Expend4bles

Expend4bles (also known as The Expendables 4) is a 2023 action film directed by Scott Waugh, with a script co-written by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart and Max Adams, from an original story by Spenser Cohen, Wimmer and Daggerhart. It is the fourth installment in The Expendables franchise and the sequel to The Expendables (2010), The Expendables 2 (2012) and The Expendables 3 (2014).

Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give "new blood" a whole new meaning.

Starring Jason Statham, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Randy Couture, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, with Andy Garcia, and Sylvester Stallone.

Expend4bles made its debut in theaters September 22nd, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

Way back in 2010 which feels like a million years ago, The Expendables released in theaters with a cast that had everyone who grew up watching 80’s and 90’s action films salivating. The cast was stacked, consisting of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, and Mickey Rourke. I’m pretty sure the casting team just brought on the actors who reported the highest levels of testosterone.

But in all seriousness, I was pumped when the trailer dropped because I am a sucker for throwback shoot-em-up style action films, and this was that and then some. It was more about the action and the cast than it was the story, but that was the point. So am I surprised that now 13-years later we have the 4th film in the franchise making its debut in theaters? Nope, not at all. I always felt like these films have a market, and as long as they keep making them I will keep showing up to the theater. So, was the latest entry in the franchise a lazy and unnecessary addition or a worthy sendoff for a fun all around action franchise? Keep reading to find out!

I admittedly showed up with tempered expectations, but ultimately I was pleased with Expend4bles. It was violent, action-packed, simple and effective, and actually had a few twists and turns that although I sort of saw them coming I still enjoyed. The story was fairly straight forward which was fine because it didn’t take away from the fun of the film which often goes back and forth between action thriller and action comedy.

Overall the cast was great yet again, and it was clear that all involved had a blast with this film. The action sequences were a bit much at times which I will talk about later in the review, but Expend4bles never overstays its welcome and kept me entertained from start to finish. Also as I talked about in the intro the film does welcome some new faces and I thought everyone fit in pretty well. Whether you fancy yourself a hefty dose of excessive violence or a ride or die chick who looks the part, this film has a little something for everyone.

A big reason why people go see these films is the cast, and although the 4th entry may not have the star power the previous entries offered, it still has plenty. The strength of the cast is undoubtedly Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. Stallone is the ultimate 80’s/90’s action star who seemingly doesn’t age, and if you haven’t seen him in the Paramount Plus original series Tulsa King, you’re missing out. He does his thing here yet again as he proves that without him, you likely wouldn’t have this franchise at all.

Leading the way with the most screen time among the cast is my guy Jason Statham, who I have been a big fan of since the Transporter films. You can argue that Statham isn’t the best actor, but as someone who offers a unique element of versatility in terms of the types of roles he plays, he is one of the best. I talked about how he was severely underutilized in Meg 2: The Trench (our full review here), so it was refreshing to see him back doing what he does best. Statham is best served playing the badass that always gets the girl even though he is usually to busy beating the crap out of people to actually pay her any attention. I thought he was great here and one of the primary bright spots of the film.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Megan Fox, and I have since she starred alongside Shia LaBeouf in the earlier Michael Bay Transformers films. Back in those days she was easily on my top 5 list in terms of “talented” actresses (thats not masogonistic by the way), but for one reason or another she fell from grace. And I’m not just talking about getting blacklisted from my childish hot list, she wasn’t really getting a ton of good movie roles either.

Now I’m not going to sit here and act like Megan Fox is an actress that is on the cusp of winning an Oscar, because if I were to say that I would have a straight jacket and a padded room in my future, but I’ll be damned if Expendables Megan Fox didn’t find her way back into my good graces. I don’t know if it was just the fact that she was working that sexy badass role hard, or maybe it was because something seemed to click as she teamed up with my guy Jason Statham, but either way I was really feeling her in this movie and loved the addition.

The supporting cast was solid and all served their purpose, from Mr. MMA himself Randy Couture who loves talking about his cauliflower ear, Levy Tran who was mirroring that sexy badass look along with Fox, Dolph Lundgren who is always a treat, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson who I have come to enjoy as an actor and liked him here as well, veteran actor Andy Garcia who is always great although he’s no Bruce Willis, and solid performances all around from Tony Jaa and Jacob Scipio, as well as Iko Uwais as one of the primary protagonists in the film.

All things considered I was pleased with the story. Similar to the most recent Fast and Furious films, the storyline in this franchise is often just place setter for the action sequences. I was expecting straight forward and to the point which it was, but the story actually added a few wrinkles that caught me by surprise. It added an emotional element which I thought helped to drive the story and added enough meat on the bone to keep viewers invested. Although the final act was mostly about the explosions and bodies dropping, the story coming full circle the way it did was satisfying.

The technical elements shine as expected in Expend4bles. I mean, this film wouldn’t even exist if not for the necessary and ultra-violent demise of several bad guys, as well as enough explosions to rival any Michael Bay film. We were promised more blood and that is exactly what we got, with several heads and often entire bodies exploding thanks to a .50 Cal machine gun, or just old fashioned knives.

I can’t even count how many people died in this film at the hands of a razor sharp blade. The hand-to-hand combat sequences were amazing throughout the film, with some real edge of your seat moments during the final act. Although surely not on the level of the John Wick films, I thought the shooting sequences were very well done and felt in your face and exciting. Plus I thought the final act, which played out like a live-action game of Call of Duty, was extremely entertaining.

THE BAD

Expend4bles is not a perfect film but at the end of the day it does what it sets out to do, and for that reason I won’t spend too much time picking it apart. If it was meant to be this nuanced experience with groundbreaking visuals and exceptional acting that would be one thing, but clearly that is not the case here. I’m a firm believer in trying to look at a film objectively but also fairly in terms of its objective and target audience, and for that reason Expend4bles delivers, simple as that. With that being said I will still touch on the faults that you can expect to encounter when you see the movie.

First and foremost, the film is littered with corny dialogue whether it be character interactions or the usual “rah rah” moments we have come to expect from these movies. I wouldn’t say that the cast was mailing it in or anything like that, but the tone of the film seemed to feel a bit more reserved compared to prior entries, or maybe the cast is just finally starting to show their age. I do wish it was a bit more gritty at times and the tone was definitely inconsistent.

In general I enjoyed the special effects mainly because I knew what to expect for the most part, which was more often than not over-the-top and incredibly unrealistic. Expend4bles has several head scratching moments where a small explosion causes a car to fly miles into the air, but because the movie is often ridiculous it becomes pretty easy to ignore these moments. Now I did like the story and the plot twists, but I will say that they were pretty predictable at least for me.

THE VERDICT

A bloody and action-packed return for the franchise after a lengthy hiatus, Expend4bles plays to its strengths with a flawed but fun turn your brain off 90’s era action thriller that is almost entirely style over substance. It would be easy to pick this film apart, but I enjoyed it just as I enjoyed all of the films before it. As I mentioned during the review, I go in to a film like Expend4bles knowing what to expect which tends to work out more often than not.

If you can appreciate the film for what it is I say go check it out, but if you are expecting more than the franchise has been serving up since 2010 you will be disappointed. I’m a movie fan first and a film critic second, and when the critic and audience score is incredibly lopsided for a movie like it is for Expend4bles, that is usually a sign to give it a chance and form your own opinion, especially if you enjoy the genre.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.4/10

Expend4bles is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Nun II

The Nun II is a 2023 horror thriller from director Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (M3GAN), Ian Goldberg, and Richard Naing, who worked on Fear the Walking Dead together. It is the 9th film in the Conjuring universe, and is the follow-up to the 2018 film The Nun.

In 1956 France, a priest is murdered, and it seems an evil is spreading. Sister Irene once again comes face to face with a demonic force.

Taissa Famiga returns alongside Bonnie Aarons and Jonas Bloquet, who all starred in the previous film. New additions to the film and to the franchise include Katelyn Rose Downey, Anna Popplewell, and Storm Reid.

The Nun II made its debut in theaters September 8th, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

I’ve been a big fan of The Conjuring films from the beginning, so naturally I was looking forward to the latest entry in the franchise. Back in 2018 I had high hopes for The Nun considering the cast and the connection to The Conjuring films, but I was admittedly disappointed. I remember walking out of the theater and talking with my buddy about how ridiculous certain elements of the story were. Just so many of those “why would they do that?!” sort of moments which took away from the overall feel of the film, but I digress. Once the trailer dropped for The Nun II I was admittedly excited. It felt like they found a way to regain momentum for this spin-off story and I was excited for what they had in store. So, was The Nun II yet another talking point for a failed attempt at a horror film or did I leave the theater satisfied? Keep reading to find out!

The Nun II was a satisfying horror film that for the most part met my expectations. It wasn’t as scary as I would have preferred which I will talk about later, but it did some really good things and made for a theater experience well worth the price of admission. The Conjuring franchise has become synonymous with horror in the last several years, and much of the continued success hinges on these spin-off films. With that in mind I felt like The Nun II did a great job building on the story, and it also found a way to surpass the original film as a much more well-rounded horror film that had a clear identity and stuck with it. The story is immersive and the jump scares are aplenty ensuring that the vast majority of horror fans will be very satisfied. I also thought they did a really nice job with the soundtrack and score which helped to add to the uneasy feel of the film.

Two of the primary bright spots for The Nun II are the story and the cast, both of which largely contributed to the overall experience. The story was great in my opinion, building on the stage that was set by the original while creating a more immersive experience. I felt like this was a great addition to the Conjuring films as it was able to add value to the this particular story and how it all fit in within that universe. I expected the cast to be pretty good overall and I was once again impressed by Taissa Farmiga.

The little sister of star Vera Farmiga who plays Lorraine Warren in the films, Taissa has proven herself as a solid actress who is more than willing to embrace the horror genre. I thought Jonas Bloquet was really good as Maurice, and his character was very important to the effectiveness of the story. Actress Storm Reid who is quickly making a name for herself did a very nice job here as well and is a welcomed addition. I also really liked Anna Popplewell as Kate. The supporting cast was all solid as well without any major blemishes to speak of.

On the technical side of things The Nun II impressed me at pretty much every turn. The production value in general was evident from the start, once again reinforcing the fact that The Conjuring films tend to come backed with a legit budget. The film featured some fantastic visuals and some really cool sequences that added another layer of creativity. As I already touched on briefly I thought the soundtrack and score from Marco Beltrami was perfect and helped to give the film the identity it needed. Director Michael Chaves did a really nice job utilizing some creative camera work helping to get and keep viewers invested. I was really impressed with cinematographer Tristan Nyby as he provided some beautiful shots of historic France. I also have to shoutout the costume design from Agnes Beziers, the production design from Stéphane Cressend, and last but not least the set decoration from Emmanuel Delis. The trio helped to recreate 1950’s France and I thought they did a fantastic job.

THE BAD

The Nun II does a lot of really good things as I talked about earlier in the review but I just felt like it struggled to get over the hump on terms of fear factor. Now as a horror fanatic I’m not as interested in jump scares, I want to feel chills that you only get from some of the more terrifying horror films. For me it is a balance of story and feel, and as of late the best horror films serve up 99% dread, leaving little space for positivity during the majority of the film. Sure that may sound depressing but I find it to be the recipe for success when it comes to modern day horror films.

Examples I would use just off the top of my head would be Ari Aster’s Hereditary, or even the more recent horror film The Night House. Both films fixate on the horrors of real-life with an underlying evil that threatens to rear its head at any moment. The interesting thing about The Nun II is that the good sometimes bled over into the bad, meaning that what I felt was a well-written screenplay made the film a bit less scary at times if that makes any sense at all.

THE VERDICT

Featuring an immersive story and the top-tier production value we have come to expect, The Nun II may not terrify hardcore genre fans but is still a solid entry in one of the more successful horror franchises in recent memory. I really wanted it to be scarier beyond some great jump scares, but I can’t deny that this movie serves up more good than bad, and for that reason is still easy to recommend for horror fans.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.7/10

The Nun II is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Retribution

Retribution is a 2023 action thriller directed by Nimród Antal, based on a screenplay by Christopher Salmanpour and Andrew Baldwin. Jaume Collet-Serra, known for films like The Commuter, The Shallows, Run All Night, and Non-Stop, serves as a producer on the film.

When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner (Liam Neeson) begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger's increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.

The cast includes Liam Neeson, Jack Champion, Embeth Davidtz, Arian Moayed, Matthew Modine, Noma Dumezweni, and Emily Kusche.

Retribution made its debut in theaters on August 25th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

I know what you’re thinking, another damn Liam Neeson movie, right? To be honest, I was thinking the same thing, but Neeson is my guy and I respect his hustle. The 71-year-old actor hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down, continuing to churn out his trademark action thrillers. I last reviewed his film Memory (our full review here) from last April where he starred alongside Guy Pearce, and it was actually pretty good. Much better than the majority of critics wanted to lead you to believe. Neeson’s movies all seem to be relatively similar, which is fine as long as they find a way to entertain viewers and utilize his “particular set of skills”. That said, is his latest film Retribution better than expected or just a dud trying to bank on the name of its lead actor? Keep reading to find out!

It wasn’t a complete dud, but Retribution is just not that good of a movie. I wouldn’t deter people from watching it, but the only way I would say it is worth the theater experience is if you are a diehard Liam Neeson fan because he is the saving grace for this film. On the flip side of that, I do think his talent as an actor was wasted, but I will talk more about that later. As far as the positives, I felt like the technical elements of the film were pretty good overall utilizing some creative camera work.

I also thought the score and soundtrack were very much a bright spot. I thought the story had a chance to offer up enough to keep viewers entertained, but I felt like instead of building on the events that transpired in the first act it went off the rails a bit which caused me to lose interest. I did enjoy the ending for the most part, although the special effects were just okay and it was one of those movies that just sort of ends once the dust settles. I suppose the fact that it was only an hour and 30 minutes was a pro as well, and I will say I’m not quite sure why the film was rated R, unless perhaps exploding cars is all it takes these days.

THE BAD

Retribution is certainly one of Liam Neeson’s lesser-quality films as of late. I really didn’t expect too much going in, but I was fairly bored during the majority of the movie. The film is incredibly linear as 95% of it is Neeson driving around and talking on the phone, but other films have taken a similar approach and found a way to build anticipation. Unfortunately, Retribution has a paper-thin storyline, and even more than that it never really gets off the ground in terms of the suspense that you need for a film that falls within the action thriller genre.

It starts out strong for the most part and just sort of becomes stagnant instead of building on the story and finding ways to create suspense. The character development is basically nonexistent, and even more than that the writers try to add unnecessary layers to the story when they can’t even seem to execute the basics. The cast in general was meh, but Jack Champion was okay overall as one of Neeson’s kids, but just a strange and very limiting role for him. Also, I like me some Matthew Modine, who by the way has the most ridiculous all-over-the-place filmography dating back to 1982, but he just seemed like he was bored in his role.

Plus for some reason, they decided it was a good idea for 71-year-old Neeson to have a daughter who seemed to be around 12 and that just made zero sense to me. Right away I was shaking my head, and if anything that surely distracted me from getting immersed in the story. The cast in general was bland, and although Neeson was solid in the lead role as he always is, he was severely underutilized here and the film suffered for it.

Let’s just take one of the better action stars working today and turn him into a boring suburban dad with marital issues, I mean come on. I talked about the plot twist being a positive for the film, and it was, but that is mainly because it caught me off guard. I am still trying to make sense of what the point of the twist was as it relates to the story, but I guess I will never know.

