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The Bear (2022)
Jamie Lee Curtis Steels this show with her outstanding performance worth an Emmy nomination.
The Bear Season 1: The Bear is a comedy-drama set in a Chicago neighborhood, starring Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a high-flying gastronaut who resigns his position at a Manhattan dining room to save his family sandwich shop from closure after the suicide of its former owner, his alcoholic brother, Mikey. Carmy's haute cuisine-y pretentions clash with the spit and sawdust approach his late brother and their father took to running the joint. The Bear is in favor of pretension, with only his co-workers, Richie and Tina, resisting Carmy's kitchen revolution. The show opens with a nightmare where Carmy is alone on a bridge in the dead of night, releasing an angry creature. He wakes up to a living hell: his supplier hasn't delivered enough meat. Chronically short of funds, Carmy is forced to take extreme action, ransacking one of the restaurant's arcade machines of its change and adding that to his collection of vintage denim to barter for beef in a parking lot. The Bear has received mixed reviews, with some critics comparing it to a restaurant rather than a TV show set in one. The show is directed by the Safdie brothers and stars James Beard award-winning director Ramsay. The Bear is a film that explores the concept of Carmy Bear, a character who is a bear in a dream. The film features a cod-psychoanalysis, focusing on the lingering shots of stirring, searing, grilling, and blanching carrots. The film is a feast for the eyes, with a soundtrack that seems to have been put together by the staff of Uncut, a beardie bible. The film is directed by Christopher Storer, who has mainly worked as a producer and director of stand-up comedy specials. The film stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmen, Carmy, and Bear, with White's bulging biceps, lank hair, and soulful eyes making him an unlikely internet crush. Evan Moss-Bachrach plays the creepy folk musician Desi, while Ayo Edebiri and Lionel Boyce play ambitious sandwich shop employees. Oliver Platt is Carmy's presumably mob-adjacent "Uncle" Jimmy. The film is a visually appealing and entertaining experience, with a winning leading man in Jeremy Allen White. The Bear is a sitcom that focuses on the culture clash between a stressed-out fine-dining chef and his crew of short-order cooks. However, it aims to be more significant than that, as it is not about food, organized crime, or advertising. The Bear is about wounded masculinity, macho white dudes at boiling point trying to adapt to a world where their big-mouthed aggression no longer guarantees them a seat at the table. The show portrays Carmy and Richie as scared little boys confronting the big questions and coming up clueless.
The Bear: Season 2: "The Bear," a popular new show of 2022, is back with an even better season than its predecessor. The show presents a balance of acid and heat, salt and sweetness, with a little bit of fat, making it a culinary metaphor that can turn the world beautiful and make you thankful for being alive. The new season ends with the discovery of $300,000 worth of rolled bills hidden in sealed cans of tomatoes, which inspired Carmy to close his shop and open a first-class fine-dining establishment. The new season also features workplace conflicts, comedy, family issues, and a romantic possibility in the character of Carmy's old friend Claire (Molly Gordon). As often happens in a second season, the series digs deeper into individual characters, taking them more seriously and sympathetically. Carmen, who drove the first season, barely figures in some episodes this year. His sister, Natalie, called Sugar (Abby Elliott), is now inside the business, managing things, while Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), a sous chef at the Beef sandwich shop, is now Carmy's creative partner and head chef in the Bear, the projected restaurant. The show's creator and frequent director Christopher Storer has mentioned that the new season doesn't explain everything about everything, but it does provide a glimpse into the world of food and its people. "The Bear" is a film that explores the relationship between television and food, focusing on the characters' personal lives and the challenges they face. The film is electric, with a unique blend of naturalism and mechanical elements, such as a ticking clock and a sign that reads "Every Second Counts." The plot revolves around a restaurant's opening date, with the character Carmy observing the time it takes to move from station to station. The film highlights the similarities between television and food, with TV being a comfort food, while food is often prepared and consumed in a unique way. The film emphasizes the importance of attention to detail in creating delicious dishes. The Bear, a FX restaurant drama, first focused on themes of inheritance, avoidance, and grief, with Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) as the protagonist. The second season, which aired in 2021, introduced new areas of tension through relationship cycles and the costs of an all-consuming career. The show relies on a ten-episode story arc of caring, flawed people who come together to build something they all love. The second season is bigger and looser than the first, losing some of the intensity that fueled the first season's heady, nearly painful intensity. However, this marginal loss is more than offset by other gains. The Bear is more tender and wrenching, and its world has grown bigger without diluting its characteristic sense of intimacy. Storer and his writers' room lean heavily on their ensemble cast, handing multiple episodes over to a single character. The fourth episode, focusing on pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), allows Marcus to grow as an individual before bringing that richness back to the restaurant's messy group dynamic. The cast returns with expanded roles, giving The Bear more weight. Molly Gordon joins the cast as Carmy's former school crush, powering the season's romantic-drama impulses as a more than adequate match for White's long, meaningful staring skills.
The Bear Season 3: Jamie Lee Curtis Steels this season with her outstanding performance worth an Emmy nomination. The Bear is a popular television drama that has become a pop culture phenomenon, with its second season focusing on the troubled chef Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) returning to The Beef, a Chicago sandwich shop owned by his deceased brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal). Season two's Forks and Fishes were inventive and shaped the series into a clever, compelling drama. The Bear returns for a third season under another level of expectation, but it struggles with pressure and characters' struggles. Season two ends with Carmen closing down The Beef and preparing to open his own restaurant, The Bear. However, his professional ambitions come at the cost of his relationships, sabotaging his closeness with girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon) and the newly reformed "Cousin" Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Season three finds itself in a tricky spot, as the stakes are lower, money issues, and an imminent restaurant review. The kitchen is still run by a dysfunctional family, and the show feels like it has split its later instalments in two, making the ending frustrating. One of the many discussions around The Bear is that it keeps winning awards in the "comedy" category, which is hilarious because it is so unfunny. The show is about death and despair, as much as food, and the Fak family gets a long-running subplot that interrupts the weightier themes. Gallows humor is one thing, but slapstick belongs elsewhere. The Bear is a television show that explores the life of chef Carmen, focusing on his past roles and the challenges he faces in his journey. The show has a circular feel, with the idea that Carmen may repeat his mistakes, which can hinder the storytelling. The excellent Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is somewhat sidelined in the storyline and season. However, The Bear is still one of the finest shows on television, with two standout episodes. The first is Napkins, where Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) becomes a sous chef in the Berzatto family, and the second is Ice Chips, where Carmy's sister Nat (AKA Sugar) goes into labor. Both episodes showcase the sentimentality of the show and the extremes of its characters. The Bear is a show that elicits a deep fondness for its characters, even in its flaws. Overall, The Bear is a captivating and entertaining show that showcases the power of storytelling and the complexities of relationships.
Incoming (2024)
Funny, High school material and well acted.
Incoming, a Netflix teen film from The Mick creators Dave and John Chernin, aims to revive the outrageous R-rated comedy genre that Hollywood now makes in fits and starts. The film focuses on nerdy freshman boys who haven't grown yet, with Benj Nielsen (Mason Thames) and his friends Connor (Raphael Alejandro), Eddie (Ramon Reed), and Danah "Koosh" Koushani (Bardia Seiri) all looking like children in a school populated with boorish proto-men played by actors in their late 20s. The plot is admirably slight and brass-tacks, with Benj, a former theater kid trying to rebrand, in love with his older sister Alyssa's best friend Bailey (Isabella Ferreira), but she's a sophomore and cool, and Koosh needs to prove himself to his older brother Kayvon (Kayvan Shai), a sociopathic senior who regularly beats him up, by hooking up with someone. Kayvon's blowout party for the first weekend of school offers an ideal opportunity for both schemes, along with plenty of Project X-style hijinks. Incoming has a decent handle on the raucous momentum of a high school party and the crass dialect of freshman boys, but its sensibility-pushing schtick works significantly less well than some of its peers, such as Netflix's biting Do Revenge or Paramount's Honor Society, both self-conscious throwbacks to blockbuster teen movies that lean into the campy satire side of the canon. Incoming is a movie that combines ridiculous caricature with a touch of sweetness, focusing on the characters' lives and experiences. The Chernin brothers, veterans of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, cast Kaitlin Olson as Benj and Alyssa's mom, a concerned parent. However, these touches are outweighed by attempts at gross-out shock, such as a broken bone or a subplot involving Connor and Eddie taking a blackout drunk senior girl to Taco Bell and enduring a disgusting bowel disaster. The over-reliance on poop jokes for half of the movie burns through much of the goodwill, but not all of it. When the kids are not having an all-out brawl, attempting to scheme drug deals, or enduring a literal headache, storm, little moments of chemistry, particularly between Thames and Ferreira, allow the movie to not feel like a writing exercise for an R-rating. The Chernins are savvy enough to not wrap the whole thing in a neat "just be yourself" bow in the end, but Incoming could have worn a little more of its heart on its sleeve.
