Dune: Part Two review

DUNE: PART TWO: 

DENIS VILLENEUVE CRAFTS AN EPIC SECOND CHAPTER THAT’S AS ENTHRALLING AS IT IS EXCITING! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem in Dune: Part Two

 

            Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) and Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Little Women (2019), Wonka) return to the world of Dune in Dune: Part Two, the second chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, Dune. I’m sure I already mentioned back in my Dune: Part Onereview from 2021 that I never read the book before and the only adaptation of Dune I had seen before this was the 1984 David Lynch version which…was not a good introduction to the story or its ideas though it is a very ambitious albeit misguided take on the story, but we’re not talking about that one today. 

            We’re talking about the Denis Villeneuve movies, I really enjoyed the first part of Dune despite never reading the book and found it to be a solid sci-fi movie with a strong story, fascinating ideas being explored, compelling characters, and well-choreographed and thrilling action scenes. I guess a lot of people felt the same way because it was a huge hit with both critics and audiences and thus the highly anticipated second part is finally here with Villeneuve once again directing and much of the first film’s cast reprising their roles. 

            Where the first Dune felt like setup for something bigger, Dune: Part Two feels like the epic event that was promised to us. Not only do I think it lives up to the first but it surpasses Part One to the point where this isn’t just a sci-fi blockbuster, it’s a cinematic landmark in the same breakfast club as Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Killers of the Flower Moon from last year. 

            The film is set immediately after where the first part ended and follows exiled duke with a mighty voice, Paul Atreides (Chalamet) uniting with Chani (Zendaya-Spider-Man franchise, The Greatest Showman, Challengers) and the Freman on the desert planet Arrakis as he embarks on a mythical and personal journey to become “Maud’Dib”, the man from the prophecy who will lead the Freman into battle against the Harkonnen and to a better life with no enslavements. Paul faces a choice between the love of his life in Chani and the fate of the known universe so he endeavors to prevent a terrible future that only he can foresee. 

            The film also stars Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible franchise, The Girl on the Train, Doctor Sleep) reprising her role as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin (True Grit (2010), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool 2) reprising his role as Gurney Halleck, Austin Butler (The Dead Don’t Die, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Elvis) as Feyd-Rautha, Florence Pugh (Little Women (2019), Black Widow, Oppenheimer) as Princess Irulan, Dave Bautista (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spectre, Blade Runner 2049) reprising his role as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, Christopher Walken (Batman Returns, Catch Me If You Can, The Jungle Book (2016)) as Shaddam IV, Léa Seydoux (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Lobster, James Bond franchise) as Lady Margot Fenring, Souheila Yacoub (Climax, Rise, Making Of) as Shishakli, Stellan Skarsgård (Amistad, Mamma Mia!, Marvel Cinematic Universe) reprising his role as Baron Vladmir Harkonnen, Charlotte Rampling (Angel Heart, Red Sparrow, Juniper) reprising her role as Gaius Helen Mohiam, and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) reprising his role as Stilgar. 

            Overall, Dune: Part Two isn’t just a sequel that’s better than its predecessor, it’s a new gold standard for how to continue a film’s storyline much like The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2, The Road Warrior, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It has everything that made the first Dune great and cranks it up to eleven without going style over substance. 

            Like the first one, it is very dialogue heavy with a lot of exposition and talk of prophecies and chosen ones which granted, we’ve seen a million times before in other movies (To the point where I would not be surprised if the Wachowskis took inspiration from the Dune book while they were creating The Matrix). But it never feels boring because the characters whether primary or supporting are all interesting and well-defined and the world-building is very fascinating. 

            I loved seeing Paul grow as a character over the course of the movie as he transforms into Maud’Dib through his trials and him going through his own personal struggles whether it’s deciding on what kind of Messiah he wants to be and his romantic interest in Chani, both are very believable. I also find it refreshing that this being who is supposedly the Messiah with an authoritative and mighty presence is also extremely flawed and it’s entertaining to see him go through this arc over the course of the movie up until the cut to black. 

            Timothée Chalamet was already a standout as Paul in the first part, but he dominates the screen in this one since Paul becomes more powerful here and I love how Chalamet knows he is still a character with a lot of potential and humanity by allowing those aspects to shine through his performance. Chalamet makes Paul a thoroughly interesting protagonist even if the chosen one trope has been done to death. 

