Triangle of Sadness review

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS: 

RUBEN ÖSTLUND ROASTS DESPICABLY RICH PEOPLE IN THIS BIZARRE AND DELIGHTFULLY TWISTED BLACK-COMEDY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

NEON

Some crazy sh*t is going down on the luxury cruise from Hell in Triangle of Sadness

 

            In the tradition of strange and extremely unconventional 2022 cinema such as Bodies Bodies Bodies, Barbarian, and Pearl, Ruben Östlund (Play, Force Majeure, The Square) sets sail on one Hell of a bumpy cruise in his new film, Triangle of Sadness. I should make this clear before diving into this film, I am not familiar with Ruben Östlund’s work, I’ve never seen any of his other films before, nor do I know what his directing style is like. 

            I’m literally going into this film because of how completely bonkers it looked in the trailer, which I saw quite a few times in theaters. It seemed like it was going to be Downton Abbey (If most of the characters were unlikable) with the weird and dark humor of The Favourite except set in the present day or like a feature-length episode of Successionthat takes place on a yacht. 

            Yep, Triangle of Sadness (The title comes from the wrinkles in-between a person’s eyebrows that plastic surgeons can fix with a Botox shot) definitely lives up to the madness depicted in the trailer I mean, good lord! This is easily one of the craziest films I’ve seen all year, I was stunned, shocked, disgusted, and laughing at what I was watching, frequently all at the same time. 

            The film follows celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson-Trust, The King’s Man, See How They Run) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean-Spud 1 and 2, Death Race 3: Inferno, Black Lightning in her final film role), who have been invited to a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by the unhinged, Captain Thomas Smith (Woody Harrelson-Zombieland 1 and 2, The Messenger (2009), The Hunger Games franchise). What starts off as a pleasant cruise quickly turns into a nightmare after a series of catastrophic events occur on the ship leaves a group of survivors stranded on an island and must fight for survival. 

The film also stars Dolly de Leon (Verdict, Historya ni Ha) as Abigail, Zlatko Burić (Bleeder, 2012, Teen Spirit) as Dimitry, Iris Berben (Rosa Roth, Am I Beautiful?, Eddie the Eagle) as Therese, Amanda Walker (A Room with a View, The English Patient, 28 Weeks Later) as Clementine, and Oliver Ford Davies (Star Wars: Episodes I and II, Game of Thrones, Johnny English, Christopher Robin) as Winston. 

Overall, Triangle of Sadness is a wildly funny and unapologetically chaotic jab at the obscenely wealthy and exploits the tasteless relationship between beauty and power. It definitely is not a movie for everyone and will likely be divisive among audiences, but there is no denial that this film will lead to numerous conversations and debates between those who decide to see it whether it’s analyzing its themes of the rich VS the poor or just talking about the film’s many grotesque and outrageous sequences. 

            Not quite on the same level as say a gross Jackass stunt, but this film does not hold back when it comes to excessive vomiting, defecation, and seasickness. This was all shown in the trailer so there isn’t a surprise regarding that, but I still wouldn’t recommend going to it on a full stomach…just saying! 

            The dinner sequence (That’s the scene where the ship is going through a storm, and everyone starts getting sick due to various circumstances) is the highlight of the film as it walks the tightrope between hilarious and unapologetically nasty. Usually, a gross-out scene for me is either one or the other, but here’s one that tries and succeeds at being both disgusting and funny. 

            We’ve seen films that explore different social classes before, Triangle of Sadness’ attention to detail is what really makes it work. From a debate early on over who should pay the restaurant bill to the rules of who gets to sit in the front row at a fashion show, these are very timely and relevant situations, and it does make the rich people getting their comeuppance all the more satisfying whenever it happens. 

            The performances are stellar especially from Dolly de Leon as the ship’s toilet manager turned survival leader who is the only person that knows how to catch fish and build a fire. Her character is easily the most humane out of the group and an excellent contrast from the snooty, privileged ship guests she was required to work for, she goes from being a very secondary character to arguably the protagonist as the film goes on, de Leon really gives her all whenever she’s onscreen. 

            Harris Dickinson as Carl is the kind of the character you love to hate as the typical stuck-up rich man who often argues about money and gender roles with Charlbi Dean’s Yaya because of how much more successful she is compared to himself. Definitely a toxic relationship, but it sounds like he’s having fun going over-the-top and at times being a little funny. 

            I wasn’t that familiar with Charlbi Dean’s filmography prior to this movie, but her role here as Yaya is not a bad way for the actress to go out after her unfortunate passing in August. Throughout the film, I wasn’t sure what to make of her character and started speculating whether or not she was going to be redeemed in the end. She also has enjoyable chemistry with Dolly de Leon which eventually leads to an unexpected abrupt ending. 

            Even side characters like Woody Harrelson as the captain and Zlatko Burić as a Russian oligarch are extremely memorable in the amount of screen-time they have. Their banter is absolutely hilarious and a scene where both of them are getting drunk on the ship is one of the funniest and most entertaining moments in the film. 

            Triangle of Sadness is a very divisive film that may not appeal to the general public, but for those seeking an unusual and unconventional departure from mainstream Hollywood fare, this is one to check out. I can’t promise you’ll love it, but I guarantee it will get you and your group talking about it once the credits start rolling. 

