Antlers

By: Andrew Wing

Antlers is a 2021 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass, Hostiles). It follows a school teacher and her sheriff brother in a small Oregon town, where they discover one of her students is harboring a supernatural creature. The film stars Keri Russell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Americans) as the school teacher Julia Meadows, Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, Fargo, I’m Thinking of Ending Things) as Julia’s brother, Paul Meadows, Jeremy T. Thomas as Lucas Weaver, the young student harboring the creature, and also features Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves, Wind River), Scott Haze (Child of God, Only the Brave), Rory Cochrane (Dazed and Confused, Argo), and Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams, Gone Baby Gone).

The screenplay, written by C. Henry Chaisson, Nick Antosca (co-creator and showrunner for The Act), and Cooper, was adapted from Antosca’s short story “The Quiet Boy”, originally published in Guernica magazine in January 2019. The film was also produced by some pretty big names like David S. Goyer (wrote the screenplays for the Blade trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and Man of Steel) and J. Miles Dale (served as a producer on The Shape of Water and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), but none bigger than Guillermo del Toro (director of Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water).

The project was announced in July 2018 with Cooper attached to direct, and the cast joining the next month. Filming took place in British Columbia in October and November 2018. Antlers premiered at Beyond Fest on October 11, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 29, 2021, by Searchlight Pictures, after being delayed twice from an original April 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE GOOD

2021 has been a crazy year full of movies, especially this fall, and there is no denying that Antlers fell under my radar. I remembered seeing the trailer and being very intrigued by the main concept, but once I saw that Guillermo del Toro’s (one of my favorite directors) name was attached to this project as a producer, I knew I would have to check it out. Well, it is currently showing at Smitty’s Cinema, and I watched it last night, and let’s just say it did not disappoint. I was so impressed with this film for a number of reasons, but what impressed me most were the horror elements.

It is so hard nowadays to get good original content in the horror genre. For the most part, the horror genre is filled with sequels on top of sequels of films that were good decades ago, but the past few years we have gotten some good stuff, and Antlers is good stuff alright. We have obviously seen horror movies dealing with supernatural creatures, but Antlers found a way to put their twist on the supernatural horror genre and make it wholly original. The story is unique and features a creature unlike anything we have ever seen graze the big screen before that will keep us up at night. I didn’t really think this movie was going to scare me walking in, but I have to admit it did. The horror elements are just top notch with the lighting in some scenes, the underlying creepy score, the sound effects on the creature, and some unbelievable editing that will have you itching for what could possibly come next.

The horror elements were fantastic, but a movie isn’t a good movie without solid performances from the actors, and we get just that with Antlers. First with Keri Russell, and let me just say to start how amazing it was to see her face on the big screen for the first time since 2016. She is just an amazing actress, and she did a great job in this as she fully embodied the caring-but-curious teacher Julia Meadows. And no surprise here, but Jesse Plemons was rock-solid in this as Julia’s brother and town sheriff, Paul Meadows. I don’t know what it is, but I just love Plemons in everything he is in. The dude just knows how to act, we saw it in Breaking Bad, but now it seems like he is just getting better role-after-role and I see him winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in the very near future. I also have to shout out the performance we got from Jeremy T. Thomas as Lucas Weaver, the boy harboring the beast. It is tough with kid actors in horror movies sometimes, but he knocked it out of the park and I look forward to seeing how his acting career pans out down the line.

Lastly, and I’m a sucker for some good cinematography mind you, but Antlers features some breathtaking shots. The film is set in a small town in Oregon, but was primarily shot in and around Hope, British Columbia, and I just got to say wow, British Columbia is beautiful as it's full of forest and mountains. I especially loved all the drone shots and obviously the shots featuring the supernatural creature, and I just loved what cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister did in this film.

THE BAD

Overall, I really enjoyed this film and I don’t see anybody not liking this, but there are two things that just bugged me. The first is the ending. And I got to be careful here as I don’t want to spoil anything, but it just felt so basic and elementary which was disappointing because the film as a whole is the complete opposite. It just left a bad taste in my mouth walking out of the theater, and I think they could have gone somewhere else with the conclusion.

Secondly, and this kind of ties into why I wasn’t a fan of the ending, but I just felt that Antlers featured some themes that were underdeveloped. Once again I have to be careful here, but throughout the whole movie, there is an underlying theme and backstory we come to find out about that deals with Julia and Paul’s childhood and relationship with their father. The backstory was intriguing and as someone who was invested into the film, I wanted to know more about this and ultimately find out what happened, but unfortunately, aside from a few momentary flashbacks, we do not get much and are unable to know why the siblings are the way they are.

THE VERDICT

Even though I disliked the ending as I felt some of the themes were underdeveloped, Antlers is an overall very solid horror movie directed by Scott Cooper and produced by the legendary Guillermo del Toro. It checks every box when it comes to the horror elements you want to see, and it also features some beautiful cinematography and two exemplary performances from Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. I don’t know if Antlers will ever be regarded as a classic in the supernatural horror genre, but I do know that it will change the way we look at deer antlers forever.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.8/10

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

Last Night in Soho

By: Andrew Wing

Last Night in Soho is a 2021 British psychological horror film directed by Edgar Wright, with a screenplay by Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (co-wrote the critically acclaimed 2019 British war film 1917 with its director Sam Mendes), from a story by Wright. The story follows Eloise Turner, a young girl very passionate about fashion design who is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a beautiful dazzling wannabe singer. However, 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to be falling apart with shady consequences.

The film stars Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit) in the lead role of Eloise Turner, and also features Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split, The Queen’s Gambit), Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown), Michael Ajao, Terence Stamp (Superman, The Limey), and Diana Rigg (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Game of Thrones) in her final film appearance after passing away in 2020.

Last Night in Soho premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and United States on October 29, 2021 by Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

THE GOOD

No surprise here, but a trailer does a lot for a movie in terms of getting audiences excited to see it when it comes out. A good trailer usually leads to a pretty good turnout come opening weekend, and the opposite is usually true for a movie with a bad trailer. With Last Night in Soho, they put out a phenomenal trailer. The trailer showed stunning visuals, featured some huge names, and also included a magnificent song choice with “Downtown”. All that combined got me so pumped for the movie, it even made me feel like it had potential for some Oscar nominations after seeing what my favorite movie of 2020, Promising Young Woman, did for the thriller genre at the Academy Awards. Did it meet my expectations though? You’ll just have to read and find out!