Honestly, the real standout here IMO is Zendaya who is absolutely phenomenal in this movie. Probably her best scene is her speech about how the prophecy is how her people are enslaved shown in the trailers, but there are several moments in the film where she is giving her all and the script really showcases Zendaya’s capabilities as an actress. 

            Austin Butler is almost unrecognizable as Feyd-Rautha and gives a more stone-cold depiction of the character in contrast to Sting’s over-the-top hammy performance from the original. It’s very different while still fits with what the character and his motivations are. 

            This is also a movie that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible whether we’re talking sci-fi equivalents of Lord of the Rings battles, riding giant sandworms in the desert, or just large-scale shots of characters traveling from one location to another. It is every definition of a cinematic spectacle and not just because it was filmed with IMAX cameras. 

            Dune: Part Two isn’t just an amazing Dune movie, but also one of the best movie sequels in recent years that amps up the story, dilemmas, and conflicts all leading up to one glorious final act. It’s another Denis Villeneuve masterpiece that is more than worthy of controlling the world with the Spice. 

Drive-Away Dolls review

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS: 

ETHAN COEN TAKES US ON AN OUTRAGEOUSLY WILD ROAD TRIP! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Two women discover a valuable briefcase in their rented car in Drive-Away Dolls

 

            Two friends on a road trip find themselves on the run from mobsters after discovering a valuable briefcase in their car in Drive-Away Dolls, the latest film from Ethan Coen (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading) and his second solo directing effort after 2022’s Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind. I was excited for this movie when I first saw the trailer last summer and thought it looked hilarious and reminiscent of early Coen Brothers filmmaking (Which is understandable since it was directed by one of them). 

            After seeing it, I have to admit I had a lot of fun with this movie and found it quite hilarious. I can’t say it’s one of the smartest or most creative movies about being on the run from criminals, but it’s just funny and most of that is from the cast’s brilliant comedic timing. 

            The film follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley-The Nice Guys, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Poor Things) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan-Blockers, Bad Education, The Broken Hearts Gallery), two lesbian friends who go on a road trip to Tallahassee to visit Marian’s aunt. But when they discover a strange briefcase in the trunk of their rent-a-car, they find themselves on the run from mobsters who are after it. 

            The film also stars Beanie Feldstein (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Lady Bird, Booksmart) as Jamie and Marian’s friend and police officer Sukie, Colman Domingo (Candyman (2021), Rustin, The Color Purple (2023)) as Chief, Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman 1984, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) as Santos, Bill Camp (Public Enemies, Midnight Special, Joker) as Curlie, Joey Slotnick (The Single Guy, Twister, Hollow Man) as Arliss, C.J. Wilson (The Intern, Manchester by the Sea, The Trial of the Chicago 7) as Flint, and Matt Damon (Bourne franchise, The Departed, Oppenheimer) as Senator Channel. 

            Overall, Drive-Away Dolls doesn’t aim to break new grounds nor does it try to be a deep movie with a big meaning or complex plot twists, it’s just an irreverently funny road trip comedy that’s a relatively smooth drive. The film is only 84 minutes so it doesn’t overstay its welcome, with the exception of a somewhat rushed ending the movie is pretty well-paced. 

            All the characters are memorable and insanely funny to watch and listen to, from the great comedic banter between the vulgar and energetic Jamie and the restrained straight-woman of Marian to this idiotic mobster duo that’s on Jamie and Marian’s trail who has some of the funniest bits in the film. Even the driveaway car service employee who Jamie and Marian rent their car from gets some huge laughs with his deadpan delivery as well as Beanie Feldstein as Sukie who I’m convinced is just her character from Booksmart if she was a cop and I am perfectly okay with that because she was a massive standout in that movie and she’s also one here. 

            The plot is your run-of-the-mill road trip comedy involving mobsters, a briefcase, and two clueless friends, but the comedy and performances by the cast are what brings it to life. In fact, when it’s revealed what was inside the briefcase the entire time the movie dives further into sheer lunacy to the point where I was both trying to process what’s happening onscreen and laughing my ass off. 

            Honestly, the only real nitpick I have with the movie is that the ending felt pretty rushed where immediately after the climax it cuts to the ending scene without much of a transition. I’m not sure if it was intended to be that way or if it had to be trimmed down to fit the running time but it kind of threw me for a loop when the movie was wrapping up and again, the rest of the movie was so funny and entertaining I can cut it some slack. 

