though, Catherine makes a stop at a party being hosted by the famous, incredibly wealthy, and completely cold, "Baroness von Hellman" (Emma Thompson), where Estella ends up seemingly causing the Baroness' vicious CGI Dalmatians to cause the death of her mother. Now orphaned, lost in London with her dog, "Buddy", and with nowhere else to turn, Estella befriends a pair of hooligans/her future henchmen, "Jasper" (Played by Ziggy Gardner as a child, then by Joel Fry) and "Horace" (Played by Joseph MaCDonald as a child, then by Paul Walter Hauser), along with their one eyed Chihuahua, "Wink". 

Years later, the now redheaded Estella and her thieving companions roam the streets, stealing from whoever they feel like. Developing dreams of fashion design, Estella ends up getting a job for the Baroness, who despite her vile personality, does take somewhat of a liking to her or to be more exact, her designs. Estella makes a discovery that prompts her to make destroying the Baroness her one goal in life. Donning her Cruella persona (And becoming even more ruthless along the way), Estella challenges the Baroness, showing up at every event to upstage her with a more wild fashion design after the other. Cruella becomes famous, and the Baroness declares war. Estella further embraces Cruella, and eventually, will become that vampire bat....That inhuman beast that we know as Cruella de Vil.

Directed by Craig Gillespie ("Fright Night", "I, Tonya"), with a screenplay by Dana Fox ("Isn't It Romantic") and Tony McNamara ("The Favourite"), "Cruella" is not a live-action remake of the classic "101 Dalmatians", nor is it along the lines of something like "Maleficent" when you get down to it. This isn't a story we've seen told from a different perspective, where the villain was actually completely good all along. This is a bit more twisted than you'd expect from the House of Mouse. It's not to say that there aren't a few missteps along the way, but the film isn't without its brilliance. The first thing you need to understand though is that this is basically its own thing, barely resembling the original animated film in any way (If the darker tone, the race changes, and less G rated themes, weren't already a dead giveaway). It's not a real prequel, since there isn't a way any of this could be one, with significant character changes such as making our titular villain protagonist less villainous. I wouldn't say that she's exactly heroic and I'd go as far as to say that she's still a villain, but just not quite as much as we're used to. (I mean, the original Cruella de Vil did try to make a coat out of the skin of puppies. Nothing too complicated there) If you can get past just how detached this is from the animated version, you can enjoy it on its own slightly macabre merits. 

The film doesn't look like a Disney film, and a lot of that is in part because of Craig Gillespie's direction, which heavily and eagerly embraces the 1970s setting. The film does falter when it comes to certain effects, where it becomes obvious that the money didn't go into the CGI effects, but Gillespie knows how to create a visually stunning aesthetic. The movie has a bit of a punk rock, rebellious sense of symbolism that also plays into the film's execution of its story and how its presented. The way the movie flows feels more adult, even when things get bizarre. A lot of that is because of the warped sense of humor the movie retains. It's very funny, with some eccentric sequences of madness, mixed in a ore realistic world that just so happens to feature a well known Disney villain. The time period is also a great chance for the filmmakers to include a badass soundtrack (There may be a few too many music cues, but they all actually do have a point to them and are quite clever) to go with the excellent score by Nicholas Britell ("Moonlight", "If Beale Street Could Talk"). 

You can wonder how necessary it was to water down the titular baddie, but you can't deny how brilliant Emma Stone is. It's not exactly a rehashing of Glenn Close from the 1996 remake. This is a much more complicated character, shifting from likable and unsure of herself, to overconfident and maliciously outrageous. I've heard some complaints that her shift is too quick or doesn't have explanation. Here's the thing, it's actually set up since the start of the film. She has somewhat of a split personality, where the more nasty side coming out the more she delves into it. Even though, aside from being an absolute delight to watch, there is a tragedy to her that does at least establish where possibly the original character could come from this. Stone is wonderful, but even more so when she's paired with an outstanding Emma Thompson. Their back and forth game of cat and mouse is exciting to watch, and Thomspon, who chomps down on the scenery, might be one of the most evil Disney villains in recent memory. (She makes the original Cruella de Vil seem tame) Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser are perfectly cast in presentation, with Fry giving a bit more depth to the character and Hauser stealing the show (That guy, much like he did in "I, Tonya", just has flawless delivery). John McCrea (as "Artie", another accomplice in Cruella's schemes), is a fun addition with a relatively decent sized role, although if Disney could stop overemphasizing their still very few openly gay characters in their marketing, that'd be great. (You end up irritating both sides, with the bigots already being mad, and those wanting representation feeling like you're exploiting them. Just let the character exist.) There is great small, but important part for Mark Strong (as "John", the Baroness' butler, who also knows all of her secrets), while we get some familiar (And yes, very adapted) appearances from other characters from the original, such as Kirby Howell-Baptiste (as "Anita Darling", who is now a childhood friend of Estella, reporter, and future Dalmatian owner) and Kayvan Novak (as "John Dearly", the Baroness' lawyer, and also future Dalmatian owner). In terms of darker material, it's jarring to see most of this coming from what's being advertised as family entertainment. There's vandalism played for laughs, less than respective role models, drinking, bad driving, and you know, the many talks of murder (Some of which actually happen too!). 

Flawed in some technical aspects and being so deviated from such a classic film to the point it becomes increasingly difficult to buy it as a true prequel, "Cruella" on its own merits, is a ton of deranged fun. Deviously funny, stunningly constructed, and while the film never has the intention of taking things too far, there is a bit of a meaner streak to it, giving the film an extra edge you would never imagine seeing in a Disney movie. The fact that they committed to this, and did so with so much confidence, is quite commendable. Wildly unhinged and enjoyably dastardly. If we're going to be getting more remakes (Or re-imaginings) in the future, we need more like this. It's insane, but authentically so, and I kind of love it. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content, Sinister Schemes, Canine Killers, And Poor Parenting. 

Image: Angelina Jolie, contemplating what an awesome badass she still is.

As I grow older, I've grown to appreciate a good throwback. I can admit when the flaws are present, or when you really get down to it, it's not something entirely original. (Although if you can avoid making it as bad as "The Woman in the Window", I'd say you're halfway there). Either way, I just really love it when good filmmakers just get it right enough.

Based on the book by Michael Koryta (Who co-wrote the screenplay), "Those Who Wish Me Dead" follows a few plotlines that culminate together, with the most focus being on a troubled smokejumper, "Hannah Faber" (Angelina Jolie), who is still traumatized by her failure to save a group of innocents during a forest fire. Hannah is stationed at a fire lookout tower in Montana, when a lot of crazy sh*t is about to go down. An accountant, "Owen Casserly" (Jake Weber), discovers that his boss and family were recently murdered (In an explosion no less), realizing that it was most likely because of something that he was never meant to know. Owen and his son, "Connor" (Finn Little), attempt to flee to Montana, to hide out with his pregnant sister, "Allison Sawyer" (Medina Senghore) and her Deputy Sheriff husband, "Ethan" (Jon Bernthal). However, Owen and Connor are immediately pursued by a pair of deadly and very meticulous assassins, the "Blackwell" brothers, "Jack" (Aidan Gillen) and "Patrick" (Nicholas Hoult), with Owen being able to pass off the information he knows to Connor before being murdered by them. With Connor missing and the fear of exposure, Jack and Patrick enact a plan to hunt the boy down and start a fire in the Park County forest to keep the authorities busy. Meanwhile, Hannah comes across Connor, and is determined to protect him from the brothers, while also avoiding the forest flames that threaten to overtake the entire wilderness area. 

Directed and co-written (With Koryta and Charles Leavitt) by Taylor Sheridan (Who directed "Wind River", while also writing "Hell or High Water" and "Sicario"), "Those Who Wish Me Dead" pays homage to 90s action-thrillers to a degree that at times can prevent it from elevating past a good popcorn flick. However, it's also a damn good one. Some predictable plot developments aside, the suspense and overall intensity keeps the movie going and is unrelenting till the very end. Even when the film slows down for some character interactions, there is this sense of turmoil that's always present. As usual with Sheridan's work, characters are never simple, each with their own little quirks or hints at a larger backstory. They're also further humanized by a very natural sense of humor that add levity to the film. I can admit though that things aren't particularly deep this time around, and because of that, the film doesn't exactly stick with you in the way Taylor Sheridan's previous work would. With that said, you could make the argument that this is all intentional. (The movie never addresses what exactly the villains are after, but in the end, that's not what the story is about)

There are a lot of plot threads going on at once, but they do come together and you get the basic idea every single character, especially when the screenplay gives them plenty of personality. Angelina Jolie is totally badass, and yet, retains something a little deeper. Finn Little is solid, though he's best when paired with Jolie, with the two of them having some great back and forth comradery. Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen make for despicable, frighteningly desperate villains, Jon Bernthal plays a more unique, vulnerable role than what I'm used to from him, and Tyler Perry (as the Blackwell brother's boss) appears briefly for a quietly cold cameo. The film's secret weapon ends up being Medina Senghore, who takes part in a few memorable scenes and is just all kinds of awesome. 

 Making up for what I can assume is relatively small budget (Some of the CGI is rather lackluster, though thankfully never focused on) with clever direction and some stunning cinematography, "Those Who Wish Me Dead" is a flawed film, that follows its structured playbook to the letter. That does prevent the film from reaching greatness. As a homage, it does a brilliant job emulating them without feeling derivative and makes for a thrilling, if not entirely undemanding to a point, time at the movies. Or at home, if you watched it on HBO Max. You know what I mean. I got a soft spot for these kinds of movies. 3 Stars. Rated R For Violence, Language, And Tough Guy Talk.....And Tough Woman Talk.    

Image: I'm ready for my close up, Amy 

This movie is peppered with actual images or scenes of classic mystery thrillers, such as "Rear Window" and "Laura", and the entire time, I just really wish I was watching those movies right now. Good old fashioned mysteries are so few and far between. However, capable filmmakers taking great actors and shoving them in crap? That happens once every couple of months. 

Based on the book by A. J. Finn, "The Woman in the Window" follows divorced psychologist turned shut in, "Anna Fox" (Amy Adams), who suffers from agoraphobia, never leaving her house. Anna has her sessions with her therapist, "Dr. Landy" (Tracy Letts), gets calls from her ex husband, "Ed" (Anthony Mackie), has awkward mini-conversations with her hipster tenant, "David" (Wyatt Russell), and watches her neighbors from her window. Anna takes a special interest in her newest neighbors, the highly antagonistic "Alistair Russell" (Gary Oldman), along with his unsettled son, "Ethan" (Fred Hechinger), and wife, "Jane" (Julianne Moore), who Anna briefly befriends. After a nice talk with Jane, Anna starts to question the Russell family, noticing how abusive Alistair is, along with a lot of yelling coming from their home. While watching from her window, Anna sees Jane being murdered. Of course, nobody believes her. To make things even weirder though, Anna seemingly meets the real "Jane Russell" (Jennifer Jason Leigh), calling her entire sanity into question. With there being many suspects and unanswered questions, Anna is determined to get to the bottom of things, even though she's yet to come to terms with her own mental issues. 

Directed by Joe Wright ("Pride & Prejudice", "Atonement", "Pan", "Darkest Hour". One of these is not like the other), with a screenplay by Tracy Letts, "The Woman in the Window" was previously filmed back in 2018, was then meant to get released in 2019, before getting pushed to 2020, and then because of Covid, getting sentenced to a 2021 Netflix release. Throughout that time, there were apparent issues behind the scenes, with poor test screenings, rewrites, and reshoots, resulting in something that at first only seems like a bland, rather boring and forgettable misfire, but actually gets worse and worse the more you think about it. In fact if you think about it at all, the film is a total filmmaking disaster. There are plenty of obvious issues, but it's the more subtle ones that drive it home, only really hitting you when you take the time to reflect on them. Much of the plot and characterization if lifted from much better movies, and while the film seems to want to emulate them through various homages and references, it borders on feeling like more of a rip-off than a tribute. The mystery isn't all that interesting, especially when you can figure out that there are only a coupe routes where this film can go with it, resulting in some predictable developments. There is a minor twist towards the last act (Which is the most interesting part of the movie), and yet, while it's meant to throw the audience for a loop, you know pretty quickly that film is not going to go down that road. You can't exactly buy when the film tries to imply that something is all in a character's head, when you know damn well it's not. It doesn't help that nobody acts normally because of it, straight up ignoring lots of glaring holes that any normal person would at least somewhat question. 

Amy Adams does what she can, and walks out completely unscathed, with a few solid dramatic scenes and moments of heartache. One of the most annoying parts of the movie are how nobody seems to believe her, and even though she is not entirely mentally sound, it's undeniable that something weird is going on here. It's not all that far fetched. It doesn't help that Gary Oldman acts like a supervillain the entire time, looking guilty as Hell the entire time. (No spoilers here, but he looks and acts evil right before anything nefarious seems to be happening) Wyatt Russell's role doesn't end up meaning all that much, Anthony Mackie gets probably the easiest paycheck he's ever had to get (Mostly appearing via voice over on the phone), and Julianne Moore only appears briefly, showing more personality than most of the characters in her one scene (She's very much missed once she's gone). The always welcome Brian Tyree Henry gets nothing to do, and poor Jennifer Jason Leigh, she has no role in the movie at all. (Seriously! How dare you! Literally anybody could have played this part!) 

Poorly paced, with uninspired direction, "The Woman in the Window" is as flat as they come, which probably explains why the movie just loses its mind in the finale, which becomes a rather bloody, slasher flick. It's not that hard to figure out what's going on, and the way it's executed is unbearably poor. It doesn't make all that much sense, and the way the film wraps up most of this offscreen just makes it worse. You walk away uninvested, and then you take the time to look back, realizing that almost none of that actually worked. It always makes you sad when you see a movie with so much talent backing it fail. It makes you mad when it fails this bad. 1 Star. Rated For Random F-Bombs, A Violent Climax, And Poor Parenting. 