This movie was already right up my alley being in the psychological horror genre, but add in Edgar Wright directing, a director who has yet to miss with his films if you ask me, and I was on cloud nine. With Edgar Wright, this is his 6th feature film following Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), The World’s End (2013), and Baby Driver (2017), but this was the first one where we find him delving into psychological horror. For this being his first crack at this genre, I thought he did a really good job. I had some problems with the writing that I will discuss later, but I was so impressed with basically everything else with the film that he had a hand in such as the production design, cinematography, the sound, and obviously the performances. It was just extremely evident throughout the film that Edgar Wright has been growing as a filmmaker throughout every film he has done.

Additionally, you could really tell Wright put more focus on the visuals (production design) and the cinematography more than any other movie he’s done in the past. The movie was visually striking. All of the scenes where they went back to the 1960s were jaw-dropping, the production design was incredible, and as a film buff myself, I had a huge smile on my face seeing all of the old school 60s blockbuster movie posters on street signs and in rooms. Also, there were so many solid lighting choices and the use of color in this film was fantastic. There were just so many impressive shots in this film that were extremely well edited (the main dancing scene you get in the trailer where both girls go back and forth between who is dancing with Matt Smith’s character) and all these elements being so well done added to the overall visual product this film is.

And now for the best part of this movie, the performance of one Thomasin McKenzie. She was really really good in this, and this is exactly the kind of movie I want to see her in. She completely sold me on the character’s personality and her shyness. She played a character that is going in all these different directions and that allowed us to see a lot of range from her which was a treat. She really just ate this role up. I didn’t need anymore evidence after loving her in Leave No Trace and Jojo Rabbit, but after seeing her in this you could really argue she is the best young actress out there today and there is no denying that she is going to be around for a while. I also did enjoy the beautiful Anya Taylor-Joy in this. She was very good as the mysterious Sandie, and going into this I honestly was expecting her to steal the show from McKenzie, but with her character basically being an extension of McKenzie’s character Eloise, it kept the spotlight on her.

Lastly, the sound design was really cool in this movie and worth the price of admission. There were a bunch of different sound effects they used that felt specific to each scene and all that just brought another layer to this picture. I was just so impressed with all the different creative choices that Edgar Wright and his team put into this.

THE BAD

First things first, this is a good movie, but I don’t think it lived up to my expectations unfortunately. Maybe the trailer made me set the bar too high for this one, but the one thing keeping it from exceeding my expectations was simply the writing. The movie couldn’t have started out any better. I thought they were doing an excellent job at showing us McKenzie’s character’s backstory and why she is the way she is, and also how she gets introduced to this world. However, in the second half, the film sort of went downhill for me. It had you on the edge of your seat deeply intrigued at what is going on with the main character of Eloise Turner, but right around the halfway mark they just stop exploring what I think the movie was going for and instead just turns into this funhouse horror thriller show. I won’t lie, some of the horror scenes in the second half did scare me pretty good (just ask my Mom who I saw it with), but after a while the thrills themselves became overdone and almost irritating in some scenes. I don’t know, the scares got wacky and became just a little bit too much for me.

There is just a lot that happens in the second half of this film. The film goes through a rollercoaster of genres in this second half, and because of that, it almost felt counterproductive to everything they gave us in the first half because it made me lose sight of the main character which is not something you ever want with these kinds of movies. I strongly believe that the film would have been better if it just focused on the one sole genre (psychological thriller) because there was a lot there to work with.

THE VERDICT

Despite some questionable choices that ultimately lead to a messy second half, Last Night in Soho is still a fun journey worth going on filled with striking visuals, superb production design, and a tremendous performance from one of the best young actresses today in Thomasin McKenzie.

The 6th film from the amazing Edgar Wright is unlike anything we have seen from him before, as it is stylish, engrossing and an emotionally hard-hitting crowd pleaser that I would argue is the most mature output of his impressive career.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.1/10

Last Night in Soho is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Ron's Gone Wrong

By: Andrew Wing

Ron’s Gone Wrong is a 2021 computer-animated science fiction comedy film directed by Jean-Philippe Vine and Sarah Smith (director of Arthur Christmas), co-directed by Octavio E. Rodriguez, and written by Peter Baynham (co-wrote the screenplay for Hotel Transylvania) and Smith. The film takes place in a world where walking, talking, digitally connected bots are now children’s best friends, but one 11-year-old boy, Barney Pudowski, finds out through an incredible series of events that his robot buddy Ron doesn’t quite work the same as the others do.

The film stars an ensemble voice cast which includes Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover trilogy, Due Date) as the titular malfunctioning B-bot Ron, Jack Dylan Grazer (It, Shazam!, Luca) as Ron’s owner, the socially awkward and lonesome middle-schooler Barney Pudowski, Ed Helms (The Hangover trilogy, The Office) as Barney’s father Graham, Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon Detective Pikachu) as Marc, the creator of the B-bot and CEO of the Bubble company, Rob Delaney (Catastrophe, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw) as the antagonist Andrew, who is the COO of the Bubble company, Kylie Cantrall as Barney’s classmate Savannah Meades, Ricardo Hurtado (Glitch Techs) as Rich Belcher, another one of Barney’s classmates, and the award-winning Olivia Colman (The Crown, The Father) as Donka, Barney’s paternal grandmother.

It is the first film from Locksmith Animation and was distributed by 20th Century Studios, serving as the company’s first animated film to release since the closure of Blue Sky Studios (Ice Age, Robots, Horton Hears a Who!, Rio) on April 10, 2021. Ron’s Gone Wrong had its world premiere at the 2021 BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on October 15 and in the United States a week later on October 22, 2021.