THE VERDICT

A pretty lackluster Liam Neeson film that veers away from his skillset and finds itself stuck in cruise control as a result, Retribution suffers from an overall bland story and a considerable lack of energy and enthusiasm from all involved.

If there is a lesson to be learned here, people want to see Liam Neeson as the badass, not the dad with two bickering kids who just want to annoy him during business calls. I mean, that is basically my actual real life so I don’t need to see it during my time away from the kids. I understand that actors often hate to be typecast, but as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I’m not giving up on my guy, I just hope he follows this up with something much better in the very near future.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.3/10

Retribution is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Gran Turismo

Gran Turismo is a 2023 biographical coming-of-age sports-drama film directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9) from a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. The film is based on the video game series of the same name developed by Polyphony Digital, while also being based on a true story. Development of the film originally began in 2013 but changed directions several times as far as the director and the writing team went.

The true story of the ultimate wish fulfilment tale of teenage Gran Turismo player Jann Mardenborough whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.

The film stars Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, with David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner, and Djimon Hounsou in supporting roles.

Gran Turismo made its debut in theaters on August 25th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing.

THE GOOD

I grew up playing videogames, from my earliest memories dabbling in the Atari, the original Nintendo, and the first PlayStation, to the PS5 I now have that admittedly mostly collects dust thanks to the fact that I have two unrelenting toddlers these days. My almost 5-year-old gets more use out of my PS4 playing Rocket League, which he refers to as the “soccer game”. Nonetheless, because I was a hardcore Sony and PlayStation guy I was right there playing the Gran Turismo games dating back to the debut of the original back in 1997.

I thought the games were awesome, they played great, and more than anything else they looked fantastic. But the funny thing is the appeal of the games wore off for me for the same reason all of the people in the movie loved them so much. And that was because they were just too damn realistic and I sucked at them. I wanted to play racing games like the Need for Speed franchise, where realism was put on the back burner.

But Gran Turismo was marketed as a “Racing “Simulator” for a reason, and you quite simply had to understand racing to be good at it. Or at the very least had a willingness to learn. It took practice, but if you could get better, the results were very much worth it, as you could unlock and use the coolest cars and race the best tracks. But interestingly enough, when the Gran Turismo film was announced and touting the fact that it was based on true events, I had a quick WTF really?! moment.

I had never heard of Jann Mardenborough or anything to do with his attachment to the games. The trailer looked pretty awesome to me, and ever since the epic 2009 sci-fi drama District 9 I have been a fan of director Neill Blomkamp, so I was looking forward to this. So with all that said, did Gran Turismo bring the excitement I hoped it would and help me to re-live my childhood golden years?! Keep reading to find out!

Wow, this movie was such an awesome and well-rounded theater experience. A feel-good story with an emotional element that seriously caught me by surprise; the perfect balance of relatable and genuinely likable characters, and all of the white-knuckle racing sequences you could want mixed with top-notch visual effects, Gran Turismo really has it all. I touched briefly on my background as it relates to the release of this movie in the intro, but I am not a racing guy at all when it comes to the actual sport of racing. I think it’s cool and certainly has its place, but it never appealed to me enough to really follow along.

But I am not exaggerating whatsoever when I say this, this movie has me considering giving the sport a try, and at the very least trying to hone in on the career of the real Jann Mardenborough. I understand this film is based on a true story and all that (with some liberties for the sake of Hollywood of course), but I don’t want to give too much away so that the film is more of a surprise for y’all like it was for me. I will say I did do a bit of research after the fact and this dude is still racing professionally, and he is still an absolute beast. At the end of the day, it is just such a cool story and is one that you really need to experience in theaters to appreciate.

As I already touched on, this is such a crazy story, and even though it is based on true events I definitely recommend trying to go in as blind as possible so that you can be surprised by just how wild it really is. That is usually my approach when a film is released based on actual events unless I decide to read the book prior to the film’s release. I don’t know, I just always found that it was fun to do that research after you had seen the movie just to determine what really happened and what was exaggerated for the sake of entertainment. Without going into detail I was honestly a bit blown away by how much of the film was spot on, particularly some of the heavier parts of the story.

Most people can relate to the origin of Mardenborough’s story, a young man who wants to forge his own path as opposed to follow in his father’s footsteps like his brother. Now he is far from this rebellious kid, but is actually trying to make his father proud in his own unique way. This is a story about daring to be different, dreaming big, and never giving up until those dreams become a reality. As it relates to Gran Turismo as a film, I thought the story was incredibly immersive, I loved how each part of his story felt like a separate chapter of the film, that way viewers had time to get to know him as a person before his life changed forever. Plus it was great that the film also made it a point to focus on his professional career in the final act. The writing team deserves a ton of credit for translating this story to the big screen in such epic fashion.

As far as the technical elements for the film, I was no joke on the edge of my seat damn near the entire time. The racing sequences were just wild and so much fun to watch, and the creativity that went into this film was on another level in terms of how they mixed real racing with the feel of a videogame to really put an exclamation mark on how much of a wild ride it was for Mardenborough. As I said I played some of the Gran Turismo games during my earlier years, and at times I felt like I was playing one of the games with life-like graphics on a massive screen. It was seriously incredible and terrifying too because to say these cars go fast would be an understatement. Like take a turn wrong without giving enough to the brakes and you will flip 50 times fast, no joke.

Gran Turismo features some incredible work on the racing front in general, and I did confirm it was a mix of real racing and CGI. Although most video game-to-film adaptations rely heavily on the CGI element, this film takes a page straight from the game itself and focuses more on authenticity than just trying to maximize the visual effects, and I personally thought they achieved a fantastic balance. The film utilizes real race cars and real tracks to sell the “realness” of the experience while also mixing in the CGI when needed. This means that the crew relied heavily on stunt drivers stepping in for the cast, and even brought the real Jann Mardenborough on board as a stunt driver for Archie Madekwe, the actor playing him. Oh and boy were these cars super badass, I can’t even imagine how cool it must be to be up close and personal with one of these beauties.

Director Neill Blomkamp pulls out all of the stops as usual by utilizing some fantastic camera techniques, including the use of helicopters, drones, and cameras rigged to pretty much every part of these vehicles imaginable to really immerse viewers. I feel like I could talk about this movie all day, but I have to be sure and shout out one of the absolute GOATs of composers, Lorne Balfe, who collaborated on the film with the super-talented Andrew Kawczynski, who recently worked on films like Dune (2021), and last years blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick. Last but not least, a shoutout to cinematographer Jacques Jouffret for helping to create one of the most immersive films I have seen in a while.

I honestly loved the cast for this film, and I felt like the main cast was perfect for each of their respective roles. I will start with Archie Madekwe who some may remember for his supporting role in Ari Aster’s horror gem Midsommar, as well as a small role in the 2021 sci-fi thriller Voyagers. He does have a role in writer/director Emerald Fennell’s highly anticipated comedy-drama Saltburn, slated for later this year. Madekwe plays the lead role of Jann Mardenborough, and I really liked him here. As a fairly unknown actor, I thought he displayed legit star power and was able to effectively portray all of the emotions needed for this role. I think this kid has talent and I look forward to watching his career continue to flourish.

Everyone loves Orlando Bloom, I mean the dude has been around forever and always delivers. Bloom plays the role of Danny Moore and is very much a love him or hate him character throughout the film, and he crushed the role. I also really liked Djimon Hounsou as Jann’s father, and thought he had genuine chemistry with Madekwe which was a big factor in terms of building on the story. Hounsou has been around forever and really is the ultimate supporting actor. If I had to pick I would say my most memorable role for him was the underrated 2008 sports drama Never Back Down. If you fancy yourself a good fighting/MMA film with a great story, check that out on Prime Video.

My favorite actor was without a doubt my guy David Harbour, who crushed it as good old Saint Nick in last year’s dark comedy action film Violent Night (our full review here). In Gran Turismo Harbour plays Jack Salter, a once-upon-a-time incredibly talented former racer who now works as a severely underappreciated and often ridiculed mechanic on a racing team. I fell in love with his character right away (not in a weird way of course), and just gravitated towards his backstory and quest for redemption.

Although this film is primarily focused on the rise of Jann Mardenborough from gamer to professional racer, the story of Jack Salter was just as captivating and honestly helped to add the crucial feel-good element to the film. Harbour is easily one of the more versatile actors in the industry today, and it was great to see him take on a role like this. I honestly really liked the rest of the supporting cast as well and have no negatives to speak of, with an extra appreciation for Darren Barnet as Matty Davis who is a rival racer for the majority of the film, as well as Geri Horner who plays Jann’s mother Lesley.

THE BAD

Gran Turismo may not be a perfect film, but I am honestly having a hard time really picking it apart. I mean I suppose some of the more dramatic interactions between characters could have felt a bit more authentic, but as I talked about earlier, you are blending top-tier acting talent with some actors still trying to make a name for themselves, and all things considered, I was nothing short of impressed.

I’m sure some people who know the true story inside and out have an issue with some of the liberties taken by the writing team, but that is the case with pretty much any film based on true events. For that reason, I’m not going to sit here and research the true story to the point where I start picking the film apart, because at the end of the day my primary concern, especially for the purposes of this review, was entertainment value. You simply have to spice things up and add a few new wrinkles to the story to ensure viewers are invested, and I personally thought they did a fantastic job.

I did find it funny that Harbour’s character was constantly making fun of the “gamers” who were going through the physically demanding portion of the training as they tried to become real racers, saying that most of them probably barely got off the couch, yet pretty much the entire cast was in damn good shape. I mean it probably would have taken away from the overall tone of the film to bring in a few gamers who clearly spent most of their days crushing Cheetos and pounding Mountain Dew, which sounds like the life don’t get me wrong, but I just thought that was sort of a comical takeaway. Plus to be honest I never really considered the fact that these professional racers need to be in ridiculously good shape and are legitimate athletes.

THE VERDICT

An exhilarating coming-of-age underdog story that will undoubtedly appeal to gamers and race enthusiasts alike, Gran Turismo is an edge-of-your-seat theater experience that had me bought in from the first green light. I thought this was a powerful retelling of one heck of a wild journey for British professional race car driver Jann Mardenborough. I mean let’s be honest, although embellished at times this is still for sure one of the craziest stories in quite some time if you really stop and think about it.

But more than anything else, everyone involved with this film found a way to entertain viewers with a great balance of spectacle, excitement, and storytelling, while taking their fair share of liberties for the sake of entertainment. I was never bored, and to be honest I can’t quite figure out why so many critics have been so hard on this film. To call it boring is not only wrong, it is downright ignorant and speaks to the fact that so many of these so-called critics are simply out of touch in terms of the foundation of these films. Gran Turismo is absolutely worth seeing in theaters, simple as that.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.3/10

Gran Turismo is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Strays

Strays is a 2023 R-rated live-action comedy directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), and written by Dan Perrault (Players, American Vandal). The film is produced by Picturestart founder and CEO Erik Feig (Luckiest Girl Alive, Cha Cha Real Smooth), Louis Leterrier (director Fast X, The Clash of the Titans), Dan Perrault (Players, American Vandal), and Lord Miller partners Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part) and Lord Miller President of Film Aditya Sood (The Martian, Cocaine Bear).

Abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, a naive but lovable dog named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier (voiced by Jamie Foxx) and his gang of strays. Determined to seek revenge, Reggie and his new canine pals embark on an epic adventure to get him home and make Doug pay for his dirty deed.

The talented comedic cast includes Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast), Harvey Guillén (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), Emmy nominee Rob Riggle (The Hangover), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Jamie Demetriou (The Afterparty), and Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara (Modern Family).

Strays debuted in theaters on June 9th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

It honestly feels like the marketing team for Strays switched up their approach 17 times prior to the film’s release. It’s interesting because you really only see the trailers for R-rated films during other R-rated movies, but apparently, the trailer for Strays fell through the cracks during a few kid’s movies and that was not received well by the parents who were seeing said movies with their kids. Now surely that was a misstep somewhere along the line, but I don’t think it was a surprise that soon after that all of the trailers and images marketing the film had “NOT a kids movie” plastered all over it. Nonetheless, I was intrigued by a rare R-rated live-action comedy and had fairly high hopes as the release date neared. I wasn’t expecting anything that was going to blow me away, I just wanted some good laughs and an overall enjoyable experience. So, is Strays worth your hard-earned money, or is this one that is best to wait on the streaming release? Keep reading to find out!

I went into the theater more or less knowing what to expect, and all things considered, I was very pleased with the film. Strays is a reminder that I have the sense of humor of a depraved teenager, and that is honestly more than okay with me. Whether you want to call it the R-rated Homeward Bound or just another excuse for a group of dudes to get together say a bunch of messed up shit, the film had a goal in mind from the start and they stuck with it. I can appreciate raunchy and fairly crude humor so I laughed out loud quite a few times even though not all of the jokes landed. It feels a little strange to say that I was pleased with the ending considering the plot was a dog on a revenge mission to bite his douchebag owner’s dick off. But, here we are.

I was also impressed that the story did have a few wrinkles that I didn’t expect which added a nice feel-good element to all of the craziness. I was very impressed with the visual effects as everything looked great making it so you can focus on the other elements of the film instead of being distracted by bad CGI. Plus just the collaboration between the director, the dogs and their trainers, the voice actors, and everyone else involved, I thought this was a pretty damn impressive joint effort in terms of the final product.

For me, Strays really shines in terms of its ability to immerse viewers in this wacky world of talking dogs who enjoy humping garden gnomes and pooping on people’s faces. I don’t know what it says about me, but the running joke of Will Ferrell’s Reggie meeting and subsequently humping “his son” the garden gnome made me laugh every single time. That scene in particular was so damn funny. The story itself is pretty ridiculous and paper-thin of course aside from a few subplots, but they squeeze enough juice out of it to make for sort of a redemption story which I thought was pretty cool. Strays also manages to add just enough of a feel-good element by the end of the film to leave viewers with a little more than just raunchy humor. I won’t talk too much more about the story at the risk of spoiling anything, but let me just say that when “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus cranks at full volume during the film’s grand finale, I was laughing my ass off at what was unfolding on screen. So good.

The voice cast is fantastic and without a doubt the highlight of the film. I know some people dislike Will Ferrell, but I think the guy is a damn godsend in the comedy genre and he was perfect as Reggie. The character fits his usual soft-spoken and naïve demeanor in terms of the sort of characters he usually plays. Jamie Foxx dominates in his role as the street-smart dog Bug, small in stature but big in personality. The chemistry Ferrell has with Foxx was very important to the success of the film. Will Forte was great as expected in the role of the a-hole loser dog owner, while Isla Fisher and Randall Park were both fantastic as the voices of Maggie and Hunter too! Also, Josh Gad did a really nice job as Gus, and as always, I enjoyed my guy Rob Riggle as the voice of Rolf. Nevertheless, the voice cast was just excellent from top to bottom.

All things considered, I thought Strays looked great. It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the advancements in technology and how far CGI has come that live-action talking dogs look pretty damn spot on, but it was still great to see. I was never once distracted by the talking dog element because it looked so natural, allowing me the ability to focus on what mattered. From what I have read the post-production VFX work took the longest in terms of the overall project which makes perfect sense to me. I also loved the score and the soundtrack for the film which always felt fun and high-energy. Plus I don’t know if this would be considered a “technical” achievement or not, but the trainers deserve a TON of credit for sharing these beautiful animals with the world and helping to create a fun hour and a half at the movie theater.

