The Protege

The Protégé is a 2021 action thriller directed by Martin Campbell, and written by Richard Wenk. Campbell is an accomplished director known for his revenge thrillers, including 2017’s The Foreigner (review and trailer here) starring Jackie Chan, Edge of Darkness (2010) starring Mel Gibson, and last but not least James Bond films Goldeneye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006).

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody – the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival – is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves even tighter.

The full cast includes Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Patrick Malahide, David Rintoul, Ori Pfeffer, Ray Fearon, Caroline Loncq, and Robert Patrick.

The Protégé released in theaters on August 20th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

Okay so I have to admit, this movie was very much under-the-radar for me from the beginning. I feel like they did a poor job with the marketing up until maybe a week before release, which makes zero sense considering the big name cast and very accomplished director. I mean I didn’t even watch the trailer until a few weeks ago when I realized this would be a wide release movie, which is very odd for me since I pretty much watch every single trailer. Once I finally watched the trailer, I was excited for what The Protégé had to offer. The cast included the beautiful, badass, and very underrated Maggie Q, the legend that is Samuel L. Jackson, and one of my favorite veteran actors, Mr. Michael Keaton. If you haven’t seen the cult classic comedy Multiplicity, what are you doing with your life? I mean, seriously. Plus, as I touched on in the intro the man behind the camera, Martin Campbell, knows his way around a gritty R-rated revenge thriller. If you have yet to see The Foreigner and you enjoy a good revenge flick, watch it ASAP. I absolutely love a well made revenge flick, and have seen Gerard Butler’s Law Abiding Citizen at least 30 times. So what did I think about Campbell’s latest?

Long story short, The Protégé is a very engaging and very fun movie. As I mentioned, my expectations were moderate going in but I was hoping to get something that felt similar to The Foreigner, and that is exactly what I got. The action scenes and fight sequences are brutal and very bloody, taking full advantage of that R-rating. The lead character Anna, played by Maggie Q, knows her way around a knife, or any sharp object really, and can also fire a handgun or shotgun with the best of them. I lost count as far as how many bad guys ended up as brain graffiti on the nearest wall, but it was a lot. The movie poster and trailer point out that the studio also churned out the John Wick franchise, and similar to that deadly pet loving assassin, Anna is not interested in sending her enemies to the ER, she is looking to put them on a slab in the morgue. So yeah, best to avoid getting on her bad side.

I enjoyed so much about The Protégé , but more than anything else I loved the energy and the feel. The opening scene set the tone for me, and really established that John Wick-esque element that I was looking for. In order for a movie like this to work, the main character has to be believable as someone you just do not mess with, and they were able to accomplish that, and then some. For a movie that is just shy of 2-hours, The Protégé never feels slow which speaks to the very effective pacing to keep the story moving along. I also really liked the relationships they established between the characters. The acting in itself was stellar, especially from the big 3, but I feel like that was a given. I mean sure Maggie Q is underappreciated in so many ways and is without a doubt one of the biggest female action stars in the business right now, but many of us expected her to crush this role. She is formidable, intense without seeming over the top, and just the perfect balance of beautiful and dangerous. I mean lets be honest, she is the girl we all want but know in our heart of hearts, we couldn’t even come close to handling.

Maggie Q, born in Hawaii as Maggie Quigley, moved to China after high school to pursue acting and modeling. She soon realized people in China had a hard time pronouncing Quigley, and changed her name to Maggie Q. The rest is history as the physically gifted actress who trained under the one and only Jackie Chan in the late 90’s, would go on to star in Mission: Impossible III and the hit CW series, Nikita. She is legit, folks. Oh, and she did all of her stunts for The Protégé with little to no training fresh from bed rest while recovering from spine surgery. Just let that sink in.

Which brings me to one of my favorite elements of The Protégé , which is the relationship between Maggie Q’s Anna and Michael Keaton’s mysterious Rembrandt character. As I mentioned earlier I am a big Keaton guy, so I was pumped that he was in this movie. Anna and Rembrandt cross paths in such a unique way, and to say that relationship develops into something none of us expected would be an understatement. I wasn’t quite sure how Keaton’s character would fit in to the plot I just knew he was one of the “bad guys”, but I really, really loved how many layers were given to his character making it so he was a fan favorite even though he was literally “in bed with the enemy”, which is an inside joke you’ll get once you see the movie. His relationship with Maggie Q’s character was something I was looking forward to seeing develop during the entire movie, and it was never predictable that is for sure.

On the technical side of things, I was thrilled with the fight choreography and stunt work which was top notch. As I mentioned Maggie Q did all of her own stunts and for that reason Anna was established as a real badass after the first 5 minutes of the movie, and it got better from there. I really liked the cinematography as well, taking full advantage of the filming locations in both London and Vietnam. As I touched on before, this is a very violent and very deserving of the R-rating movie. We are treated to a bit of nudity early on, but the majority of the rating is thanks to the many enemies who meet their demise, most of which with either a knife to the jugular, a face that goes Chip Gaines demo day on a sink, or just an old fashioned close range bullet to the head, which is always a crowd pleaser. I loved one scene in particular where Keaton’s character makes it a point to break an arm and a leg of one of his enemies quite violently, before making a hammer part of this unlucky guys face. But don’t worry, it was well deserved.

THE BAD

Okay so as you could tell from the previous section, I really enjoyed The Protégé . But, it wasn’t perfect. One of the biggest and easiest knocks, or lowest hanging fruit as they say, would be that the storyline itself felt fairly “been there done that”. But, I will say that they added some unique wrinkles with the relationships between the characters to make sure that it all still felt unique and new. With that being said, it still had other missed opportunities.

I felt like a more energetic soundtrack would have been a great addition to Maggie Q’s “don’t you even think about messing with me” energy. But I can honestly say that the soundtrack, or lack thereof, had little if any impact on me. I think about the Jason Bourne franchise as an example, it always had a great soundtrack and the final scene right before the screen faded to black always had that trademark score/soundtrack that left you wanting more. I also felt like some of the bigger and more pivotal scenes lacked the intensity they needed, but it was never a deal breaker.

THE VERDICT

An extremely violent and unique take on the revenge thriller genre, The Protégé is a thoroughly enjoyable and not so subtle reminder that former Nikita star Maggie Q is a legit badass and Hollywood needs to take notice. Sure you can argue that revenge flicks are a dime a dozen, but for me they never get old especially when they are able to add in a few unique and intriguing wrinkles we didn’t expect. I thoroughly enjoyed The Protégé and feel like it does more than enough right taking full advantage of a stellar cast and is well worth seeing in theaters.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.5/10

The Protégé is now playing in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Annette

By: Andrew Wing

Annette is a 2021 musical romantic drama film directed by French director Leos Carax in his English-language debut. Carax co-wrote the screenplay for the film with brothers Ron Mael and Russell Mael of the band Sparks, an American pop-rock duo that have been together for more than 50 years. The story of Annette also comes from the Mael brothers and their band did all of the music and the songs in the film. The plot follows a stand-up comedian, Henry McHenry (Adam Driver), and his opera singer wife, Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard), and how their lives are changed when they have their first child, Annette (Devyn McDowell). Simon Helberg also stars in the film in a supporting role as “The Accompanist”.

Annette was released in Carax’s native country of France on July 7, 2021 by UGC Distribution, which was actually a day after it premiered as the opening film at the celebrated 2021 Cannes Film Festival where Carax won for Best Director and the Mael brothers won the Cannes Soundtrack Award. Annette was released in the United States in a limited release on August 6, 2021, prior to being released to digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video on August 20, 2021.

THE GOOD

Before diving into this review, I got to get something out of the way and that would be that Adam Driver is one of my favorite actors to watch on the big screen. As a huge fan of Star Wars, my introduction to Driver came in the form of him as one of the best cinematic villains of all-time in my opinion, Kylo Ren. Since then, my fandom for him has only grown more after seeing his performances in the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman (2018) in which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy Awards, and obviously in Noah Baumbach’s amazing drama film, Marriage Story (2019) for which he earned his first of hopefully many Best Actor nominations. So yeah, if you haven’t been able to tell thus far, I am probably his biggest fan and I didn’t think twice about checking this movie out once I found out that he was in the lead role.

As for Driver’s performance in Annette, and I swear this isn’t just me gassing up my guy, but he is absolutely amazing in this. Marion Cotillard and Simon Helberg are very good in this, but there is no debating that this is really Adam Driver’s show here. His range as an actor is so freaking impressive because he can really do it all and with Annette, he plays a comedian, Henry McHenry. With his character being a comedian, he will certainly give you a couple laughs as you get to know his character, but as the story goes on you learn that his character is this toxic guy who struggles to love and he kills it in every aspect. I think what made Driver’s performance stand out despite the strangeness of the film is that he is able to match the true insanity that this movie is with the intensity of his acting. Every scene he is in, you can see how committed he is to playing the role perfectly. His performance made me buy into the movie as a whole and you got to give it up for the guy because the man can act.

With any movie I review, I always like to do some background research on the director and take a look at their filmography and see how successful their movies have been in the past. When it comes to this director, Leos Carax, I really didn’t know much about him other than the fact that he is French, as are his movies, and that his magnum opus is Holy Motors (2012). As I did more research on him, I found out that Annette would be his first feature film since Holy Motors in 2012 so this movie was gaining a ton of buzz, and also that when it comes to his filmmaking, he is noted for his poetic style and his tortured depictions of love which are both very evident throughout the entire film. With all that said, I have to say I was pretty impressed with his direction of this movie and after watching it, it is no surprise at all that he won Best Director at Cannes for this. As crazy as Annette was, I have so much admiration for how he ultimately put this production together. It was a really beautiful movie to look at, and it seemed to me that Carax didn’t care much for the audience being able to connect with and follow this movie, but that he was more trying to drop the viewer’s jaw and raise eyebrows and he did just that with this movie.

Lastly, with this being a musical, I have to discuss the music in the film. The soundtrack was done completely by the Sparks band (Mael brothers, Ron did the keyboards, and Russell was the vocals). They wrote all the songs, composed the whole thing, and I loved the rock opera elements every song had to it. The brothers’ unique style was a perfect match with Leos Carax’s filmmaking as both the music and the filmmaking were truly bonkers. Most of the highlights of the film were truthfully those big musical moments, specifically the original song that served as the opening to the film “So May We Start”, which I absolutely loved and have been singing to myself over and over again since I watched it.

THE BAD

As much as I enjoyed the film, there is no denying that this movie has its flaws. For starters, the movie truly is nuts. It is a really difficult movie to wrap your head around and it was a lot to take in in one viewing without a doubt. As much as I would love to go back and watch this again to try and understand the entire thing better, I probably won’t because of how long it is.

140 minutes is way too long for a movie like this. Its length made it very hard as a viewer to tell where I was in the film’s ever-evolving plot. Even if you are like me and feel like you have a pretty good understanding of what is going on with the plot, I promise you that you will still find yourself asking questions such as “what is this movie trying to communicate to me?” or simply, “why is it so weird?”. And as for it being a musical, throughout the film there are times where it feels like it is drifting back and forth between being a musical and not. Sometimes the characters are doing this combination of talking/singing and I didn’t love that and it honestly felt a little off putting at times.

There is also a fair share of disturbing and head-scratching scenes throughout the film. For example, and trust me this isn’t a spoiler, but the baby Annette is not a real baby, it is instead a wooden marionette puppet. I have no idea what they were going for with that, but it had me absolutely lost for a couple of scenes. With the child being a puppet, it made an already wacky movie even more challenging to take seriously. It tied into the movie as a whole because I felt that the ridiculous nature of the film made it so hard for me to become emotionally invested in these character’s journeys as I would have liked to be.

I don’t know what more to say, it certainly is a very challenging movie to get a grasp on and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be an extremely divisive movie for audiences. Lastly, for those like myself who were hoping for this movie to get some awards love prior to watching, you can throw that right out the window. There is no possible way this movie is going to get any nominations, maybe for original song, but even Driver’s performance is a longshot with how weird the movie is. At the end of the day, this just isn’t a movie made for the Academy.

THE VERDICT

From the mind of French director Leos Carax comes Annette. The director’s first English-language feature film comes in the form of a musical drama that is unlike any musical or any movie for that matter that I have ever seen. Despite the craziness that this movie is, I really admired Carax’s vision and still had a lot of fun watching it, thanks in large part to yet another incredibly provocative performance from Adam Driver.