            Not sure what else to say, Drive-Away Dolls is a fun ride to go on and a solid second directing effort from Ethan Coen. While the Coen Brothers collaborations will be most remembered, this along with Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth prove that they still have their Coen Brothers magic even when they’re apart, buckle up and enjoy the ride. 

Bob Marley: One Love review

BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE: 

KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR SHINES AS ICONIC REGGAE SINGER-SONGWRITER IN AVERAGE MUSIC BIOPIC! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Kingsley Ben-Adir in Bob Marley: One Love

 

Before anyone asks yes, this was the better movie to see on Valentine’s Day than Madame Web! Kingsley Ben-Adir (Vera, One Night in Miami…, Barbie) transforms into one of the most beloved and influential music figures of all time in Bob Marley: One Love, the new film from Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, Joe Bell, King Richard) and a biopic on legendary singer-songwriter Bob Marley. 

I should make this clear, I’m no expert on Bob Marley I’ve been well familiar with his music for a very long time, but I’ve never actually gotten around to reading up on his life. So, I won’t be able to determine how accurate this movie is to what really happened. 

The movie looked promising judging by the trailers and Reinaldo Marcus Green already gave us an incredible biopic with 2021’s King Richard so I had a lot of faith that he would give Bob Marley the same amount of love as he did Richard and Venus Williams. Not quite! 

Bob Marley: One Love isn’t a terrible movie and Kingsley Ben-Adir gives an amazing performance as Marley, but it feels too derivative of other biopics to the point where the ending text tells a much more interesting movie than the one I just saw. 

The film is set during the last few years of Bob Marley’s life and sees Marley working to craft a new sound to bring his and Jamaican music in general to the world amidst intense political uproar in his hometown. Aiding him on his quest to bring peace to Jamaica and the world through his music is his wife, Rita (Lashana Lynch-Marvel Cinematic Universe, No Time to Die, The Woman King) who is also a member of his band, Bob Marley and the Wailers. 

The film also stars James Norton (Belle, Mr. Turner, Little Women (2019) as Christopher Blackwell, Tosin Cole (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Souvenir: Parts I and II, Till) as Tyrone Downie, Aston Barrett Jr. as his father Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Anthony Welsh (Red Tails, The Personal History of David Copperfield) as Don Taylor, Sevana as Judy Mowatt, Michael Gandolfini (The Deuce, Cherry, The Many Saints of Newark) as Howard Bloom, and Nadine Marshall (A Street Cat Named Bob, Paddington 2, The Silent Twins) as Cedella Malcolm. 

Overall, Bob Marley: One Love could have been a great and inspirational music biopic, but aside from a great Kingsley Ben-Adir performance there really isn’t much in it that sets it apart from all the other music biopics. No pun intended, but it hits every beat you’d expect from a movie like this and also doesn’t quite know which story it wants to focus on. 

The film starts off with Marley trying to do a peace concert in Jamaica before a big election followed by an intense assassination attempt that is resolved rather quickly, then it’s about him and his band recording the Exodusalbum and their rise to international fame, and finally his illness and what he wants his legacy to be. All of these sound like amazing stories that I would like to see explored in a biopic, but the film is so jumbled together and awkwardly paced that it’s hard to be that emotionally invested in these moments in his life. 

It's also an example of a movie where the ending montage and text would have made a better movie than what we got. Again, I knew very little about Marley’s actual life going into this and during that montage before the credits I was like “Man, why couldn’t the movie include all of this?” because I was a lot more fascinated by the actual footage of Marley at the end than Kingsley Ben-Adir giving a strong portrayal of the man in a biopic that just goes through the motions. 

Despite the underwhelming material, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley is the reason to even check this movie out. He perfectly encompasses Marley and captures his appearance, mannerisms, and speaking voice. 

Honestly, everyone is bringing their A-game to this movie even if the movie itself isn’t all that good so I respect the cast for giving their all and not once phoning it in. Probably the second best performance after Ben-Adir is Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley who carries a large chunk of the film’s emotional weight and does it very effectively. 

Of course, the songs are awesome it’s Bob F*cking Marley and the film showcases many of the singer-songwriter’s best work. However, many of the songs don’t fit during certain scenes and feels like they were included out of obligation and not to progress the story along. 

