The Little Mermaid review

THE LITTLE MERMAID: 

HALLE BAILEY MAKES A “SPLASH” IN BETTER-THAN-AVERAGE DISNEY REMAKE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY

Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (2023)

 

            The world of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story comes to life in The Little Mermaid, the latest of Disney’s live-action remakes based on the 1989 animated film of the same name. The film is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Mary Poppins Returns) and stars Halle Bailey (Last Holiday, Grown-ish, The Color Purple (2023)) as the mermaid with the most majestic singing voice ever, Ariel. 

            Saying I’m nostalgic for the original animated film is a huge understatement, I loved the animated Little Mermaid growing up, watched it many times on VHS, and it was the movie that helped shape the movie-obsessed man I am today. Why is that? Well, when the film was re-released in 1997, it was the very first movie I saw in theaters. 

            So yeah, the original Little Mermaid is extremely special to me, and I even got to share that with the original Ariel voice actress herself, Jodi Benson when I met her earlier this year. Honestly, not a bad film to make really special…in fact, the original movie is awesome with beautiful and vibrant hand-drawn animation that still holds up today, memorable songs and equally memorable characters, and an engaging story for both kids and adults. 

            Needless to say, I was skeptical when the live-action remake was announced because of how important the original animated film is to me. Not to mention, my reactions to some of the recent Disney remakes have been less than stellar (Aladdin (initially), Lion King, Pinocchio, etc.) and I didn’t want a subpar remake to sour my feelings towards the original. 

            Well, I can gladly say that the new reimagining of The Little Mermaid is…good! This is a perfectly serviceable remake of a beloved classic that’s nowhere near the same level of quality as the original, but there is still a lot to appreciate about it and even find charming. 

            The film follows a mermaid named Ariel (Bailey) who dreams of the human land, but her father, King Triton (Javier Bardem-No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) has a serious prejudice against humans so she must remain “Under the Sea” (See what I did there?). When Ariel saves a man from drowning during an intense storm and immediately falls in love with the human prince named Eric (Jonah Hauer-King-Howard’s End, Little Women (2017), A Dog’s Way Home), she becomes determined to become human by any means necessary…even if that involves making a deal with the wicked Sea Witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy-Bridesmaids, The Heat, Can You Ever Forgive Me?). 

            But this diabolical witch has other plans and it’s up to Ariel and her friends Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay-Room, Wonder, Luca), Sebastian the Crab (voiced by Daveed Diggs-Blindspotting, Hamilton, Soul), and Scuttle (voiced by Awkwafina-Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, Raya and the Last Dragon) to save the day and seal her true love with Eric via a kiss. 

            The film also stars Noma Dumezweni (Dirty Pretty Things, Mary Poppins Returns, The Kid Who Would Be King) as Queen Selina, Art Malik (The Living Daylights, True Lies, John Carter) as Sir Grimsby, and Jessica Alexander (Penny on M.A.R.S., Get Even, Glasshouse) as Ursula’s human alter-ego Vanessa. 

            Overall, this new take on The Little Mermaid may not have the spark of its animated original, but thanks to a phenomenal Halle Bailey as Ariel, it successfully casts some of its own magic. While my heart will always belong to Jodi Benson’s iconic vocal performance as the animated Ariel, I thought Halle Bailey did a fantastic job bringing this character to life in her own way. 

            You can tell in every scene she’s in that Bailey really cares about the Ariel character and pours her heart and soul into her performance and what I appreciate is the fact that this is “Her” Ariel. She’s not trying to impersonate Jodi Benson, her vocals during the song sequences are different from her animated counterpart and she does an excellent job conveying Ariel’s emotions during the latter half when she’s voiceless (Which was honestly the aspect I was most concerned about because it isn’t animated, but she nailed it!). 

            Much like how the animated Ariel is a huge icon for redhead girls where they can picture themselves as the character while watching it, I can see Halle Bailey’s Ariel doing the same thing for African-American girls. With an excellent performance to boot and easily the best live-action portrayal of an animated Disney Princess since Naomi Scott’s Jasmine from Aladdin. 