This movie is definitely worth a shot checking out and I would love to hear your thoughts, whether you love it or hate it. Just a warning though, if you do go ahead and decide to check it out, prepare to fully commit to the absurd because it is a wild ride.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.5/10

Annette is now streaming on Prime Video. Check out the latest trailer below.

Beckett

By: Andrew Wing

Beckett is a 2021 action thriller film directed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino in his English-language feature film debut. The film stars John David Washington as the title character, Beckett, an American tourist vacationing in Greece who becomes the target of a manhunt after a tragic accident, and he must reach the embassy to clear his name. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Green Knight - see review here), Vicky Krieps (Hanna, Old - see review here), and Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Predator) also star in supporting roles.

Beckett had its world premiere at the 74th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on August 4, 2021, and was digitally released on August 13th, by Netflix.

THE GOOD

Once I saw the trailer for Beckett on Netflix a month or two ago, I immediately knew I was going to check it out because of who was starring in it, and that would be John David Washington. For those of you who don’t know, John David Washington’s father is Denzel Washington, just one of the best actors on the planet today and probably ever. Talk about having big shoes to fill. Acting clearly runs in the family though, as John David has already made quite a big name for himself after being the lead actor in two very successful movies that I thoroughly enjoyed, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020).

So yeah, Washington was definitely the main attraction for me when it came to Beckett, and although I didn’t love the film as a whole as I’ll discuss more in depth shortly, I was very pleased with Washington’s performance. I thought he did an amazing job at playing the “man-on-the-run” character of Beckett and really showcasing all of the emotions that character was dealing with throughout the manhunt. He also shined when it came to all the action sequences throughout the film. I thought they were very well-done and I’m sure all of Washington’s practice with the action scenes in Tenet paid dividends when it came to this movie.

Lastly, I really liked the way the film looked overall. I thought the shots of the mountains in Greece were beautiful. It also did a great job of capturing the chaos of the city of Athens when the film reached its climax, which I thought was a nice touch.

THE BAD

Unfortunately, there were a lot of things that I did not like about this film. The one thing that stuck out to me like a sore thumb from the first fifteen minutes of the film was that this felt like something we have seen before in terms of the overall story and that’s exactly what it was. It was just your typical couple on a vacation who turn out to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and must go through holy hell to get back home safely.

While there is nothing wrong with those kinds of stories because as mainstream as they are, they can still be entertaining to watch, but that just wasn’t the case for me when it came to Beckett. I just wasn’t a fan of this particular screenplay, the story felt convoluted and confusing so many times and the film’s pacing didn’t do it any favors. I think the main reason for me feeling that way was because they were just trying to hit on way too many themes in this and they ultimately didn’t execute on any of them really. For example, they had international politics, the corrupt government officials, kidnapping, incredulous heroics, and just all of these other subplots that made the story pretty messy. I don’t know, I just wasn’t all that enthralled with this movie, which is the total opposite of what I should be saying after watching an action thriller.

Easily the most frustrating part about this movie was just the underutilization of the other characters, specifically Beckett’s girlfriend April (played by Vikander) and Boyd Holbrook’s character, CIA employee Stephen Tynan. I really think this movie had a lot of potential despite the poor screenplay just because of the names attached to it. I mean for anyone who has seen the 2017 superhero film Logan, in which Holbrook plays the antagonist just like he does in Beckett, we know how good he is at being the bad guy, and I understand this is different from a superhero movie, but I just wanted more from his character. 

As for Vikander, we just didn’t get to know anything about her character April, in large part because of her ridiculously quick demise (not really a spoiler), but all we learn about April is that she likes to look at strangers and creates backstories on them. I was also shocked by how there was absolutely no chemistry between Washington and Vikander as a couple, but I think that all goes back to her limited screen time. I even think that if they were to show some flashbacks of their relationship, it would’ve helped both their chemistry and the overall movie, but they didn’t do that and it just annoyed me to see two talented actors/actresses be underutilized like they were.

THE VERDICT

Despite some great action sequences and a solid performance from John David Washington as a man on the run, Beckett fails to captivate the audience with its far-too familiar story, an overabundance of themes, poor pacing, and the underutilization of its talented cast.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.8/10

Beckett is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Respect

By: Andrew Wing

Respect is a 2021 biographical musical drama film based on the life of American singer Aretha Franklin. The film is directed by Liesl Tommy in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Tracey Scott Wilson. The film stars Jennifer Hudson as Franklin, and the supporting cast consists of Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, Black Panther), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, White Chicks, A Haunted House), Marc Maron (GLOW), Tate Donovan (Argo), and Mary J. Blige (Mudbound, The Umbrella Academy).

Respect premiered in Los Angeles on August 8, 2021 and was released theatrically in the United States on August 13, 2021 by United Artists Releasing.

THE GOOD

For those of you who do not know me, I am a massive fan of the Academy Awards, more popularly known as the Oscars. I am always trying to stay up to date with each and every award and see what the early predictions are for what is likely to get nominated and obviously what is projected to win. With all that said, my love for the Oscars is the main reason why I just needed to check this movie out, more specifically the performance of Jennifer Hudson as the legendary “Queen of Soul”, Aretha Franklin.

I won’t waste any more time, Jennifer Hudson has a very good chance at receiving a Best Actress nomination at the 94th Academy Awards for this performance. Hudson was so good and there was just something special about hearing her re-create some of Franklin’s biggest hits. Obviously with any movie that she is in, her voice is going to be the main asset and that was exactly what we got with Respect. Her voice is extremely powerful and they couldn’t have found a better actress for this role. Outside of the musical sequences where Hudson shines the most, I was impressed by her raw emotions she showcased as Aretha throughout the film with the numerous hardships she had to endure to make it to the top of the music industry.

Although Hudson had the best performance of anyone involved, I was also fond of some of the performances from supporting actors Forest Whitaker and Marlon Wayans. The both of them just demanded your attention whenever they were on the screen and the scenes where the two argued with one another were pretty intense to say the least.

THE BAD

With Respect, there was one grueling mistake that stuck out more than anything else, and that was that it was just too long. At basically two and a half hours, I couldn’t help but continually check the time on my phone which is never a good sign, and I really feel like this movie could have been better if it were an hour shorter. I don’t know what it is with some of the recent musical biopics, and I understand it is a biography of someone’s life, but do we really need to put every detail of their lives in and also show every single song in its entire capacity?

I just found it to be very dull at points, and I’m going to go ahead and blame that on the writers because I don’t know what they were going for here. If they were going for something like Bohemian Rhapsody or Rocketman, they completely missed it because those movies were far more entertaining to watch. It just lacked creativity and it felt like the plainest version of itself. I understand they wanted to show all of the bad things that she endured and the pain it caused her, because it would make her overcoming those hardships more rewarding in a sense to the viewer, but I just would have liked to see more of the good and happy things about her life. For example, and this really isn’t a spoiler, she has four children and we didn’t get to see her relationship with any of them, I don’t even think we learned any of their names.

You would think that for a movie about a person who is about as inspiring as they come, you would gain inspiration after watching it, but that was just not the case. It couldn’t have been more uninspiring which really is not what I was expecting with this. I walked out of the theater asking myself what the main take-away from the film was and to be completely honest, I couldn’t tell you.

THE VERDICT

Despite a powerful and potentially award-winning performance from Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, Respect is a mediocre film at best. It’s way-too-long runtime and bland storytelling of one of the most memorable people ever, ultimately and unfortunately makes for a pretty forgettable experience.

TED TAKES RATING - 6/10

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

Don't Breathe 2

By: Andrew Wing

Don’t Breathe 2 is a 2021 American horror thriller film directed by Rodo Sayagues in his directorial debut. Sayagues co-wrote the screenplay with Fede Álvarez, the director of the first film, and it was produced by Álvarez, Robert Tapert, who also produced The Grudge (2004) and Drag Me to Hell (2009), and the legendary Sam Raimi, who is most known for directing the Evil Dead series and the Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007). The film is a sequel to the 2016 film Don’t Breathe, and stars Stephen Lang, reprising his role as Norman Nordstrom / “The Blind Man”. Also starring in the film in supporting roles are Brendan Sexton III as the antagonist Raylan, and Madelyn Grace as Phoenix, Norman’s adopted daughter.

Following the critical and commercial success of the first film, talks for a sequel began just three months after its initial release in November 2016, with Álvarez set to return as the film’s director. However, in January 2020, Rodo Sayagues replaced Álvarez as director. Production began in Serbia during August of last year and wrapped up in October. 

Don’t Breathe 2 was theatrically released in the United States on August 13, 2021, by Sony Pictures Releasing.

THE GOOD

I will speak for all movie lovers like myself when I say that I was blown away when I watched Don’t Breathe for the first time in 2016. I was excited going into it because of the uniqueness of the story dealing with a blind guy, but I never thought it would turn out to be easily one of the best American horror films of my lifetime. As I said, I was obsessed with the premise of the movie, but what really stuck out to me was the performance of Stephen Lang as “The Blind Man”. He was just so damn scary the whole movie and you just knew from watching that if it was you in that situation and you had to escape him, you would be toast. And as you will come to find out the more you get into my review, there are many things different between the original and this sequel, but the one constant is Stephen Lang’s performance.

Lang’s performance in the original really took me by surprise based on the fact that I really did not know much about him. I recognized his face from his supporting roles in films like Avatar (2009) and one of my Dad’s all-time favorites Tombstone (1993), but because of his performance in both the original and this, I now know I will never forget him. It really is remarkable how easy he makes playing a blind man look. Yes, I know the movie industry and production teams probably trained him and made him wear some sort of contacts that black out his vision, but still it is fascinating to me. Forget the fight scenes and all the choreography that goes into that, just the scenes of him walking his dog, talking to his adopted daughter, and doing basic daily functions did it for me. Lastly, I thought Lang did a great job showcasing his range as an actor in this movie with some of the more emotional scenes that took place, and I’m curious to see what else he does in the future because he has certainly made a fan out of me.

With any sequel to an original movie, it is very important that you don’t just make the same movie twice, and that was definitely not the case with Don’t Breathe 2. The overall story was new and intriguing, picking up eight years after the events of the first film with plenty of new characters. Despite its relatively short runtime of 90 minutes and some change, those involved with the movie did a great job at making all the new characters feel important to the story due to them giving us a great amount of insight into how they got where they were.

Also, I just have to mention how good the sound editing was throughout the entire film. It just added so much to all of the intense scenes and it kept you on the edge of your seat.

THE BAD

As much as I loved the original, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t skeptical when I heard they were releasing a sequel to this. I know it doesn’t make sense to say I didn’t want a sequel to a movie I really enjoyed, but I just didn’t for some reason. I loved what they did with the original so much that I didn’t want its reputation to get tarnished by a sequel that some look at as just a “cash grab”. And while I don’t think the sequel was so bad that it hurts the reputation of the first film, I still think they could have gone without it but that’s just me.

The biggest thing that stuck out to me in a negative way when watching this is just that there was something missing, and that something is a good guy/protagonist that you want to cheer for. In the first movie, we had the Rocky character portrayed by Jane Levy who yes, I know was a thief who robbed The Blind Man’s home, but we still cheered for her because she was doing it so she could get enough money to escape to California to give her and her sister a better life. In this, they try to make “The Blind Man” the good guy, but I don’t know about you, I just had a hard time cheering for him after seeing some of the brutal things he did in the original movie.

The most frustrating part about this movie for me was just the fact that it really wasn’t that scary. The original film was legitimately terrifying and it felt when watching that there was a jump scare almost every scene with how well done it was. With this, I wasn’t truly scared one bit and I can’t put my finger on why this movie wasn’t scary. Maybe it was the unrealistic nature of some of the situations the characters found themselves in, or it could have just been the disappointing performances of the majority of the supporting characters. It honestly felt like it was more of a ‘drama’ at times than a ‘horror’ because of the family elements they included and that was unfortunate to say the least.

THE VERDICT

Despite it clearly being a step down from what we got with the original film back in 2016, Don’t Breathe 2 is still an enjoyable watch for fans of the original with another thrillingly imposing performance from Stephen Lang as “The Blind Man”.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.4/10

Don’t Breathe 2 is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Free Guy

From director Shawn Levy (Date Night, The Internship), Free Guy is a 2021 action comedy from a screenplay by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn. A bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story…one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way…before it is too late.