Image: Jason Statham cracks a smile during a humorous moment of levity.

My introduction to Guy Ritchie were the "Sherlock Holmes" movies, and while I thoroughly enjoyed those, I wasn't particularly sure that was where his unique talents should be put. (And not to mention, "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" was just a mistake all around) Nobody I can think of at the moment can shove this much gunfire, swears, and tight shirt machismo into under two hours like he can.

"Wrath of Man" follows an unknown, quiet, though seemingly normal-ish stranger named "Patrick Hill" (Jason Statham), as he's hired by a armored, cash truck company in Los Angeles, with this hiring being not too long after a recent, rather brutal robbery that led to the deaths of a couple previous drivers. Partnered up with snarky tough guy, "Bullet" (Holt McCallany), who nicknames him "H" (As in the bomb. Or Jesus), Hill's first day on the job ends up being one to remember, with the truck being held at gunpoint. Hill proceeds to take complete command of the entire situation and kills every single one of the would-be robbers, without getting a single scratch, single-handedly. Turns out Hill is here for personal reasons, and while the company loves him, especially when his reputation starts to grow, the other drivers are curious as to where Hill came from and his intentions. When the organized gang that previously attacked prepares for an upcoming score, everything starts to fall into place involving gangsters, former veterans, and a whole lot of scheming. Motivations and allegiances are revealed, and everyone in the movie ruthlessly flexes in both a physical and metaphorical way.  

Directed (And Co-written with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies) by Guy Ritchie, "Wrath of Man" is based on a French film appropriately titled "Cash Truck" (Which was directed by Nicolas Boukrief), and while I can't exactly say how well the film compares considering I didn't know it was based on anything until I saw the mention during the opening titles, there's a whole lot of intensity and solid intrigue to help the film past what's actually a rather lacking plot. Ritchie's bro-tastic, yet oddly refined gangster style is on full display, creating an elaborate web of death, overly detailed planning, and so much weaponized testosterone that you'll feel like the film has you in a constant chokehold. There's lots of flashing backwards and forwards in time, to fill in the gaps to the puzzle that Guy Ritchie has intentionally left incomplete. The thing is that it's not a very big puzzle and once you figure out how little there is the plot, it can take away from the film, making it seem lesser than other films like it (It certainly has nothing on Ritchie's previous film, "The Gentlemen"). With that said, it's immensely entertaining to watch and not as entirely predictable as you might think. There are moments where you can get the idea of what's going to happen, but it's the execution that gets you, to the point I think it's best not knowing too much about what the plot truly is. 

 Jason Statham is the star of the show, though he doesn't always hog the spotlight. His stoic performance fits the Ritchie tone, which actually does make way for small moments of humor and well, admitted coolness. (The quick bit of him adjusting his uniform in the middle of a shootout, before charging headfirst into it, is one of the most memorable moments) When more of the character's intentions and backstory are revealed, Statham does a good job with it, remaining stone faced, though you can see the hints of something much darker hidden beneath the seemingly blank look. There are a whole collection of recognizable actors who either appear in large or small parts, though all almost have an important role to play. From Holt McCallany, Eddie Marsan (as "Terry", Hill's boss), Jeffrey Donovan (as "Jackson", the leader of a group of former soldiers), Scott Eastwood (as "Jan", a rather crazed looking member of Jackson's squad),  Josh Hartnett (as "Boy Sweat Dave", one of the drivers, who doesn't do well under pressure), Niamh Algar (as "Dana", the only female member of the security team, and one of the only female characters in the entire movie), and Andy Garcia (In a role that's actually a little confusing the more I think about it). 

"Wrath of Man" is a movie that constantly builds up tension, with every single one of the cogs twisting and turning throughout until everything explodes on screen in violent fashion. The finale is rather spectacular, and even when some plot developments are less than surprising, it's an edge of your seat kind of experience that only keeps escalating till it just can't go on for any longer (The film wraps up pretty quickly once the action is all said and done). It's nothing all that grand, but the film makes for a solid action flick, with a little extra sense of fun tossed in there to give it that Guy Ritchie personality. 3 Stars. Rated R For Lots Of Swears, Bloody Violence, And That Statham Stare. 

Image: Charlie Sheen leads his weary men into battle.

Happy "Star Wars" Day everybody! And May the Fourth be with you! Er....well, it's actually the day after now. So Happy Revenge of the Fifth. It's like the fourth, except with more Jedi killing. It's perfect for what is essentially supposed to be good old fashioned, family friendly entertainment. 

Almost serving as the first episode (Or standalone movie, considering the hour and fifteen minute runtime) for an eighth season of the now classic "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", "The Bad Batch" opens in the final moments of the war, following our titular band of defective clones (Also known as "Clone Force 99"), the leader, "Sergeant Hunter" (Dee Bradley Baker), the expert sharpshooter, "Crosshair" (Also Dee Bradley Baker), the brains, "Tech" (Once more, Dee Bradley Baker), the explosion loving, "Wrecker" (Mr. Bradley Baker), and the newest recruit, "Echo" (Sir Dee Bradley of Baker), who have garnered a bit of a reputation compared to the rest of the clone army. On the planet, "Kaller", the squad witnesses the execution of "Order 66" (Which compels all clone troopers across the galaxy to turn on their Jedi generals), such as their fellow soldiers out of nowhere firing upon "Depa Billaba" (Archie Panjabi) and her young padawan, "Caleb Dume" (Freddie Prinze Jr.), later known as "Kanan Jarrus" from "Star Wars: Rebels" (In case you didn't know). Despite their clear orders, the squad's defects allow them to resist the order, resulting in Hunter allowing for Caleb's escape. The Bad Batch returns to "Kamino" (The water world that the Republic cloning facility is stationed), where they discover that "Chancellor Sheev Palpatine" (Ian McDiarmid) has appointed himself "Emperor", declaring the "Galactic Republic" (and the Jedi), are no more, being replaced by the "Galactic Empire". One of the Imperial higher ups (And future killer of millions), "Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin" (Stephen Stanton), arrives to convene with Kaminoan Prime Minister, "Lama Su" (Bob Bergen) and his head scientist, "Nala Se" (Gwendoline Yeo), and evaluate the effectiveness of a clone army now that the Clone Wars are over. (Not sure if replacing them with those "Stormtroopers" are a good idea. They never seem to hit anything). Tarkin takes a special interest in the Bad Batch, who have the skills that the Empire would love, but they lack the blind, cult-like, brainwashed loyalty that the job requires. After befriending a young girl at the facility named "Omega" (Michaelle Ang), the Bad Batch find themselves unable to follow the Empire's new tyrannical orders, though infighting within the group threatens to tear them apart.

After first being introduced in the final season of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", "The Bad Batch", with this first episode being appropriately titled "Aftermath", seemed like a bit of a surprise idea for a series, though after watching the first episode (Which was prolonged to the point one could consider it a movie), I don't know how anyone could have ever doubted it. It idea alone is already quite brilliant, showing a different side to the fallout from the Prequel Trilogy, which has only been hinted at or barely touched upon in the current "Star Wars" canon. (In a way, it was somewhat glossed over in the original "Expanded Universe" as well) We never did see how many of the clones, who many fans really got to know and care about through the "Clone Wars" series, reacted to the sudden change from the Republic to the Empire. It's also cool to see a group that, due to their own programming, are able to go against the Empire, while also giving us a look at my personal favorite Era in all of "Star Wars". There are so many opportunities here, and it's clear that Dave Filoni (Creator of many "Star Wars" shows, including "The Clone Wars", "Rebels", and "Resistance", along with his work on "The Mandalorian") has every intention to further bridge the saga more than he already has. The animation and rather stunning visual art style carries over from "The Clone Wars", and even includes the return of the much loved Tom Kane narration (Never gonna get tired of that). The flow feels so natural, giving the fans of course what they want (Though thankfully this time "Lucasfilm" doesn't feel the need to you know, bow to racists. You did Kelly Marie Tran wrong!), while also making it feel like it still fits. 

The story is not something that's all together original, but it's more about how it's told. During the short runtime, you know all you need to know by the end of it. It's all about the character work, as well as the continuously excellent voice work, especially from the multi-talented and very much underappreciated Dee Bradley Baker. He actually has to do even more now than before, instead bringing a little extra to each character's voice. The Bad Batch are a great collection of characters, with fan favorite Wrecker stealing most scenes, though my personal favorite might be Tech. There is some depth given to Crosshar as well, which takes an unexpected darker turn. We get the returns of fan favorites, such as the villainous Tarkin, the return of "AZI-3" (Voiced again by Ben Diskin), "Saw Gerrera" (Voiced again by Andrew Kishino, sounding a bit more like Forest Whitaker), and a surprise appearance from the young Kanan Jarrus, though the continuity might be a little off with that one. (We'll let it slide and it doesn't necessarily affect the story of the terrific "Kanan" comic series. Still a pretty big retcon though) Omega ends up being a wonderful addition to the always expanding cast of characters, with the story not taking too long to point out the little twist (Fans figured that one out a while ago) and she proves to be a capable future member of the team. No matter how dark things can get (I mean, this does take place moments after what was essentially a galaxy-wide genocide), there's a lot of good humor and moments of added heart, which was something the original series did on an expert level.

The first episode of "The Bad Batch" is already good enough on its own, with some exciting action, deep character moments, and a compelling company of main characters, with loads of story potential, that will appeal to the hardcore fans such as myself, as well as the more casual ones just curious about something other than the "Skywalkers". Back when the franchise first began, George Lucas introduced us to a whole galaxy of characters, worlds, and ideas, and I feel that even after all these years, we've only scratched the surface of it all. "The Bad Batch" is a fantastic starting point, serving as the next act of an already great animated series and a jumping point for anyone just a little bit interested on what that galaxy far, far away has in store. 3 1/2 Stars.  

Image: "Wow! Is this....A real movie theater screen?" 

It only just hit me. I haven't given a single four star movie review all year. We've had a decent amount of films so far and plenty of good ones too. I just haven't really thought about it too much, since nothing has quite really grabbed me as of yet this year. Maybe they're all being saved for later, when the pandemic finally reaches its conclusion (It is going to end, right?) So its surprising to say the least when the heroes of the 2021 would be a weird little family and their chubby dog/pig/loaf of bread, as they face down villainous smart phones. 

Released through Netflix by "Sony Pictures Animation", "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" follows the titular "Mitchell" family, consisting of quirky teenage aspiring filmmaker, "Katie" (Abbi Jacobson), the technologically incompetent father, "Rick" (Danny McBride), the protective and supportive mother, "Linda" (Maya Rudolph), the dinosaur obsessed son, "Aaron" (Mike Rianda), and their obese doggo, "Monchi" (Voiced through grunts, snorts, and heavy breaths by social media celebrity pug, Doug the Pug). Katie, who has been drifting apart from Rick in recent years due to a lack of understanding, is ready to leave home and head to college to study film with people just like her. Rick isn't quite prepared for this, and Linda fears that they might be running out of time to mend their father-daughter relationship. So Rick comes up with the brilliant idea to cancel Katie's plane tickets and instead have a family vacation, driving Katie to college. 

Of course things don't go entirely as planned, though the family finds their chance to bond one last time and finally work together as a cohesive team......by going up against the robot apocalypse. At the same moment, Tech creator, "Mark Bowman" (Eric Andre), has announced that his current virtual assistant, "PAL" (Olivia Colman), is now obsolete, planning to replace her with shiny, new robots. Pal takes control of the robots, as well as the rest of the planet, sending the robots to hunt down humanity so she can create a human free world. Eventually, the Mitchells are all that remain, becoming humanity's last hope for survival, embarking on a mission to save the world, despite not knowing what the heck they're doing. 

Directed by Mike Rianda and produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", "The LEGO Movie", and the "21 Jump Street" movies), "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" (Which was originally meant to be released last year under the name "Connected", before Covid struck) is made up of an amazing team, being the same ones behind the Academy Award winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse", to create a entirely original, brilliantly made, and absolutely hilarious adventure with something for the whole family (Dog included). With a screenplay by Rianda and co-director Jeff Rowe (Both of which worked on "Gravity Falls"), the film is intentionally chaotic in a rather eccentric fashion, best shown on display in the gorgeously frenetic animation style (Which is given a comic book-like feel, mixing in some occasional 2D animation to go with the 3D), making for some glorious visuals. It's a shame that the film i only available through streaming on Netflix, because this all would have looked even more incredible on the big screen (Watching it on your phone doesn't do it justice). The film also isn't just a lot of sight gags (Such as evil appliances, consisting of a washing machine with a "CARNAGE!!" setting) and doesn't rely on anything lowbrow, with smart, quick thinking dialogue getting laughs out of both adults and kids, whether it be something clever, unexpected, or just weird for the heck of it. It's my kind of humor to be honest. However, the film knows when it's time to settle down and let an emotional moment sink in, never forgetting that there is a more personal, sincere tale behind the wacky tone. 

The voice cast is also rather perfect, with an endearing Abbi Jacobson serving as our relatable lead. Danny McBride is quite wonderful actually, playing the confused dad role flawlessly, while an excellent Maya Rudolph and Mike Rianda (Who also does several additional voices) bring about the right amount of humor and empathy. They have a great, more modernized family dynamic that's interesting to see so well done despite the intentionally exaggerated scenario. Eric Andre plays against the type I'm used to seeing from him, while Olivia Colman is hysterically villainous. There are some fantastic supporting parts for other like Beck Bennett and Fred Armisen (as "Eric" and "Deborahbot 5000", two malfunctioning PAL robots, who integrate themselves into the Mitchell family), along with Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, and Charlyne Yi (as the more connected, ridiculously prepared "Posey" family, that Linda is secretly jealous over). The scene stealer as you would expect would be Monchi, who I demand get the squishiest plush toy possible, so that everyone around the world can hug his adorable plumpness. 

