GAME REVIEW: Sonic x Shadow Generations review

GAME REVIEW: SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS: 

SHADOW’S STELLAR EXPANSION TO 20^TH ANNIVERSARY SONIC TITLE! 

By Nico Beland

Game Review: A 

SEGA/SONIC TEAM

Classic and Modern Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic x Shadow Generations

 

            In 2011, Sega released the video game, Sonic Generations in celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise which ended up being one of the best games in the series. I even reviewed the original game for my high school newspaper back when it came out as it was largely responsible for me rediscovering my love for Sonic after a string of underwhelming or downright terrible entries. 

            When I initially reviewed it, I gave it a B+ mainly because of Sonic’s friends doing very little in the story and that I thought it lacked the character development of games like Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 and even Sonic Heroes. Looking back, that was kind of a minor issue and the game itself is still an incredible time 13 years later, it’s an A-Rank now. 

            Now, with the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie right around the corner which will feature the character, Shadow the Hedgehog’s big screen debut, I thought it’d be an appropriate time to pay tribute to that newspaper review I did all those years ago with the new, Sonic x Shadow Generations. The game is actually 2 games in 1 with the first being a remaster of Sonic Generations with re-recorded cutscene dialogue and a higher frame rate while the second is an all-new campaign set in-between the events of Sonic Generations focused on Shadow titled Shadow Generations which is what I played for this review. 

            I already hailed the original Sonic Generations as one of Sonic’s best games, but Shadow Generations adds even more on top of an already fantastic game and his campaign alone makes it worth checking out even if you still have your OG game. It is significantly shorter than the base game, but Shadow Generations takes full advantage of what’s given to it and manages to be more story-driven than the original in its short amount of time. 

            The game follows Shadow the Hedgehog aboard the Space Colony ARK (Where he was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik in Sonic Adventure 2) investigating a report of unusual activity (Oh, and Rouge the Bat is at Sonic’s birthday party while this is happening). It turns out there is something on the ARK and it’s none other than Shadow’s alien second father and arch nemesis, Black Doom who survived his defeat at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog. 

            When he tries to pursue him, the Time Eater (from Sonic Generations) appears and warps Shadow to the realm of White Space (The white void where Sonic and friends are teleported to in Sonic Generations where time doesn’t exist) where a mysterious object known as the Black Moon hovers over it. 

Shadow notices a few familiar faces including his Team Dark partner, E-123 Omega, Big the Cat, and Dr. Eggman’s robots, Orbot and Cubot in White Space. However, the most shocking to him is Shadow finds his seemingly alive creator and Eggman’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik and Gerald’s granddaughter and his only friend aboard the ARK, Maria Robotnik before she and Gerald met their demise 50 years ago when Shadow was created. 

            Determined to find answers, Shadow speeds through his entire history (Stages from previous Sonic games likeRadical Highway from Sonic Adventure 2, Rail Canyon from Sonic Heroes, Kingdom Valley from Sonic ’06, etc.) while along the way discovering new powers and abilities courtesy of Black Doom’s influence. But Black Doom has other plans as he intends to use the newly powerful Shadow to possess him, gain his powers, and become unstoppable; and Shadow ain’t having that. 

            I didn’t spend much time on Sonic Generations as that part of the game is exactly the same except higher quality graphics, re-recorded dialogue during cutscenes as already mentioned (Some of the characters’ voice actors changed since the release of the original) that at times feels stilted, and now there’s Chao to collect in each stage (Kind of like in Sonic Advance 3). You’re still getting one of the best Sonic games of all time regardless even if I don’t think the cutscene dialogue is nearly as snappy as in the original. 

            Shadow Generations is the real meat and bones of this review and is essentially what Bowser’s Fury was to the remastered Super Mario 3D World where it expands upon the original game and gives more insight on the characters and plot. The plot is still pretty simple like Sonic Generations, Sonic/Shadow are sent to a dimension where there’s no time and have to go through previous events to figure out what’s happening, but Shadow’s story also involves him avoiding the returning Black Doom’s temptations and reuniting with Maria and Gerald before they were killed and hopes to change their fate. 

