The Roses review

THE ROSES: 

CUMBERBATCH AND COLMAN GO SAVAGE IN OUTRAGEOUS UPDATE OF WAR OF THE ROSES! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman in The Roses

 

            Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Mitchells VS the Machines, Paddington in Peru) join forces to bring a new update of Warren Adler’s novel, The War of the Roses to the screen in the black-comedy, The Roses. The film is directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers trilogy, Meet the Parents, Dinner for Schmucks) and written by Tony McNamara (Poor Things) and is the second film adaptation of The War of the Roses following the 1989 movie version directed by Danny DeVito and starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. 

            I was sold on the trailer alone to which I was literally thinking the first time I saw it “Wait, is this another movie adaptation of The War of the Roses?” and lo and behold the title for the movie appeared onscreen right after I thought that followed by “Based on the Novel, The War of the Roses”. The 1989 version is an icon in dark comedy even right down to having a director who’s known for his dark, twisted sense of humor, but I was certainly interested in seeing what Roach, Cumberbatch, and Colman were going to do with the material, 

            While I certainly understand this movie might not be everyone’s cup of tea (No pun intended given the leads), I found The Roses hilarious. It probably won’t become a black-comedy classic like the 1989 film, but I laughed pretty frequently and much of it did come from Cumberbatch and Colman’s performances. 

            The film follows Ivy (Colman) and Theo Rose (Cumberbatch) who live the perfect life together, one’s a successful architect and another is an up-and-coming restauranter, a loving marriage, great kids, and a lovely house by the sea. But when Theo’s career goes downhill and Ivy starts taking off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites as the two of them clash for everything they have. 

            The film also stars Andy Samberg (Hot Rod, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers) as Barry, Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters (2016), The Spy Who Dumped Me) as Amy, Allison Janney (Juno, I, Tonya, Another Simple Favor) as Eleanor, Belinda Bromilow (Doctor Doctor, The Great) as Janice, Sunita Mani (Mr. Robot, Evil Eye, Death of a Unicorn) as Jane, Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Doctor Who, Barbie) as Jeffrey, Jamie Demetriou (Fleabag, Cruella, Back in Action) as Rory, and Zoë Chao (Strangers, The Afterparty, Nightbitch) as Sally. 

            Overall, The Roses is arguably a mixed bag and your enjoyment of it will depend on your tolerance of very dark humor and over-the-top scenarios. For me, I can handle it and I had a blast with this movie. 

            While the film hits a lot of the same beats as the 1989 War of the Roses, it’s not a one-to-one remake of it as the bombastic war of said Roses isn’t until the last third with the rest of the movie building up to it. Also, this one does flesh out some of the details as to why the Roses started clashing at each other with Cumberbatch’s character’s once-successful career going downhill while Colman’s takes off so you kind of understand where it’s coming from, a form of jealousy over the other. 

            Following up Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner from the previous film is no easy task, but Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman’s comedic talents shine through and are easily the best part of the movie. Seeing these two sophisticated and celebrated British actors (One of which being a star on both stage and screen) going savage and unleashing their crazy sides is just fun to me and generate a ton of laughs throughout the film…we live in a world now where the guy from The Imitation Game grates a toe wart into his wife’s cooking, what a time to be alive. 

            Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon also get some decent laughs as another married couple Cumberbatch and Colman’s characters are friends with though nowhere near as consistently funny as the stuff the Roses are doing. Allison Janney is hysterical as Ivy’s divorce lawyer though she isn’t nearly as prominent as Danny DeVito was in the earlier movie, she’s literally just in one scene despite her being the fourth person credited and shown on the film’s poster. 

            The Roses is a solid update on The War of the Roses that probably won’t be as remembered as the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner version, but Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman’s surprisingly strong comedic timing and plenty of dark humor make it a demented good time in its own right. It’s easily Jay Roach’s best movie since Meet the Parents way back in 2000 and I will go to “War” with people over that statement if I must. 

Ne Zha II review

NE ZHA II: 

CHINA’S VISUALLY DAZZLING MAGNUM OPUS IN CINEMA ANIMATION! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

A24

The demon child is back in Ne Zha II

 

            The mythological demon fighting demon child returns in Ne Zha II, the follow-up to the 2019 Chinese animated feature film, Ne Zha. I watched Ne Zha for the first time last night and I have to admit it was a pleasant surprise, sure the English dub’s voices don’t match the lip movements resulting in a rather stilted presentation, but the animation in that movie is absolutely gorgeous, the action sequences are spectacular, and the characters are very endearing, it’s a solid movie. 