THE GOOD

I won’t lie, as crazy as the month of October has been for movies, Ron’s Gone Wrong completely fell off my radar. However, once I checked out the trailer for a second time, I soon remembered why it was even on my radar in the first place. It is an original story that put off a lot of Big Hero 6 vibes simply because of the inclusion of a robot, but it also is headlined by one of my favorite comedy actors Zach Galifianakis as the B-bot Ron, and the rising actor that is Jack Dylan Grazer, whose voice I am already very familiar with after watching Disney Pixar’s Luca (see full review here) earlier this year. Go ahead and throw in the inclusion of one of the funniest guys in the industry in Ed Helms, and arguably one of the best actresses working today Olivia Colman, and I was pumped for this.

After having some time to sit back and think about this film, I have to say my favorite thing about it was the story. It is so tough nowadays, with animated “kid” movies especially, to come up with a unique story that hasn’t been seen before and I think the writers involved did just that with Ron’s Gone Wrong. Now don’t get me wrong, it is not free of those conventional methods of storytelling that we see in most children's movies, but the story itself I found to be quite unfamiliar. It seems like in today’s world, we are becoming more dependent on technology by the day (I am guilty of that myself) and also that young children today rely too much on technology as a means of entertainment and happiness. With that said, I don’t think this movie could have come out at a better time as we are slowly getting things back to normal post-COVID, because I loved the message this movie was trying to send us. Their message wasn’t going all in and bashing the amount of technology kids use today, but instead, Ron’s Gone Wrong just shows us that there is no better way to connect and socialize with each other than face-to-face.

The second main thing that I found to be great about Ron’s Gone Wrong was the overall performance by the voice cast. Jack Dylan Grazer should obviously take whatever role he wants in the future, but if I am him, I might just stick with voice acting because he just has the perfect teenager voice. It is impressive how many different emotions he was able to portray in this film using just his voice and it is obvious that he has a very bright future ahead of him. Grazer was great, but the best voice acting in this comes from Zach Galifianakis as the titular character Ron. There were so many great things from Ron with both his running bits throughout the film with Barney, and also his more emotional dialogue towards the end, but I had a smile on my face so many times watching Ron truly GO WRONG, and I don’t think I would have enjoyed those scenes as much if it were a different voice behind the character. The rest of the voice cast was amazing too, but I just have to say Rob Delaney has one of the most uniquely recognizable voices and I would love to see him voice more antagonistic characters in future animated films because he was phenomenal in this.

I also thought the animation was very well done in this, but that is no surprise when you have 20th Century Studios working with DNEG, one of the best companies when it comes to visual effects and computer animation. Lastly, because of a stacked bunch of animated films coming out in 2021, Ron’s Gone Wrong might be on the outside looking in when it comes to receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film, but there is always a chance and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing that.

THE BAD

Like most children's movies that I have seen/reviewed, I have a hard time finding anything “bad” with them, and if you thought I was going to go off the beaten track for that with Ron’s Gone Wrong, you are sorely mistaken.

It is in no way a perfect animated film like Toy Story and The Lion King are, and as I said earlier, it does fall victim to some of those common methods of storytelling that we frequently get with these animated children's movies, but there is no denying that overall, Ron’s Gone Wrong is an original story that people of all ages will enjoy.

THE VERDICT

Despite it being subpar in my eyes to other computer-animated science fiction comedies dealing with robots like Big Hero 6 and The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Ron’s Gone Wrong still holds its own with its unique story that takes aim at iPhone culture in today’s age of social media.

It exceeded my expectations with its super smart and funny writing, on-point social commentary, colorful animation, solid voice cast, and an abundance of extremely pure and heartfelt moments that people of all ages will enjoy on the big screen this fall!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

Ron’s Gone Wrong is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Dune

By: Andrew Wing

Dune (titled onscreen as Dune: Part One) is a 2021 American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve with a screenplay by Jon Spaihts (writer on Prometheus, Doctor Strange), Villeneuve, and Eric Roth (writer on Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and the 2018 version of A Star is Born). It is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, primarily covering the first half of the book. Set in the far future of 10,191 AD, the plot follows Paul Atreides, as he and his family, the noble House Atreides, are thrust into a war for the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, between the native Fremen people and the enemy invaders, and former rulers of Arrakis, the House Harkonnen.

The film stars an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet in the lead role as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Paul’s Bene Gesserit mother, Oscar Isaac as Paul’s father Duke Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, the weapons master of House Atreides and one of Paul’s mentors, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the enemy to House Atreides and former steward of Arrakis, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, the nephew of Baron Harkonnen, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, the Mentat of House Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, a young Fremen woman and Paul’s love interest, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, the Mentat of House Harkonnen, Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, a Suk doctor in the employ of House Atreides, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes, the Imperial ecologist and judge of the change on Arrakis, Charlotte Rampling as Gaius Helen Mohiam, a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother and the Emperor’s Truthsayer, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, the swordmaster of House Atreides and one of Paul’s mentors, and lastly Javier Bardem as Stillgar, the leader of the Fremen tribe at Sietch Tabr.

Following a failed attempt by Paramount Pictures to produce a new adaptation of Herbert’s novel, Legendary Entertainment acquired film and TV rights to the science fiction novel Dune in 2017. Development for the film began shortly after, with Villeneuve expressing interest in the project and officially signing on as director in January of 2017. He worked with both Roth and Spaihts to write the screenplay, deciding on breaking it into two parts and incorporating an updated 21st century adaptation of the classic 1965 novel. Filming took place from March to July 2019 at various locations including areas in Budapest, Jordan, Norway, and Abu Dhabi, and was filmed with a production budget of $165 million.

Dune premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021. Warner Bros. Pictures theatrically released the film in 2D, 3D, and IMAX internationally on September 15, 2021, and a later release in the United States on October 22 and on the HBO Max streaming service on October 21 where it will be available to watch up to a month after its release. A sequel, Dune: Part Two, is scheduled for release on October, 20, 2023.

THE GOOD

I don’t even know where to start. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you just how much I have been looking forward to Dune ever since its first trailer came out over a year ago when it was originally slated to be released in theaters on December 18, 2020. But, like so many other major films finally being released this year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be delayed almost a full year later than originally planned. Enough about that though, the long-anticipated sci-fi epic from Denis Villeneuve is finally here and wow was it worth the wait.