            I also like how Prince Eric is more fleshed out in this version compared to the animated movie, there’s quite a bit of time spent with him sharing his hopes and dreams and interacting with his family and workers in the castle. He’s more than just the handsome prince that Ariel needs to kiss in three days, and I respect that, both he and Ariel have great chemistry and feel more refined than the romance in the animated original.

            Nothing will ever top the late Pat Carroll’s iconic vocal performance as the wicked Ursula, but Melissa McCarthy portrays a very faithful rendition of the Disney villain even right down to the design and mimicking the animated version’s “Body Language”. While very few Disney villains were successfully translated to live-action, I’m happy to say that Ursula is one of them. 

            The underwater scenes are gorgeous and look incredible on the big screen, lots of vibrant colors and the environments are brimming with atmosphere and personality. Pretty much the complete opposite of the Pride Lands from the 2019 Lion King, at least this movie is lovely to look at. 

Even though I found myself enjoying the film for the most part, it does have its share of flaws. Flounder’s uncanny design being one, but also this version does tone down some of the more intense aspects of the animated original like there’s no insane chef trying to kill Sebastian in this one and Poor Unfortunate Souls doesn’t feel as insane or menacing as in the original. The film also takes certain liberties in terms of various plot points from the original, specifically how Giant Ursula is defeated at the end and a couple of scenes where Halle Bailey was singing in her head after her voice was taken away, I felt her facial expressions were more than enough and the extra songs while good, were unnecessary among other flaws and nitpicks I have. 

            Despite its flaws, The Little Mermaid (2023) is a solid Disney remake that honors the animated original while still being different enough to stand on its own. The animated film will always be the superior option to me, but it’s nice to know that the reimagining wasn’t foul like sewer water, grab your Dinglehopper and dive on in.  

The Machine review

THE MACHINE: 

CHAOTIC AND UNEVEN BERT KREISCHER MOVIE DELIVERS ENOUGH LAUGHS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

SCREEN GEMS

Bert Kreischer in The Machine

 

            Comedian Bert Kreischer AKA The Machine (The X Show, Bert the Conqueror) hits the big screen in…The Machine, an action-comedy film from director Peter Atencio (Key & Peele, Keanu) based on Kreischer’s 2016 stand-up routine of the same name. I should make this clear before we start, I have never seen Bert Kreischer’s stand-up before nor do I know anything about him as a comedian or person. 

            But my friend who was watching it with me is a fan of his style of comedy and filled me in on what he’s like. Though, I will still be judging this as a standalone movie since I don’t have any exposure to Kreischer (That came out wrong!). 

            I’m a sucker for movies where actors play fictionalized versions of themselves and often satirize each other and their work with This is the End being among my favorite comedies and I adored last year’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent starring Nicolas Cage as himself. Despite knowing practically nothing about the comedian going into this, I was intrigued when I saw the trailer. 

            With that out of the way, how does The Machine hold up? Well, it really depends on what you’re looking for in a comedy like this. If you’re looking for any substance or wit, you’re probably not going to enjoy this movie but if you’re willing to accept the absurdity or have a soft spot for dumb humor, you might have a good time. 

            The film follows Bert who rose to fame as a stand-up comedian known as The Machine and in his signature set he recounts his true experience with Russian mobsters while on a booze-soaked college trip. But when that drunken trip comes back to haunt him 23 years later and he and his estranged father Albert (Mark Hamill-Star Wars franchise, Batman: The Animated Series, Child’s Play (2019)) are kidnapped and sent back to Russia by the mob to atone for something he did, Bert and his father must retrace his younger self’s steps in the midst of a war within a sociopathic crime family while trying to rekindle their often fraught relationship. 

            The film also stars Jimmy Tatro (LifeAccordingToJimmy, 22 Jump Street, Stuber) as Young Bert, Stephanie Kurtzuba (The Good Wife, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman) as LeeAnn, Nikola Đuričko (World War Z) as Igor, and Oleg Taktarov (Bad Boys II, Predators, The Man from Toronto) as Train Igor. 