Tron: Legacy (2010)
A thought-provoking film.
Tron: Legacy is a sequel to Disney's 1982 virtual reality sci-fi thriller, Tron. The film, which was overshadowed by Spielberg's ET and Peter Greenaway's The Draughtsman's Contract, is known for being a futurist trailblazer in games culture and the digital world. The reboot stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, who created a brilliant new digital system twenty years ago. Flynn vanished, and his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is now in exile in a virtual domain dominated by an enormous gaming arena. Kevin's evil alter ego, Clu, wants to rule over a digital police state and preside over the cruel neo-imperial spectacle of games. The new Tron has some interesting subversive jabs at the regressive solipsism of computer games, but also has some dull and laborious aspects. The digital technology used to create Jeff Bridges is weird and not in a good way, resembling Westworld robots or Fritz Lang's work. The digital effects are the finest money can buy, but the effect is strangely retro, with black-and-chrome stylings looking like something from the late 1970s or early 80s. The sudden appearance of vivid-white boudoir spaces is taken straight from 2001, with Sanderson and Stanley Kubrick playing characters. Despite pushing the envelope, Tron: Legacy is paralyzed by its reverence for the old, making it difficult to appreciate the original Tron. "Tron: Legacy," a sequel to the original film, features Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a character who has aged and is now a computer program. The film uses 3-D technology to create a visually stunning experience, with the actors playing themselves as younger versions of themselves, now, and avatars. The movie is well-suited for the role, with Garrett Hedlund playing Sam, a 20-year-old actor who resembles Bridges. Olivia Wilde plays Quorra, a fragrant character who is portrayed by Olivia Wilde. The Tron universe, which exists entirely within chips, is beyond the possibility of logical explanation. The film also features a real-world technology, with Bridges playing Kevin Flynn at two different ages - now and 20 years ago. In a flashback scene, Kevin, the lord of a software corporation, takes leave of his son as a child. Bridges' face is rendered younger by special effects, making the illusion adequate for this purpose. The real Bridges appears inside the program, whiskery and weathered, but the CGI version of younger Jeff remains to play Clu, a digital doppelganger he created. Kevin and Sam reconcile and bond, joining other cyberspace allies, including the beguiling Quorra (Olivia Wilde). This may symbolize the ways video games can destroy real-life relationships. However, the virtual nature of Quorra and Sam raises questions about their relationship, as she is virtual and bleeds. In conclusion, "Tron: Legacy" is a visually stunning sequel that showcases the power of video games in transforming characters and their relationships. The use of 3-D technology and the unique portrayal of Jeff Bridges make it a captivating and thought-provoking film.
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (2024)
Beautiful and heartbreaking
"The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat" is a melodrama set between 1950 and 1999, focusing on the lives of three friends. The film stars Uzo Aduba as Clarice, Barbara Jean as the fragile beauty, and Auannaue Ellis-Taylor as the bigmouth who narrates the film. The film is directed by Tina Mabry and stars Mekhi Phifer, Russell Hornsby, and Vondie Curtis-Hall. The script, adapted from Edward Kelsey Moore's novel, takes a few liberties, turning the titular hangout into a retro-chic diner and blurring the location to Anytown, America. The score is whimsical and the scene transitions teeter toward the absurd, but it's a treat to watch these believable pals hoist each other back up, taking the occasional breather to clink milkshakes in slow motion. The movie is filled with twists and turns, making it a satisfying indulgence for those looking for a deep-fried decadence. The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat is a movie adapted from Edward Kelsey Moore's bestselling novel and directed by Tina Mabry. The film follows three best friends, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Uzo Aduba, and Sanaa Lathan, who face various challenges in their later years. The characters, dubbed "the Supremes" due to a resemblance to Diana Ross's singers, are portrayed by Big Earl, the proprietor of Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, a diner where the community gathers for drinks and dancing. The Supremes, who lived at Earl's from 1967 to 1999, work through their love, losses, and regrets, never having anything more than a soda or an unopened bottle of ketchup in front of them. The movie aims to fill a vacuum by choosing joy and laughter over emotional truth, despite the circumstances of its storytelling. The title may be clickbaity, but the movie is a flighty time-hopping drama book-ended by death, highlighting the resilience and resilience of the characters amidst the challenges they face. The film follows the friendship of three young women, Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean, who form a bond through female solidarity after losing their abusive mother. Odette, known for her feisty nature, senses that Barbara Jean is in an unsafe situation, and she and Clarice step up as her protectors. They eventually find Barbara Jean a new home with Big Earl, a saintly restaurateur who takes in a young white kid named Ray. Barbara Jean immediately takes to Ray, sensing a kindred spirit from across the racial divide.
At midlife, the girls attend to Big Earl's passing, where his benefactor dies while praying, as though he summoned the higher power to take his life. His widow, Donna Biscoe, turns his funeral into a slapstick farce to disturb her rest. The film is passably likable, but the comedy tends to be broad, the drama unconvincing, and the movie never settles into its competing tones. The narrative has a restlessness, cherry-picking through these lives and rushing the heavier moments, leaving little room for the characters to truly stew in their emotions. This shorthand is especially jarring when we are suddenly presented with crucial details, such as the fact that one character has raised a family when it's briefly mentioned in passing and the child of another dies. The erratic storytelling leaves The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat making gestures towards the movie that it never truly becomes. The film is a cautionary tale about the power of friendship and the need for empathy and understanding in difficult situations.
Passengers (2016)
Phenomenal and outstanding sci-fi Writing
"Passengers" is a film that tells the story of a lonely man in space, an ethical dilemma, a love story featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, and a turbulent sci-fi action-adventure. The film takes off from a not-bad idea, but the setup is better than the follow-through. The director, Morten Tyldum, made the WWII brainiac spy thriller "The Imitation Game" (2014), but he turns out to be the wrong filmmaker for an amorous space opera. The film takes place on the Avalon, a corporate starship shaped like a spidery double helix. The spacecraft is headed for a prefab interplanetary colony called Homestead II, carrying 255 crew members and 5,000 volunteer passengers in suspended animation. Two passengers, Jim Preston (Pratt) and Aurora Lane (Lawrence), wake up early to find food, alcohol, and entertainment. They have a basketball court, a video dance floor, and an elegant bar presided over by a red-jacketed android named Arthur. If either Jim or Aurora survives another 90 years, their voyage will eat up their existence, leaving them with only each other to keep each other company. The film's setup and the actors' appearance make it seem like things will work out for them, but it ultimately fails to deliver a good movie. "Passengers" is a commercial sci-fi film that follows the story of Jim Morrison, a man who embarks on a deep-space walk with his girlfriend Aurora. The movie features heavy-duty suits and a tether, allowing them to venture outside the ship into the starry vastness. The scene serves as a harbinger of what's to come, as the two actors spend the rest of the movie going through the motions of a flavorless and predictable fable. Upon waking up, Jim realizes that the voyage of the Avalon is complete, but there is no other live human on board. The Avalon is like an abandoned cruise ship, with top-down corporate culture tweaks, such as Jim being unable to order coffee or communicate with anyone back on earth due to the ship's programming. This situation is a gnawing nightmare, as if Jim had been sentenced to die alone in 50 years of boredom. Pratt, beneath his jock sexiness, is a fine actor who lets his eyes dance with playful intent and a dash of panic. After too many days of eating, drinking, and one-man hologram dance-offs, Jim enters his Jim Morrison-on-the-skids phase. The question is: Will he rouse a fellow passenger, 90 years before she's scheduled to wake up, in order to save himself?