            There are some genuinely heartfelt moments in Shadow’s part of the game specifically when Maria and Gerald enter the picture. There’s a scene where Shadow is full of anger and revenge because of Black Doom and Maria knocks some sense into him by telling her that “Without light, there is only darkness and a shadow will help you find the light” (Hence why she named him Shadow) in a very touching moment and even the ending of Shadow Generations where he, Maria, and Gerald accept their eventual fate in order to save the fabric of time almost had me teary-eyed. 

            The game is also filled with references and callbacks to previous games, I was delighted when the Fake Chaos Emerald Tails made in Sonic Adventure 2 to foil Eggman’s plan was shown in the beginning and when Shadow encounters Sonic and says the “It’ll be a date to die for” line from Sonic Heroes. Even Shadow’s motorcycle from Shadow the Hedgehog makes an appearance in the game’s Collection Room that houses art, music, and movies you unlock during the game. 

            It’s also structured like Sonic Generations where you complete 3 Zones, 2 Acts per Zone, play Challenge Stages to unlock Boss Keys, and defeat Boss enemies including The Biolizard from Sonic Adventure 2, Metal Overlord from Sonic Heroes, and Mephiles the Dark from Sonic ’06. A lot of the Challenge Stages are a great way to test your reflexes, abilities, and reaching the Goal Ring under specific conditions like with only one Ring to protect you or destroy a certain amount of enemies in the time limit. 

            I appreciate the fact the game isn’t insane with its challenge when it tests your platforming skills and when you fail an obstacle or challenge it doesn’t make you want to rage quit, it makes you want to get better at it. I found it a mostly relaxed time though it did start kicking my butt in the later part of the game. 

            The gameplay is similar to Sonic Generations and other titles in the Sonic boost-era where much of it is about blazing at high speeds, but Shadow has his own unique moves to make him more than just a Sonic skin. For example, Shadow can shoot Chaos Spears to stun enemies and activate locks on gated off areas and when the Chaos Control meter is filled up, you can use it to slow down time and zip past obstacles with a Boost which is very satisfying to do; he can also Double Jump which Sonic can’t do in the original game by pressing the jump button twice and the attack button for the Homing Attack. 

            Shadow also has his new abilities from Black Doom that either enhance or transform him depending on what they do such as creating a giant manta ray known as the Doom Surf which allows him to travel across water and turning himself into a giant squid to get across sticky goop and swing across airborne orbs with the Doom Morph, and finally growing a pair of demon wings and gliding through the levels called…well, Doom Wings. These can take some time to get the hang of, but they can make for some fun ways to progress through the levels. 

            This is easily the best Shadow has controlled since Sonic Adventure 2 and if you ask me it’s way more refined here. Shadow isn’t as slippery as in other games even when boosting and his ground control is super responsive, he is just a joy to control here whether it’s speed or platforming, and any slipperiness or failing an obstacle felt like it was me simply being careless and not on the game itself.  

Because his hub-world is in 3D unlike in Sonic Generations, it’s just as much fun to simply run through the world, test out Shadow’s abilities, and uncover special chests filled with hidden goodies you get when collecting emblems in a stage (Basically Shadow’s version of the Red Rings). Shadow’s journey is much shorter yet there’s so much more to do than in Sonic’s campaign. 

I do have some issues though, while the Maria and Gerald moments are the emotional core of the game, they aren’t given much to do in the storyline. There needed to be more scenes or dialogue pieces with Shadow, Maria, and Gerald together to make it more effective, as is they’re very well-executed, but I felt they could have done more with them.  

This game is also called Sonic x Shadow Generations and aside from the return of Black Doom and his army of Black Arms aliens, there is hardly any acknowledgement of Shadow the Hedgehog’s own game from 2005. It is not a good game don’t get me wrong, but because it is tied to Shadow’s story I think it would make more sense to have a level based off Westopolis (The first stage in the game) here and instead they went with 2 levels from games Shadow was either barely involved with or wasn’t even in at all (Sunset Heights from Sonic Forces and Chaos Island from Sonic Frontiers), I thought that was a serious missed opportunity. 