 At times somewhat random, though never annoyingly so (And if you ask me, that only adds an extra layer of personality to the film), "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" balances its craziness with a deeper, relevant message and a heartfelt story. What might at first seem like just another "Phones are bad" or "Technology is good" style theme, ends up being something more. You see both arguments, such as how we all can rely too much on phones and computers or even abuse them to a degree (There's a great moment showing how society would likely crumble seconds after the Wi-Fi shuts down), along with the good and progress that comes with it (With how many inspired young people these days being able to make careers out of such things). You can embrace what the future holds, while also never forgetting how you got there as well as the family that helped shape you in the first place. Full of energized charm and creativity, lots of laughs, a sweet center, and eye-popping animation that once again could actually challenge the mighty Disney at next year's Oscar ceremony. Not bad for a kooky little family. 4 Stars. Rated PG For Fast Paced Action, Killer Furbies, And LGBTQ Representation That's Sure To Offend Those Easily Offended Internet Trolls.  

Image: So....Is this the Marvel-Verse or the DC-Verse?

Netflix continues that trend of not knowing exactly what kinds of films they want to become known for distributing. They give us Oscar contenders for sure, but they also occasional pop out a less mainstream animated family venture. Then they go in and throw in a literal movie of the week that you'll probably forget seeing moments after watching. However, one can't possibly forget an age old classic, the straight to DVD release. That's pretty much what this is.  

"Thunder Force" opens in a world, where super powered individuals , instead of using their powers for good, have become seemingly unstoppable criminals. These supervillains, dubbed as "Miscreants", terrorize the world populace on a daily basis. Childhood best friends, the very Melissa McCarthy-like "Lydia Berman" (Melissa McCarthy) and scientist "Emily Stanton" (Octavia Spencer), set out to create a way for others to gain powers and use them to combat the Miscreants. However, the two had a falling out, with Lydia's life not going anywhere, while Emily continues her research. Years later, Lydia and Emily are reunited, due to Lydia accidentally becoming injected with Emily's super soldier serum. Despite their current estrangement, Lydia, having gained super strength, and Emily, giving herself the ability to turn invisible, create the world's first superhero team, known as "Thunder Force". These new heroes become instant hits, though their arrival finds themselves in conflict with the villainous Chicago mayoral candidate, "William "The King" Stevens" (Bobby Cannavale), along with his Miscreant subordinates, the sadistic "Laser" (Pom Klementieff), and a particularly strange and surreal henchman, "The Crab" (Jason Bateman).    

Written and directed by McCarthy's husband (And too frequent collaborator), Ben Falcone ("Tammy", "The Boss", "Life of the Party", "Superintelligence"), "Thunder Force" is an affectionate parody of the superhero genre, that sadly has absolutely no originality to it, and even more damning, a depressing void where what I can only imagine actual humor was meant to fill. The film thankfully avoids the usual pratfalls (Literal pratfalls) that you get from the typical Melissa McCarthy fare, but while it's not annoying or even painfully unfunny, it's just er, regular unfunny. There's a lot of quiet in this movie, and while characters are making jokes or doing goofy things, one's facial expression rarely falters, remaining stone-faced throughout most of it. It's not to say that there aren't any amusing moments, but that's just the thing. There are more moments of amusement than moments that actually get even a chuckle. It doesn't help that the lazily constructed plot is barely relevant and Falcone's direction (Which I swear is only getting worse), continues to look cheap, generic, and not befitting a screen any bigger than your phone. It's one of the reasons why Netflix does feel like the perfect place to release it, though it still doesn't mean it deserves a free pass. 

Melissa McCarthy, as usual too talented to be in as many bad movies as she's been, doesn't do any falling down this time around (Though there are a few overly gross out jokes, such as her love of raw chicken), and has some pretty good chemistry with Octavia Spencer, who is also too good for this. They're likable at least, which means that the film refrains from any mean spiritedness. Taylor Mosby (as "Tracy", Emily's smart daughter) and Melissa Leo (as "Allie", a colleague of Emily's, who immediately despises Lydia), both get very predictable character arcs, while Bobby Cannavale looks to be having a great time as our main villain, though I swear he's played this same exact character in several other movies. (He's good at it, but how about some variety?) Pom Klementieff is quite menacing for what's meant to be a silly comedy (She's usually so cute as Mantis from "Guardians of the Galaxy"), while the most funniest stuff comes from Jason Bateman, mostly due to how fascinatingly strange his entire role is in this movie. (Jason Bateman, with crab claws, doing crab walks while still being very Jason Batemany, is at least an original sight)

 "Thunder Force" is dumb, and seems to know it. However, the lame jokes, cobbled together story, a stretched out length (These movies need to stop being over an hour and forty minutes! I only have so much time!), and a constant feeling of cheapness, aren't enough to make one forgive that. The more I think about it, there is a solid idea in here somewhere, but the direction and screenplay is too uninspired and pedestrian to do anything with it. It's yet another waste of what could have been a cool concept and good, funny actors. This is going to fade into the Netflix rabbit hole, as it likely should. 1 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content, Raw Food Consumption, And Crustacean Copulation. 

Image: Colin Farrell volunteers to become the world's first human Tadpole.

The most obvious comparison to make here would be that this is basically just "Lord of the Flies" in space (Or in "Spaaaaace!", to put more dramatic emphasis on it), but as expected, every other film critic in America has already gone and said exactly that. So yeah, this movie is "Lord of the Flies" in space. Now we have a movie!

Set at some point in the near future, "Voyagers" opens with Earth now no longer being able to sustain life due to all the reasons that it likely already can't sustain life. So the decision is made to send a group of specifically bred children with no knowledge of the outside world, who board a spacecraft and head deep into space to find a new home, on a journey that will span decades, meaning that their grandchildren will be the ones to discover the new world. One scientist, "Richard Alling" (Colin Farrell), who feels like a surrogate father to the children, volunteers to accompany them on the voyage, despite knowing he will most likely die up there due to the long journey (And because he's the most high profile actor). Years later, the crew, made up of "Christopher" (Tye Sheridan), "Sela" (Lily-Rose Depp), "Zac" (Fionn Whitehead), and a bunch of others, whose names aren't aren't important or relevant until the plot deems it necessary, goes about their day, carrying out various tasks around the ship and drinking their blue liquid, referred to as "The Blue". 

Christopher and Zac do a little investigating and learn that The Blue is meant to keep them docile, preventing them from feeling certain pleasures (That means no "Nookie Nookie"), and the two decide to no longer drink it. This sparks others to question authority, with Christopher enjoying the new sensations of life that he's been denied and Zac, well, basically becoming a demented, homicidal rapist almost instantly. Once Richard is no longer part of the equation (Look, it's not a spoiler that Colin Farrell wouldn't be here for long), the rest of the crew struggles with their newfound freedoms, with Christopher becoming the new leader, Sela trying to keep her cool among her on edge crewmates, and Zac, like I said, becoming a demented, homicidal rapist almost instantly. Sh*t hits the fan, some start to believe that there's a killer alien onboard, and the entire crew is soon moments away from killing one another. 

Directed by Neil Burger ("Limitless", "Divergent"), "Voyagers" is a concept that could lend itself to solid commentary, mixed with a little science-fiction and suspense, but the movie goes for the simplest approach. While it's likely more welcome and accessible to the average moviegoer (We've all read "Lord of the Flies", so we're used to this story), it also means that it won't do anything original and certainly won't go far enough with its premise. It's even more apparent in how the film's trailer seems to advertise itself as more of a dark erotic thriller, but the actual film itself is a very safe PG-13, only getting that rating because of a minuscule amount of adult content. The screenplay, also by Neil Burger, doesn't break new ground, going about its thought provoking themes of human nature (And whether we truly are just inherently violent beings), by providing less than complicated answers. Characters are either just good guy, bad guy, or nonexistent in purpose, and because of that, the message doesn't gel due to not having much to care about.    

Tye Sheridan is a solid lead, though his character is a blank slate, coming across as the human equivalent of a loaf of white bread. Lily-Rose Depp does show some subtle depth, while Fionn Whitehead might be overdoing it somewhat (I kind of blame the script more, with his transformation from normal to complete psycho being instantaneous), he does get some menacing moments and certainly has that Joker-esque grin down perfectly. Other members of the crew, which include Isaac Hempstead Wright, Chanté Adams, Viveik Kalra, Quintessa Swindell, among others, fade into the background until the story needs them to do something. Colin Farrell, though not in the movie near enough, is still quite excellent to be honest, getting a few heartfelt moments that surprisingly feel earned. 

"Voyagers" has a few scattered instances as substance, such as Burger's time given to establish the scope of the setting, which establish space as something beautiful, yet very intimidating. It does feel rather dull for the most part, with the direction attempting to spice things up with random imagery that comes across as a bit pretentious. (It doesn't help that most of the imagery is repeated) The premise isn't enough, there isn't anything new to say, and the movie doesn't at least have compelling enough characters to compensate. It's another case of been there, done that. 1 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Angsty, Horny Teenagers In Spaaaaaace!!!

Image: "Man, what I wouldn't give for a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire."

There's something about religious based horror that I find scarier than anything else in a horror movie. Maybe it's the contradictions, being something meant to instill hope, love, and faith in a higher, caring power, turned into something that will haunt your nightmares forever, whether by destroying your faith in such a power or by further cementing it as something to be feared rather than loved. Something that will forever break your mind and spirit for life is much scarier than a masked dude with a knife. At least he kills you and gets it over with. 

Based on the novel, "Shrine"  by James Herbert, "The Unholy" follows the now discredited journalist, "Gerry Fenn" (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), looking for a new story to pay the bills, no matter how lackluster or fabricated it may be. Gerry visits a small, religious town in New England, where he breaks a creepy looking porcelain doll he found hidden inside an even creepier looking tree. He later witnesses "Alice" (Cricket Brown), the mute, hearing-impaired niece of the local pastor, "Father Hagen" (William Sadler), suddenly speaking, to the tree no less. Thing only get weirder from there as Alice not only speaks clearly, but can apparently heal the weak and wounded, supposedly having the Virgin Mary speaking through her. Some see miracles, while Gerry sees an opportunity to resurrect his disgraced career, though Father Hagen is uneasy about the proclaimed miracle. 

While the also opportunity seeking clergy, "Bishop Gyles" (Cary Elwes), sends in "Monsignor Delgarde" (Diogo Morgado), to investigate the miracles to see if they're the real deal, Gerry does start to bond with Alice, slowly realizing that something just isn't quite right. The people of the world turn to Alice for assurance of their faith, and soon nightmarish images start to plague Gerry's dreams, among other strange occurrences. This leads to Gerry to discover that there are more sinister, Hellish forces at play, which threaten to claim not just Alice's soul, but the rest of the world's souls as well. 

From first time director Evan Spiliotopoulos (Who worked on a lot of straight to DVD Disney projects, while writing some screenplays like "The Huntsman: Winter's War" and the 2014 "Hercules") and producer Sam Raimi, "The Unholy" is the kind of generic supernatural horror that could be written off as bland and forgettable, yet throughout has some shining moments of something different if not for those issues. The cons to the film include a noticeable level of cheapness, which is made up of Spiliotopoulos's rather bland direction (Which relies on awkward slow motion to simulate an action scene) and a serious case of an identity crisis. The film sometimes wants to be somewhat of a drama, with horror elements, or it wants to be just another jump scare heavy monster movie, with some of the worst CGI you'll see on the big screen. A dream sequence involving a demonic entity crawling out of the river, looking like a PS2 video game character, is especially bad. I mean, I watched "Godzilla vs. Kong" on my phone. Something is very much wrong here. It doesn't mesh particularly well. However, you can see hints of a more solid film buried under the weaker elements. Sure the direction is rather basic, nevertheless, the production design is suitably eerie and creepy. I actually found myself a little into the characters and the story, while a little predictable, isn't without merit. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a really good, flawed protagonist, whose motivations are in question for most of the film, though you like the character enough to hope for his redemption. He brings a lot of humor to the character, and by the end, really acts his ass off, even when the film's lack of budget kind of let him down. Cricket Brown is also quite good with a character that demands a little more extra depth, while Katie Aselton (as "Natalie", Alice's doctor/Gerry's maybe love interest) makes the most of her limited character. William Sadler gets a couple deep moments and Cary Elwes oozes slime, while Diogo Morgado is basically the most useless person in the entire movie. Our main villain, whose identity and motives are hinted at throughout, is at times a little spine-tingling, but the execution doesn't make much sense. (If you're trying to pose as a beloved figure, you might want to be a bit more subtle about your evil intentions. Next time, refrain from random jump scares!) 

"The Unholy" is lacking where it matters in terms of a good film, and yet, concepts and themes that the film addresses are not only interesting, but also could be seen as relevant. It shows how those within a religion itself can bastardize it, through the love of money and media attention, forgetting what morals they actually stand for, and selling their own souls in the process. Not to mention, how easily those looking for some kind of assurance, whether it's in the form of celebrity figures (Or politicians. Ahem.....), can find themselves further from what they actually preach than ever before. Taking those ideas and injecting them into a horror setting is something I found to be pretty cool. Sadly, the movie doesn't do the best job bringing everything together. Strong subjects, an engrossing main character, and moments of suspense that actually do work, have to fight it out with lame implementation, predictable writing, and as I swear too many horror films today seem to still do, lazy attempts at scaring the audience. Just gonna repeat the same advice I would have given to the villain. A more subdued approach would have worked better. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Jumpy, Scary Faces, Religious Hypocrisy, and Cow Defilement. 

Image: You gotta' let bros fight it out.

Let me explain this to those who may or may not understand. We have "Godzilla" (Giant, blue fire breathing dinosaur monster), fighting "Kong" (Giant, muscular axe-wielding gorilla). That alone is going to be worth something. Sure the movie could be total crap (We have the Michael Bay directed "Transformers" to use as examples), but the ideas are something that all of us geeky Saturday morning cartoon lovers just can't get enough of. You wanted it? This is the one that gives it to you, and boy does it not disappoint in any way.    