            Which brings us to the sequel and boy, did this movie generate a lot of buzz when it came out as not only did it dethrone Pixar’s Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, but it became the very first animated feature to cross the $2 billion mark. Really think about this, an animated movie not made by Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, or even Illumination made over $2 billion at the box-office, that is crazy. 

            Well, since A24 just released an English dub of the movie, I thought it’d give me a reason to finally see what all the fuss is about regarding this and its predecessor. After seeing it for myself, I understand the hype it got because damn, this movie is spectacular on both a technical and emotional level while also doing what all great sequels do, progress the story along, expand its world, and raise the stakes. 

            The film follows Ne Zha (voiced by Crystal Lee) and his friend Ao Bing (voiced by Aleks Le) who after being struck by heavenly lightning, their bodies are destroyed and only Ne Zha’s body can be reconstructed while he carries Ao Bing’s soul. However, during their process of reconstruction, numerous obstacles and foes arise and thus Ne Zha and Ao Bing will have to work together to fend them off including the return of the wicked Master Shen (voiced by Daniel Riordan-Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins). 

            The film also features the voices of Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Wicked 1 and 2) replacing Stephanie Sheh as Ne Zha’s mother Lady Yin, Vincent Rodriguez III (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, White Snake, The Ghost and Molly McGee) reprising his role as Ne Zha’s father Li Jung, and William Utay (Seinfeld, Star Trek: Enterprise, Days of Our Lives) as the leader of the Taoist Chan sect Master Wuliang.

            Overall, Ne Zha II is a gorgeous and kinetic animated sequel that outshines its predecessor and sets a new standard for big screen cinema animation. Like the English dub of the first movie, the voices don’t match the lip movements which at times can be a little distracting and awkward, but to the voice actors’ credit they aren’t half-assing it and it’s only a minor nitpick in an otherwise incredible film. 

            This movie is a visual marvel and looks amazing on the big screen, I was constantly in awe at what I was looking at on the screen. The colors are vibrant and really pop, the character expressions especially on Ne Zha himself are almost Pixar quality (I’m talking good Pixar, not that bean-mouth nonsense!) in terms of their emotions and details, the comedy is very slapstick heavy which lends itself to animation perfectly, the monster designs are insanely creative, and the action is superfast and energized throughout. 

I’ll go on record and say the animation in this looks ten times better than most Hollywood film animation nowadays and I think the best Western animation studios should look at this film and focus on trying to create something of this caliber. This is easily Best Animated Feature Oscar material though I guess between this and the streaming releases, KPop Demon Hunters and Predator: Killer of Killers, it’d be a win for me regardless of the outcome. 

            Animation aside, the movie is also fantastic with its characters and giving them a lot of depth. I was invested in the equally flawed Ne Zha and Ao Bing’s hero’s journeys and the two of them have great banter with one soul inside the other’s body while also selling the emotional and sentimental moments as well, the kinds of protagonists you want to root for from start to finish. 

            I also thought Master Shen who was the initial villain in the first movie had a lot more to do this time around and really made me care about him as a character with him taking an antihero role here and a brotherly figure to another character that’s introduced. Despite not sounding anything like Stephanie Sheh, Michalle Yeoh as Ne Zha’s mother is the emotional anchor of the film with some genuinely heartfelt scenes that nearly made me cry, no joke. 

            The movie is longer than the first Ne Zha clocking in at 2 hours and 23 minutes and it doesn’t feel its length, nothing drags, everything that happens is important, and it keeps this momentum all throughout the film. This is also a movie that throws a lot at you yet I was able to follow it well and be intrigued and captivated by where it was going. 

            My knowledge of Chinese mythology is paper thin, but I found the world-building and lore of Ne Zha II and its predecessor very fascinating. This is a movie about a boy created from a demon orb who’s friends with a dragon prince created from a spirit orb and goes to a palace in the clouds with shape-shifting dragon Gods; all of it is interesting and ironically it did a better job at teaching Chinese mythology than Disney’s live-action Mulan remake from a while back. 