I think I said all I can about the game in this behemoth of a review, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a spectacular entry in the Sonic franchise that adds more on top of an already great game. This truly is the Year of Shadow and rightfully so as I eagerly await his appearance in the third Sonic movie voiced by Keanu Reeves this Christmas. 

Moana 2 review

MOANA 2: 

A DECENT BUT SHALLOWER SECOND SAILING WITH MOANA AND MAUI! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY

Moana, Maui, Pua, and Heihei are back in Moana 2

 

            The (sorta) Disney Princess who’s literally friends with the ocean returns for another fantastic voyage in Moana 2, the latest feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios and follow-up to the 2016 animated musical, Moana. I really enjoyed the first Moana and hailed it as one of the best animated films from 2016 alongside Disney’s other release that year, Zootopia (Which coincidentally is getting a sequel next year). 

            Sure it doesn’t have nearly as big a cultural impact as The Lion King or Frozen, but the songs are incredibly catchy, the characters are lovable, and the story is downright brilliant and really pushed the envelope for how an animated Disney Princess film is told. It was widely praised and financially successful to the point where now we’re getting a live-action remake of Moana in the near future, but that’s for another time. 

            Instead, we’re talking about the sequel to the original animated film with Auliʻi Cravalho (All Together Now,Hailey’s On It, Mean Girls (2024)) and Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji 2 and 3) reprising their roles as the voice of Polynesian wayfinder, Moana and shape-shifting demigod, Maui and David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller taking over directing duties from John Musker and Ron Clements. The movie was originally intended to be a miniseries on Disney+, but I guess because of the success the first film had, Disney trimmed the fat, stitched it together as a feature, and put it into theaters for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

            I was skeptical about that because turning what was originally meant to be a series or episodes of a series into a film is a very difficult task with Digimon: The Movie being a prime example of how NOT to do it. Well, now that Moana’s second venture out at sea has arrived, how does it hold up especially compared to its stellar predecessor? Moana 2 is…a perfectly serviceable continuation. 

            This is easily better than Disney’s other recent animated feature outings (Strange World, Wish), but coming off a movie that took the Disney animated formula in a new direction, Moana 2 pretty much gives the exact movie you’re expecting if you’ve seen the trailers. With that said, it’s mostly done well and there isn’t really anything wrong with the film, but more on that later. 

            Set three years after the first movie, the film follows Moana spending her days exploring new islands with her friends, Pua the Pig and Heihei the Chicken in hopes of finding more people who are connected to the ocean. But when she receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana and Maui (and the rest) set off on another adventure at sea to find a mysterious sunken island known as Motufetu and break its curse to save Oceania. 

            The film also features the voices of Rose Matafeo (Funny Girls, Baby Done, Starstruck) as Loto, David Fane (Sione 1 and 2, Our Flag Means Death, Next Goal Wins) as Kele, Temuera Morrison (Vertical Limit, Star Wars: Episodes II and III, Aquaman 1 and 2) reprising his role as Chief Tui, Nicole Scherzinger (Be Cool, Men in Black 3, Ralph Breaks the Internet) reprising her role as Sina, Rachel House (Whale Rider, Thor: Ragnarok, Soul) reprising her role as Tala, and Alan Tudyk (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) reprising his role as the voice of Heihei. 

            Overall, Moana 2 pales in comparison to its predecessor and doesn’t really take audiences anywhere new, but it’s a gorgeously animated and charming enough continuation of the Moana storyline. It didn’t feel like Wish where it seemed so artificial and soulless in its execution, it felt like the filmmakers couldn’t quite create something that would live up to the first and decided to just make a fun albeit familiar animated adventure for the kids and families to watch over the Thanksgiving holiday with characters they know and love, there was actual passion put into this. 

            I will praise this movie on an animation standpoint as Moana 2 is simply breathtaking and looks spectacular on the big screen. The vibrant colors, the textures, the characters’ details, etc. it’s Frozen II caliber animation but on the water and even though I wasn’t fully immersed in the story, I was marveling at this film on a technical level. 