THE BAD

I know this will come as a surprise, but unless they introduce a Best Garden Gnome Humping Sequence category we likely won’t hear about Strays at next year’s Academy Awards. This movie is far from perfect and is what it is really, but some of the more glaring issues were more or less expected. With an hour and 30-minute film, it is easy to give away a bunch of the good parts in the trailer, especially with a comedy and unfortunately, that is the case with Strays. Now I wouldn’t go as far as to say it ruined the experience entirely, I just knew what was coming more often than I would have preferred but I still laughed so all was not lost.

It does still include a few great parts that the trailer doesn’t give away, which does include the epic finale that I referenced earlier in the review. It took me a bit longer than I had hoped to get immersed in the film which was a problem, at least at first. Strays targets a certain demographic for sure which is fine, but if you see the movie and don’t buy into the overall tone and feel it will likely rub you the wrong way more often than not. Plus it includes lots of crude sexual humor involving dogs, dog poop for days, also a dog throwing up and another dog eating it. But I mean if you have dogs, you have likely encountered several of these examples at home.

THE VERDICT

A rare R-rated live-action dog comedy featuring a talented cast of voice actors and a revenge mission not for the faint of heart, Strays is far from perfect but doesn’t hold back and isn’t afraid to push the envelope. Soon after seeing the movie someone told me they were going to see it later that day and asked me my thoughts, so I basically said go in knowing what to expect, and you will have a great time with this movie assuming you appreciate the genre. See it with a few friends and be sure to enjoy a few adult beverages during it, that is the best advice I can give. Just going through images for the film for the purposes of this review I caught myself laughing out loud. I tried to tell my wife about the funny parts but she just sort of gave me a blank stare, which was just further proof that this movie is not for everyone. If you pride yourself on having a great sense of humor, can appreciate raunchy comedy, and love dogs, Strays is absolutely the movie for you.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.9/10

Strays is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle is a 2023 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle, produced by DC Studios and the Safran Company, and directed by Angel Manuel Soto from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. It is the 14th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).

Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes gains superpowers when a mysterious scarab binds to his spine and provides him with a powerful suit of blue alien armor.

The cast includes Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez.

Blue Beetle made its debut in theaters on August 18th, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

I’m not even going to sit here and act like I knew Blue Beetle from a beetle in my yard before the film was announced, but I will admit that after watching the teaser trailer I was immediately intrigued. It sort of had the feel of 2018’s Bumblebee, a superhero action film that geared strongly toward the coming-of-age genre. DC continues to have a less-than-great track record, and most recently took a big financial hit earlier this year with The Flash (our full review here), which I thought was actually better than most people made it out to be although the CGI was definitely a bit whacky at times. So, was Blue Beetle as good as the trailers made it out to be or is this yet another miss for DC? Keep reading to find out!

First and foremost, I really enjoyed this movie and it is easily one of the better releases from DC in recent memory. This is definitely substance over style as the visual effects are fine but certainly won’t blow you away, more on that later, but Blue Beetle emphasizes the characters and the story to get viewers invested. I was also genuinely impressed by just how funny the movie was, getting quite a few laughs out of me pretty much throughout. Blue Beetle focuses more on developing the characters and getting viewers really invested than it does trying to wow with the spectacle of it all, and I feel like that is part of why it feels different compared to most superhero movies.

Instead of just creating a hero that can fight crime and save the world, Blue Beetle gives the power to a regular kid fresh out of college who above all else wants to protect his family. As someone from a big family who has dealt with our fair share of ups and downs over the years, I could feel the genuine and unrelenting will Reyes felt to protect his family. Blue Beetle is a feel-good coming-of-age story that isn’t afraid to touch on real-life problems. The film doesn’t dig too deep into the origin of the scarab which is likely intentional as a way to leave some meat on the bone for the follow-up film.

The story and the characters are without a doubt the calling card for Blue Beetle. Right from the start viewers will feel like they can relate to the Reyes family, and will find themselves caring for them on an emotional level pretty quickly as well. Jaime Reyes is incredibly likable, and his family dynamic is honestly what most of us wish we had which is a tight-knit family that sticks together no matter what. Although this is a superhero movie Blue Beetle touches on several serious issues including the struggle that many working-class families face when just trying to make ends meet, as well as the weight that comes with the loss of a loved one. I just loved how down-to-earth and real the film felt as far as the overall message, and you don’t need to be a fan of superhero movies to appreciate what was accomplished here.

I was impressed with the cast and thought everyone was good, some offering more value than others. I really liked Xolo Maridueña in the lead role of Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle. Right from the jump his character felt likable and genuine, and he never came across as corny. My guy George Lopez absolutely stole the show in Blue Beetle though, providing the majority of the comic relief and just being his ridiculous self from the start. He had me laughing more times than I can count, and his character alone makes it easy for me to recommend this movie. He didn’t even need to say anything, just his appearance will make you laugh. Plus his obsession with his ridiculous truck was fantastic. But for as ridiculous and over-the-top as he was, Lopez also contributes a great deal to the emotional element of the film which just speaks to his range as an actor. I also liked Belissa Escobedo as Jaime’s sister Milagro, and I thought she did a nice job as the pessimistic character who deep down has one of the biggest hearts.

Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine is absolutely gorgeous (obviously) and I thought she delivered a very solid performance and had great chemistry with Maridueña. Did I mention she was gorgeous? Seriously, get a poster of her and put it on your wall now, and grab me one while you’re at it. I really liked Damián Alcázar as Jaime’s well-intentioned and loving father. I absolutely loved Adriana Barraza as Nana Reyes, she is the sweet grandma that keeps the family together, and boy is she full of surprises. Google bad guy and you will likely come across a photo of Raoul Max Trujillo. This dude is a badass and for sure looked the part and was a heck of a force to be reckoned with for Reyes, and I really liked how things came together for his character. Harvey Guillén has been on a tear as of late, and although they didn’t give his character much to work with due to having such a small role, he was still really good. It feels weird to say it, but Susan Sarandon was one of my least favorite characters. I mean you are supposed to despise her, but I just felt like something was missing.

Blue Beetle offers plenty to be excited about on the technical side of things, mainly a banger of a soundtrack and some great cinematography thanks to a gorgeous shooting location in Puerto Rico. Similar to the culture of the characters, this film is fueled by the music and I loved every minute of it. The energy level was without a doubt ramped by by the soundtrack. I also have to give credit to director Angel Manuel Soto for some crafty camera work making sure viewers always felt like they were a part of the action. I also thought the primarily upbeat tone of the film really worked well. I also loved the look of the suit and thought the various weapons Reyes had at his disposal were pretty damn cool.

THE BAD

Blue Beetle did feel a bit slow at times but these moments were few and far between, my primary issue with the film were the visuals. Now with a superhero movie, especially one that is touted as being filmed for IMAX, you expect to be blown away. But as we have come to expect, the final product is very different depending on whether the intro screen reads Marvel or DC Comics. DC has had its fair share of struggles so I understand the reluctance to shell out too much money on the CGI for these films, and it is clear that with Blue Beetle, they certainly cut some corners.

Now I am just trying to prepare you because I promise it’s not that the visuals are bad, they are actually pretty damn cool, they just pale in comparison to the big-time Marvel blockbusters. As an example, when Reyes first becomes Blue Beetle he goes on this crazy fly around the city experience smashing into bridges etc and it just looks a bit cheesy at times. The part where he cuts a bus in half was legit I will say, and don’t worry that’s not a spoiler because it is in the trailer. Although IMAX would definitely still be a better viewing experience, I wouldn’t call Blue Beetle a must-see in IMAX.

THE VERDICT

Although it won’t blow you away with the visuals compared to what we’ve come to expect from the genre, Blue Beetle forges its own path with genuinely likable characters, a ton of quality laughs, and an impactful and heartfelt story emphasizing the importance of family. This is without question one of the better all-around DC films in recent memory. I do think they could have done more with a bigger budget, but I enjoyed this film and by the end, I definitely felt satisfied. I do hope box office numbers justify the great setup for a sequel, and if they can justify a bigger budget the next time around, the sky is the limit for the potential of the Blue Beetle franchise.

The bottom line, this is absolutely worth seeing in theaters, and when you make it over be sure to stick around for the mid-credits scene which will have you excited for what is to come. The film also has a post-credits scene but it doesn’t add anything.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

Blue Beetle is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Jules

Jules is a 2023 sci-fi comedy drama film directed by Marc Turtletaub, who previously served as a producer for Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), from a screenplay by Gavin Steckler.

Milton lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.” Things become complicated when two neighbors discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors find meaning and connection later in life - thanks to this unlikely stranger.

The cast includes Ben Kingsley, Zoe Winters, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Jane Curtin.

Jules made its debut in select theaters on August 11th, courtesy of Bleecker Street.

THE GOOD

Jules came out of nowhere, as most indie films do, but after watching the trailer it was on my list of must-see movies. I am a sucker for anything that feels even remotely coming-of-age, and this just felt like something that had the substance that most movies are simply lacking these days. Now a movie can be entertaining from start to finish using special effects, wild action sequences, humor, etc, but having that thing that really resonates with viewers is often rare.

But for me, sometimes I just want to be surprised by a movie that is just plain special. After watching the trailer I was reminded of the 2012 sci-fi comedy-drama Safety Not Guaranteed, starring Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, and Mark Duplass, and if it was even remotely similar it would be worth it. So, did Jules live up to my expectations or was it nothing more than film with a well-made trailer? Keep reading to find out!

Jules was somehow even better than I expected, and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to say that. Seriously, as good as the trailer was it does not do the final product justice. Oh, and it very much reminded me of Safety Not Guaranteed in terms of the story and the way it all came together. I really, really loved this movie, and I want more than anything else for others to find the time to see it for themselves. This was such a special experience that had me immersed right from the opening sequence, and to say I never once even checked my phone or took my eyes off the screen would be an understatement.

And it wasn’t that so much was going on I just couldn’t look away, it was the simple fact that this film pulled me in with pure top-tier storytelling. The film touches on several difficult and complex themes, such as real family struggles, the idea of getting old and being forgotten, or what it’s like to be just plain lonely. I felt like I connected with the character of Milton right from the start, which is saying something considering he is a man in his late 70s, and well I am not. Also for a film that is obviously in the genre of science fiction, it felt as real and grounded as any movie I have seen in years. It was funny, quirky, impactful, entertaining, and for the briefest of moments truly heartbreaking.

The way writer Gavin Steckler was able to blend real-life drama so effortlessly with this wild idea of an alien landing in someone’s backyard and demolishing their birdbath was just magical. The fact that this is Steckler’s first writing credit for a film is crazy to me. Director Marc Turtletaub deserves a ton of credit for putting together a big movie on a small budget. Everything with Jules just felt so effortless, the cast was amazing and the legend that is Ben Kingsley was damn near unrecognizable as Milton, and the supporting cast was stellar as well, including Zoe Winters as Milton’s daughter, and Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin as the two women who form an unlikely but very special bond with Milton.

At one point I legitimately had chills with tears running down my face while still smiling, and I cannot remember the last time I experienced such a unique mix of raw emotion. Plus I laughed out loud several times during the movie, and not because of slapstick humor or great one-liners, but because of top-tier situational dry humor which is amazing if you can pull it off. I felt so damn satisfied after the movie ended that I went into the lobby and sat in one of the coaches for 45 minutes just soaking it all in.

As a fan of filmmaking and just the rare opportunity to leave a theater, this is what it’s all about. I also wanted to give credit to composer Volker Bertelmann, cinematographer Christopher Norr, and editor Ayelet Gil Efrat. Fantastic team effort all around by that trio creating a film that felt very real. The makeup team better get a nomination for their work on Jules as they created a pure work of art as they transformed actress jade Quon into this extra-terrestrial being. The decision to have her eyes as they were was just so impactful, and I honestly found myself lost in them more times than I can count. Jules says so much without saying anything at all, and that added so much depth to the character.

THE BAD

I honestly cannot think of a single thing about this movie that bothered me, it really is that good. I suppose you need to be able to appreciate indie filmmaking and a film that is 100% story and character-driven, but that is hardly a knock on it. I supposed a PSA is necessary as the film does touch on the difficult subject of aging in terms of Alzheimer’s, a progressive disease that severely impacts memory and other important mental functions.

THE VERDICT

A beautifully written film that conveys a powerful message in the most genuine and subtle of ways, Jules is a special cinematic experience that I simply cannot recommend enough. The acting, the story, and just the overall feel is just so, so good. Mark my words, much like the quirky indie comedy Brian and Charles (our full review here) last year, Jules is without a doubt the surprise film of 2023 and I feel lucky to have seen it in theaters. I know that this release is fairly limited, but if you have it playing near you please go out and support this gem.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.5/10

Jules is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Meg 2: The Trench

Meg 2: The Trench is a 2023 science fiction action film directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Free Fire) from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris, based on the 1999 novel The Trench: Meg 2 by Steve Alten. Serving as the sequel to The Meg (2018), the film stars Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, and Cliff Curtis.

Jonas Taylor leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival.

Plans for the sequel announced to be early development on October 2018 after the box office success of the first film, Wheatley replaced Jon Turteltaub to attached to be director from the returning script by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, with Alten having completed the screenplay in 2019. Filming began in various locations in Asia and the London place Leavesden Studio on February 2022 with much of the cast joining the same month until May 2022.

Meg 2: The Trench made its debut in theaters on August 4th, 2023, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

I was late to the party when it came to seeing the original film, The Meg, and to be honest I can't quite tell you why that is. I assume it came out during a big movie weekend. I am a big Jason Statham guy, and like any blue-collar movie connoisseur, I consider Jaws to be an all-time classic film. So needless to say, Statham in an action-packed shark attack thriller has my name written all over it. When I finally got around to seeing it, I really enjoyed it. I went in with fairly tempered expectations figuring it would be a movie meant for the theater with a big bowl of popcorn in your lap, and I thought they did a great job offering up a nice balance of action, comedy, and just all-around big-screen fun. Once they officially greenlit the sequel I planned to see it right away, hoping that if nothing else it was another fun time at the theater, and maybe even a damn good movie all around. So, did they put together a worthy sequel, or better yet a stepping stone to a full-on franchise? Keep reading to find out!

Alright so Meg 2: The Trench didn't fall on its face entirely, but I personally expected more which I will touch on later in the review. First I will talk about what I did like about this movie, and don't worry I will keep this review short and sweet, because, at the end of the day, this genre is what it is. Now Meg 2: The Trench was a fun movie and definitely not something that sent me back to the lobby asking for my money back, but it certainly didn’t get a standing ovation either. Jason Statham is great as always and continues to prove that he is the man to call for films like this.

It offers up a decent amount of great action sequences and special effects that I personally thought were fine and basically what I expected after seeing the first movie. We are also treated to some gorgeous shots thanks to such scenic shooting locations in Thailand. I really liked how they emphasized building on the comedic element, allowing a few other characters some opportunities to grab a few laughs. My favorite part of the film was without a doubt the final act, and although it was definitely very over the top I thought the ending was satisfying.