I am going to hit on almost every aspect of Dune that I loved later in the review, but first things first, this movie is totally awesome in every way I had hoped and is nearly a perfect film in my eyes. I knew I was going to like this, and I just ate it all up. I mean it has the classic hero's journey tale and it is just one of those once in a blue moon films that you’ll get the chance to see, especially now, when original movies are hard to come by. It meets all the expectations that I wanted for it, and it exceeded my expectations as it feels more purposeful with its slower pace that I really enjoyed because it allows the audience to become immersed in the world that is Dune.

The best thing about Dune in my eyes is just its overall scope and the undeniable ambition of the film. Shortly after the novel’s publication in 1965, Dune was identified for potential film prospects, and multiple attempts to make such a film have been made (only feature film being David Lynch’s 1984 version), but it has been widely considered to be “unfilmable”, due to it being difficult to adapt to the screen because of its breadth of content and furthermore because of the passionate fans of the novel wanting any such film to not deviate much from the original material. However, if there is any director working in Hollywood today that could film the “unfilmable”, it would be Denis Villeneuve, and boy did he ever. Villeneuve read the novel when he was just a teenager and it had an immediate and long-lasting impact on him with his profound love for the story. In an interview, he said that every time he went back and read it, there was something different he took away from it. He was moved by Paul’s journey and specifically how his character embraces all of the other cultures and finds strength in being different. With all that said, similar to his 2017 film Blade Runner 2049, Dune was his dream passion project and let me just say he brought his dream to life.

As I said previously, the diehard fans of the novel out there made it very clear that any deviations from the original content without strong justification would potentially harm the film’s reputation, but that was never a fear with Denis at the helm for this project. He knows the source material probably more than anyone outside of Frank Herbert himself and because of that he was able to bring the book's vision to life on the big screen. In interviews, Villeneuve said he treated the novel as his personal bible by constantly referring to it when he had any doubts or questions while filming. Apparently all of the cast members read the novel as well, and with that piece of information it is no surprise why all of the characters were so well-played and authentic, because they all understood their own characters and Denis knew where to take them. Also worth mentioning despite myself not yet having read the book, the film stays extremely true to the source material and because of that, I don’t think a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 94th Academy Awards is out of the realm of possibility.

Continuing on with the possible and very likely Dune nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, you can go ahead and lock in a Best Picture nomination and also a Best Director nomination for Villeneuve. I will be hoping and praying so hard for Dune to win both categories, but the more likely one if I had to choose would be Villeneuve winning for Best Director. Why do I think so? Well because he truly is THE BEST DIRECTOR right now. If you take a look at Villeneuve’s filmography, the most impressive thing is that his next film is always better than his last film. Yes, I gave Blade Runner 2049 a perfect 10/10 score, but the overall scale of Dune surpasses Blade Runner 2049 if you ask me. His filmmaking style is just so original and unique and it is just so prevalent in all of his films, but especially this one. It is just unfathomable how he brought this story to life and I really don’t think any other director could have accomplished such a feat and that is saying something.

Obviously I have touched on the fact that Dune was considered by many to be “unfilmable” in and of itself, but there is no denying that Dune has inspired so many sci-fi properties over the years such as Star Wars. With that said, seven years after the release of Star Wars, Dune was finally able to be brought to the big screen in 1984 by director David Lynch. Now I decided to go ahead and check out the 1984 version before seeing the new one, and it certainly wasn’t the best. I didn’t hate it as much as the critics did, but I just think it was set up to fail because of the resources available to filmmakers in 1984. Dune is a movie meant to have perfect technical aspects, and that is why in 2021, where there are more resources and better technology, we see a far better Dune film that is just on another level compared to the 1984 version. As for this films improvements over the 1984 version, the particular things I liked included showing more of the Atreides homeworld of Caladan, less voiceover exposition, improved portrayal of Baron Harkonnen, there were stronger female characters and an overall more diverse cast, and last but not least, there were MORE SANDWORMS!

Yes, the overall scope of the film is what I loved most, but the sound is right up there for the best part of the film. I know I’ve talked and will continue to talk a lot about all the Academy Award nominations Dune will rack up, but I don’t know if there has ever been such a lock of an award to be won than there is for Dune and specifically Hans Zimmer to win for both Best Original Score and Best Sound. I mean it’s freaking Hans Zimmer for crying out loud, the legendary film score composer whose works include The Lion King (1994), Gladiator, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. The best way to describe the score for Dune is out of this world, and that is exactly what Denis and Hans were going for with this. They wanted audiences to feel like they were hearing sounds from another planet that they have never heard before and as an audience member myself, I can say they did exactly that. The music was just so damn good, and it honestly served as a great tool to help me understand what characters were thinking, feeling, and where they stood in the film.

As for the technical side of things when it comes to Dune, it just doesn’t miss. One area that I don’t think will get enough attention from mainstream audiences aside from it winning the Academy Award for it, but the editing for this film is so incredibly well done. The film has a runtime of 156 minutes, but despite its length, the film does not feel long at all and that is in large part due to its superb editing. The film takes its time and lets itself breathe, there is not one scene that feels out of place and every scene and every line of dialogue feels so important. You can just tell the filmmakers paid attention to every finite detail on this film, but the editing was so darn good and it deepened the overall story and that is why it will win the Academy Award for Best Editing. Continuing with the technical side of things and Academy Award wins, the visual effects were outstanding. Now the sets were built practically (all the spaceships), but the VFX are amazing with the defense shields everyone uses in combat and also that freaking humongous sandworm. Seriously though, if you don’t think it will win for Best VFX, just google a picture of the sandworm, it’s jaw dropping.

