2020 Mini-Review Compilation

2020 MINI-REVIEW COMPILATION! 

By Nico Beland

DOLPHIN REEF: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

DISNEYNATURE (DISNEY+)

Dolphin Reef boasts breathtaking ocean sequences that immerse the viewer with up-close encounters of dolphins and other sea creatures with a heartfelt story about parenting, growing up, and gaining independence; another worthy entry in the Disneynature catalog!

The film is narrated by Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Thor 1 and 2, Jackie).

 

ELEPHANT: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEYNATURE (DISNEY+)

Elephant adds another beautifully filmed, heartfelt, and downright adorable entry to the Disneynature library!

The film is narrated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. 

STARGIRL: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Stargirl hits a lot of familiar beats as other coming-of-age stories; but it has enough charm between its talented leads as well as some genuine sweet moments to elevate it above sappy teen romance!

The film stars singer-songwriter, Grace VanderWaal and Graham Verchere (Fargo (TV series), The Good Doctor, Summer of 84). 

 

TIMMY FAILURE: MISTAKES WERE MADE: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made offers a fun, all-ages mystery and a surprisingly thought-provoking coming-of-age story with plenty of imagination, hijinks, and a bold message about growing up to boot!

The film stars newcomer, Winslow Fegley, Ophelia Lovibond (Nowhere Boy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocketman), Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Toy Story franchise, Marriage Story), and Craig Robinson (The Office, Pineapple Express, This is the End). 

 

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

The One and Only Ivan may not be the film the real-life titular gorilla deserves, but it has enough heart and genuine emotion to elevate it above disposable talking animal kids’ movie fare!

The film stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Godzilla (2014), Trumbo), Ramón Rodríguez (The Wire, The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), and the voices of Sam Rockwell (Moon, Iron Man 2, Vice), Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted, Maleficent 1 and 2, Eternals), Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jumanji: The Next Level), and Helen Mirren (Excalibur, The Queen, RED 1 and 2). 

 

HAMILTON: 

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY+

Phenomenal songs and musical numbers, incredible set design, terrific acting, amazing choreography and an ingenious blend of comedy and drama, Hamilton is masterfully brought to both the stage and screen by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns, In the Heights)!

 

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

The Personal History of David Copperfield offers a clever and funny take on the classic Charles Dickens story made even better thanks to the charm of its leads!

The film stars Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, Hotel Mumbai), Hugh Laurie (Stuart Little 1 and 2, House, Arthur Christmas), Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, Burn After Reading, Marvel Cinematic Universe), Ben Whishaw (James Bond franchise, Paddington 1 and 2, Mary Poppins Returns), Benedict Wong (Marco Polo, The Martian, Marvel Cinematic Universe), and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Star Wars franchise).

 

BLACK BEAUTY: 

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

DISNEY+

While it features strong performances by Mackenzie Foy (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Parts 1 and 2, Interstellar, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms) and the voice of Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road, Steve Jobs), and has some genuinely heartfelt and poignant moments, this recent adaptation of Black Beauty plays it too safe compared to other, better retellings of the beloved story!

 

LOVE AND MONSTERS: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

While a comedic take on a monster apocalypse is nothing new, Love and Monsters makes the most of its delightfully kooky premise!

The film stars Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner trilogy, Deepwater Horizon, American Assassin), Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Marvel Cinematic Universe Television), and Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Super, Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2). 

 

SAFETY: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

Uplifting and inspiring, Safety doesn't quite do much new with the inspirational sports movie genre, but its compelling, fact-based story and performances by its leads will likely have fans of the genre cheering!

The film stars newcomers Jay Reeves and Thaddeus J. Mixson, Corinne Foxx (David Blaine: Real or Magic, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, All-Star Weekend), Matthew Glave (The Wedding Singer, Argo, First Man), James Badge Dale (The Grey, Iron Man 3, Only the Brave), and Amanda Warren (The Adjustment Bureau, Seven Psychopaths, Roman J. Israel, Esq.). 

 

GODMOTHERED: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

While the whole "Mystical Character Interacting with Modern Society" premise has been done before in other, better movies, Godmothered has just enough creativity, laughs, and heart to make for a familiar but enjoyable family film with likable performances by Jillian Bell (Goosebumps, The Night Before, Brittany Runs a Marathon) and Isla Fisher (I Heart Huckabees, Wedding Crashers, Rise of the Guardians) to boot!