Black Adam review

BLACK ADAM: 

DWAYNE JOHNSON SHINES IN DCEU ANTI-HERO MOVIE, THE FILM ITSELF? NOT THAT MUCH! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND NEW LINE CINEMA

Dwayne Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Shahi, Bodhi Sabongui, Quintessa Swindell, Aldis Hodge, and Noah Centineo in Black Adam

 

            Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji 2 and 3) is reawakened as the titular anti-hero, Black Adam, the latest film in the DC Extended Universe and spin-off of the 2019 superhero film, Shazam!. If you remembered my review of Shazam! then you know that Johnson was originally set to portray the character, but never came through and the role ended up going to Zachary Levi while Dwayne would eventually play his arch nemesis, Black Adam, which brings us to this film. 

            The film is directed by Jean Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Run All Night, Jungle Cruise) who had previously collaborated with Dwayne Johnson on the 2021 Disney film, Jungle Cruise, and takes more of a Hancock or PG-13 Punisher approach compared to other DCEU films as it revolves around an anti-hero rather than a traditional superhero. Honestly, I think it’s a good contrast in comparison to the light-hearted tone of Shazam!. 

            I know virtually nothing about Black Adam, I’ve never read any of his comics nor the Shazam!/Captain Marvel(DC’s Captain Marvel) comics featuring him, and I don’t recall ever seeing the character in DC’s animated shows or movies before (At least not in the ones I’ve seen!). All I know about him is his relevance in the Shazam! universe and that he’s almost like a darker half of that character given the similar powers he has, but that’s about it. 

            With all that out of the way, how is Black Adam’s feature film debut? It’s okay! 

            I don’t think the film is nearly as bad as what most critics are making it out to be as there are a lot of things in it that work, particularly Johnson’s against-type performance as a relentless anti-hero and the titular character’s arc throughout the movie. Unfortunately, the film gets bogged down by an uneven, overstuffed story that tries to do too much at once (Just like a certain other DC gem that everyone loves!), hit-or-miss humor, excessive rapid-fire editing and slow-motion during action sequences that even Michael Bay and Zack Snyder would tell the filmmakers to cut it out, and the burden of an incredibly dull villain. 

            The film follows Black Adam (Johnson), an anti-hero from Kahndaq who was imprisoned for 5000 years and given the powers of Shazam. When Black Adam is suddenly set free in the present day and ready to unleash his unique form of justice, this gets the attention of a team known as the Justice Society of America consisting of Carter Hall/Hawkman (Aldis Hodge-Straight Outta Compton, Hidden Figures, One Night in Miami…), Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan-James Bond franchise, The Tailor of Panama, The Ghost Writer), Albert “Al” Rothstein/Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo-The Fosters, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Charlie’s Angels (2019)), and Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell-Trinkets, Euphoria) tasked with apprehending him and taking him into custody due to Adam’s vengeful and destructive nature. 

            As dark forces rise that threaten the destruction of Earth, Black Adam is forced to make the ultimate decision between being the planet’s savior or its destroyer. 

            The film also stars Marwan Kenzari (Wolf, Aladdin (2019), The Old Guard) as Ishmael Gregor/Sabbac and Sarah Shahi (The L Word, Alias, Bullet to the Head) as Adrianna Tomaz. 

            Overall, Black Adam may not be among the DCEU’s biggest misfires, but compared to films like Wonder Woman, The Suicide Squad, or Shazam!, it’s an unfortunate step backwards from some of their recent hits. It’s a shame because there is a lot in this movie that I found very interesting and entertaining. 

            Dwayne Johnson in this movie is great as a ruthless and violent anti-hero, it’s a very against-type performance for him and he has a lot of fun with the role. There’s also a running joke about saying a catchphrase before defeating the enemy that’s reminiscent to Natalie Portman in Thor: Love and Thunder, but I feel it works a lot better here because of Dwayne Johnson’s charisma and somewhat playful persona despite portraying a more brooding and serious character. 

            I was really invested in the Black Adam character’s story throughout the film, I like how he was a man who tragically lost his loved ones at the hand of a tyrannical king and is torn between being a hero or brutally kill those standing in his way. It reminded me a lot of Robert Pattinson’s version of Batman where he was mostly fighting for personal reasons but during the course of the film, he learns to fight for a bigger cause, the protection of the people. 

            Black Adam falls into the same kind of category and goes through an arc where he changes for the best while still retaining what made the character endearing in the first place. 

            The humor is hit-or-miss because while Dwayne Johnson and Pierce Brosnan’s dialogue and banter get some laughs as well as Black Adam’s fish-out-of-water humor in the beginning, characters like Atom Smasher and Cyclone do not, as if their inclusions were an afterthought as a desperate attempt to add unnecessary comic relief that barely impact the main plot. You could easily write these characters out and it would still be the same movie…also, Atom Smasher’s mask totally looks like a recolored Deadpool mask! 

             While I was invested in Black Adam’s storyline, everything else gets lost in the usual DCEU traps like the film trying to do too much at once and establishing a bunch of future DC projects and less focus on the one we’re watching right now. It’s not quite as overstuffed as Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, but still very busy and cluttered without much breathing room. 

