The Bad Guys review

THE BAD GUYS: 

THESE GUYS MAKE “BAD” LOOK GOOD…AND SO IS THE LATEST DREAMWORKS FILM! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, Ms. Tarantula, and Mr. Shark are The Bad Guys

 

            A group of notorious criminals try to go good in The Bad Guys, the new film from DreamWorks Animation and follows in the footsteps of other animated features about villains becoming heroes like Despicable Me, Wreck-It Ralph, and even DreamWorks’ own, Megamind. The film is based on a series of children’s books and while I’m not familiar with the source material, you can see it through the animation and art style which has this very stylized, almost comic book-like feel to it. 

            I will admit, I haven’t been the biggest fan of some of DreamWorks’ latest releases (I think the last film they made that I really enjoyed was Abominable back in 2019), but I found films like The Croods: A New Age, Trolls: World Tour, and The Boss Baby: Family Business to be serviceable but easily disposable. This one however, I was curious to see when I first saw the trailers and it looked like a kids’ movie version of a Steven Soderbergh/Ocean’s heist film with a team of misfit animal criminals. 

            After seeing it, I can gladly say that I had a blast with these “Bad Guys”, this is a very entertaining film with a lot of energy and fast-paced animation, a good balance between genuinely hilarious jokes and silly humor for the kids, an incredibly funny voice cast, and a surprising amount of heart. In a month where big blockbusters like Morbius and Fantastic Beasts disappoint, I got to be perfectly honest, two of the best movies I saw recently were Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and this, and they’re both mostly marketed towards the family demographic so there you go. 

            The film follows five friends, Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell-Moon, Iron Man 2, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Mr. Snake (voiced by Marc Maron-GLOW, Joker, DC League of Super Pets), Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina-Crazy Rich Asians, The Farwell, Raya and the Last Dragon), Mr. Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson-Hot Tub Time Machine 1 and 2, The Office, This is the End), and Mr. Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos-A Star is Born (2018), Hamilton, In the Heights) who have turned to a life of crime and pretty much made a living out of robbing banks, stealing belongings, and avoiding the police. However, on one fateful day when Mr. Wolf unintentionally stops an old lady from falling off a set of stairs and one of their heists goes wrong, the Bad Guys decide to do one of the most unthinkable acts ever…become “Good Guys” with the help of a guinea pig philanthropist known as Professor Marmalade (voiced by Richard Ayoade-The IT Crowd, Soul, Disenchantment) and a beautiful red fox governor named Diane Foxington (voiced by Zazie Beetz-Atlanta, Deadpool 2, Joker), but it won’t be easy to turn these villains that nobody loves into the heroes everyone needs. 

            The film also features the voices of Alex Borstein (MADtv, Family Guy, The Lizzie McGuire Movie) as Misty Luggins and Lilly Singh (Ice Age: Collision Course, Bad Moms) as Tiffany Fluffit. 

            Overall, The Bad Guys may not be on par with some of DreamWorks’ best films like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, or How to Train Your Dragon, but in terms of delivering a fun and delightfully wacky romp for the whole family, it’s a near-perfect heist. The film is essentially a sendup to a lot of those Guy Ritchie and Steven Soderbergh heist films except for kids, and that’s not at all a disadvantage to it. 

            It starts with Wolf and Snake sitting in a diner that’s eerily similar to the diner from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and then it quickly leads into a bank robbery. What I find humorous is that they don’t spend any of the money they stole instead they’re hoarding it in their loft, all because the public labels them as “The Bad Guys”. 

            When they start their heists or car chases with the police, then it becomes what you’d get if the Looney Tunesgot a hold of a script for a Steven Soderbergh or Guy Ritchie film. Lots of slapstick, witty jokes, and some of the most energetic and fast-paced animation since Hotel Transylvania, which is showcased in great detail during the action sequences. 

