Another Cinema Snob Movie review

ANOTHER CINEMA SNOB MOVIE:

SECOND “SNOB” FILM IS A LAUGH RIOT WITH CANNIBALS, ZOMBIE CLOWNS, AND A GUY WHO REVIEWS PORN!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

STONED GREMLIN PRODUCTIONS

Brad Jones, Rob Walker, Korey Goodwin, and Tamara Chambers in Another Cinema Snob Movie

            Brad Jones (Paranoia, Jesus, Bro!) returns as his beloved internet reviewer persona, The Cinema Snob in Another Cinema Snob Movie, based on the popular web-series of the same name in which he reviews various films such as porno spoofs, cult classics, Christian films, and downright bizarre projects like Baby Huey’s Great Easter Adventure, The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, and the *awful Brad Jones voice impression* greatest thing to come out of cinema Dancin' It’s On. I’ll be honest, I started to officially become a frequent viewer of the Cinema Snob fairly recently and while I’ve seen a handful of his videos in the past I didn’t watch him as much as other internet reviewers like the Nostalgia Critic, Angry Video Game Nerd, JonTron, or Atop the Fourth Wall, in fact I got to know who he is through various crossovers with other reviewers. 

            But after watching reviews of porno spoofs such as Spanker-Man, The Smuffs, and the unforgettable SpongeKnob SquareNuts (Which I should mention are all XXX parodies…just throwing that out there) I found myself laughing hysterically and started binging several of his videos, so yeah I admire Jones’ work. Anyway, Another Cinema Snob Movie if you can tell by the title is a follow-up to the 2012 film The Cinema Snob Movie which showed the fictional origins of the character and how he infiltrated a dangerous cult of movie snobs in a murder-mystery homage.

            Given that it’s a movie made for the internet, I won’t critique the camera work, production design, and effects because it’s a low-budget film and I feel the cheesy blood and gore effects are intentional and add to the film’s comedy. I actually just watched the first Cinema Snob movie for the first time just before watching this one and it’s a mostly enjoyable satire on the murder-mystery genre, despite the film being slow-paced at times and some of the humor is hit-or-miss, I found myself mostly laughing and I didn’t know where the mystery was going so it was an interesting watch to say the least.
            Now we have the sequel with Jones reprising his role as Craig Golightly/The Cinema Snob and Ryan Mitchelle returning to direct. Similar to Jones’ other movie, Jesus, Bro!, the film was crowdfunded by Indiegogo and fans’ donations made up its budget.

            I got to say, Brad Jones definitely upped the chaos in this follow-up resulting in an uproarious and wildly entertaining movie. Reminds me a lot of what James Rolfe did for Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie back in 2014 where it’s a giant spoof/homage to road trip comedies, horror movies, and even a couple video game references thrown in for good measure if you can believe it. 

            After the premiere of The Cinema Snob Movie (Which is now apparently set in outer space) turns into a huge disaster and flops, Craig Golightly and the film’s controversial director (For…reasons) Neil Hall (Rob Walker-Nostalgia Critic) embark on a quest to save their careers by traveling to California and finding Craig’s long-lost father who just happens to be a former TV executive. Accompanying Craig and Neil on their road trip are upbeat music vlogger Shelley Songs (Tamara Chambers-Nostalgia Critic, Tamara’s Never Seen/Tamara Just Saw) and Twitch gamer Brycycle (Korey Goodwin-Double Toasted) both are aspiring to become successful internet celebrities in the same vein as the Cinema Snob. 

            So, our heroes begin their adventure to find Craig’s father and along the way they have encounters with crazy fans at Comic Con, cannibalistic Trump supporters, a random driver they meet at a gas station with a bizarre determination to beat them to California in a race they didn’t even agree to, and a really odd guy running a stand selling Goat Balls named Ballsy Joe (Doug Walker-Nostalgia Critic, Sonic Fan Film) who happens to also own a clown museum, and of course, zombie clowns that want to eat them. Just the typical things an internet reviewer has to deal with. 

            The film also features appearances from Malcolm Ray (Nostalgia Critic) as an Uber driver, president of Troma Entertainment Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger, Cannibal: The Musical, Angry Video Game Nerd), Jim Jarosz (Nostalgia Critic), Walter Banasiak (Nostalgia Critic, Awesome Comics, Top 5), and Fard Muhammad (Nostalgia Critic, Shut Up and Talk, Jesus, Bro!).