The visuals on this film are incredible. I never thought I would be in such awe just by looking at miles of sand in the deserts of Jordan and Abu Dahbi, but I was. They also filmed in Budapest and Norway, and the landscape set in every scene is just beautiful and mind blowing. Greig Fraser was the cinematographer for this and I don’t see any way he doesn’t collect his first Academy Award win for Best Cinematography. To add on to the overall look of the film, Dune just checks every box with its production design, costume design, and don’t forget about makeup and hairstyling too. It will certainly collect more nominations in all these categories too, but the production design and the level of it is insanely huge. Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet both said in an interview that they literally felt like they were on a different planet while filming. As for the costume design, I loved the uniforms for both the Fremen people and the Harkonnen. Also, the Bene Gesserit women looked fantastic with their all-black cloaks and face coverings. Lastly, the makeup artists for Dune were unbelievable and I can’t believe how well they did the makeup on Stellan Skarsgård for Baron Harkonnen. Just wow!

Not only is it one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen, but it also has the heart, the story, and the performances to go along with it. If there was ever a cast that deserved the word “ensemble” before it, it is the cast of Dune. Denis Villeneuve knocked it out of the park casting each character with these star-studded actors, but none shined brighter than one of my favorite actors in the industry right now, Timothée Chalamet. I loved Chalamet’s performance as the lead character Paul Atreides. Chalamet is one of the best actors of this generation, and he is able to carry this movie on his shoulders in the lead role because of how well he embodies his character. He was also responsible for what I thought was the best acting of any scene in the film with his performance in the very iconic Gom Jabbar scene. For this scene, I was just sitting in my seat captivated by how intense a scene can be with no words being spoken and it just shows how talented an actor Chalamet is.

Outside of Chalamet’s performance, you could argue that Rebecca Ferguson had the best performance of anyone involved as Lady Jessica. I loved her chemistry with Chalamet in this, and she is just an amazing actress and she put it on display in all of the intense emotional scenes. I also thought Zendaya was amazing as the mysterious character Chani who, unless you have read the books, we don’t know much about. That gives me a lot to look forward to for Dune: Part 2 which is currently scheduled to release in theaters in October of 2023, because Chani seems very fascinating and as her character says at the end of the film, it is only the beginning. Other performances that stuck out to me were Jason Momoa playing a badass once again as Duncan Idaho, Dave Bautista being intimidating as always as Glossu Rabban, and Josh Brolin was sick as Gurney Halleck and he even had a few one-liners that cracked me up. Lastly, Javier Bardem was phenomenal in his few short scenes as Stillgar and he is just one of the greatest actors out there to be honest, but I might be a tad biased because Bardem did play my all-time favorite character in any film ever with his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in the Coen brothers’ 2007 film No Country for Old Men.

THE BAD

So yeah, if you haven’t caught on yet, I absolutely loved this film. There really isn’t anything to criticize about it if you ask me, but I will address some of the things I have heard people didn’t love about it. The first thing, and I’ve heard this the most, is the critique of the long runtime of 156 minutes. Yeah that is a long time and I understand it is hard for someone to find the time in their busy schedules to sit down and watch a movie for that long, but it is well worth it and trust me when I say it flies by. You will be so immersed in the film that you will lose track of time, and also as I’ve already mentioned, they did a fabulous job editing this film so you will never feel bored from beginning to end.

I have also seen a lot of people saying they have been confused. And while I wasn’t confused watching this, it might have had something to do with me going ahead and watching the 1984 version before so I knew a bit more about it. I totally see why people are saying that it’s confusing at times though, because I’ll admit sometimes while watching I couldn’t tell if Paul’s visions that he had many times throughout the film were actually taking place or if they’re just in his head/dreams. The best thing I can say to try and potentially help you from getting confused is to just do a quick search on the basic premise of the world that is Dune and to obviously pay attention during the film, you don’t want to miss a thing!

One thing I will say though, and this isn’t a critique, it is just my personal desire for the film is that I wanted more from some of the bigger name actors in this. Obviously Chalamet and Ferguson take up the most screen time as Paul Atreides and his mother and I loved every second of that, but I just couldn’t help but want more screen time from Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, and obviously Zendaya and Javier Bardem as the two biggest Fremen characters. However, the movie was already long and more from those actors would have certainly added on to the runtime. Also, Denis Villeneuve stayed true to the source material, so if in the book, Isaac’s character of Duke Leto doesn’t get many lines, I am not going to criticize him for staying true to the source material. And lastly, we are getting a sequel, so I strongly expect Zendaya and Bardem’s characters to play much bigger roles and I cannot freaking wait!

THE VERDICT

Simply put, Dune is incredible and is the best movie of the year. Denis Villeneuve cemented the fact that he is the greatest director working today by bringing his dream to life in the most massive and ambitious way possible. The production is so amazing from the cinematography, the production design, costumes, editing, VFX, and one of the most beautiful scores you’ll ever hear from the brilliant Hans Zimmer. It also features compelling storytelling from its star-studded ensemble cast led by Timothée Chalamet as the main character Paul Atreides. Dune just has it all.

It is easily one of the best theater experiences I have ever had, and I urge you to see it on the biggest screen possible! It exceeded all of my expectations, and it will without question stand the test of time and be regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.

That’s not all though, Dune: Part 2 is coming in 2023, and there is no denying that Denis Villeneuve will give us another cinematic blast unlike any we have ever experienced.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10

Dune is now playing in theaters and IMAX and streaming on HBO Max for 31 days. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Last Duel

The Last Duel is a 2021 historical drama directed by Ridley Scott. It is based on the book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager, the screenplay is written by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Nicole Holofcener. The book chronicles the sequence of events that led to France’s last government-sanctioned trial by combat as declared by King Charles VI, held between Jean de Carrouges and his former friend, Jacques Le Gris. The book, consisting of existing documents and records, recounts how Carrouges’ wife, Marguerite, accused Le Gris of rape, leading to the pair fighting to the death with Marguerite’s own life on the line if it was decided she had lied.

The cast includes Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck.

The Last Duel had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 10th, 2021 and received a theatrical release on October 15th, by 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

The Last Duel sort of snuck up on me in a way. Usually a movie directed by Ridley Scott with such a talented cast would be circled on my calendar for months. But because of this seemingly never ending pandemic, release dates and standard promoting have been a complete mess. Once I saw the trailer for The Last Duel I was 100% invested and knew I would be seeing this on opening day. Well, that day has come.