            Ne Zha II is a breathtaking, exciting, and compelling animated epic that puts some of the best Hollywood animation studios to shame. It’s a technical achievement that doesn’t overshadow its story and characters and becomes a new landmark in the animation industry that’s absolutely worth watching in theaters if you can. 

            After seeing two truly spectacular animated movies back to back, I will be there for Ne Zha III and given the massive success of this one, not doing a third film would be criminal. Not counting the recent Sing-Along release of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, this is easily the best animated film I saw in theaters this year and that’s quite an accomplishment. 

Honey Don't! review

HONEY DON’T!: 

A COMPETENT BUT MISGUIDED SECOND SOLO PROJECT FROM ETHAN COEN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Margaret Qualley in Honey Don’t!

 

            A small-town private investigator delves into a series of deaths tied to a mysterious church in Honey Don’t!, the second solo film from director Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, True Grit (2010)) after 2024’s Drive-Away Dolls which reunites him with his lead star from that movie, Margaret Qualley (Sanctuary, Poor Things, The Substance). I was looking forward to this movie, I love the Coen Brothers and their work (Though like Drive-Away Dolls, this one only involves Ethan and not Joel) and even when a film of theirs doesn’t quite stick the landing like The Ladykillers, it’s usually a fascinating yet still well-made misfire. 

            Despite the film not exactly living up to their collaborative works, I enjoyed Drive-Away Dolls a lot last year and found it to be an entertaining buddy dark-comedy that really showcased Qualley’s skills as a leading actress. So, I was immediately onboard for Coen and Qualley’s next project together which…sadly…is not as good as Drive-Away Dolls. 

            I don’t think Honey Don’t! is a terrible movie as there are some fun things in it particularly the performances by the cast and a few laughs, but the plot structure and pacing severely brings this movie down. It left me feeling empty by the end rather than a legit emotion and honestly just made me wish I was watching a movie from both Joel and Ethan Coen together instead. 

The film is set in Bakersville, California and follows private investigator Honey O’Donahue (Qualley) being called to a crime scene by homicide detective Marty Metakawich (Charlie Day-It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Horrible Bosses 1 and 2, Pacific Rim 1 and 2) who refuses to accept her as a lesbian. It turns out this is only one in a series of murders that are connected to a church led by Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans-Marvel Cinematic Universe, Snowpiercer, Materialists) and fears her rebellious niece Corinne (Talia Ryder-Never Rarely Sometimes Always, West Side Story (2021), Dumb Money) will be the next target so the investigation and race is on. 

The film also stars Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed, Ingrid Goes West, My Old Ass) as Officer MG Falcone, Kristen Connolly (The Happening, The Cabin in the Woods, House of Cards) as Honey’s sister Heidi O’Donahue, Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, The Lion King (2019), Bros) as Mr. Siegfried, Gabby Beans (The Harbinger, Presumed Innocent) as Spider, Don Swayze (On Swift Horses) as Gary, Lena Hall (The Big Gay Musical, Snowpiercer, Your Friends and Neighbors) as Elle, Lera Abova (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, Exterritorial, One Piece (2023)) as Chère, Christian Antidormi (As the Bell Rings, Home and Away, Spartacus: War of the Damned) as Colligan, and Kinna McInroe (Office Space, National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze 2, Deidra & Laney Rob a Train) as Mrs. Novotny. 

            Overall, Honey Don’t! aside from a few entertaining aspects and potentially interesting ideas is a colossal mess and a huge step down from Ethan’s Coen’s last directing effort. It just seemed like Coen was trying to do what he did with Drive-Away Dolls, but he didn’t have the passion or dry wit that made it funny and compelling. 

            I don’t know if it was because I’m too dumb or I just didn’t follow it closely enough or those fuckwads sitting across from me talking throughout the movie distracted me, but I was constantly questioning what is at stake here, what is this movie about, and why should I care? Instead of focusing on the mystery surrounding the church which sounded interesting at first, it decides to focus more on the yuks and various plot detours with the characters in random situations. 

It's as if the mystery was an afterthought despite it being the integral component to the story, the narrative gets lost frequently in this film, plain and simple. Reminded me a lot of Eddington earlier this year which had a lot to say yet through clumsy execution I was questioning what the take-away from the movie was, the same applies to this. 