            Overall, Another Cinema Snob Movie delivers what it advertises, a wacky road trip movie with internet reviewers getting into all kinds of shenanigans similar to Channel Awesome/That Guys with the Glasses’ anniversary specials and the Angry Video Game Nerd movie and is definitely a huge step up from the first movie. As previously mentioned, I thought the first film was entertaining and got some good laughs out of it, this one was absolutely hilarious and features plenty of internet reviewer fan-service such as various people from Channel Awesome and some cute little name-drops of Jeremy Jahns and Honest Trailers for good measure. 

            The story is your basic road trip comedy movie but unlike the first film where it was trying to be a little classy and relaxed with its murder-mystery tone. This one feels like while Brad Jones was coming up with the idea for this movie he probably thought “You know what? I just want to go absolutely nuts with this movie and make something crazy and funny” and that’s exactly what he does here. 

            You got cannibalistic Trump supporters, clown zombies, and Santa Christ getting drunk off his ass to name a few, definitely a completely different tone from the first movie but it doesn’t make it any less funny. Granted, it probably won’t sit well with a casual movie-watcher, as hilarious as Another Cinema Snob Movie is it might be too weird and odd for someone who isn’t already a fan of either the Cinema Snob or internet reviewers. 

            Like the Nerd movie, Another Cinema Snob Movie is a giant tribute to internet reviewing and filmmaking funded by the fans and made for the fans. Sure, it doesn’t quite have as strong a story as the Angry Video Game Nerd movie but as a low-budget web comedy, the Cinema Snob delivers the laughs and fun…again. 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood review

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD:

TARANTINO’S 9^THFILM LIGHTS UP THE STREETS OF L.A. WITH HIS TRADEMARK FLAIR!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

            Director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, The Hateful Eight) brings his stylized violence and dark humor to the streets of 1960s Los Angeles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the ninth film in his directing career and first without the involvement of Bob and Harvey Weinstein. In comes Sony, which had previously co-produced Tarantino’s 2012 western film Django Unchained and won the rights to his new film based on the infamous murders caused by the Manson Family in 1969. 

            Given that I’m a huge fan of Tarantino’s work, I was excited for this movie the moment it was announced and with the talents of Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant) and Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading, Inglourious Basterds, Moneyball) in the lead roles, how could I miss it? After seeing the movie, I can gladly say that not only does Tarantino successfully bring the story to the screen but also a love letter to cinema and filmmaking. 

            From the overall production design to various references and homages to films made during that era. Add in some Tarantino brutality and dark humor and you got one hell of a time in Hollywood indeed. 

            Set in 1969 Los Angeles, the film follows former western TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) whose careers have been plummeting in recent years due to Dalton’s ongoing alcoholism issues thus making it difficult for them to get work in a new era of Hollywood they no longer recognize. However, unbeknownst to Rick is that a very famous celebrity lives right next door to him, acclaimed actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie-The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, I, Tonya) who is married to director Roman Polanski. 

            After his recent performance on a show called Lancer earned praise from audiences, casting agent Marvin Schwarzs (Al Pacino-The Godfather trilogy, Scarface, Scent of a Woman) offers Dalton a chance to shoot a Spaghetti Western and flies him and Booth out to Rome for six months where they make several films. But, after an encounter with some very strange women on a ranch, Rick and Cliff soon realize something terrible is about to go down in their neighborhood.

            The film also stars Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door, Into the Wild, Milk) as Jay Sebring, Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers, The Nice Guys, Death Note (2017)) as Pussycat, Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood, Live Free or Die Hard, Justified) as James Stacy, Austin Butler (Switched at Birth, The Carrie Diaries,The Shannara Chronicles) as Tex Watson, Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam, War of the Worlds (2005), Coraline) as Squeaky, Bruce Dern (Coming Home, Nebraska, The Hateful Eight) as George Spahn, and Kurt Russell (Tombstone, Death Proof, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2) as Randy. 

            Overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood captures both the glamour and harshness of 1960s L.A. while subtly applying the Manson Family murders into the narrative in a way that only Tarantino can successfully bring it to the screen. Anyone else would probably just make the Manson Family the main focus of the movie but knowing Tarantino’s directing style it is only part of a larger collection of stories happening all at the same time (Pulp Fiction anyone?) which makes it almost like a twist, granted I already knew it was coming after reading about the film’s announcement but I had no idea HOW Tarantino was going to use it.