The two primary draws for Meg 2: The Trench is the cast and the special effects, more specifically the giant killer sharks, and they are the primary bright spots. As far as the cast goes, pretty much everyone was solid. Jason Statham does what he does and delivers as the face of the film. If you are seeing this movie that likely means you are a Statham fan, so you can chalk his involvement up as one of the big positives. I also really liked Page Kennedy reprising his role of DJ from the first film. This time around Kennedy gets more screen time and I thought he took full advantage, contributing to the majority of the funny moments of the film. His character is definitely goofy, but I enjoyed the humor he added. Cliff Curtis was very good yet again, and I was happy to see my guy Sergio Peris-Mencheta from the FX drama series Snowfall get a role in the film, and I thought he was very good as well. 

As far as the special effects are concerned, like I said I thought they were fine. They didn't necessarily blow me away or anything, but they did enough to adequately follow up the first film in terms of the quality of the CGI. The first film was far from perfect in that department, so it was just more of the same at least from where I was sitting. If you are expecting any semblance of realism during the action sequences, you are in the wrong movie. So I guess maybe I went in expecting special effects with flaws. I thought the visuals stood out the most during the final act, which similar to the first film is when things really got crazy. If anything I thought they should have relied more on the CGI and just had more action in the film in general, and cut out some of the slower story-building scenes during the first half.

THE BAD

Meg 2: The Trench underachieved, simple as that. I personally thought that after the first film, a successful sequel would be a layup. The stage was set and the primary characters were developed, now you just needed to go bonkers with Statham and the sharks. But instead of giving audiences what they wanted, which for my money was a sequel that was at least 80% action, they gave us a film that seemed to be trying to build more of a layered story beyond the simple yet effective foundation of the first film. Why?! I mean really, it just made no sense to me whatsoever and they easily could have cut 30 minutes and it would have been better. I understand that the overall premise is based on a novel, I just thought the additional elements of the story they tried to build on made the film feel more like a prequel than a sequel. I just wanted to see Jason Statham in the battle of his life against giant killer sharks for the majority of the film, is that really too much to ask? Plus, some of the acting was just bad and I wouldn’t even be worried about that if we had more action.

THE VERDICT

While it fails to effectively build on the success of the original film opting for more story and less action, Meg 2: The Trench is still a fun time at the theater to see Jason Statham vs Killer Sharks 2.0 as long as you go in knowing what to expect. I had fun with this movie and I certainly don't regret seeing it, it just simply should have been so much better. If you genuinely enjoyed the first film I do think this is still worth seeing in theaters, plus you can certainly justify going for a popcorn or soda refill during the first 45 minutes or so. Just keep your expectations in check. And if the box office numbers justify a third film, I will be more than willing to give it a chance as long as Jason Statham is still involved.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.6/10

Meg 2: The Trench is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a 2023 computer-animated action adventure film directed by Jeff Rowe in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Brendan O'Brien. Based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, it reboots the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series and is the first animated entry since 2022's Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie.

The film is produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and James Weaver through their company, Point Grey Pictures. Rogen describes himself as a lifelong fan of the franchise, and it was his decision to have actual teenagers voice the turtles for the first time to make it feel more authentic.

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

The voice cast includes Jackie Chan, Ayo Edebiri, Seth Rogen, John Cena, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, Ice Cube, Post Malone, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr, and Brady Noon.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem made its debut in theaters on August 2nd, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

As a 90’s kid I grew up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and consider them to be a huge part of my childhood. I actually have vivid memories of one of my favorite toys as a kid which was a really sweet Ninja Turtles van. Bottom line, those crime-fighting teenage turtles were awesome in my eyes and made for some great years. Granted adulthood eventually came calling and took a bit bite out of my ass, but that is a story for another day. The fact that the turtles are still so popular seriously warms my heart. So, needless to say I was super pumped for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and made sure to see it on opening day. Was it everything I hoped for or did it leave this lifelong fan wanting more? Keep reading to find out!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was absolute fire!! I seriously loved this movie so much, and I am still beaming with excitement and nostalgia. From the jump the animation had me floored, it was just so unique and honestly breathtaking. The opening sequence really set the tone, and I don’t think I stopped smiling for the entire hour and 40-minutes. The cast of voice actors was pure perfection, and I thought the turtles all seemed like what I remember from my childhood.

Not for nothing but Michelangelo is still my favorite, I just need a new pair of nunchucks, you know, just because. The New York City they created was so immersive and detailed, benefiting from a great score and soundtrack to really put it over the top. I was really impressed with the depth of the coming-of-age story for the turtles, which had just enough of an emotional element even though the tone was pretty light throughout. Plus, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is hilarious of course.

I have no choice but to start with the visuals for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem because holy eff (this is a family film so I am trying to keep it PG) were they amazing! Right from the start I was just blown away, and I found myself just trying to soak it all up. I was trying to avoid comparisons for obvious reasons, but the only other movie that made me feel like this was this years Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (our full review here). The best way for me to explain it is the feeling that you are so immersed in the visuals that you almost feel like you are going to miss something as far as the actual story. Similar to Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem felt incredibly unique and creative to the point where it feels like you are turning the pages of a comic book throughout the film. The opening sequence with the turtles jumping from rooftop to rooftop with the moon in the backdrop was seriously poetic, just amazing. I honestly feel like I am ill-equipped to adequately describe how next-level these visuals are, you really just need to see them for yourself.

I’m having a hard time narrowing down my favorite performance because everyone was just so good, especially the young cast that voiced the turtles, including Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael. All four of these young actors absolutely crushed it and deserve a ton of recognition for what they were able to bring to these characters. Everything about them just felt so authentic and really brought these iconic characters to life. But if I had to choose my favorite, I think I am going with the films primary antagonist voiced by Mr. NWA himself, Ice Cube. I can’t even quite explain why it is so perfect, but his voice just embodied the character of Superfly, and just added so much flare and personality. It also helped that you could relate to his story in that anti-hero Thanos type I get what you’re doing but it is still a bad idea sort of way. Plus I don’t think he is too scary for the younger kids either which is important thanks to that damn wolf from Puss in Boots that terrified my 4-year-old.

I can’t talk about everyone in detail because this review would end up being a damn manuscript and nobody wants that, but everyone was seriously amazing. Paul Rudd was hilarious as Mondo Gecko, Jackie Chan was a treat as Splinter, John Cena and Seth Rogen were the perfect duo as Rocksteady and Bebop, Ayo Edebiri was amazing as a young April O’Neil, although it was a bit weird at first considering I just finished The Bear on Hulu recently which she stars in, my guy Hannibal Buress was great as as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom, and last but certainly not least music superstar Post Malone doing his thing as Ray Fillet.

TMNT is engrained in my childhood, so the importance of doing right by such an iconic origin story was super important to me. You don’t want to piss off a fanbase in their late to mid-to-late-30’s, because they will be bringing their kids to see this movie, and probably more than once as long as they are impressed with the final product. With that being said, it was abundantly clear that everyone behind the making of this film shared a mutual love and respect for this franchise because they did it right. I really liked how they stayed true to the roots of the story behind the turtles, while making it a bit more kid friendly in the process. As much as I personally really liked the original film from 1990, it was honestly a bit dark and probably not something my toddlers could watch. Plus let’s be honest, what we let kids watch was a bit different back in the day. The pop culture references in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem were so damn good, the majority aimed at the adult audience of course (Bueller!!). So yeah, the team of writers were able to offer up something that feels fresh and reinvigorated, which who knows could lead to a franchise resurgence. I would personally love that.

Am I going to sit here and gush over the cinematography for an animated “kids movie”?! You bet your sweet behind I am! This movie is far from anything I would consider to be gritty or dark, yet somehow they managed to deliver some of the most powerful shots I have seen in an animated film. It is actually pretty wild because even though Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem definitely keeps a pretty light tone throughout and never really feels gritty, they still managed to make the turtles look pretty badass with some really creative slow-mo shots, especially during the films final act. I talked about how blown away I was by the visuals in general, but the great cinematography played a big part for sure.

I loved, loved, loved the soundtrack and the score for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which had a fantastic balance and included a ton of nostalgic music from my youth. I mean it seriously has it all; Vanilla Ice, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr. Dre, Gucci Mane, Big Pun, DMX, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Naughty by Nature, just to name a few. Artist Post Malone voices one of the characters in the film and although none of his original music is played, his character does an acoustic version of “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes. Plus the randomness of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” was awesome, and I am not ashamed to admit I have always loved that song. I mean come on just sing it with me, “Release your inhibitions, feel the the rain on your skin!!” I can’t even count how many times I have been caught singing that song out loud, and I refuse to be embarrassed about it.

THE BAD

Listen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was amazing. I may be a bit biased because they were such a big part of my childhood, but I also think that makes me a bit harder to please because I went in expecting the world. Bottom line, this movie delivered and I have zero negatives to report.

THE VERDICT

Believe the hype because Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is one of the best movies of the year! Absolutely oozing with nostalgia, it has a ridiculous soundtrack, a stacked cast of voice actors, and some of the most breathtaking visuals I have ever seen in an animated film. I already had high expectations, but they were met and exceeded. You NEED to see this movie in theaters, like right now. This is such a great coming-of-age origin story for all ages, and I cannot wait to take my toddlers to see it. I already promised them a TMNT van complete with a devastating pizza shooter on board, and to say they are pumped would be an understatement. Be sure to stick around for the mid-credits scene because odds are we haven’t seen the last of our turtle friends.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion is a 2023 supernatural horror comedy film directed by award-winning filmmaker Justin Simien, from a screenplay by Katie Dippold. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, it is the second theatrical film adaptation of Walt Disney's theme park attraction The Haunted Mansion, following the 2003 film of the same name.

A priest, a professor and a paranormal investigator try to help a woman and her family after they unwittingly move into a haunted mansion in New Orleans.

The cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.

Haunted Mansion made its debut in theaters July 28th, courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

THE GOOD

When Haunted Mansion was first announced the project seemed to make sense considering the extremely poor reception the original 2003 film received, as well as the great success of the other film based on a Disney theme park ride, Jungle Cruise (our full review here), starring Duane Johnson and Emily Blunt. Admittedly it has been years since I have seen the original Eddie Murphy film, but I just remember it being incredibly goofy and too over-the-top. For this 2nd attempt to work, I thought a great place to start would be a strong cast., and clearly I wasn’t the only one thinking that. I also felt like it was important to actually try and blend in some decent horror elements so that even though the movie is ultimately a comedy, it still had a bit of an edge to it. So, did the latest Haunted Mansion warrant a do-over or did it fall on its face yet again? Keep reading to find out!

I’ll be honest I had my doubts going in, but Haunted Mansion exceeded my expectations. First and foremost this movie is funny, and I laughed a ton during it. I really loved the cast and thought the chemistry was damn near perfect. The horror effects were solid but it was obvious they were careful to not make the film too scary considering it is technically a family movie. It was goofy but not too goofy to the point where it was obnoxious, which was something that the original missed the boat on big time. I was also genuinely surprised by the story which actually had a strong emotional element to it. The fact that Haunted Mansion was able to make me laugh as much as it did while still tugging at the heart strings a bit made for a very enjoyable experience.

The cast is without a doubt the big sell for this movie, and I thought it was fantastic. The lead role is played by my guy Lakeith Stanfield who continues to cement himself as one of the more sought after actors working today. His range is seriously impressive, and I was fully bought in to his character. My second favorite as far as the cast is the All-American funny man himself, Owen Wilson. I Love Wilson as an actor, and I felt like he stole so many scenes without really even trying. He seemed to have solid chemistry with Stanfield as well which certainly helped.

Even though he had a small role Danny DeVito crushed it as always. This guy has been acting since most of you were in diapers, and his legendary career speaks for itself. Similar to Wilson he had me cracking up in pretty much every scene he was involved in. I really like Rosario Dawson as an actress and I thought she was perfect for the more grounded character of Gabbie, who moved in to the Haunted Mansion with her young son. Her son is played by Chase Dillon, and as far as young actors go I thought he was very good. Tiffany Haddish was awesome as always, playing one of the more ridiculous characters in the film. Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto play more CGI-heavy roles, and although I thought Leto was great, I expected a bit more from Curtis. Her performance just seemed a bit lazy especially by her standards.

I was caught off guard by the fact that I was genuinely impressed by the screenplay for Haunted Mansion. I went in expecting a fairly straight forward and basic story but the emotional element was much more front and center for a few of the characters. Stanfield’s character in particular is impacted by a tragedy that derailed his career and his life, and I really liked how his story developed throughout the film. It also turned out that he had a lot in common with Rosario Dawson’s character allowing the two lead actors the opportunity to form a special bond. As a big fan of the coming-of-age genre, the emotional element of the film really helped to ensure a lasting impression.

From a technical standpoint I thought Haunted Mansion was solid, although it had its issues which I will talk more about in the next session. Overall the horror elements were well done and creepy enough but not necessarily too much to the point where they would scare the younger audiences. The theater I was in had quite a few kids and at first I was like oh man this may be a bit much for them but it seemed to level out after the first act allowing the comedy to take center stage. For that reason the CGI and special effects felt pretty goofy at times but it worked in terms of the overall identity of the film. As a horror fanatic I felt like Haunted Mansion served up enough to at least scratch the horror itch.

THE BAD

Haunted Mansion was better than I expected it to be (granted my expectations were fairly low), but one of my biggest criticisms for the film are on the technical side which is strange considering who is behind it. For a film based on a Disney theme park ride, I expected a much more riveting theater experience and I just thought it was lacking in that area. I feel like I should be able to tell people “you NEED to see this in theaters!”, and although I do believe it is worth seeing in theaters for the simple fact that it is always a superior experience, it just didn’t wow me the way I expected it to.

To use Jungle Cruise as an example, that movie really needed to be seen in theaters to be fully appreciated, but for me Haunted Mansion seemed to lack that x-factor. Now maybe Disney got cheap and just didn’t want to shell out the money needed to make this movie as big as it should have been, or I suppose it is possible they decided to tone it back and allow the talented cast the opportunity to shine instead. The visual effects just seemed cheesy more often than not, and I found myself waiting for them to up the ante but they never really did. Either way, this would be my biggest gripe for the film.

THE VERDICT

A solid comedy horror with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments thanks to a talented cast and a screenplay with more substance than I anticipated, Haunted Mansion is a necessary remake that makes for a very enjoyable theater experience for kids and adults. For my money this movie without a doubt served its purpose, and I also feel like the replay value alone makes it easy to recommend. I went in hoping to be entertained and wanted to have a few good laughs in the process, and Haunted Mansion delivered. I do think the technical elements were modest in terms of my expectations and certainly felt like a step in the wrong direction for Disney, but for me it wasn’t a deal breaker.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.7/10

Haunted Mansion is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Barbie

Barbie is a 2023 coming-of-age fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), who co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, White Noise). The film is based on the eponymous fashion doll line by Mattel and is the franchise's first live-action film adaptation after several computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films.

After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness.

The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, with a supporting ensemble cast that includes Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, and Kate McKinnon.

Barbie made its debut in theaters on July 21st, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

Hooray Barbenheimer!! This review is Part 2 of a magical movie release week alongside the EPIC biographical drama thriller Oppenheimer (Andrew’s full review here). What should and would become a national holiday if I had anything to say about it, it is a great time to be alive. When the Barbie movie was first announced I was admittedly intrigued, although I wasn’t quite sure what direction a film like this would go. I mean sure regardless of gender we all grew up with some level of exposure to the popular dolls, but did that mean I wanted to see a movie about them? But soon after they announced the primary casting and I heard the names, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, I was all in. I didn’t need to hear anything else, I would be seeing this movie on day one.