            The action scenes are fun at times with my favorite being a chase through the city involving Black Adam and bad guys on hover-bikes, but a lot of them are filled to the brim with excessive rapid-fire editing, slow-motion, and tons of CGI to the point where it’s like watching a video game cutscene and the fast-paced editing ironically makes many of the fight sequences not all that exhilarating. 

            Marwan Kenzari in sadly yet another failed villain performance, but unlike his performance as Jafar in the Aladdin remake where it was very uniquely miscast, Black Adam’s villain is boring as the typical power-hungry guy who wants to get the magic artifact to become a giant CG monster for the hero to fight. He is neither intimidating, funny, nor interesting, basically a lesser version of Mark Strong’s character from Shazam! minus just about everything that made him a fun villain. 

            Black Adam can be best described as a mixed bag with elements that work and others that don’t. Not a terrible movie, but you’d be better off waiting for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or Shazam! Fury of the Gods. 

Halloween Ends review

HALLOWEEN ENDS: 

HORROR CONCLUSION GOES OUT ON A DISAPPOINTING NOTE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND MIRAMAX

Michael Myers is back for the last time in Halloween Ends

 

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS!

Jamie Lee Curtis (Freaky Friday (2003), Knives Out, Everything Everywhere All at Once) returns as Laurie Strode and makes her last stand against the infamous Michael Myers in Halloween Ends, the thirteenth installment of the Halloween franchise and final chapter in this trilogy of sequels beginning with the 2018 film. I’ll try and not spend too much time recapping my thoughts on the earlier films, because I’ve already discussed them in my reviews for the other movies, but I’ll give a quick refresher. 

            The original 1978 John Carpenter movie I really enjoy as one of the rare slasher films where you root for the victim rather than the killer, and I thought the 2018 Halloween was a worthy continuation of the story that blurs the line between being familiar and wildly different from the original. Can’t say the same for 2021’s Halloween Killsunfortunately (Hot take, right?), I don’t think it’s a horrible movie and there are a handful of entertaining moments, but it was bogged down by incredibly forced social commentary, inconsistent tones, and just the idea of watching a movie where Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Myers are kept apart throughout the runtime was a serious miscalculation. 

            Which brings us to Halloween Ends with Curtis once again reprising her role as babysitter turned badass grandma, Laurie Strode and David Gordon Green (Snow Angels, Pineapple Express, Joe) back in the director’s chair. The good news is Curtis and Michael Myers aren’t separated throughout the entire film and there are some interesting ideas explored that brings it a step up from its predecessor for me, the bad news is that’s kind of all it has going for it. 

            The film has some fun kills, and I was invested in the story revolving around a character following in Michael Myers’ footsteps. Sadly, like Halloween Kills, the film gets lost in its forced commentary (Though, not nearly as much as in the last film!), a surprising lack of Michael Myers screentime this time around, and despite really enjoying the subplot involving the Michael Myers copycat, the film shoots itself in the foot with the resolution to it. 

            Set four years after the events of Halloween Kills, the film follows Laurie (Curtis) and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak-666 Park Avenue, Orange Is the New Black, Assimilate) living together after the murder of Allyson’s parents by serial killer, Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney and archival voice of Nick Castle). Laurie is writing a memoir, bought a new house for herself and Allyson, and Allyson has a job at a doctor’s office, a hint of normalcy in their lives despite the mysterious disappearance of Michael Myers. 

            Enter Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell-The Hardy Boys (2020), The 100, iZombie), a man responsible for the accidental murder of a child he babysat resulting in the town of Haddonfield turning against him who quickly takes a liking to Allyson. Laurie rightfully so is uncertain of Cory as she sees something in him that reminds her of Michael Myers and wondering if this man is eventually going to snap and become a serial killer like Michael or can this lost soul be guided towards the right path? While Michael Myers reigns more terror on the town leading up to a final confrontation between him and Laurie. 

            The film also stars Will Patton (The Punisher (2004), Falling Skies, Yellowstone) reprising his role as Deputy Frank Hawkins, Kyle Richards (Little House on the Prairie, The Watcher in the Woods, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) reprising her role as Lindsey Wallace, Joanne Baron (Universal Soldier, School for Scoundrels, This is 40) as Joan Cunningham, Jesse C. Boyd (The Highwaymen, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, Palmer) as Officer Mulaney, Michael Barbieri (Little Men, Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Dark Tower) as Terry, Marteen as Billy, Michael O’Leary (Lovely But Deadly, Fatal Games, Guiding Light) as Dr. Mathis, and King Keraun (Black-ish, Insecure) as Willy the Kid. 

            Overall, Halloween Ends is a step up from its predecessor, but unfortunately a disappointing conclusion to the Halloween franchise in what could have been a satisfying swan song for Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Myers, and the series in general. There are some interesting things about it though, I like how these films become more about how the town itself is affected by Michael’s actions and not just on Laurie and the other victims (Which is something Halloween Kills tried to do but was too preachy and pretentious with its message in the long run!) and as previously mentioned, I was interested in Corey’s arc as an accidental child murderer who may or may not follow in Michael’s footsteps due the town constantly pushing him around everywhere he goes. 