            However, if you’re expecting a Quentin Tarantino bloodbath like some of his other films you might not get what you’re looking for. Oh, don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of Tarantino insanity here, but this is a more relaxed and easy-going film in his career and most of his stylized violence isn’t until the very end which I am perfectly fine with.

            The pacing is a little slow at times I will admit it but there is never a dull moment despite the lack of Tarantino violence. All throughout the film I was invested in the characters, dazzled by the production design (It really looks like you’ve been transported back in time to the 60s), and was laughing all the way through. 

            DiCaprio and Pitt’s performances are where the film shines and they both have their moments of uproarious laughs. You got Leo as a washed-up former Western star who’s desperately trying to succeed in the entertainment business but his alcoholism gets the best of him turning a once-dignified actor into a whiny loser with a temper who I can best describe as the male equivalent of Jennifer Jason Leigh from The Hateful Eight, just about anything that comes out of his mouth got a huge laugh out of me. 

            Meanwhile, Brad Pitt as his slightly absent-minded but still very supportive stunt double who’s a bit of a ladies’ man. Pretty much the polar opposite of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character nevertheless Pitt has plenty of standout moments most notably getting into a fist-fight against a stand-in for Bruce Lee. 

            Once Upon a Time in Hollywood offers a (slightly) more mature outing with Quentin Tarantino while still offering his violent zaniness and humor whenever necessary. It’s a worthy film in his directing filmography and a loving tribute to 1960s Hollywood and filmmaking that whether a Tarantino enthusiast or a casual movie-goer is something I strongly encourage you all to see, you won’t regret it. 

The Lion King review

THE LION KING:

GORGEOUS VISUALS BUT LAZY, THERE IS NO KING HERE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

DISNEY

Mufasa and Simba in The Lion King (2019)

            Jon Favreau (Iron Man 1 and 2, Chef, The Jungle Book (2016)) returns to the world of Disney in The Lion King, the latest of Disney’s live-action-ish remakes and retelling of the 1994 animated film of the same name. When the original movie was first released in the summer of 1994, it was a massive blockbuster with praise from both audiences and critics, was a huge success and the box-office and held the record for the highest-grossing animated film of all time until Frozen surpassed it in 2013. 

            It really shows how the original Lion King stood the test of time, for fourteen years it was the highest-grossing animated movie of all time and people of all ages have watched it again and again on home media, spawned a franchise consisting of a 1998 direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, a 2004 midquel, The Lion King 1 ½, a Broadway stage musical, as well as two animated spin-off shows on television, Timon and Pumbaa and The Lion Guard. The Lion King is more than just an animated Disney film but a pop-culture icon with various spoofs and references made over the years, how many times has the image of Rafiki holding Simba up been reenacted? A lot, most notably in The Critic and Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

             Given that I was only a year old when the film originally came out, I did not see The Lion King in theaters but watched it many times on video in the 90s like many kids. Can you really blame me? The Lion King is an epic film experience with its stunning animation, memorable characters, catchy songs, and larger-than-life sequences, I would eventually be able to see The Lion King in all its glory on the big-screen with its 2002 IMAX and 2011 3D re-releases. 

            Now we have this photorealistic CGI re-imagining directed by Jon Favreau who had recently directed Disney’s critically and commercially successful 2016 remake of The Jungle Book which broke new grounds in CG animation and motion-capture technology. Unlike most of Disney’s live-action remakes, The Jungle Book had the distinction of being arguably better than its animated predecessor and offered a new perspective on a familiar story while still keeping elements of the original in check…can’t say the same for The Lion King unfortunately.

            The Lion King (2019) while visually stunning and featuring a star-studded cast is a lazy, watered-down version of the original that does the bare-minimum of a re-imagining and is almost word-for-word. It honestly makes me sad for ripping on Disney’s Aladdin remake that came out a couple months ago because at least that movie tried to do things differently, granted it didn’t work but at least they offered a little bit of variety, this does not. 