I know some people have their opinions about Robbie as an actress but she is beautiful and a legit talent, hence why she was able to make such a massive impact in the recent Wes Anderson film Asteroid City (our full review here) with just a 30-second scene. Plus, as far as Gosling goes take your pick; Crazy, Stupid, Love, Drive, The Place Beyond the Pines (a personal favorite, RIP Ray Liotta), The Nice Guys, Blade Runner 2049, seriously what can’t this guy do?! So, was my unhealthy (but not weird) obsession with Ryan Gosling enough to make Barbie an instant classic? Keep reading to find out!

Let me just start by saying this movie did NOT disappoint! I had a blast with Barbie and man was this such a fun experience. I seriously cannot wait to see it again so I can fully appreciate all of the little details. Right from the jump the sheer uniqueness and creativity of the film had me bought in, with the vibrant colors, fun soundtrack, and just the most authentic portrayal you could hope for when it comes to human Barbies.

I loved the style of the film and the comedic element was front and center from the start which I certainly appreciated. I mean sure how serious can you really make a Barbie movie, but I was laughing right away thanks to great writing that effectively balanced adult humor without alienating the younger audience. The film is packed with talent as far as the cast is concerned, but Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling stole the show. I thought the film had a great message as well, and I was without a doubt satisfied by the end.

The story and the script were a driving force for Barbie, and we were treated to quite a talented duo in Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. The Gerwig and Baumbach collaboration yielded a final product that was smart, hilarious, unique, and important. The film itself as far as genre is obviously a comedy, probably even more so a coming-of-age comedy, but in many ways it really shines with the satirical undertone it has pretty much throughout the film. Barbie is an icon for a reason, but she is also the focus of contention for people who strongly believe she is responsible for several serious issues plaguing young women, and I won’t go into detail on that because well first of all I am a man, but secondly, I’m trying to keep this review light if at all possible.

Now with that being said, I felt like the script was able to effectively convey its message without pissing anyone off, which is no easy task, especially in this day and age. Will we all see eye to eye in terms of what Gerwig and Baumbach want to leave viewers with once the credits roll? Of course not, but that is also sort of the point. I appreciated how they kept the tone light without seeming like they were worried about ruffling any feathers. I also really liked how they touched on the history of Barbie over the years in a hilarious way, which included a number of discontinued dolls that really had no business hitting store shelves.

On the technical side I thought Barbie was awesome thanks to its sheer creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, pun intended. I felt immediately immersed in the world of Barbieland, and it was just so cool watching these actors portray dolls as they ”pretended” to drink from a milk carton, shower, drive, or even attempt to surf a plastic wave with hilarious consequences. The set design was just so damn good, and you could tell that they put a ton of thought into every little aspect and detail. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack which was a big part of the film right from the opening, with a ton of fantastic original songs and we even got a little bit of Aqua’s 1997 hit single Barbie Girl. Everything just looked great, and I am personally extremely happy this film was made and it feels like the right people came together to deliver the best Barbie movie we could have asked for.

The film is packed with talent as far as the cast is concerned, but as I previously mentioned, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling definitely stole the show. Robbie was the perfect choice for Barbie, and at one point a voiceover even points out the fact that if you want audiences to buy into the main character feeling “unattractive”, don’t cast Margot Robbie. She is one of the most attractive actresses working today, and the fact that she is so talented is pretty damn impressive. I’m not going to sit here and act like Robbie was able to utilize her full range but her believability as Barbie was a big reason why the film works so well especially once they are in the real world.

Now I have to talk about my guy Ryan Gosling, and he was so damn good. He contributed to the majority of the humor in the film once again reminding us why he can take on intense roles but is able to flip the switch and be the funny guy without missing a beat. Gosling has great timing and delivery as a comedic actor, but his mannerisms and facial expressions made him the perfect actor to play Ken. The only other character that even came close to having as much of an impact on the humor of the film was Michael Cera, who had a small but fantastic role. Cera is just great in general, but I really liked how they used him here.

The core of the supporting cast was led by America Ferrera, who is best known for her role in the 2006 sitcom Ugly Betty. Ferrera plays Gloria, who is Barbie’s connection to the real world along with her daughter. I thought Ferrera was great here and showed why she deserves more opportunities. I’m a Will Ferrell guy and I won’t apologize for it, and he was great as the out-of-touch Mattel CEO. The supporting cast was absolutely stacked and they all crushed it, including Simu Liu who served as the “Evil Ken” to Gosling’s “All-American Ken”, and comedy icon Kate McKinnon deserves a shoutout because she was just so, so good and fit the feel of the film perfectly. Aside from those already mentioned, other absolutely necessary shout-outs include Ariana Greenblatt, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Issa Rae (obviously), Kingsley Ben-Adir who is a BEAST as of late, and Rhea Perlman. The bottom line, the cast in this film is next level.

THE BAD

As much as I enjoyed Barbie it did have a few minor issues. First, not all of the jokes landed and if you didn’t buy into the wackiness of the film right away, it was going to be a long 2-hours. What I mean by that is Barbie is very goofy and unique by design, and that really shouldn’t be a knock on the film as it is one of its greatest strengths, but you still have to allow yourself to be immersed in the very pink and colorful world of Barbie. So I guess just watch the trailer, and if that leaves you intrigued, you’ll be good. Now I am not one to complain about the length of a film especially considering one of my greatest life experiences in quite a while was the glorious 3-hours I spent in the IMAX watching Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, but I did feel like they could have shaved maybe 15-minutes off. That may be a bit nitpicky on my part, but it felt a bit slow at times. Who am I kidding, I could watch Robbie and Gosling for 24-hours straight, so maybe just ignore what I just said entirely.

THE VERDICT

A super creative and hilarious comedy drenched in a vibrant bright pink with a hefty dose of tasteful satire, Barbie powers into the real world with a terrific screenplay and a legendary duo in Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. This movie must have been such a blast to make, and I am personally glad it was made and couldn’t be happier to see it doing as well as it is. As I touched on in the review it’s not a perfect film but the good far outweighs the bad by a long shot, and I seriously applaud the creativity and originality. If you have any reservations about seeing Barbie I say give it a chance, because if we really want filmmakers to generate content that feels fresh and new, we need to show up to support these projects.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Barbie is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Oppenheimer

By: Andrew Wing

Oppenheimer is a 2023 epic biographical thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar). Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who was pivotal in developing the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project, and thereby ushering in the Atomic Age.

Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Peaky Blinders) stars as the titular character, with Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, A Quiet Place) as Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, The Martian) as General Leslie Groves, Oppenheimer's military handler, and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame) as Lewis Strauss, a senior member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The supporting cast also includes Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Black Widow), Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down, Wrath of Man), Casey Affleck (Ocean’s Eleven, Manchester by the Sea), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time to Die), and Kenneth Branagh (Dunkirk, Murder on the Orient Express).

The project was announced in September 2021 after Universal Pictures won a bidding war for Nolan's screenplay. Murphy signed on to portray Oppenheimer in October, with others in the main cast joining between November 2021 and April 2022. Pre-production was underway by January 2022, with filming taking place from February to May. Oppenheimer was filmed in a combination of IMAX 65 mm and 65mm large-format film, including, for the first time in history, sections in IMAX black-and-white analog photography. As with his previous works, Nolan utilized extensive practical effects and minimal computer-generated imagery.

Oppenheimer premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on July 21, 2023, by Universal Pictures. Its simultaneous release with the fantasy comedy film Barbie (see our preview here) led to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon on social media, which encouraged viewers to see both films as a double feature.

THE GOOD

Let’s fucking go! The day that all moviegoers and lovers of film have all been waiting for has finally come! July 21, 2023, also known as “Barbenheimer” Day! First things first, I just have to say as a cinephile that it was great to see this become a phenomenon on social media because both movies were original and organic, but more than that, both movies were necessary to make a big deal out of, and while I still have yet to see Barbie, let me just say that Oppenheimer absolutely lived up to the hype! Keep reading to find out why!

For starters, as Ted said to me as soon as the film concluded and the end credits came up, Christopher fucking Nolan man! He doesn’t miss! The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, I mean the list goes on! Add in Oppenheimer, and Nolan has made five of the best films of the 21st century, and I’m going to go out and say that Oppenheimer just might be the most important film of this century! Nolan is known for his Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, and while we still get that in Oppenheimer, it is truly an epic biographical thriller at the end of the day!

Doing press for the film, Nolan said he has been interested in the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer since he was just a boy from London. More than that, he addresses an old childhood dread of his in this movie, that of course being the threat of thermonuclear war and human annihilation. And while I don’t view this to be Nolan’s magnum opus because I just don’t see anything ever topping The Dark Knight, I do think this is the best-directed movie he has ever done. He put all of his childhood fears into this because, despite the fact that I and everyone else in the theater knew the outcome of this story, the film was still incredibly thrilling and gripping from start to finish. Best believe I will be rooting hard for him to win the Academy Award for Best Director, because let’s be honest, he is well overdue for one.

Onto the screenplay, which Nolan adapted from the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which I definitely plan on reading in the coming weeks, it is dynamite (pun intended). Seriously though, every line of dialogue is excellent and it goes to prove that not only is Nolan one of the best directors we have working, but also one of the best writers we have today. There are so many monologues given in this film that just made my jaw drop, and the only way he doesn’t win for Best Adapted Screenplay is if some guy named Martin Scorsese does for Killers of the Flower Moon (see our preview here), which is set to come out this fall.

But enough about Nolan, we have to touch on A LOT, and I mean A LOT of performances, but there is only one place to start, and that is Cillian Murphy, who is the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer. A frequent collaborator with Nolan, Murphy often plays side characters in his films, and he is most known for his work in the series Peaky Blinders which I have yet to start for some god-forsaken reason. Needless to say, even though I have not even seen that series, this is a career-best performance from Murphy, and it is truly one of the greatest performances of all time! Apparently, he was so incredibly focused on set and he would go days without eating because he wanted to try and look as much like Oppenheimer, a very skinny man, as possible.

The 47-year-old Irishman has never been nominated for an Academy Award, but I will BET MY LIFE that changes this year. Not only should he be nominated, he really should win. He absolutely carries this movie on his back with his performance, and his intensity in every scene makes the movie as good as it is. Then again, there is that movie I already mentioned that is coming out this fall that just so happens to star a man by the name of Leonardo DiCaprio, who apparently gives a career-best performance, so time will tell, but regardless, hats off to Cillian Murphy because this was unbelievable to watch!

The next best performance belongs to Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., who plays Lewis Strauss. Strauss, if you disregard the Nazis and the other Axis powers the U.S. is fighting in World War II, is really the film’s antagonist, and good lord does Nolan know how to cast because RDJ was perfect in this role! Being a big Marvel fan, RDJ means so much to me and my love for film because of what he did as Iron Man for over a decade, but other than that, he is just one of my favorite actors and he is so incredibly talented! I am so happy to see him back doing films like this with big-name directors because I’ll say it, I want to see him get some Oscars and I think he will very soon following his performance here! He has a very important role in the film, and in the final third of the film he just cooks with gas, and there is one scene in particular where he just goes off and I’ll say it, I got chills!

I mean I could go on for days because everyone in the cast gave superb performances. Aside from Murphy and RDJ though, the next two key players in the film were Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, and Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves, Oppenheimer's military handler. They were both fantastic and are both deserving of Academy Award nominations. Blunt steals the show in the last fifteen minutes with a great scene, and Damon was responsible for almost all of the movie’s few comedic scenes. Other standout performances belonged to the beautiful Florence Pugh who played Oppenheimer’s mistress, Jean Tatlock, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Benny Safdie of the Safdie brothers as the Hungarian-American physicist Edward Teller, Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) as Roger Robb, and Scottish actor Tom Conti (Reuben, Reuben) who plays Albert freaking Einstein, and that’s just to name a few because I’ll say it again, every actor involved killed it!

Now onto arguably my favorite part of a Nolan movie, and that is the technical elements! I have to start with the visuals! First, I saw this in IMAX, and I’m embarrassed to say that it was my first time seeing a film in IMAX, but boy oh boy did I pick a good first movie to pop my IMAX cherry with! For real though, from the opening scene, I was just in awe and it truly was an unforgettable experience, thanks in large part to Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography! Hoyte had done the previous three Nolan movies, and the most recent film he worked on was Jordan Peele’s Nope (read my full review here) from last year, and I just have to say it, he might be the best cinematographer working right now. I’m sorry Roger Deakins, you are the G.O.A.T., but what Hoyte is doing with the camera right now is just on another planet, and this should be a LOCK for Best Cinematography. The editing from Jennifer Lame was remarkable, and Oscar-worthy and the score from Ludwig Göransson is unreal stuff. The score just bangs and like van Hoytema, Göransson might be the best composer working right now and he proved it with this score which everyone should just go listen to right this very second!

THE BAD

Come on. I have never skipped this section in my over 130 reviews, but this is the closest I have ever come to skipping it entirely. Seriously though, this movie is a masterpiece and a true achievement in filmmaking. I have seen critics saying that Nolan is juggling too much here and good lord does that piss me off because he gives us one of the best movie endings of the past ten years in this because, in the last five minutes of the film, we get every question answered. Oh, and if anyone complains about the runtime of this movie, I swear to God, I will blow my top!

THE VERDICT

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is truly one of the greatest films of all time. It is an achievement in filmmaking in every way possible and it is carried by career-best performances from almost everyone involved, most notably Cillian Murphy who plays the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Seeing this in IMAX was undoubtedly the best moviegoing experience of my life, and I just can't wait to watch this win every award at the 2024 Oscars!

TED TAKES RATING - 9.9/10

Oppenheimer is now playing only in theaters. Watch the most recent trailer below.

Past Lives

By: Andrew Wing

Past Lives is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Greta Lee (Russian Doll, The Morning Show), Teo Yoo (Leto), and John Magaro (The Umbrella Academy, First Cow), and follows a reunion between two childhood friends as they contemplate their relationship and their own lives.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 2, 2023, by A24.

THE GOOD

Coming out of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, there was one film in particular that was getting more praise than any other, and that film was Past Lives. Those who saw it at the festival were already going ahead and saying that it was a lock to get a Best Picture nomination at the next Academy Awards, and with me being a big Oscars guy, needless to say, I was pumped for it! Throw in the fact that I had to wait four-plus weeks after its original release date before it came to a theater in my state, and my hype for this movie was at an all-time high! But did it live up to my lofty expectations? Keep reading to find out!

It most certainly did! Simply put, this movie is amazing and it will without a doubt be one of 2023’s best films! What made Past Lives so good though? Well, there are many things, but first and foremost, Celine Song absolutely crushed it in her feature directorial debut! It is just insane to me that this is her debut film, and it reminds me a lot of Charlotte Wells' directorial debut from last year, Aftersun (read my full review here), as that was also a deeply personal drama distributed by the one and only A24. Unlike Wells though, I do believe that this film is a little bit easier for mainstream audiences to connect with and I strongly believe it will get a Best Picture nomination, and Song may even garner a nomination for Best Director too.

Seriously though, what Song brought to us was such a delicate and rich film that has so many layers to it. The film follows a reunion between two childhood friends as they contemplate their relationship and their own lives, and let me just say that this screenplay is just flawless. What I loved most about it was how Song doesn’t give you an answer, but rather she gives you the space to explore, and you could tell that she wanted viewers to focus on the space between the words. I definitely see Song earning herself a nomination for Best Original Screenplay because of the beautiful story that also serves as a strong immigrant story.