            I was honestly curious, was Corey going to follow a new path with help from Laurie and Allyson or would he snap and become a new Michael Myers in a similar string of events as Joker? Unfortunately, it felt like there wasn’t much of a payoff and it felt like a character going through an arc but with an anticlimactic resolution that left me very disappointed. Also, Michael Myers is barely in this movie as if he’s become a secondary antagonist with Corey taking over as the main villain, I felt there could have been more done with Michael and Corey leading up to the climax, at least the final confrontation with Laurie and Michael was satisfying to see. 

             Also, I found the writing, directing, and editing for this film to be all over the place with character motives shifting back and forth, the unnecessary message the film is trying to get across, and inconsistencies in both the tone and performances. There’s a scene where Jamie Lee Curtis is talking to Corey about getting the help, he desperately needs immediately followed by her telling him to stay away from her granddaughter, you psychopath, it feels like two completely different scenes awkwardly stitched together. 

            Despite those shortcomings, the acting is very good in this especially from Jamie Lee Curtis who once again kills it (No pun intended!) as Laurie Strode, Rohan Campbell is fascinating to watch as Corey, and I also found myself invested in Andi Matichak’s dilemmas regarding her grandma, new boyfriend, and putting an end to Myers’ terror. The actors are clearly trying to work with this cluttered, unfocused script and they (almost) make it work. 

            Halloween Ends could have been the Avengers: Endgame or Return of the King of Halloween conclusions, but sadly is more like the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Jurassic World: Dominion of Halloween. If you’re a fan of the series and really want to see how it ends then I guess you could do much worse, but for everyone else, I’d recommend stopping after the 2018 film. 

Amsterdam review

AMSTERDAM: 

LATEST DAVID O. RUSSELL CAPER MISSES ITS MARK DESPITE AN EXCELLENT CAST! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

20^TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in Amsterdam

 

            Writer-director, David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) travels to Amsterdamin his first feature film since 2015’s Joy. The film is inspired by the Business Plot political conspiracy of the 1930s in the United States to overthrow the government of Franklin D. Roosevelt and install a dictator. 

            Whatever you think of David O. Russell as a person, you can’t deny the fact the man has made some incredible films throughout his career with The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle being among some of the best films I’ve seen in their respective years. With that said, he’s no stranger to films that don’t quite stick the landing, I Heart Huckabees and Joy are pretty divisive among audiences and critics. 

            Which brings us to Amsterdam, I was excited for this movie just by the names attached to it and that it was Russell’s first film in seven years. Also, the fact it was a mystery-comedy which sounds perfect for him given his directing style on films like American Hustle.

            I came into the film hoping it would have a similar quality as See How They Run, another mystery-comedy released a few weeks ago. It’s…not as good as that film sadly. 

            While I wouldn’t call Amsterdam a horrible movie, it feels very misguided in the end with an inconsistent and overstuffed narrative. It’s an example of all the pieces being there but ultimately falling apart when trying to put it all together. 

            Set in 1933, the film follows three friends consisting of doctor and war veteran Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale-American Psycho, The Dark Knight trilogy, Ford v. Ferrari), lawyer and also war veteran Harold Woodsman (John David Washington-Ballers, BlacKkKlansman, Tenet), and nurse Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie-The Wolf of Wall Street,DC Extended Universe, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) who traveled from Amsterdam to New York City each with their own aspirations. But when a young woman is suddenly murdered with Burt and Harold being framed for it, the two of them with the help of Valerie must do everything they can to prove their innocence only to find themselves caught in the middle of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history. 

            The film also stars Chris Rock (Dogma, The Longest Yard (2005), Top Five) as Milton King, Anya Taylor-Joy (Last Night in Soho, The Northman, The Menu) as Libby Voze, Zoe Saldaña (Star Trek franchise, Avatar 1 and 2, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Irma St. Clair, Mike Myers (Wayne’s World 1 and 2, Austin Powers trilogy, Shrekfranchise) as Paul Canterbury, Michael Shannon (Premium Rush, Man of Steel, Midnight Special) as Henry Norcross, Timothy Olyphant (Scream 2, Live Free or Die Hard, Hitman) as Tarim Milfax, Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Birdman, Battle of the Sexes) as Beatrice Vandenheuvel, Taylor Swift (The Lorax, Cats, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions) as Elizabeth Meekins, Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl, Red Sparrow, The Mustang) as Det. Lem Getwiller, Alessandro Nivola (Jurassic Park III, The Many Saints of Newark, Kraven the Hunter) as Det. Hiltz, Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time to Die) as Tom Voze, and Robert De Niro (The Godfather: Part II, Goodfellas, Joker) as Gil Dillenbeck. 

            Overall, Amsterdam is an unfortunate step backwards for David O. Russell despite an excellent cast and a handful of entertaining moments. It’s a shame because there is a good movie somewhere in here and had the script been given another rewrite, I think we could have gotten a film on par with American Hustle, but as is it’s just a pale imitation of what this director used to do so greatly. 