            Set in the Pride Lands of Africa, the animals gather together at Pride Rock with anticipation for the birth of their future king, Simba (voiced by JD McCrary-K.C. Undercover, Tyler Perry’s The Paynes, Little) who is the son of current king, Mufasa (voice reprised by James Earl Jones-Star Wars franchise, Conan the Barbarian, Earth). However, not everyone in Pride Rock is happy about the arrival of Simba, in comes Mufasa’s jealous brother and Simba’s uncle, Scar (voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor-12 Years a Slave, The Martian, Doctor Strange) who was originally next in line to be king but now that Simba is born it will never be. 

            To get rid of Mufasa and Simba, Scar hatches a plan to kill them both with a group of hyenas banished from the Pride Lands. After Simba accidentally causes a stampede to happen (or so he thinks) Mufasa attempts to rescue him but is thrown into the stampede by Scar unbeknownst to Simba, killing him. 

            Believing he caused Mufasa’s death, Simba runs away from the Pride Lands and Scar claims the throne behind his back. Simba befriends a wise-cracking meerkat named Timon (voiced by Billy Eichner-Billy on the Street, Parks and Recreation, Difficult People) and a dim-witted warthog named Pumbaa (voiced by Seth Rogen-50/50, This is the End, Long Shot) who take him in, teach him about the wonderful phrase known as Hakuna Matata, and raise him into adulthood. 

            Now an adult, Simba (voiced by Donald Glover-Atlanta, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Solo: A Star Wars Story) runs into his childhood friend Nala (voiced by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter-Austin Powers in Goldmember, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records) who informs him that Scar has taken over the Pride Lands and everyone is starving to death. With a little assistance from a wise mandrill named Rafiki (voiced by John Kani-Othello, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Murder Mystery) Simba must rediscover his roots and remember his place as Mufasa’s son and the rightful king of the Pride Lands in an epic showdown against his uncle. 

            The film also features the voices of John Oliver (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, Community) as Zazu, Shahadi Wright Joseph (Us) reprising her role from The Lion King Broadway musical as Young Nala, and Alfre Woodard (Scrooged, Star Trek: First Contact, 12 Years a Slave) as Sarabi.

            Overall, The Lion King (2019) is the perfect example of a remake that has nothing new to share and offers zero imagination. Hey, do you like the original Lion King? Want to see the exact same movie again except in CGI with no surprises or changes whatsoever? Congratulations, you’ll love this adaptation just…don’t…talk…to…me.

            You’d think Favreau would take what he did with The Jungle Book and incorporate it into The Lion King and telling the story from a new perspective. I think it would be possible, The Lion King is such an iconic story heavily inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet which also had numerous film adaptations each different from each other but still faithful enough, why couldn’t The Lion King be the same way? It’s an example of the once-imaginative Disney saying “F-it, which popular animated movie can we remake next without trying?” while diving into their Scrooge McDuck money vault, I await the live-action remake of Frozen in about twenty years. 

            It’s so unoriginal that even the voice actors sound bored while reading their lines which is a shame because this is an A-list cast but they’re not putting much passion into their roles because…well, the movie doesn’t have any passion behind it with Timon and Pumbaa being the only exceptions, at least they were funny. James Earl Jones notably sounds tired while reading Mufasa’s dialogue which he already read back in 1994 with no scene where Mufasa battles off the stampede with a lightsaber, Rogue One style to make up for it. 

            The Lion King (2019) is quite possibly the worst Disney remake we’ve had so far, and I can only recommend this to anyone who loves anything with The Lion King named slapped onto it. Otherwise, go back to the 1994 original that will be remembered for generations and throw this one into the elephant graveyard. 

Crawl review

CRAWL:

ALLIGATOR CREATURE FEATURE IS MINDLESS FUN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

If the storm doesn’t get you, they will in Crawl

            The alligators have resurfaced and are about to give sharks a run for their money in Crawl, the latest horror creature feature produced by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead franchise, Darkman, Spider-Man trilogy) and directed by Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes( 2006), Piranha 3D). Going into this movie I didn’t have many expectations, it just looks like a dumb, fun creature feature and an alligator version of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws or Deep Blue Sea by the trailer. 

            Crawl did not disappoint, it is a very entertaining scary flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously but isn’t cheesy to the point where it looks like another shitty shark movie from The Asylum with alligators, it balances fun and terror very well. The plot is pretty basic, girl gets trapped in a flooded basement and alligators are out to get her, simple stuff, but with the inclusion of an intense hurricane happening outside, it’s actually a pretty damn terrifying concept. 