            Overall, The Machine definitely won’t win everybody over as it is incredibly stupid and ridiculous. But as I mentioned before, if you’re willing to accept that then you’ll probably get some good laughs out of it. 

            While I didn’t find any of it knee-slapping hilarious, I found myself laughing at a good half of the jokes and Kreischer seems to have decent timing in his comedy and is able to at least make the ones that don’t quite stick the landing sound funny. Not only that, but he and Mark Hamill have strong comedic chemistry and I enjoy listening to the banter between the two, they’re probably the most consistently funny thing in the film. 

            It also has a high body-count and some of the deaths during the action scenes get pretty bloody, almost like John Wick except replace Keanu Reeves with an overweight stand-up comedian who takes his shirt off and drinks heavily. However, the gory kills are mostly played for laughs, and they don’t feel out of place within the world the film created.

            This is not a very story-heavy movie and is more focused on getting laughs, it’s a simple premise where a comedian gets kidnapped by the Russian mafia to atone for something he had done in the past and all the crazy shenanigans and blood-soaked carnage that follows, the film gives exactly that and if you were looking for more substance well then, I’m sorry. Still, the narrative and pacing feel very stilted and unfocused at times as the film constantly flashes back to Bert in his college years during various scenes and while some of them work and are genuinely funny, other times they’re distracting and detract from the flow of the story…what little there is! 

            Despite its flaws, it’s hard for me to be super critical at a movie that’s dumb on purpose and clearly here just to entertain. I can’t speak for fans of Bert Kreischer, but I get the feeling this is a faithful representation of his comedic talents, and they’ll probably have a ball with this movie…this “Machine” may be a tad bulky, but it’s functional enough for its target audience…Family Matters reference! 

Fast X review

FAST X: 

TENTH FAST & FURIOUS MOVIE GIVES WHAT IT PROMISES! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Jason Momoa, and the rest in Fast X

 

            Vin Diesel (Riddick trilogy, XXX 1 and 3, Marvel Cinematic Universe) and his family of street racers are back in Fast X, the tenth main installment and eleventh overall of the long-running Fast & Furious film series dating all the way back to 2001. It’s quite impressive how far the series has come since the first film where it started out as a movie about street racing and by the ninth movie you have cars with super magnets and Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris going up into space. 

            I won’t waste too much time giving my thoughts on the earlier films as I’ve already done that in my other reviews, so I’ll put it blunt and simple. First one I like fine, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift are the worst, Fast & Furious (4) is okay, Fast Five-Furious 7 are really good, Fate of the Furious is okay, and F9 is pure lunacy and I love it for that exact reason despite some major flaws. 

            During Fast X’s development, I was sort of scoffing at the idea of a tenth Fast & Furious movie because the last one literally involved going into space, where do you go from there? There’s really nowhere else you can go in a movie series after it goes into space, just look at Jason X and Moonraker. 

            But at the same time, even the worst Fast & Furious films have some likability with the cast and the action is usually exhilarating with each film often trying to top the last, much like the Mission: Impossible film series. Fast X comes to us from director Louis Letterier (The Transporter 1 and 2, The Incredible Hulk, Now You See Me) with series veteran Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis, Star Trek Beyond), who directed 4-6 and F9 as a producer and the original cast returning (Duh!). 

            So, does Fast X find a way to top F9’s space sequence? No, but I don’t care because I still had a fun time. I do think this film is somewhat better than the last movie, but it is extremely silly and completely absurd throughout. 

            The film follows former criminal and professional street racer Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Diesel) now retired and is settling down with his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez-Avatar, Machete 1 and 2, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) and son Brian “Little B”. But when an unexpected visitor comes in the form of a wounded Cipher (Charlize Theron-Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde) who warns Dom and Letty about a new threat known as Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa-Game of Thrones, DC Extended Universe, Dune (2021)), the son of drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida-Clear and Present Danger, Desperado, Missing) from Fast Five out for revenge on Dom for his father’s death, Dom and his team hop back into the driver’s seats to stop Dante’s wrath before he shatters Dom’s family and destroys everything he loves, forever. 