Alien: Romulus (2024)
The acting was phenomenal
Alien: Romulus is a sequel to the popular Alien franchise, set between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens. The film follows Rain Carradine, a young girl from Earth who dreams of the sunshine above Jackson's Star Mining Colony. She seeks refuge with Andy, an android programmed by her late father to protect her and tell jokes. Andy faces discrimination from the locals, but Rain views him as her "brother," replacing the mother-child undercurrents in previous Alien films. Although the film primarily focuses on the loyalty and affection between brothers and sisters, it also includes birth- and sex-related imagery, including a late abortion sequence. Rain's travel visa is revoked and her work contract is extended by five years. However, she finds solace in visiting Tyler, his cousin Bjorn, sister Kay, and friend Navarro. Tyler, tired of their conscription in Weyland-Yutani's intergalactic expansion, finds a way to escape the dreary planet with Andy's help. They plan to use the derelict ship's cabins and cryo-sleep chambers for a voyage to the bright and sunny world of Yvaga III. Alien: Romulus hits theaters on August 16, proving that there is still plenty of acid-bloody life left in the franchise's monstrous bones. In this sci-fi film, Álvarez and Sayagues create a space-seen tale with a heavy, rusty, and wet technology that evokes a sci-fi reality. The film features a decommissioned ship, a giant research and development outpost, where Rain and her friends are introduced to H. R. Giger-imagined xenomorphs. The film's main purpose is to study these creatures, who have fatal blood and slimy tongues. The film's opening and disorienting scenes include vast panoramas of tiny pods flying above fantastical worlds, floating and rotating camerawork, and a Benjamin Wallfisch score that harkens back to Jerry Goldsmith's musical themes. The film's ominous mood is set by the weightiness of the technology and the dreadful introduction of the H. R. Giger-imagined creatures. Alien: Romulus is a sci-fi film directed by Álvarez and Sayagues, featuring a unique twist in the story. The film begins with a cryo chamber trip that releases numerous xenomorph face-huggers, leading to Rain replacing David's brain module with that of a "dead" android. The 'bot from which Andy receives his new module has the face of Ian Holm, who played the nefarious android Ash in Scott's Alien. This artificial intelligence is intent on retrieving a xenomorph for profit-making purposes, enlisting Andy, who becomes torn between his allegiance to his corporate maker and Rain. The script trades in customary ideas about life, love, and evolution, while also acknowledging the story that came before it. While contextualizing the film within the larger series may feel clunky, the film's primary directive is to wring horror out of a tried-and-true formula. Álvarez repeatedly devises creative methods of putting men and women in peril with the xenomorph, such as scenes involving the sudden disappearance of gravity or a finale centered around Kay's secret pregnancy. Alien: Romulus doesn't quite do justice to its signature baddie, but its CGI is excellent and its set design is impressive. It subtly tips its cap to Scott's underrated prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, with which it shares an abiding fascination with androids, embodied by Jonsson. Despite its somewhat limited ambition, Alien: Romulus gets its scream-worthy job done, and in its homage-y closing notes, it suggests a promisingly perilous path forward.
Jackpot! (2024)
Made me laugh so hard
In the near future, people still live in the same clothes, commute to work, and use cellphones. However, after the Great Depression of 2026, California instituted a Grand Lottery, where one citizen of Los Angeles wins a large sum. The law allows anyone who successfully kills the lottery winner to receive the winnings until sundown, but murder becomes illegal again after sundown. Michigander Katie (Awkwafina) accidentally wins the $3.6 billion jackpot while attending an audition in Los Angeles. Everyone is after her, and the only person she can trust is a "freelance protector" named Noel (John Cena). This dystopian view of the future suggests that state-sanctioned violence may be used to secure daily bread. In this dystopian world, nobody is capable of relating to anyone except through money. Katie tells off a man who complains about his daughter's failure to get acting jobs, and later meets a kind older woman who wishes her luck and discreetly swipes her watch. In this dystopian future, people are unable to relate to anyone except through money. "Jackpot!" is a movie that explores the concept of human decency and trust in a world where inequality has led to a mindset that poisons interactions. The movie, directed by Paul Feig and written by Rob Yescombe, sustains an admirably zany energy, but its jokes often feel underwritten. The second layer of the movie suggests what it's like to be in show business, with Katie, a budding actor, facing fierce competition, exploitative business practices, and shady agents who are more interested in her earning potential than they are in her. Katie is called a "big walking A. T. M." and develops rabid fans who follow her around, rooting for her or even trying to kill her. Her survival depends on getting out of Los Angeles. The metaphor of Katie's plight is partly that she needs a friend, but more overwhelmingly that it's hard to be a movie star not to become one, but to live as one. Celebrity makes people come after you, and Hollywood is a den of people ready to suck any successful star dry. The biggest problem in a world where profit has overtaken trust is not the trials of those who have succeeded, but the desperation of everyone else. While one or both might have worked, it feels like a failure to read the room. In 2030 Los Angeles, the California Grand Lottery offers a mega-billions jackpot to cash-strapped citizens, but the catch is that winning must be survive until sundown, and anyone who kills you and has your location gets your money. Additionally, no one can use guns. This is the setting for the action-comedy film Jackpot!, directed by Paul Feig and starring Awkwafina and John Cena. The film is set in a dystopian world where people are comfortable with murderous zeal for money and ready to kill the moment the winner is announced. The film struggles to infuse bleak conditions with lighthearted action humour, with LA being beset by worse economic inequality. People use flip phones now, TV anchors cheer billionaires, and an unhoused couple cooks hotdogs at a fancy cafe. Everyone is perfectly comfortable with the murderous zeal for money and ready to kill the moment the winner is announced. Despite the comedic chops of Awkwafina and Cena, the film is an unsteady balance of dark and light, with stunts, ridiculous characters, ludicrous stakes, and attempts at zeitgeist. It has the flat, cheap hallmark of something all too clearly destined for streaming. Feig is at his best when the action heats up, particularly when it's centred on Cena as Noel Cassidy, an amateur lottery protection agent who forms a sweet bond with Katie. Awkwafina gets most of the film's few good lines, usually at Cena's expense. However, there's enough warmth to Katie and Neal's mutual respect and quick loyalty to power through some inane circumstances.
The Bikeriders (2023)
Before this film, no one knew about this.
Jeff Nichols's film, The Wild One, is a loose, freewheeling account of the rise and fall of a fictional Chicago biker gang. The film shares similarities with previous films like The Wild One and Easy Rider, but also has kinship with B-movie bikesploitation flicks of the late 60s and early 70s. Nichols is enamoured with the closed world he depicts, based on the pictures and interviews of photographer Danny Lyon, played by Mike Faist. He also criticizes the myth of freedom and the emptiness under the grease and denim. The film's success is attributed to Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of Benny (Leonine Austin Butler), the wildest and most reckless of the Vandals. Kathy is both inside the oil-smeared subculture and perpetually on the outside. The film is thrillingly evocative, shot in color rather than black and white, with a weary, beer-stained grit to it all. "The Bikeriders" is a romanticized drama that tells the story of a Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals, from its racer origins. The movie, based on a totemic photography book by American photographer and filmmaker Danny Lyon, follows the rise and eventual dissolution of the club from the 1960s into the early '70s. The movie stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy, a talented cast that understands the seductions of beauty and the sensuous lines of a human body. The story begins with a member named Benny (Butler) being harassed by strangers at a bar, leading to punches and a shovel being thrown at his head. Nichols freezes on Benny's face with the shovel framed behind him, capturing a moment in time similar to Lyon's photos. The film highlights the violence and threats of the bikers' lives, as well as the beauty of the people and their bikes. The movie is a must-watch for fans of the genre and those interested in the history of motorcycle clubs. In the early and mid-1960s, filmmaker John Nichols documented his experiences with the Chicago Outlaws, a group of bikers. He published "The Bikeriders" in 1968, a collection of black-and-white photos and interviews with the real Benny's wife, Kathy Bauer. Nichols borrowed from Lyon's book and turned Lyon into a supporting character, a bland smiler played by Mike Faist. The film captures the power of Lyon's photos, which tell a specific 20th-century American story of being and belonging. Nichols sometimes re-creates the original photographs, such as a shot of Benny riding alone across a bridge while looking backward. This image condenses the paradoxes of his life, such as his provincialism and the mesmerizing allure that this biker brotherhood can have on outsiders. Kathy's reaction to Benny and their marriage help lay the foundation for the tested, increasingly strained triangle that the couple forms with Johnny (Hardy), the club's leader. The film captures the mesmerizing allure that this biker brotherhood can have, including on outsiders like Nichols. The film's portrayal of Benny's introduction and Kathy's reaction to him, as well as their marriage, contribute to the film's narrative.
Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)
The Truth is always better than violence
Batman: Caped Crusader is a new animated series that tells a mature story about Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, learning that they are not alone in a mixed-up world. The show, which has been developed and eventually moved to Prime Video, features an elegant, elongated Art Deco lettering by Bruce Timm, who was a chief architect of 1992's Batman: The Animated Series. The show tells a tightly focused, slightly more mature story about Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, learning that they are not alone in this world. The show must forge ahead without Kevin Conroy, but Hamish Linklater, who plays Alfred Pennyworth, matches Conroy's performance and finds an amusing zest for the playboy doofus disguise. Linklater and Watkins strike a conspicuous formal dynamic in their roles, but the show's title suggests a curiosity about the costumes, literal and figurative, worn by the characters. The emotional complexity of the show is suited to a show with the visual sophistication and realistic violence of B:TAS' feature-length spin-off, 1993's Mask of the Phantasm. Bruce is seen on the couch of psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Jamie Chung) by Episode 3, making it one of the few times he interacts with a shrink. Caped Crusader is a new series that builds on the foundation of the original Batman series, introducing Gotham City police detective Renee Montoya. The first season focuses on Batman learning who he can trust and showing Montoya, police commissioner Jim Gordon, and public defender Barbara Gordon that they can trust Batman. The show's focus on casework and relationship-building creates a Gotham that feels more like Smallville with skyscrapers than a bustling Metropolis. The show's point of view rarely ventures beyond the main characters, with the point of view rarely venturing beyond them. The show's modest scale, with only 10 25-minute-or-less episodes, makes it difficult to endear its characters to viewers. However, the time limit also makes it disappointing that there is some repetition in the figures Bruce Rubin's elbows with, such as Harvey Dent and Selina Kyle. Catwoman goes one step further in the franchise's usual game of "Which came first: The chicken or the egg(head)?", proudly showing her cowled foil cape-and-mask combo, gizmos, and souped-up ride she's modeled after his. The 3D-rendered Catmobile glides as awkwardly down Gotham's 2D streets as the Batmobile, and chase scenes in the 1992 show look far better. Caped Crusader is a comic-book series that shares similarities with The Batman, but its vision of Gotham is more endearingly fanciful. The show's references to the Dark Knight's detective side extend beyond the Batman's vintage inspirations, with the Batsuit's ears extending to Detective Comics #27 length. Caped Crusader also explores the occult and supernatural, with visits from villains like Firebug and Onomatopoeia. The action is intense, with a swashbuckling Batman with a suspect and prop swords, drawing comparisons to Batman: The Animated Series. Frederik Wiedmann's score enhances the mood of the investigations, but his muted theme song is far from its rousing, Danny Elfman-composed counterpart. Caped Crusader does not match the expansiveness of B:TAS' Gotham, but it better reflects the makeup of a city like Gotham. The show features Black actors, the Gordons, and a screwball flirtation between Harley and Montoya. The show's creator, Matt Reeves, is an executive producer, and the show's outsourced animation may be seen as homage.
Borderlands (2024)
I loved this, funny and full of heart.
Borderlands, a sci-fi movie by Eli Roth, is reminiscent of 90s comic books and contemporary superhero movies. It feels like a third-tier title from a company that tries to copy Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy or DC's Suicide Squad. The movie features characters like Lilith (Cate Blanchett), Han Solo, Claptrap (Jack Black), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), and Roland (Kevin Hart). They converge on the planet of Pandora, a junk heap resembling several Mad Max societies. The story revolves around a quest for the key to a vault containing vast and powerful knowledge or technology. The movie manages to provide freak-show digital effects and set-design amusements at a consistent clip for about 40 minutes. Pandora's jankiness renders some of the movie's janky effects weirdly appropriate, and the characters' banter is about as clever as a T-shirt claiming fluency in sarcasm. Some pockets of amusement include Jack Black's confident fussiness as Claptrap, Greenblatt's bratty enthusiasm, and some neat visual ideas, such as masks that project digital likenesses to override the physical face in front of you. The movie manages to be disreputable fun for about 40 minutes, with its jankiness rendering some of the movie's janky effects weirdly appropriate. The film also has some pockets of amusement, such as Jack Black's confident fussiness as Claptrap, Aria Greenblatt's bratty enthusiasm, and Gina Gershon outfitted like a circus madame running a club in the planet's red light district. Borderlands is a film that resembles a children's film that is too violent for children to actually watch. The film's juvenile humor, fast pace, and shaky handle on grownup feelings make it resemble nothing more than a children's film that's too violent for children to actually watch. The aesthetic drabness of the film is more than the severity of the violence; it's strange that gorehound Roth bungles a few horror-tinged sequences into a hail of machine-gun fire. The recent Dune movies are self-serious Star Wars, and Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon series are bozo-level Dune. Borderlands is Rebel Moon dumbed further down until it hits a dead end. There can be something freeing about a shameless genre ripoff, whether game-based or not, but Borderlands doesn't seem to realize that there's an art to the steal. Jamie Lee Curtis and the movie seem equally and genuinely lost as to why a second Oscar winner has joined the dying party. The reason for showing up is presumably The House with the Clock in Its Walls, the kid-horror movie they both made with Eli Roth, the primary credited film-maker here.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024)
what is is?
"SpongeBob SquarePants" is a popular TV show that has been airing for over 25 years. The show's eponymous hero, Sandy Cheeks, is a STEM-luvin' squirrel friend who has recently crossed 300 episodes. "Saving Bikini Bottom: A Sandy Cheeks Movie" is a feature-length outing on Netflix that offers fans a deeper look into Sandy's backstory, including details about her Texas roots. Sandy, who wears an airtight diving suit underwater and speaks with an exaggerated Southern twang, is the protagonist of the show. The show rarely goes above sea level with Sandy, especially in Galveston, Texas. Sandy's hometown is the Gulf of Mexico-abutting town, where they embark on a cross-country trip that takes place mostly on dry land or high up in the air. Amusingly voiced by Carolyn Lawrence, Sandy is surprised when a giant excavator from B. O. O. T. S. Marine Biology Lab takes up most of her neighborhood. She discovers that someone named Sue Nahmee has stolen her friends, including starfish Patrick, cephalopod Squidward, and crustacean Mr. Krabs, for a mysterious "Sea Pals" project. The feature-length outing offers fans more insight into Sandy's past and the adventures of SpongeBob SquarePants. "Saving Bikini Bottom" is a comedy-drama that combines CG animation with live-action footage to create visually appealing 3D characters. Wanda Sykes, who plays Sue, delivers a performance that is both game-y and not particularly good. Director Liza Johnson, who also directed "Elvis & Nixon," excels more at comedy than kids' content. The film delivers just the right amount of surrealism for those familiar with the show. The hybrid project, which joins 2015's "Sponge out of Water" and 2021's "Sponge on the Run," renders characters in 3D, complete with textures and shadows. This technique has not always worked well with hand-drawn characters, but recent SpongeBob movies strike a nice balance, using live-action to augment animation or make loopy situations seem more surreal. In this case, SpongeBob visits a waterpark, plunging beneath the surface and tickling everyone's feet. The film's humor is a result of director Johnson's ability to find the right balance between humor and animation.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Phenomenal
Robert Rodriguez, known for his grindhouse-homage films like Machete and Sin City, is now co-writing and co-producing a coming-of-age melodrama called Alita: Battle Angel, co-written and co-produced by James Cameron. The film revolves around a young woman named Alita, who has a unique appearance and body built for battle. The film is based on the Japanese manga series Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro and is set in a 26th-century polyglot megacity. The lead female character, Alita, is known for her stylized big-eye look and mastery of panzer kunst, an armoured art martial art. Christopher Waltz stars as Dr. Dyson Ido, a tech-physician who specializes in prosthetic work and repairs for cyborgs and andro-cyborgs in a chaotic lower-caste city. The film also explores the legendary privilege of a larger place in the sky, which some aspire to see and sample for themselves, possibly by becoming a star in the dangerous motorball sport. The film has been influenced by other movies like Blade Runner, RoboCop, Rollerball, and Metropolis. Ido discovers a discarded female android head and spinal column in a dump and reconstructs it, fitting it with his disabled daughter's body chassis. Alita, a sweet-natured teenage girl, becomes his daughter's Miranda and becomes a terrifying warrior. She becomes in contact with Ido's ex-wife Chiren, Vector, Zapan, and Hugo. The film has a 12A rating and a teen innocence atmosphere, with extravagant cartoon violence involving metal and circuitry. The film has some macabre moments, but the film is rated 12A. Mahershala Ali's charisma is underused as Vector, while Waltz delivers a good bad-guy aplomb. Idara Victor plays Dr. Ido's nurse, Gerhad. Alita: Battle Angel is a film with Imax spectacle and big effects, but it might be a sleepover entertainment for 13-year-olds. It lacks the grown-up, challenging, and complicated ideas of Ghost in the Shell and is a vanilla dystopian romance. Alita: Battle Angel is a film directed by Robert Rodriguez, who has a history of avoiding the studio system for low-budget, imaginative independent projects. Despite his renegade attitude, Rodriguez knows how to make a satisfying studio film. His flair for eccentricity and taste for outlandish action makes Alita feel like an honest attempt to produce something exciting and new. Although it doesn't reach the artistic, emotional, and thematic level of the manga, it's a noble attempt to translate Yukito Kishiro's work into a cinematic medium. Although the filmmakers left out the quieter moments that gave the amazing incidents a greater meaning, everything that did make it into the movie is incredibly cool. The film's portrayal of Christoph Waltz, Alita's mentor, father, doctor, professor, and conscience, is enjoyable and showcases Rodriguez's ability to make a conventionally satisfying studio film.