            The film is set in Florida during a massive hurricane and follows a girl named Haley (Kaya Scodelario-Skins, The Maze Runner trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) who is searching for her father who has presumably gone missing when the hurricane struck. Haley goes to her family home but gets trapped inside the basement which is now flooded where she finds her dad, Dave (Barry Pepper-Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, The Kennedys), but that is the least of Haley’s worries as the basement is also infested with alligators and guess what? They are very hungry.

            With time running out, the storm getting stronger, and alligators around every corner, Haley and Dave must figure out a way to escape and get to safety before they drown or become a tasty alligator dinner. 

            Overall, Crawl is a very enjoyable creature feature that doesn’t really do anything new or groundbreaking with the genre but just adds another dumb, fun film in that category and for once it ISN’T a shark movie. In an era where shark movies dominate the cheesy B-movie market with a never-ending slew of Sharknado movies, it’s nice to see alligators getting some spotlight in the horror genre because I think the last legitimately good alligator horror movie was 1999’s Lake Placid.

            The idea of being trapped in a room that’s flooding and infested with alligators out to eat you alive with an intense hurricane happening outside is actually pretty terrifying. It isn’t a movie that will keep me up at night, but could you imagine being stuck in a place you can’t get out of with a killer predator out to get you and even crazier stuff happening outside? It’s a scary idea and a realistic situation unlike something like Child’s Play or Annabelle where it’s all fictional. 

            One thing I have to give Crawl some serious credit for is that despite falling into a few horror movie tropes and clichés like randomly tripping while running away or dropping a phone, you care about Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper’s characters and want to see them survive and make it out. It’s very common in scary movies for the protagonists to be extremely one-dimensional and obnoxious tools basically just there to inevitably die, not the case in Crawl as it gives both Scodelario and Pepper’s characters depth and interesting backstories, Haley is an aspiring swimmer at the University of Florida in a desperate need for courage and Dave has gone through situations with his ex-wife and Haley’s mother and has presumably put the family home up for sale with no success, both of them help each other out to escape and you feel a sigh a relief whenever they successfully fend off the alligators. 

            Crawl is reminiscent of the 2016 film, The Shallows in certain areas, a woman stuck in deep water trying to escape while fighting off a bloodthirsty predator out to devour her. But unlike that movie where it was just Blake Lively battling a shark, there is more than one person involved in the situation here and replace the shark with a whole bunch of alligators, it isn’t a rip-off, but it can be a little noticeable if you’ve seen both movies. 

            If you’re a fan of creature features and horror films with menacing beasts and blood, then Crawl is the movie for you. It has edge-of-your-seat thrills with a tongue-in-cheek sense of fun tucked inside thus resulting in a very entertaining summer scary flick. 

Stuber review

STUBER:

A PASSABLY FUNNY RIDE BUT NOT QUITE WORTHY OF A 5-STAR RATING!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

20^TH CENTURY FOX

Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani in Stuber

            An Uber driver gets more than he expected after picking up a cop hot on the trail of a killer in Stuber, the new buddy action-comedy directed by Michael Dowse (FUBAR 1 and 2, Take Me Home Tonight, The F Word/What If?) and starring Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, The Big Sick, The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle) and Dave Bautista (The Man with the Iron Fists, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spectre). Despite an overabundance of buddy-cop action comedies released in the past I was excited for this movie the moment I first saw the trailer specifically because of the two leads.

            Kumail Nanjiani has already proven himself a great comedic actor after appearing on the TV series, Silicon Valley and recently gained widespread acclaim with his 2017 directorial debut, The Big Sick. However, Dave Bautista I feel needs no introduction, he’s Drax the Destroyer from Guardians of the Galaxy so we already know he can be really funny in movies.

            This was going to be like the male equivalent of The Heat…at least so I thought. I started to second-guess myself when the reviews came out which were mostly mixed but even after that I still wanted to see these two together in a movie. 

            Now that I went along for the ride, I can gladly say that Stuber is…an okay comedy, it’s not bad but it isn’t great either. Nanjiani and Bautista have strong comedic chemistry together and is the highlight of the movie, but the film never really takes full advantage of its premise which takes a backseat to stale cop movie clichés that just aren’t all that funny.