I won’t waste your time beating around the bush, whatever that saying even means, I absolutely loved this movie. The sheer scale, ridiculously impressive set and costume design, top-tier acting, great camera work, and incredible attention to detail made for a movie theater experience that took me back in time. I felt like I was in the stands smelling the blood and sweat as I witnessed a once in a lifetime duel to the death. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a medieval era film, especially of this scale, and it was glorious.

Within 20 minutes or so I was invested to the point of no return, and to be honest it was a little crazy how fast the two and a half hours flew by, but that is what I like to call the Ridley Scott effect. Scott is known for his unique ability to immerse viewers in such a way that by the time the movie ends you almost snap out of a trance, which is pretty cool if you ask me.

The character development, and overall investment in the characters is fantastic. I felt like I was given an opportunity to get to know each of the three main characters, so by the time the films final act came around, I was on the edge of my seat. And speaking of the final act, oh man it was unreal how intense it was. I won’t give anything away of course but the movie starts at the beginning of the final scene, and flashes back to tell the story in a three chapter format, each chapter from a perspective of one of the main characters. I really liked this format and thought it was a very unique way to allow viewers to get all of the different perspectives. But before I get off track, by the time we get to that final scene, the anticipation is absolutely boiling over. I can’t remember the last time I was legitimately nervous about what was going to happen because it really could have ended in so many different ways. With that being said, I LOVED the ending and felt like it was the perfect way to wrap up a gritty story built around a life-changing event.

It goes without saying that acting is a huge strength for The Last Duel. As I’ve said, the cast is absolutely stacked. As far as screen time The Last Duel centers on three primary characters played by Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer. Ben Affleck plays a primary role as well. From the scar across his face to his man on a mission demeanor, Matt Damon is exceptional as the brooding Jean de Carrouges. Damon is one of the best actors working today, and his ability to play dramatic roles and comedic roles is in the upper echelon. I really enjoyed his character and felt like his raw emotion was a big reason why the film worked so well. I was very impressed with Jodie Comer, who since her recent role in Free Guy, is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. I don’t know if it’s my obsession with blonde hair or what, but she is absolutely gorgeous as Marguerite de Carrouges. The fact that her attractiveness jumps off the screen like it does really helps to drive the narrative and get viewers invested. She just stands out in a good way, and her performance speaks for itself. Comer shares the screen with Damon for the majority of the film, and they have great chemistry together.

The other primary character, the charismatic and mysterious Jacques Le Gris, is played by Adam Driver. A former marine who began his acting career on Broadway, Driver is a fantastic actor and he continues to impress in this role. He plays a complex character who seemingly has everything going for him. When you see things from his perspective, you learn that there is more to him than meets the eye. I really like Driver as an actor and felt like he was perfect for this role. Ben Affleck, a longtime friend of co-star Matt Damon, plays the pivotal supporting role of Pierre d'Alençon, and I really enjoyed his character. He is nearly unrecognizable with his bleached blonde hair and chin strap beard. Affleck’s character is extremely influential in the film and serves as a mentor of sorts to Driver’s character.

I went into seeing The Last Duel with very little knowledge of the events the film is based on, which are chronicled in great detail in Eric Jager’s book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France. After seeing the film, I did a bit of research and learned that the film is at least 75% historically accurate, which is impressive if you ask me. You always need to add a touch of “Hollywood Magic” to keep viewers entertained, but to retain that much of the real story is a testament to the script. I also learned that the “event” the story is built around was actually much more violent and deplorable than what is shown in the film. Ridley and the writers decided that they would do just enough to allow viewers the chance to appreciate what happened, without the risk of alienating certain viewers who simply wouldn’t be able to handle a more realistic re-telling. I felt this was the right move and does not take away from how impactful it is.

Technically speaking, The Last Duel is absolutely top notch as you would expect. I really enjoyed taking in the beautiful cinematography, and the mix of blues and greys helped to reinforce that Medieval feel. The score and soundtrack is great as well, matching up nicely with the gritty feel of the film. I talked about how immersive of an experience this was, and the cinematography and score/soundtrack is a big reason why. Like with any period piece, the set design and wardrobe has to be on point and it is with The Last Duel. I really like the medieval time period, and this film checked all of the necessary boxes for me. I also thought the writing was great, with a screenplay from Nicole Holofcener, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck. Each character is given a ton of depth, and the story plays out perfectly as it builds up to a finale that will hit you like a freight train. That final scene is incredibly violent and just a breathtaking cinematic experience. My eyes were literally glued to the screen. I’m pretty sure I said “holy sh*t” out loud in the theater, and even had to remain in my seat for several minutes to collect my thoughts.

Director Ridley Scott is a legend, that is undeniable. The man who brought us Gladiator and Black Hawk Down to name a few, he has built up quite the resume in his illustrious career. His ability to direct these larger than life movies and take full advantage of the talented actors at his disposal is always seamless. Anything he touches always screams entertainment value. Scott’s involvement was one of the reasons I was really pumped for The Last Duel, and he did not disappoint. His attention to detail and the fact that he won’t settle for anything less than perfection really shows here, and you will leave the theater feeling like you just watched yet another great Ridley Scott film.

THE BAD

As I’m sure you guessed I have very few negatives to touch on with this movie, but I could see some people having an opinion on the films story as it sort of ties into the “Me Too” movement. Based on true events, the heart of the story is rooted in Jodie Comer’s portrayal of the strong-willed Marguerite de Carrouges, and her willingness to stand up for what’s right during a time when it was not only extremely difficult as a woman, but potentially deadly. Personally, I think its unfair to try and act like that was an ulterior motive for the film, and instead should be viewed as an opportunity shine a light on a very important and controversial event in France’s history.

I talked about the character development, and the investment in the characters that the film creates, but that wasn’t instantaneous. I felt like a few of the earlier interactions seemed a little forced, but thankfully things picked up pretty quickly. I don’t count this as a negative by any stretch, but the film is extremely violent as you could probably have guessed, and might be a little much for some viewers.