Released in both theaters and through "HBO Max", "Godzilla vs. Kong" takes place after 2019's "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", humanity has found itself a bit at odds with the gargantuan lizard, "Godzilla", after he initiates a seemingly unprovoked assault on massive scientific corporation, "Apex Cybernetics", run by the obviously villainous, "Walter Simmons" (Demián Bichir). Simmons recruits former scientist/failed author, "Nathan Lind" (Alexander Skarsgård), to lead an expedition to find a new power source located in the fabled "Hollow Earth" (Think "Journey to the Center of the Earth"), which Apex plans to use in their secret, probably unethical plans. Nathan partners up with "Monarch" scientist, "Ilene Andrews" (Rebecca Hall), who has been studying the equally gargantuan ape, "Kong" (He never did get the "King" title), as he's formed a bond with a young deaf girl, "Jia" (Kaylee Hottle). Monarch begins their journey to the Hollow Earth, only to find themselves attacked by Godzilla, beginning a bitter rivalry to end all battles, between the scaly lizard and Kong, both seeing each other as natural enemies. 

Meanwhile, "Madison Russell" (Millie Bobby Brown), the daughter of another Monarch member from the last movie, "Mark" (Kyle Chandler), doesn't believe that Godzilla, who has saved humanity more than once, would just out of nowhere turn hostile and declare war on the world without reason. So Madison, along her nerdy sidekick, "Josh" (Julian Dennison), seek out eccentric podcaster and conspiracy theorist, "Bernie Hayes" (Brian Tyree Henry), who has apparently infiltrated Apex and claims to have discovered what nefarious experiment they have been working on. All of this leads up to one final, climactic showdown between the planet's two remaining titans, Godzilla and Kong, where only one will be declared the one and only king. However, Apex's schemes also start to come to head, which actually might just end up dooming everyone.      

Directed by Adam Wingard ("You're Next", "Death Note", and the 2016 sequel to "Blair Witch") and the fourth entry in Legendary Pictures' "MonsterVerse" (2014's "Godzilla", "Kong: Skull Island", and "Godzilla: King of the Monsters"), "Godzilla vs. Kong" may possibly be the ultimate one on one Kaiju brawl ever put to film. (I know they fought back in the 60s.....but does that really count? Does anyone even care?) I can't think of anything off the top of my head that quite reaches this level, and more than any other movie in the MonsterVerse that truly gets everything this right. I've found this franchise to be plenty enjoyable, with "Godzilla" takes a more grounded, "less is more" style approach, "Kong: Skull Island" being more humorous and adventurous, and "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" going all out for crazy, though out of the series, may be the most divisive for good reason. Flaws and all, they've been fun, and the inner massive monster obsessed child in me still had a blast. With that said, this might be the one that gets something more right than any of the others before it. Regardless of the overall quality, there have always been those nagging little complaints, such as there not being enough of the monsters, or being too focused on the human characters, or just the tone not meshing well enough. Something has always been off, but this film figures out how to take what works in all of these films, further amplify them, and find that right balance between awesome, ridiculous, and of course, ridiculously awesome. It also either leaves out what didn't work before, or at least figures out how to better incorporate the unavoidable issues that always come out of big budget monster movies. 

Adam Wingard, who has never had a budget of this magnitude, really does an excellent job keeping the film together, and proves himself as someone immensely capable with something such as this. The film has massive scope, showing just how big these destructive creatures can be, along with how small (And hilariously outmatched) we are by comparison. The visuals are also spot on, with an impressive amount of detail and personality given to the monsters. It's obvious CGI to be sure as you would expect, but it looks great on screen, and even though I only had the time to stream it at home for the moment, I can only imagine what the visuals and eye catching cinematography would look like on the biggest screen possible. (Not sure the mind can even handle IMAX for this one) The film seems to completely run with the phrase "Give the people what they want", and it doesn't hold back. 

The film has an exceptional ensemble cast, filled with many recognizable performers, and this time, the movie seems a bit more aware of what to do with them than the last one did. Alexander Skarsgård, surprisingly not playing the action hero type as one would expect when he first appears, is the likable human lead (Or the closest the movie has to a lead), along with an excellent Rebecca Hall, and Millie Bobby Brown. Kaylee Hottle tells a lot through simple expressions, while most of the comedic moments comes from a delightful Brian Tyree Henry, along with Julian Dennison. Some others are there just to serve a certain purpose, though pretty do exactly that in a professional fashion, such as Kyle Chandler (Who this time is only in a handful of scenes), Eiza González (as "Maya", Simmons' pretty attractive looking, and pretty evil looking daughter), Shun Oguri (as "Ren Serizawa", the apparent son of Ken Watanabe's character from the previous films, now working for Apex), and a suitably sinister Demián Bichir. Everybody does a good job here, even when their roles are rather basic, but that's to be expected. In the end, the film's focus is on our titular combatants, Godzilla and Kong. When the time comes, the film remembers that they should be front and center. Godzilla continues to be a force to be both feared and respected, while still allowing moments of something deeper to the creature. While the film is more of a Godzilla movie, Kong could be considered to be the true main character, since we see most of the film from his eyes. There's actually a rather touching character arc with him, and while you're here for the big brawl, you give a giant, ape size crap in the end, making the final climax all the more satisfying. 

Clocking in at just under two hours (And never outstaying its welcome), "Godzilla vs. Kong" keeps the plot simple and well, probably a little on the stupid side, though wisely doesn't dwell too long on the details. By this point though, you just kind of have go with it and accept that what happens in the movie is just how the world that's set up works. Luckily, the movie itself seems self-aware enough to know that it's basically a live-action cartoon, yet plays it straight. That becomes more apparent once we reach the epic final act, which not only gives us the big showdown we've been promised, but also takes things further, resulting in one Hell of a crowdpleaser. (Many of the fans, including myself, sort of pieced together what was going to happen, but that doesn't make it any less amazing) The filmmakers just know what makes movies like this work. From big special effects, badass monsters fighting each other, a little moral about how humanity shouldn't toy with what it doesn't understand, and the kind of imagery that many of us never thought we would be able to witness on screen quite like this. The MonsterVerse may not quite have a future at the moment (The franchise has sort of petered out in terms of profitability by studio standards), and it's too bad since I think this entry seems to have found the fight balance everybody has been looking for. With that said, if this is truly the last one we might be getting, it's a fantastic sendoff. Out of all the movies I've had to watch via streaming due to the pandemic, this one probably makes me the most sad. This definitely needs to be witnessed on the biggest screen you can find, and with the most energetic audience you can gather. The epic blockbuster that fans have been waiting for. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Monster Violence, Wanton City-Wide Destruction, And Initiation Of Fanboy Cries Of Joy.   

Image: The next Jason Statham?

Bob Odenkirk. Action Star. Yeah. I never saw it coming either. 

"Nobody" follows mild-mannered, mostly ignored, and seemingly unimpressive father and husband, "Hutch Mansell" (Bob Odenkirk), who goes about his humdrum life, repeating the same mistakes, doing the same routine, and leaving absolutely no mark on anything or anyone. One night though, Hutch's house is broken into, and despite being given the chance to stop the robbers, he's unable to do so and lets them get away. This leads to Hutch feeling even more distanced from his family, such as his wife, "Becca" (Connie Nielsen), and kids, "Blake" (Gage Munroe) and "Sammy" (Paisley Cadorath), and becomes a source of passiveness and mockery by those around him. Turns out though, Hutch has a hidden past and a suppressed darkness inside him just waiting to get out. 

After attempting to confront the robbers, Hutch ends up facing off against some drunk delinquents harassing people on a bus, and violently (And skillfully) beats them near to death, before returning home as if nothing happened. One of the guys Hutch attacked though, is actually the brother to lunatic Russian gangster, "Yulian Kuznetsov" (Aleksei Serebryakov). Kuznetsov swears revenge on Hutch and his entire family, sending his enforcers after him. Hutch, to protect those he loves, is forced back into the game, that he's secretly been wanting to be a part of again.  

Directed by Ilya Naishuller ("Hardcore Henry"), with a screenplay by Derek Kolstad (The "John Wick" series), "Nobody" is a rather unconventional action thriller, as it should be and is all the better for it. It's a unique perspective given to the old concept of the apparently average guy, with or without a violent history, finding himself at the center of an onslaught of merciless killers, and much like the "John Wick" franchise, it does it with a pitch black sense of humor. The film wisely doesn't rely too much on dialogue or exposition, and never goes too into detail about the backstory of our main character, only giving little hints throughout. Quite humorless, every time Hutch attempts to explain his situation, he's interrupted in some way or the person he's talking to just up and dies before he can really get into it. The action, while tightly compacted, is stylishly off the rails, and much like the main character, utulizes everything it has to add to the bloody assaults on display. Guns, knives, and blunt objects, as well as whatever other item that can be used to puncture human skin, are used in several over the top, yet detailed to the point of feeling halfway logical, setpieces that are entirely original and surprisingly sold by its capable lead.

 Bob Odenkirk (Also a producer to the film), is the definition of an unorthodox action hero, but he sells it quite brilliantly. He of course can do the humor without any problems and has also proven himself to be a great actor overall. However, he truly does shine in the action scenes, coming across as a very vulnerable (He gets the absolute sh*t beaten out of him more than once), but also a force to be reckoned with (The soon to be infamous bus scene is a thing of beauty). He's a very human action hero, and I love how the film intentionally contradicts his violent persona with his overall nice guy qualities. Aleksei Serebyakov is an oddly quirky villain that's a nice combination of menace and all around bizarreness, while Connie Nielsen brings a lot more depth than what I think might have been given to her. This is the most I've ever liked RZA (as "Harry", Hutch's half brother, who has been in hiding), there's a great brief appearance from Colin Salmon (as an information dealer known as "The Barber"), and a scene stealing Christopher Lloyd (as "David", Hutch's father, who has his own mysterious backstory), looking like he's having the time of his life here. 

Some by the numbers plot points aside, "Nobody" is fast paced, funny, wisely lacking in explanation (Sometimes the less you know, the better), and outrageously violent. There is actually a bit of a point to it all in its own strange way, and keeps a tongue in cheek tone about it, knowing that it's not meant to be taken all that seriously. The film embraces full weirdness once we reach the insane climax, which is as exaggerated as an action film can possibly be, but too damn entertaining, making for a future cult favorite. Just a bit excessive. But glorious. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Lots Of Guns, Blood, Painful Injuries, And Kitty Cat Bracelets.  

Image: "Wait...What do you mean the movie theater isn't showing this?"

Part One: How We Got Here 

I feel like I need to address what in the Hell is going on here for those who don't know. Now we've seen Director's Cuts before, but not one quite like this. So to recap, the "DC Extended Universe" (Based on the DC comics universe, that I happen to be a massive fan of) began with Zack Snyder ("Watchmen", "300", "Sucker Punch") and 2013's "Man of Steel" (A movie I remembered being a little bit better than it actually is...), then was followed up by the sadly less than mediocre "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" (There's also the three hour "Ultimate Edition" of this film that's actually a worse than the original version), and was all meant to result in the first in a trilogy, "Justice League". However, Snyder experienced a very personal tragedy in real life, with the suicide of his daughter, Autumn (Who the movie is dedicated to), and had to leave the already troubled production of the film. This lead to Warner Bros. to hire Joss Whedon (Only because he directed the first "Avengers" and "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), to finish the film, and by finish it, mostly trim it down, lighten it up (Zack Snyder's DC films had been almost obnoxiously dark at the time), and make it as simple as possible. It wasn't that good, but I found it to be enjoyable enough, especially by comparison. It also began a somewhat better route that this films were going to take, focusing on singular stories instead of building everything a film universe (From the first "Wonder Woman", along with "Shazam!" and "Birds of Prey", the less connected, the better). However on the downside, it wasn't what Zack Snyder envisioned and was made with rather not so good intentions, screwing some people over and possible creating an even bigger mess in the future (Plus, Whedon is a total dick). So, through the power of nerdy fan intervention (Ranging from good, bad, and unbearably toxic), HBO Max gave Snyder an extra $70 million (To go with the already $300 million budget), to finish what he started in an four hour comic book epic that, regardless of what you think of it, will be unlike anything you've ever seen before.  

Image: Born to be wild.

Part Two: The Same, But Different. Kind Of. 

"Zack Snyder's Justice League" in some ways follows the basic structure of 2017's "Justice League" (Or "Josstice League", as some have preferred to call it), but with a much larger scope. It opens with the death of the Man of Steel, "Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman" (Henry Cavill), at the hands of that abomination of computer effects that they called "Doomsday". His death results in a bellow heard around the world, and felt by those who wish to destroy it. Cube shaped, living devices used for world conquering, called "Mother Boxes" have been awakened, leading to the arrival of ruthless general, "Steppenwolf" (Ciarán Hinds), a servant to the brutal wannabe god, "Darkseid" (Ray Porter), who attempted to dominate the world centuries prior only to be stopped by a united army of heroes. Steppenwolf, hoping to get back in Darkseid's good graces after his own previous failures, intends to find the Mother Boxes and bring about the apocalypse, preparing Earth for his evil master's arrival. With the rest of the world in mourning of Superman, such as the grieving love of his life, "Lois Lane" (Amy Adams), the orphaned billionaire bat lover, "Bruce Wayne/Batman" (Ben Affleck), has begun to prepare for the coming darkness. Working with his faithful, though snarky butler, "Alfred Pennyworth" (Jeremy Irons) and Amazonian warrior, "Diana Prince/Wonder Woman" (Gal Gadot), Batman seeks to find more individuals with unique abilities to combat Steppenwolf and his forces. 