House of the Dragon: The Queen Who Ever Was (2024)
The Final, and war
The eighth episode of House of the Dragon has managed to establish character dynamics and deliver well-written dialogue, but lacks the expected action. The season finale is cliffhanger-filled and lacks spectacle, leaving viewers unforgivable. The episode features the Riverlands, Lannisters, Starks, and Hightowers converging on Harrenhal, a Tyroshi fleet sailing to challenge the Black blockade of King's Landing, and Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) preparing to unleash her dragons on Casterly Rock and Oldtown. However, none of these forces meet in this episode, and the closest we get to a fight scene is some mud wrestling. The outcome of the elaborate preparation will take two more years, and it remains to be seen if Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) has finished hiking by then. The slow pace of season 2 and the eight-episode length create a startling turn as Rhaenyra, determined to recruit new dragon riders, wonders if she can trust them. Ulf's table manners may make them seem out of place, but Hugh and Addam cope better. Alicent, last seen floating in a lake, is back in the Red Keep and formulating a plan to save her kids. The cold war has entered a new phase, and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is taking out his fury on enemy towns, such as Sharp Point. Rhaenyra has accepted that there is no peaceful way out of this, though her immediate decision to flame civilians seems out of step. Alicent's visit with a proposal to hand over King's Landing in return for the life of Helaena and her children seems to offer another path forward. However, the final lingering shot on Alicent and the revelation that Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), whose life she reluctantly agreed to forfeit, has already fled, suggests that there may be wheels within wheels for Alicent. The vision quest that Daemon has spent his season on comes to a climax with a series of visions that might sum up Aegon's Dream, the vision that sent the Targaryens to Westeros. He sees the Night King, slaughtered dragons, puddles of blood, a comet, and Daenerys cradling her newborn dragons. This connective tissue turns Daemon around, and when Rhaenyra flies to Harrenhal to confront him after Ser Simon warns her of the possibility of treachery, he swears fealty. The episode of "The Dragon King" features a mix of characters, including Corlys, who receives advice from Tyland, and his unacknowledged son Alyn. Criston Cole, a character with a mix of medieval romanticism and despair, battles dragons, expressing his emptiness. Rhaenyra, the main character, has encounters with Daemon, her dragon riders, and her old friend Alicent. The episode leaves Rhaenyra believing there is a path to the throne not paved in slaughter. However, Alicent's holding back indicates that there is more to come next season. Armies march, and dragons are in the skies, making the next episode a season finale. The episode concludes with a clearing of the air and the possibility of finding the dragon Rhaenyra longs for.
House of the Dragon: Smallfolk (2024)
Beautifully acted
Rhaenyra researches archives and identifies Ser Steffon Darklyn as a potential dragon rider. Seasmoke disagrees, leading Rhaenyra into self-doubt. Mysaria's support is crucial, as they plan to send food to the starving smallfolk of King's Landing and gain public support. Their romance is unexpected but shows how times have changed. Daemon is still troubled by his visions and is increasingly tormented by them. He threatens Ser Simon Strong and trusts Alys Rivers for advice, despite her poisoning of old Grover Tully and removal of the dying Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. Alicent has a bad time, being kicked off the Small Council by Aemond. She and Helaena are attacked by a hungry mob while visiting the Sept. Ulf and Hugh are in the thick of the action, sowing discord and trying to secure food for his ailing family. Aemond orders Ser Criston Cole to meet Daemon and execute a pincer attack with Lord Jason Lannister. Aegon regains consciousness but tells his brother he doesn't remember anything about the attack, knowing that Aemond could murder him for the throne while he lies unconscious.' The show seems more queer-friendly than Thrones, with characters like Alicent and Gwayne playing significant roles. "Smallfolk" in "Game of Thrones" hints at significant future events, including Addam's parentage on Seasmoke's back, which could lead to other Targaryen and Velaryon becoming dragon riders. Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) is obsessed with a mysterious dragon in the Vale, and armies are on the move, including the Lannisters, Ser Criston Cole, and Riverlords. The big action climax in the show often occurs in the penultimate episode, so there's a sense that events are building to a confrontation. Rhaenyra is still on the ropes, but there's hope in her rising public support. Alicent is increasingly isolated, but her father is plotting to help. Daemon may have lost half his wits, but he still has a dragon, a fortress, and a potential stockpile of manpower. The show's future is shaping up to be a thrilling and suspenseful ride. Alyn (Abubakar Salim) is asked by Corlys Velaryon to serve as first mate on his newly refurbished ship. Alyn resents Corlys' refusal to acknowledge him or his brother Addam as his sons. This is confirmed by Alyn shaving his tell-tale white hair. Addam is chased by a frustrated Seasmoke, who is disgusted with the rider offered to him. The salt-crystalline dragon corners Addam and offers him a choice between flight or death. The dragon seems to need lessons in free and enthusiastic consent, and Addam's wise choice is implied by the sight of someone riding the dragon soon after. In this episode of House of the Dragon, the Lannisters insist on Prince Regent Aemond and Vhagar escorting their forces to Harrenhal. Aemond is infuriated by this and plans to form an alliance with the Triarchy to circumvent blockades preventing goods from entering King's Landing by sea. Mitchell shines in his role as Aemond, particularly in his conversation with Olivia Cooke's Alicent. Aemond faces pushback from her own Council and moves forward with Operation: Dragonrider, encouraging Ser Steffon Darklyn to try his luck with Seasmoke. However, Seasmoke flambes him and dashes away, as though the mere proposition of Ser Steffon being a dragonrider was enough to offend the dragon's core. Lady Jeyne Arryn also has a dragon problem, which Rhaenyra learns about. Despite the setback with Seasmoke, Rhaenyra is determined not to let anyone undermine her power. Emma D'Arcy's portrayal of Rhaenyra's restlessness is impressive, and she further proves why she should be the rightful ruler of the realm with Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno). The plan to send food to the smallfolk in King's Landing may have incited a deadly riot, but it was a smart show of strength and compassion for the everyday people. The smallfolk have been suffering more under the Greens, making them easier to sway. It's easier to forgive one perceived atrocity when it was done by the same hand that's actually feeding them.
House of the Dragon: Regent (2024)
Not the best episode
House of the Dragon follows the characters of Corlys Velaryon, Rhaenys, and Alyn as they process the losses they incurred during the siege of Rook's Rest. Corlys is heartbroken after losing his wife Rhaenys and is considering death. His granddaughter Baela suggests that Corlys only sailed his many voyages and brought back plunder to impress his wife, but he does not demur. He offers Baela the chance to be his heir, but she refuses, leaving the way open to Alyn, who is likely Corlys' illegitimate son. Corlys must decide whether to take the position he's offered as Rhaenyra's Hand, which is a feature this episode. Squabbling councils are a feature, with Rhaenyra's lords ignoring her and Alicent out-maneuvering among her own side. The lords are concerned that a woman can't be a strong leader in wartime. Rhaenyra points out that they have all lived their lives in a time of peace, so that the men have no more experience than her, but in private she bemoans her lack of fight training. However, two capable women are left sidelined and fuming, reflecting some of the commentary on gender roles from Season 1. Rhaenyra works around her council by enlisting Mysaria's help to undermine her rival Greens and sends troublemaker Ser Alfred Broome to Harrenhal to find out what her errant husband Daemon is planning. She admits openly that Daemon might be raising an army for himself rather than her, judging by Daemon's own conversations this episode. Alicent welcomes her son, King Aegon II, home, who is on the verge of death and insensible. She suspects that her younger brother Aemond may have been involved in Aegon's plight, but her council is both terrified and reluctant to trust her. Ser Criston, who believes Aemond was considering killing Aegon, is drawn to putting Vhagar's rider in the hot seat. Meanwhile, Jacaerys, a venal figure, travels to the Twins to parlay with the Freys, who are willing to support Rhaenyra if she promises them Harrenhal. However, the current holder of Harrenhal, Daemon, may not be keen on the promise and is trying to conjure up a army. He threatens the Brackens with draconic destruction if they don't bend the knee, and suggests that their old enemies the Blackwoods persuade them. The Crown cannot be seen to do anything but show them your worst. Daemon's attempt to murder children for his own gain backfires, causing widespread appalledness in the Riverland. The lords he wanted to win over refuse to negotiate with him, and he is seen as a tyrant who is blind to consequence. Daemon tells Alys Rivers that he is working for himself and wants to be addressed as "My king," referring to Rhaenyra. He also dreams of his late first wife, Laena. Back in King's Landing, there is almost no edible food due to Corlys' blockade and the new regent's closure of the gates. This leads to civil unrest, as the triumphal procession back into the city is met with general horror. The episode ends with shifting allegiances, redrawn battle lines, and new appointments. The lighting in the episode is good, with the show defeating Game of Thrones' tendency to spend an entire hour in the dark. Daemon's position looks more precarious than ever, and castellan Ser Simon Strong remains diffident but increasingly appalled by Daemon's unreliability. The episode also features firelight in Rhaenyra's chambers and scenes where Alicent briefly holds her injured son's hand. The episode is a disappointing one for Daemon, who is seen as more precarious than ever.