            The biggest problem for me is that the plot is very unfocused, I’m all for a complex mystery that keeps my interest and has me on the edge of my seat as it’s being unfolded. But not when the narrative constantly gets sidetracked with random subplots that don’t go anywhere and underdeveloped side characters that appear for their singular purpose and then leave to the point where you forget what the main plot is about. 

            For about the first 20 minutes, I was with the movie enough but then somewhere after that it just lost me. Honestly, if it weren’t for the cast (Which is great and the actors are clearly putting a lot of effort into their performances!) and a handful of individual scenes that are entertaining to watch, I probably would have walked out and watched See How They Run a second time, at least that had better pacing, plot structure, and compelling characters. 

            Amsterdam may not be one of the absolute worst films I’ve seen so far this year, but it accompanies Don’t Worry Darling as one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Despite the talents both in front of and behind the camera, this is an unfocused and underwhelming mess that pales in comparison to most of the director’s other films, sorry Russell, better luck next time. 

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile review

LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE: 

THIS SINGING CROCODILE IS VERY CHARMING, BUT I PROBABLY WON’T BE COMING BACK FOR AN ENCORE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

The titular singing crocodile in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

 

            In the tradition of Paddington, Peter Rabbit, and Clifford the Big Red Dog, Lyle the Crocodile hits the big screen in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, the new family musical film based on the children’s book of the same name by Bernard Waber. The film is directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon (Blades of Glory, The Switch, Office Christmas Party) and is technically an adaptation of Waber’s first book, The House on East 88^th Street while Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is the title of its sequel book. 

            I should make this perfectly clear; I have zero experience with the books, I’ve never read them as a child, nor do I remember hearing any friends in school talking about them growing up. I didn’t even know about the books until I saw the trailer for the film, so if you’re expecting a review that judges how faithful it is to the source material, look somewhere else. 

            Regardless of my experience with the original books (or lack thereof!), how does the film version hold up? It’s fine. 

            If you’ve seen the trailer, you know exactly what kind of movie it’s going to be, while it’s nowhere near terrible and it has a few clever ideas (Particularly the fact the crocodile cannot speak and can only communicate through facial expressions and singing!), it’s a very by-the-numbers kids film with a familiar plot and predictable clichés. The best way I can describe it is like a film version of the classic Looney Tunes cartoon, One Froggy Evening but without the semi-dark humor of it. 

            The film follows a family moving into a new home in New York City, but they soon discover a crocodile living in the house. It turns out this crocodile named Lyle (voiced by Shawn Mendes in his first feature film role) has an extraordinary gift and that gift is the ability to sing and belongs to an enthusiastic showman known as Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem-No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, Mother!). 

            At first the family is horrified that a crocodile has been living in their house but are soon enchanted by Lyle’s incredible skills especially the son, Josh (Winslow Fegley-Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, Nightbooks, 8-Bit Christmas) who forms an inseparable friendship with Lyle. However, there is a catch, while Lyle enjoys singing among Hector and his new family, he has a severe case of stage fright and gets very shy while onstage in front of a large crowd. 

            To make matters worse, there’s a grumpy next-door neighbor known as Mr. Grumps, no pun intended (Brett Gelman-Fleabag, Stranger Things, Without Remorse) who threatens Lyle’s existence and will go to extreme lengths to keep everything in order. With the help of his family and Hector, Lyle will conquer his fear, light up the stage, and prove to the world that family can come in the strangest of places. 

            The film also stars Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat, Crazy Rich Asians, Hustlers) and Scott McNairy (Argo, Gone Girl, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice) as Josh’s parents, Katie and Joseph Primm. 

            Overall, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile probably won’t be the big showstopper the trailers suggested, but it’s a passable if not, formulaic kids movie with a lot of charm. I set the bar pretty low when I was going into it and while I don’t think the movie works in its entirety, there are elements of it that I was entertained by. 

            Starting with the titular character himself, I really like what the film does with Lyle as this adorable and endearing crocodile who doesn’t speak but has a lot of expressiveness and personality in terms of his facial expressions and the animation on him. Ironically, the best scenes in the film aren’t when he’s seeing but rather when he’s interacting with Javier Bardem and/or the family and has to emote with only his face and through crocodile sounds, the animators did an excellent job at making this crocodile a fully fleshed-out character with very little communication. 

            Javier Bardem is great as Lyle’s charismatic owner and showman; he is putting his all into the performance despite being a supporting character. You believe the connection he has with Lyle given that he was the person who found him as a baby in the beginning and even though he’s a magician, he is easily the most human of the non-reptile characters. 

            Bardem’s character isn’t an evil showman trying to exploit Lyle’s talents, he’s just a down-on-his-luck individual who often makes mistakes, is a drinker, and is in debt to people. Every scene involving both Bardem and Lyle is done very well to the point where I wished the film revolved around them instead of the family. 

            Sadly, everything else falls under the category of recycled kids movie clichés we’ve seen a million times before. The new kid doesn’t fit in at school, hiding the creature from others after discovering and befriending it, the nosey neighbor as the villain (At least it wasn’t a guy in a suit like the Clifford movie’s villain!), the creature being taken away and locked up and the human characters have to rescue it, and both a chase climax as well as a court case ending, it hits all the familiar beats as other family films and sadly doesn’t do much new with said tropes. 