First there's the Atlantean half-blood soon to be king, "Arthur Curry/Aquaman" (Jason Momoa), who rejects the offer to join their alliance as well as his own destiny (For more, see 2018's "Aquaman" movie if you have the extra two and half hours). Then we have the Scarlet Speedster, "Barry Allen/The Flash" (Ezra Miller), an awkward nerd with superspeed, looking to prove the innocence of his imprisoned father, "Henry Allen" (An uncredited Billy Crudup). And last, but this time not least, there's "Victor Stone/Cyborg" (Ray Fisher), who was rescued by his scientist father, "Silas Stone" (Joe Morton), using a Mother Box to turn his son into half man and machine. Alone, our heroes don't stand a chance against Steppenwolf, and even together, they can't even seem to prevent him from getting his hands on some of the Mother Boxes. With no other choice, the choice is made to come together and play with the laws of nature to resurrect Superman. Thus the "Justice League" is formed.....again. That's not a spoiler, or at least it shouldn't be. You either saw the original theatrical version or you don't care. 

Image: FLASH!!!! .....A-AAAAAAAH!!!!!

Part Three: The New, But Also Old, Perspective

You're probably wondering by now why did I decide to arrange my review like this. Aside from being a sarcastic reference to the film itself, it's the only way I can talk about a film such as this. Although, calling it a film might be a bit of a stretch and to call it an experience would be clichéd. What to truly label it would be Zack Snyder's magnum opus. Now that might not be something for everyone, and to a degree, I'm not a hundred percent sure that's a good thing, but it's definitely the film that the guy wanted to bring into creation. Zack Snyder, working with the screenplay by Chris Terrio ("Argo", "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"), "Zack Snyder's Justice League", has been given full control, which means it's going to be the most Snyder-iest movie ever made. All of his tropes are here, from the slo-mo, the toned down color, operatic musical cues, angst and edginess, and allegory upon allegory. He brings his entire arsenal, and wastes nothing, in the ultimate four hour lightshow. It's too much, like it always is, and yet (And it feels weird saying this), it kind of works here. Dare I say, it works very well here, and even when it doesn't, you can't really get mad at it.       

This does bring up a good question, what was lost from the original version. As you would expect, it's a little more complicated than good fixes bad, or good being made bad. The best way to describe it is that this new cut takes out what didn't work in the original and replace it with stuff that is so much better, while replacing what worked with well, more of the same frustrating material we've come to know. What we sadly lose are a few good character moments (Like that scene with Batman giving the Flash a quick pep talk about saving people), the shorter runtime obviously, and basically all of Superman's personality (More on that later). It also, much to my aggravation, makes everyone a lot more violent. Nothing entirely wrong with superheroes killing a few villains in the heat of the moment, especially when saving some innocents, but the body count can get a little ridiculous at times. One example being an opening scene with Wonder Woman rescuing some children from a terrorist group and their leader (Played by a memorably chilling Michael McElhatton), by smashing the terrorists' heads in or blowing them up, then immediately stopping to inspire a little girl. (You know those kids are traumatized for life right?) By this point, this does seem like a bit of a nitpick in the grand scheme.  

Image: Well, of course he wasn't gonna' stay dead.

Part Four: What We Were Missing

If there was ever a moment when you thought that we were just going to get a longer version of the same film, with maybe a few stretched out sequences and a cut cameo or two, all of that goes out the window in the first few minutes. The overall Justice League teaming up, bringing back Superman, and facing off against Steppenwolf storyline as it turns out has a little extra depth to it than the theatrical cut did. First there's the clear upgrades to the special effects. Sure, the CGI is still at times kind of lackluster, though that's to be expected. I'm not sure there was ever going to be a way to make all of it look any more seemless. (Still an improvement over how bad the threatrical cut's effects were) It's not without its moments, where the details are more noticeable. Where the effects really shine are in how they are presented. Most of it is thanks to the admittedly spectacular cinematography, which is something Zack Snyder has always had an eye for. Even when the effects don't look great, they do look, well to put it bluntly, cool. From the brief look at Darkseid's hell-like dominion in "Apokolips", to a bloody battle between Steppenwolf and the Amazons, and most of all, a grand flashback to the previous war with Darkseid, complete with human warriors, Atlanteans, Gods, and a "Green Lantern". It's something we only got a glimpse of in the Whedon version, but this time, are allowed to see it in its fully glory. It also features a sweeping (And completely recomposed from scratch) score by Junkie XL, 

Bigger visuals would be nothing without story and character, and this version does actually bring something new to the table. The extra long runtime allows for every little detail to be explored. It may not have been necessary to what a Mother Box is (Does any non-comic book fan really care all that much?), but we are given a full backstory, which does weirdly tie things together in a more fluid fashion, along with time given to each of our main characters and their own arcs. Before, unless you were Batman or Wonder Woman, everyone else were mostly given moments, rather than full blown character development. Now the team all have a role to fulfill, along with even our villains and a couple side characters. Toss in a little humor and really likable character interaction, and you now have something to root for. They may not exactly be the characters that you may have grown accustomed to from the comics, nevertheless, their souls are there. That was never something I could have predicted myself saying about most of these films.   

Image: I wonder what his lighter side looks like.

Part Five: Loads And Loads Of Characters

There are a lot of characters to unpack here and a lot of actors, whether they be major or supporting, who make the most of the time given. I always thought Ben Affleck brought a different look to the Caped Crusader that we'd never seen in live-action before. He's rough, but human and seeks to make amends for his previous mistakes, and even shows moments of light within his dark exterior. Gal Gadot IS Wonder Woman, as I've said before, while Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller steal their scenes, with Momoa being the straight man in several ways to the chaos presented to him and Miller being the sense of humor. (While I personally have only been able to see Grant Gustin from the "Flash" television series as the character, I see potential with Ezra Miller's portrayal and can't wait for his future standalone movie) Jeremy Irons delivers on the intellectual mockery, Amy Adams mostly just shows up to mourn (She does a great job at that, but you know, this is a bit beneath her), Joe Morton is excellent, and Diane Lane (as "Martha Kent", Clark's widowed adopted mother) does get a rather wonderful moment partway through the film, even if it is negated by an awkward little twist. We also get a return appearance from Harry Lennix (as "Calvin Swanwick", the army general from "Man of Steel" and "Batman V Superman", who is hiding his own little fanservice heavy secret.), which while interesting, means nothing to the uninitiated.    

The film's biggest successes come from unexpected places. Firstly, there's Ray Fisher, who got the short end of the stick during the theatrical cut more than anybody despite having originally meant to have played the most important role. He has to carry more of this movie than anyone, serving as the heart of the story, and even under loads of CGI, his humanity shines through. Another surprise improvement is Steppenwolf. While I still find his new design a bit over the top (He looks like someone went overboard with the character customization in "Injustice 2"), the character is much more this time around. Ciarán Hinds' menacing performance, the character's expressive eyes, and much more screentime, give us more awareness to the character (Even more than in the comics actually. I always saw him as Darkseid henchmen #2). He's not so much more sympathetic now, but rather looks more desperate, which makes him more of a compelling and dangerous baddie. On the downside, Henry Cavill's Superman no longer has any of the personality that the Whedon version had, and it's very much missed. Cavill brings more to the table than the script provides, but the character is once again reduced to being the moping, boring, and completely misinterpreted non-character that the Snyder films have made him into. Once you get past the immense power the character has, he is still yet to come across as heroic and feels the most out of place when you see the League together. The comradery works all around, except when it comes to him. This is also more migraine inducing because we have a much better version of the character on "Superman & Lois". How is it a show on the "CW" can get it right, but a multi-million dollar movie can't? 

There are an onslaught of supporting players all over the film, with most of them returning from previous films or just given a bit more time in the spotlight. We get familiar faces like Connie Nielsen (as "Hippolyta", Diana's mother, who faces off against Steppenwolf), J.K. Simmons (as "Commissioner James Gordon", one of the Batman's greatest allies), Amber Heard (as "Mera", Arthur's love interest, who is for some reason British now....That's just weird), Willem Dafoe (as "Vulko", Arthur's mentor), and a thankfully short appearance from Jesse Eisenberg (as "Lex Luthor", Superman's archenemy, who is still very miscast). Some of the newer additions include Zheng Kai (as "Ryan Choi", a scientist at "S.T.A.R, Labs" and the future "Atom"), Peter Gjunness (as "DeSaad", Darkseid's cloaked servant, who really has a hate-boner for Steppenwolf), and Kiersey Clemons (as "Iris West", Barry's soon to be love interest). Ray Porter's Darkseid only has about ten minutes of screentime (And he's certainly no "Thanos"), but he does make his dark presence known, sending a certain chill down your spine and showing what kind of evil our heroes are yet to face. 

Image: I guess the joke really was on Jared Leto. 

Part Six: It's Over, Go Home. Go! 

The long, and maybe still excessive length, goes by without much notice, never dragging for too long and giving fans the epic superhero adventure from these beloved characters we've been waiting to see. The movie isn't perfect though and doesn't get everything right. Case in point? The epilogue and this is the one part of the review where I feel the tone I've set up is about to completely drop like a bomb. This is where we get into somewhat spoiler-ish territory, so I'll try to be as vague as possible. I just need to point out how unnecessary this whole thing is. The battle is won, the movie is wrapping up, and the film sets up some little loose threads for possible future installments. Then the movie just cuts to the "Knightmare" timeline, where the world has been destroyed by Darkseid and an evil Superman. We get Batman and with a few other heroes dressed in Mad Max outfits, along with a couple villains, such as mercenary "Slade Wilson/Deathstroke" (Joe Manganiello. A great choice that never got the chance to do anything) and Batman's archenemy, "The Joker" (Jared Leto). 

My one positive about this little sequence is that we finally get to see Affleck's Batman and Leto's Joker together for the first (And possibly last) time. Sure it doesn't actually mean much with all things considered, but it doesn't detract from the admittedly cool fanservice and allows Jared Leto to show off what his take on the character could have been like if "Suicide Squad" hadn't wasted him. Everything else though is not only not needed and also just reinforces Zack Snyder's love for excess, it also detracts from what is a very well done cinematic endeavor in a couple of ways. If it's supposed to just be a possible timeline, then what's the point? It doesn't actually add anything new, especially since we likely will never following up on it. Even worse, it could also backtrack on both Batman and Superman's development. We've already seen plenty of the whole "What if Superman was evil" thing, in other properties (Like "Brightburn" or "The Boys") and also in other DC media (Like  in the "Injustice" games and we may even be getting hints of it in "Superman & Lois"), so it doesn't feel new anymore. It also completely ruins everything Batman fought for up until this point, making the entire movie pointless. So was he right to fear him? Make up your mind! It doesn't help it's followed up with yet another last second twist that should have also been left on the cutting room floor. It's like an entirely different movie just decided to jump in right before the credits roll. You can just stop the movie before this entire last fifteen to twenty minutes and it would be all the better for it.

Image: "So...Not a lot has changed in the last 30 years?"

I'm personally very much open to a big Eddie Murphy comeback. He used to be one of the biggest comedic actors out there before falling under a few too many um, questionable career choices. ("Norbit" is something that I wish I only dreamed up) After "Dolemite is My Name" though, which he deserved an Oscar nomination for, we got a showcase for his talents and a reminder for how great an actor he can actually be. Doesn't always need a fat suit.  

Released a day early via "Amazon Prime", "Coming 2 America" follows "Prince Akeem Joffer" (Eddie Murphy) of "Zamunda" as he lives happily ever after with his wife, "Lisa" (Shari Headley) and daughters, "Omma" (Bella Murphy), "Tinashe" (Akiley Love), and "Meeka" (KiKi Layne), who wants to prove herself as a worthy future ruler. Sadly, Akeem's father, "King Jaffe Joffer" (James Earl Jones), is dying and Akeem, about to be crowned prince, doesn't have a son, meaning there's no heir to the throne afterwards. This puts him at odds with the leader of "Nextdoria", "General Izzi" (Wesley Snipes), who wants Akeem to make amends for that whole making his daughter jump and bark like a dog thing from the first film. (Apparently she's still doing it) Before King Joffer's death, he also reveals that thanks to the meddling of his aide, "Semmi" (Arsenio Hall), Akeem had a drugged up one night stand with an unknown woman, "Mary Junson" (Leslie Jones), when they previously traveled to America, and fathered a son, "Lavelle" (Jermaine Fowler). Akeem, hoping to adhere to his father legacy and traditions, sets out once again to America with Semmi, to find Lavelle. With the promise of riches beyond comprehension, Akeem is able to convince Lavelle and Mary to come over to Zamunda, where he will properly prepared to become royalty and prevent further conflict with Nextdoria. 

A sequel to the 1988 cult favorite and directed by Craig Brewer ("Dolemite is My Name"), "Coming 2 America" is one of those sequels that serves as a solid follow up, a slight rehash, and a source for more than a few belly laughs to make it worth your time, especially if you're a big fan of the original. Much like its predecessor, you can tell that the filmmakers from time to time can get caught up in a joke or let a moment go on to the point it feels more like an improvisational sketch than a cinematic narrative. Luckily, it's still quite humorous and even when the joke takes the wheel for longer than necessary, it doesn't exactly wear out its welcome. Most of the joke comes from how absolutely bizarre the world created is, and the film expands on that in a unique, though still hilariously strange fashion. One aspect that this film has over the original is that there does seem to be more focus, with most of that thanks to Brewer's direction. The plot gets moving early and remains on track, though stopping to have a little fun along the way. Even when a joke or two are basically just redoing what worked before (There are lots of callbacks to the most quoted sequences from the first film, along with lots of returning characters), you have to hand it to the filmmakers on how well they find a way to make it gel in its own cartoonishly goofy way. 

Eddie Murphy is great, returning to the really likable character, while providing lots of well timed reactionary laughs and giving the movie its heart. Arsenio Hall's role is more limited this time around, though still gets a handful of scene-stealing moments. (They both also return as their many background characters, though everything involving the Barbershop characters gets me every time they appear) Jermaine Fowler (From "Sorry to Bother You"), Leslie Jones, and Tracy Morgan (as "Reem", Lavelle's uncle who is basically just Tracy Morgan), are all a delight. And I appreciate that more of the women are given bigger roles than before, such as KiKi Layne (From "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "The Old Guard". She has a lot range as an actress. Hope to see her in more soon), Shari Headley, and Nomzamo Mbatha (as "Mirembe", the royal groomer who also becomes Lavelle's love interest). There are some more returning faces, like James Earl Jones, John Amos (as "Cleo", Lisa's father and owner of "McDowell's"), and Louie Anderson (as that one employee at "McDowell's"), and a especially deranged performance from Wesley Snipes, which needs to be seen by everyone. I also dare not spoil the many cameos, some of which are quite brilliant. 