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX, PARAMOUNT PICTURES, AND DREAMWORKS PICTURES

Boasted by a star-studded cast and a topical and timely fact-based story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 brings a powerful and compelling legal drama to the screen with writer-director Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball, Molly’s Game) at the top of his game!

The film stars Sacha Baron Cohen (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Borat, The Spy), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl, Fantastic Beasts franchise), Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Jeremy Strong (Molly’s Game, Succession, The Gentlemen), John Carroll Lynch (Fargo, American Horror Story, The Founder), Noah Robbins (Indignation, Miss Sloane, The Assistant), Daniel Flaherty (Skins, Goat, November Criminals), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, Us, Watchmen (TV series)), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, The BFG, Dunkirk), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper), Ben Shenkman (Angels in America, Blue Valentine, Royal Pains), J.C. MacKenzie (The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, Robot & Frank, Captain Fantastic), Kevin Harrison Jr. (Ender’s Game, 12 Years a Slave, It Comes at Night), Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice, Batman 1 and 2, Birdman), John Doman (Oz, ER, Gotham), Caitlin FitzGerald (Masters of Sex, Sweetbitter, Damsels in Distress), Max Adler (Glee, Switched at Birth, Sully), C.J. Wilson (Demolition, The Intern, Manchester by the Sea), and Damien Young (The Comeback, House of Cards, Birdman). 

CLOUDS: 

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY+

 

Clouds hits a lot of familiar notes, but it has plenty of genuinely sweet and heartfelt moments with a talented cast to boot that elevate it above disposable young-adult melodrama!

The film stars Fin Argus (The Gifted, Total Eclipse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Madison Iseman (Still the King, Jumanji 2 and 3, Annabelle Comes Home), Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World, Adventures in Babysitting (2016), The Hate U Give), Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out, Rel), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!, An American Werewolf in Paris, La La Land), Neve Campbell (The Craft, Scream franchise, Wild Things), Vivien Endicott-Douglas (Shoebox Zoo, Terry, The Line), and Dylan Everett (How To Be Indie, Wingin’ It, Degrassi).

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX

 

Unmissable albeit bittersweet, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom pays a loving tribute to a legendary blues artist as well as Black culture as a whole with electrifying performances by Viola Davis (The Help, Fences, Widows) and Chadwick Boseman (42, Get on Up, Marvel Cinematic Universe) in his final film role taking center stage! 

The film also stars Glynn Turman (A Different World, The Wire, The Way Back), Colman Domingo (Euphoria, Fear the Walking Dead, Candyman (2021)), Michael Potts (The Wire, The Book of Mormon, True Detective), Jonny Coyne (Alcatraz, Once Upon a Time, Gangster Squad), Taylour Paige (Hit the Floor, White Boy Rick, Zola), and Jeremy Shamos (Birdman, The Big Sick, Bad Education). 

THE VAST OF NIGHT: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

AMAZON STUDIOS

 

Campy fun but also thought-provoking, The Vast of Night is a loving sendup to classic 1950s science-fiction that doesn't shy away from bold storytelling or compelling characters while continuing to prove that sometimes the best sci-fi stories are the ones that don't rely on flashy special-effects or overblown action sequences!

The film is the directorial debut of Andrew Patterson and stars Sierra McCormick (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Supernatural, A.N.T. Farm), newcomer Jake Horowitz, and Gail Cronauer (JFK, LAX, Beyond the Farthest Star). 

SOUND OF METAL: 

Movie Review: **** out of 4

AMAZON STUDIOS

 

Ambitious and daring without being the least bit forced in its execution, Sound of Metal offers an honest but quite moving look inside the Deaf community with a strong narrative, passionate direction from newcomer Darius Marder, and a tour de force performance by Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), this is one Metal show not to be missed!

The film also stars Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Ready Player One), Paul Raci (Baskets, Parks and Recreation), Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead, Children of a Lesser God, Eternals), and Mathieu Amalric (Munich, Quantum of Solace, The Grand Budapest Hotel). 

MANK: 

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX

 

Thanks to slick writing and an excellent performance by Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight trilogy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Darkest Hour), Mank offers a fascinating look inside the making of one of the greatest films of all time with director David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network, Gone Girl) affectionately making 1930s Hollywood come alive every step of the way!