THE VERDICT

An immersive and visceral experience of epic proportions set in medieval France, The Last Duel is a compelling tale of historic events leading to a breathtaking finale. Exciting from start to finish with incredible performances while serving as a great history lesson, this is what going to the movie theater is all about. Ridley Scott has done it again, and continues to build on his amazing career. I knew this would be a great movie just with the director and cast alone, but it exceeded my expectations and left me wanting more. I plan to read the book to get some more perspective, and can’t wait to see The Last Duel again.

Be sure to see this in theaters to ensure we get more movies like this, ideally sooner than later.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10

The Last Duel is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

No Time To Die

No Time to Die is a 2021 spy thriller directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga from a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Daniel Craig stars in the lead role once again in his fifth outing as the British MI6 agent James Bond. Craig has said it will be his final Bond film. In the film, James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

The cast includes Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, and Naomie Harris.

After numerous delays due to the pandemic, No Time to Die made its debut in theaters October 8th.

THE GOOD

Saying that the James Bond/007 movies have been around for a long time would be the understatement of the decade. This franchise has survived for 60+ years, building one of most diverse fan bases you can imagine in the process. The franchise was already 20+ years old by the time I was born, and I consider myself to be a big fan of the films. The British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, is a fictional character created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. The character has been played by a number of top-tier actors since the first film released in 1962, including Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and most recently Daniel Craig. James Bond is known for his appreciation of beautiful women, high-grade weaponry, and undying love for martini’s, shaken, not stirred, of course.

Pierce Brosnan stepped away from the franchise after the release of Die Another Day in 2002, opening the door for Daniel Craig to make his debut four years later in Casino Royale. After way too many delays, No Time To Die is finally playing in theaters, and boy was it worth the wait. I know some people may get apprehensive about the 2 hour and 45 minute runtime, but let me just say I wish it was even longer. Seriously, I did not want this movie to end. I was so immersed in the experience that I never took my eyes off the screen. I’m not even kidding, which is partly why I ended up with a lap full of popcorn. Oops. I know it is cliché to say this is the “best one yet!”, especially when you are talking about a franchise like this, but I was blown away. Okay I will admit, Sean Connery will always be the best James Bond, that isn’t even up for debate.

I mean, each movie is supposed to get better and better especially with improvements on the technical side of things, and No Time To Die takes full advantage of its resources, that is for sure. From the car chases, to the seemingly infinite gunfights, this is made for the big screen entertainment. You can try and debate me on this if you want, and I admit I love the new age of action thrillers like the John Wick films for example, but the James Bond movies are just a different breed. When the action takes a rare break, we have a chance to appreciate the great cast of characters, many familiar faces and a few new additions.

We all know the importance of an impactful Bond villain that can stack up against the great 007, and No Time To Die delivers a memorable foe. From the outset Rami Malek makes an impression as the scarred up nemesis, Lyutsifer Safin. I thought it was important for the primary villain to have a rock solid purpose, and he absolutely does. His relentless drive and vengefulness reminded me of Baron Zemo’s character in Captain America: Civil War. You knew more than anything else he would stop at nothing to get his revenge, and that my friends is a dangerous individual. I really enjoyed hating his character, and felt like not a second of his screen-time was wasted. The always beautiful French actress Léa Seydoux is exceptional yet again in her return as Madeleine, and her genuine chemistry with Craig is one of the key elements of the films success without a doubt. As a pivotal character who is crucial to the backstory for No Time To Die, she deserves a ton of credit for her performance.

As expected, the acting in No Time To Die is nothing short of incredible. I already touched on the stellar performance from Mr. Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek, and he no doubt deserves his props. Malek delivers as the villain, and he earned his place among the great Bond villains. He has a unique ability to immerse himself in complex and downright creepy characters. The leading man still steals the show of course, and that is none other than the great Daniel Craig stepping into the role of James Bond for the 5th and final time, as confirmed by Craig himself prior to the release of the film. I really like Craig as an actor, and feel like his on-screen presence alone is worth the price of admission. Bond is a larger than life character who demands attention everywhere he goes, and Craig brings that unique element to the film. He has had one heck of a run since taking over the character in 2006, and he will surely be missed. Can’t wait to see where they take his iconic character next.

Okay so let me just say that I love, love, looooooove me some Ana de Armas. She is beautiful, talented, and when it comes to No Time To Die, a straight up badass. Watching her down martinis and take out bad guys alongside 007 was an absolute treat. I mean, she was running around in a very revealing cocktail dress emptying clips from a submachine gun, and didn’t even break a sweat. So yeah, she’s special. Another actress that was making her presence felt was Lashana Lynch, who took on the role of Nomi. Lynch proves her worth as a member of MI6, and I think she was a fantastic addition to the cast. I also really enjoyed Westworld star Jeffrey Wright’s character, and thought he brought a ton of value to the film.

Ben Whishaw is fantastic once again as the technical genius Q, who Bond would be lost without. He also offers up some well-timed comic relief during the film. Billy Magnusson takes on the important role of Logan Ash, and I thought the Bridge of Spies and Game Night actor delivered one heck of a performance. Christoph Waltz is great as expected, and I really liked Dali Benssalah in his role as Cyclops, even though he didn’t talk much. He just really looked the part.

Bond movies tend to set the bar from a technical standpoint, and that is absolutely the case with No Time To Die. From the first five minutes of the movie I was in awe of the incredible first car chase scene which has been a staple of the franchise, and that was just scratching the surface. The car chases and choreography for the eye-popping action scenes are nothing short of spectacular. I also can’t remember the last time I was just blown away by an intro, I guess maybe the first Deadpool movie, but the No Time To Die intro backed by the exclusive Billie Eilish track was nothing short of a masterpiece. I can’t wait to watch it again. Speaking of the soundtrack, in typical James Bond movie fashion it is exceptional. I loved every minute of it, and even had goosebumps when the trademark 007 theme graced the speakers in the theater.

Staying with the technical side of things, the cinematography in No Time To Die is nothing short of stunning. Filming in incredible destinations like Matera, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Jamaica, and London, you will likely leave the theater wanting to plan your next vacation. We are treated with more great shots than I could count, allowing viewers every opportunity to really take in the sights. James Bond films always deliver next level scenery, and that is absolutely the case once again and yet another reason why this film needs to be seen in theaters. Director and co-writer Cary Joji Fukunaga deserves all of the credit in the world, and surely made this franchise proud. He is extremely talented so I would keep an eye out for any projects in the future that have his name attached.