The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi.

Free Guy released in theaters on August 13th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

Fair warning, this section might go on forever. Free Guy has been circled on my calendar for what seems like forever, and with each and every trailer that dropped I was getting more and more excited. I am a full on Ryan Reynolds fanboy, and I’m not afraid to admit it. I’ve seen Waiting… and Van Wilder 200 times between the two, if not more. And if that wasn’t enough, he went and became everyone’s favorite antihero Deadpool, and now he is nothing short of a national treasure. Yeah, I said it. Next enter New Zealand native Taika Waititi, who I first became familiar with after watching one of my favorite coming-of-age films, Hunt for the Wilderpeople (full review here), which is now streaming on Hulu and Netflix. Waititi’s unique and creative brand of heartfelt humor immediately won me over, and I will happily support any project he is involved in. Now we are lucky enough to have Reynolds and Waititi working together, not counting Green Lantern of course, and the sky is the limit.

My expectations were through the roof, and I absolutely LOVED this movie. I loved it in the insatiable way I love NFL Football or Chinese food, I just can’t seem to get enough of either one. An action comedy that literally sets the bar, a very high bar, for all other action comedies while nearly creating it’s own genre altogether. Free Guy is hilarious, unique, action-packed, heartfelt, and just really, really, really, entertaining. Within the first 60 seconds of the movie I wanted to watch it again because I could tell right away this was going to be the incredible movie I was hoping for, and then some.

To say it was worth the wait after numerous delays would be a gigantic understatement. As a huge movie fan dating back to when I was still in diapers, there is nothing quite like going to the movie theater and being so absolutely immersed in a movie that by the time it ends, you feel like you just woke up from the best dream you’ve ever had. And that my friends, sums up Free Guy. It seriously felt like I was in a private theater because of how locked in I was from start to finish, I mean sure everyone laughed out loud throughout the movie, but their laughs were drowned out by my own. It’s just that good.

You can just feel how much fun everyone involved had working on Free Guy, from director Shawn Levy, the entire cast right down to the crew behind the scenes, nothing feels forced or artificial (see what I did there?). The premise itself is actually extremely smart and refreshing, and I was impressed by the fact that the trailers actually didn’t give away the sequence of events like most trailers seem to nowadays. I thought the pacing was great, and the movie never felt boring, not even for a minute. Writers Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn deserve a ton of credit. Penn actually co-wrote the screenplay for Ready Player One, which of course makes sense, and he also wrote the script for The Avengers. He is a talented guy with a pen, or keyboard I guess, at his disposal.

Free Guy will draw plenty of comparisons to other movies, and rightfully so, but at the end of the day it’s biggest strength is the simple fact that it still feels unique, almost like it somehow dips into an entirely new genre. Most people will think of Ready Player One, which was very entertaining and quite a spectacle on the big screen especially in IMAX 3D, but the reality is it pales in comparison to Free Guy, at least in my opinion. It’s weird to say and I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but this is essentially a videogame movie that somehow manages to not feel like a videogame movie, if that makes any sense at all. It taps into our innate need for human interaction, and also reminds us that sometimes doing nice things feels pretty damn good. Free Guy is just so much fun, and I don’t think the ear to ear smile I had left my face during the entire movie.

Like any successful open-world video game, Free Guy feels immersive and alive, with excellent characters which are a huge strength of the film. Which brings me to the cast, which is nothing short of spectacular. Ryan Reynolds once again proves that he doesn’t just play a role, he literally becomes his character. His portrayal of Guy is without a doubt the backbone of this movie, and once again cements his place as one of the most multi-talented actors working today. I loved Lil Rel Howery in his role as Guy’s co-worker and best friend, Buddy. The two have great chemistry together and really help to bring this virtual world known as Free City, to life. Howery and his perfectly timed comedic delivery just keeps getting better with each movie he is a part of. Jodie Comer is awesome in her starring role alongside Reynolds, and I honestly barely recognized her when she was playing her “in game character”. She is beautiful and talented, a real dual-threat. Joe Keery is great as well, and his chemistry with Comer feels genuine. I also really enjoyed Utkarsh Ambudkar in his supporting role.

I LOVED Taika Waititi’s character, and thought he was the perfect bad guy for this movie. Bad guy is a loose term in this context though, as he is far from a “bad ass”. First of all, his New Zealand accent is the best thing ever and I really need a Korg and Deadpool spinoff in the MCU, like yesterday. In Free Guy, he is basically a hilarious version of Kevin Spacey’s character in horrible bosses, but much more eccentric and arguably more diabolical. Just a super, super douche-y boss. But still, very funny. Maybe I have an unhealthy infatuation with the East Coast of New Zealand native, but I was basically giddy during every scene that he was in.

One of my absolute favorite thing about Free Guy has to be the amazing cameo appearances, one of which is actually not a cameo but a huge star in a pivotal role, and I did not expect it. The connection to YouTuber’s and streamers leads to a ton of cool cameo’s from some of the biggest names in the industry, but I am not ashamed to admit most of which I didn’t even recognize. My mission in life is to keep my 2 1/2 year old from going down that YouTube/Twitch rabbit hole, and so far, so good. But don’t get me wrong, I certainly get the appeal. The movie also has a very bittersweet posthumous cameo from Jeopardy’s very own Alex Trebek, a real legend. My favorite cameo by far is towards the end of the film during one of the fighting scenes, and no joke I nearly jumped out of my seat. It is literally killing me that I can’t talk to anyone about it quite yet, but I am a man of my word and as per usual, no spoilers. Just please, see this movie ASAP and reach out so we can talk about it like a couple kids at recess without a care in the world. Don’t make it weird.

The technical side of the film is hotter than that bikini photo Blake Lively shared to help promote Free Guy for her loving hubby. Yeah, I went there. The soundtrack is simply ahhhhhmazing, headlined by the likes of the one and only, Mariah Carey. It sets the tone for the movie in such a fun and hilarious way, and really gets the juices flowing. Oh and the 1981 song “Genius of Love” by the Tom Tom Band, which is also playing in the trailer, will forever remind me of the It’s Always Sunny “The Gang Squashes Their Beefs” episode during the super awkward yet pee my pants hilarious scene where DeVito and the landlord are having some sort of weird dance-off. So good, and definitely worth a Google. The CGI and special effects are top notch as well of course, but more impressively they somehow manage to not overpower the story and instead are a contributing factor.

THE BAD

As you can surely tell by now, this movie met and far exceeded my expectations. I would honestly have a hard time imagining anyone not enjoying Free Guy, but just like in life, you can’t please everyone. I’m sure some will cry and moan about the PG-13 rating instead of just going all out with a Deadpool-esque R-rating, to which I would argue it is much more difficult to pull off a legitimately hilarious movie for adults within the strict confines of a PG-13 rating. I think the wholesome qualities are part of why the movie is so good. Aside from that, why anyone would dislike this movie, especially after watching the trailers, is anyone’s guess.

THE VERDICT

If Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row had a baby, and that baby was adopted by Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi and raised in a loving and supportive home, that baby would be named Free Guy, and it would be nicknamed the movie of the year. Period. I understand that is quite a statement to be making, but this movie was by far the most fun I’ve had at the theater this year. Sorry Jungle Cruise (review here), you still hold a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see this movie again (and again, and again), and you should definitely take my advice and see it as soon as humanely possible.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

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

The Green Knight

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

The Green Knight is a 2021 American epic medieval fantasy film brought to us by David Lowery, who directed, wrote, edited, and produced. The film stars Dev Patel in the lead role as Gawain, a nephew of the legendary British leader King Arthur, who sets out on a journey to test his courage and face the Green Knight. The film is an adaptation of a famous 14th-century medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The film also stars Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Danish Girl), Joel Edgerton (Loving, Boy Erased, The King), Sarita Choudbury (A Perfect Murder, She Hate Me, Sean Harris (Prometheus, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible - Fallout), and Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Game of Thrones) as the titular character.

The Green Knight was theatrically released in the United States on July 30, 2021, by A24, my personal favorite film production company that has given us some celebrated films such as Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, Eighth Grade, and Uncut Gems just to name a few.

THE GOOD

When the trailer for The Green Knight first came out a couple of months ago, I instantly knew this was a movie I was going to check out. First off, it comes from A24 and I pretty much watch anything in their catalog and I am not joking when I say that they rarely miss. Their films are almost always indie films with very low budgets ($15 million for The Green Knight) compared to the likes of Marvel’s $200 million for Black Widow (see review here) or Warner Bros./DC’s $185 million for The Suicide Squad (see review here). And because of the low budget and less marketable name, they must find other ways to bring people to the screen with captivating new stories, distinguished performances from big-time actors/actresses, and stunning cinematography and The Green Knight checks all of those boxes.

There were so many things I loved and appreciated about The Green Knight as the movie buff I am, but the thing I loved the most has to be the film’s cinematography. It truly looks incredible and is just a visually stunning movie to look at. The film was shot in Ireland in 2019 and I’ll just come out and say that I had no idea Ireland was such a beautiful country. With this being a medieval film, you know there are going to be castles and the castles in Ireland were just breathtaking and that, as well as all of the sick outfits they were wearing just helped me get into the zone. The sound of this movie was phenomenal as well, from an eminent soundtrack that helped set the mood to the amazing sound of the actual Green Knight crunching when he moved around because well, he is a tree-like character. This movie is just a prime example of purely great filmmaking, it was exceptional in all areas from the sights to the sounds.

There is no doubt that this, like most other A24 films, is a very artistic movie, but this movie brought so much more to the table with notable performances from the entire cast, but none stuck out more than the star himself, Dev Patel. I absolutely loved Dev Patel in this movie. He is just such an amazing actor, and while I don’t think this is his best work simply because of the excellence that is Slumdog Millionaire, this is probably right up there as his second best work in my opinion. He continues to just knock it out of the park in every role he is in, and while it is a long shot just because of all the big movies still to come this calendar year, he definitely has a chance at his first ever best actor nomination at the Oscars. Also worth noting is just how cool he looks in this movie with his long hair and beard flowing in the wind as he is riding his horse and his crown is pretty sick too.

Another special thing about this movie is just the story as a whole and David Lowery’s direction. The story is awesome, the film truly creates a world unlike anything we have ever seen in films before and it just left me in awe. This isn’t a spoiler but the round table scene in the beginning of the movie when the Green Knight introduces himself is so intense and definitely one of my favorite scenes in recent memory. This is nowhere near the first Arthurian films with it being such a famous medieval topic and legend. However, instead of being an intense action film like most Arthurian films of the past, Lowery brought an extremely unique take to this story and I was just digging it. I feel it was unique because we are raised to believe that these Knights of the Round Table are one-dimensional god-like heroes, but in this, Gawain is portrayed as a normal person who is troubled. His character is simply a stubborn young man who just wants glory and to be looked at by his peers as an honorable man but he is afraid to do what must be done to earn those things. Lowery really did just hit the nail on the head when it came to this premise and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Some other quick things I liked about The Green Knight include the performances of the supporting characters. The gorgeous Alicia Vikander is one of the best supporting actresses in the industry today and she just grabs your attention whenever she is on screen. Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris were very good in this despite limited screen time, but they both played vital roles in Gawain’s journey. Ralph Ineson really does have one of the best voices and they could not have found a better actor to play the Green Knight. The Green Knight as a character was just so badass and intimidating. The visual effects on him were extraordinary and you could just tell they paid attention to all the small details that we take for granted and I just love how this movie was put together.

THE BAD

Yeah, if you are still reading up to this point, you can tell I really enjoyed the film, but there is no denying that this film is not for everyone. This is definitely one of those movies where critics are raving about it, while the audience scores are not as supportive. For example, I went and saw this with my Mom and she thought it was really weird. Also, I could hear other people in the theater making comments and I could tell by their facial expressions leaving the theater that they were asking themselves “What the f**k did I just watch?”, and that may in large part be due to the ending that is certainly open to interpretation.

But yeah, this movie is not everyone’s cup of tea, and it has nothing to do with what some like to call “movie intelligence”. Arthurian stories are just not some people’s thing, there have been plenty of bad King Arthur movies in the past and it can be kind of boring. It is an over 2-hour movie and it can be slow and grueling at times, but I found that to be by design on Lowery’s part to sort of show you what he is going through and having you feel like you are a part of his journey because well, you technically are.