Margaret Qualley is great here and gets a lot of laughs with her cold, snarky sense of humor though granted, it’s essentially a repeat of the type of character she played in Drive-Away Dolls, but it works. Chris Evans is a lot of fun as this egotistical, sex-addicted pastor and much like his Knives Out performance and when he reprised his role as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s a genuinely funny throwback to Pre-Captain America Chris Evans (And by that I mean him playing a jerk and doing it so well). 

Charlie Day sometimes has a few funny lines though it mostly consists of his characters trying to hit on Qualley’s character. Aubrey Plaza however despite giving some good laughs in her moments of screen-time and generally being a very funny actress I thought was underutilized here with most of her best bits saved for the third act. 

The movie looks nice from a production design and cinematography level, but there’s not a whole lot I can say about it. If you liked how Drive-Away Dolls looked, you’ll probably like this movie’s production design too. 

Ethan Coen’s a talented filmmaker especially when paired up with his brother Joel, unfortunately Honey Don’t!is an empty and misguided follow-up to Drive-Away Dolls with an unfocused narrative, awkward humor, and characters that don’t leave a lasting impression. I hear there’s a third movie in Coen’s lesbian B-movie trilogy currently in development, but if it turns out to be just like this I’ll just tell him and the crew “Honey Don’t!”. 

Nobody 2 review

NOBODY 2: 

BOB ODENKIRK RETURNS IN OVER-THE-TOP FUN FOLLOW-UP! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Bob Odenkirk in Nobody 2

 

            Bob Odenkirk (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Nebraska, Better Call Saul) is back as former government assassin turned family man, Hutch Mansell in Nobody 2, the sequel to the 2021 action movie hit, Nobody. I really enjoyed the first Nobody though I don’t love it as much as say the John Wick movies or the recent Mission: Impossible films, but I found it to be a very entertaining and over-the-top action movie with adrenaline-pumping and well-edited action scenes, tongue in cheek humor, and an absolutely perfect performance from Odenkirk as a prominent action lead. 

            It was well-received critics and performed decently at the box-office (Though it was released after the COVID-19 pandemic) on top of the massive success of the John Wick films so, of course it was going to become a franchise. Sure, I was down to see more Bob Odenkirk unhinged craziness in an action movie setting and Nobody 2 delivers that in spades. 

            I don’t think the film itself is as strong as its predecessor, but in terms of just being a dumb, fun action movie,Nobody 2 was a very enjoyable sit for me. The best way I can describe this movie is imagine National Lampoon’s Vacation if Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold went around killing and maiming corrupt police officers in the amusement park. 

            The film follows former assassin, Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) taking his family on a vacation to a tourist town known as Plummerville. However, he is soon forced to return to his violent antics when he comes face-to-face with a corrupt theme park operator (John Ortiz-Ransom, Fast & Furious, American Fiction), a shady sheriff (Colin Hanks-Roswell, King Kong (2005), Jumanji 2 and 3), and a notorious crime boss (Sharon Stone-Total Recall, Basic Instinct 1 and 2, Casino). 

            The film also stars Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo, DC Extended Universe, Gladiator II) reprising her role as Hutch’s wife Becca Mansell, RZA (The Man with the Iron Fists, The Dead Don’t Die, Problemista) reprising his role as Hutch’s adopted brother Harry Mansell, Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Addams Family 1 and 2) reprising his role as Hutch’s dad and retired FBI agent David Mansell, Colin Salmon (James Bond franchise, Resident Evil franchise, Arrow) reprising his role as The Barber, Gage Munroe (Stoked, Immortals, The Shack) reprising his role as Hutch’s son Brady Mansell, and Daniel Bernhardt (Bloodsport franchise, The Matrixfranchise, John Wick) as Kartoush. 

            Overall, Nobody 2 doesn’t really take the franchise to new heights like the John Wick sequels, but it’s a very enjoyable summer action movie that should provide a solid 90-something minutes of blood-drenched and explosive entertainment. I personally thought the first film had a stronger story and the novelty of seeing someone with a set of skills reign hell on criminals but lacked the grace and discipline of John Wick was fresher too whereas this one gave me exactly what I expected and didn’t try to go beyond that. 

            It’s a movie that focuses more on giving audiences a good time at the theater rather than a compelling narrative with twists and turns. In that regard, this movie is a lot of fun with constant action, silly dialogue, and even some moments of heart woven in. 

