Caught Stealing review

CAUGHT STEALING: 

DARREN ARONOFSKY CRAFTS QUITE A FUN CAPER…OH, THERE’S A CAT TOO! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Regina King, and Bad Bunny in Caught Stealing

 

            Director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Black Swan, The Whale) goes from Oscar-winning Brendan Fraser drama to chaotic and “Cat-astrophic” crime-comedy in his new film, Caught Stealing. The film is based on the book of the same name by Charlie Huston who also wrote the screenplay for this movie. 

            This was on my list to see given its director and cast, I think Darren Aronofsky is a very fascinating director though his projects can be hit-or-miss at times. But when he knocks it out of the park with things like Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan, etc., he fucking knocks it out of the park. 

            Granted, I saw The Roses and the new version of The Toxic Avenger first, but as soon as those films were done and reviewed, I went straight into this. So, how does Caught Stealing hold up compared to Aronofsky’s other projects? Honestly, I had a great time with this film. 

            I don’t think it’s as amazing as The Wrestler or Black Swan, but I was entertained throughout and invested in the story and characters. It honestly feels like a Darren Aronofsky version of a Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie movie in terms of the tone and dialogue. 

            The film is set in 1998 and follows Henry “Hank” Thompson (Austin Butler-Elvis, Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders), a former high school phenom who can’t play anymore and now works as a bartender at a New York dive. He’s got a great girlfriend named Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz-Mad Max: Fury Road, Spider-Verse franchise, The Batman) and his team is making an underdog run at the pennant. 

            But when his British punk-rock neighbor, Russ (Matt Smith-The Crown, Morbius, House of the Dragon) comes to his door asking that he takes care of his cat, all hell breaks loose as Hank is soon thrusted into a conflict between the Russian mafia among other gangsters that all want a piece of him. The problem is Hank has no idea why they’re all coming after him. 

            The film also stars Regina King (Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Boondocks, If Beale Street Could Talk) as Det. Elise Roman, Liev Schreiber (Scream franchise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as Lipa Drucker, Vincent D’Onofrio (Men in Black, Jurassic World, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Shmully Drucker, Benito Martínez Ocasio “Bad Bunny” (Bullet Train, Cassandro, Happy Gilmore 2) as Colorado, Griffin Dunne (40 Days and 40 Nights, Dallas Buyers Club, Ex-Husbands) as Paul, Carol Kane (Annie Hall, Sleepwalk with Me, The Dead Don’t Die) as Bubbe, and Yuri Kolokolnikov (6 Underground, Tenet, Kraven the Hunter) as Aleksei. 

            Overall, Caught Stealing is certainly a wild ride throughout and about as different as you could get from the poignantly powerful, The Whale from a few years ago. This is probably the most fun (and funniest) Darren Aronofsky film I’ve seen that likely won’t make buzz during awards season, but just being an entertaining movie with endearing characters and a mystery with a fair amount of twists here and there is really all this movie needed to be which it is. 

            This definitely feels like Darren Aronofsky is paying homage to the works of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino with a lot of dark comedy, witty dialogue, and an overabundance of colorful characters. It’s the classic tough guys that do violent things while making wise-cracks along the way sort of setup and if you’re familiar with films like Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or even Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, you should know what kind of movie this is. 

            I laughed a fair amount of times during this movie and both the writing and delivery I found genuinely funny. The banter between Austin Butler and Matt Smith is great, Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio as these two Jewish gangsters alone got some of the biggest laughs out of me, and Regina King trying to make sure Butler isn’t “Fucking with Her” regarding the information he gives her is a funny running joke. 

            The performances left and right are excellent, Austin Butler is a great leading man, Matt Smith is always a blast to watch and even in a piece of shit movie like Morbius, he’ll manage to be the most consistently entertaining part of the movie. Zoë Kravitz as the girlfriend doesn’t have a whole lot of laughs, but she gives the film a strong emotional anchor and Regina King as the police detective is the best I’ve seen from her outside of voicing Huey and Riley Freeman and there’s a twist surrounding her I legitimately didn’t see coming. 

            While I thought the main characters were great, I felt some of the side characters were sort of hit-and-miss in terms of their comedy. Sometimes it works like with Butler’s nosy neighbor when there’s a ruckus in the apartment lobby, but other times you got Butler’s bar friends who desperately try to go for the laughs and it mostly comes off as awkward. 

            Despite a few bumpy points, Caught Stealing is a gripping, well-acted, and above all fun crime-comedy from Darren Aronofsky that is the best Guy Ritchie movie since The Gentlemen in 2020 that isn’t actually from Guy Ritchie. It has thrills, it has laughs, it has a mystery that keeps you on your toes, and it has solid performances all-around, this movie is the best kind of “Steal”. 

            Also, Sony just did Nintendo 64 product placement in this movie and there’s not a single PlayStation in sight! 

The Toxic Avenger review

THE TOXIC AVENGER: 

TOXIE UPDATE IS SICK, TWISTED FUN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

CINEVERSE

Peter Dinklage in The Toxic Avenger (2025)

 

            Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, Avengers: Infinity War, Cyrano) dons the toxic mop and deformed makeup (Kind of, Toxie is actually played by Lusia Guerreiro onscreen!) in The Toxic Avenger, the new update of the 1984 superhero black comedy splatter film of the same name from Troma Entertainment. I’m no expert on Troma or the works of filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman with my introduction to it actually being from the Angry Video Game Nerd’s episode on Toxic Crusaders video games which were based off a children’s cartoon show that was very loosely based on The Toxic Avenger. 