It is also disappointing that we don’t see the ending concert which could have made for a powerful emotional climax even if the movie itself wasn’t that great. Sadly, the movie ends as he’s going on-stage to perform it and we never see that concert, as incredibly flawed as Bohemian Rhapsody was at least we got to see that reenactment of Queen’s Live Aid performance. 

Bob Marley: One Love isn’t terrible nor would I even consider it one of the worst biopics I’ve ever seen. But because it relies heavily on tired biopic clichés we’ve seen a million times before it doesn’t leave a lasting impression once it’s over even if Kingsley Ben-Adir’s performance is stellar and the film’s heart is in the right place. 

It is the better movie that came out on Valentine’s Day, but that’s not much of a recommendation. You’re better off staying home and watching Rocketman, Walk the Line, or Straight Outta Compton instead. 

Madame Web review

MADAME WEB: 

THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO REVIEW THIS SPIDER-MAN SPIN-OFF “IT STINKS, IT STINKS, IT STINKS”! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ½ out of 4 (Zero on the Knockoff Shermometer, Brrr!)

COLUMBIA PICTURES AND MARVEL

Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Tahar Rahim in Madame Web

Jay Sherman from The Critic © Gracie Films/Sony Pictures Television

 

            Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades trilogy, Black Mass, The Peanut Butter Falcon) discovers she can see the future and tries to protect three teenage girls from a supervillain in Madame Web, the latest installment of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe following 2018’s Venom, its 2021 sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and 2022’s Morbius. The film is directed by S.J. Clarkson (Doctors, Heroes, Ugly Betty) in her feature film directorial debut and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers franchise, Salt, RED 1 and 2). 

Sony Pictures’ history with the Spider-Man franchise has been quite a rollercoaster to say the least with various ups and downs. Probably their most divisive approach is with their Spider-Man Universe movies which unlike the current live-action Spider-Man films which are collaborations between Sony and Marvel Studios, these are produced entirely by Sony Pictures. 

Sometimes, Sony can put out a good Spider-Man movie without the involvement of Marvel Studios like the first two Sam Raimi movies and the Spider-Verse franchise. But they often get carried away with franchising the hell out of it to the point of sabotaging directors’ visions. 

The Spider-Man Universe movies haven’t been successful with critics or longtime fans of the characters while some audiences seemed to enjoy them. With Kraven the Hunter being delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes last year, Sony desperately wanted to get some form of Spider-Man-related Marvel movie out for the Valentine’s Day holiday so out comes Madame Web, a female-centered Spider-Man movie which I think could have a lot of potential and be a fun popcorn flick. HOTCHIE MOTCHIE, did this movie go horribly wrong!?! 

The impossible has happened, Morbius has been dethroned as the worst installment of the Sony Spider-Man Universe and not only that, but it’s one of the worst superhero movies I’ve ever seen in my life and not in a fun, bad way. In fact, the movie is so horrible that I have compiled a list of diseases I’d rather have than watch this movie including Common Cold, Yellow Fever, Vitamin Deficiency, Scurvy, Rickets, Leprosy, Unidentified Yellow Discharge, Sleeping Sickness, and finally Spastic Colon. 

            The film follows Cassandra “Cassie” Webb (Johnson), an awkward paramedic in Manhattan who, after an accident discovers she has psychic powers as a clairvoyant which allows her to see the future. But when she has to protect a group of teenage girls from a relentless villain known as Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim-The Eagle, The Mauritanian, Napoleon) out to destroy them, Cassie reluctantly becomes a hero who must confront her past in order to survive and possibly save the day. 

            The film also stars Sydney Sweeney (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Anyone But You, Immaculate) as Julia Cornwall/Spider-Woman, Celeste O’Connor (Freaky, Ghostbusters: Afterlife/Frozen Empire) as Mattie Franklin/Spider-Woman, Isabela Merced (Transformers: The Last Knight, Instant Family, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Anya Corazón/Araña, Mike Epps (Resident Evil franchise, The Boondocks, The Hangover trilogy) as O’Neil, Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew, Scream 4, We’re the Millers) as Mary Parker, and Adam Scott (The Aviator, The Matador, Step Brothers) as Ben Parker. 