            Like its predecessor, the action scenes are over-the-top and shot and edited incredibly well with this no holds barred energy throughout. Basically that John Wick/Bullet Train-style of shooting and editing action with Bob Odenkirk laying waste to these criminals in creatively bloody ways. 

From Hutch slaughtering corrupt cops on a Ride the Ducks-style boat attraction to a glorious climactic showdown where he turns an amusement park into a giant death trap resulting in one of the best amusement park climaxes since the first Zombieland. Action seekers should be very satisfied with their viewing here, I certainly was. 

Bob Odenkirk once again is great as Hutch and is excellent when selling the heartfelt family man side as well as the unhinged, crazy killing machine we came to see. He’s about as opposite as you could get from Keanu Reeves’ John Wick as he does have a dangerous set of skills but also takes a lot of hits and is more abrasive and brute compared to John Wick; both make for great action leads though. 

Sharon Stone is fun as this scenery-chewing crime boss though she is extremely cartoonish here which will either be a plus or detriment to the film depending on what you’re looking for. I was laughing every time she was onscreen though hopefully intentionally this time unlike her Catwoman villain role. 

Christopher Lloyd delivers some laughs as Hutch’s dad and even actors like Colin Hanks, John Ortiz, and Gage Munroe I found myself getting invested in their characters and seeing them interact with Odenkirk. 

Nobody 2 isn’t an action movie game-changer, but those looking for a bloody good time at the movies shouldn’t be disappointed. If you’re in the mood for ridiculous, over-the-top popcorn entertainment then you should pay another visit to this “Nobody”, he’ll hook you up with the brutal goods. 

Fixed review

FIXED: 

SONY’S FIRST VENTURE INTO ADULT ANIMATION IS QUITE A RAUNCHY BITCH INDEED! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

NETFLIX AND SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

Bull the Dog in Fixed

 

            A dog runs away from home in fear of getting neutered in Fixed, an adult-animated feature from Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix, and director Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Hotel Transylvania franchise). This movie certainly gained a lot of attention when it was being developed and especially after its first trailer dropped in a way I haven’t seen or heard for an R-rated animated film since Sausage Party in 2016. 

            It was also shocking that Sony Pictures Animation, the same company behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and also this year’s KPop Demon Hunters was developing this movie which is about as different as you could get from their usual fare. Does that mean we can get R-rated Pixar and DreamWorksfilms now? IDK, just asking! 

            Nevertheless, despite its trailer premiering that was certainly…a trailer, I gave Sony’s first venture into adult animation a shot and…found it pretty funny. Yeah, Fixed is actually not a bad film at all even though I was initially dreading this viewing after seeing the trailer. 

            I don’t think it’s one of the all-time greatest adult-animated films like South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut nor is it as clever as Strays (Another dog-related comedy for adults), but I laughed a fair amount of times while watching it which is more than what I expected when the trailer dropped. This is also coming from someone who watched a lot of South Park, Family Guy, Beavis and Butt-Head, and several Adult Swim shows during middle-high school. 

            The film follows Bull (voiced by Adam DeVine-Workaholics, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, The Lego Batman Movie), a dog who frequently humps everything that piques his interest. But when he learns he is going to be neutered by his owners, Bull and his friends, Rocco (voiced by Idris Elba-Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Jungle Book(2016), Sonic the Hedgehog franchise), Fetch (voiced by Fred Armisen-Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)), and Lucky (voiced by Bobby Moynihan-Saturday Night Live, We Bare Bears, DuckTales (2017)) leave their homes and embark on a life-changing adventure through the city to keep Bull’s genitals intact…maybe also fall in love with that cute neighboring dog, Honey (voiced by Kathryn Hahn-Hotel Transylvania 3 and 4, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Agatha All Along) along the way. 

            The film also features the voices of Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live, The Mitchells VS the Machines,Superman (2025)) as Sterling, Michelle Buteau (First Wives Club, Clerks III, Babes) as Molasses, River Gallo (Love, Victor, Every Body, Ponyboi) as Frankie, Grey DeLisle (The Fairly OddParents, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Nana, Julie Nathanson (The Zeta Project, Avengers Assemble, Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay) as Julia, Michelle Ruff (Bleach, Resident Evil franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog franchise) as Emma, and Kari Wahlgren (FLCL, Phineas and Ferb, Rick and Morty) as Honey’s Mom. 