If you are like my Mom and think because this is a medieval movie that you are going to get a lot of combat and sword fights you are sadly mistaken. There is some combat, but not a lot. Instead, there is slow and deliberate pacing because of the amount of symbolism in this movie, and trust me, some of it will leave you scratching your head. The movie as a whole really didn’t feel very medieval to me, I was definitely getting more fantastical when watching and I was even picking up some sci-fi vibes. Like most other A24 movies, you can tell from the jump that the film has countless themes present throughout and that it is going for a deeper meaning here so just be prepared.

Lastly, this movie is definitely not a feel-good movie in any sense, which really makes it a tough movie to recommend. The main character, Gawain, is not the easiest guy to root for for starters. He really is just doing whatever it takes to achieve glory and be considered an honorable man, and not worrying about anything else in the process. But at the same time, I liked that because they made the character feel relatable because I think all of us can say at some point in our lives we have been self-centered. For me, as I have said, I was pumped when I saw the trailer to check this out and before seeing the movie, I did some minor research on the poem that the film is based on and also some stuff on King Arthur and his family. I guess you could say I was in the right mindset heading into this film, and I’m not saying you need to do all that to enjoy it, but for me, doing all of that made The Green Knight quite a remarkable movie.

THE VERDICT

With a uniquely thrilling take on the Arthurian legend from American filmmaker David Lowery and a profound performance from Dev Patel as Gawain, The Green Knight is an epic medieval fantasy film taking place in the 14th century that will captivate audiences with outstanding cinematography, an imposing story, and some of the best visual effects you have ever seen on the titular character.

The Green Knight is one of my favorite movies of the year and is another home run from the entertainment distribution company A24.

I strongly recommend checking this movie out if you get the chance to and I would love to know your thoughts, good or bad. It is a movie meant to be seen in theaters and you can do just that at Flagship Premium Cinemas in Falmouth where it is currently playing.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10

The Green Knight is now playing in select theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Suicide Squad

By: Ted Trafton & Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

The Suicide Squad is a 2021 superhero film based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad. It serves as a standalone sequel Suicide Squad (2016) and is also the tenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The Suicide Squad was written and directed by the always entertaining James Gunn who is most known for directing Marvel Studios’ The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and its sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).

The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Idris Elba as Robert DuBois / Bloodsport, John Cena as Christopher Smith / Peacemaker, Joel Kinnaman as Colonel Rick Flag, Sylvester Stallone as the voice of Nanaue / King Shark, David Dastmalchian as Abner Krill / Polka-Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Cleo Cazo / Ratcatcher 2, and the award winning Viola Davis reprises her role as Amanda Waller, the director of the government organization in charge of the Suicide Squad.

David Ayer, director of Suicide Squad (2016) was set to return as director for a sequel, but decided to take on another project instead. Warner Bros. considered several replacement directors before ultimately landing on James Gunn, who at the time had recently been temporarily fired by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. As writer and director, Gunn drew inspiration from war films and the original comics which resulted in a very interesting and action-packed plot. In the film, a task force of convicts (The Suicide Squad) are sent to destroy a Nazi-era laboratory, but to do so, they must encounter and defeat the giant alien Starro.

The Suicide Squad hit theaters on August 5th as well as streaming service HBO Max, where it will be available to watch up to a month after its release.

THE GOOD

From Ted’s perspective…

I have been pumped for The Suicide Squad for quite some time. I might be in the minority, but I actually enjoyed 2016’s Suicide Squad from director David Ayer. Was it flawed? Absolutely, but I thought it was fun and had that cool comic book feel from start to finish. I also purchased the extended edition Blu-ray which I thought was even better. Jump ahead to present day and we have what seems to be a gem that everyone is raving about, The Suicide Squad, thanks to the decision to bring in the talented and risk-taking James Gunn. So is the hype real?

Long story short, the hype is very, very real. The Suicide Squad is by far the best DC film since 2019’s Joker, and is unquestionably more enjoyable and less depressing, obviously. I had such a great time watching this movie and had a huge smile on my face as I laughed out loud more times than I could count. The cast is absolutely stacked, the R-rating is front and center, the action is non-stop, and more than anything else the fun factor is always the priority. The film has Gunn’s much needed “I don’t give a fu**” feel and attitude, and allows the cast the opportunity to play to their strengths without any limitations. As with any Gunn film, the dialogue is epic. A few minutes into the movie I was already looking forward to watching it again just to fully appreciate the hilarious back and forth banter.

It was clear right away The Suicide Squad had a healthy budget, treating viewers to some top-tier CGI and just incredible visuals. I loved the soundtrack and the score, and felt like everything helped to keep the mood surprisingly upbeat and fun considering all of the blood and guts. I really enjoyed the creative camera work which in my mind was a big part of why the movie worked so well. I really liked the special effects, and absolutely loved what they did with David Dastmalchian’s character, Polka-Dot Man. I won’t spoil anything, but his motivation to kill and how it is used throughout the movie is just too damn good.

As I touched on briefly, the cast is next level. Idris Elba delivers a perfect performance as expected in his leading role as Bloodsport. Joel Kinneman is great once again reprising his role as Rick Flagg, even though he is slightly less angry this time around. John Cena is easily my favorite as he takes on the role of Peacemaker, an anti-hero who clearly struggles with his sense of morals and values. Man or woman, if he doesn’t win you over in his whitey tighties, you are definitely doing it wrong. Not weird at all I promise. I am a huge Cena guy and think he is hilarious, and he is easily my favorite character. I cant wait for his HBO Max spinoff series Peacemaker which was recently announced, coming in 2022.

Margot Robbie once again owns the role of the beautiful yet severely troubled Harley Quinn, who has just a few thousand daddy issues. She remains one of my favorites, and I actually really enjoyed Birds of Prey. For me the dark horse character who I really liked was Ratcatcher 2, played by the gorgeous Daniela Melchior. Not only does she have the best daddy cameo ever, she has fantastic chemistry with the rest of the cast and brings some much needed raw emotion to her character. The decision to bring her in was huge. King Shark, voiced by the legendary Sylvester Stallone, is a crowd-pleaser and will steal the show for most viewers. He is a man of, I mean a shark of, few words but you will definitely have a soft spot for him. Just be sure to establish basic friends ground rules so you know, he doesn’t eat you.

From Andrew’s perspective…

Where do I even begin? This was easily one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever seen. I watched it with my younger brother and we were experiencing just about every emotion during the 132 minute runtime. We were hollering, we were gasping, we were cheering, and we were laughing, like a lot. I knew going into the movie that there was going to be a solid amount of humor involved because of Gunn’s writing in both Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but this movie had one thing that those films didn’t and that would be the one and only John Cena. 

If you weren’t yet convinced that the former WWE wrestler is one of the funniest actors we have today by his performances in both Trainwreck (2015) and Blockers (2018), his role in this will have you convinced in his first scene. Just seeing him in the Peacemaker uniform made me laugh and I will assume I am not alone when I say I want to see more of his character, because Warner Bros. has already announced a spin-off television series, Peacemaker, starring Cena that is set to debut on HBO Max in January 2022 and you already know that I’ll be tuning in for that.

Not only did Gunn excel when it came to the humor elements of this film, but his direction as a whole for this was just flawless in my opinion. I am so happy Warner Bros. let him have full control and freedom when it came to making The Suicide Squad, because it is definitely out of the ordinary for a superhero movie to be this off the rails. For starters, I loved the fact that this movie got an R rating, and lets just say that it earns it. First we had the Deadpool movies being rated R, and now this, and while I’m not campaigning for all superhero movies to be rated R obviously, it does allow them to showcase what can happen when a superhero movie is allowed to just be self-aware and energetic while also indulging in the violence, gore, and language. 

Yes, the movie is violent and hilarious, but at the same time it sneaks in a bit of heart too which is just another reason why James Gunn is one of the best when it comes to the superhero genre. I also loved his great new character additions that we didn’t get to see in Suicide Squad (2016), specifically Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man, and my personal favorite, King Shark who is voiced by Sylvester FREAKING Stallone!

Other quick things I want to highlight with The Suicide Squad include: the soundtrack is great, the visual style throughout is perfect, it is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over its predecessor, it is certainly rewatchable, and lastly, nobody will ever be able to play Harley Quinn the way Margot Robbie can, she is the character and the character is her.

THE BAD

When you have a movie like The Suicide Squad which is literally leaps and bounds better than it’s predecessor, it is really hard to pick it apart. From top to bottom this is just a really, really good movie that includes a little something for everyone. So yeah, there really is nothing “bad” about The Suicide Squad, but there are just two quick things I must warn you about if you decide to go ahead and check this out, which you should:

1. The movie is rated R. There is a lot and I mean a lot of violence, gore, and language throughout so just keep that in mind.

2. I’m not going to consider this a spoiler because the director himself, James Gunn, said it in an interview months ago before the film released, but there are a lot of casualties from beginning to end so take my hard advice and don’t get emotionally attached to any of the players involved.

THE VERDICT

From Ted’s perspective…

Brutally violent and unapologetically hilarious, the great James Gunn takes full advantage of the R-rating and a stacked cast to ensure The Suicide Squad is one of the best movies to come from the DC universe. This is good old fashioned R-rated fun for people who enjoy a few good casual murders superhero, or antihero, style. Marvel surely isn’t hurting for quality cinema, but a few more movies of this caliber and they will surely be put on notice. I’ve said it several times and I will say it again, the decision by Disney and Marvel to fire Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy was a huge mistake. They of course have since groveled and begged him to come back, which he did.

Now I won’t get into the political BS or any of that of course, but to think you can have a guy like Gunn who everyone loves working with specifically because of his willingness to push the envelope creatively especially when it comes to violence and dialogue, but not expect him to have a few “unfavorable” tweets over the years? I mean, is that ignorant or what? Perhaps James Gunn should follow the path of my man Nicolas Cage (shout out to Andrew’s recent review for Pig which you can find here) and just rid himself of social media altogether. Seems to be the smart play career wise, especially when the world is full of computer nerds who spend all day digging through peoples past while living in their mom’s basement.

From Andrew’s perspective…

From the horribly beautiful mind of writer/director James Gunn comes The Suicide Squad, the perfect summer blockbuster that is a masterpiece of the superhero genre. It is an absolutely insane, crazy, wild ride that is endlessly fun and will have you on the edge of your seats until the screen cuts to black.

The Suicide Squad is a must-see movie, and one that we absolutely suggest checking out sooner than later. A movie like this is meant to be seen in theaters if possible, and the IMAX treatment would be even better. At the end of the day, there is nothing quite like the big screen. We will likely watch it at least five more times on HBO Max, and can’t wait for the inevitable Director’s Cut 4K Blu-ray.

TED TAKES RATING - 9/10

The Suicide Squad is now playing in theaters and streaming for 31 days from release on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Pig

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

Pig is a 2021 American thriller drama film co-written and directed by Michael Sarnoski in his directorial debut. It stars Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, and Adam Arkin. The film follows Robin “Rob” Feld (played by Cage), a former Portland-based chef turned reclusive truffle forager, who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness with his beloved truffle-finding pig. But when his pig is stolen, Rob must face his demons of the past and go on a cat-and-mouse run through Portland with the help of Amir (played by Wolff), his primary truffle customer.

Principal photography for the film began in September of 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Months later in March of 2020, film production and distribution company Neon (whose most notable films include I, Tonya, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Palm Springs, and my favorite film of all-time, the 2019 South Korean film, Parasite. Pig had a theatrical release in the United States on July 16, 2021, and the film has received widespread acclaim from critics since its release.

THE GOOD

The career of actor Nicolas Cage is a truly fascinating one. Cage’s first film role was a minor one and it came in the 1982 coming-of-age comedy-drama film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Years later he starred in the Coen brothers 1987 classic Raising Arizona, and following the success of that he really took off in the 90s with hits such as Leaving Las Vegas (1995), The Rock (1996), and Face/Off (1997). However, the 21st century for Cage wasn’t as friendly until as of late as he had his fair share of stinkers with The Wicker Man (2006), Bangkok Dangerous (2008), Knowing (2009), Season of the Witch (2011), Stolen (2012), and Left Behind (2014) just to name a few. Despite going through that rough patch, Cage has slowly been working his way back up to the top of the industry since 2017 with successful films like Mom and Dad (2017), Mandy (2018), Color Out of Space (2019), and Pig is truly in my opinion a PSA to all movie-lovers like myself that Cage is BACK!