The film also stars Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Jennifer’s Body, Les Miserables (2012)), Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply, Tolkien, Emily in Paris), Arliss Howard (Full Metal Jacket, Amistad, Moneyball), Tom Pelphrey (Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Ozark), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Imitation Game, The Crown), Sam Troughton (Alien VS Predator, Vera Drake, Chernobyl), Ferdinand Kingsley (The Last Legion, Dracula Untold, Victoria), Tuppence Middleton (The Imitation Game, The Current War, Downton Abbey (film)), Tom Burke (War & Peace, Strike, The Souvenir), Joseph Cross (Running with Scissors, Flags of our Fathers, Lincoln), Jamie McShane (Sons of Anarchy, Southland, Bloodline), Toby Leonard Moore (John Wick, Daredevil (Netflix series), Billions), Leven Rambin (Grey’s Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Hunger Games), Bill Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Bill Nye Saves the World), and Jeff Harms (The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo). 

SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND-BORN ROYALS: 

Movie Review: * out of 4

DISNEY+

Aside from some mostly fine acting, Secret Society of Second-Born Royals wastes a potentially fun and interesting premise in favor of lazily ripping off superhero movie, young-adult fantasy, and Disney Princess tropes with nothing new or unique added to them, already tired Disney Channel-esque and "Not Your Average Fairy Tale" clichés that better films like Shrek and Enchanted made popular, an unoriginal plot that desperately tries to be like X-Men mixed with Harry Potter, The Avengers, and Disney Princesses, but with a complete lack of understanding of why we love those stories in the first place, resulting in one of the worst, cringiest things to ever have the Disney name that makes even the worst Disney Channel movies look credible by comparison!

The film stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack, The Lion Guard, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.), Niles Fitch (St. Vincent, This is Us, Roman J. Israel, Esq.), Isabella Blake-Thomas (Green Balloon Club, Once Upon a Time, Game Shakers), Olivia Deeble (Little Lunch, Home and Away), Noah Lomax (The Walking Dead, 99 Homes, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water), Ashley Liao (Fuller House, Always Be My Maybe, Spirit Riding Free), Samuel Page (Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, House of Cards), Skylar Astin (Hamlet 2, Taking Woodstock, Pitch Perfect 1 and 2), Élodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Daredevil (Netflix series), The Defenders), Greg Bryk (A History of Violence, ReGenesis, Far Cry 5/Far Cry: New Dawn), and Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin, The Brave, Blood & Treasure). 

MAGIC CAMP: 

Movie Review: ** out of 4

DISNEY+

Magic Camp has its moments as well as some enjoyable performances by Adam DeVine (Pitch Perfect 1 and 2, Modern Family, Workaholics), Jeffrey Tambor (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Arrested Development, Hellboy 1 and 2), and Gillian Jacobs (Community, Girls, Life Partners), but it's a mostly standard and disposable kids’ movie that ironically isn't all that "Magical"!

The film also stars Cole Sand (Austin & Ally, Parenthood (TV series), Tales of Arcadia), Isabella Crovetti (The Neighbors, Colony, Vampirina), J.J. Totah (Jessie, Other People, Champions), Izabella Alvarez (Shameless, Westworld, The Loud House), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton, Hidden Figures, The Invisible Man (2020)), Rochelle Aytes (Trick ‘r Treat, The Forgotten (TV series), Mistresses), Krystal Joy Brown (Castle, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Sydney to the Max), Desmond Chiam (Reef Break, The Shannara Chronicles, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and Michael Hitchcock (Glee, Bridesmaids, Super 8). 

HOWARD:

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY+

Bittersweet but also inspiring and poignant, Howard beautifully pays tribute to the legacy and life of the incredible artist behind the soundtracks to some of the most iconic Disney films of all time!

The film is directed by Don Hahn (Waking Sleeping Beauty) and documents the life of songwriter Howard Ashman who wrote the lyrics for the songs in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin as well as the stage musical, Little Shop of Horrors who tragically died in 1991 of complications from AIDS at the age of 40. 

Soul review

SOUL:

LATEST PIXAR FILM IS NOT ONLY A LOVE LETTER TO JAZZ MUSIC BUT ALSO A VERY CLEVER, FUNNY, AND DEEPLY MOVING STORY ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH!  

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY/PIXAR

Joe Gardner (human), Joe Gardner (soul), and 22 in Soul

 

            A jazz pianist falls into a sewer hole and wakes up in a realm of souls in Soul, the new film from Pixar Animation Studios following in the tradition of emotional powerhouses such as the Toy Story franchise, Up, Inside Out, and Coco. At this point, Pixar has proven themselves countless times before that they are masters of conjuring up very imaginative and compelling stories with a lot of emotion and heart behind them and Soul is no exception. 