            Overall, Fixed is a gleefully vulgar detour from family entertainment for Sony Pictures Animation and Genndy Tartakovsky and like The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, a welcome return to hand-drawn cinema animation. It is definitely not for everyone and I’m not surprised the general reactions to this movie are mixed, but as someone who loved adult animation when he was a tween/teen, I got some good laughs out of this. 

            Despite the film’s insane premise, the animation is both gorgeous and zany with sort of a Ren and Stimpy meets The Haunted World of El Superbeasto vibe. Constant, fast-paced cartoon animation with the shock value and boundary-pushing raunchiness of El Superbeasto that leaves you laughing and wondering “What the Fuck are you watching?”. 

            While not every joke lands and often relies on shock humor, I found myself laughing at quite a number of gags in this film. Some of my favorites were a douchebag rival dog competing in a dog show that had a consistently funny voice, this insane sequence involving dogs chasing a squirrel that had me laughing on the floor, and a great visual gag involving dogs on the red carpet at the dog show and the owners look exactly like their dogs, best joke in the movie IMO. 

            The voice acting is top notch especially from Idris Elba as Rocco who delivers these nasty, vulgar lines of dialogue in his stoic Knuckles the Echidna-like voice thus making it even funnier in the process. Adam DeVine is also great as the main dog, Bull and honestly I think he could be a prominent voice actor in animation through his line delivery and comedic timing, he already has this naturally cartoony voice so setting it to this horny cartoon dog somehow fits. 

            Other people like Kathryn Hahn, Michelle Buteau, and Fred Armisen have their moments to shine in the film with Armisen thankfully being nowhere near as obnoxious as he was as Cranky Kong in the recent Mario movie. Great voice acting all-around! 

            This is a decent animated comedy with tons of laughs to be had, but I personally felt Strays was a little cleverer with its story. Granted, Strays isn’t a great film either, but it was an allegory on toxic relationships with the main dog and the neglectful owner being the stand-ins for that situation, it’s just as foul and raunchy as this, but it was also smarter with its storytelling. 

            I’m convinced Genndy Tartakovsky is the ultimate troll in the animation industry because he took this outlandish and bonkers idea that probably should have been dead on arrival given the reactions of the initial trailer and made a genuinely funny animated comedy out of it. Not to mention the most experimental Sony Pictures Animation has ever been that opens the door to more possibilities for the animation studio that was once only known for movies like Open Season, Surf’s Up, and The Smurfs, no fixing required for this movie but friends and alcohol are surely welcome. 

Freakier Friday review

FREAKIER FRIDAY: 

SECOND LINDSAY LOHAN AND JAMIE LEE CURTIS BODY-SWAP IS A LIGHTHEARTED GOOD TIME! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in Freakier Friday

 

            Lindsay Lohan (The Parent Trap (1998), Mean Girls, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween franchise, A Fish Called Wanda, Everything Everywhere All at Once) are back as Anna and Tess Coleman in Freakier Friday, the much anticipated sequel to the 2003 remake of the 1976 Disney comedy, Freaky Friday. I really liked Disney’s 2003 remake of Freaky Friday and think it’s one of the rare remakes of a Disney film that’s actually better than the original as it modernized the premise of the 1976 movie and took full advantage of the possibilities (Teenage daughter in the workplace, mother has to learn rock n roll, etc.). 

            Not to mention incredible performances from both Lohan and Curtis as the mother stuck in the teenage daughter’s body and the teenage daughter stuck in the mother’s body. The latter in particular is one of the most consistently funny things in that movie long before Jack Black learned to act like a teenage girl in the Jumanji sequels. 

            Now we have this sequel released 22 years later with Lohan and Curtis reprising their roles and Nisha Ganatra (Cake, Late Night, The High Note) taking over directing duties from Mark Waters. I was skeptical about this when it was announced for various reasons, the over two-decade gap in-between movies and the fact most comedy sequels often don’t live up to their predecessors. 

            Still, I was at least interested in seeing what they would do with a Freaky Friday sequel and it would be nice to see Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis together again regardless of how it turns out. Well, I can say that Freakier Friday is…not bad! 

            It’s honestly hard to be super critical about a movie like this because it gives exactly what you’d expect and doesn’t try to reinvent the Freaky Friday formula or anything like that, it just does the same thing except bigger. But Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are doing their thing again so I can’t complain and they are still wonderful all these years later. 