            Some of the best gags came from Mr. Shark, who is a supposedly a master of disguise, but he puts on the most obvious costumes, and everyone falls for them. Not only does this shark put Bugs Bunny to shame but King Shark from The Suicide Squad would be very happy to hear that his plan isn’t all that crazy. 

            Also, it gave me one of the best lines I’ve ever heard in any news story, whether we’re talking in fiction or reality. The fact that you can judge a book by its cover and that all stereotypes are true, and change can never happen, despite it being during a more dramatic part of the movie, that line cracked me up and kind of sums up parts of the world in our modern society. 

            The animation is dazzling to look at and especially on the big screen, as previously mentioned it has sort of this stylized comic book vibe to the animation and art style. While the animation is in 3D some of the characters’ faces and movements have feel two-dimensional which gives it a unique look that perfectly fits the tone and style of the film. 

            The plot isn’t all that original, because we’ve seen this kind of movie several times before, to the point where I figured out who was going to be the big baddie in the end pretty early on, but like what all great capers do, it throws you for a loop a few times. What starts off as the Bad Guys trying to redeem themselves and learning to do good things suddenly turns into a movie where they have to get a powerful meteorite with mind control powers that comes right out of nowhere and it’s one of the craziest things I’ve seen in a movie since the wedding scene from Sonic the Hedgehog 2a couple weeks prior. 

            The voice acting is spot-on, Sam Rockwell is perfectly cast as this smooth, cocky wolf, Marc Maron as the snake also gets a lot of great lines and moments in the spotlight, Awkwafina is basically a tarantula version of her Ocean’s 8 character, and Craig Robinson is just as great as a dim-witted shark as he is a man with access to a time traveling hot tub. 

            The Bad Guys was a very pleasant surprise and one of the best DreamWorks films I’ve seen in a while. It gave me a cool caper, a movie where misfit bad guys become heroes, and a climax involving a bunch of mind-controlled guinea pigs that’s a lot more entertaining and fun than anything in Morbius, go seek this movie out whether you got kids, families, or just looking for a good time with some “Bad Guys”. 

The Northman review

THE NORTHMAN: 

ROBERT EGGERS SUCCESSFULLY MAKES THE LEAP FROM INDIE HORROR MOVIES TO LARGE-SCALE SWASHBUCKLING EPICS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Alexander Skarsgård in The Northman

 

            Director, Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) takes a “stab” at historical epics in The Northman, the third film in Eggers’ filmography and based on the legend of Amleth. This film is being released alongside The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which I had just posted a review for, and after seeing this I got to say, this is a really good weekend to go to the movies. 

            I’ve really enjoyed Eggers’ previous films, from the chilling and atmospheric, The Witch to the absolutely chaotic, The Lighthouse. Naturally, I was intrigued to see his take on a swashbuckling epic with this movie. 

            While I feel like The Witch and The Lighthouse have stronger narratives, this is a damn impressive spectacle that’s as dazzling to look at as it is unapologetically violent. I’m not kidding about the violence, they do not sugarcoat it at all, you are getting raw, nasty bloodshed that makes The Last Duel and The Green Knight look like kids’ movies by comparison. 

            The film follows Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård-True Blood, The Legend of Tarzan, Godzilla VS Kong), a prince from the island of Hrafnsey who at a young age, witnessed his father (Ethan Hawke-Reality Bites, Gattaca, Moon Knight) getting murdered and his mother (Nicole Kidman-Eyes Wide Shut, The Hours, Moulin Rouge!) being taken away by his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang-The Square, The Affair, Dracula (2020)) and vows to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his uncle. Now all grown up, Amleth has become a Viking and is out for blood as he slashes and brawls his way through Fjölnir’s forces to rescue his kidnapped mother and take his tyrannical uncle down with the aid of a sorceress known as Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy-The Witch, Emma (2020), Last Night in Soho). 