I definitely think Song won the movie, but I cannot say enough good things about the trio of performances we got in Past Lives from Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as the lead characters Nora and Hae Sung respectively, and John Magaro in a supporting role as Arthur, Nora’s husband. Lee and Yoo were just brilliant in this film at conveying the longing and excitement their characters were experiencing every time they were together. Both performances were layered and internal, and the movie itself really relied on the performances to move the story along and they just nailed it. The performance that really blew me away though was John Magaro. I thought he was so good in this as he played the husband who realized the awkwardness of the position he was in, and every scene he was in was just phenomenal, and I’d say he is extremely likely to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and deservingly so!

Lastly, when it comes to Past Lives, it is a movie that is very subtle visually speaking, but nevertheless, I found it to be really beautiful to look at. Song and the cinematographer Shabier Kirchner, who recently won a BAFTA for his work on Steve McQueen’s five-part anthology series Small Axe, worked well together and it was obvious they put a lot of thought into every scene the way it was so perfectly framed. More than that, there were so many great shots of people just walking around the cities and the last shot will certainly stay with you, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Kirchner earned himself his very first Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. Oh and one more thing, the music was done by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen of the indie rock band Grizzly Bear, and let me just say that they were fantastic and they made a fan out of me!

THE BAD

No surprise here, but I loved this movie! I have zero critiques but I will just say to those thinking about checking this out, which you absolutely should, that the first half of the film can feel pretty slow as the film definitely takes its time building up the characters and the central premise. Trust me though, it really pays off in the second half of the film, and especially in the final third! Also, with the film mainly being about the reconnection of two childhood friends from South Korea, it goes without saying that the film is spoken mostly in Korean, so while you may have to do some reading unless you speak Korean, what you’ll take away from this movie will make it well worth it!

THE VERDICT

Behind a trio of excellent performances and a flawless screenplay from Celine Song in her feature directorial debut, Past Lives is a deeply impactful romantic drama that will either move you to tears or put you on the verge of tears.

This is another gem from A24 that is 100% an awards contender, and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the years play out because A24 just might be going back-to-back when it comes to Best Picture.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.6/10

Past Lives is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a 2023 action spy film written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. It is the seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible film series, and the third in the series directed by McQuarrie, following Rogue Nation and Fallout. The film franchise is based on the original ABC “Mission: Impossible” television series from 1966. Part Two is slated for release in 2024, which is expected to be the final appearance for Cruise as Ethan Hunt.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

The cast includes Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Frederick Schmidt, all of whom will reprise their roles from the previous films. Newcomers include Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, and Cary Elwes.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One made its debut in theaters on July 12th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

It’s hard to believe that Tom Cruise first stepped into the shoes of soon-to-be IMF agent Ethan Hunt way back in 1996, and the action film landscape would never be the same. Although not all of the movies have been perfect, this has easily become one of my favorite franchises especially when it comes to the movie theater experience. The pandemic wreaked havoc on movie theaters and businesses in general, and people kept saying the movie theater experience is dead, people would rather stay home and watch movies. I knew better though, because as a lover of film ever since I took my first steps, there is nothing like the experience of seeing a movie in theaters.

I mean sure, if I was crazy rich and I had enough money to build my own movie theater that would be another thing entirely, but that is just an example of re-creating the experience at home, and last I checked we aren’t all millionaires. People like to say oh I have a great setup at home, but just because you have a 65” TV and a sound bar doesn’t mean you have what you need, trust me. The fact of the matter is these movies are handcrafted for theaters, and the only way you can even possibly experience a film the way it was made to be experienced is to see it in theaters. Period. Plus, the argument can certainly be made that Tom Cruise helped to save movie theaters with the success of Top Gun: Maverick (our review here). So needless to say I was PUMPED for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Did it live up to my expectations?! Keep reading to find out!

This movie was just incredible, simple as that. In some ways I feel silly even taking the time to write this review because it should be obvious, right? This franchise has become an absolute powerhouse, and somehow it keeps getting better. Even though Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is around two hours and 45 minutes long, it absolutely flew by. It was action-packed and exhilarating, the cast was phenomenal including the new additions, and the stunts were all holy shit worthy as anticipated. Oh and of course the visuals and soundtrack/score were just pure perfection. Considering this is the 7th movie and just Part One of Two you would assume that just maybe it would show some signs of slowing down, but no, not even a little bit. The Mission: Impossible franchise has set the bar for action films, and somehow they found a way to raise that bar. I’m still trying to process my experience.

The Mission: Impossible franchise is known for exciting and immersive storylines, but what intrigues me the most about these films is how easy they are to follow considering the intricacies. Now I understand how some films more or less assume the ignorance of the audience and try to serve up a spoon-fed screenplay, but that is not the case with this franchise or Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. I thought the story was fantastic and extremely timely considering our reliance on technology, and even though it wasn’t necessarily unique or groundbreaking in terms of the overall approach, it still managed to feel fresh and fitting for this franchise. The opening sequence had me on the edge of my seat, and needless to say, once things got going they never really slowed down. I also love the dynamic of the IMF team specifically Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, and the fact that this is the team that takes on the “impossible” missions, but just expects them to follow traditional protocol. It’s just a fun little wrinkle that helps keep this franchise from becoming boring or stale in any way. I also thought the cliffhanger was incredible, and satisfying yet left me wanting more, and I couldn’t be more excited for Part Two. Seriously, can we just fast forward a year?!

Let’s take a minute to talk about this incredible cast, starting with Tom fucking Cruise. Like seriously, you have got to be kidding me with this guy. I swear he is some sort of cyborg because no normal human being would ever be capable of what he has accomplished in his acting career. We have seen some greats, some still going and some no longer in the picture, but I would be hard-pressed to argue against Cruise someday retiring as the most impactful actor in the history of film. I mean even if we just talk about the Mission: Impossible franchise and Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, you’d still have an argument, but the man’s filmography is nothing short of mind-blowing. He is just a supremely talented actor in general, but his willingness to take on the stunts he takes on, especially at his age is unprecedented.

Rebecca Furguson has become a mainstay in the franchise and has proven to be a great addition. She is a fantastic actress but clearly, she thrives within the action thriller genre, and it was such a smart move bringing her in when they did. One of my favorite things about the Mission: Impossible franchise is the comradery between the team, with the primary core at this point and time consisting of Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg. I remember when they first added Pegg and I figured he would be more of a one-movie character, but he fit in perfectly and has become a mainstay for good reason. I also love Rhames as an actor, who has been involved with the franchise since the original back in 1996. He’s been acting as long as I have been alive, and although he may be a bit underrated in terms of the roles he has been taking on as of late, it is undeniable that he brings a ton of value to this franchise and that is why he is still an important piece.

I also thought Vanessa Kirby was great yet again as she continues to prove her talent as an actress. I have to quickly touch on the primary new additions to the cast which would be Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, and Greg Tarzan Davis. I thought Atwell was beautiful and did a tremendous job alongside Cruise in a very important role. It felt like she fit in right away and I really enjoyed her character. Klementieff, who most will recognize as Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy, was such a badass and super sexy. To say she was a formidable foe would be an understatement, and I loved the trajectory of her character. My guy Shea Whigham was fantastic as the guy tasked with hunting Hunt and his team, and I really enjoyed Davis as his partner. Both did a great job taking full advantage of their time on the screen. Last but certainly not least, Esai Morales was amazing as Hunt’s nemesis from the past, and I thought the writing team hit it out of the park with his backstory. An extremely talented actor who has made a career off of being the good guy, including a lengthy run on NYPD Blue, finally gets a chance to see things from the other side of the aisle.

As far as technical elements are concerned, the Mission: Impossible franchise sets the bar and that is once again the case here. Every fist thrown, gun fired, and automobile collision is nothing short of perfection. During every action scene, I felt like I was there, and I just kept thinking man this is what going to the movie theater is all about. This is why we watch movies, period. The action is in your face and infused with adrenaline, the score and soundtrack hit like a damn sledgehammer, and the incredible camera work and mesmerizing cinematography make for an experience like no other.

Sitting here and trying to break down the finer elements of the film feels like a bit of a waste of my time and yours to be honest, and if you pay attention to one thing during this review pay attention to this, please see this movie in theaters and see it on the BIGGEST SCREEN POSSIBLE. Tom Cruise appears on screen before the movie thanking everyone for making the trip to the theater, but trust me the pleasure is ours. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is incredible in every way, and even as I am writing this review I am trying to find time to see it again.

The stunts in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One were absolutely wild, and the fact that they used little to no CGI is honestly hard to even wrap my brain around. The action feels authentic and hits so damn hard you will be in a state of awe pretty much the entire time. I mean the movie had it all, intense car chases, shootouts, train crashes, and some really crazy stunts that will give those of us who have a fear of heights heart palpitations. Seriously, they do not hold back and we expect nothing less considering what this franchise has already accomplished.

Now I won’t go too in-depth on the stunts because I don’t want to ruin anything, but one in particular that is in the trailer is especially crazy. I am of course referring to Evil Kaneebil himself Tom Cruise taking a dirt bike off a giant cliff with a parachute on his back. This stunt, which took an incredible amount of preparation from building an insane ramp to Cruise doing 500 skydiving jumps, was not for the faint of heart. Once everything was ready you would think he would do it once and be like okay I’m good, but nope not this guy he did this stunt on camera SIX times before he felt like everything was just right. Once you see the movie take the time to watch some of the behind-the-scenes videos about what went into some of these stunts because it is well worth it. It should come as no surprise that this movie has been in development for years with a ton of work happening in the midst of the pandemic.

THE BAD

This section will be short and sweet because Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is damn near flawless. One thing I will point out although I don’t consider it a negative necessarily, is one of the big action sequences from the final act is essentially identical to the Uncharted videogame franchise. Like exactly. Perhaps it was inspired by the game, or it was just a coincidence, but I just found it interesting how spot-on it was. I guess Tom Holland will have to try something different if we end up getting another Uncharted film.

THE VERDICT

An immersive and exhilarating screenplay matched seamlessly with the jaw-dropping stunts the franchise is known for, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is an amazing achievement in filmmaking and a reminder that Tom Cruise is arguably the most versatile and accomplished actor in the history of film. This dude doesn’t just act, he lives his roles and literally risks his own personal well-being to make sure audiences get the experience they deserve. This is why we go to the movie theater, period. From start to finish I felt like a kid in a candy store just soaking up every bit of this magical experience unfolding before me. Stop what you are doing and go see Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One right now on the biggest screen possible, you can thank me later. I seriously cannot wait for Part Two to get here.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Joy Ride

Joy Ride is a 2023 comedy film directed by Adele Lim, in her feature directorial debut, and written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, from a story by Lim, Chevapravatdumrong, and Hsiao. From the producers of Neighbors and the co-screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians, the film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 17th, 2023.

When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu, Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians), Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina is Nora From Queens), David Denman (Greenland), Annie Mumolo (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Alexander Hodge (Insecure), and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians).

Joy Ride made its debut in theaters on July 7th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

When the first trailer was released I had heard literally nothing about Joy Ride, but after watching it I was genuinely intrigued. And once the near-perfect ratings from early screenings at SXSW in March were released, I was basically like holy shit I need to circle this on my calendar. I love me a good comedy, especially a good R-rated comedy that has a solid screenplay and a terrific cast, and this seemed to fit the bill. So I made my way to the theater on opening day, grabbed my soda and the biggest popcorn they had, and made my way to my comfy recliner. So, was my experience nothing more than a regretful experience of me consuming way too much popcorn or did Joy Ride live up to the lofty expectations? Keep reading to find out!

Even though my expectations were very high, I am very pleased to say that Joy Ride was a damn near perfect film as far as R-rated comedies go. The film was packed with vulgar language as expected, had a ton of laugh-out-loud moments, mocked woke culture at damn near every turn and just found a way to be smart and ridiculous at the same time. I loved all of the characters and felt like each one served their respective purpose, and I was impressed by the fact that the film also included what felt like a genuine emotional element in the final act which I didn’t necessarily expect. The movie absolutely flies by at a smooth hour and a half, and I enjoyed watching the story unfold. As far as R-rated comedies go, Joy Ride is definitely over-the-top but it somewhat felt more grounded compared to similar films and ended up having a great message about family and friendship which I really appreciated. I felt like I left the theater with a bit more substance than I anticipated.

The cast was a massive bright spot for this film, and I felt like they crushed it. Comedies often rely on the chemistry of the cast to ensure certain jokes land and it all came together here. I will start with Ashley Park, and let me just say I felt a little racist assuming she was related to actor Randall Park, but I did the necessary research and she is not. All jokes aside, I loved her in this role as she plays Audrey, the American-born go-getter who finds herself relying on her heritage to try and help close a big career-defining business deal. I haven’t seen the Netflix romantic comedy series Emily in Paris, but I have heard good things and apparently, she is fantastic in that. She began her acting career in the theater so she has some real-deal acting chops, and after seeing her in this movie it was clear that she is a versatile and very talented actress, but also very attractive which is also nice. Park played off the rest of the cast extremely well and I was 100% bought into her character from the start. Stephanie Hsu co-stars as Kat, Audrey’s childhood friend who is the screwup of the group living out of Audrey’s garage and essentially refusing to grow up. Hsu was downright hilarious in this role, and the chemistry she had with Park was a big reason why everything worked so well.

Sabrina Wu plays Deadeye, the painfully socially awkward member of the crew who basically ends up along for the ride. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about Wu’s character at first, but she grew on me and by the end of the film she was definitely one of my favorites. Her character was just so different from the others, and although she was considered the weird one, in many ways she was the most relatable by the end. Sherry Cola stars as Lolo, the successful actress best friend of Audrey who she met in college. From the start Hsu and Cola clash in the battle of the best friends, and it is hilarious watching these two do everything in their power to try and ruin the reputation of the other.

Some of the characters feel a bit outlandish at times, but so much of the film felt grounded in the reality of today and I thought that the characters provided a fantastic balance. I also need to shout out a stellar supporting cast including Daniel Dae Kim in a very small but important role, Timothy Simmons as Frank, Desmond Chiam as Lolo’s fiancé Clarence, Ronny Chieng as Chao the businessman Audrey is trying to win over, and last but not least Lori Tan Chinn who basically plays the same nutty grandma character in the comedy series Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Oh, and I can’t forget about the FANTASTIC cameo from former NBA player Baron Davis, so good!

I touched on the story briefly but I wanted to talk a bit more about it considering it was much better than I anticipated. Now I always get annoyed when so-called critics slam a comedy for lacking a story because sometimes the story is little more than a placeholder and the cast is the star of the show. I mean surely this doesn’t make a film a masterpiece by any means, but it can still be a very good movie within the comedy genre. In this day and age, we are more critical or “self-aware”, and yes I put that in air quotes for a reason, but sometimes it is honestly draining and downright annoying. But to get back on track a bit, Joy Ride has received significant positive feedback from both critics and viewers for a reason, it really is that good.

Yes, they did a great job casting the film, but this isn’t another movie with three or four big names that are capable of carrying the film. We are treated with a relatively simple yet timely and effective screenplay that takes full advantage of the cast, but it also puts the effort in to mock the way things are today without necessarily offending anyone, which is no easy task. I felt like the characters all felt relatable in their own way, and most of us can also relate to the balance of family and friendship especially as you get older. More than anything else I just appreciated the film’s message, loved that pretty much all of the jokes landed, and I know for a fact that I will be watching Joy Ride more in the future as it will likely find its way into my regular rotation of comedies.