            The songs and musical numbers are hit-or-miss, some are catchy and entertaining to watch while others feel overproduced and manufactured. Granted, it is from the same songwriters as the divisive, The Greatest Showman but whatever you think of that movie, there is a lot of passion and energy put into those musical numbers whereas in this, many of them are pretty standard and despite Shawn Mendes’ mad talents, I don’t think he was the right pick for Lyle’s voice. 

            I praised Lyle in terms of the animation on him and his character, but I do not buy Shawn Mendes’ voice coming out of shy crocodile. It sounded too manufactured and as if it was recorded in a soundstage with filters put on the voice, if it was just Shawn Mendes singing normally without the overproduced vocal effects, maybe I’d be humming a different tune (No pun intended!), but as is, it just felt like he was brought in because of name recognition, though I’m sure Shawn Mendes fans will absolutely love it so I’m not one to complain. 

            If you got kids who want to see it then sure, you could take them to this for a sugary, inoffensive tale about a singing crocodile. However, if you’re looking for something with more substance then I’d suggest staying home and watching both Paddington and Peter Rabbit films instead. 

Smile review

 SMILE: 

GO SIT ON THE BLEACHERS JOKER, THIS IS THE MOST TERRIFYING SMILE IN CINEMA! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

This will be the last thing you’ll ever see in Smile

 

            A therapist goes through increasingly disturbing and horrific experiences after witnessing a traumatic incident involving a patient in the new horror film, Smile. The film is directed Parker Finn in his feature film debut and based on his 2020 short, Laura Hasn’t Slept. 

            I’ve never seen the original short before, but the trailer for the film was giving me some mixed reactions. When I first saw the trailer, I wasn’t sure if it was trying to be a horror movie with a dash of dark comedy, a legitimately scary movie, or unintentionally hilarious like a lesser Shyamalan film. 

            Part of me was like “Yeah, there’s some creepy stuff in the trailer for this!” while other times I was in denial about a horror movie with a premise this ridiculous being good. Oh, how wrong I was? 

            While I don’t think this is a great horror movie, I really liked Smile and thought it was a very well-crafted film with a lot of inventive scares, haunting visuals and atmosphere, and a standout performance by Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why, The Last Summer, As We See It) as the lead. Granted, the whole demonic entity being passed onto another person premise is nothing new as we’ve seen this before in films like The Ring, It Follows, and Hereditary and you could argue they do it a lot better, I was completely invested in what was happening in terms of the story and characters even if it is reminiscent of other horror films. 

            The film follows Rose (Bacon), a therapist who after witnessing the bizarre suicide of a patient starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As this mysterious terror starts engulfing her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape this horrifying new reality with the help of her ex-boyfriend and cop, Joel (Kyle Gallner-Veronica Mars, Smallville, Jennifer’s Body). 

            The film also stars Caitlin Stasey (The Sleepover Club, Tomorrow, When the War Began, I, Frankenstein) as Laura Weaver, Jessie T. Usher (When the Game Stands Tall, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Boys) as Trevor, Rob Morgan (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mudbound, Stranger Things) as Robert Talley, Kal Penn (National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Harold & Kumar trilogy, Superman Returns) as Dr. Morgan Desai, Robin Weigert (Synecdoche, New York, Pawn Sacrifice, Bombshell) as Dr. Madeline Northcott, and Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Devious Maids, Claws) as Victoria Munoz. 

            Overall, Smile can be best described as the bizarro version of Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare movie from a few years ago because unlike that film, this is an unnerving and intelligent scary film. It has a lot of what people going into it are looking for, jump-scares, gory deaths, and horrific visuals, but it’s also very well paced, and the film takes its time to keep you invested and build up suspense. 

            It sort of continues in the tradition of other horror movies released this year like Bodies Bodies Bodies and especially Barbarian where the marketing makes it look more like a traditional horror/slasher movie or horror-comedy. But then you go see it and it’s not quite what the trailers and commercials made it out to be. 

            Don’t get me wrong, the film has its jump-scares, bloody kills, and ghastly imagery, but it’s more psychological and supernatural rather than a straight up gore-fest. Given that this is an evil entity we’re dealing with, Smile succeeds at unpredictability with its scares. 

            This film has brilliant buildup for scares, many of which involve long shots of dark rooms with a figure in the shadows, Sosie Bacon slowly moving towards it or turning her head to see what’s behind her, and even the fake-outs work where a character walks in and interrupts the tension without the loud SHUN often used for jump scares. 

            The music also plays a big part in building suspense and it’s a very retro and experimental score that I don’t hear that much in scary films. I can’t really explain why I loved the music so much, but it made the scary moments accompanied by it a lot scarier and it makes me want to find the soundtrack on iTunes, probably the best horror movie score I’ve heard since It Follows. 

            I’m not familiar with Sosie Bacon as an actress, but she is excellent in this movie as this troubled therapist trying to escape this evil entity that’s taken hold of her. Her performance reminded me a lot of Rebecca Hall from The Night House or Elisabeth Moss in The Invisible Man as these women who had rough pasts and are trying to confront them so they can fight back when very few people believe what they’re seeing, she owns every scene that she’s in and does an excellent job flipping back and forth from being terrified and sad to completely paranoid as her character slowly goes insane over this entity. 