             The film also stars Tyrese Gibson (Four Brothers, Transformers franchise, Death Race) reprising his role as ex-habitual offender Roman Pearce, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (Crash, Hustle & Flow, No Strings Attached) reprising his role as tech expert and mechanic Tej Parker, John Cena (The Marine, Bumblebee, Peacemaker) reprising his role from F9 as Dom’s brother Jakob Toretto, Nathalie Emmanuel (Maze Runner 2 and 3, Army of Thieves, The Invitation) reprising her role as computer hacktivist Ramsey, Jordana Brewster (The Faculty, Annapolis, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) reprising her role as Dom and Jakob’s sister Mia Toretto, Sung Kang (Better Luck Tomorrow, War, Power) reprising his role as expert drifter Han Lue, Scott Eastwood (Flags of our Fathers, Gran Torino, Suicide Squad) as Little Nobody, Alan Ritchson (Smallville, Titans, Reacher) as the new leader of Mr. Nobody’s agency Aimes, Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3) as Isabel Neves, Helen Mirren (The Queen, RED 1 and 2, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) reprising her role as Owen and Deckard Shaw’s mother Queenie, Brie Larson (Scott Pilgrim VS the World, Room, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Mr. Nobody’s daughter Tess, Jason Statham (The Transporter trilogy, Crank 1 and 2, The Bank Job) reprising his role as former nemesis turned teammate Deckard Shaw, and Rita Moreno (Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story, 80 for Brady) as Dom, Jakob, and Mia’s mother Abuelita Toretto. 

            Overall, Fast X gives exactly what it advertises, another gleefully over-the-top and utterly ridiculous Fast & Furious sequel that embraces its silliness and it doesn’t really try to go anywhere beyond that. There’s no space in this movie so it’s already somewhat more grounded than the last, but still, some of these action sequences are so farfetched that it’s almost impossible to believe that all this began with street racing. 

            Despite the absurdity of the action, the majority of it is fantastic and keeps the adrenaline pumping with some of the best being a high-speed chase through the streets of Rome with a bomb the size of a wrecking ball in the beginning and this insane and unapologetically silly chase on a freeway involving John Cena driving a car with giant cannons attached to it and Vin Diesel’s car getting grappled onto by helicopters and using Nos to boost thus causing the helicopters to collide with each other and explode in mid-air. Yeah, it gets pretty crazy, and I have to give it to the filmmakers for continuously coming up with new and creative ways to excel the action even further with each installment. 

            Ridiculous action aside, I did find myself getting invested in the scenes involving Dom and his son, there are some genuinely heartfelt moments between the two even with all the chaos going on in the rest of the movie and Vin Diesel effectively sells the dramatic scenes. It also makes it clear that a tough guy like Dom does have vulnerabilities and fears which adds a sense of humanity to an otherwise practically invincible character. 

            Let’s talk about Jason Momoa as the villain, this is probably the craziest I’ve ever seen Momoa in anything and he is having a ball as this eccentric, completely psychotic, and downright cartoonish bad guy who could potentially put any previous Joker to shame. He is chewing the scenery in every scene he’s in, dancing, laughing maniacally, and he even paints the nails of dead corpses…I’m not making that last one up, by the way! 

            The screenplay however is very overstuffed with five different plots happening at once and characters are split up in different groups throughout most of the movie so you don’t really get as much “Family Time” as you would in the other films. Sort of like Avengers: Infinity War the more I think about it even right down to a similar ending.

            Flaws aside, I still had a fun time with Fast X even though it’s definitely not the best in the series. But if you’re a fan of the series or just looking for a dumb fun summer movie, strap in and enjoy the ride. 