            The film also stars Willem Dafoe (The Boondock Saints, Spider-Man, The Lighthouse) as Heimir the Fool, Björk as The Seeress, Gustav Lindh (The Circle (2015), Queen of Hearts, Riders of Justice) as Thorir the Proud, Invar Eggert Sigurðsson (K-19: The Widowmaker, Everest, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as He-Witch, Olwen Fouéré (Mandy, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)) as Ashildur Hofgythja, Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones, The Witch, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Halldora the Pict, Ian Whyte (Alien VS Predator 1 and 2, Clash of the Titans (2010), Prometheus) as The Mound Dweller, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Game of Thrones, Eddie: Strongman, Kickboxer: Retaliation) as Thorfinnr, Ralph Ineson (Harry Potter franchise, Game of Thrones, The Witch) as Captain Volodymyr, Tadhg Murphy (Alexander, Vikings, Wrath of Man) as Eirikr Blaze-Eye, and Murray McArthur (Finding Neverland, The Last Legion, Made of Honor) as Hákon Ironbeard. 

            Overall, The Northman is the kind of film that’s not afraid to go balls to the wall with its violence and heavy subject matter, to the point where I’m questioning if anything had to be cut to earn an R rating. The film is relentlessly violent and unapologetic in how cruel and depressing this world is. 

            It’s like if they took all the really messed up and disturbing scenes from The Green Knight and The Last Dueland made an entire movie about them. Given that this is basically a revenge film that just happens to be a historical epic as well, you’re gonna see a lot of carnage. 

            A lot of decapitations, people getting brutally beaten and tortured, villagers burning alive in a house, people getting shot by arrows, and there’s even a scene where someone gets slashed in the stomach and his intestines start falling out and another involving a nose that actually made me squirm a little in my seat. Unlike, something like some of the Saw films or The Human Centipede, the brutality feels warranted and sets the tone for this extremely harsh and unpleasant environment. 

The violence is excessive, but it doesn’t feel like overkill (No pun intended), nor does it hijack the story. Honestly, I consider this to be the Viking equivalent of Sin City or Mad Max: Fury Road as one of those experiments in movie violence. 

            The plot is a pretty basic revenge story that isn’t quite as character based as Eggers’ other films. However, what’s brilliant about Eggers directing this is that he’s able to take this familiar concept and make it 100% his own, it may not be a horror film, but you can see his fingerprints all over the film in terms of pacing and atmosphere. 

            As brooding and mean this world is, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, lots of sweeping shots of the Ireland landscapes and mountains and the dark and mysterious forests. The scenery adds to the size and scope of the film and makes it feel like a larger than life quest that could potentially rival the works of Tolkien…yeah, I just said that! 

             One of the aspects of this film I find really interesting is that there really isn’t much of a hero, not even Skarsgård. Sure, he watched his father get murdered and his mother get kidnapped, and you want him to get his revenge, but as the film goes on you start to realize that he is arguably killing way more people than the actual villains. 

            It’s one of the most unique things about the film as if it was a mainstream Hollywood production, they probably would have made him a brute Viking but with a heart of gold…definitely not the case here. This is like a brutally honest depiction of what a Viking might have been like back in those times and Skarsgård makes a perfect Viking and unlike his Tarzan movie, has a great movie to go along with his performance. 

            Nicole Kidman is also excellent in this movie with a very against-type performance, but I would have to go into spoiler territory to describe it. I’m glad they utilized her a lot more than the trailers would make you think and even side characters like Willem Dafoe make a huge impression with very minor roles. 

            The Northman adds another worthy entry into Robert Eggers’ catalog that is both a visually stunning and unapologetically violent. Add in some incredible performances by the cast and edge of your seat battle sequences and you got a damn good Viking epic that’s definitely worth checking out on the big screen. 