THE BAD

Aside from stealing its title from a very underrated 2001 thriller starring the late Paul Walker and Steve Zahn, I am genuinely hard-pressed to try and pick apart Joy Ride, mainly because it perfectly executes what it sets out to do, from start to finish really. If I had to try and really dig deep to have a gripe I would have to say the film is slightly geared towards the female audience in terms of the majority of the jokes and the overall theme, but I was hardly surprised by this considering a primarily female cast as well as all female screenwriters. This isn’t a knock on the film as much as it is pointing out a fact that may entice female viewers a bit more. Also, this is an R-rated comedy, so if you have an issue with profanity or jokes of a sexual nature, needless to say, this movie is not for you.

THE VERDICT

An R-rated comedy with a very well-written and timely screenplay matched perfectly with a fantastic cast of characters, Joy Ride is a well-rounded film packed with laughs that never takes itself too seriously while offering a little something for everyone. Even though I went in with high expectations for obvious reasons, I still really enjoyed this movie and felt like it maybe even exceeded my expectations somehow. Considering the genre I was impressed with the fact that the film stuck with me well after leaving the theater, and Joy Ride is probably one of the easier movies to recommend to pretty much anyone in recent memory. Aside from kids of course, maybe go ahead and keep the kids at home for this one.

Oh and just a quick disclaimer, I know a few people who don’t do well with vomit so feel free to reach out about the parts where you should probably cover your eyes and ears. You have been warned.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

Joy Ride is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Elemental

By: Andrew Wing

Elemental is a 2023 American computer-animated romantic comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) and produced by Denise Ream, it was written by Sohn, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh with Pete Docter serving as executive producer. The overall 27th feature film produced by the studio, the film features the voices of Leah Lewis (The Half of It), Mamoudou Athie (Underwater, Jurassic World Dominion), Ronnie del Carmen (Inside Out, Soul), Shila Ommi (Charlie Wilson’s War), Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids, Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), and Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek).

Set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature, the story follows fire element Ember Lumen (Lewis) and water element Wade Ripple (Athie), who meet and fall in love after Wade is summoned by a plumbing accident at a convenience store owned by Ember's father, Bernie (Del Carmen).

Following the release of The Good Dinosaur (2015), Sohn began working on the project when the idea first started. He pitched the concept to Pixar to develop Elemental based on the idea of whether fire and water could ever connect or not. Elemental draws inspiration from Sohn's youth, growing up as the son of immigrants in New York City during the 1970s, highlighting the city's distinct cultural and ethnic diversity while the story is inspired by romantic films like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Moonstruck (1987), and Amélie (2001). For research, the production team spent many hours watching point-of-view city tours on YouTube like Venice and Amsterdam for inspiration. The animation tools were utilized to design the visual effects and appearance of each character, particularly Ember and Wade. Production on Elemental lasted for seven years, both in the studio and at the filmmakers' homes with the story being finished remotely. Thomas Newman composed and conducted the film's original score, marking his fourth collaboration with Pixar after Finding Nemo (2003), WALL-E (2008), and Finding Dory (2016).

Elemental debuted out of competition as the closing film at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 16 in RealD 3D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema formats. The film has grossed $255 million to date against its $200 million budget.

THE GOOD

I will never not be excited about a Pixar movie. Sure, everyone will tell you they are in a slump, but I was one of the few people who liked both of the movies they put out last year in Turning Red (see my full review here) and Lightyear (see my full review here). Maybe those films didn’t hit the same levels of say a Toy Story, or one of my personal favorites, WALL-E, but they are still pretty damn reliable. And with Elemental, a movie that premiered at the damn Cannes Film Festival for crying out loud, I was pretty damn excited to check it out despite the early mixed reviews. So was this another win for Pixar, or were the Cannes critics who were negative towards the film right? Keep reading to find out!

It is with deep sadness that I say it was the latter. Trust me when I say I will get to the bad parts later, but for now, let’s talk about the good stuff. For starters, the animation is once again really good. That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering it is Pixar, but I just thought that the animation was pretty impressive considering what the movie was about and how all of the characters looked. More specifically, I found all of the water and glass stuff in the film to look pretty good as it contrasted nicely with the characters, and the world-building was solid too as it allowed the city to feel truly alive.

Aside from the animation, the next best thing was the music. There is an original song from the American singer Lauv, called “Steal the Show” which I really enjoyed, and as for the score which was done by Thomas Newman, who also scored Finding Nemo and WALL-E, it is just what you’d expect from Newman. Like the movie itself, the music felt very different from other Pixar entries, but I think it worked. Other than that, I, unfortunately, don’t have many more great things to say about Elemental, but I will say that despite the many problems I had with it that you are about to dive into, there are still a lot of cute parts that both kids and the adults will enjoy so there’s that.

THE BAD

Alright, time for me to be the bad guy that craps on a Pixar film, but there is just no other way to say it, I just did not like this movie. I watched the movie over two weeks ago and have been thinking about why I didn’t like it and the main thing is just the story. If you’ve seen the trailer, you know what it is, but the movie is about fire falling in love with water even though it’s basically forbidden. And I don’t know what else to say, but the story was just so underwhelming in my opinion. It was straightforward and redundant, and despite the fact that it was trying to be this romantic comedy, I still found the story to be uninteresting to put it bluntly.

Continuing with the rom-com point, the romance was bad, and the reason it was bad was that it didn’t work because the characters just weren’t likable if you ask me. Yes, they were these blobs, but Pixar has made me feel emotionally connected to a rat before, so I don’t want to hear it. The characters were just dull and I did not feel any sort of emotional connection to any of the characters. Other than just despising the character of Wade, I think it ultimately doesn’t work because the presentation of the story felt rushed. There are these two stories going on at the same time, and while I don’t want to give anything away, it felt like they only got to halfway for both stories, and even though I thought the ending was decent, it just felt lazy and it was not the Pixar we are accustomed to.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to an underwhelming story, Elemental is bottom-of-the-barrel Pixar if you ask me. Sure, there are some cute parts here, the animation is good, and Thomas Newman delivers once again, but at the end of the day, it really just felt like a throwaway lazy parody of another Pixar film, so needless to say, I was disappointed.

Lastly, and I have to say this, just be prepared for the bad short feature film, Carl’s Date, beforehand that just made me ask why Pixar continues to do that. Does anyone like those? Because I don’t!

TED TAKES RATING - 5.5/10

Elemental is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

Insidious: The Red Door

Insidious: The Red Door is a 2023 horror thriller directed by Patrick Wilson from a screenplay by Scott Teems, from a story and based on characters from Leigh Whannell.

To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and a college-aged Dalton (Ty Simpkins) must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.

The cast includes Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Hiam Abbass, Sinclair Daniel, Andrew Astor, and Rose Byrne.

Insidious: The Red Door made its debut in theaters on July 7th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

THE GOOD

As a self-proclaimed horror aficionado, I’ve seen every one of the Insidious movies in theaters. The first film came out way back in 2010 and was directed by James Wan, same with Insidious 2 a few years later. Chapter 3 served as the prequel to the first two films and marked the directorial debut of writer Leigh Whannel, who also starred in Specs, as one of the paranormal investigators in the first two films. The fourth film was released in 2018 and directed by Adam Robitel with a storyline focused more on Lin Shaye’s character.

In general, I have enjoyed the Insidious films, and feel like it has been a very solid and consistent franchise from the beginning. It may not do anything exceptionally well, but the films have always had a clear identity, great characters, and a nice balance of horror and humor. After three years I was excited for the 5th entry in the franchise, so I made sure to make my way to the theater for Insidious: The Red Door on opening night. So, was this another solid addition to the franchise or did they finally drop the ball? Keep reading to find out!

Alright, so this is going to be a bit of a multi-faceted review, because although there is plenty about the film that I did like, there is a lot that really pissed me off if I am being completely honest, but I will talk about all of that later in the review. First with the positives, Insidious: The Red Door does plenty of good things. I thought the acting was solid and it was nice to see the original cast back together. The story had a really interesting connection to the first film which I thought was really cool and set the stage nicely. As far as the horror elements the film serves up a great horror feel and lots of effective jump scares and creepy moments of something lurking in the background. Similar to other films in the franchise the production value for Insidious: The Red Door was top-notch, particularly the seamless transition from the real world to The Further.

The cast was one of the film’s bigger strengths, particularly the return of Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. Wilson, who was also very solid in his directorial debut, once again proved his worth as an actor with solid on-screen confidence. He also did some great things behind the camera with what I felt was some creative camera work and a shooting style that seemed to fit the film. I am a big fan of Byrne in general, and even though she has a very small role in the film her presence is definitely felt.

The supporting cast was fine in terms of what they had to work with, and the film also had some great cameos which I enjoyed. I felt like the technical elements were great pretty much from start to finish which has always been a staple of the franchise, making for some very scary demons/evil entities. Once again kudos to the make-up and special effects team for some terrifying visuals throughout the film.

THE BAD

Insidious: The Red Door is not without its issues, and I honestly wish I could have gone without investing too much time in this section but here we are. Now as I said earlier in the review the acting was solid and I honestly liked the premise and the overall direction of the film, but the execution and screenplay were severely lacking. I won’t go too in-depth because as usual, I refuse to offer up any spoilers, but the film is quite ambitious in terms of the story which means you really had to sell it and build a solid foundation. I have no issue with the film making it so you need to have seen the other movies to fully understand what was going on because, at the end of the day, it is a sequel in a pretty successful horror franchise, but a paper-thin script turned a great idea into a bit of a mess by the end.

The character development was lazy making some of the more important connections in the film feel a bit forced or corny. Insidious: The Red Door delves more into the “The Further” just like prior entries, but this time around, the story relies heavily on events that transpired years prior in the first film making it so setting the stage was extremely important. To me, it just felt like the screenplay glossed over too many important elements of storytelling, making it difficult for viewers to become invested in what was transpiring on screen.

Now I mentioned how I actually thought the third act was pretty solid all things considered just in terms of how things came together, but I was disappointed in terms of how the film actually ended. A good example would be the recently released horror film The Boogeyman (our review here), which had what I felt was a fantastic ending. With horror films, it’s okay to have a quote-unquote happy ending, but I like when the final seconds feel a bit ominous because all things considered, it is a horror movie. I want to feel a bit uneasy leaving the theater, instead of that “oh well seems like it all worked out in the end” feeling. Insidious: The Red Door simply failed to get me excited for a sequel which is too bad considering the overall success of the franchise. I guess part of me also misses the original formula of a couple of nerdy paranormal investigators biting off more than they can chew when a family reports an evil presence in their home.

THE VERDICT

An otherwise solid horror thriller held back by what felt like an ambitious yet ultimately rushed screenplay lacking key storytelling elements, Insidious: The Red Door still packs some scares but fails to live up to its full potential. I really wanted this movie to be better and kept waiting for it to turn the corner, but even though the third act does save it in some respects as a whole the experience failed to leave a real impression on me. I do wish I re-watched the first couple films prior to seeing Insidious: The Red Door, and who knows maybe I will appreciate it more the second time around. Just to reiterate this is not a horrible movie and casual horror movie fans may feel like it is more than enough, but seasoned vets and big fans of the franchise like myself will be left wanting more. Either way, if you enjoyed the earlier films it is worth checking out to form your own opinion.

Another entry in the franchise considered to be a spin-off titled Thread: An Insidious Tale, is said to be in development and will star Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani. With James Wan still involved, I am hopeful that the Insidious franchise still has some gas left in the tank.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10

Insidious: The Red Door is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings is a 2023 R-rated coming-of-age comedy film directed by Gene Stupnitsky (Good Boys), from a screenplay he co-wrote with John Phillips. Jennifer Lawrence stars and also serves as a producer on the film.

On the brink of losing her childhood home, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to "date" their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, before he leaves for college. To her surprise, Maddie soon discovers the awkward Percy is no sure thing.

The cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur (Killing It), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear).

No Hard Feelings made its debut in theaters on June 23rd, courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing.

THE GOOD

I love me some Jennifer Lawrence, simple as that. She recently starred in the Apple TV original drama from A24 Causeway (our full review here), which she was incredible in of course, but she has been appearing on screen since she made her debut back in 2006 on an episode of Monk. My first impression of her was the 2010 indie drama Winter’s Bone, where she delivered a mesmerizing performance that without a doubt ignited her career. A few years later she would star as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and would also star alongside Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook (2012). If I had to pick my favorite Lawrence role it would probably be her next David O. Russell film, the 2013 crime drama American Hustle, which was just so, so good. The bottom line, she is the entire package; sexy, talented, and supremely confident. So of course when I heard she was going to be starring in an R-rated comedy, I knew I would be seeing it as soon as it was released no matter what. So, did No Hard Feelings keep my Jennifer Lawrence obsession burning red hot or did it turn the heat down a notch? Keep reading to find out!

I genuinely enjoyed this movie, and to be honest it was actually quite a bit better than I expected it to be. No Hard Feelings offered so many things I just cannot get enough of, which is of course Jennifer Lawrence, genuine laughs, a good story, and more than anything else, just an hour and a half of movie theater goodness. I enjoyed the story much more than I expected, and I really liked all of the characters and thought the cast was fantastic from top to bottom. I went in expecting more of a full-on raunchy comedy as the trailer alluded to which I would have been fine with, but instead, No Hard Feelings digs a little deeper while making sure to still satisfy viewers expecting the latter. I felt like the majority of the jokes landed, and I also thought that because the script was a bit better than I had anticipated. Nothing ever felt forced or overdone which can often be the case with comedies. No Hard Feelings is an example of a film that tells an effective and relatable story while providing lots of laughs and feel-good moments along the way.

The cast was an obvious draw for me, and I thought Jennifer Lawrence was great in the lead role. Also if you don’t find her gorgeous, you may need to get your eyes checked. Now she wasn’t exactly flaunting her acting chops here and at times it did feel like she was dumbing things down a bit, but that is par for the course with comedy. She was still really good. What mattered most here was her chemistry with co-star Andrew Barth Feldman, and I felt like the two really hit it off. A successful Broadway actor moving into film who made his debut in the play Dear Evan Hansen in 2019, this is Feldman’s first big film role. I was hot and cold on his performance early on in the film, but he grew on me and I thought that his awkward but good-hearted demeanor really fit his character. Plus acting alongside a seasoned vet like Lawrence is not an easy feat, and the New York native made it seem easy.

Aside from the two stars of the film, I actually really liked the supporting cast in No Hard Feelings. My favorite of the group was without a doubt Scott MacArthur, the hilarious actor who just oozes on-screen personality. Although his screen time is pretty limited, he had me laughing out loud every single time he was involved in a scene. He plays the husband of the best friend of Lawrence’s character, and he is just so ridiculous with his take on dating and life in general. Now although MacArthur has been working his ass off in the industry for nearly two decades, he landed on my radar just last year with the 2022 Peacock original series Killing It, where he starred alongside Craig Robinson. This show is super ridiculous, but if you enjoy a good wacky, and often raunchy comedy it is well worth a watch. I hope MacArthur continues to get opportunities because the man is hilarious, and I’m glad he was given a chance with this film. Even though he also has a small role, my guy Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) delivers yet again. If you like Moss-Bachrach he was also really good in the HBO series Girls. Last, but certainly not least, legendary Ferris Bueller's Day Off actor Matthew Broderick was awesome as one of the aforementioned “helicopter parents”. The man has been around forever, and it was just so much fun seeing him in a role like this, and he for sure added to the comedic element of the film in an effortless fashion.