Knights of the Zodiac review

KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC: 

LIVE-ACTION FILM ADAPTATION OF BELOVED MANGA/ANIME IS ANYTHING BUT IMMORTAL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: * out of 4

STAGE 6 FILMS

Mackenyu, Diego Tinoco, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Sean Bean, and Mark Dacascos in Knights of the Zodiac

 

            In the tradition of Speed Racer, Dragonball: Evolution, and Ghost in the Shell, the world of Saint Seiya hits the big screen in Knights of the Zodiac, the latest attempt at adapting a beloved manga/anime into a live-action feature film. I should make this clear before we begin, I have never read the original Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac manga and the only time I was ever exposed to the anime series was seeing one or two episodes of it on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block 20 or so years ago and never thought about it since until hearing about the new movie. 

            Unlike other films based on a manga or anime where I at least had a basic understanding of the source material even if I didn’t read/watch it regularly, I don’t remember what I initially thought of the episode(s) I saw in the early-mid 2000s nor do I remember the main plot or who the characters are. With that said, I wasn’t familiar with the Alita: Battle Angel source material and thought the film version of that was pretty solid, probably the only good live-action adaptation of a Japanese manga or anime (Actually, I don’t think the 2017 Ghost in the Shell is terrible either, Scarlet Johansson casting not withstanding!). 

            So, I will be judging this as a standalone film and if this is an accurate adaptation of the source material, no thanks! Again, I don’t know how faithful it is to the manga or anime, but as a movie this is terrible and not even in a so bad it’s good way like Speed Racer nor is it memorably bad like Dragonball: Evolution. 

            The film follows headstrong street teen, Seiya (Mackenyu-Pacific Rim: Uprising, Tokyo Ghoul S, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final) spending his time fighting for cash while searching for his abducted sister. But when one of his fights unwittingly taps into mystical powers he never knew he had, Seiya finds himself thrust into a world of warring saints, ancient magical training, and a reincarnated goddess (Madison Iseman-Jumanji 2 and 3, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, Annabelle Comes Home) in need of his protection. 

            The film also stars Famke Janssen (Goldeneye, X-Men franchise, The Blacklist: Redemption) as the villainous Guraad, Diego Tinoco (On My Block, R#J) as Nero the Phoenix Knight, Mark Dacascos (Cradle 2 the Grave, John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum, Batman: Soul of the Dragon) as Mylock, Nick Stahl (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Sin City, Fear the Walking Dead) as Cassios, and Sean Bean (Goldeneye, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV) as Alman Kiddo. 

            Overall, Knights of the Zodiac continues the trend of Hollywood failing to effectively bring a popular Japanese source material to the screen and adapt it for mainstream audiences. I can’t speak for fans of the source material, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they rip this film apart the same way they did with Dragonball: Evolution. 

            Even as a newcomer who only watched one or two episodes of the anime as a kid years ago and went into this movie blind, nothing about it stands out as either exciting or memorable. If anything, I feel like I now know even less about Knights of the Zodiac than I did going in which again, wasn’t much. 

            This is supposed to be a self-contained film that doesn’t require any knowledge of the source material in order to follow it or enjoy. So, if a casual moviegoer like me is sitting here constantly questioning what the point of the film is and not getting invested in any of the characters that had decades of history then you’ve already failed. 

            It’s a quite an accomplishment to make a film where I don’t care about a single character in it due to them being either underdeveloped or flat-out insufferable. I despise this version of Seiya and the fact that he’s supposed to be our main character certainly didn’t do him any favors. 

            I haven’t seen much Mackenyu in other movies or shows and I’m sure he’s a talented actor, but most of his performance in this consisted of lame one-liners and just being an obnoxious jackass throughout most of the film. Granted, they do try to make his character somewhat sympathetic by giving him a tragic backstory with his sister being kidnapped at a young age, but when you hear him constantly make dumb jokes and complain about the current situation, he honestly makes Goku from Dragonball: Evolution and every single protagonist from the Last Airbendermovie look like Luke Skywalker by comparison with the only joy I get out of him is seeing him in pain. 