            Originally intended for a June 2020 theatrical release, the film was constantly pushed back due to COVID-19 and Disney reassuring that it will be in theaters in November of that year. But they ultimately decided to cancel the theatrical release and put the film on Disney+ instead which is exactly what they did with other 2020 releases that were originally planned for theaters like Artemis Fowl and Mulan. 

            So, can Pixar give everyone an emotional roller coaster ride in the same vein as Inside Out or Coco and especially after the disappointing results of Onward which was released several months prior? The answer is a very loud and enthusiastic *deep breath* YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Soul is an absolutely wonderful film with gorgeous animation, charming characters, and a deeply moving and enriching story. It’s a love letter to jazz music with an emotional kick which makes perfect sense because this film is from the same director as Inside Out, frequent Pixar film director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up, Inside Out) and just like that movie, it hits your feels in all the right places. 

            The film follows school band teacher Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx-Collateral, Django Unchained, Just Mercy) whose real passion is jazz music and he’s good at it. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he falls into a sewer hole and ends up in a mysterious realm of souls where he befriends a soul known simply as 22 (voiced by Tina Fey-Mean Girls, 30 Rock, Muppets Most Wanted) and agrees to help her find her passion or “spark” as they call it so she can live on Earth while she helps him return to his body while both of them learn what it really means to have a soul along the way. 

            The film also features the voices of Questlove as Curley, Phylicia Rashad (Creed 1 and 2, Black Box, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey) as Libba Gardner, Daveed Diggs (Ferdinand, Blindspotting, Hamilton) as Paul, Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got to Do with It, Malcolm X, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Dorothea Williams, Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) as Moonwind, Rachel House (Whale Rider, Moana, Thor: Ragnarok) as Terry, Richard Ayoade (Submarine, The Double, The Boxtrolls), Alice Braga (I Am Legend, Repo Men, Predators), Wes Studi (Dances with Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, Avatar), Fortune Feimster (The Mindy Project, The L Word: Generation Q, Office Christmas Party), and Zenobia Shroff as Jerry, Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle’s Show, The Wire, Black Dynamite) as Dez, June Squibb (Nebraska, Toy Story 4, Godmothered) as Gerel, and Esther Chae (24, ER, The West Wing) as Miho. 

            Overall, Soul is one of the most vibrant and emotionally driven films in Pixar’s catalog that easily ranks among some of the studio’s best work. It embraces jazz music and African American culture in a similar way Disney embraced African American culture with The Princess and the Frog (Also, much like what that movie did for Disney, Soul marks Pixar’s first animated feature film with a black protagonist) on top of brilliant storytelling, strong characters, and a thoughtful and very timely message about living life and enjoying the simple pleasures it offers. 

            The plot can best be described as a more intellectual and mature version of what films like Inside Out and Coco did and feels a little more geared towards older audiences compared to other Pixar films given the subject matter and themes it tackles. It’s an animated family film where the main plot revolves around life and death and Pixar nails the concept beautifully and leaves much of the resolution up to the viewers. 

            Where the film really shines is with the characters and music, Joe is an extremely passionate musician who just wants to live his life to the fullest and become a successful jazz performer and while at times he can be a little self-obsessed it’s never to the point where he becomes unlikable, 22 is a cynical soul who doesn’t see the point in living on Earth but slowly discovers all of Earth’s offerings and finds her spark. However, there is one other co-star in this film aside from Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey and that is the music, OH MY GOD! Never before have I ever wanted a soundtrack to a Pixar movie this much, from the jazz music composed to set the tone of Earth to the psychedelic, otherworldly sounding music for the souls’ world, the choices of music fit each scene perfectly and if this doesn’t get at least an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score I’m going to be very mad. 

            Guys, I can’t recommend this movie enough, Soul has everything I want in a Pixar film and brings to the screen a beautifully animated, funny, and deeply moving and thought-provoking story about making the best out of one’s life and a loving tribute to jazz music to boot. Whether you’re a kid, adult, or have an entire family, Soul is an absolute must-watch that once again proves that Pixar’s magic isn’t going away anytime soon. 

Wonder Woman 1984 review

WONDER WOMAN 1984: 

GAL GADOT’S RETURN AS DC’S AMAZON WARRIOR IS EXACTLY WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS IN THIS ACTION-PACKED AND CHARMING SUPERHERO SEQUEL!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Gal Gadot is back in Wonder Woman 1984

 

            Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious franchise, Triple 9, Ralph Breaks the Internet) returns as the Amazon princess of DC Comics in Wonder Woman 1984, the latest installment of the DC Extended Universe and follow-up to the 2017 Wonder Woman film. The first movie was hailed by many as the first truly great DCEU film and a huge critical and commercial success that breathed new life into a mediocre franchise that at the time only consisted of Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad, all of which were polarizing among fans and extremely subpar compared to the first two Superman movies or the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan Batman movies. 