            The film follows mild-mannered Uber driver, Stu (Nanjiani) who lacks the courage to tell his friend and business partner Becca (Betty Gilpin-Ghost Town, True Story, Isn’t It Romantic?) that he has feelings for her and all he wants is a 5-star rating from his riders. Things start to spiral out of control when he picks up a grizzled LAPD detective named Vic Manning (Bautista) who is hot on the trail of a notorious drug lord known as Oka Teijo (Iko Uwais-Merantau, The Raid 1 and 2, Mile 22) and Stu gets roped into helping Vic take him out, turning a simple Uber ride into a wild goose chase with dogs, male strippers, and shootouts in a vet’s office until these unlikely partners bring Teijo to justice.

            The film also stars Natalie Morales (The Middleman, White Collar, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) as Nicole Manning, Jimmy Tatro (22 Jump Street, American Vandal, Super Troopers 2) as Richie Sandusky, Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Norma Jean & Marilyn) as Captain Angie McHenry, Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jumanji 2 and 3) as Sarah Morris, Steve Howey (Reba, Shameless, Unleashed (2017)) as Felix, Amin Joseph (The Gambler, Dope, Snowfall) as Leon, and Scott Lawrence (Timecop, JAG, Star Trek Into Darkness) as Dr. Branch.

            Overall, Stuber has its moments and Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista are perfectly cast for a buddy-cop comedy, unfortunately they’re talents and hilarious-sounding premise are wasted by a script that doesn’t give them much to work with and an overabundance of generic cop movie clichés. 

            Had this movie gone more for a 21 Jump Street or Hot Fuzz style spoof of these types of movies and tropes then maybe they could have worked but it doesn’t really mock these clichés but rather lazily throw them in as plot points we can see coming a mile away. On the bright side it isn’t a comedy that didn’t make me laugh, there were some genuinely funny bits in this film.

            As previously mentioned the partnership between Nanjiani and Bautista is hilarious in general, but also some of the over-the-top action sequences, homages/callbacks to action movie gags such as throwing the end of a gun at somebody’s head and shooting propane tanks, and a lot of the banter between both characters got a laugh out of me.

            However, there are some jokes that take a huge dive or go on too long to the point where it isn’t funny. There is a fight in a sporting goods store that has some humorous bits sprinkled in but a lot of the gags and one-liners during this sequence feel incredibly forced and drawn-out that it only got a handful of chuckles as I was watching the movie, if it was trimmed down and the physical humor had better timing this could have been very funny, but not quite.

            Luckily the charm of its leads prevents Stuber from crashing into a brick wall and is worth watching at least for that reason alone. Hopefully, Nanjiani and Bautista will collaborate again in some future projects that can take advantage of their concepts and make a thoroughly hysterical, fun movie, you can see one of these trying to get out, but it’s stuck in-between the tiresome buddy-cop clichés.

            Stuber is a harmless action-comedy that has a few laughs and exciting action sequences with two outrageous leads in the front seats. But this Uberride goes up a strange road of predictable movie tropes and some very forced humor, it isn’t a one-star ride but far from being a five-star. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home review

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME:

SPIDEY GOES TO EUROPE IN THIS FUN FOLLOW-UP!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES AND MARVEL STUDIOS

Spider-Man swings back into action in Spider-Man: Far From Home

            Tom Holland (In the Heart of the Sea, Spies in Disguise, Onward) is back as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and follow-up to 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. I’ve been following the Spider-Man franchise ever since the original film trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire and have always been open to different interpretations of the Marvel Comics superhero, yes even the Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield films.

            Not counting last year’s animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which remains the best time I’ve ever had watching a Spider-Man movie, the MCU take on Spider-Man is easily the best live-action adaptation of the character since the Tobey Maguire films. Homecoming was released one year after Captain America: Civil War where Spider-Man officially made his MCU debut and Holland won everybody over with his younger portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man who in the comics has been a metaphor for adolescence so it works and added in fan-favorites like the Vulture and Iron Man and you got a very enjoyable reboot that more than makes up for the disappointing results of The Amazing Spider-Man duo-logy released a few years prior.

            After Homecoming’s critical and commercial success, a sequel was inevitable with Holland reprising his role and director Jon Watts (Cop Car) returning to direct. That’s where Spider-Man: Far From Home comes in which leaves a lot to be desired given that the past Spider-Man sequels have been hit-or-miss, 2004’s Spider-Man 2 with Tobey Maguire was a significant improvement over its predecessor and became one of the best superhero movies and sequels of all time whereas 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Andrew Garfield…not so much. 