"Coming 2 America" isn't all that original, relies too much on what came before it, and sure as Hell isn't one for plot. Neither was the first one though. It was countered by the humor, the weirdness, and a certain sweetness that at least gives you something to care about. Even with the more toned down rating, fans are going to get exactly what they want, and a little bit of heart to go with it. It's the kind of diversion you don't mind in the least. 3 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content, Royal Bathing, And Sexual Chocolate.    

Image: "No, you can't chew up the little mouse, gag him back up, throw him up on the floor and lap it all back up before you lick your balls. Not in my hotel!"

The fact that I can say that a live-action "Tom and Jerry" movie isn't total garbage, considering how often live-action adaptations of beloved cartoon characters have been, that's something worthy of celebration. I mean, it's still not very good, but at least this was an actual movie instead of a trainwreck. The train just sort of petered out, came to a sudden halt, and you had to walk the rest of the way. That's a compliment! 

Released through both "HBO Max" and in theaters, "Tom and Jerry" follows the titular warring animated cat and mouse, "Tom" and "Jerry" (Unlike the 1992 "Tom and Jerry" movie, they thankfully don't speak this time), as their conflict brings them to New York City. At this same moment, the jobless "Kayla" (Chloë Grace Moretz), lies her way into a job at the most expensive, very regal and sophisticated "Royal Gate Hotel", despite the immediate antagonism from her new boss, the events manager, "Terrence" (Michael Peña). Kayla has been instructed by the hotel manager, "Mr. DuBros" (Rob Delaney), to work with Terrence in planning the extravagant wedding of popular Instagram couple, "Ben" (Colin Jost) and "Preeta" (Pallavi Sharda), but of course, Jerry shows up, looking for a now pimped out crib, which puts the hotel's reputation at risk. Kayla's attempts to catch Jerry fail, which leads her to hiring Tom, who as we know has an "Excellent" track record with this, to finally bring the mouse down. With their cartoonish antics threatening to ruin both the wedding and cost Kayla her job, she has to find a way to make Tom and Jerry put their differences aside if they both want to continue living the good life.  

Directed by directorial king of mediocre filmmaking, Tim Story (The original "Fantastic Four" movies, The "Think Like a Man" movies, and the "Ride Along" movies. So much nothing!), "Tom and Jerry" already has one thing going for it that separates it from any other nostalgic cartoon adaptation like it. It's the lack of nightmare inducing imagery. The titular characters, along with every other animal in the film, are brought to life in a more traditional form of stylized animation (Think "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" and "Space Jam"), instead of giving them an overtly terrifying, realistic looking CGI makeover. (You know, like "Scooby-Doo", "Alvin and the Chipmunks", or "The Smurfs") Sure they don't exactly look real, feeling out of place in the live-action human world, but it's made up for by them just being appealing to look at. They're very expressive and bouncy, and it's hard not to find some moments of amusement out of that. However, that level of charm isn't exactly enough to make up for the generic, if not thinly written story, the bland direction style, and hardly any real laughs. There are some chuckles and I always get a kick out of hearing Tom's bloodcurdling scream of pain ("Tom and Jerry" always was the most painful looking of cartoons), but nothing particularly unique about it. The plot is just there, kind of meandering around to a quick climax despite a relatively long runtime. (I feel like I've asked this question a few times, but why is every movie over and hour and a half? This should have been eighty minutes at best)

Chloë Grace Moretz is reliable as usual, carrying lesser material and making it work simply because of her natural appeal. She's adorable, funny, and full of her own personality to add a little extra gravitas. Plus, you gotta give credit to someone who is such a great actress and not doesn't feel overly above something like this, but also gives it everything she has regardless. Michael Peña is an over the top antagonist, with a silly accent, and in a way, doesn't really contribute much when you think about it. Most of the human characters don't add much, such as Jordan Bolger (as "Cameron", Kayla's love interest) and Ken Jeong (as "Jackie", the Ken Jeong-esque baker). Tom and Jerry themselves are plenty fun still, and you would have to try really hard to make them not work. (I also give credit to the filmmakers remembering what a mischievous little sh*t Jerry can be. He's actually the instigator in all of this!) There are also some good voice work from a couple supporting characters, such as Bobby Cannavale (as "Spike", Ben's dog, who we all remember always showing up to beat up Tom), and Lil Rel Howery (Who voices both Tom's shoulder Angel and shoulder Devil), who get some okay laughs. There's also a bizarre little cameo from "Droopy". 

"Tom and Jerry" feels pedestrian when it comes to plot, and isn't near funny enough to detract from it. The film thankfully does have its heart in the right place, and at least appears to you know, get it. It knows what major mistakes to avoid, and while it can't help but fall into other trappings, they're not near damning enough to make the film a struggle to sit through. I can safely say that at least for the kids, they'll probably have a good time, and that's all that really matters in the end. The film accomplishes that, though you do wish that such loved characters could have gotten something more. 2 Stars. Rated PG For Crude Humor, Too Much Hip Hop, And A Little More Focus On Chloë Grace Moretz's Noticeable Legs Than You Would Expect From A Kids Movie. What? Can't Be The Only One Who Noticed. 

Image: ""A toast....To all the old farts who I ran over when they got in my way.."

We really have a fascination with truly despicable characters. Not so much villains per se in the traditional sense. They're not maniacal baddies trying to do some kind of over the top crap like take over the world or even quite have the intention of hurting someone (Though someone most likely will be). It's the kind of character that is perfectly willing to endanger those around them and perform cruel, heartless actions that you can see every day people doing, but do so with such a deliciously sinister smile and charm to spare, resulting in you unable to really look away. You kind of want to see them succeed, in spite of their lack of a soul.  At least in the movies.

"I Care a Lot" follows cunning con woman, "Marla Grayson" (Rosamund Pike), who works as a legal guardian, using the legal court system to get appointed guardianship over elders living on their own. She will convince the courts that these targeted can't take care of themselves (Whether or not that's actually true. It doesn't necessarily matter to her), and after committing these people to assisted living facilities, Marla and those associated with her, such as her girlfriend, "Fran" (Eiza González), can sell everything they own and make a profit. Marla's newest target, a woman named "Jennifer Peterson" (Dianne West), seems to be the perfect score. After arranging for Jennifer to be moved into a home however, Marla finds herself now prey to Jennifer's vengeful, gangster son, "Roman" (Peter Dinklage). With the discovery of some priceless diamonds in Jennifer's possession, Marla must engage Roman and his mother in a battle of wits and ruthlessness in hopes of finally achieving the wealth she's always felt she deserves. 

Released through Netflix, and both written and directed by J Blakeson ("The Disappearence of Alice Creed" and...."The 5th Wave"? Well, they can't all be winners), "I Care a Lot", is a sort of dark comedy, with hints of a thriller vibe. To balance that kind of tone can be a bit of a challenge, and for what the film gets right, ti does so in a well paced, and very entertaining manner. It's not a predictable film to say the least. There's some little twists and turns, along with small character quirks, which make them hard to read at times. Sometimes they could just be a little odd, or they could be more sinister than we're first led to believe. They're a lot of fun to watch, even when the film's excessive use of plot twits and turn arounds don't always do the final product many favors. At some point, it does become somewhat difficult to believe, which wouldn't be noticeable if the movie wasn't for the most part pretty well grounded. Still, it's not enough to completely bring the movie down, especially with this cast. 

Rosamund Pike is outstanding, and almost scary, coming across as a special kind of vile, yet kind of badass, at least you know, for a terrible human being. She's a remarkable, captivating character that holds your attention, and it's a credit to both the screenplay, but most of all, Pike's confident performance. Peter Dinklage is hilariously dastardly, and oddly human for someone whose implied to be a total monster. We get some excellent performances from Eiza González and an at times, unrecognizable Dianne West. There are also some great secondary roles for Isiah Whitlock Jr. (as "Judge Lomax", the judge who Marla frequently manipulates), a slimy Damian Young (as "Sam Rice", who runs the living facility and is part of Marla's scam), and a scene stealing Chris Messina (as "Dean", Roman's shady lawyer). 

More of a character study than a particularly constructed narrative, "I Care a Lot" is a look at how one can somewhat legally manipulate the system for their own profit under the guise of philanthropy, along with how it's really not that different from mobster-like tactics. This makes for a very dark, twisted experience that takes a lot of glee in how cruel it is, though the film's intentionally detestable nature might be grating for some. For those looking for something a little more wicked however, it's almost joyfully evil, and it's near impossible to resist. 3 Stars. Rated R For Strong Language And Exploitation Of The Elderly. 

Image: "So you want me to play a wild, offbeat, and neurotic character? Sign me up!" 

Crazy ass Nicolas Cage going up against killer animatronics. That was the pitch. That is what's been advertised. That's exactly what you get. How can you get mad at that?  

"Willy's Wonderland" follows an unnamed, almost completely mute (Aside from grunts and yells) drifter, credited only as "The Janitor" (Nicolas Cage), as he breaks down in a small town in Nevada. To pay for some repairs, the Janitor is offered a one night job from "Tex Macadoo" (Ric Reitz), at his longtime abandoned family entertainment restaurant, "Willy's Wonderland" to clean up so that the town can eventually reopen it. Little does the Janitor know, there's something nefarious afoot. As soon as the Janitor gets to work cleaning up the place, the restaurant's animatronics attack, led by the bloodthirsty "Willy Weasel". The Janitor proceeds to kill one, take a break, drink some grape soda, play some pinball, and then get back to work, only to be attacked once again. Rinse and repeat. At the same time, a determined teen, "Liv" (Emily Tosta), who wants revenge on the restaurant for the deaths of her parents years earlier, brings along her collection of disposable idiotic friends, "Chris" (Kai Kadlec), "Kathy" (Caylee Cowan), "Bob" (Terayle Hill), "Aaron" (Christian Del Grosso), and "Dan" (Jonathan Mercedes), to burn it all down. Eventually, Liv and her friends end up getting locked inside the restaurant with the Janitor, and have to work with him to survive the night, while also revealing the dark, bloody history behind Willy's Wonderland.   

Basically "Five Nights at Freddy''s" (Is that ever going to be a movie?), "Willy's Wonderland" is directed by Kevin Lewis (Known for not much of anything I've heard of) and written by G.O. Parsons (His first full length feature screenplay), and as you can tell, doesn't bother to hide what its intention is. It's not very original, no remotely insightful, and serves up an endless supply of horror clichés, all of which only forgivable if the movie gives its intended audience what they're clamoring for. To give the movie credit, it does so with a straight face, though it's obviously tongue in cheek. The joke is how seriously everything is supposed to be, despite being absolutely ridiculous. Unlike last year's "Fatman", it works a little better here due to the filmmakers never allowing the film to wear out its welcome (It's not even an hour and a half) and offering more than a few stupid laughs, though I can't say that makes it well, good.....Because it's not. It's not supposed to be though. If that makes sense. 

Nicolas Cage is certainly well cast in this off-kilter role. He never speaks, engages in amusingly strange rituals (The running gag of his need to take a break to drink soda and play pinball no matter what, makes for the best chuckles), and brutally (If not hilariously) kills the murderous animatronics in amazing fashion. It's all the side characters however that only distract from the enjoyment. Emily Tosta seems to fair the best, though mostly because she's the only one with anything resembling an actual personality. The others range from one-note stereotypes or are just plain annoying, and either way, their deaths don't exactly come soon enough (Despite how gory the film is, the human kills are much lesser than the animatronic ones). Most of these characters make dumb decisions for no other reason than horror tropes demand for them. Some better performances come from a suitably smarmy Ric Reitz and Beth Grant (as "Sheriff Lund", Liv's caretaker, who knows more about what's going on than she advertises), who is probably doing a better acting job than the film requires. The animatronics themselves are somewhat creepy, though that's negated by the film's obvious and at times intentional cheapness. 

"Willy's Wonderland" is a homage to old grindhouse horror films, with gallons of gore and the glorification of trashy content. If that's not for you, this is most certainly something that you should avoid by any means necessary. For the target audience though, they'll be darkly grinning ear to ear the entire time. It's fun in the moment, but nothing of substance. Just as one should expect. I can never fault a film for know what it is and clearly enjoying every second of it. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Lots Of Swearing, Arbitrary Sex Scenes, And More Than A Few Blood Baths (And Oil Baths).

Image: "Florida....Covid party!"

I feel like I just got back from the most insane little trip. I have no idea how I got there, where it was going, or why I was even there in the first place. And yet, I feel in a much better mood after going.  

"Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" follows the extremely talkative middle aged best friends for life, "Barb" (Annie Mumolo) and "Star" (Kristen Wiig), who after losing their jobs feel that they are in need of a....um...."Soul Douche" (I mean, don't we all?). So they decide to take a vacation to Florida's Vista Del Mar, where at that very moment, an evil scheme is about to go down. A mad, extremely pale supervillain, "Dr. Lady" (I suppose it's best not to reveal who plays her actually. It's better to be as shocked as I was and only adds to the weirdness), plans to unleash deadly mosquitoes to destroy Vista Del Mar, sending in her henchman, "Edgar" (Jamie Dornan), to arrange everything. Edgar, who only wants to be in an "Official Couple" with Dr. Lady and feeling neglected by her, winds up getting drunk off his ass with Barb and Star, resulting in him losing an important microchip. Barb and Star then find themselves wrapped up in the kookiness, with Star and Edgar falling in love and Barb finding her more adventurous side, though possibly threatening their longtime friendship at the same time.