            I’m still baffled as to how an animated show for kids spawned from this because The Toxic Avenger is about as over-the-top and relentlessly gory as you could get. People’s intestines get ripped out, a child’s head gets run over by a car, lots of blood splatter, and tits too! Even Deadpool would look at this shit and be like “What the Fuck!?!”. 

            I rewatched the original movie recently before seeing this one and while it certainly isn’t for everyone, it’s entertaining if you know what you’re getting into. It’s over-the-top and mean-spirited, but it’s also very comedic about it, the makeup and practical effects are amazing, and it spawned a cult icon in the form of Toxie with various sequels and other Troma classics like Poultrygeist and the South Park creators’ Cannibal: The Musical. 

            Now we have this remake produced by Cineverse and Legendary Entertainment with Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore) in the director’s chair and the interesting casting choice of Dinklage as the Toxic Avenger. I was definitely curious to see how this movie would turn out and was relatively following its production online. 

            Well, I sat down and gave this new Toxic Avenger a watch and I gotta say…this was some of the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year. Sure, the recent Superman movie and Fantastic Four: First Steps are objectively better movies, but in terms of consistent fun all throughout the movie, Toxie goes for the gold here. 

            The film follows janitor Winston Gooze (Hehe, great name!) (Dinklage) who after a freak accident transforms into a mutant vigilante known as Toxie. Armed with a toxic mop, Toxie battles freaks, gangsters that look like Mad Max versions of the Insane Clown Posse, and corrupt CEO Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon-Footloose, X-Men: First Class, Crazy Stupid Love) while also trying to save his relationship with his son Wade (Jacob Tremblay-Room, Luca, The Life of Chuck). 

            The film also stars Taylour Paige (@Zola, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) as J.J. Doherty, Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Monkey) as Fritz Garbinger, Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso, The Sandman, F1) as Mayor Togar, Julia Davis (Love Actually, Cemetery Junction, Phantom Thread) as Kissy Sturnevan, Julian Kostov (Shadow and Bone, Another Mother’s Son, The Last Front) as Budd Berserk, David Yow (Southbound, Too Late, Rattlesnake) as Guthrie Stockins, and Jonny Coyne (Alcatraz, Once Upon a Time, The Mandalorian and Grogu) as Thad Barkabus. 

            Overall, The Toxic Avenger (2023/5) is a blood-drenched good time for anyone with a sick sense of humor and a remake that lives up to the original. But what’s great about this one is even if you’ve never seen the original Toxic Avenger, it still works on its own merits and isn’t a complete rehash of the first. 

            Yes, it is a remake of an older film, but aside from a few callbacks, it’s doing its own thing with the material which is what a lot of remakes namely Disney seem to miss the mark on. This movie takes the Toxic Avenger character and premise and turns it into a father-son story and for as bonkers as that sounds, it’s done surprisingly well. 

            You legit feel for Dinklage’s character both normal and deformed in this film as he’s essentially a down on his luck widowed father trying to support his son, works for Kevin Bacon’s corrupt CEO character, and on top of all that is dying of a terminal illness. The moments with Dinklage and Tremblay do add a lot of heart amidst the anarchy, violence, and bloodshed throughout the rest of the film. 

            Peter Dinklage as the Toxic Avenger was an unexpected surprise and I thought he was great here especially since he plays this ridiculous character in this over-the-top world straight which makes it funnier. His opening monologue in the beginning perfectly sets the tone for the entire movie and he’s excellent at making quips while slaughtering, frying, and vaporizing criminals. 

            Kevin Bacon is a lot of fun as the bad guy and is clearly having a ball going big and crazy with his performance. Classic scenery-chewing, cartoony businessman villain who makes you laugh while also anticipate his inevitable gory demise by the end. 

            The makeup effects on Toxie are amazing and look better than the majority of CGI-filled, big-budget Hollywood stuff. Leave it to an independent film like this to show that sometimes actually building and crafting a monster in front of the camera is a lot more impressive and special than creating them in a computer. 

            While the monster himself was created practically, the gore effects are pretty CGI-heavy, but I won’t lie and say it wasn’t fun seeing Toxie kill his victims in gruesomely comedic ways. From burning off a man’s jaw with his radioactive mop to shoving his fist up another man’s ass and ripping his intestines out through the anus, I think it greatly helps this film doesn’t have an MPA rating so it can go even crazier with the blood and gore than if it did receive an R rating. 

            The movie is also very funny with a lot of the jokes coming from random lines from the background characters, criminal motivations like holding people hostage in a fast food restaurant because they changed the gender of the mascot, and how fast an angry mob is formed after people see the monster. It’s a fun movie to watch with an audience, hearing them laugh out loud at certain jokes or gory kills, good shit. 

            Yeah, I had a great time with the new Toxic Avenger and enjoyed it just as much as the original film. It’s a movie that gave me exactly what I expected with a bunch of unexpected surprises along the way, Toxariffic indeed. 

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.