            The film is set 22 years after the first and follows Anna Coleman (Lohan), now a music producer and mother to teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters-13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Fabelmans) falling in love with British single father, Eric Reyes (Manny Jacinto-The Good Place, Top Gun: Maverick, The Acolyte) and the two of them get engaged. Unfortunately, Harper and Eric’s daughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons-The Social Dilemma, Under Wraps, The Absence of Eden) don’t exactly get along and are always at each other’s throats. 

            After another fateful night, Anna, her mother Tess (Curtis), Harper, and Lily magically switch bodies with mom and grandma becoming the kids and the daughters are now the adults. Just like last time, Anna, Tess, Harper, and Lily will all need to learn a lesson in order to switch back. 

            The film also stars Mark Harmon (Wyatt Earp, NCIS, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) reprising his role as Tess’ husband Ryan, Chad Michael Murray (Dawson’s Creek, A Cinderella Story, Riverdale) reprising his role as Anna’s ex-boyfriend Jake, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever, Turning Red) as Ella, Rosalind Chao (The Joy Luck Club, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mulan (2020)) reprising her role as Chinese restaurant owner Pei-Pei, Stephen Tobolowsky (Thelma & Louise, Basic Instinct, Poolman) reprising his role as Anna’s former teacher Mr. Elton Bates, and Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live, Trainwreck, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) as fortune teller Madame Jen. 

            Overall, Freakier Friday is a perfectly fine follow-up to a Disney movie that’s over 20 years old that doesn’t demand much from its audience and focuses more on giving them a good time instead. It’s a perfect fluff movie which isn’t a strike against it because it is done well enough and there are some genuinely entertaining moments, particularly the performances of Lohan and Curtis again. 

            Jamie Lee Curtis gets a lot of laughs as another young person trapped in an old lady’s body though this time she becomes the British stepdaughter (No accent when she changes). But whether she’s Lindsay Lohan or Sophia Hammons, Jamie Lee Curtis acting like a teenage girl that’s pretending to be an adult will always be funny and it’s neat that this is one of her performances after winning her Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once. 

            Lindsay Lohan is also great and I’ve been enjoying this new era of movies for her as she appeared in the Mean Girls musical remake last year and now she’s reprising another iconic role of hers from the 2000s. She nails the comedy while also delivering a lot of heart to this film whether as herself or as her daughter in her body, Lohan is talented, what more can I say? 

            Even Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons are standouts as the daughter and stepdaughter and one thing I really appreciate is that neither one of them is insufferable. Despite them constantly clashing with each other, I understood what they’re going through and over the course of the film you see them bond together and grow by the end. 

            I do think this movie is a bit too long and there are times where the film drags, but I get it since it’s about four people switching bodies instead of just two and you need to devote enough time to everyone. Personally, I think there are better ways of doing this instead of having Lohan and Curtis in Butters and Hammons’ bodies scraping gum off the bleachers in detention, you feel me? 

            If you’re very nostalgic for the 2003 Freaky Friday then you’ll probably have a good time with Freakier Fridayand enjoy seeing familiar faces from over 20 years ago again. It’s got more of what people loved about its predecessor but doubled and they crank up the goofiness while also blending it with some genuine heart and strong messages about family, it honestly took me back to the 90s and 2000s when Disney would crank these types of films out all the time. 

Weapons review

WEAPONS: 

ZACH CREGGER CRAFTS A TRULY POWERFUL AND TERRIFYING WEAPON OF A HORROR MOVIE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND NEW LINE CINEMA

At 2:17 AM, all the kids in Justine Gandy’s class mysteriously ran away from home in Weapons

 

            Zach Cregger (The Whitest Kids U’ Know, Barbarian, Resident Evil (2026)) returns to the director’s chair with his second horror film, Weapons. This was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, I thoroughly enjoyed Barbarian and hailed it as one of the best films from 2022 and was eagerly awaiting Cregger’s next project. 

            This year, there were two projects with his name attached to them, first came Companion earlier in the year which he produced that I loved and now his next film as a director. Well, I might have done the right thing by immediately following Together up with this because Weapons is an absolutely magnificent horror movie that even surpasses Barbarian. 

            My eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish and was constantly on the edge of my seat, there was never a dull moment or weak point. Constant tension mixed with dark humor and compelling lead characters, it’s so good I think it can go toe-to-toe with Ryan Coogler’s Sinners (Yes, I just said that!). 