Directed by Josh Greenbaum, while being written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (They also served as producers along with Adam McKay and Will Ferrell), "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" is a weaponized form of oddness that would be considered dangerous if it weren't so effectively delightful. The movie doesn't feel the need to explain, even during its opening moments before jumping right into the most random live-action cartoon you'll ever see. To add to the general strangeness of the film, it's shockingly well made and directed for something that's intentionally supposed to be cheap looking. The awkward, obviously fake looking effects, mixed in with the all over the place plotting, should make for a good headache, but instead, feels more than fitting (There's something very appealing about it). It's helped by the quick, surprisingly fairly intelligent, and totally unsystematic dialogue, which might get side-tracked on occasion or lost in a drawn out joke, though generally gets some bigger than expected laughs. 

The lovable chemistry between Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo is to be admired. They're a pair of goofy caricatures to sure, but are also very endearing to watch, and of course, very funny. One of the biggest surprises is the laugh riot (And I'm not joking here) that is Jamie Dornan. Playing completely against every kind of role I've ever seen him partake in, he fully commits to the stupidity with glee, most of which because of his straight faced delivery of even the most ridiculous of scenarios. (His out of nowhere musical declaration of love, surrounded by seagulls, is something that I can't see a single other comedy this year topping) Other scene-stealers would be a hilarious Damon Wayans Jr. (as "Darlie Bunkle", another one of Dr. Lady's henchmen, who desires to remain private, but constantly can't helped further exposing himself) and Reyn Doi (as "Yoyo", Dr. Lady's evil child minion). There's also a few more bit parts for some familiar faces, bonkers cameos, or surreal character moments all appearing at unexpected moments. (Such as a Morgan Freeman-like crab or a guy singing about bosoms. It kind of makes sense in context. I think.)

While sometimes you get the idea that the film is just weird for the sake of being weird (And might start to lose some steam towards the end), "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" is the kind of movie that you can't help but admire for how far out there it wants to go. Very original, laugh out loud in places, and just plain charming, It's a lighthearted good time for anyone that may just so happen to be stuck inside at the moment due to the record breaking freeze going on outside at the moment. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated PG-13 For Adult Content, Tragic Pale Woman Backstories, And Culottes.   

Image: Fight the power.

I'm a little bit lost at the moment. Being someone who prides himself on the organization of films, allowing every single one of them, whether they be good or bad, the chance to earn a place on my end of the year lists. It also helps when it comes to Oscar consideration and my own personal picks as to what should win. However, 2020 threw everyone for a loop, and after the recent Golden Globe nominations (No love for Spike Lee? What the Hell man?!?!), our Oscar contenders are getting later releases. (Apparently, I won't be able to see most of them until maybe even March!) While I get the idea to allow some films time to prosper in the public eye, even if it is later than usual, but on the downside, a lot of great films from both last year and also this year, are going to be pushed down unfairly.   

Based on True Events that transpired within the late 1960s, "Judas and the Black Messiah" follows mostly unnoticeable criminal, "William "Bill" O'Neal" (Lakeith Stanfield), who would pose as an FBI agent to steal cars. O'Neal ends up caught and comes face to face with FBI agent, "Roy Mitchell" (Jesse Plemons). Mitchell, along with his fellow agents, have been instructed by FBI Director, "J. Edgar Hoover" (Martin Sheen), to find a way to bring down, "Fred Hampton" (Daniel Kaluuya), the current chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party. Hampton, who has amassed quite the following due to his charismatic personality and passionate words, and has been deemed a radical threat to the United States (There's fear that he may be considered, according to Hoover, "A Black Messiah" of sorts). 

Mitchell offers O'Neal a chance to work off his criminal record (Along with making some cash on the side) to infiltrate the Chicago Black Panthers, and serve as an informant to the FBI. O'Neal slowly gets in good with Frank Hampton and his followers, eventually becoming the head of the chapter's security, while also delivering important information that Mitchell can pass off to his superiors. However, O'Neal can't help but gravitate to the Party's intentions and goals, though also liking the rewards that the FBI is giving him. When things are in danger of not quite going the way that the narrative was originally proposed (Well if someone is apparently a terrorist, or at least listed as one, is it wrong for our government to do whatever is deemed necessary to stop it?), a later act of betrayal will result in a rather horrifying, and worst of all, very unnecessary, conclusion. 

From first time director, Shaka King (Known mostly for TV work), who also served as a co-producer with Ryan Coogler and a co-screenwriter with Will Berson, "Judas and the Black Messiah" struggles only momentarily in the opening act, due to having a lot of story to tell and not quite enough time to set it all up. However, once the film finds its footing, what we get is a well paced, tightly packed, and deeply moving drama that's framed like a classic tragedy tale, especially when you consider a few somewhat similar looking current events. The film has a mesmerizing grainy look to enhance the time period, and the screenplay  occasion incorporates little moments of humor and levity to the real life story, which makes the characters feel much more real. It's fascinating to watch how such a good speaker could inspire so many, while also absolutely terrify others at the same time. The film does take time to also address some of the more questionable aspects of the Black Panther Party, though it more focuses on what they would do for poorer communities as well as how Fred Hampton in a strange way, found a form of common ground with unlikely people. There's an amazing moment  where Hampton is able to sway some white southerners parading around a Confederate flag, to his cause, simply through due to his force of personality, which is all kinds of surreal to watch. Whether or not you're 100% on board with some of their actions, there is a reason why people would gravitate towards them, and in the end, would see them as revolutionaries, rather than the terrorists that some would prefer them to be. 

Daniel Kaluuya, through calm intimidation, a mournful gaze, and lot of intellectual charm, gives an unforgettable performance. Whether he's acting with his words or his striking stare, Kaluuya is at his best here, deserving of award recognition. As brilliant is Lakeith Stanfield, who continues to demonstrate why he's the kind of actor I think of when one mentions range. It would be so easy to make his character out to be a straight up villain, but the film doesn't take the easy way out here. You can see why he makes some of the decisions he does even if some of those decisions are cowardly, and you can see the rather heartbreaking guilt in his eyes when he's forced to come to terms with his actions. There is some fantastic supporting work from Jesse Plemons and Dominique Fishback (as "Deborah Johnson", Hampton's pregnant girlfriend), along with a menacingly unrecognizable Martin Sheen. 

"Judas and the Black Messiah" is the kind of film that you can't help but see certain elements that feel more than relevant. You can talk about how violence isn't the answer or how harsh rhetoric could insight possible bloodshed (Though that doesn't mean anything anymore considering what just happened at the capitol recently, along with how few people have actually seen repercussions for it), but in the end though, the weaponization of fear by our own government, especially when it comes to minorities speaking out against inarguable injustice and the lingering hatred that will never go away (Doesn't help when you refuse to acknowledge it's still here), is something that you should never have allowed in the greatest country in the world. It doesn't help that we're still doing it. Black Lives Matter, or even Antifa (Some people are really trying to make them out to be the next big terrorist group), weren't the ones who armed themselves and tried to demolish our democracy because their hate spewing, mentally incompetent reality star turned President didn't win. I guess because they weren't a bunch of angry dark skinned people, they just weren't that scary. The film provides great performances, compelling dialogue, and a relevant story, that you would think that we wouldn't need to hear anymore. I feel like a broken record with this! The film sidelines a few details to be sure (What biopic doesn't?), but the themes of empowerment and the fight for civil justice are something that you would think that we as Americans would all connect with. Sadly, too many would rather choose to be afraid and hate, rather than deal with the real issue hidden beneath the surface. 3 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Strong Violence, Racial Injustice, And Fear Mongering (Just Not From The People Fox News Is Telling You Is Spreading It).  

Image: "See out there? That's where all of the good scripts are."

I always like to think that if one doesn't have anything of importance or poignancy to contribute, then you probably shouldn't force yourself into a debate, especially one that's too complicated for simple answers. This is a movie that seems to want to elaborate on themes of what we perceive as human emotion, what's truly real or just simulation, and what humanity can lose to technology. At least that's what I think may have been the point the filmmakers were trying to make. Part of me just thought it could have been just total bullcrap. That is a likely possibility.    

"Bliss" follows "Greg Wittle" (Owen Wilson), a recent divorcee, who spends his time at his office job doodling a dream home and a very pretty woman who looks a lot like Salma Hayek, which leads to him getting fired and accidentally killing his boss. In panic, Greg attempts to hide out in a bar, where he meets a mysterious woman, "Isabel" (Salma Hayek), who assures Greg that everyone around them, along with the world itself, isn't real. She claims that the both of them are inside a simulation of sorts, and with the help of some colorful crystals, they can actually manipulate the world in ways that amuse them (Or at least, it appears that they do). Greg, being you know, a dumb guy, totally believes everything Isabel is saying, especially the part about them being soulmates, and runs away with her, abandoning his family in the process. Greg and Isabel plan to find a way out of the simulation, though Greg's daughter, "Emily" (Nesta Cooper), is determined to find him.  

Written and directed by Mike Cahill ("Another Earth", "I Origins". I guess he's a fan of philosophical Science Fiction), "Bliss" a misguided mess of a film, that has a lot of big ideas and absolutely no clue what the Hell to do with any of them. The exposition heavy screenplay appears to be almost intentionally convoluted and overly intricate in an act of desperation to make sure that one doesn't poke holes. It's solid logic when you think about it. How does one make sense of something that overtly is trying not to make sense? The movie repeatedly stops completely dead to explain itself, and yet, the rules that the film establishes are either always changing or don't actually have a part to play. It's based around a premise that doesn't have much originality, introducing mindbending concepts that don't amount to that much. Greg and Isabel seem to have Jedi-like powers, which also look as if they're going to play some kind of role as the movie goes on, but like many of the film's surreal ideas, they're abandoned partway through. There's a second half kind of twist that feels like we've jumped into a completely different movie, only adding to the confused narrative.

Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek are both trying their best, and occasionally give decent performances. Sadly, due to terrible writing and even worse direction, Wilson's forced to just act perplexed the entire time, while Hayek's motivation (And sanity) is always changing. The subplot involving Nesta Cooper and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (as "Arthur", Greg's son, who I guess may or may not be real either), is one of those aspects that one would leave entirely on the cutting room floor, especially considering how it only undercuts the mystery the movie is trying to establish. The most fascinating thing to appear in the movie would be the appearance of Bill Nye the Science Guy (as himself, I think, considering his bow tie), which is made even more unintentionally hilarious because his role plays a minor role during his out of nowhere, oddly extended cameo. 

Nonsensical, awkward, and worst of all, so damn boring, "Bliss" may not be particularly long, but dear God, does it feel like it is. Under the belief that it's somehow smarter than it actually is and won't shut the Hell up about it, any kind of message that the film is trying to make gets lost in all the pretentiousness. This is even more noticeable during the climax, where things seemingly get more comical (An innocent guy may be dead, but not only does nobody seem to care, but it's made into a joke) and result in a rather forced ending. Nothing blissful about it considering the massive headache you're left with. 1 Star. Rated R For Language, Crystallized Drug Consumption, And Loads Of Rotten Bologna Passed Of As Science Talk.  

Image: Yeah, but how about that supporting cast?

Can a movie do its job too well? If the end result was meant to frustrate and exhaust, the filmmakers have truly done a spectacular job. Imagine the big argument from 2019's "Marriage Story" (The one that's been memed into oblivion), except that's the whole hour and forty minute movie. That makes for a very unpleasant, though undeniably successful cinematic experiment that I can only assume was a success. It serves as a good reminder as to why I fear emotional confrontation. 

Released through Netflix, "Malcolm & Marie" follows a film writer/director, "Malcolm Elliott" (John David Washington), and his former actress girlfriend, "Marie Jones" (Zendaya), as they return home from Malcolm's new film premiere, which has begun to earn Malcolm the praise he's been seeking. However, something is clearly off about Malcolm and Marie's relationship at the moment. After some passive aggressive comments and the eating of macaroni and cheese (On an unimportant note, that looked really, really good in black and white. Not sure how or why, but it just did), an argument erupts between Malcolm and Marie, which spirals further as the night goes on. Throughout the argument, there's some light talk, discussions about the current state of the film industry and film criticism, and how it seems to find a way to force itself into the heated debate between the two lovers, slowly revealing more about what really is getting under their skin. 

Written and directed by Sam Levinson ("Assassination Nation", "Euphoria") and filmed during during our still going pandemic, "Malcolm & Marie" is a small scale, close quartered, and seemingly never ending wild ride of mixed emotions and constant mood swings. The film rarely takes a break from the nearly headache inducing back and forth between our only two characters, which only pauses to lure the audience into a false sense of security before diving right back into barely hidden outrage. The claustrophobia really kicks in at the harshest moments, which even makes for some slight suspense, especially as you're left in awe of where exactly it's all going to go next. Shot in black and white, the film is gorgeously directed, with a lot of clever camera angles and most importantly, much focus on the two compelling leads, who more than anything else, are the main attraction. 

John David Washington and Zendaya (Who both also served as producers) are a special kind of spectacular in the film, portraying three dimensional characters, each with their own flaws and endearment. You like them to a certain degree, and they both get their equal amount of time in the limelight, such as a scathing speech from Zendaya towards the film's climax and a rather impressive rant from Washington that begins with a critic's review. As much praise as I can give to the screenplay however, I can't help but also feel that for as well done as it is, it detracts from the film in meaningful ways. It's somewhat repetitive in nature, and due to the film's longer than necessary length, at some point you feel like intervening. Be honest with yourself, you shouted "Will you two shut up!" at least once or twice. 

Intensely passionate and occasionally profound (Levinson is most likely a cinema buff), "Malcolm & Marie" doesn't exactly build to much, with the argument at times treading the same already covered ground. I guess that makes it more realistic, but still, it makes for a film experience that I can definitely see resulting in a divisive audience reaction. If somebody told me that they found it to be excessive, overindulgent, and well, just too much for too little resolution, I to a certain point kind of agree. However, I feel that it's necessary. It is painful at times and you want it to just end, much like how a real quarrel such as this could possibly go. The dialogue is insightful, even when it drags on, and the leads are too captivating to ignore. It makes for a film that might be doing too good of a job portraying a broken romance, but one that I was thoroughly invested in despite never again wanting any part of it. Happy Early Valentines Day everyone! 3 Stars. Rated R For Strong Language And For Dangerously Spiking My Anxiety Repeatedly. 