            It hits a lot of similar beats as the first, but there was never a point where I was calling the movie out for being a lazy cash grab. There were a few times while watching it where I was like “Okay, this is basically this movie’s equivalent of this scene, that scene, this song, that song, this character, that character!”, but not once did they seem like beat-for-beat rip-offs to me as the movie adds enough unique personalities and charm to their characters both old and new (Yes, even Moana’s crew which I initially thought was going to be the aspect that sinks the movie, but they won me over). 

One thing this movie excels at is its heart, I actually found the scenes at the beginning with Moana and her younger sister very sweet and there’s also a pretty touching moment towards the climax involving Moana and Maui that was quite effective which also led into one of the best songs in the movie, Can I Get a Chee Hoo?  

Speaking of which, the songs in Moana 2 are still great though I don’t think they’re quite as memorable as the first movie, this is probably because I had just seen the movie and need time for them to sit with me, but in the moment the songs are well-versed and the musical numbers are entertaining. The opening song, We’re Back is very catchy and a great way to start the movie off, Beyond is essentially this movie’s version of How Far I’ll Go but is still an amazing song, What Could Be Better Than This? is the comedic song to establish the ragtag crew accompanying Moana and Maui on their adventure and it gets some laughs, and Get Lost by Awhimal Fraser (Who voices the film’s kinda villain, Matangi) had me bopping my head in the theater, it’s so good! 

The first Moana I thought had a much stronger story and was more engaging whereas this one mostly goes through the motions and gives a follow-up that treads familiar waters (Pun completely intended this time), but that doesn’t automatically make it bad. It’s a film that gives more of what people enjoyed about the first movie and it succeeds at what it’s doing. 

It isn’t a cinematic game-changer nor is it even a great Disney animated film, but a decent second adventure with Moana and Maui is good enough for me. Sail on in and see for yourself. 

Gladiator II review

GLADIATOR II: 

RIDLEY SCOTT RETURNS TO THE COLOSSEUM IN EPIC SEQUEL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Connie Nielsen in Gladiator II

 

            Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Kingdom of Heaven, The Martian) is back in the colosseum in Gladiator II, the much anticipated sequel to his 2000 epic, Gladiator. The first Gladiator which starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius was a huge deal when it was released as it became the second highest-grossing film of 2000 behind Mission: Impossible 2 and took home the Oscar for Best Picture that year. 

            I can see why it had such a big impact because the first Gladiator is awesome with spectacular battle sequences that still look amazing today, a captivating Russell Crowe performance, and a scene-stealing Joaquin Phoenix as the devious, Commodus. It was a solid, self-contained historical epic that ended on a strong note…anyway, now we have a sequel. 

            Talks of a Gladiator sequel dated all the way to 2001 after the release of the first film, but production was halted after DreamWorks sold the IP to Paramount in 2006 among other setbacks. I was a little skeptical when Gladiator IIwas in active development because how do you follow Gladiator up when the main character is already dead? 

            The answer, make it about the young boy from the first movie who’s now grown up and bring a couple cast members from its predecessor back and there you go. Nevertheless, making a sequel to an Oscar-winning movie is no easy task especially with a film like Gladiator, but I’m happy to report that Gladiator II is a worthy follow-up. 

            Do I think it’s as great as the first film? Not exactly, but I was entertained during my viewing of it. The battle scenes are amazing especially on an IMAX screen and the film does a solid job tying into the first movie. 

            The film is set sixteen years after the death of Maximus and follows his son, Lucius (Paul Mescal-God’s Creatures, Carmen, All of Us Strangers; replacing Spencer Treat Clark from the first film) who is now grown up and becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman Army led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal-The Mandalorian, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Wild Robot). Seeking revenge, Lucius fights as a gladiator for Macrinus (Denzel Washington-Training Day, American Gangster, The Equalizer trilogy), a former slave who plans to overthrow the tyrannical emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn-Overlord, A Quiet Place: Day One, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger-Eighth Grade, News of the World, Thelma). 