There is no debating that this is one of Cage’s best performances of his illustrious career and it just might be his best. It really is a revelation. In every scene of this movie, Cage showcases his brilliance as an actor with an affectingly raw performance. You would never think that a movie dealing with one’s love for companionship with their pet pig would hit you in the feels, but it really does and I don’t think that happens without Cage. I just have so much respect for him as an actor because obviously he is as entertaining as they come, but you can tell that he just loves what he does by how he just gives his all into every performance and that is just the case with Pig. With that said, Cage has only been nominated for the Best Actor award twice, winning for his role in Leaving Las Vegas (1995), and I really hope that with his performance in Pig, that he could get that long-awaited third nomination.

Enough with me fanboying about Nicolas Cage though because there are so many other aspects that make Pig my favorite movie of the year. For starters, it is pretty impressive that this is director Michael Sarnoski’s directorial debut. I mean damn, talk about starting your career off with a bang. Let’s just say I will be eagerly awaiting to see what he follows this up with and he has quickly made a fan out of me. Also, it is pretty remarkable that at the young age of 23, Alex Wolff has already been in some pretty big movies such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Hereditary (2018), Bad Education (2019), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and his most recent film Old (2021), which Ted recently reviewed. I am a big fan of his as well, and he is already making a name for himself as a solid supporting actor in the industry. Lastly with this film, there were some beautiful shots of the Oregon nature throughout the film and the score does such a great job at setting each and every scene.

THE BAD

As you will soon be able to tell by my score for the film, there was nothing I found particularly bad about it.

The only thing that I will say is that the film itself is definitely very different from what we are accustomed to seeing and you could say that it is weird for sure. I mean in simplest terms, it is a movie where Nic Cage plays a truffle forager who goes on a 90-minute revenge tour when his pig is stolen. For me though, the film’s uniqueness and wholly original story is the thing I love most about Pig and a big reason why it is one of the best films of the year in my opinion.

THE VERDICT

With what just might be a career-defining performance from the legendary Nicolas Cage, Michael Sarnoski’s Pig is one of the best films of the year. It is a beautiful tale of love and loss and is one of the most captivating movies I have ever watched.

DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. As crazy and outlandish as the film’s presence may be, Pig takes you somewhere and as time goes by you soon realize that you are fully invested in the delightful companionship that is a man and his pig.

This is absolutely not a film you want to miss, so check it out, you will not regret it. Now available for rent or purchase on video on demand.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.4/10

Check out the latest trailer for Pig below.

Stillwater

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

Stillwater is a 2021 crime drama film directed by Academy Award-Winner Tom McCarthy, based on a script he co-wrote with Marcus Hinchey, Thomas Bidegain, and Noé Debré, The film stars Matt Damon as Bill Baker, an unemployed oil rig worker from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, Allison (Abigail Breslin), who is in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. With the help of a French woman, Virginie (Camille Cottin), Bill must overcome the language barriers, cultural differences, and complicated legal system to prove his convicted daughter’s innocence.

Stillwater had its world premiere at the famous Cannes Film Festival on July 8, 2021, and recently hit theaters this week on July 30th. The film is also loosely based on the story of Amanda Knox.

THE GOOD

I remember being really excited when I saw the trailer for Stillwater for the first time a few months ago. I mean how could I not be? It is a movie starring Matt Damon in a lead role as a true Southerner with one hell of a goatee. Also, being someone who as recently as this year watched Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight, the 2015 drama film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards, for the very first time, I knew I had to check out Stillwater as soon as it hit theaters and I’m glad I did.

I might as well go ahead and state the obvious but the best part of this movie was hands down the performance of Matt Damon as Bill Baker. Out of the 140 minutes of the film’s run time, Damon is probably on screen for about 130 of them and in every scene he just shows us why he is one of the best in the business today. His performance just feels so real from the beginning to the end and his chemistry with all of the other major characters only adds to that feeling of realness you get when you watch.

You will find yourself feeling like you are experiencing everything with his character through the ups and downs and all you will want to do is hope he gets his daughter back and ultimately finds the happiness he has been searching for his whole life. It might not be his best work which would probably be either Good Will Hunting (1997) or The Martian (2015) in my opinion, but it is right up there in terms of his individual performances and I wouldn’t be surprised if he collected his third Best Actor nomination with this one.

Other than the all-star performance from Matt Damon, this was just another great drama brought to us from the mind of Tom McCarthy. The one thing you know you are going to get with any McCarthy film is an intelligent story with many themes throughout that tackle real-world problems and that is just the case with Stillwater. Also with McCarthy films, you know you are going to get solid performances from the supporting characters and in this movie that was Abigail Breslin and Camille Cottin. Breslin’s performance as Baker’s daughter Allison is superb as she is able to showcase her wide range of emotions with the character, and Cottin’s performance was really impressive as it was the first film I had ever seen her in, but it won’t be the last with her as she is starring in Ridley Scott’s biographical crime film House of Gucci coming later this year so I look forward to seeing her in that.

THE BAD

I think you would be hard pressed to find anybody who will say they straight up did not like this film. It is just a well-done film that I really enjoyed, but I won’t lie, there were a couple things that I wish would have been different.

First, with more than 90% of this movie taking place in Marseille, there are many scenes where the language being spoken is French, and while there are obviously subtitles that tell you what is being said, it makes you really have to pay attention and I couldn’t help but feel that there was just something missing in the important scenes because rather than the hearing what was being said, I was reading it. I also understand that McCarthy did this to try and make us feel what Damon’s character needed to overcome with the language barrier to get his daughter back but that is just my opinion.

Second, and I’ll be curious to know your thoughts if you go ahead and take my suggestion and check this movie out, but I did not love the ending to this. With this movie being as long as it is (140 minutes = not a bad thing), it felt like throughout the movie they were building up to this big epic finale and in my opinion, what I got just wasn’t what I was expecting. Overall, I was fine with the ending and it doesn’t take away from it being a really good movie, but without giving too much away, it almost felt unfinished to me in a sense.

THE VERDICT

With another hard-hitting dramatic tale from the great Tom McCarthy and another outstanding performance from the one and only Matt Damon, Stillwater tells the emotional journey of Bill Baker, a simple man from the southern United States who must overcome numerous obstacles to prove his daughter’s innocence as she is in a French prison for a crime she claims she did not commit. It is now playing in theaters and I highly recommend checking it out.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.3/10

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

Jungle Cruise

From director Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Run All Night), Jungle Cruise is a 2021 fantasy adventure film written by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requa, and is based on Disneyland's theme park ride. Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal -- a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.

Jungle Cruise hit theaters on July 30th, and is also available to stream on Disney+ with Premier Access.

THE GOOD

I walked into the theater aka my happy place and sat down in my comfortable reclining chair with my popcorn and soda, expecting a fun but mostly watered-down adventure comedy. This assumption was reinforced by the packed theater with quite a few kids in attendance. I figured it was going to be a long two hours. But I am happy to report that the saying is true, you really can’t judge a book by it’s cover. 

Jungle Cruise is two hours of pure entertainment, which kicked into gear well before we even reached the very cool title graphic. I mean sure the young kids kept asking their parents random questions throughout the movie as kids often do, but thanks to the non-stop action and awesome soundtrack, I had no idea what they were saying. My eyes were literally glued to the screen from start to finish. I laughed out loud more times than I could count, the acting was exceptional top to bottom, and I found the story to be extremely interesting with a twist I actually did not expect. 

Jungle Cruise is promoted as a fun adventure comedy for the entire family, which it absolutely is don’t get me wrong, but it really is much more than that. It’s easy for a movie like this to go through the motions with average to below average acting, a few corny jokes, and relying almost entirely on the incredible visuals that will surely keep the audience satisfied. But thankfully for me and the other adults visiting the theater kid free (shout out to my wife for taking care of our little ones), this movie exceeded my expectations. This is quite literally what going to the movie theater is all about. From the great writing, incredible visuals, infectious acting, and immersive feel, Jungle Cruise brings it.

I already touched on the acting briefly but it is a huge part of why this movie is so good. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are perfection as always, and I was actually impressed with the chemistry they shared. You could tell they enjoyed working together and had a ton of fun making this movie. I really enjoyed Jack Whitehall’s character as he was a big part of the comedic element of the film along with Johnson’s character. Édgar Ramírez is great as one of the films primary villains, and remains in my mind a very underrated actor.

Jesse Plemons, who plays the films primary villain, is easily one of my favorite characters. It still blows my mind how far he has gone in his career, from pimply faced teenager Landry Clarke in Friday Night Lights, to one of the best and most versatile actors working right now. He actually played a small role in the 1999 classic Varsity Blues, in only his second movie. If you want a taste of what he is capable of watch season 2 of Fargo which is incredible, or even the hilarious comedy Game Night (review and trailer here) to get an idea of his acting talent. Paul Giamatti remains one of the best supporting actors working today, and his character really helps to set the tone for the film.

As expected, the technical side of things for Jungle Cruise is firing on all cylinders. The CGI is fantastic with a Pirates of the Caribbean feel at times throughout the film which is definitely a compliment. Disney has no shortage of funds, and for that reason all of the animals in the film jump right off the screen and really help to pull audiences in. I also really enjoyed Johnson’s pet “cat” Proxima. I absolutely loved the camera work, taking full advantage of the incredible scenery and putting the audience right in the middle of the action. It really felt like a theme park ride from the comfort of the movie theater. The soundtrack is just awesome, and even includes an amazing track from Metallica during one of the best moments of the film. Yes, you heard that right. The same rock band that made it’s debut in 1981, and they still got it!

THE BAD

So, what annoyed me about Jungle Cruise? As I mentioned earlier, I expected to come face to face with plenty of corny moments during the film but that wasn’t really the case. I mean, we all know that Dwayne Johnson is arguably the hardest working actor in Hollywood - the guy is crazy busy and somehow finds time to still be in freakish shape as well. The film lives and dies by how his character comes across to viewers, and I think that is precisely why I am having a hard time finding much negative to say about the film. As always he exudes personality, is hilarious, and finds a way to make everyone else that much better. Plus, are you really expecting me to find something negative to say about the technical side of a Disney film? I mean seriously, these guys know what they are doing. So yeah, not much to report.

THE VERDICT

An exciting and uniquely immersive adventure with an exceptional cast lead by the undeniable chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is a theme park ride you’ll happily wait in line for. This movie was a blast, and never once felt forced or like it was trying too hard. I felt like I was out on the boat experiencing the adventure right along with the cast, and that is quite an accomplishment if you ask me. 

But I mean let’s be honest, put Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in a movie together and I’ll be first in line opening day every single time. I know the summer movie season officially kicked off with Black Widow for most people, but Jungle Cruise adds the exclamation mark with a movie literally everyone can enjoy and appreciate. So go ahead and grab the family and head to the theater sooner than later. I will be adding this to my 4K Blu-ray collection, and can’t wait to watch it again.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10

Jungle Cruise is now playing in theaters and available on Disney+ as a $29.99 Premium Access. Check out the latest trailer below.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, also known simply as Snake Eyes, is a 2021 superhero action film directed by Robert Schwentke from a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse. Based on Hasbro's G.I. Joe toy, comic, and media franchise, the film is a reboot, and the third installment in the G.I. Joe film series and serves as an origin story for the title character Snake Eyes. Henry Golding stars as the title role, replacing Ray Park who portrayed him in the previous films.

Snake Eyes is a tenacious loner who is welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach Snake Eyes the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing something he’s been longing for: a home. But, when secrets from his past are revealed, Snake Eyes’ honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him. The cast also includes Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Úrsula Corberó as The Baroness, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, Tahehiro Hira as Kenta, and Iko Uwais as Hard Master.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins released in theaters on July 23rd, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

I should probably preface this review by pointing out the fact that I have zero knowledge of the comics, or what is considered to be the “true origin story” of Snake Eyes. Comics just aren’t my thing, I mean sure someone loaned me a Deadpool comic once and I thought it was hilarious, but I just can’t sit around and read comics I will just get sidetracked every time. Okay so now that we got that out of the way, what did I think about the latest film to come from the G.I. Joe Universe, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins?