            Everyone else is very one-note and speak in this really dry, monotone voice throughout the film with lazy exposition dumps in place of character development. The only standout performance is Nick Stahl as Cassios, a brute fighter turned evil cyborg who is not written especially well, but Stahl is having a ball hamming it up as this over-the-top, cartoony henchman and the only sense of humanity this film has. 

            Speaking of fighting, the action sequences are dreadful with an overabundance of cheap-looking CGI on par with a video game. I’ve given some of the MCU movies a bit of flak in terms of excessive CGI in the past, but at least they still do cool things with them even if they don’t always look realistic, not the case here. 

            This is Dragonball: Evolution (Which I’m sure I haven’t mentioned enough times during this review!) and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation level action with constant CGI and green screens clearly being used as a replacement for practical effects and decent fight choreography. To the point where the action is so digital and fake-looking that the characters fighting don’t have any weight to themselves nor do you feel any impact when one of them strikes a blow, this is the kind of action garbage that was best left in the late 90s and early 2000s, not 2023, the year after Avatar: The Way of Water (Now imagine Zack Snyder directing Dragonball: Evolution’s action, I’m not kidding!). 

            The plot is also one of those uninspired chosen one stories that we’ve heard a million times before with nothing new or interesting added to it. No point in elaborating on that so I will just pretend I said nothing. 

            What was the point of this movie? With a thin narrative, uninspired CG effects, and poor characterization, Knights of the Zodiac is yet another failed attempt at adapting a beloved anime into a live-action feature film. Dragonball: Evolution is probably a worse movie, but at least I remember how much of a giant dumpster fire it was and a huge slap in the face to a great source material, this is like driving past a dumpster fire, acknowledging it for a minute, and then moving along, never speaking of or thinking about it ever again. 

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 review

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL. 3: 

FINAL GUARDIANS FILM GOES OUT ON AN EMOTIONALLY SATISFYING NOTE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

MARVEL STUDIOS

Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Groot, Nebula, and Mantis are back in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3

 

            Everyone’s favorite space misfits are back for one last adventure in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and third and final chapter of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Quick thoughts on the previous films, loved the first film from 2014 and thought it was a very entertaining introduction to one of Marvel’s more obscure teams that’s very different and more self-contained than other MCU films. 

            The 2017 sequel I originally thought wasn’t quite on par with its predecessor when I reviewed it, but looking back I think the second film is better paced, has a more engaging story with Peter Quill/Star-Lord reuniting with his planet daddy, features the first truly great MCU villain aside from Loki with Kurt Russell’s Ego, and is more character-based than the first film with each Guardian and side character getting their own times to shine…also, the holiday special on Disney+ is enjoyable. Both films do a spectacular job with zany space action and silly humor but aren’t afraid to get emotional from time to time, add in great storylines and memorable characters and you got yourself two of the most fun and unique comic book movies you’ll ever see. 

            Which brings us to Vol. 3 with writer-director James Gunn (Scooby-Doo 1 and 2, Super, The Suicide Squad) and the original cast returning. This one definitely seemed very different from the other Guardians films in terms of the trailers with a more serious-looking and darker tone than its predecessors but still retained some of the fun of the earlier movies. 

            Appropriate segway into my thoughts on the actual film because that’s pretty much what I got out of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. It’s a darker, more somber installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy storyline that’s heavy on characters and emotion, but it doesn’t skimp out on the laughs and charm the Guardians are known for and for the most part, I think it works. 

            Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt-Parks and Recreation, Jurassic World trilogy, The Super Mario Bros. Movie) is still mourning over the loss of his teammate and love interest, Gamora and the Guardians of the Galaxy have established their headquarters on a rebuilt Knowhere. But as they are settling in, Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper-The Hangover trilogy, Silver Linings Playbook, A Star is Born (2018)) is suddenly attacked by a superpowered being known as Adam Warlock (Will Poulter-We’re the Millers, Maze Runner trilogy, Detroit), rendering him unconscious and severely wounded. 