            Overall, Madame Web could have been a fun, female-centered Spider-Man movie with a unique psychological approach if under better circumstances, but it turns out to be a dull, sloppily put together superhero movie and another sign of Sony Pictures not knowing what to do with the Spider-Man films rights or understanding what they’re bringing to the screen. I’ve never read any Madame Web before so I’m not sure what the character is like, but I know what Spider-Man movies are like and if I saw a legit Spider-Man movie that was done like this, it would be a boring, bad Spider-Man movie. 

            There’s very little superhero action in here and even when there is Spider-Women fighting an evil Spider-Man, they’re so horribly edited, murky, and just unappealing to look at. Honestly, the visions of the future where the three teenagers become Spider-Women and were fighting the villain sprinkled throughout the film made me wish I was watching that movie instead, at least I was promised Spider-Women somewhere in there. 

            The idea of a Spider-Man movie (or superhero movie in general) with a Final Destination/psychological element to it could be interesting especially compared to the overblown comic book movie blockbusters we usually get and with a competent actress like Dakota Johnson leading it, this movie could have worked. The problem is the script is godawful with horrendous dialogue, incredibly forced attempts at humor, and worst of all it fails to give an emotional attachment to the characters because they’re so one-note with barely any development aside from a couple dialogue moments. 

To the point where I’m baffled as to how these women will eventually work as a team because despite having decent actresses portraying them, they have practically NO chemistry throughout the entire thing and there isn’t much passion behind anything in this movie. It just feels like a movie digested out of a studio executive’s rectum and told the crew “Start filming!”. 

Say what you will about the Fifty Shades movies, but I’ve seen Dakota Johnson do great work before and even in here there are moments where she is trying to work with the material given to her. Unfortunately, the material gives her little to work with and her performance in the end comes off as very dry and at times awkward. 

I wish I didn’t already use the “L.A. street gangs killing movie executives rant at the end of my Morbius review because if you can believe it, Madame Web is somehow even worse than Morbius because to Morbius’ credit it knew what it was trying to be, a superhero version of a monster movie and it at least delivered on that regard and it had a few enjoyable (and even enjoyably bad) moments like a not-annoying Jared Leto performance and a cartoonishly hammy Matt Smith performance. This didn’t even have that going for it and just became a boring superhero movie with a poorly-constructed origin story that barely established its characters, lackluster action, and none of the meme-worthy elements that made Morbius a fascinating dumpster fire so I can’t even recommend it in a “So Bad It’s Good” way.  

Madame Web is another nail in the Sony’s Spider-Man Universe coffin that fails to deliver on its unique concept or fun superhero entertainment and once again proves that without their partnership with Marvel Studios or a consistent vision throughout, Sony will continue to get lost with trying to bring their most successful film series to the screen. I guess the only appropriate way to end this review is a variation of this classic Jay Sherman speech that sums up everything wrong with Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. 

I am a movie critic by trade and until recently, I got paid to tell you which Spider-Man spin-offs merely stink and which ones you shouldn’t screen near an open flame. Well, I am putting the burden of lousy Spider-Man spin-offs back on YOU!

It’s very simple: if you stop going to bad Spider-Man spin-offs, they’ll stop making bad Spider-Man spin-offs. If the movie is based on Venom, just don’t go. After No Way Home, give it a rest, If it’s a movie about a Spider-Manmultiverse, watch the Spider-Verse. 

Tell them you want stories about Spider-People, not a hundred million dollars of poorly-adapted characters and clumsy action. People it’s up to you. If the Sony Spider-Man Universe stinks, just…don’t…go! 

COMING LATER THIS YEAR: KRAVEN THE HUNTER AND VENOM 3! 

Lisa Frankenstein review

LISA FRANKENSTEIN: 

A DELIGHTFULLY WEIRD ALBEIT UNEVEN HORROR-COMEDY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

It’s love at first…death in Lisa Frankenstein

 

            In the tradition of gothic/monster romances like Edward Scissorhands and Warm Bodies, newcomer Zelda Williams (The daughter of the late but legendary, Robin Williams) makes her feature-film directorial debut with a darkly quirky take on a Frankenstein romance in Lisa Frankenstein. The film is written by Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult, Ricki and the Flash) who also wrote the 2009 horror-comedy cult-classic, Jennifer’s Body and also takes place in the same universe as that movie. 

            I was excited for this movie when I first saw the trailer, I enjoyed Jennifer’s Body as a fun horror-comedy that even sneaks in some thought-provoking social commentary on high school amongst the gore and laughs. It seemed like this movie was going to continue its twisted legacy especially after another Frankenstein-inspired movie from a couple months ago, Poor Things was widely acclaimed and nominated for several Oscars. 