House of the Dragon: The Red Dragon and the Gold (2024)
I was completely blown away and a well written and acted episode.
Annie Jacobsen's book, Nuclear War: A Scenario, provides a detailed account of a hypothetical nuclear exchange that would occur in the United States, Russia, Western Europe, and the Korean Peninsula. The book suggests that nuclear deterrence was supposed to hold, but Westeros has its own version of nuclear deterrence in the form of dragons. Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) warns that if dragons begin fighting dragons, they invite their own destruction. However, the Greens and Blacks fail to make this calculation, leading to an aerial battle above Rook's Rest in the Crownlands. The episode features Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), known as the Kingmaker, who initiates the attack against House Staunton during the day, providing better visuals than the usual Game of Thrones skirmish. The VFX, stunt, and acting work are on point, ensuring that Rhaenys, Aemond, and Aegon's dance hits all the right steps. Dragons defy the rules of physics so thoroughly that the idea of them in battle is hard to process. House of the Dragon takes advantage of its scenery by incorporating the scene of Vhagar morphing from a camouflaged hump in the woods to a sky-scraping kaiju. Lord Simon Staunton (Michael Elwyn) is one of the best moments of the episode, as he emerges from the woods to burn down Rook's Rest and the entire Staunton family line. The Rook's Rest slaughter works because every character involved arrives with complex, yet easily understood motivations. This episode is considered the best episode of House of the Dragon season 2 thus far, fully realizing the series' spectacular kinetic potential. In the latest episode of the series, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is humiliated by his brother at a King's Landing pillowhouse, which turns into a fratricidal ideation. Aemond sees a brighter future once his brother arrives, and he instructs Vhagar to aim for Meleys and Sunfyre. However, he is easily manipulated by his new Master of Whisperers, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), who convinces him to fire his Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). This move is disastrous, and Aegon still cannot learn the right lesson. This time, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) unknowingly pushes her son towards his self-destructive instincts. Alicent tells Aegon that she misinterpreted her late husband's final words and helped start a war she was immediately sidelined in. The Hightower Lady has always done what has been asked of her from her family and what she perceives to be right for the realm. Now, her son is either dead or severely maimed, highlighting the tension between Aemond and Alicent. The Queen Who Never Was, played by Eve Best, serves as a tragic reminder of the world's inability to accommodate women, particularly in this world. Rhaenys and Corlys Velaryon, who worked together to create a loving marriage, betrayed her trust during their nights at sea. As Rhaenys expressed her desire to join the fight alongside Syrax, she nominates herself to fly to Rook's rest instead, but then dies. In her youth, Rhaenys was passed over as heir to the throne by her grandfather Jaehaerys I in favor of her uncle Baelon. The tragedy of her life is that she never came to terms with the betrayal. A direct line can be drawn from Jaehaerys I's decision to Rhaenys' declaration for Queen Rhaenyra and her fatal fall from Meleys. House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 makes the already strong episode 3 even better in context by presenting the visceral consequences of Rhaenyra's attempt to avoid the war. It also recasts Rhaenyra and Alicent's conversation as a doomed endeavor. They re-asserted their respect for one another and discovered that their war began partly due to a simple misunderstanding.
House of the Dragon: The Burning Mill (2024)
Outstanding Writing, and a very strong cast
The Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryen civil war, has been a topic of speculation for three episodes of House of the Dragon's second season. The conflict's latest benchmark is the battle between House Bracken, supporters of King Aegon II, and House Blackwood, supporters of Queen Rhaenyra I. Historians call this skirmish "The Battle of the Burning Mill," but the first scene reveals that it was not a clash of conflicting royal loyalties but an argument about land that escalated into a predictable massacre. The participants in the war continue to look for signs of its existence, with the latest benchmark being the Battle of the Burning Mill. The Blackwood and Bracken feud in Game of Thrones is a significant part of the series, as it serves as a commentary on the pointlessness of most conflicts within Westeros. The conflict between the Riverland families is not just a parody of real-life conflicts but also serves as a metaphor for the pointless nature of wars in The Seven Kingdoms. The episode of House of the Dragon, particularly in episode 3, showcases the wisdom of many characters in understanding the pointlessness of the conflict. Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) warns Rhaenyra that the war would have been unthinkable if not for the hotter blood that prevailed. Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) asks Harrenhal castellan Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) about the history of the Blackwood/Bracken conflict, to which the wise old knight responds that the answer to the question is lost to time. The ending of House of the Dragon season 2 episode 3 initially felt like one penetration of a fortified city, but when viewed as an allegory, Rhaenyra's final attempt to avoid disaster makes sense. The Blackwoods and Brackens are not the exception to how wars begin in Westeros, and the actual characters within Game of Thrones recognize the petty Riverland feud as a Game of Thrones parody. The final conversation between Alicent and Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon is a thematically appropriate moment and emotionally sound for the two women involved. Alicent and Rhaenyra are closer in age and relationship in House of the Dragon than in George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood source material. The dissolution of their friendship and the dissolution of The Seven Kingdoms has enriched the story. Alicent finally looses her romantic and sexual feelings for Criston after he ordered a hit on Rhaenyra, leading to the death of her grandson. This has led to some narrative headaches, as Rhaenyra and Alicent, queens on two different sides of a war, would hear each other out one last time. The similarity between Rhaenyra and Alicent, and the Blackwoods and the Brackens form the narrative and thematic backbone of this episode. Despite being a few minutes shorter than last week's installment, this week finds ample time for everyone. The best time spent is with Daemon, who has made his way to the crumbling walls of Harrenhal to win the Riverlands to Rhaenyra's cause. As he makes his way through the ruined castle, Daemon realizes that he was mistaken about the locations' strategic importance. In the lead up to House of the Dragon season 2, showrunner Ryan Condal and writer Sara Hess teased that the Harrenhal portions of the show would feel like a haunted house movie akin to The Shining. Harrenhal is massively spooky, inhabited by leftovers of House Strong and an enigmatic servant Alys Rivers. Daemon finds himself tormented by visions of chaos, decay, and destruction, culminating in a terrifying moment featuring Milly Alcock's return as a young Rhaenyra.
House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra the Cruel (2024)
Pick a Side....
In this episode of the House of the Dragon, King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is raged over a horrific crime that has taken place in the Targaryen civil war. He smashes up his father's model of King's Landing and orders the execution of all the castle's pest control workers. Ser Otto (Rhys Ifans) calls him feckless, self-indulgent, and an "insolent pup." Aegon is dismissed as Hand of the King and tosses the office to Ser Criston (Fabian Frankel), who is moody and oathbreaker in charge.
Aegon sends Ser Arryk (Luke Tittensor) to Dragonstone to pretend to be his twin, Ser Erryk (Elliott Tittensor), and assassinates Rhaenyra. Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) is also going through it, grieving for her daughter, Queen Helaena (Phia Saban), who will reveal that Ser Criston was in her bed after the assassination. She reluctantly sees the wisdom in her father's plan to stage an open casket funeral and show the world the child's defiled corpse. Alicent sees Aegon weeping and leaves him to it, calling her lover to her side again despite both their moral misgivings. The conventionally nicest character is Helaena, but she's off in another world. Alicent seems to have some good impulses but is also conniving against her former bestie on behalf of children who even she knows are awful. She's also allied with Ser Larys (Matthew Needham) but terrified of him at the same time. In the episode "Dragonstone," Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) is appalled that anyone might believe her responsible for Jaehaerys' murder. Daemon (Matt Smith) watches her discussion, and they have their biggest argument ever. Daemon claims he sent "the Queen's vengeance" but cannot be responsible for his killers hitting the wrong target. He has damaged Rhaenyra's cause and stalks off with his dragon, Caraxes. Rhaenyra honours Daemon's promise to give Mysaria her freedom, which is a big swing given the proven flexibility of her loyalties. The current crisis has forced Rhaenyra to take the reins again, and she seems to have a firm alliance now with Rhaenys (Eve Best), who gets a little bit more to do on the Black council. Rhaenys and Corlys (Steve Toussaint) also get a fun scene in bed together, using politics as pillow talk. However, House of the Dragon displays a marked preference for the Blacks in a way that George R. R. Martin's source material did not. Rhaenyra is reserved, and her children are largely sketches. Her council is a mass of barely delineated figures shouting at her, and there's little sense of the wider stakes for Westeros beyond King's Landing and Dragonstone. On her way to the boat, Mysaria spots Ser Erryk coming up from the shore, which she pauses and it's unclear if she will go back and warn the castle that a doppelgänger is among them. Ser Arryk infiltrates Dragonstone, and the pair have a brutal duel as one tries to protect and one to attack Rhaenyra. Erryk finally deals his brother a fatal blow, cradling him as he dies before falling on his own sword. Outside of the main story strands, this episode was a good one for people not born with a dragon egg in their cradle and an overly complicated family tree.