Well to just jump right into it, I really enjoyed this movie. The story was interesting, the fight scenes were an absolute joy to experience, and it was just a good old fashioned action flick meant to be seen on the big screen. I went in with little to no knowledge of the actual origin story which probably helped my case. The fight scenes were up there with some of the better martial arts films of recent memory, proving they put a premium on the stunt work for the film. One scene in particular includes an epic fight on a moving vehicle, and that had the adrenaline pumping for sure. I enjoyed the characters and felt like the film had the perfect balance of characters to root for and characters to root against. The story had plenty of depth but was still fairly straight forward, sort of the classic revenge above all else story.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say the acting was one of the primary strengths of the film, but I was very pleased with the performance of Henry Golding. I thought he epitomized the Snake Eyes character, and definitely won audiences over. I also have to give credit to Úrsula Corberó and Samara Weaving, in their respective roles as The Baroness and Scarlett. I mean, sure they are both absolutely gorgeous, but these two know their way around an automatic weapon that’s for sure. These two proved to be quite a dynamic duo. I also really enjoyed Haruka Abe in her role as Akiko. Iko Uwais was an absolute badass in his role as Hard Master, and easily one of my favorite characters. I look forward to seeing more of him in future films.

As expected, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins was very sound on the technical side of things. The smooth and creative camera work helped to make sure the action scenes felt as exciting as possible. As I touched on already, the choreography and stunt work for the fight scenes were top notch. The soundtrack was upbeat and exciting throughout which is always important. Bottom line, you can sit back and enjoy watching a crowd of overconfident bad guys getting manhandled by 2 or 3 people over and over again. It never gets old.

THE BAD

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is not free from it’s fair share of issues. At times I felt like key points of the story were rushed, or just lacking the necessary weight you’d want for some of the more pivotal moments. This impacted believability for certain elements of the story arc, at least for me anyway. I think this was partly caused by some weak acting from the supporting cast periodically. Some of the writing probably could have been better as well.

I also have to point out the fact that pretty much every motorcycle or car was electric in the movie, and I don’t think I’m alone in saying that crotch rockets, if you can even call them that, are far less cool when they sound like a Dyson vacuum. Some of the fight scenes, although fun, certainly felt extremely far fetched as well. But hey, it’s the movies right?

THE VERDICT

An action-packed origin story showcasing star Henry Golding’s acting abilities, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a fun movie well worth a trip to the theater. When a well-known franchise is trying to reinvent itself, it is usually best to forget what you know and appreciate the new direction they decide to take things. Similar to the Marvel films, it is impossible to stay true to the comics and creative freedom is a good thing if you ask me. It’s far from perfect sure, but it gets plenty right. I enjoyed Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins and I hope the franchise has a chance to continue building on what seems to be a solid foundation.

TED TAKES RATING - 7/10

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is now playing only in theaters. Check out the trailer below.

Old

From visionary director M. Night Shyamalan, Old is a 2021 drama thriller loosely based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. It tells the story of a family on a tropical vacation who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly - reducing their entire lives into a single day.

The film stars Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, Alex Wolff, Abbey Lee, Aaron Pierre, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Embeth Davidtz, Emun Elliott, and Kathleen Chalfant.

Old released in theaters on July 23rd, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

As with most theatrical releases since the pandemic brought on uncertainty for movie theaters, we are often greeted with a quick intro from either a star or the director just before the movie starts. This time M. Night Shyamalan himself pops on screen to thank everyone for coming to the theater to see his movie, and you can see in his eyes how excited he is to share this with everyone - and that is what it’s all about. The opening day crowd in the theater was absolutely buzzing with excitement.

When Shyamalan’s name is attached to a project, I’m immediately intrigued. From his debut horror/ thriller The Sixth Sense back in 1999, which was actually his 3rd film after Praying with Anger (1992) and Wide Awake (1998), he has cemented himself as one of the best writer/directors in the last 20 years+. One thing that resonated with me after seeing The Sixth Sense, which is still amazing to this day by the way, is his ability to tell a uniquely engaging story while somehow still finding a way to surprise viewers with a plot twist at the end that they could have never seen coming. It also leaves you with that, "“ohh yeah now this makes sense!” feeling, and that is exactly the case with his latest film, Old.

I really enjoyed this movie, and my eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish. You just really never know what you are going to get with a Shyamalan film, and the journey is always worth it. This time around the premise is loosely based on a graphic novel as I mentioned in the intro, but I have yet to read it to make sure I went in to the movie with no understanding of what was to come aside from what I saw in the trailers. I mean sure some of the scenes you will recognize from the trailers, but rest assured they don’t ruin any of the bigger moments. A feeling of unease grabs ahold of you in the beginning, and never lets go. The story includes a diverse group of characters at various chapters in their lives to ensure every viewer is able to relate to them to some degree. It doesn’t waste anytime setting the groundwork for the story, and carefully leaves bread crumbs as to what is really going on. I was extremely pleased and caught off guard by the ending which I would love to go into detail on with you, but that would be a spoiler of course. Feel free to message me directly if you’d like to unpack everything once you have seen the movie.

Old isn’t your typical shock and awe horror thriller, mainly because the premise centers around something we all fear in some form or fashion, which is getting old. Now aging rapidly in the span of just hours, yeah this is definitely classic M. Night Shyamalan territory. This intriguing premise is brought to life by including the perfect balance of unique camera work making it feel like you are actually on the beach with the characters, along with an ominous tone and score. The film never feels slow or boring which is huge for me, with each and every scene feeling necessary to push the story along. You can’t wait to see what is going to happen next

I thought the casting was great as the characters felt real and authentic, each with true own complex yet relatable backstory. I never once questioned the quality of the acting, and felt it was undoubtedly a great strength of the film. I’m a big fan of Alex Wolff who was incredible in Hereditary, and he brings it here as well. I also really enjoyed the roles played by Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps, and felt like their chemistry was genuine. Rufus Sewell takes on the role of the films “wildcard” character, and I thought he did extremely well with a pivotal role. M. Night Shyamalan is known for his smaller supporting roles in his films, and has another good one here.

THE BAD

I really enjoyed Old and can honestly say I don’t have any considerable issues to bring up. Although it’s not really a knock on the film itself, it wasn’t as much of a true horror as I was expecting, and felt more of a true thriller instead. As I mentioned before I did not read the book so that did not come into play for me whatsoever, but it has also been made very clear that it is loosely based and not a true adaptation. I personally liked the way the camera would often pan around the characters to try and make what was happening feel more intimate/up close and personal, but I could see some people having an issue with it.

Although this isn’t my all-time favorite from M. Night Shyamalan (that is a high bar, of course), the good far outweighs the bad.

THE VERDICT

Intense, thoroughly engaging, and terrifyingly relevant, Old is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s more grounded films while still leaving a considerable mark on viewers. The premise deals with something that scares us each and every day because we have no control over it, and that is why it will stay with viewers long after they leave the theater. Aging is a part of life, and we all take that journey with varying stops along the way, but fingers crossed none of us end up on this beach.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.5/10

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

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is a 2021 psychological horror film directed by Adam Robitel, and written by Will Honley, Maria Melnik, Daniel Tuch, and Oren Uziel. It is the sequel to the box office hit Escape Room that terrified and thrilled audiences around the world back in early 2019. I was among the crowd who saw the original in theaters on day one, and I will say I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The film had sort of a Saw feel to it but still managed to be unique, and also included a very solid up-and-coming cast which consisted of Tyler Labine, True Blood’s Deborah Ann Woll, Love Simon’s Logan Miller, and Atypical’s Nik Dodani, which was huge for me.

In the sequel, six people unwittingly find themselves locked in another series of escape rooms, slowly uncovering what they have in common to survive…and discovering they’ve all played the game before. The cast includes Taylor Russell and Logan Miller reprising their roles from the first film, alongside new cast members Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel, and Carlito Olivero.

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions hits theaters on July 16th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

THE GOOD

I remember seeing the original Escape Room in theaters on opening night. It was a painfully cold January night, and my buddy and I had dinner before the movie, figuring we could show up and buy our tickets last minute since the movie seemed fairly under-the-radar. As we were choosing our seats we couldn’t believe that the theater was almost completely full! Luckily we were still able to grab decent seats, and it was well worth it. The low-budget thriller far exceeded expectations, which is why I am here now talking to you about a sequel.

Fast forward a few years and we have the follow-up film, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. As soon as the sequel was announced I was looking forward to it, mainly because it is just something a little bit unique compared to everything else out there as of late. And I am happy to report it did not let me down. The film picks up right where the original leaves off, and even treats viewers to a sort of “previously on” montage from the first movie which I thought was a nice touch. That way we felt like we just watched the original, and couldn’t wait to see what they had in store.

First and foremast, I really enjoyed Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. It is very well-written, and I would say that might be the primary strength of these films, and it keeps you guessing. The thrill factor is front and center from the start, and you start to get a good feel for the true scale of what is going on behind the scenes. Nothing is as it seems, forcing the characters to look beyond what they initially perceive as a sensible escape route. The “escape rooms” are elaborate to say the least, and during the entire movie all I could think about was how screwed I would be in any of these situations. I would be dead in the first 30 seconds, and it would likely be self-induced thanks to an anxiety overload and propensity for bad decision making. So yeah, I envy anyone who can keep their bearings in what they know to be a life or death game for someone else’s enjoyment. I’ll just stick to what I know, which is basically Candyland or a good old fashioned game of Go Fish.

The sequel picks up with the two main characters from the original film, Zoey played by Taylor Russell, and Ben played by Logan Miller. Russell was amazing in the 2020 coming-of-age drama Words on Bathroom Walls, which I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it. It is currently streaming on Prime Video, and you can check out our review and the trailer here. As it turns out, Miller also plays a significant role in another fantastic coming-of-age film, 2018’s Love, Simon, which I also highly recommend. You can watch that on FX Now or as a VOD rental or purchase, and the trailer and review can be found here. Both were very good in the original Escape Room, and continue to have the same genuine on-screen chemistry here. The supporting cast is fine, but these two are surely the benchmark for the film and what help to keep the audience invested.

Similar to the original, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions knows it’s way around a quality cliffhanger. The ending is quite a surprise (don’t worry, no spoilers!), and finds a way to come full circle. If the box office numbers look good enough, we are in for a 3rd movie that is a foregone conclusion. Some may be annoyed by the lack of a true “ending”, but I personally love the old shock and awe approach as long as we get the sequel.

THE BAD

Okay so what are my issues with Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. Well for starters, the acting can be a bit of an Achilles’ heel this time around. Now it’s not horrible by any means, but at times some of the more intense moments feel a little less intense because of what feels likes cheesy or forced acting. Luckily it is only in spurts, supporting cast mostly, and never proves detrimental.

One of my other issues is sort of two-fold, mainly because it is really more of preference. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is rated PG-13, so although some characters will surely meet their demise, you won’t get those gory Saw style deaths, or anything close to it really. And to be perfectly honest I am glad that is the case because it allows the film to feel more unique, I just wish they would have included a few more “oh wow that just happened” deaths, but maybe I just need therapy.

THE VERDICT

Smarter and more ambitious this time around, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions packs plenty of thrills, and yet again reminds me why I prefer to avoid escape rooms at all costs. You will appreciate the creativity surrounding the new escape rooms, which will keep you on the edge of your seat as each player fights for their lives. It may not be the best movie you see this year, but it will surely satisfy fans of the original as well as newcomers. Oh and as long as numbers are good, a 3rd movie is absolutely happening.

TED TAKES RATING - 7/10

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Preview and trailer for the original 2019 film Escape Room here.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

Space Jam: A New Legacy is a 2021 live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film serves as a standalone sequel based on the 1996 blockbuster Space Jam, featuring Michael Jordan. It is also the first theatrically-released film to feature the famous Looney Tunes characters since the 2003 movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action. The film stars NBA basketball player LeBron James as a fictionalized version of himself, along with Don Cheadle, Cedric Joe, Sonequa Martin-Green, Khris Davis, Ceyair J. Wright, and Harper Leigh Alexander in live-action roles, while Jeff Bergman (voice of Bugs Bunny), Eric Bauza (voice of Daffy Duck), and Zendaya (voice of Lola Bunny) headline the Looney Tunes voice cast.