            It probably won’t get nearly as much attention as Poor Things and narratively it is inconsistent at times, but I have to admit I had a lot of fun with Lisa Frankenstein. It’s not for everyone and I understand why other people wouldn’t find it that appealing, for me I thought it was very funny, perfectly cast (The two leads in particular), and the film isn’t afraid to get weird with its storytelling which I always have an appreciation for. 

            The film is set in 1989 and follows a teenage girl named Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton-Gary Unmarried, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) who after the gruesome murder of her mother, frequently hangs out at an abandoned cemetery and speaks to the grave of a Victorian man and says that she wishes she could be with him. Well, Lisa got her chance to be with her high school crush as a bolt of lightning hits the grave and reanimates the corpse (Cole Sprouse-Big Daddy, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Riverdale) back to life. 

            The two of them embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts along the way. 

            The film also stars Liza Soberano (She’s the One, Everyday I Love You, Always/Together) as Lisa’s stepsister Taffy, Joe Chrest (Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Jump Street) as Lisa’s father Dale, and Carla Gugino (Spy Kidsfranchise, American Gangster, Watchmen) as Lisa’s stepmother Janet. 

            Overall, Lisa Frankenstein definitely has the makings of a cult classic and could also be considered as the Anti-Anyone But You for the Valentine’s Day holiday. Where Anyone But You is the lovey-dovey, feel-good romantic-comedy, this is the dark and twisted alternative program to it and ironically this is the one people under 17 can go see. 

            This is a PG-13 horror-comedy so there isn’t much gore here, but unlike other PG-13 horror movies that water down the kills with little-to-no blood, they find clever workarounds whether it’s showing the shadow of a body part flying in the air or a scene where one of them holds up a dismembered hand after cutting it off someone. Honestly, my brain was kind of filling the blood in as I was watching it and it certainly didn’t feel like an R-rated horror movie watered down to PG-13 for mass appeal.

            The acting is great especially from Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, I haven’t seen much of Newton (Aside from Detective Pikachu and Quantumania) but this is easily the best I’ve seen of her as she does a marvelous job shifting back and forth between being vulnerable and helpless to witty and psychotic. I didn’t grow up with The Suite Life of Zack & Cody or many Disney Channel sitcoms in general for that matter, but this movie really showcases Cole Sprouse’s capabilities as a physical actor and some of the best bits are just watching his body language, mannerisms, and interactions with Newton. 

            I also enjoyed the production design a lot that often reminded me of early Tim Burton in terms of the set designs and lighting (Plus, a couple female characters gave off Helena Bonham Carter vibes). It really does look like a lost Tim Burton project from the 1980s that was discovered and finished by another director and I hope Burton looks at this movie and gets more creative ideas once he’s done remaking and adapting things.

            The soundtrack is also fantastic and mostly consisting of classic 80s rock music which effectively sets the somewhat campy tone of the film. Like Argylle, I am very upset that a legit soundtrack compilation has not been released for this movie with all the songs featured, just the score music is on iTunes which is well-composed but still. 

            At times the movie does feel disjointed, particularly with some character motivations where sometimes characters will switch from demented to horrified and then back to crazy sometimes in the same scenes. It didn’t really bother me because I kind of accepted the bizarre nature of the film, but I can see others being annoyed by it. 

            Lisa Frankenstein probably won’t become a new horror-comedy classic, but if you’re looking for a weird, unconventional detour from typical Hollywood fare or just a fun movie to watch with your friends one night, this ain’t a bad choice. Hopefully, this will mark the beginning of a bright future for director Zelda Williams because she made one hell of a first impression. 

Argylle review

ARGYLLE: 

MATTHEW VAUGHN SPY FILM IS A MESS, BUT A FUN MESS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

Ariana DeBose, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dua Lipa, Henry Cavill, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, and John Cena in Argylle

 

            A spy novel author discovers she’s also a fortune teller in Argylle, the new spy action-comedy film from director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Kingsman franchise). Despite not being that impressed by his later Kingsman films, I’ve enjoyed most of Vaughn’s work with the first Kick-Ass and Kingsman, debatably the best main-entry X-Men movie ever made with X-Men: First Class, and movies like Layer Cake and Stardust all being high-quality films that are very entertaining. 