House of the Dragon: A Son for a Son (2024)
Very heavy to watch
House of the Dragon is a captivating political fantasy tale that tells primarily from the point of view of characters in their respective throne rooms. The show sets itself apart from the more modern Game of Thrones introduction, with its beautiful opening sequence featuring a Raven flying over Winterfell and a voice over from a Stark. The music, set design, and wide shots over the landscape are gorgeous, and the show could learn from Rings of Power. The main cast of Targaryens and Velaryons is well-developed, but there is room for expansion to showcase the characters' personalities and desires. A scene where Rhaenys returns from a blockage on her dragon is particularly well-executed, as it highlights the subtext and subtextual depth of the characters' lives. Tom Glynn-Carney's performance as King Aegon II Targaryen is particularly noteworthy. He is a character who is king only because he is told to do so, and he has no idea how to rule. The show provides an example of this when King Aegon II listens to petitions from the "small folk," making blunders to keep them happy and be liked. Aegon II's reaction to the ominous foreshadowing from his wife, Queen Helaena Targaryen, reveals his lack of attention and care for his wife, leaving her to be tended to in a room far from where he is. Overall, House of the Dragon is a fun and engaging show that showcases the talents of its talented writers and the complexity of the world it presents. The episode of House of the Dragon features talented creators Alicent Hightower and Ser Criston Cole, who portray characters like Rhaenyra Targaryen with a strong sense of remorse and a desire to turn her away. This scene mirrors the scenes at the end of the episode, where Helaena Targaryen tells the King about her fear of rats. King Aegon II's council meeting is a memorable scene, as the Lannisters are depicted as cowardly and snivelling. The council meeting highlights Aegon's unsuitability for the crown, wanting to play games and have fun rather than make difficult decisions. Emma D'Arcy's portrayal of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen is harrowing, as she weeps when she finds what is left of her son and his dragon. The relationship between father and daughter Otto and Alicent Hightower is intriguing, as they seem to be undermining each other in front of all the other men in the council. Otto claims this was unintentional and insists they are focused on the same goal, but this character creeps me out. Rhaenyra Targaryen delivers a masterful execution of the only line she gets in the episode before walking out again. These quiet, subtle moments make House of the Dragon stand out, as the characters can be badass and brutal with a severe silence. She wants one of Alicent's sons dead, possibly fan favorite Aemond Targaryen, brother to the King and the one who killed Rhaenyra's son.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Bloody phenomenal
Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Shawn Levy, is an obnoxious film that stars Ryan Reynolds and is a double act already paired up in Marvel comic books. Both are self-healers, have authority issues, and have substance abuse problems. However, their differences, such as being slashed, stabbed, and punched out in close combat in a Honda minivan, give the film its juice. The film earns every last month of its 15 certificate for its gore and risque gags. Deadpool and Wolverine are flung together after the timeline of Deadpool's universe is threatened with abrupt termination by Mr. Paradox, a rogue agent of the Time Variance Authority. Since the death of the Wolverine in Deadpool's universe is a key factor in its demise, Deadpool goes multiverse-hopping for a replacement, finding the worst version - a self-loathing, drunken failure. Redemption beckons, but not before plenty of effects-driven carnage and a run-in with Cassandra, the deranged evil twin of Professor Charles Xavier. The film earns every last month of its 15 certificate for its gore and risque gags. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2018 and began working on its first sequel to Deadpool, a popular R-rated Marvel character. Despite being from the Marvel label, Reynolds' character was not easily adapted into Disney's less edgy PG-13 Marvel Cinematic Universe. Six years later, the first R-rated MCU movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, was released in 2024, bringing a dream teaming for fans. The results for Deadpool & Wolverine are truly out of this world. Deadpool & Wolverine, a film directed by Shawn Levy, stars Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in a forced odd coupling, reminiscent of Godzilla vs. Kong and Midnight Run. The chemistry between the stars is evident, with Reynolds describing the film as like Fox dumped Wolverine, Disney picked him up, and Jackman "has to play him until he is 90." The movie is the most anticipated of the summer, proving a new future for both characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reynolds' character, Wolverine, is a crackerjack quipster who constantly breaks the fourth wall, letting no one off the hook, including the studio. The jokes come at you so rapid-fire that one viewing is way too much. Levy, who co-produced and co-wrote the film, abandons his family-friendly filmography and fits comfortably into this particular universe, allowing the blue comedy to rip and the action to soar while ingesting heart and friendship into a winning mix that never seems off for a minute in the 127-minute running time. Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Deadpool 2, a sequel to the R-rated film, satisfies expectations with its crasser, gorier, and funnier content.
Deadpool 2, a sequel to the R-rated film, satisfies expectations with its crasser, gorier, and funnier content. The film is a strong second outing for the Merc with a Mouth, with Wade Wilson dominating every scene and bringing the character to life once again. Ryan Reynolds, who co-wrote the film, blurs the line between himself and the character, making him perfect in the role. The plot is kept low for a superhero movie, with Wade focusing on himself rather than saving the world. Most of the runtime is spent dropping Wade into potentially funny scenarios, such as offending bad guys, attempting suicide, urinates in a bar, kicks back in his apartment, takes cocaine, and hangs out with Colossus. This scattergun approach suits the manic nature of the character and leads to some laugh-out-loud moments. One of the best sequences sees Wade attempting to join the X-Men, bringing his distinctive approach to resolving fraught human-mutant relations. However, the film feels messy and unstructured, as if it's watching loosely-connected episodes of a sitcom rather than a cohesive movie with a purpose. Despite the potential for an X-Force film, Deadpool 2 is unmistakably Wade Wilson's movie, with Ryan Reynolds effortlessly bringing him to life once again. Deadpool 2 is a fast-paced superhero movie that features a mix of references and one-liners, with Deadpool being aware of every other superhero movie. The film's humor comes from unexpected allusions to various genres, such as Barbara Streisand's Yentl and a conspiracy theory about the song Papa, Can You Hear Me. The violence and gore levels in Deadpool 2 are also quite gross. However, the funniest moments come when Deadpool can subvert scenes from within, reacting to events and bouncing off the characters around him. This allows for enough time for the fourth wall to be built back up, making his impact more impactful. Deadpool 2 feels like a small movie, creating an almost domestic sense of scale and alienating it from the genre it sits in. Fast-paced action is often interspersed with scenes of Deadpool chatting to people in cabs, drinking in bars, or sitting on the sofa. This sitcom-like quality supports the comedic tone of the movie. However, the movie feels restrictive when introducing characters like Cable, who returns to the present day to prevent the death of his wife and child in the future. Josh Brolin plays Cable well, but little time is spent on exploring his character or outlining his abilities. Cable is introduced as a foil for Deadpool and a temporary antagonist, giving the movie more focus as it moves towards its final act. The film John Wick feels small scale in its use of location, with most set pieces taking place in the same few blocks of downtown Vancouver. However, the action is not forgettable, with co-director David Leitch bringing a wonderful sense of character to each fight scene. The opening montage showcases Deadpool creatively mutilating and decapitating gangsters worldwide, while Zazie Beetz's Domino stands out with her mutant power of supernatural good fortune. Domino's fights unfold like truncated versions of Final Destination or a Rube Goldberg machine, leading adversaries to death. The quality of action is high throughout, with Domino's scenes being particularly witty and well-executed.
Deadpool (2016)
The Right way to make a Marvel film, Put a R rating on it.