Set in a shared Warner Bros. virtual space multiverse, the film follows LeBron James teaming up with the Looney Tunes to win a basketball game against digitized champions (Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Nneka Ogwumike, Diana Taurasi, and Klay Thompson) to rescue his son from a rogue AI.

Plans for a Space Jam successor have been going on since the release of the original film, which Joe Pytka would have returned to direct. After Michael Jordan’s refusal to return in a sequel, several possible spin-offs were discussed focusing on other premier athletes in other sports including Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, and Tiger Woods. However, those plans never came to fruition and after several more years of languishing, a LeBron James-led sequel was officially announced in 2014. Space Jam: A New Legacy was filmed in 2019 and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the U.S. on July 16th, 2021, both in theaters and on HBO Max for a month after its theatrical release.

THE GOOD

First off, it is just crazy to say that I am reviewing the sequel to Space Jam. For years, there have been so many rumors that it was never going to happen and then when LeBron James’ name was attached to the project, I thought it was a joke. It wasn’t until they actually started filming that I was like “WOW, this is actually happening!”. And even though LeBron’s performance was not the best, and I’ll get to that later in the review, it is still cool to see an athlete of his caliber that I’ve grown up watching on the big screen.

Without a doubt, the best thing about this movie is the animation. It is an extremely appealing movie to the eyes. The character designs for the Goon Squad team were off the charts with my personal favorite being Klay Thompson’s character, Wet-Fire. But for real, every part of the movie that takes place in what they call “The Serververse” is just full of amazing animated visuals. The great visuals throughout definitely made the film entertaining as a whole.

Another part I really liked about this film was the inclusion of the shared Warner Bros. properties in the virtual space multiverse. It was surprising to me reading other reviews on this film because the majority of them critiqued the inclusion of the intellectual properties and found them to be a “spoilage of product placement”. I just didn’t agree with that. I found it really interesting and exciting to see LeBron James travel through different worlds based on Warner Bros. properties such as DC Comics (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.), Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones. Also, if you do go ahead and watch this film, I’d be curious to see how many characters from famous Warner Bros. movies you can name at the big game between the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad, because there are a flurry of them on the sidelines, which I just thought was a great addition to the movie.

Lastly, the voice cast of the Looney Tunes was great as you’d expect with any movie in the Looney Tunes franchise, especially Zendaya as Lola Bunny.

THE BAD

Alright so just to get this out of the way, this movie was nowhere near as good as the original film. I hate to break that to you as someone who had high hopes going into this, but it just isn’t. The main reason for that is really just the acting. In the original you obviously had Michael Jordan, who I thought was as good an actor as an athlete can be (besides John Cena and The Rock of course) in their first film role, but you also had the legendary Bill Murray who was his funny self, and you had Wayne Knight (Newman from Seinfeld) who made you laugh in every scene he was in. In this one, you have LeBron James and a lot of actors who try to be funny, but they just aren’t.

Trust me, I know this is a movie meant for kids and I do think kids overall will enjoy it, but being a critic I have to therefore critique. To continue with the bad acting, all of LeBron’s lines in the film just felt so scripted and robotic in a sense, and for as much as I loved him in the 2015 rom-com Trainwreck directed by Judd Apatow, his performance in this was a large step down from that, and I’d prefer just seeing him stick to basketball from here on out. I also just didn’t like the performances of the actors portraying his actual family. I understand that it is a weird dynamic for Cedric Joe to be playing LeBron’s kid, but him and LeBron just had no chemistry throughout the entire movie, and it really showed up in the moments that were supposed to be sentimental and heart-warming towards the end.

THE VERDICT

While it is nowhere near as good as the original, Space Jam: A New Legacy is the standalone sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Space Jam that we have been waiting on for 25 years starring LeBron James, and for that reason and that reason alone, it is worth checking out. While it lacks the original film’s humor, it still provides stunning animated visuals, some good laughs from the Looney Tunes, and a unique twist with the inclusion of other famous Warner Bros. properties.

TED TAKES RATING - 5/10

Space Jam: A New Legacy is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Gunpowder Milkshake

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

Gunpowder Milkshake is a 2021 action thriller film directed by Navot Papushado, who also co-wrote the script with Ehud Lavski. The film follows a young assassin, Sam, who after being abandoned by her mother, has been raised by The Firm, a ruthless crime syndicate that her mother worked for. For fifteen years, Sam has followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a vicious hit-woman in her own right. But when a job goes terribly wrong, Sam must choose between continuing to serve The Firm or to save the life of an innocent 8-year-old girl.

The film stars Karen Gillan (most known for portraying Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) in the lead role as the protagonist Sam. The cast also includes Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) as Sam’s mother, and Carla Gugino (Spy Kids trilogy, The Haunting of Hill House), Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians), and Angela Bassett (Black Panther, American Horror Story) as her former sidekicks. Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Adam Nagaitis (Chernobyl), Michael Smiley (The Lobster), and Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Billions) also star in supporting roles.

THE GOOD

Before diving into the review, I just want to say that this movie really impressed me. After seeing the trailer, I was like yeah this looks interesting and I’ll definitely check it out, but I was not expecting it to be one of my favorite movies I’ve seen so far this year, and that is exactly what it was. For starters, it had all-around great performances from the entire cast, especially from the star of the film, Karen Gillan. I can say for all the Marvel fans out there that she was superb in her role as Nebula and brought so much to the MCU with that character. With that said though, it was great to see her in something else where she isn’t a mean blue luphomoid that is always trying to kill Thanos. But really, her performance in this was awesome. She was a total badass that was just dropping Russian criminals left and right for the majority of the film, but she also had some heartening scenes where she had touching dialogue with her mother and Emily (Chloe Coleman), the 8-year-old girl she is fighting to protect. Her wide range of skills was certainly on display in this and I hope we get to see her in more lead roles in the future.

Other than Gillan though, it was just so great to see Lena Headey back on the big screen. It was my first time watching her since the last season of the HBO epic fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. Her character in Gunpowder Milkshake is very intimidating in this with her background of working for The Firm for many years and being an intimidating character is clearly the role that suits her best. It’s just that in this movie she is a whole lot easier to root for and support than Cersei Lannister is in GOT. Also worth mentioning is the performances of both Ralph Ineson as Jim McAlester, leader of The Firm, and Paul Giamatti as Nathan, who is head of the HR department for The Firm. Speaking of intimidating characters, Ralph Ineson just excels at being a kind of off-putting dude in all of his roles with his deep, rumbling voice and he does just that in this movie. As for Giamatti, he is just one of the best and I love everything he brings to the table as an actor.

Aside from the performances of the cast, there is so much more that makes Gunpowder Milkshake as good as it is. First, it is a visually stunning film. I love the amount of neon they included throughout the entire movie, and the fashion choices of the characters were top notch, especially when it comes to Sam with her legendary bowling jacket. The instrumental music throughout was also as good as it gets and I noticed in scene after scene that the choice of music did such a good job at setting the mood for the scene. Lastly, the choreography with the fight/action sequences should receive some kind of award. I mean it was just so well done, so much so that it reminded me of the Kingsman franchise movies that are highly praised for their action sequences, so I guess that’s some pretty good company.

THE BAD

Other than the occasional gory death, full warning, there really was not anything that I didn’t like about the film. There was a slow spell where not much was going on when it was transitioning from the middle to the end as they were preparing for the climax, but that is really picky and with how good the finale was in my opinion, I will let it slide.

Something else with the film, and I wouldn’t consider this bad, but I would really like to know more about The Firm and how it came to become such a big and powerful crime syndicate. Also, I wanted more from Sam’s mother Scarlet’s former sidekicks (aka The Sisterhood) because their characters were so cool in their own unique way. But hey, maybe there is a chance that there is more to come from Gunpowder Milkshake whether it be a sequel or a prequel showing how the important players in the film came to be which I would totally sign up for.

THE VERDICT

With stunning neon-infused visuals, top-notch action sequences, and great performances from the entire cast, the new Netflix original film Gunpowder Milkshake is an exciting new addition to the action thriller genre with a story of a young assassin who has been raised up by a crime syndicate where she only knows evil, but is given a chance to finally do good by protecting the life of an innocent 8-year-old girl.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.6/10

Gunpowder Milkshake is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Werewolves Within

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

Werewolves Within is a 2021 comedy horror film directed by Josh Ruben from a screenplay that was written by Mishna Wolff. As it turns out, the movie is actually based on the video game of the same name that came out in 2016 from Red Storm Entertainment. The success of the video game ultimately led to Ubisoft Motion Pictures signing on to produce a film of it in late 2018.

The story follows forest ranger Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson) who recently got assigned to patrol a small town, Beaverfield. Wheeler quickly realizes he must keep the peace between the residents of Beaverfield as they are all currently divided over the potential sale to businessman Sam Parker (Wayne Duvall), who hopes to build a massive pipeline that will run right through town. But after a snowstorm confines all the townspeople to an old lodge, joined with a mysterious creature terrorizing the group, their darkest secrets rise to the surface and it is up to the ranger to keep the residents alive, both from each other and the monster that is hunting them.

Werewolves Within stars Sam Richardson (Veep, Detroiters, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), Milana Vayntrub (who actually is most-known for starring in AT&T television commercials), Wayne Duvall, Catherine Curtin (Orange Is The New Black, Stranger Things), Michaela Watkins (Casual, Wanderlust), George Basil, Sarah Burns (Enlightened), Michael Chernus (Orange Is The New Black), Cheyenne Jackson (United 93, American Horror Story), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), and Glenn Fleshler (Boardwalk Empire, True Detective).

THE GOOD

When it comes to the horror comedy genre, it really is hit or miss what you are going to get. We have had some classics over the years in Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, but there is no denying that we have also had some stinkers with movies like Leprechaun and basically every Tremors movie other than the original. With Werewolves Within in my opinion, I think we got a hit. The thing I found most special about this movie was just how well it offers equal helpings of both horror and comedy that results in a very solid film that is a lot of fun to watch. There were obviously so many scenes that had me laughing out loud throughout the 90 minute duration of the movie, but there were also a fair share of jump scares that startled me too. 

Speaking of genres, Werewolves Within also has many mystery elements throughout the film due to the “whodunnit” story it is telling, and they do a great job by keeping you guessing at who the unknown assailant is right up until the very end. I mention that because with so many horror movies in the past, we can quickly tell who the “killer” is halfway throughout and that definitely takes the fun suspense out of watching it. The not-knowing factor can definitely be attributed to the great script written by Mishna Wolff, and the wonderful direction from newcomer Josh Ruben and I can’t wait to see what they both put out next.

Now, for what we’ve all been waiting for, the main reason why I enjoyed this movie so much is none other than the lead actor himself, Sam Richardson. To put it frankly, Richardson absolutely killed this role. Richardson has always been known as an accomplished comic actor over the past decade, but with his performance in this, as well as in The Tomorrow War, which Ted recently reviewed, he may be getting closer to just being referred to as an accomplished ACTOR. He was just fantastic from his first scene to his last as he provided so many laughs along the way. I mean there was just something funny about a peaceful forest ranger being a complete badass with an axe when it came to finding and killing a werewolf that has been terrorizing a small town. Also worth mentioning, his chemistry with Milana Vayntrub throughout was about as good as it gets, and I would love to see the two co-star in another comedy somewhere down the road.

THE BAD

Before getting into the nitty-gritty about what I did not like about the film, it is important to note that we all have a different sense of humor, and when dealing with horror/dark comedies like Werewolves Within, there is a chance you may not find it as funny as I did. With that said, there were definitely a good number of jokes that just didn’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, there were more pros than cons when it came to the comedy aspect, but I would be lying if I said there weren’t some stinkers in the movie.

To continue, some of the characters were just a little bit too much for me, and it seemed like they were just trying too hard to make you laugh at some points. Also, because the supporting characters are a bit silly, it was hard to become invested in whether or not they met their demise. That led to it sometimes feeling like there was just an overall lack of urgency or danger at important moments in the film, which is something you don’t want with a horror movie, even if it is a horror comedy.

Lastly, and this really isn’t a bad thing at all, but the film itself reminded me a lot of the 1985 black comedy mystery film Clue, directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring Tim Curry, but just with this film, it adds werewolves. But hey, Clue has developed a considerable cult following years after its release, and I could certainly see the same thing happening with Werewolves Within which would be a great success.