            The film also stars Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo, DC Extended Universe, Nobody) reprising her role from the first film as Lucius’s mother Lucilla, Lior Raz (Policeman, Operation: Finale, 6 Underground) as Viggo, Sir Derek Jacobi (Hamlet (1996), Gosford Park, The King’s Speech) reprising his role from the first film as Senator Gracchus, Peter Mensah (Hidalgo, The Incredible Hulk, Avatar) as Jubartha, Matt Lucas (Little Britain, Paddington, Wonka) as the Master of Ceremonies, Alexander Karim (Zero Dark Thirty, Dying of the Light) as Ravi, Tim McInnerny (101/102 Dalmatians, Notting Hill, Johnny English Reborn) as Senator Thraex, Rory McCann (Game of Thrones, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Jumanji: The Next Level) as Tegula, Alec Utgoff (The Tourist, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, San Andreas) as Darius, and Yann Gael (Loro, Saloum, Hot Milk) as Bostar. 

            Overall, Gladiator II doesn’t really offer much new and if you’ve seen the first you know what kind of movie you’re going to get. Regardless, it is still a phenomenally made movie that takes advantage of the size and scope of the big screen while still offering plenty of substance alongside the spectacle. 

            I will say the film does borrow a lot from its predecessor in terms of its storytelling and characters, but I wouldn’t go on record and call it a blatant carbon copy of the first movie. You look at some of these characters and be like “Oh, this must be this movie’s version of this character and that must be this movie’s version of that character” and that’s not exactly a bad thing because for the most part the actors bring their own energy to their roles. 

            Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe (I don’t think I need to say that), but I found his character endearing and was invested in his arc throughout the film, he does a great job making you care about him and wanting to see him get his revenge. Much like Joaquin Phoenix in the first movie, Denzel Washington is the scene-stealer of this film as he commands every scene he’s in and perfectly balances between being incredibly charming and threatening sometimes in the same scenes, easily worthy of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. 

            Pedro Pascal also plays an interesting and complex character as Acacius who on the surface is the man you want to see fall at the hands of Paul Mescal’s Lucius, but he has so many layers to his character that he too becomes someone you end up caring about to an extent. Going further would require stepping into Spoiler territory so I will just say Pascal won me over here. 

            The battle sequences are incredible and it’s astounding that the 86-year-old Ridley Scott is still actively putting his money and resources on the screen to create the most epic, large-scale movie he can. The opening sequence with the ships coming in and invading Lucius’s home had my eyes glued to the screen and is probably my favorite action scene in the movie with flaming catapults and people getting stabbed by arrows and sliced with swords. 

The action in general looks and sounds great on IMAX, you hear every blow with those loud speakers to the point where I was wincing at some of the things people did to each other in the movie and the size and scope of the screen make it feel like you’re right there in the colosseum. I was just marveling at the ancient Roman architecture, costume designs, and large, crowded shots of civilizations, it’s a movie that constantly feels big even when there isn’t any slicing and dicing or blood spurting onscreen. 

Gladiator II probably won’t leave as big an impact as its acclaimed 2000 predecessor, but for those who enjoy the first movie or sword and sandals epics in general, I would strongly recommend seeing this movie in theaters on the biggest screen you can and the loudest sound possible. Are you not entertained? The answer is yes, I was very entertained. 

Wicked review

WICKED: 

CYNTHIA ERIVO AND ARIANA GRANDE DEFY GRAVITY IN FILM VERSION OF ICONIC MUSICAL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

 

            The land of Oz returns to the screen in Wicked, the highly anticipated first chapter of the 2-part film adaptation of the beloved Broadway stage musical of the same name and sort of prequel to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. The film is directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2, Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) and tells the origin of Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy Gale dropped in. 

            I should make this clear, I have never seen the original musical so I’m not sure how faithful it is to the source material and will be judging it on its own merits. I thought the movie looked good as someone who has not seen the stage version when I first saw the trailer though I did start to get tired of seeing it before almost every movie released this year. 

            Well, after all that buzz surrounding the film, I gave the movie version of Wicked and watch and I have to say, this completely exceeded my expectations. For a movie I initially thought looked good but dangerously close to being overhyped, I was enthralled by its story and characters and was even moving my feet while seated along to many of the songs.  