            Thanks to a compelling story, likable characters, a director who knew what she was doing in the form of Patty Jenkins, and a very charming performance by Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman successfully avoided all the DCEU trappings with flying colors…that slightly took a dive in the November of that year with Justice League, but was eventually made up for with the releases of other good DCEU films like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey. 

            Now, Gadot and Patty Jenkins (Monster) have reunited for Diana Prince/Wonder Woman’s next big adventure with Wonder Woman 1984 which was originally intended for a Summer 2020 release, but due to COVID-19 the film was constantly delayed and pushed back until finally getting a simultaneous theatrical release and premiere on HBO Max on Christmas Day. So, after all the hype surrounding it, is Wonder Woman 1984 a worthy follow-up? I think it is, though it doesn’t quite live up to the high bar set by its predecessor, it’s still a very enjoyable and uplifting movie whether you’re watching it on the big screen or the small screen, Wonder Woman is here to make everyone happy during these hard times that we’re all going through right now. 

            Set in the year 1984, the film follows Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gadot) living among mortals for decades since World War I and a double life as an anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institute and as a superhero. But when Diana discovers an ancient stone that has the power to grant wishes known as the Dreamstone and her supposedly deceased old flame, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine-Star Trek (2009 trilogy), Unstoppable, Hell or High Water) mysteriously reappears in Diana’s life, she’ll have to muster all of her strength, wisdom, and courage as Diana is pitted against corrupt businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal-Game of Thrones, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Mandalorian) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig-Paul, Bridesmaids, The Skeleton Twins) who plan to use the Dreamstone to fulfill their evil deeds, one of them happens to be world domination. 

            The film also stars Robin Wright (The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)) as Antiope, Connie Nielsen (The Devil’s Advocate, Gladiator, Nymphomaniac) as Hippolyta, and Natasha Rothwell (Love, Simon, Like a Boss, Sonic the Hedgehog) as Carol. 

            Overall, Wonder Woman 1984 isn’t quite on par with the first film, but it’s still a very enjoyable and inspiring superhero movie with plenty of action and a surprising amount of heart. Honestly, the Gal Gadot and Chris Pine scenes sort of overshadow the Wonder Woman superhero action, that was also one of the aspects I enjoyed a lot about the first movie because both Gadot and Pine have wonderful chemistry together and I just love watching and listening to them talk with each other, literally the whole movie could have just been them sitting in a room talking and I would have been perfectly fine with it. 

            The supporting characters are also portrayed very well, most notably Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord and Kristen Wiig as a co-worker of Diana’s named Barbara who over the course of the film transforms into the Cheetah. Both Pascal and Wiig seem to be having fun with their performances and I have to give Wiig a lot of credit that you don’t see her portray the villain that often, but she does a good job with her performance here. 

            The Wonder Woman action is still pretty epic and at times an improvement over the CGI overabundance during the final showdown in the first film. Also, how can you go wrong with Wonder Woman grabbing onto an in-air missile with her lasso and flying on it? Yeah, Wonder Woman gives Wile E. Coyote a run for his money. 

            If I have to point out some faults with Wonder Woman 1984, it’s the plot which isn’t bad but riddled with predictable clichés. I was able to easily figure out what several of the twists were going to be. 

            Wonder Woman 1984 is a fun time whether you’re in a theater or watching on HBO Max, this is one DC Extended Universe sequel definitely worth checking out. Grab your lasso and shield, hop into your Invisible Jet, and take flight.  

The Croods: A New Age review

 THE CROODS: A NEW AGE: 

DREAMWORKS SEQUEL IRONICALLY ISN’T ALL THAT “NEW”, BUT IT’S A PERFECTLY SERVICEABLE ANIMATED FAMILY FILM! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

Sandy, Gran, Thunk, Ugga, Grug, Eep, and Guy meet an unusual family in The Croods: A New Age

 

            Everyone’s favorite stone-age family (Okay, second favorite!) is back for a second outing in The Croods: A New Age, the latest film from DreamWorks Animation and follow-up to the 2013 film, The Croods. My memories of what I thought of the first Croods movie are pretty fuzzy given that I haven’t seen it since 2013 when I watched it in theaters, but I remembered it being a cute, lighthearted animated film for kids that just came and went, I didn’t really think about it much after I had seen it. 