            This forces Star-Lord, Drax (Dave Bautista-Spectre, Dune: Parts 1 and 2, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel-The Iron Giant, Fast & Furious franchise, Riddick trilogy), Nebula (Karen Gillan-Doctor Who, Oculus, Jumanji 2 and 3), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff-Oldboy, Ingrid Goes West, Uncut Gems) to embark on another intergalactic adventure to save their friend. Along the way, they encounter a group of Ravagers led by none other than Gamora (Zoe Saldana-Star Trek franchise, Avatar 1 and 2, The Adam Project) who is actually the 2014 Gamora who helped during the fight against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and a powerful man in connection with Rocket’s past known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji-John Wick: Chapter 2, Rosy, Daniel Isn’t Real).

            The film also stars Sean Gunn (Super, The Belko Experiment, The Suicide Squad) reprising his role as Yondu’s former second-in-command Kraglin, Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby (2013), Widows, Tenet) reprising her role from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 as Ayesha, Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Bodies Bodies Bodies) as the voice of Cosmo, Sylvester Stallone (Rocky franchise, Rambo franchise, The Suicide Squad) reprising his role from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 as Stakar Ogord, and Linda Cardellini (Scooby-Doo 1 and 2, Gravity Falls, A Simple Favor) who had previously portrayed Laura Barton in the MCU’s Avengers films as the voice of Rocket’s love interest Lylla the Otter. 

            Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 may not be the Guardians’ finest adventure and I do have some issues with the pacing, but I still found it to be a very bold and emotionally satisfying note for Marvel’s lovable space family to go out on. This is basically what Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was trying to do by taking these usually comedic characters and putting them in a more intense, somber setting only this movie does it significantly better without losing touch of what made its predecessors enjoyable. 

            It’s also an MCU film that earns its PG-13 rating and I’m not talking about the franchise’s first F-bomb. This movie gets dark specifically because it dives into Rocket’s backstory through flashbacks and features some of the most gut-wrenching and horrifying scenes in MCU history where Rocket and other animals are being experimented on by the High Evolutionary, I was honestly getting teary-eyed during those moments. 

            I know I’m not the only person who thinks this and I’m sure everyone who has already seen the movie said the same thing, but Rocket truly is the heart and soul of the film. As previously mentioned, the film explores Rocket’s past and shows him as a baby raccoon with high intelligence and the friendship he had with these three other animals that were experimented on as well as a strong connection with the High Evolutionary and the aftermath of what inevitably happens is genuinely quite heartbreaking. 

            The film also goes more into Star-Lord’s relationship with his half-sister, Mantis which was revealed in theGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and shows him trying to rekindle the romance he once had with Gamora except with this new variant of her that doesn’t share the same affections as him which honestly is an interesting way to bring the Gamora character back. I even found myself getting wrapped up in this subplot involving Mantis, Drax, and Nebula rescuing a bunch of animal-looking kids from appending doom and Drax rediscovering his softer, fatherly side. 

            The action is a lot of fun with probably the best sequence being this one continuous shot of the Guardians fighting off a bunch of bad guys and mutated creatures in a room. There’s also this neat sequence of Adam Warlock flying through a planet that resembles Earth as it’s about to blow up that does give off Man of Steel vibes, but in a good way. 

            With that said, there are some issues I have with the film, while the story itself is great, it feels rather overstuffed in execution and the pacing could have been better. Most notably, Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock who despite giving a solid performance and looks awesome as the character, he’s not really given much to do in the story and the scenes involving him feel like an afterthought. 

            Despite its flaws, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is a good time and a solid way to cap off the Guardians’ legacy. It’s darker in tone, but doesn’t forget to be fun and silly, the characters are as endearing as ever, and the story while messy in some areas is consistently interesting, strap on in and witness the end for yourself. 

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret review

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET: 

ABBY RYDER FORTSON SHINES IN INCREDIBLY CHARMING COMING-OF-AGE STORY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

LIONSGATE

Abby Ryder Fortson in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

 

            A young girl goes on an unforgettable adventure through womanhood in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, the highly anticipated coming-of-age film based on Judy Blume’s novel of the same name brought to the screen by director Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) and producer James L. Brooks (The Simpsons, The Critic, As Good as It Gets). I should probably make this clear before we start, I’ve never ready the book before and I didn’t even know much about it outside of it being discussed during the Noovie segment in movie theaters and finally looking up the trailer on the day I went to see it. 