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent review

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT: 

NICOLAS CAGE BECOMES THE MOST UNLIKELY AND UNEXPECTED ACTION HERO IN THIS WILDLY ENTERTAINING LOVE LETTER TO HIS ACTING CAREER! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

LIONSGATE

Nicolas Cage is Nick Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

 

            Nicolas Cage (Face/Off, Con Air, Kick-Ass) goes from iconic Hollywood actor to the most unexpected real-life action hero in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the new action-comedy film produced by Cage and starring him as a fictionalized version of himself, very much like what Seth Rogen and Co. did in 2013’s This is the End. I’m a huge fan of Nick Cage as an actor, whether he’s hamming it up in films like Face/Off, Raising Arizona, or Vampire’s Kiss, giving powerhouse performances in Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, and Pig, or getting his face swarmed by bees like in The Wicker Man, this man is a talent and even if the movie surrounding him isn’t always 100% good, there’s a good chance he’ll be extremely entertaining in it and the highlight of the film, a “National Treasure” if you will. 

            So, a movie starring him as himself that openly satirizes and pays homage to several of his films is a no brainer, of course I’m going to watch it. Upon leaving the theater I can gladly say that…I freaking love the Hell out of this movie! 

            This is some of the most fun I’ve had at a movie theater recently, yeah, I had a blast with Spider-Man: No Way Home, but I kind of came into it with that expectation, whereas with this, I was excited for it and I would love the absurdity of the premise and all the callbacks to Cage’s movies, but I ended up having such a ball with the film as a whole. 

            The film follows Cage at a low point in his career, who begrudgingly accepts a $1 million to travel to Spain and attend a birthday party for his #1 fan. That fan is billionaire, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal-Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman 1984) and at first the two of them seem to get along and become best pals as they ask each other what their favorite movies are and Javi showing Cage his shrine to the actor (Including the golden guns from Face/Off and the bunny from Con Air). 

            However, when Cage is recruited by CIA agent, Vivian (Tiffany Haddish-Keanu, Girls Trip, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part) and learns that Javi is actually a notorious drug lord, he is forced to live up to his own legend by channeling his most iconic on-screen characters and become a real-life action hero in order to save himself and his loved ones from the ruthless criminal…but maybe Javi’s got a few surprises of his own unbeknownst to Cage. 

            The film also stars Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar trilogy, How I Met Your Mother, A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Cage’s agent, Richard Fink, Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors 1 and 2, Suicide Squad, Blockers) as Martin, Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Game Night, Together) as Cage’s ex-wife, Olivia Henson, Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys for Life, Without Remorse, Batgirl) as Carlos, and Alessandra Mastronardi (To Rome with Love, Master of None, Life (2015)) as Gabriela. 

            Overall, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent celebrates Nicolas Cage’s career in the most entertaining way possible. The plot is gleefully silly, and the situations Cage and Pascal get into are overwhelmingly wacky and are best described as like the chase scene from Raising Arizona on steroids, but the film still manages to work in some effective drama and heart within its own insanity. 

            Even though the film is ridiculous and goofy, Nick Cage does go through an arc and by the end he learns to be more responsible for his loved ones and not feel overwhelmed by his career. I also really enjoy the scenes where Cage and Pascal are just hanging out with one another and making jokes and references to Cage’s movies, as a person who has met various celebrities before, I can relate to this and their conversations sound very natural as if a fan is talking to one of his favorite actors. 

             If you’re a Nicolas Cage fan (Especially a fan of his 90s films) then you will have a ball with this movie and catching all the references. Some of my favorites were the wax sculpture of his Face/Off character holding the two golden guns, the bunny from Con Air that should have been left in the box, and several jokes about behind-the-scenes trivia from his movies like how he did his own driving stunts in Gone in 60 Seconds and that he ran extremely fast in National Treasure and none of it ever feels forced and is one of the funniest aspects of the entire film. 

            The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is what it is, a silly, over-the-top action-comedy that does a marvelous job at being such and a brilliantly crafted tribute to the career and legacy of Nicolas Cage. I had a wonderful time watching this movie and will gladly see Cage’s adventures again. 

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