            The film follows Glinda (Ariana Grande-Victorious, Sam & Cat, Don’t Look Up) who after the demise of The Wicked Witch of the West recounts a time when she wasn’t so wicked and was simply known as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo-Widows, Bad Times at the El Royale, Harriet), a young woman with a peculiar condition, and by that I mean she has green skin and magic powers. When she is enrolled into Shiz University, Elphaba meets the popular and privileged, Glinda and what begins as a rivalry soon becomes a strong friendship between the two witches. 

            But a fateful trip to the Emerald City and encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum-The Big Chill, Jurassic Park franchise, Thor: Ragnarok) leads to a conflict between Glinda and Elphaba with the latter slowly beginning her descent into The Wicked Witch of the West. 

            The film also stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Everything Everywhere All at Once, A Haunting in Venice) as Shiz University Dean of Sorcery Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey (Testament of Youth, The Young Messiah, Jurassic World: Rebirth) as Fiyero Tigelaar, Ethan Slater (SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical) as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s paraplegic sister Nessarose, Peter Dinklage (Elf, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Infinity War) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond, and Bowen Yang (The Lost City, Bros, Dicks: The Musical) and Bronwyn James (Harlots, The Dig, How to Train Your Dragon (2025)) as Glinda’s friends Pfannee and ShenShen. 

            Overall, this first chapter of the Wicked film adaptation is an incredible feat on both a technical and storytelling level with an interesting perspective and greater depth on these characters we’ve known for a very long time through other Oz stories. This is also one of the most large-scale, visually dazzling movies I’ve seen all year (Gladiator II is tomorrow FYI) and I strongly urge people to see this in a theater for the best experience. 

            Yes, there is some CGI used on things like Flying Monkeys and Talking Goats, but most of this film was shot on sets with practical effects and it is incredible to look at. Much like films such as Avatar and Hugo, I was relishing in Wicked’s gorgeous production design and admiring all the work that went into it, I didn’t see it in IMAX but the movie looked amazing on the screen I watched it on. 

            On top of the visuals, I was captivated by Elphaba and Glinda’s stories and seeing how they became the characters we know from The Wizard of Oz to the point where now, I’m going to feel very sorry for the Wicked Witch when Dorothy dumps the bucket of water on her next time I revisit the original film. You legitimately feel for Elphaba in this movie and throughout the movie, you’re pretty much on her side even when she starts to descend into the Wicked Witch towards the end of the film and a lot of that is because of Cynthia Erivo who is damn good here. 

            Erivo really brings this likability and tragedy to the misunderstood, Elphaba and has outstanding chemistry with Grande’s Glinda, not to mention a chilling and phenomenal singing voice that blasts through the theater speakers. I’m serious, I just might have to get the soundtrack to this movie just because of her voice I mean, damn! 

            Ariana Grande is also a standout as Glinda and my personal feelings towards her aside, I thought she was great in the role and surprisingly hilarious as this hybrid of essentially Glinda from Wizard of Oz and Regina George from Mean Girls. She starts off as this wealthy, self-obsessed princess who only cares about herself but much like Erivo’s Elphaba, her character evolves over the course of the film and even during her mean moments she is somehow still very likable which is really difficult to do with a character like this. 

            The musical numbers are marvelous with so much kinetic energy, passion, and visual dazzle exploding onto the screen. My favorites are probably Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero’s Dancing Through Life song sequence where the Shiz students are dancing in what appears to be a giant clock and the Popular duet by Erivo and Grande, the climactic Defying Gravity sequence by Erivo is also top-tier and gave me goosebumps despite hearing the song in every trailer for the movie. 

            I’ve never seen the stage version, but I could tell by this movie that Jon M. Chu has a lot of love for the musical and does what he can to put as many plot elements into the movie as possible, especially with it being a 2-parter. There’s even a neat cameo from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth who played Elphaba and Glinda in the original musical in here. 

            For a movie I didn’t have much anticipation for, Wicked defied gravity and surpassed my expectations with a truly magical and irresistible film adaptation that’s among the best Wizard of Oz-related movies. I have fallen under the film’s spell and I eagerly await Wicked: Part Two next year to see where it goes next. 