I went into No Hard Feelings not really expecting much from the overall story, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The script from director Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips was pretty damn good and felt much more coming-of-age which just happens to be a favorite genre of mine. The film is advertised as a raunchy comedy, which don’t get me wrong, is without a doubt another favorite genre of mine, but it really is much more than that. Now we do get plenty of raunchiness in the film, including a bare-naked Jennifer Lawrence brawl on the beach where she gets blasted right in the baby maker (yup, you read that right), and it was glorious for so many reasons, but there is so much more to the film than meets the eye. Although Maddie (played by Lawrence) is a complete mess and seems to always find ways to screw up her life, her story is relatable, especially for those of us who live in tourist destinations or who just have a hard time letting go of the past. Maddie lives alone in her childhood home after losing her mother, and she is struggling to keep the house after falling behind on her taxes. Desperately trying to hold on to the few things in her life that feel familiar, Maddie slowly begins to learn that sometimes in life you just need to take a leap of faith, and I enjoyed watching her often hilarious journey unfold.

I also liked how relatable the story with Percy, who is played by Feldman, was. In some form or fashion parents today feel the need to put their kids in bubble wrap in the hopes that nothing bad will happen to them, but at the end of the day, they will need to experience the real world for themselves. Percy’s parents begin to fear that they are sending their son to college without the proper tools to flourish, including but not limited to his intact virginity, and they are determined to pull out all of the stops to turn him into a man. The events that transpire in the process are equally hilarious and a bit emotional, which speaks to the writers really making an attempt to tell a real story that holds some weight. By the end of this “experiment”, Maddie, Percy, and his parents all learn more than a few valuable lessons and are better people for it. But back to the story in general, I liked how it all came together and also felt like it had a very satisfying ending.

THE BAD

No Hard Feelings is not a perfect movie, and it has its fair share of issues keeping it from joining the list of comedy classics. In no way does this make it a bad movie, it was just missing the extra “oomph” needed to push it over the top. As I said earlier in the review I thought the story was a bright spot for the film, but it could have been better. I thought the writers had an opportunity to tap a bit more into the backstory of Lawrence’s character in an effort to tug on the heartstrings a bit more but decided not to. Now granted this would likely have meant adding an additional 15 to 20 minutes to the film, and as Margot Robbie’s character pointed out in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City which Andrew just reviewed (full review here), we have to be mindful of long runtimes. I also felt like the cast mailed it in at times, Lawrence included, where it just seemed like they got a little lazy. This is a bit nitpicky, especially for a comedy, but worth pointing out. Luckily I only felt this way a few times throughout the entire film.

THE VERDICT

A satisfying and easy-to-enjoy comedy that is more coming-of-age than it is raunchy with a much better story than I anticipated, No Hard Feelings offers plenty of laughs while also serving up an extra helping of decadent dessert for Jennifer Lawrence fans. I had a lot of fun with this movie, and the blend of effective storytelling and just great old-fashioned comedy was really what did it for me. Jennifer Lawrence remains in my top 5 as far as actresses who are gorgeous and extremely talented, and I’m glad she is still willing to have a little fun and put out an R-rated comedy from to time. If you fancy yourself the combination of a few adult beverages and lots of laughs, check out No Hard Feelings in theaters now.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.7/10

No Hard Feelings is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Asteroid City

By: Andrew Wing

Asteroid City is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel), from a story he wrote with Roman Coppola (wrote with Anderson on his two previous films, Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch). Its metatextual plot simultaneously depicts the events of a Junior Stargazer convention in a retro-futuristic version of 1955, staged as a play, and the creation of the play.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Infinity War, Marriage Story), Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan), Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, The Batman), Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Doctor Strange), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Argo), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk), Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Darjeeling Limited), Liev Schreiber (Scream, Spotlight), Hope Davis (About Schmidt, American Splendor), Steve Park (Fargo, Snowpiercer), Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice, The Death of Stalin), Maya Hawke (Stranger Things, Do Revenge), Steve Carell (The Office, The Big Short), Matt Dillon (Crash, The Outsiders), Hong Chau (Watchmen, The Whale), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, The Lighthouse), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Suicide Squad), Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Grand Budapest Hotel), Jake Ryan (Moonrise Kingdom, Uncut Gems), and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Thor: Ragnarok).

The project was first announced in September 2020 as an untitled romance film, with Anderson writing, producing, and directing, alongside Jeremy Dawson of American Empirical Pictures and Steven Rales of Indian Paintbrush, which was now described as being about a "group of brainy teenagers" instead in February 2021. Originally set for Rome, filming took place in Spain between August and October 2021, with cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman. Several sets in Chinchón, resembling a desert landscape and a mock train station, were used for the shoot. The post-production process included editor Barney Pilling and a score composed by frequent Anderson composer Alexandre Desplat, featuring country and western songs from many artists. The official title was revealed in October 2021 at the BFI London Film Festival.

Asteroid City had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It began a limited theatrical release via Focus Features in the United States on June 16, 2023, before expanding to a wide release a week later. The film has grossed $18.3 million worldwide so far against its $25 million budget.

THE GOOD

Say whatever you want, but I love me some Wes Anderson! Yes, his movies are incredibly unique as they are strange and very eccentric, but I find them to be hilarious and call me crazy, but I take joy in watching movies about dysfunctional families, which is a recurring theme in all of his films. All of that said, I was very pumped for Asteroid City when I first heard about it. He always has amazing ensemble casts for his films, but with this one, it was on another level. I mean aside from the usual suspects, this one had Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, and a guy by the name of Tom Hanks whom you might have heard of. On top of that, those who saw it at the 76th Cannes Film Festival were calling it one of Wes Anderson’s best, so my expectations for this were at an all-time high. But did it live up to the hype? Keep reading to find out!

Was it his best movie? I don’t think so, but nevertheless, it was really freaking good and an improvement from his previous film, The French Dispatch which came out in 2021. This is a return to form for Wes Anderson if you ask me. I really enjoyed it. It was fun and light throughout, and I really appreciated how in this film, the characters were actually the stars of the movie instead of his style. Don’t get me wrong, his style in this is remarkable like it always is, but I just liked how the characters in this got much more of a front seat than the characters did in his last two films, Isle of Dogs and the previously mentioned The French Dispatch. To continue with that point, because of the amount of humanity we get from the characters, that made it really easy to connect with them. And last but not least, this was easily one of his funniest films as there were a number of scenes that I was audibly laughing at.

But now onto what everyone wants to talk about when it comes to a Wes Anderson movie, and that is the ensemble cast. First things first, I am not going to touch on every performance from every cast member in this review because there are just too many, so instead I am just going to touch on the ones I found to be the best. That said, the best performance of the movie is without a doubt Jason Schwartzman’s in the lead role as Augie Steenbeck. I love Schwartzman in everything, but he is just perfect in Wes Anderson films, and if it wasn't for his incredible performance in Rushmore, I would say that this was the best performance of his career. I just loved him in this!

Call me boring by pointing out the two biggest performances in the film, but I think the runner-up for best performance of Asteroid City belongs to Scarlett Johansson. Johansson plays Midge Campbell, a famous actress, and mother of someone who is attending the Junior Stargazer convention. It’s not on the level of what she did in Marriage Story or Jojo Rabbit, but I just continue to be impressed by her versatility as an actress and her chemistry with Schwartzman was unbelievable. Other performances that need to be mentioned include Bryan Cranston as The Host, Steve Carell as the motel manager, Matt Dillon as the town’s mechanic, and Margot Robbie, who is not in the movie for more than three minutes, but just crushes it in her one scene!

It’d be a felony if I concluded a Wes Anderson movie without touching on the visual elements of it. No surprise here, but like all of his movies, this movie is just so beautiful to look at. The production design is off the charts and it is more than deserving of a Production Design win at the Academy Awards. As for the cinematography done by Robert Yeoman, all of the scenes that take place in Asteroid City are just so gorgeous and visually stunning. I loved how bright and saturated it was and it is easily one of my favorite movies of his visually speaking. As good as the movie looked when it was in color, it was just as astonishing to look at when it was in black and white. Yeoman is also more than worthy of an Academy Award nomination, and so is Alexandre Desplat, who once again gave us another fantastic score in a Wes Anderson film!

THE BAD

If you haven’t guessed already, I really really liked Asteroid City. That said, I didn’t love it and I can totally understand why people will not like this movie. It goes without saying that if you are not a Wes Anderson fan, do not even give this a try because it truly is as Wes Anderson as Wes Anderson gets. And with that, I get it if people think that this movie is not good because it values style over substance. However, I would try and push back against that because I found this movie to value the characters more than the style, and I haven’t said that about a Wes Anderson movie since The Grand Budapest Hotel which came out almost a decade ago.

Continuing with that point, I can see and have seen complaints already that people were not able to connect with the characters in this as they say about a lot of his movies. People are allowed to have their own opinions, but I just disagree with that notion. I was so emotionally connected to the key characters and there was a scene in the third act that almost moved me to tears. Lastly, when it comes to critiques of the film, I will admit that there are a lot of layers to Asteroid City. I might get this wrong, but it is a movie about a play that is being put on via a television show. I know. It sounds confusing, but if you are paying attention, you should be able to understand everything and follow it just fine.

THE VERDICT

Asteroid City is a return to form for Wes Anderson. It is one of his best films thanks to a flawless ensemble cast led by Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson, a hilarious screenplay, stunning cinematography, and maybe the best production design we have ever gotten from him before.

I just don’t want to hear the typical “style over substance” argument from the Wes Anderson haters, because while I get it for some of his other movies, that is just not the case here. Yes, the style was perfect, but the story we get here was deeper and one of the most profound works we have gotten from him as of late.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.4/10

Asteroid City is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

The Little Mermaid

By: Andrew Wing

The Little Mermaid is a 2023 American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) from a screenplay written by David Magee (writer of Life of Pi and Mary Poppins Returns). Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film of the same name, itself loosely based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same title by Hans Christian Andersen.

The film stars Halle Bailey (Grown-ish) in the titular role, alongside Jonah Hauer-King (A Dog’s Way Home), Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, Soul), Awkwafina (The Farewell, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Jacob Tremblay (Room, Luca), Noma Dumezweni (Mary Poppins Returns, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind), Art Malik (True Lies, John Carter), Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Dune), and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Spy).

Similar to the plot of the 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid follows a mermaid princess Ariel who is fascinated with the human world and makes a deal with a treacherous sea witch Ursula to trade her voice for human legs in order to impress Prince Eric, who she saved from a shipwreck before time runs out.

Plans for a remake of 1989's The Little Mermaid were confirmed in May 2016. In December 2017, Disney announced Marshall was being courted to direct the film. Bailey, Hauer-King, McCarthy, Bardem, Diggs, Tremblay, Awkwafina, and the rest of the cast signed on between July to November 2019. Production was expected to begin in London between late March and early April 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming ultimately took place primarily at Pinewood Studios in England and on the island of Sardinia, Italy, from January to July 2021. Composer Alan Menken, who worked on the original film's soundtrack, returned to compose the score and write new songs alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who serves as a producer with Platt, John DeLuca, and Marshall. The film is dedicated to the late Howard Ashman, who co-produced and co-wrote the songs from the original film.

The Little Mermaid premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023, and was released in the United States on May 26. The film has grossed $499 million worldwide against a total production budget of $250 million, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2023.

THE GOOD

I won’t lie, The Little Mermaid was not a movie I was excited to watch going into 2023. In a year where we are getting Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Dune: Part Two, I’m sorry, but a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1989 animated film of the same name, a movie I watched a lot during my childhood, just isn’t going to do it for me. Now I am not saying that like all of the other idiots who have been complaining about Ariel being played by a person of color in this film ever since the actress Halle Bailey was cast. Rather, I just wasn’t looking forward to seeing another live-action adaptation of a monumental and legendary Disney animated film from the 1980s and 90s. However, I do have a girlfriend who loves Disney movies, and I was intrigued, to say the least, so I went and checked it out in a packed theater! So did this 2023 remake prove me wrong for having my doubts? Or did it prove me right in my belief that these live-action remakes need to stop? Keep reading to find out!

Can I say both? But no, this movie was certainly better than I had expected, but I still am not a fan of these live-action remakes because more than anything they just feel like cash grabs, but we can save that for later on in the review. As for what I liked about The Little Mermaid though, there’s only one place to start and that is Halle Bailey. Bailey, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter, was just great in this. Her voice is truly incredible and I don’t see any way that she doesn’t become a massive star. It really did feel like I was watching an all-time vocal performance. I know that might sound a bit premature, but I was skeptical heading into this and her first song, “Part of Your World”, literally gave me chills and that was the case for every other song she did following that. It’s not a performance that is going to get any Oscar nominations, but I just can't wait to watch how her career plays out!

Other than Bailey, the only other things I really liked about The Little Mermaid were the musical sequences in general and the performances from Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, and Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle. McCarthy was perfectly cast as Ursula and you could really tell she was enjoying playing the legendary villain. As for Diggs and Awkwafina, they were both just hilarious in their vocal performances, and I kid you not when I say that every line of dialogue those two had made me laugh out loud!

THE BAD

Alright, let’s dive into (pun intended) my problems with this movie. First and foremost, my biggest issue with this movie is just how it looks. The CGI work and all of the underwater motion capture scenes just look bad. And what made that even worse was how the movie was shot when it was out of the water on land because they just were not seamless at all. More than that, the live-action animals and sea creatures they tried to involve just don’t work, and I think it would’ve been smarter to honestly cartoon them or something. All of the visuals just made me appreciate a movie like Avatar: The Way of Water (see Ted’s full review) that much more because of how well it ties together the underwater and above-water scenes.

I wish that was it, but I, unfortunately, have a few more complaints about The Little Mermaid that I just have to get off my chest. The first one is that I just was not a fan of Jonah Hauer-King’s performance as Eric. Sure, the dude had a good voice, but his main song was kind of cringe and I just wasn’t buying him. But even though I might not have loved his performance, I can still respect it, but what I can’t respect is Javier Bardem’s performance as King Triton. Javier! What are you doing in this my man? You gave literally one of the greatest performances of all time as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men back in 2007, and now you are doing this to just cash a paycheck? Come on man, you are better than that!

Continuing with the trend of asking people what they were thinking when it comes to The Little Mermaid, I have a question for all involved. Why on Earth is this live-action remake that we all know is MEANT FOR KIDS almost an hour, 52 minutes to be exact, longer than the 1989 original? I was flabbergasted at how long this movie was, and sure this might reflect poorly on me as someone who is reviewing the movie, but I’ll admit I dozed off at points during the last ten to fifteen minutes of the film. I’m sorry, but it was ridiculous and there should be a rule in place saying that remakes can only be so much longer than the original. Sheesh.

THE VERDICT

Not even an all-time vocal performance from Halle Bailey saves The Little Mermaid from being what it is, which is a painfully average movie. It’s a fun kids movie and there is some good nostalgia for adults too, but the bad CGI, poor visual effects, and the way-too-long runtime make me never want to see this movie again.

I just cannot stand these remakes. None of them have been terrible, but it’s frustrating to just continue to see Disney cash in on their IP by giving us average movies with zero creativity that don’t feel special at all, which is the part that annoys me the most.

TED TAKES RATING - 6/10

The Little Mermaid is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.