            Well, either because the first film made money at the box-office or people, I’ve never met in my entire life demanded for the story of the Croods family to continue, we got this follow-up released seven years later. And just like the first film, it came and went. 

It isn’t going to follow in the footsteps of Shrek 1 and 2 or the Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon trilogies as one of the best DreamWorks films, but if you got little kids who want to watch it or have a family movie night, this isn’t a bad film to put on. It isn’t a movie that will challenge you or change your life, it’s just a colorful, silly animated adventure with a cave man family and nothing more. 

The film follows the prehistoric Crood family consisting of Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage-Face/Off, National Treasure 1 and 2, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Eep (voiced by Emma Stone-Zombieland 1 and 2, La La Land, The Favourite), Ugga (voiced by Catherine Keener-Being John Malkovich, Capote, Get Out), Thunk (voiced by Clark Duke-The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, Kick-Ass 1 and 2), Gran (voiced by Cloris Leachman-The Last Picture Show, Young Frankenstein, Spanglish), Sandy (voiced by Kailey Crawford), and Eep’s boyfriend Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds-Deadpool 1 and 2, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Free Guy) searching for a new habitat and stumble across a mysterious, walled-in paradise that meets all of its requirements. There, the Croods befriend another family known as the Betterman, Phil (voiced by Peter Dinklage-Elf, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Infinity War), Hope (voiced by Leslie Mann-George of the Jungle, Funny People, Rio 1 and 2), and their daughter Dawn (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran-Star Wars: The Last Jedi/The Rise of Skywalker, Raya and the Last Dragon, Monsters at Work) who are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder and were very close to Guy before he met the Croods. 

However, tensions begin to rise between the two families and a new threat emerges that propels both clans on an adventure that forces them to embrace their differences and work together. 

The film also features the voice of Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, The Call of the Wild (2020)) as Guy’s pet sloth Belt. 

Overall, The Croods: A New Age pales in comparison to other, better DreamWorks films but it’s still a colorful, lighthearted, and perfectly serviceable animated film. It’s kind of like the Trolls movies or The Boss Baby where it just goes in one ear and out the other, not bad but easily disposable.

Really the best way I can describe this movie is “Just Fine”, how’s the animation? It’s fine. How are the characters? They’re fine. How’s the humor? It’s fine. The Croods: A New Age is pretty much a cave man club of adequacy. 

The plot is very predictable and recycled from other animated movies, not to mention animated movie sequels. Main characters find a mysterious land (In this film’s case a paradise) populated by strange new characters but there’s a secret behind everything, sounds very familiar doesn’t it? I wouldn’t have minded that if they did something new or clever with the plot but instead The Croods: A New Age decides to do some of the exact same things Frozen II, Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2, and even DreamWorks’ own Trolls World Tour already did. 

Aside from a song performed by Tenacious D of all people during the end credits, there really isn’t anything that memorable about The Croods: A New Age. It’s a decent animated movie for kids and families but you probably won’t be nearly as invested or engaged as other films in the genre. 

If you have kids who want to see it then sure, put it on for them but if you’re looking for a game-changing, emotional powerhouse of an animated film, I’d suggest just waiting for Pixar’s Soul on Disney+. 

Freaky review

FREAKY:

CLEVER BODY-SWAP HORROR-COMEDY IS DELIGHTFULLY TWISTED! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

A teenage girl swaps bodies with a serial killer in Freaky 

 

            A teenage girl is suddenly murdered one night and she mysteriously wakes up in her killer’s body and vice versa in Freaky, the latest horror-comedy from director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day 1 and 2) who had previously played with slasher and time-loop tropes ala Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow with the Happy Death Day movies. Now, he’s doing the same sort of thing with body-swap movie tropes found in movies such as Freaky Friday, The Change-Up, and the recent Japanese anime film Your Name, but with a slasher twist. 

            I was completely onboard for this movie when I first saw the trailer, a horror sendup to body-swap movie tropes where the victim winds up in the killer’s body and the killer ends up in the victim’s body, this is a very smart, clever idea and has a lot of potential both as a horror movie and a dark comedy. That’s pretty much why I enjoyed Landon’s own Happy Death Day a lot, Landon is able to take these familiar and tired tropes we’ve seen a million times before in other movies and put a funny and unique spin to them. 

            So, is Freaky a worthy successor to Happy Death Day or was Happy Death Day just a lucky shot? Oh, it is a very worthy follow-up to the Happy Death Day films! 