            So, I won’t be able to determine how faithful this film adaptation is to the source material and will instead be judging it as a standalone movie. And I have to say, for a movie I came into relatively blind, I found Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret to be very charming. 

            I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film, it’s an incredibly funny, touching, and intelligently-crafted story about puberty and religious identity. If this counts as a religious movie, then it’s a religious movie done correctly. 

            The film follows Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson-Ant-Man 1 and 2, Togetherness, A Dog’s Journey), a sixth grader moving with her parents, Barbara (Rachel McAdams-Mean Girls, Sherlock Holmes, Spotlight) and Herb (Benny Safdie-Good Time, Uncut Gems, Licorice Pizza) from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey. Since one of her parents is Christian while the other is Jewish, Margaret goes on her own personal journey to discover her true religious identity while also going through other misadventures of young girls such as fitting in at school, meeting boys, bras, and most importantly, periods. 

            The film also stars Kathy Bates (Misery, About Schmidt, Richard Jewell) as Margaret’s grandmother, Sylvia and Echo Kellum (Arrow, Elena of Avalor, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken) as Margaret’s teacher, Mr. Benedict. 

            Overall, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is one of the most delightful and boldest films I’ve seen all year. Despite being a mostly wholesome family comedy-drama (Though it is rated PG-13), the film dives into some very topical subject matter like religion and female sexuality which I feel most mainstream films would probably stay as far away from as possible. 

            But through smart writing and stellar performances from the cast, these relevant themes are explored in mature and thought-provoking ways. This film does not talk down to its audience and presents its themes genuinely and realistically because when you really get down to it, it’s a story about a child growing up and figuring out where the person belongs which anyone regardless of gender or age can relate to. 

            You can tell the filmmakers were being very sincere and really cared about what they were bringing to the screen. Unlike the majority of Pure Flix and Kendrick Brothers garbage, this film has an engaging, slice of life story with relatable characters that feel real, and it presents its religious and topical themes with actual thought behind them. 

            I never felt brainwashed while watching it nor did it seem like the film was trying to convert people to a specific religion. It’s just a simple coming-of-age story about a girl becoming a woman and the misadventures she has along the way that happens to have religious subject matter which is a lot more powerful and inspiring than any bullsh*t you’ll see in a Pure Flix movie. 

            All the acting is excellent especially from Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret, I’ve already enjoyed her as Cassie Lang from the first two Ant-Man films, but this movie really showcases her capabilities as an actress. She is so endearing as the character, has outstanding chemistry with just about every other cast member in the film, and sells both comedic and heartfelt moments very effectively, she’s really come a long way since being Paul Rudd’s “Peanut”. 

            I also found myself getting invested in Rachel McAdams as Margaret’s mother quite a bit as well. Her chemistry with Fortson is very genuine and quite sweet, I love how she has her own mini subplots where she’s part of a neighborhood committee that’s being led by the snooty mom of one of Margaret’s friends or just trying to paint a bird outside her living room window, and once in a while deliver a witty line, one of my favorites being near the end. 

            And yes, the film can be quite funny at times, and I did find myself laughing numerous times during it. The scene where a group of middle schoolers are reacting to a presentation on female genitalia got some chuckles out of me, Kathy Bates as Margaret’s grandmother delivered some of the funniest lines in the film to me, and I thought the moments where Margaret and her friends were thrusting their bodies and chanting “We must increase our busts!” were both humorous and adorable at the same time.

            Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had all year, and this is coming from a 29 going on 30-year-old man who has never read Judy Blume’s novel before in his life. It’s a perfect example of a female empowerment movie that doesn’t skimp out on good storytelling or compelling characters as well as a mature and effective resource for parents to teach their daughters about womanhood and going through puberty that’s both thought-provoking and entertaining.