Red One review

RED ONE: 

DWAYNE JOHNSON AND CHRIS EVANS HOLIDAY ACTION-COMEDY IS A HO-HO-HUMBUG! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

MGM

Lucy Liu, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and J.K. Simmons in Red One

 

            Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji 2 and 3) and Chris Evans (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Snowpiercer, Knives Out) set off on a mission to rescue Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons-Spider-Mantrilogy, Whiplash, Juror #2) in Red One, the new Christmas action-comedy from director Jake Kasdan (Orange County, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Jumanji 2 and 3). I remembered seeing the trailer and thinking “Sure, this could be fun and I’m usually down for a good holiday-themed action movie”, Die Hard is unironically one of my Christmas movies and while this movie didn’t look anything spectacular, it could be entertaining in its own right given the names attached to it. 

            A Christmas buddy action-comedy with The Scorpion King and Captain America saving Santa Claus who’s played by J. Jonah Jameson from the Spider-Man movies from the director of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, how could go wrong? Unfortunately, quite a bit. 

            I’m not calling it an awful Christmas movie, but for a film with this many talented and funny people in front of and behind the camera, I was expecting something far better. Honestly, a dumpster fire filled with coal would have been more interesting, instead this movie is simply mediocre. 

            The film follows Callum Drift (Johnson) who is the head commander of Santa’s ELF (Enforcement of Logistics and Fortification) security that protects Santa Claus during the Christmas season. But when Santa is kidnapped on Christmas Eve, Callum is forced to team up with infamous mercenary white-hat hacker (and Level 4 Naughty Lister), Jack O’Malley (Evans) in order to find him and save Christmas. 

            The film also stars Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels 1 and 2, Chicago, Kill Bill: Vol. 1) as Zoe Harlow, Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Twisters) as Grýla, Bonnie Hunt (Rain Man, Jumanji, The Green Mile) as Mrs. Claus, Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, The Fate of the Furious, Cocaine Bear) as Krampus, Nick Kroll (Get Him to the Greek, Kroll Show, Sausage Party) as Ted, Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Grinder, Licorice Pizza) as Olivia, and Marc Evan Jackson (Parks and Recreation, 22 Jump Street,DuckTales (2017)) as Uncle Rick. 

            Overall, Red One has some fun moments and occasionally there’s a funny line or inventive scene, unfortunately it’s a manufactured, overbudgeted, and surprisingly soulless holiday action-comedy that desperately needed more Christmas magic. Apparently, this was originally set to be a streaming movie on Amazon Prime Video, but they switched it to a theatrical release and it REALLY feels like a streaming movie that somehow made its way onto theater screens at times. 

            This movie has a budget of approximately $250 million ($13 million more than the first Avatar’s budget) and the majority of its effects look remarkably fake and cheap. Most of the action is so CGI heavy, it feels like you’re watching a video game with no real weight to anything onscreen and on top of that, there are times where you can clearly see the actors’ stunt doubles during certain action scenes, what happened to this movie? 

It had to be because of Dwayne Johnson’s involvement but look at films like The Creator or District 9 which had incredible special effects created on shoestring budgets compared to mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. The only time where the movie actually has some decent effects are when Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans are in Krampus’ lair and they’re surrounded by tons of freaky monsters and demons, many of which were created practically and with makeup. 

They certainly aren’t on the same level as Stan Winston or Rick Baker’s work, but compared to the digital CGI shlock the rest of the movie is covered in, I have to give this scene a lot of credit for at least having things in front of the camera during it. That’s twice now Krampus saved movies with practical effects, you sure he’s not the hero of the story? 

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans are a fine buddy duo for a movie like this and a lot of their banter can be entertaining. Dwayne Johnson plays his typical muscle man-type character who’s tough but also has a heart while Chris Evans is this smartass bounty hunter with a history of unlawful deeds who gets shoehorned into helping Johnson save Santa. 

Johnson and Evans are really what brings this movie some energy when they’re onscreen together and J.K. Simmons is a great Santa (Though if you’ve seen the animated Netflix movie, Klaus you already knew that). He’s not doing the badass action movie Santa shtick that David Harbour already did a couple years ago in Violent Night, but he is a more in-shape version of him who is seen lifting weights while also being wise and teaching Johnson lessons about how being put on the Nice or Naughty list can be an opportunity and that it’s their job to look after the kids even when they aren’t kids anymore. 