            The film is set in the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania where seventeen children all got out of bed at 2:17 in the morning, ran away from their homes, and mysteriously vanished. However, these kids all had one thing in common, they were students of elementary school teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner-Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Wolf Man(2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps). 

            Justine, father of one of the missing children Archer Graff (Josh Brolin-True Grit (2010), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool 2), and police officer Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich-Blue Jasmine, Hail, Caesar!, Solo: A Star Wars Story) must race to solve the mystery behind the children’s disappearance which gets more and more frightening as time goes on. Oh, and a homeless drug addict and burglar named James (Austin Abrams-The Kings of Summer, The Walking Dead, Euphoria) somehow gets roped into all this. 

            The film also stars Benedict Wong (Moon, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Annihilation) as Principal Marcus Miller, Cary Christopher Mr. Mom, Days of Our Lives, Mank) as the only kid in Justine’s class who didn’t disappear Alex Lilly, Amy Madigan (Twice in a Lifetime, Uncle Buck, Field of Dreams) as Aunt Gladys, Toby Huss (Beavis and Butt-Head, Jerry Maguire, King of the Hill) as Ed Locke, Cregger’s wife Sara Paxton (Superhero Movie, The Front Runner, Blonde; who previously starred in Barbarian) as Erica, Justin Long (DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Idiocracy, Drag Me to Hell; who also appeared in Barbarian) as Gary, June Diane Raphael (The Disaster Artist, Long Shot, Freakier Friday) as Donna Morgan, and Whitmer Thomas (Stone Quackers, Friendship) as Mr. Lilly. 

            Overall, Weapons is a smart, brilliantly suspenseful, and surprisingly fun horror movie that continues to prove that Zach Cregger is an indestructible force of nature in the genre. The movie is structured in a similar way to Barbarian where it’s told from the perspectives of different people throughout the film like the teacher, one of the outraged parents, a police officer, etc. and you’re given various pieces of the bigger picture. 

            You keep getting more layers to what’s actually going on through the different perspectives to the point where you start to piece it together until you get to this truly bombastic final act where you put your hands on your head and go “OH MY GOD!” What I like about this over Barbarian is that it isn’t actually about the mysterious incident, it’s the aftermath and the town’s reactions to it as how kids mysteriously vanishing without a trace and the only connection being a teacher can bring out the worst in humanity. 

            This seems like a more high-stakes and personal story than Barbarian and what anchors the film are the performances by its leads particularly Garner and Brolin. Julia Garner is having the best 2025 having appeared in this and as the Silver Surfer in the new Fantastic Four and this is easily her best performance of the year. 

            I found Garner in this movie to be very compelling throughout and you legit feel for her given the circumstances, a bunch of kids from her class mysteriously vanished, everyone in the town blames her, she’s turned to drinking, and she only has a couple of friends to get her through it (One of which is a cop). Her performance often made me think back to Elisabeth Moss in The Invisible Man and overall a great and above all, human lead for this movie. 

            Josh Brolin is also incredible as one of the dads of one of the missing kids who at first blames Garner’s character for everything and points fingers at her, but the movie also gives him a lot of depth over the course of the film and ultimately you end up caring for him as well. The guy you’d expect to just be an angry douchebag turns out to be one of the most captivating characters of the film and Brolin sells it flawlessly. 

            The movie also does a phenomenal job depicting dream sequences with moody lighting and dark visuals thus making the audience aware that it’s a dream instead of a cheap fake-out like in other horror films. Also, massive point for using jump-scares sparingly and properly building up to them through suspense and tension thus making them more effective, good luck with your jump-scare-filled junk food, Conjuring 4! 

            With all the suspense and terror going on, the movie is also quite funny and not in a sitcom-like way that distracts from the rest of the film. When the movie goes over-the-top crazy or an actor says a genuinely witty line, it gets some huge laughs with Austin Abrams delivering some of the funniest bits in the film. 

            I loved Weapons, even more so than Barbarian, it’s a creepy, character-driven, and thoroughly entertaining horror movie that can also mix in some laughs amongst the screaming. Zach Cregger has crafted an incredible sophomore film and I eagerly await his next project given that he hit two homeruns in a row with two of the best horror movies of the 2020s. 

            The man who created The Grapist continues to amaze me!