Deadpool is a comic book superhero film that showcases the potential of the character through an entertaining, brash origin story. The film's leading man, Ryan Reynolds, delivers a charismatic, exuberant, and larger-than-life performance, despite spending most of the film in a full-body costume or under heavy prosthetics. Reynolds' physical performance and subtle CGI on the mask give Deadpool the level of expression he requires. The movie is relentless, with one-liners, put-downs, and metafictional asides. The hit ratio is pretty good, with plenty of crass humor. Deadpool's strongest comedic moments come when it gets weird, placing the hero in unexpected situations. The film has a quaint yet surreal tone, with a definite Monty Python influence, which comes to the surface with Deadpool's take on Holy Grail's unstoppable Black Knight. At times, Deadpool feels more like a surreal sitcom than a big action-comedy, which is a positive aspect. However, there is a wish for more offbeat digressions in the film. Deadpool is a straightforward superhero film that takes risks with its central character, Wade Wilson. The film's origin story revolves around Wade's love for a woman, terminal cancer, and his involvement in a research program to cure him. However, he is tortured and disfigured to become a secret weapon, and Wilson hunts down Ajax, the man in charge of the research project. This idea of revenge is unique to Deadpool, as most superhero films feature a montage of the hero testing their newfound abilities before becoming a hero. Deadpool's revenge plot lacks bite and a satisfying conclusion due to weak targets. Ed Skrein's character, Ajax, fails to become a truly threatening or memorable villain due to his limited role and the haziness surrounding his project to create super slaves. The stakes are not particularly high, and Ajax feels like a stooge, with no evil plan for him to execute. Gina Carano's Angel Dust serves to hit things on Ajax's behalf and look moody. Deadpool, a character from the Marvel Universe, is depicted in the movie as a slightly constrained figure, with the X-Men featuring in an attempt to give him more scale and tie him into a larger universe. Colossus is more prominent on the big screen, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead plays Colossus's sullen trainee. However, the movie is aware of these issues and turns them into gags. Deadpool's gory, well-crafted action is showcased in the movie, with stylish choreography and Deadpool's ability to switch between pistols and katanas, severing heads, and breaking bones. The movie also provides amusing commentary on the events, such as the number of bullets he has left or whether he's left the stove on. Overall, Deadpool's first outing is a testament to his creativity and storytelling.
The Garfield Movie (2024)
This Film is made for any age group
The Garfield Movie is a return to full animation after a couple of 2000s comedies that inserted an unsightly CGI cat (voiced by Bill Murray with an amusingly transparent indifference) into live-action surroundings. The movie begins with the world's most famous kitty ordering his preferred Italian comfort food via a Grubhub-like smartphone app. The plot revolves around an app that can translate meows into human speech, and even the villain, a persian feline fatale voiced by Hannah Waddingham, records and plays back her jump-scare entrance on a mobile device. The movie goes back to basics, with Chris Pratt voiced by another animated avatar of intellectual property. Pratt's delivery is so generic and indistinct that fans can simply project however they think Garfield should sound over his delivery. The simplicity of Davis' writing isn't as easily translated into feature form, as Garfield is a repetitive, quotidian gag machine built around the cat's basically static deadpan. The Garfield Movie covers that ground in about five minutes, with a greatest-hits montage of naps, binge eating, and playful rapport with Jon's speechless beagle Odie. The meat of the movie is a noisier, busier caper, in which Garfield gets roped into a heist with his estranged father, Vic (fellow Marvel paycheck-casher Samuel L. Jackson). It's a strangely sentimental development, as Garfield the cat overcomes his abandonment issues. The Garfield Movie is a studio animation project that aims to appeal to both kids and adults. The film follows a reunited couple, Garfield and Jinx, who are coerced into robbing a dairy farm by Waddingham's vengeful Jinx. The film features a stoic bull (Ving Rhames) and a Marvin Gaye soundtrack, with some moments reminiscent of The Emperor's New Groove. The bad guys include a classic Tex Avery duo of henchdogs and a Cecily Strong-voiced security officer modeled on the "Minnesota nice" of Fargo's Marge Gunderson. The movie also features cheese-related death traps and inspired, traditionally animated detours, reminiscent of Rocky and Bullwinkle. However, the director seems neutered by the demands of a studio animation project. The Garfield Movie gets downright Shrekian in its flurry of pop-culture references, which breaks from the cultural-vacuum quality Davis adopted to ensure his comic strip crossed borders with ease. The movie leans heavily on a single, unremarkable tie-in single by Jon Batiste, which it rolls no fewer than three times over a hectic 90 minutes.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Guy Ritchie At his best and Insanity
Guy Ritchie, a renowned film-maker, has transitioned from London to Hollywood, making five films over five years and two more in the works. His recent work has a solid, workmanlike quality, with an expected three-star rating. His latest film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, is a three-star entry, slightly better than his spy caper Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and slightly less effective than his revenge thriller Wrath of Man. Henry Cavill stars as Gus March-Phillips, who led Operation Postmaster, a covert operation of unruly agents sent to West Africa to sabotage Nazi U-boats during World War II. March-Phillips was allegedly an inspiration for James Bond, with Ian Fleming involved in the mission at the time. The film acts as an R-rated riposte to the more polite antics of 007 and Ethan Hunt but is mostly reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino's fictionalized Inglourious Basterds, another raucous second world war tale. Ritchie's recent work has been praised for its solid, workmanlike quality, but it has not been enough to earn a four-star rating. Ritchie's film, based on Damien Lewis's 2014 book Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII, is a mid-budget, mid-level crowd-pleaser that mostly works. It is well-made enough to distract in the moment but not quite enough to last in the many after. Ritchie's ability to construct an involving action sequence remains hard to fault, and there's a juvenile joy to how violent it all gets, especially in the hands of Ritchson's bloodthirsty madman. "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," a movie directed by Guy Ritchie, is based on a book by Damien Lewis called Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperados of World War II. The movie, which claims to open in 1942, features Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) complaining about the United States' reluctance to join the war, which only happened in December 1941. The movie opens in January 1942, and the film features a crowd-pleasing Nazi-slaughtering opening scene, which is reminiscent of a 1960s Jack Kirby comic. The movie's source material information was only made available after some secret history stuff was declassified in 2016. The movie's title, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," is a reference to a 2017 book by Giles Milton, which was not used for the movie. "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is an anti-Nazi film that portrays Germans as merely victims of violence and death. The film highlights the sacrifices made by the Allies during WWII, with each heroic fighter revealing an ingenious way to escape. Unlike other WWII movies, "Ministry" does not prevaricate and instead emphasizes the sacrifices made by the fighting forces. Despite the action and suspense set pieces, the movie falls flat in between, with its characters signaling their Britishness by calling things "bloody this" and "bloody that." The historical oddities continue to grate even after a resolution to relax and float downstream. The film features a Nazi officer who entertains Gonzalez's character by playing a recording of "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer," also known as "Mack the Knife." The idea of a Nazi favoring a song by co-composers Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht seems farfetched, as the songs were expelled from Germany in 1933 and "The Threepenny Opera," the satirical musical from which it was derived, was banned by the Third Reich. Brecht and Weill themselves would likely have blanched at the notion of a Nazi being entertained by their work.
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Outstanding Thriller and Ed Harris is phenomenal
Kristen Stewart is a talented performer known for making both good and dreary movies better. Her restlessness and unquiet presence draw audiences in, making her a captivating character. In her latest film, "Love Lies Bleeding," Stewart plays Lou, a small-town loner in New Mexico, who yearns to escape a classic dead end. In the '80s, Lou works in a gym, where she spends her time fixing jalopies and slipping steroids. A beautiful stranger named Jackie (played by Katy O'Brian) catches Lou's eye, setting the movie on an incendiary path. The movie features violence, guns, spooky flashbacks, and a classic villain played by Ed Harris. The film is filled with extravagantly bad hair, rotten teeth, and souls, making it an exciting and captivating experience for viewers. The film also features a classic villain, played by Ed Harris, who delivers a sneer and an epically terrible wig. Overall, "Love Lies Bleeding" is a thrilling and captivating film that showcases Stewart's talent in making movies better and more enjoyable. "Love Lies Bleeding" is a thriller directed by Rose Glass, who has a background in James M. Cain and Jim Thompson novels. The film follows Jackie, a bodybuilder, and Lou, a drifter who meets his kismet at the gym. They connect after the gym closes, and their relationship is marked by a violent confrontation between Jackie and a gym rat. The story quickly heats up as Jackie drifts into town, landing a job to earn money. She crashes with Lou, who is eager for Jackie to stay. Lou remains super-jumpy and wary, and Stewart gives her character a tremulous energy that vibrates in her every look, gesture, and head bob. Glass borrows liberally but not mindlessly, taking familiar themes and clichés like romantic doom and family trauma and playfully bending them to her purposes. She upends the heterosexual coupling that powers many movies, including gun-crazed noirs where violence is sex (and vice versa). Glass deploys her allusions and, with her two beautifully synchronized leads, distills what's pleasurable from them while leaving behind old ugly ideas about women. The film is enjoyable because it uses dark and oh-so-sweet elements, with the greatest danger and thrill being finally love. Glass looks back and she looks forward, going dark and oh-so-sweet in a thriller where the greatest danger and thrill is finally love.