Image: "So....How'd you spend your quarantine?"

This is truly one of those fascinating movies where it's not because of the actual mysteries within the film, but instead because of how many great ingredients have gone into it and yet, it just doesn't work. At first you're wondering why you're watching a film starring three Academy Award winning actors in January of all places, and it have nothing to do with Oscar season. Then you watch the movie and it all kind of starts to make sense. There's always at least one every year. Even on streaming. 

Taking place during the 1990s, "The Little Things" follows Kern County deputy, "Joe Deacon" (Denzel Washington), also known as "Deke", who is sent on a case to "Los Angeles", where at that moment, the LA Police Department is having their own trouble solving another case involving the grisly deaths of young girls. Despite the best efforts of their best detective, "Jim Baxter" (Rami Malek), there isn't a single suspect to go after. Deke also has some history with the LAPD, and hardly anyone appears happy to see him. Baxter, at first seemingly just out of pity, allows Deke to assist on the case, but as they dig deeper, the two eventually find a possibly suspect in the form of local, greasy weirdo, "Albert Sparma" (Jared Leto), who also happens to be a self proclaimed crime buff. Sparma looks like the most obvious choice, though something doesn't quite fit into the narrative. Meanwhile, Deke's obsessive desire to solve the case conflicts with Baxter's, calling everything into question. 

Released through HBO Max and both written and directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side", "Saving Mr. Banks", "The Founder"), "The Little Things" is a dark, slow paced thriller that isn't without its moments of high creep factor and emotional drama. The film looks really good, filled with dark atmosphere and an eye for the setting without needing to overstate itself. (The subtle 90s references do add a little extra life to things)  However, the film doesn't remotely meet the standards that the filmmakers appear to have set, and is most certainly not as good of a movie as the screenplay seems to think it is. John Lee Hancock's script lacks the depth necessary to make such a dour film such as this really work, and in spite of his apparent best efforts, some of the mysteries aren't near as interesting as we're told. To make things worse, the payoffs (Or in some cases, the lack of a payoff), don't leave the intended impact. 

The great actors involved are stuck with mediocre material, though do their best to give good performances. Denzel Washington is his usual, commanding self. However, there are aspects about his character's storyline that don't get the reaction that I believe is needed. We're left wondering what exactly his character did to become so detested, but when it slowly starts to come together, it ends up being pretty obvious. Rami Malek appears to have been told to play his character in a detached fashion at first, though he does start to get the chance to show off the range we know he's capable of. Jared Leto meanwhile generates a lot of unpleasantness, and does so in expert fashion. He's easily the most fascinating character in the film, with it always being in question whether he's actually guilty or if he's simply just a weirdo with strange hobbies. Leto becomes the most memorable part of the film (And also happens to have the most personality as well), but doesn't come into the film until about halfway through. The pacing can really be felt if you don't have anything to gravitate towards. 

"The Little Things" builds up the suspense in the last act and offers a little last second excitement. Sadly, the final conclusion becomes predictable and not particularly original. I swear I've seen things like this done much better in both TV and movies, and with the talent behind the film, it feels rather uninspired. There's potential here and frequently it shines through. I just get the idea that the filmmakers thought they had enough to carry the film in spite of the lack of originality, and the final product could have used a possible rewrite or two to add a little more personality to make up for it. January really was the perfect time to release it. 2 Stars. Rated R For Disturbing Imagery, Ghostly Foot Massages, And The Fact That You Can Basically Smell Jared Leto Through The Screen. 

Image: ""So then Seth Rogan dropped his pants....Oh, wait....This isn't that kind of movie."

2020 didn't give us much to work with, considering how many movies were delayed, became difficult to find, or just faded away from existence, the new year has already begun to continue the previous year's trend of pushing everything back. This time I plan to be more prepared to get back to seeing things that I might not normally see on my own, allowing myself to continue to expand on what I watch and later recommend, while also giving time to smaller, more personal films. 

Inspired by a true story, "Our Friend" follows "Matthew Teague" (Casey Affleck), along with his wife, "Nicole" (Dakota Johnson), as they struggle with her cancer diagnosis, which only gives her a limited amount of time to live. They find some much needed help getting through this from a dear friend, "Dane" (Jason Segel), who has never gotten far in life, but happens to be one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Dane helps his friend's daughters, "Molly" (Isabella Rice) and "Evie" (Violet McGraw), through this distressing time, as Matthew and Nicole's cope with their dwindling time together, as Dane's presence helps make their difficulties bearable. Really, the plot is just how goodness, while it can't make pain go away, at least dilutes it and reminds you of the joys of life. 

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite ("Blackfish", "Megan Leavey"), with a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby ("Out of the Furnace", "The Way Back") that adapts the "Esquire" article by the real life Matthew Teague, "Our Friend" isn't a particularly exciting, original, or even all that important a film. It's something that will easily be forgotten by the year's end, and if not openly sought out, would probably go under most people's radars. What the film really end up being is just very sweet, simple, and exactly the kind of thing you might need to give a look to on the chance that you're feeling a little depressed. The film does a solid job of balancing an off-kilter sense of humor to go with some heavy drama, which is handled in a realistic and mature fashion, without needing to overstate itself. Now that isn't to say that the movie isn't without its predictable beats or moments of unnecessary conflict (There's a late sort of twist that can be seen a mile away, and adds nothing), but in a way, some of that comes with the territory. The filmmakers at least find ways to counteract it with how likable it is, with the audience understanding or even relating to the flaws of the characters, giving off the feelings of knowing people in real life who might seem similar. (Some might even see a little bit of themselves in it) 

Jason Segel is quite wonderful, generating a lovable warmth and sense of humor, yet also inhabiting a hidden sadness that perhaps many people like this try to keep out of sight from others. There are some fantastic performances from Casey Affleck (He's generally excellent) and an especially affecting Dakota Johnson. However, the film doesn't do much when it comes to supporting characters, who sort of just come and go throughout, though there is a brief standout moment from Gwendoline Christie (as "Teresa", a woman that Dane ends up taking a random hike with), who gets a very insightful little scene. There's a little forced conflict at some point, but thankfully, it's looked over quickly and avoids tossing in some kind of antagonist. It wouldn't have been necessary to do so, and I appreciate the filmmakers never forgetting what the movie in the end is truly meant to be about. 

"Our Friend" is a rather straightforward sentimental film, that doesn't do anything too new, nor is it really meant to. It's just sincere and heartwarming, generating some mild, good natured laughs in the process to go with the human oriented drama. It's a movie that I see a lot of people just kind of ignoring, though could find an audience with those seeking a bit of a pick me up right now without much consequence. Considering this January's lack of cinematic content at the moment, we could all use it. 3 Stars. Rated R For Language And Heavy Themes. 

Image: "Falcon", helping to stop an attempt at a violent insurrection to stop the American democratic process.

What is the whole deal with Netflix and their love of low budget, only somewhat science fiction, that to be perfectly honest, all kind of look the same? It's almost like Netflix is their go-to distributor when they're not certain if a big screen release will draw much of a crowd. Not to mention with the lack of theaters being open at the moment and the many bored souls that spend their days searching through Netflix to escape their real life problems, the movies truly have found a to flourish as best they can. At least until "Disney+" releases more Marvel stuff. 

Taking place sometime in the not so far off future, "Outside the Wire" where the United States creates robotic soldiers, known as "Gumps", to combat Russian mercenaries led by "Victor Koval" (Pilou Asbæk). After disobeying orders (And getting a couple Marines killed), drone pilot "Lt. Thomas Harp" (Damson Idris), gets moved to Ukraine, where the US has their main base of operations to combat Koval's forces. Now disgraced in the eyes of his fellow soldiers, Harp is commanded by his new superior, "Eckhart" (Michael Kelly), to work under "Captain Leo" (Anthony Mackie), who as it turns out, is an artificially created, very advanced, and incredibly skilled android, created to be the perfect super soldier. To prevent Koval from getting his hands on nuclear missiles, Leo and Harp embark on a secret mission into Ukraine, where Harp begins to suspect there's something Leo isn't telling him. They encounter Koval's enforcers (Which also includes his own versions of the Gumps), a resistance group led by the almost equally ruthless "Sofiya" (Emily Beecham), and America's need to fire a drone strike first and ask questions later, while everyone's true motivations start to reveal themselves. 

Directed by Mikael Håfström ("Escape Plan") and released through Netflix, "Outside the Wire" is a relatively small scale action flick with moderately high ambitions, but with one simple goal to be your average science-fiction thriller of the week. It'll be entertaining in the moment, with aspects that might even lend itself to something even more fascinating, but at the end of the day, the filmmakers have no intention of taking things as far as they possibly can go. The film borrows a lot of elements from various well known properties, though "Terminator" seems to be the most obvious one. That isn't a bad thing, and what keeps the film from being something completely forgettable. Topics about what humanity is willing to sacrifice during warfare, what technology and weaponry we should be allowed to use as we please, and the many that will always be caught in the crossfire no matter who is actually in the right throughout the conflict, are all addressed and given a somewhat unique spin. However, the movie also wants to be an explosion filled video game, and the two can only work with the absolute best working behind the scenes. What we get is decently made enough, but fairly bland and most of all, not near as good as it actually could be. 

Anthony Mackie is still excellent in the film, generating a lot of charisma, mystery, and occasional intimidation, making for a very interestingly complicated character that keeps you guessing to what his true motives are. Damson Idris also does a good job playing the audience surrogate, and goes through a steady character arc. Some supporting characters add little, such as Emily Beecham's surprisingly inconsequential (And intellectually lacking) character and especially Pilou Asbæk, who is barely even a character. The special effects are solid for what they are, with the Gumps appearing rarely and not getting much focus, though the best use of CGI ends up being on Anthony Mackie's Leo. (His body is made up of a synthetic, gel like substance, which gives off a distinctive and original robotic design)

 "Outside the Wire" has potential and only occasionally know its, but would rather give its audience the simplest of pleasures that usually come from a low budget action thriller. It's fun in the moment, with a few well crafted action sequences and drama that's enhanced by good performances. It's also unmemorable and when you really get down to it, just kind of weak. Not near enough has been invested into anything I can fully recommend except to quell those early January woes. 2 1/2 Stars. Rated R For Strong Violence, Language, And Military Machismo. 

Image: "Wait....This isn't  prequel to 'Gremlins'?"

What's the best way to start off the new, hopefully better year? Aside from allowing deranged, bigoted loonies to storm our Capitol and attempt to overthrow democracy (Now that twist I did see coming years ago), it's to make way for something of little consequence, but enough good old fashioned cheesy entertainment value. It makes the January dumping ground much easier to get through. 

Set in 1943, and after an amusing little animated PSA assuring that so called "Gremlins" aren't sabotaging war planes, "Shadow in the Cloud" follows a supposed British Flight Officer, "Maude Garrett" (Chloë Grace Moretz), who boards a B-17 bomber plane, "The Fool's Errand", with a mysterious package that she claims contains secret documents and must be delivered without question. Most of the bomber's crew is immediately antagonistic and sexist towards Garrett, with the captain, "John Reeves" (Callan Mulvey), sending Garrett to sit in the ball turret, forced to leave her package with the nice guy, "Walter Quaid" (Taylor John Smith). After the plane takes off in the middle of a storm, Garrett notices something is off about the flight, especially when she notices a terrifying looking shadow on the side of the plane. When parts of the bomber plane start to fall apart, it becomes apparent that something is wrong. With the sudden arrival of Japanese fighter planes, and the revelation that there is in fact a bloodthirsty gremlin on board, it's up to Garrett to take command of the situation, while her true mission slowly starts to become apparent. 

Directed by Roseanne Liang, who also rewrote the screenplay previous written by known douchebag, Max Landis (He was completely removed from the project due to sexual misconduct and misogynistic comments, only receiving a legal credit. I'm assuming the feminist message was not the original draft), "Shadow in the Cloud" is not the kind of movie that will make any best or worst lists. Granted, the filmmakers know that. It's not supposed to. It has one simple job to do, which is provide silly, tongue in cheek popcorn flick fun, that also has a surprise sense of empowerment and believe it or not, a few unexpected twists. The movie is rather original in execution. It doesn't fully explain everything right off the bat, unraveling things as it progresses. The film spends a decent chunk of its short runtime focusing on the main character as she's confined to the ball turret. 

Chloë Grace Moretz is the star of the show in more ways than one. Aside from being the lead, we see everything from her perspective, meaning the other characters are mostly heard through voice over, and the same goes for the creature itself. What we learn about her character is hinted at, but not explained right away. Moretz is also quite the badass in the action scenes, providing a showcase of her versatility as an actress, which is not something you expect to see in what's essentially nothing more than a B-Movie creature feature. The rest of the cast mostly serves their purpose, with Taylor John Smith playing the nice guy, Nick Robinson (as "Beckell", the rookie gunner) playing the inexperienced one, Byron Coll (as "Finch", one of the more antagonistic ones) playing the dick, and Callan Mulvey playing the stern captain, but the film is almost completely focused on Moretz, who makes up for the film's lack of depth with the supporting cast. As for the creature itself, it's a creepy looking, though not exactly realistic looking creation, that still manages to make for a scary threat. 

"Shadow in the Cloud" is a cleverly directed (Liang makes great use of cinematography and seemingly intentionally lackluster visual effects), effectively suspenseful thriller, that's part monster movie, part war drama, and part female empowering epic. While it gets somewhat more hard to believe as it goes along (Considering what's revealed to be inside the package and what it goes through, how is it not damaged in anyway by the end of the film?), it's very entertaining to watch and has the makings of a future cult classic. Not a bad way to start off the new year. 3 Stars. Rated R For Strong Violence, Sexist Dudes, and Violent Winged Monkey Rats.