            I found this movie to be very entertaining and a refreshing departure from typical horror/slasher movie fare, much like what the Happy Death Day movies and The Cabin in the Woods did. Just like those movies, Freaky is very self-aware and tongue-in-cheek with its premise and is more about having fun with its scary concept rather than legit nightmare fuel, and it succeeds in that regard. 

            The film follows high school student, Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton-Gary Unmarried, Paranormal Activity 4, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) who is frequently tormented by other students (and even a teacher) and doesn’t get much respect at school aside from her friends. One night, she becomes the newest target of an infamous serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn-Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Wedding Crashers, Hacksaw Ridge), and after being stabbed by his dagger, Millie mysteriously wakes up in the killer’s body and the killer wakes up in hers, and that’s where the fun really begins. 

            Millie and her friends, Nyla (Celeste O’Connor-Irreplaceable You, Selah and the Spades, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Josh (Newcomer, Misha Osherovich), and Booker (Uriah Shelton-The Glades, Lifted, The Warriors Gate) have only 24 hours to reverse the switch before it becomes permanent and before the killer uses Millie’s body to turn the school’s Homecoming dance into a slaughterhouse. To make matters worse, she’s also being hunted by the police who are determined to bring the killer down. 

            The film also stars Katie Finneran (Night of the Living Dead (1990), You’ve Got Mail, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous) as Millie’s mom Paula Kessler and Alan Ruck (Speed, Twister, The Exorcist (TV series)) as Mr. Fletcher. 

            Overall, Freaky delivers…well, “Freaky” fun that completely embraces the potential and sheer ridiculousness of its premise. Take the movie, Freaky Friday (Either the original or the Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis version) and mix it with Halloween and Friday the 13^th and with a very self-aware sense of humor, that’s basically this film in a nutshell with the highlights being Vaughn and Newton’s performances. 

            Vince Vaughn alone is worth the price of admission in quite possibly his funniest performance in years. I mean, come on, it’s Vince Vaughn playing a teenage girl and he plays the part very well. 

            Vaughn in this movie reminds me a lot of Jack Black in the recent Jumanji movies and just like in those movies, a lot of the comedy comes from him trying to act like a girl and it’s hilarious, from imitating Millie’s school mascot dance to having a romantic moment with the boy she has a crush on that’s both funny and heartfelt at the same time. Here’s something I never thought I’d say about Vince Vaughn but when he’s playing himself (The serial killer), he is actually legitimately creepy and it shows that he’s come a long way from playing Norman Bates in that godawful Psycho remake or his laughable performance in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, rock on Vaughn. 

            However, Vince Vaughn is only a piece of the puzzle, Kathryn Newton goes full-on psycho b*tch with sadistic and outrageous results. She doesn’t get quite as many humorous moments as Vaughn, but it looks like she’s having the time of her life with this performance every time she’s onscreen. 

             At first, Newton’s character isn’t all that interesting, just your standard horror movie protagonist but once the serial killer takes over her body that’s when she truly shines. She’s violent, sadistic, and funny all at the same time and even makes you smile and laugh along with her but feel bad about it shortly afterwards, one minute she’s telling off one of the jocks that wants to make out with her with a hilarious insult and the next she’s slicing the wood shop teacher in half with a saw, yeah, she’s definitely a lot of fun to watch but maybe it’s best not to hang out with her. 

            As much as I enjoyed this movie, it does have some problems mainly regarding some of the tropes that aren’t being satirized and are instead just being used to get the plot going. They do the whole “Everyone at school is being cruel to this girl and calling her ugly despite the fact she’s totally hot, but a makeover and new coat completely changes that” cliché and it isn’t funny or even a clever variation of the trope, it’s just the same, tired high school movie cliché that should have stayed and died in the 90s, it didn’t work in the recent Power Rangers movie and it certainly doesn’t work here. 

            Maybe I’m just nitpicking, the unnecessary high school cruelty in the beginning doesn’t ruin the whole experience. Freaky is still a very fun departure from traditional slasher movies that still brings on the gore but also has a darkly comical and cynical edge to balance it out and show the funny side of the situation. 

            Don’t be a “Freak” by watching The Craft: Legacy, go watch Freaky instead for your horror movie fill. It has blood, gore, a dark sense of humor, and an interesting take on the body-swap genre. 