            After the rather disappointing results of 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle and 2021’s The King’s Man, I was interested in what his next non-Kingsman project would be and that would eventually come to me in the form of Argylle. The premise alone caught my attention about a novelist who unknowingly predicted the future through her spy books and finds herself in the world of espionage, this could be a really fun and creative action movie especially with Vaughn’s unique visual style. 

            After seeing it, I can say that while I found myself having a good time with Argylle and enjoying the silly nature of its concept, the movie itself is a bit of a mess. I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as what most critics are saying, but it does rank low compared to Matthew Vaughn’s other work. 

            The film follows introverted spy novelist, Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard-Spider-Man 3, The Help,Jurassic World trilogy) who had just finished writing her fifth book about her character, Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill-DC Extended Universe, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible – Fallout). However, she soon discovers that everything she wrote in her novels was real and finds herself stuck in the middle of a world of spies, criminals, and espionage with the real-life Argylle stand-in, Aidan (Sam Rockwell-Moon, Iron Man 2, The Way, Way Back) guiding the way to bring down a criminal mastermind known as Ritter (Bryan Cranston-Breaking Bad, Argo, Godzilla (2014)) as the line between the real world and fictional world begins to blur. 

            The film also stars Catherine O’Hara (Beetlejuice, Home Alone 1 and 2, The Nightmare Before Christmas) as Ruth Conway, Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Star Trek Beyond, The Mummy (2017)) as Saba Al-Badr, Dua Lipa (Barbie) as LaGrange, Ariana DeBose (West Side Story (2021), Wish, I.S.S.) as Keira, Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Hitman’s Bodyguard 1 and 2) as Alfred Solomon, Richard E. Grant (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Iron Lady, Saltburn) as Fowler, and John Cena (The Marine, Fast & Furious franchise, Peacemaker) as Wyatt. 

            Overall, Argylle is undoubtedly entertaining with some creative action scenes and the banter between Howard and Rockwell is very amusing, but its convoluted plot and overlong runtime keep it from reaching its full potential. This is a 2 hour and 19 minute movie that could have easily shaven off 19 minutes and I’m sure the film would have flowed better. 

            I was enjoying the first half of the movie with Bryce Dallas Howard trying to process the fact that everything she wrote is real and now she’s in the middle of it. But as the film goes on and it becomes just another spy espionage movie with an overly complex storyline, it’s nowhere near as interesting or engaging as that first half. 

            There were times where the movie reminded me of the Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum film, The Lost Citywhich is another movie where a novelist gets thrusted into a grand adventure similar to her books. But that movie had a much tighter narrative that lived up to its absurd premise whereas with this, the premise is delightfully absurd and there are enjoyable elements in it, but the plot feels like it’s trying to do too many things at once to the point where it doesn’t really keep your attention all the way through. 

            With that said, there are aspects of the film done extremely well most notably the dynamic between Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell. I found the banter between them very funny, both have strong comedic delivery, and there’s even a humorous homage to Howard’s character from the Jurassic World movies that was probably the funniest joke in the movie. 

Rockwell in particular gives probably his most charismatic and outrageous performances of his career in this movie and is a huge standout. Just about everything he says in the film not only made me laugh but made me laugh hard. 

Bryan Cranston is also having a ball as this over-the-top criminal mastermind with a shotgun on his mantle named Clementine. There’s also a twist surrounding his character that I honestly didn’t see coming and found very effective. 

Given that this is a Matthew Vaughn production, the action is very adrenaline pumping and stylized like a fun car chase at the beginning of the movie and the entire train sequence shown in the trailers that encompasses Kingsmanand Bullet Train energy. There’s even a whole action scene involving figure skating that’s easily the most ridiculous and creative sequence in the film. 

 The soundtrack is also fantastic with a mix of disco music, a secret Beatles song, and Ariana DeBose songs that highlight the film’s spy movie tone and makes the action scenes more energetic. To the point where I want to seek out every song featured in the movie on iTunes because damn, this is such an amazing soundtrack. 

Argylle may not entirely live up to its silly premise as it does overcomplicate its story, but its excellent cast, thrilling action, phenomenal soundtrack, and tongue-in-cheek humor make it a decent-enough watch. If you can catch a matinee show or on your local theater’s discount day this ain’t a bad time-waster, otherwise I’d recommend just waiting for Apple TV+.