Sadly, despite a great cast and a few funny and imaginative moments, Red One is an overblown lump of coal of a holiday action-comedy that puts cheap-looking special effects over story and characters and is neither funny nor exciting enough to put under your tree. I would recommend skipping this and rewatch Die Hard instead or if you really need to have your Santa action movie, watch Violent Night as it has much better action, David Harbour gives a great performance as Santa, and most importantly, it’s actually funny. 

Heretic review

HERETIC: 

HUGH GRANT KILLS (AND CHARMS) IN LATEST A24 HORROR FILM! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

A24

Hugh Grant in Heretic

 

            Two Mormon missionaries are trapped in a house with an unhinged and dangerous Hugh Grant (Love Actually, The Gentlemen, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) in Heretic, the latest horror film from A24 and writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, Haunt, 65). I have been absolutely loving this new era of Hugh Grant acting in recent years with performances that really showcased his capabilities outside of those rom-coms from the 90s and 2000s such as the cartoonishly evil antagonist in Paddington 2 and his outrageously foul-mouthed performance as Fletcher in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen so him starring in an A24 horror movie had me intrigued from the beginning. 

            After seeing it, I have to admit that not only do I think this is among one of Hugh Grant’s best performances, but it might even be his best ever. He is freaking amazing in this film and perfectly balances between being incredibly charming and creepy, often at the same time…oh, and the movie itself is fantastic too. 

            The film follows Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher-Prospect, Yellowjackets, The Boogeyman) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East-Ice, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, The Fabelmans) arriving at the home of a reclusive Englishman named Mr. Reed (Grant) in hopes of converting him to the Church of Jesus Christ. But it turns out this seemingly charming Englishman is much more dangerous and terrifying than expected as the two sisters are locked in this mouse trap of a house with only one way to escape, debate their religion.  

            The film also stars Topher Grace (That 70s Show, Spider-Man 3, BlacKkKlansman) as Elder Kennedy. 

            Overall, Heretic is a suspenseful and even humorous tour de force for Hugh Grant and a massive step up from 65 for Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Grant really is what makes this movie work and is essentially like a twisted version of his rom-com persona as he does start off being genuinely charming and likable, but you also know he’s eventually going to do horrible things to these ladies. 

            I also love how even when he’s being creepy in the movie, Hugh Grant still acts like a gentleman which honestly makes the scenes even scarier somehow. It feels like a performance written specifically for him and I hope he gets some awards attention for this because this is Hugh Grant at his best. 

            The movie itself is consistently engaging and keeps your interest with the characters questioning their own religious beliefs and Grant’s Mr. Reed challenging those beliefs in intense and horrific ways. I’m not a very religious person if I’m being honest, but I was invested and captivated by these characters (Even Mr. Reed) and understanding their perspectives on religion. 

            The film gave me very conflicting feelings regarding its themes because I certainly don’t want these two Mormon missionary sisters to endure these horrific experiences by Mr. Reed while at the same time I want Mr. Reed to challenge their religious beliefs, maybe with less hostages but I will gladly accept more comparisons to fast food, board games, and The Phantom Menace in my religious analysis. It also dives into some horrific revelations as to how most if not all religions are created which I found a lot more terrifying than smiling demons and substances that turn people into deformed monsters when misused. 

            It still retains some traditional horror elements (The occasional jump scare, raggedy-looking person that’s been locked up for some time saying/doing something creepy to the protagonists, gory kill, etc.), but it’s mostly a very dialogue-heavy and intellectual kind of horror that’s more subtle with its scares rather than shocking. It may be a turnoff point for those expecting a full-on spook-fest, but I think most people know what they’re getting here so that shouldn’t be an issue. 

            Heretic is one of those indie horror films I absolutely loved, but at the same time I sort of don’t want to discuss it in great detail since it’s a lot more fun for your reactions to be 100% natural and authentic while watching it. I will say that it’s a creepy, brilliantly crafted, and even comical at times entry in A24’s ever growing horror library with a scene-stealing Hugh Grant at the top of his game, just go watch it! 

Kumoricon 2024 Recap