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm review

BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM: 

THIS SEQUEL IS “VERY NICE”! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

AMAZON STUDIOS

Sacha Baron Cohen is back in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

 

            Everyone’s favorite journalist and TV personality from Kazakhstan, Borat returns to America to cause more trouble and expose the repulsive and hilarious sides of American culture in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the unexpected sequel to the 2006 comedy smash hit, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Borat was initially a character created by Sacha Baron Cohen (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Bruno, The Dictator) for the TV series, Da Ali G Show which Cohen starred in as the titular character, that ran from 2000-2004 but it wasn’t until 2006 when Borat gained mainstream attention with the release of the first film directed by Seinfeld’s Larry Charles. 

            There have been comedies before that involved real people in front of the camera interacting with the characters such as the Jackass movies, but I’ll argue that Borat was the first of its kind to make a huge impact on not just films, but pop-culture in general with that style of humor. Now, fans of Da Ali G Show and newcomers were able to enjoy a slice of Borat’s craziness on the big screen…and boy, did they ever? 

The film was a huge hit with both critics and audiences, pulling in $262.6 million on an $18 million budget, and even earned Baron Cohen a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor-Musical or Comedy as well as a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination. Yeah, a movie where Sacha Baron Cohen and a fat guy fight each other naked in a hotel that spills out into a hallway, crowded elevator, and a packed convention ballroom was nominated for an Oscar. 

            Borat was a phenomenon and became a pop culture icon with many people still watching and quoting it to this very day and plenty of copycats (Remember Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa? Yeah, me neither!). In fact, Sacha Baron Cohen tried to recreate the success of Borat with the 2009 film Bruno (Which was based on another Da Ali G Show character), but despite earning a relatively positive response from critics it didn’t quite bring in the box-office profits that the studio was hoping for, which led to Cohen starring in more mainstream films such as the polarizing but still very funny The Dictator in 2012 and the abysmal 2016 disaster The Brothers Grimsby. 

            Now, fourteen years after the release of the first film, we have Borat Subsequent Moviefilm which premiered on Amazon Prime Video and takes the 10 Cloverfield Lane route and announces its release only a month or two before it comes out. While I don’t think it’s quite on par with the first movie, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is still an irreverent and outrageously funny movie that doesn’t go anywhere near political correctness and proves that Sacha Baron Cohen’s style of comedy isn’t going stale anytime soon. 

            The film follows Kazakh journalist and TV personality, Borat Sagdiyev (Baron Cohen) being released from prison for bringing shame to Kazakhstan after the release of his “Moviefilm” and return to America to carry out a secret mission to offer his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova-Gomorrah) as a bride to Vice President, Mike Pence in an attempt to redeem the nation. Just like in the previous film, Borat and Tutar go on a life-changing road trip across America, along the way they get into all kinds of trouble like participating in a father and daughter dance at a debutante ball that ultimately ends with menstrual blood, crashing CPAC disguised as Trump, and even quarantining with two Trump supporting men during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

            However, in spite of Kazakhstan’s “Interesting” rules and laws, Borat learns that maybe, just maybe Tutar among several other women are so much more than just objects you lock up in cages, and Tutar discovers that perhaps those sexist teachings by her father aren’t all that accurate. 

            Overall, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is the comedy we need right now in these crazy times with Sacha Baron Cohen exposing the dark and repulsive sides of American culture with downright hilarious results. In an age where entertainment is overly P.C. it’s refreshing when a film comes along that pushes the censorship boundaries and fully embraces its R rating in the raunchiest and most over-the-top ways possible, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is such a movie just like its 2006 predecessor. 

You name it, constant sex jokes, crude and irreverent comments, graphic nudity, the style of humor you would expect from Borat, and even an outrageous spoof of animated Disney films that had me laughing on the floor with Donald Trump portraying Prince Charming and grabbing Melania Trump’s (as a Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty-type Disney Princess)…well, you know. Without giving anything away, the eventual twist in this movie I also found extremely funny and clever. 

Crude jokes aside, this movie surprisingly also has a lot of heart, it’s basically a coming-of-age story tucked inside of a Borat movie, both Tutar and Borat go through arcs throughout the film and learn valuable lessons and make changes by the end. It’s not often for something or someone like Borat to make me verbally say “Awwwww!” but this movie somehow found a way. 

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is my “Go-To” comedy for the time being because this along with the South Park Pandemic Special I just reviewed show that in these dark and crazy times sometimes we just need to laugh at all this shit. Sacha Baron Cohen continues to bring his wacky style of humor and meld it with relevant social commentary to which you just want to stand up and salute the Kazakhstan National Anthem (The Borat version of it). 

Please, go watch Borat Subsequent Moviefilm or I will be execute!