            Thankfully Far From Home isn’t like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and offers a worthy follow-up to Spider-Man: Homecoming that raises the stakes and explores Peter’s commitment to being Spider-Man and his relationships with his friends. While I can’t say it’s Spider-Man 2, it’s still a blast that not only lives up to its predecessor but also surpasses it. 

            After the events of Avengers: Endgame when Tony Stark risked his life to save the universe from Thanos’ wrath, the film follows Peter Parker (Holland) who still mourns over the loss of his former mentor and is under pressure from Spider-Man’s publicity and living up to the expectation of becoming the next Iron Man. Face it, Spidey needs a vacation and that’s exactly what happens as his class leaves on a two-week trip to Europe for summer vacation where he can hopefully tell MJ (Zendaya-Shake It Up, The Greatest Showman, Smallfoot) about his affections for her. 

            However, Peter’s vacation is cut short as he is recruited by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson-Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders-How I Met Your Mother, The Lego Movie 1 and 2, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back) to assist a master of illusion and trickery known as Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal-Brokeback Mountain, Prisoners, Nightcrawler) who was also recruited by Fury and Hill to uncover the mystery behind various attacks on the continent caused by giant creatures known as the Elementals and stop them before they cause a major catastrophe on the entire planet.

            In order to stop these monsters from wreaking havoc, Peter must step up from being a superpowered teenage rookie to full-on Avenger so he can prove himself a true hero and honor Tony’s legacy. With the help of his guy in the chair Ned (Jacob Batalon-Every Day, Blood Fest, Let It Snow) and Tony’s noble former bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau-Chef, The Jungle Book (2016), The Lion King (2019)), Peter may be up to the challenge and also confess his love to MJ along the way.

            The film also stars Marissa Tomei (Seinfeld, In the Bedroom, Crazy Stupid Love) as Aunty May, J.B. Smoove (Think Like a Man, Top Five, Uncle Drew) as Mr. Dell, Martin Starr (Knocked Up, Adventureland, Silicon Valley) as Mr. Harrigan, Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dope, The 5^thWave) as Flash Thompson, and Angourie Rice (The Nice Guys, Every Day, Ladies in Black) as Betty Brant.

            Overall, Spider-Man: Far From Home does what a good sequel is supposed to do, continue the story and give the audience something new that they didn’t see in its predecessor. In this film’s case, taking the Spider-Man action to Europe making it the first Spider-Man movie not to take place entirely in New York City and also expanding on Peter’s reason for being Spider-Man in the first place.

            It shows that Peter has matured as a character since Homecoming and is more than just a fanboy trying to impress Tony Stark. And because there is no Uncle Ben in this universe the death of Tony in Endgame is treated like the MCU version of that tragic incident which makes Peter’s reason to become Spider-Man in these movies a lot stronger than in the first MCU Spidey film where it was simply “I have Tony Stark envy and want to be just like him”.

            There is more substance this time around and you see how being Spider-Man affects Peter emotionally and you understand the struggles he’s going through. Can a sixteen-year-old boy who climbs walls and shoots web possibly fill the shoes of one of the most powerful members of the Avengers? 

            I was invested all throughout the movie even when Spider-Man was out of costume particularly Peter’s relationships with MJ and Mysterio. One of my biggest issues with Homecoming was that the love interest whole portrayed well was rather bland and forgettable, not the case with Zendaya as MJ who’s still just as sarcastic and darkly comical as she was in the last film but she has some genuinely sweet moments with Tom Holland and could give Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone a run for their money in terms of adorableness.

            Let’s take a moment to discuss Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio…absolutely flawless and ironic since he was originally considered for the role of Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi trilogy before Tobey Maguire was cast. He’s from another dimension and lost his family to the Elementals and does everything in his power to stop them and shares some wholesome moments with Parker, Gyllenhaal sells every moment of his performance but without giving anything away, I knew what was going to happen with that character after playing the video game based on Spider-Man 2 back in the day, it didn’t ruin the movie for me but it was just noticeable to me.

            Spider-Man: Far From Home delivers an exciting new chapter of the MCU and the best Spider-Man sequel since Spider-Man 2 as well as one of the best Spidey flicks of all time. Suit up, swing on in, and have fun in this web of a movie.