            The climax is very hit-or-miss despite having a really unique design for the entity, it does rely on a lot of commentary that isn’t subtle at all. It doesn’t ruin the movie or anything, but I just felt the ending could have been a lot stronger if more of it was kept vague instead of being spelled out to the audience, also the final shot felt like an unnecessary sequel-bait. 

            Despite a somewhat weak climax, I had a really good time with Smile, I can’t guarantee a horror masterpiece, but if you’re looking for something creepy to sink your teeth into this Halloween, then perk up and “Smile”. 

Bros review

BROS: 

YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH THESE “BROS” AND THEY WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane in Bros

 

            Director, Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, Neighbors 1 and 2) brings quite possibly the most game-changing romantic comedy of all time to the screen in his new film, Bros. The film is written, executive produced by, and starring Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, The Lion King(2019)) and is the first gay romantic comedy featuring a mostly LGBTQ+ cast to get a wide release by a major studio. 

            Naturally, there was a lot of buzz surrounding this film when it was announced and rightfully so. This wasn’t another one of those films where they just hire straight actors to portray gay characters, this was going to be the real f*cking deal! 

            I’m not one to speak for the gay community because I’m not part of it, though I very much support it. From what I hear, they seem to really enjoy it, but despite being well-received by both critics and audiences, not many people are flocking to see it, but that’s a discussion for another time. 

            I won’t be going into detail about why Bros is bombing at the box-office nor will I try to sum up what LGBTQ+ people think of it. Instead, I will be judging this as a film…and as a film, I really enjoyed it (And this is coming from someone who is not a huge fan of romantic comedies!). 

            Do I think it’s one of the greatest comedies of all time? Not really. Does it hit a lot of familiar romantic comedy tropes we’ve seen a million times before? Sure. But I found it to be an incredibly funny and very charming comedy that I think a person of any sexuality could watch and get some laughs out of. 

            The film follows Bobby Lieber (Eichner), a successful podcast host who has subjected himself to a lifetime of empty relationships. However, that changes when he meets an estate attorney named Aaron (Luke Macfarlane-Kinsey, Satisfaction, Killjoys) who is pretty much Bobby’s polar opposite in just about every way. 

            The two of them start to hit it off, get to know one another, spend a lot of time together until the unthinkable happens where these two opposites fall in love. 

            The film also stars Ts Madison (Zola, RuPaul’s Drag Race) as Angela, Monica Raymund (Lie to Me, The Good Wife, Chicago Fire) as Tina, Guillermo Diaz (Half Baked, 200 Cigarettes, Scandal) as Edgar, Guy Branum (X-Play, No Strings Attached) as Henry, Amanda Bearse (Fright Night, Married with Children) as Anne Shepard, Jim Rash (Community, The Descendants, The Way, Way Back) as Robert, Harvey Fierstein (Cheers, Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day) as Lewis, Symone (RuPaul’s Drag Race) as Marty, Jai Rodriguez (The New Guy, The Producers(2005), Malibu Country) as Jason Shepard, and Dot-Marie Jones (Patch Adams, The Boondock Saints, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) as Cherry. 

            Overall, Bros probably won’t win everyone over, but for those who decide to give it a watch will be greeted by an uproarious and touching comedy elevated by the charm of its leads. I’m not super familiar with Billy Eichner or Luke Macfarlane’s work, but they are excellent in this film, and I totally buy them as a couple. 

            I enjoy the comedic banter they have and both actors do a great job at being funny while also selling the dramatic moments as well. Billy Eichner does deliver some of the funniest lines, but there is an element of sadness and loneliness to his character which helps audiences connect with him and adds a sense of realism and relatability. 

            Luke Macfarlane is a bit more of a blank slate compared to Billy Eichner’s role, but throughout the course of the film, his character becomes a lot more interesting and as previously mentioned, has great chemistry with Eichner. Even the side characters make an impression despite being in smaller roles, especially the people Eicher’s character works with on his LGBTQ+ Museum board. 

            The script is very witty with a lot of great jokes, though at times it does feel like it relies too heavily on pop-culture references. I’m not advising this, but if you want to play a drinking game, take a shot every time a character mentions a movie or character from a movie, I’ll drop off some flowers at your funeral. 

            While I enjoyed this movie a lot, it isn’t a perfect film, this is a nearly 2-hour romantic comedy and while I was never bored by anything, I felt you could have cut about 15 minutes of the film out and it would have been paced better. Basically, the same critique a lot of people have when it comes to films by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Trainwreck, The King of Staten Island) who also happens to be a producer on this. 

            I’m also not the biggest fan of the last act as it relies on a lot of rom-com clichés, misunderstanding leading to a break-up when you know they’re just going to fall back in love at the end. I wouldn’t mind that so much, but the rest of the film felt like it was trying to veer away from romantic comedy tropes and this final act was added in at the last minute. 

            Despite those flaws, the laughs, drama, and performances by the cast are more than enough for me to excuse them. Bros is a funny and sweet comedy that celebrates love between people of all ages, races, and sexualities with a lot of food for thought. 