THE VERDICT

With a breakout performance from Sam Richardson, Werewolves Within brings together two of the best genres of film in comedy and horror as it tells the story of forest ranger Finn Wheeler. A simple man who must find out who - or what - has been terrorizing the residents of the small town of Beaverfield and how to stop it.

TED TAKES RATING - 8/10

Werewolves Within is now available VOD for rental and purchase. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Tomorrow War

The Tomorrow War is a 2021 science fiction action film directed by Chris McKay and written by Zach Dean. The world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight.

The cast includes Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Keith Powers.

Originally set for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, the film's distribution rights were acquired by Amazon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and digitally released July 2nd, 2021 via Prime Video.

THE GOOD

Let me just get this out of the way now, The Tomorrow War met, and exceeded, my expectations. Funny, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining, this movie was just a blast to watch from start to finish. It had everything I wanted in this type of movie and the biggest thing for me was that it was never boring or slow. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is on my list of most entertaining movies within the sci-fi genre, and I really liked how this movie had some similarities. The cast, the overall scale, the special effects/CGI, it all works very well for The Tomorrow War. To be honest, I thought the trailers were mediocre which added to my moderate expectations, so if you are on the fence like I was just give it a chance, you will be very impressed.

Even though the technical side of things will likely steal the show for most people, my favorite part of this movie is no question the story. It is extremely heartfelt with some really cool twists that you likely won’t expect, which is great because it helps to really get viewers invested especially considering how crazy the movie is as a whole. I won’t give anything away, but it will absolutely appeal to families and the importance of unconditional love. But you can also rest assured that it is far from sappy.

Okay so the technical side of things, The Tomorrow War is basically a playground for sci-fi fans. It has some really cool/damn near impossible to kill aliens hell bent on wiping out humanity. It has a great time travel element that brings with it a focus on changing the future in an effort to impact the past, which is always fun. The score and soundtrack hit as hard as you can hope for, ensuring that the action stays at a 10 for the majority of the film. Bottom line, it all works.

I already mentioned that the storyline was my favorite aspect of The Tomorrow War, but it stands to reason that the cast is a close second. I mean, one can’t really work without the other, right? So yeah, Chris Pratt is amazing as usual and plays the hardened military vet turned family man perfectly. He takes on the role that many of our veterans know all too well, which is laying it on the line for your country only to find yourself struggling to make ends meet once back in society, especially when you are trying to raise a family.

Yvonne Strahovski was fantastic in her role, and gave me a Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow vibe, which is a HUGE compliment. Both gorgeous and powerful women who mean business. Her chemistry with Pratt was genuine right from the start. Most people will recognize her from The Handmaid’s Tale, but she also played Dexter’s slightly maniacal girlfriend Hannah McKay in the hit Showtime series Dexter. She is a talented character actor and I expect great things for her future. I also really enjoyed Sam Richardson and J.K. Simmons in their respective supporting roles, both brought a ton of value to the film with Richardson providing the majority of the comic relief, of course.

THE BAD

I honestly have few issues with The Tomorrow War, especially considering I went into it with fairly moderate expectations. I will say that the CGI can seem a bit cheesy at times, but to be honest it was actually much better than I anticipated. Let’s not forget this was made on a moderate budget compared to other similar films. Also those of you who like to pick apart script and storyline will surely have some fun with this movie just because of the overall outlandish premise, but it is a movie after all and it’s primary job is to entertain us. So yeah, all things considered, I have few complaints that hold any real weight. I guess you can say that the stupid pandemic keeping this from hitting theaters is on the list of negatives.

THE VERDICT

Action-packed, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt, The Tomorrow War is a summer blockbuster that exceeds expectations. The film is anchored by a stellar cast and offers much more than you would generally expect from a sci-fi action thriller with a similar premise.

Bottom line, The Tomorrow War is much better than the trailer leads you to believe, and is well worth 2+ hours of your time. They are already talking about a sequel, and I say bring it on! And if you have yet to watch Edge of Tomorrow, I say you get on that ASAP.

TED TAKES RATING - 8/10

The Tomorrow War is now streaming on Prime Video. Check out the latest trailer below (BONUS trailer for Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt below as well).

Black Widow

Black Widow is a 2021 superhero film based on the edgy and extremely popular Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it marks the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

From director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome), Black Widow gives us a an in-depth look at the Marvel character with a dark past and troubling upbringing, to say the least. At birth, the Black Widow (aka Natasha Romanova) is given to the KGB, which grooms her to become its ultimate operative. When the U.S.S.R. breaks up, the government tries to kill her as the action moves to present-day New York, where she is a freelance operative. The standalone film will find Romanoff living in the United States 15 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, and take place directly following the events of Captain America: Civil War.

The impressive cast includes Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Like many films, Black Widow was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, derailing an initial plan for a May 2020 release date and getting delayed 3 times in total. It is the first film to kick off Phase 4 of the MCU.

Black Widow finally made it’s theatrical debut on July 9th, and is also available to stream at home through Disney+ with Premier Access (an additional $29.99 on top of the subscription cost).

THE GOOD

Black Widow and Phase 4 of the MCU is finally here folks, and let me just say I am still smiling from ear to ear. I have been waiting for this movie for years it feels like, and couldn’t wait to sit down with my hot buttered popcorn and child like giddiness. This movie checked all the boxes for me, entertaining from start to finish, check, very well-written, check, loaded with action and tons of humor, check, check, and double check. Black Widow gives fans what they want with an immersive origin story for a beloved character that recently met her demise (if that is a spoiler for you, perhaps you shouldn’t be reading this review). Now even though this is an origin story, only about 20% or so is dedicated to the build-up, with the rest focusing on the primary storyline which picks up with Natasha on the run after the events in Civil War, where she helped Captain America and Bucky escape Black Panther. I love me some Captain Marvel sure, but nobody brings it quite like Natasha. She is the total package.

The stunts and fight scenes were top notch as you would expect with a Marvel film with what seems to be an unlimited budget, I mean we are talking Disney money after all. Every fight is intense and extremely well choreographed, and we are also treated to a few car ahem tank chases that would give F9 a run for it’s money. Seriously, one in particular is just too good. I loved the score and soundtrack, and also felt like they paid extra attention to the cinematography this time around with some great shots during some of the more pivotal moments. The intro alone is incredible, giving viewers a firsthand example of what things were like for Natasha and her sister growing up in a matter or 45 seconds or so. I also thought the editing team did a fantastic job, ensuring that the entire 2 hours and 10 minute runtime felt necessary and never slow or rushed.

A Marvel film wouldn’t be complete without an absolutely badass antagonist, and we are given a pretty damn good one if you ask me. I won’t give away the identity, but we are introduced to a formidable foe known as the “Taskmaster”, and boy is this character a blast to watch. The character exudes a level of confidence and in some ways reminded me of The Winter Soldier as far as that “it factor”. Maybe I just think the masks are cool, but Taskmaster moves with a certain “F with me and you will regret it” type confidence and has the moves to back it up. Apparently in the comics his skill is that he can learn the skills and tactics of any enemy and use it against them, which sounds pretty damn effective to me. I’m not sure where they plan to take things from here, but that is a character I would love to see more of. I would even be on board for an origin story/spin-off. I haven’t read the comics (aside from a little google research), but maybe we can come up with a cooler name? Just a thought. Anyway, moving on.

As I am sure you can imagine, the performances were exceptional. Scarlett Johansson remains one of the most talented (and easy on the eyes) actresses in the MCU, and it was such a blast watching her character develop with more backstory. She absolutely embraces the ability to be empathetic and ruthless at the same time, which is why she is such a fan favorite. Florence Pugh was amazing in her role as well, and had great chemistry with Johansson. We will be seeing more of her (no spoilers, I promise) and I am very happy about that. Plus like her “sister”, she is absolutely beautiful in a dangerous way. Rachel Weisz was great as usual which really comes as no surprise to anyone. My favorite role was played by my guy David Harbour, who most know from Stranger Things. Did anyone realize that he was in Brokeback Mountain?! Yeah me neither, but he has a pretty diverse resume definitely worth a “Google”. He is hilarious and plays his role with so much personality and the perfect balance of goofy and intense. He has sort of a Thor cockiness to him which is a ton of fun. He is sure to become a fan favorite after this movie and I really hope we haven’t seen the last of him.

THE BAD

Reading this review I’m sure you aren’t expecting much as far as negativity, and you would surely be on to something. Black Widow fires on pretty much all cylinders and makes for one heck of an entertaining experience. With that being said, it did lack certain things I was hoping for but it will be hard for me to get specific without giving away any spoilers. This is more from the perspective of a fan who has missed watching these movies so it is hardly a knock on Black Widow.

THE VERDICT

A well-crafted origin story packed with non-stop action and incredible performances, Marvel’s Black Widow starts Phase 4 of the MCU off with a bang. Marvel fans, and movie fans in general, will have a blast with this movie and will be excited for what the future holds, just be sure to stick around for the trademark post-credit scene. Getting to see a Marvel movie in theaters will have you forgetting about the pandemic, and that alone is well worth the price of admission if you ask me.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10

Black Widow is now playing in theaters and IMAX and available on Disney+ as a $29.99 Premium Access. Check out the latest trailer below.

Luca

By: Andrew Wing, Contributing Writer

Luca is a 2021 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film is directed by Enrico Casarosa (in his feature-length directorial debut) and also written by Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and Mike Jones (Soul). Set on the Italian Riviera in the 1950s-1960s, the film follows Luca Paguro, voiced by Jacob Tremblay (Wonder, Good Boys), a sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land with his new best friend Alberto Scorfano, voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer (It, It Chapter Two, Shazam!). Together, the boys explore the town of Portorosso and experience a life-changing summer.

It goes without saying that when Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney get together to make a movie, it usually turns out pretty good. For example, some of the films they have done in the past include Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Inside Out, and Coco just to name a few. With that said, I had to check this movie out once it hit Disney+ just because of Pixar and Disney’s track record together, and let’s just say, I was not disappointed.

THE GOOD

If there is one thing that Pixar and Disney know how to do extremely well, it is creating worlds with their feature films. Yes, they also are extremely good at making sequels to their original films which I love, and making billions of dollars off of them, but I continue to be impressed with all of their new original content full of great new characters and even greater stories. Just last year they came out with both Onward and Soul, two amazing movies that were very successful and I’d say they’ve done it again with Luca. Not all the credits goes to Pixar and Disney though, writers Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones did a fantastic job with this script and it truly is a beautiful story.

Speaking of names attached to the making of this movie, Enrico Casarosa had about just as good a directorial debut as you can have with this. He knocked it out of the park. Luca actually takes inspiration from Casarosa’s childhood in Genoa, Italy. Speaking of which, I really loved the visuals in this movie of the stunning country that is Italy. Several Pixar artists were actually sent to the Italian Riviera to gather research from Italian culture and environment, and the use of sea monsters in this movie stems from old Italian regional myths and folklore where a sea monster is a “metaphor for feeling different”. All of these things I think really contributed to my enjoyment of this film, as it provides you with a sort-of nostalgic feel throughout with all the superb animated visuals.

Aside from the story and the visuals, the voice cast for this movie was just perfect. Both Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer have already made their presence felt in the movie industry which is remarkable considering they are both still only teenagers. Other than them though, I loved the performances from Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids) and Jim Gaffigan (17 Again, The Jim Gaffigan Show). These two always find ways to make me laugh no matter what they are in and they did just that in Luca as Luca’s parents, Daniela and Lorenzo Paguro.

THE BAD

In my last review of No Sudden Move, I made a point of how I have a hard time finding things bad with movies I really like and that is just the case with Luca. To be honest, I think you’d be hard pressed to find anything “bad” with this movie at all. It is a beautiful story meant to be watched together as a family and I promise you’ll love every second of it.

THE VERDICT

Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Studios have done it again! In his feature-length directorial debut, Enrico Casarosa brings you Luca, a beautiful story of a boy, who also happens to be a sea monster, just trying to find his place in the world. It is helped by an astounding voice cast led by Jacob Tremblay, magnificent animated visuals of the Italian Riviera in the 1950s-1960s, and much much more!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.4/10

Luca is now streaming on Disney+. Check out the latest trailer below.