Hocus Pocus 2 review

HOCUS POCUS 2: 

THE SANDERSON SISTERS ONCE AGAIN STEAL THE SHOW HOWEVER, THE FILM ITSELF IS PRETTY STANDARD! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

DISNEY+

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are back in Hocus Pocus 2

 

            The wicked Sanderson Sisters have been reawakened in Hocus Pocus 2, the highly anticipated follow-up to the 1993 Disney comedy, Hocus Pocus. Despite being an iconic film during the Halloween season today, the first Hocus Pocus was not seen as such upon its initial release. 

            Yes, this film that a lot of kids grew up with and has become a staple of Halloween was not well-received by critics and bombed at the box-office when it came out. However, through airings on TV stations like the Disney Channel and ABC Family/Freeform in October, Hocus Pocus gained a massive cult following and found success in the home video market. 

            I’ll be completely honest, I don’t have quite the nostalgia goggles on the first movie as a lot of other people do, I knew of it when I was younger and saw clips of it before (Specifically a trailer attached to the Super Mario Bros. movie VHS tape), but I had never seen the full movie before until a couple years ago and I found it to be pretty enjoyable. It’s not a great film by any means and the whole virgin subplot is a little questionable, but I like how it captures the Halloween spirit with the production design, the special effects that are both impressive and campy at the same time, and of course, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy’s performances as the Sanderson Sisters are an absolute joy to watch, these three make the movie for me. 

            Now, we have this decades later sequel released on Disney+ with Bette Midler (Ruthless People, Beaches, The First Wives Club), Sarah Jessica Parker (Honeymoon in Vegas, Ed Wood, Sex and the City), and Kathy Najimy (Sister Act 1 and 2, King of the Hill, Rat Race) reprising their roles as Winnie, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson while Anne Fletcher (Step Up, The Proposal, The Guilt Trip) takes over directing duties from Kenny Ortega (Who directed the first film). Can this nearly 30 years later sequel recapture the same magic? Yes and No. 

            Like its predecessor, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy’s performances as the three witches are the best part of the film and it looks like they’re having fun revisiting their iconic roles. However, this is one of those “Here We Go Again” sequels where it hits a lot of the same beats as the first film, which for some may be exactly what they’re looking for. 

            Set 29 years after the events of the first film and follows a group of teenagers in Salem consisting of Becca (Whitney Peak-Gossip Girl, Home Before Dark, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham-Chicken Girls, Total Eclipse, Zoe Valentine) preparing to celebrate both Halloween and Becca’s sixteenth birthday. But when Becca is given a mysterious candle as part of a birthday ritual from magic shop owner, Gilbert (Sam Richardson-Detroiters, The Afterparty, Superintelligence) and light it, they soon discover it’s actually a Black Flame Candle thus causing the zaniest and kookiest wicked witches, the Sanderson Sisters to be reawakened and run “AMUCK! AMUCK! AMUCK!” again. It’s up to the three girls and Winnie’s former lover and zombie, Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones-Hellboy 1 and 2, The Shape of Water, Star Trek: Discovery) to stop the witches from wreaking havoc on the Salem streets before sunrise. 

            The film also stars Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep, Toy Story 4) as Jefry Traske, Hannah Waddingham (Krypton, Ted Lasso, Garfield) as the Mother Witch, and Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf, Cruel Summer) as Mike. 

            Overall, Hocus Pocus 2 gives what it promises, more Sanderson Sisters mischief and shenanigans so fans of the first film are sure to feel right at home when going into this one. The film certainly delivers in that regard because as previously mentioned, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are incredibly funny as the witches, and retain the exact same levels of energy and charisma they had back in 1993. 

            Not only do they make me laugh whenever they’re onscreen, but they make me laugh hard with their kooky appearances, silly line deliveries, and physical comedy. In my opinion, they are the only reason to watch this movie, because the rest of it is pretty generic and more of the same. 

            The film hits a lot of the same beats as its predecessor, the Sanderson Sisters search for souls and their ancient book after being resurrected on Halloween night, Bette Midler sings a musical number to put a spell on everyone, and a lot of fish out of water comedy with most of it involving them interacting with modern society and Walgreen’s (No joke!). It doesn’t help that the young characters aren’t nearly as fun or interesting as the Sanderson Sisters, they’re on par with characters from a Disney sitcom which isn’t bad just nothing special aside from this jock character who has probably some of the funniest lines outside of the Sanderson Sisters. 

            The film also visually looks like a lost 1990s Disney film, especially with the green screens of the Sandersons flying and some of the cheesy lightning effects. While there are some modern filmmaking tricks, the effects artists do a solid job at replicating that 90s fantasy tone that the first film had. 

            The jokes are hit or miss, but even when one doesn’t stick the landing, it’s often delivered in a funny way whether it’s from one of the Sanderson Sisters or a passing comment from a supporting character. One of my favorite running gags is Tony Hale’s character trying to get a Candy Apple at a Halloween party which is very reminiscent of an old cartoon or slapstick comedy. 

            If you’re a fan of the first Hocus Pocus then this sequel might be worth checking out, I can’t promise a masterpiece or anything great. But if you got a soft spot for the Sanderson Sisters and jokes that don’t always land but are at least said in a funny way, then you got a date with the Sandersons.