THE BAD

At this point you can probably make an educated guess as far as what I didn’t like about this movie, and it’s a short list. Now it can feel intimidating going into a James Bond movie as far as feeling comfortable knowing the backstories etc but it wasn’t an issue in my opinion. I’ve seen all of the movies, although it has been awhile, and aside from feeling a little confused about some of the more intricate details, I was able to jump right in. If possible, I would recommend trying to re-watch Spectre (2015), which will just make things a little easier for you. And as I mentioned already, the two hour and 45 minute length is a non-issue. Aside from that, nothing negative to report.

THE VERDICT

Bulletproof cars, beautiful women, breathtaking cinematography and non-stop action, No Time To Die is an exhilarating experience and the perfect last hurrah for Daniel Craig as the charismatic British secret agent. There is a reason why this franchise has survived 60+ years, and it is simply because the movies are just that good. The entertainment value you get from a James Bond film will have you coming back for more, and I personally cannot wait to see No Time To Die again. Do yourself a favor and go see this movie in theaters, you will be glad you did.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

No Time To Die is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Many Saints of Newark

The Many Saints of Newark (marketed with the subtitle A Sopranos Story) is a 2021 crime drama directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner. A prequel to Chase's HBO crime drama series The Sopranos, it takes place during the 1960s and 1970s in Newark, New Jersey.

Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark’s history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s hold over the increasingly race-torn city. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities—and whose influence over his nephew will help make the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know: Tony Soprano.

The cast includes Alessandro Nivola (“Disobedience,” “American Hustle”), Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. (Broadway’s “Hamilton,” “Murder on the Orient Express”), Jon Bernthal (“Baby Driver,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”), Corey Stoll (“First Man,” “Ant-Man”), Michael Gandolfini (TV’s “The Deuce”), Billy Magnussen (“Game Night,” “The Big Short”), Michela De Rossi (“Boys Cry,” TV’s “The Rats”), John Magaro (“The Finest Hours,” “Not Fade Away”), with Emmy winner Ray Liotta (TV’s “Shades of Blue,” “Goodfellas”) and Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” “The Conjuring” films).

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema obtained the rights to produce The Many Saints of Newark alongside HBO Films. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Fall Preview on September 22nd, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 1st, along with a month-long simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service.

THE GOOD

Just as we were closing out the 90’s, a genre-defining series called The Sopranos made its debut, and would be known as one of the best shows of all time. The winner of 21 Primetime Emmy Awards five Golden Globes, James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano was a staple of Sunday night television. I was part of the crowd that started watching the show from the beginning, and tuned in every week until its conclusion in 2007. When The Many Saints of Newark was announced a few years ago as a movie prequel to the series, nostalgia began to take hold. With expectations and anticipation running rampant, could the film possibly live up to expectations?

Okay so if you’ve made it this far, you are surely well aware of the mixed thoughts on The Many Saints of Newark. High expectations are more often than not the perfect recipe for a letdown, especially when it comes to a movie based on a show that is widely regarded as one of the best ever. With that being said, as a fan of The Sopranos I genuinely enjoyed this film. It was a welcomed journey down memory lane, and reminded me just how much I love shows and movies based around organized crime. The Many Saints of Newark has a similar gritty feel, and sets the tone early with the trademark violence the series was known for. I really liked the idea of finding out how Tony Soprano came to be, and the movie does a really nice job laying that foundation. It is a story about family and role models, and ultimately the desire to make something of yourself regardless of the path you choose.

What I enjoyed most about The Many Saints of Newark was just how immersive the experience was. I remember watching The Sopranos, although admittedly its been awhile, and as soon as you moved past the trademark HBO title screen, you were locked in until that episode concluded. And if you weren’t caught up for one reason or another, there was no way you could watch just one episode. The film is very similar in that sense, and had my eyes glued to the screen for the entire 2-hours. The show was built around the dynamic of loyalty and greed, and The Many Saints of Newark follows in its footsteps nicely.

Pivotal characters meet their demise when you least expect it, and everyone is seemingly on edge. I felt like the characters were well developed and helped to progress the story without much of an issue, and the world felt dangerous and unpredictable just like the series. For those of us who have seen the show in its entirety, the foundation of the series is built around Tony Soprano and his behind closed doors work he is doing with his therapist. The film establishes young Tony as intelligent and a born leader, but also sets the stage for the emotional stress that will take a toll on him later on in his life. I enjoyed the character development, and by the time the final minutes of the film came around, I was ready to go back and re-watch the series which I plan to do soon.

The cast for The Many Saints of Newark is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. Alessandro Nivola plays the most pivotal role in the film as young Tony Sopranos influential Uncle, Dickie Moltisanti, and I thought he did a fantastic job. Nivola is certainly not a household name, but he was incredible in a supporting role in one of my favorite multi-layered crime films, American Hustle. Nivola is everything you could want in a leading man, charismatic, full of personality, and probably most importantly for a role like this, an absolute sociopath. He was just great all around. I also really enjoyed the duo-roles played by Mr. Crime Drama himself, Ray Liotta. Although Liotta technically has a supporting role, he gets a good amount of screen time and leaves a big mark on the film. I loved Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of Johnny Soprano, and was once again reminded why he has become one of my favorite actors since his days on The Walking Dead. He is absolutely deserving of his success.

The very well known Corey Stoll and Vera Farmiga are incredible in their roles as well. Farmiga takes on the important role of Tony’s mother, Livia Soprano, and she is great from start to finish. Stoll plays the often slighted and vengeful Junior Soprano. Leslie Odom Jr. is fantastic as Harold McBrayer, a man that starts as part of the family business but transitions to a dangerous and determined enemy. Even though he didn’t necessarily deliver the best performance in the film, I mean he was up against some stiff competition, but I was a huge fan of the late James Gandolfini’s son Michael, who took on the role of a young Tony Soprano, a character that his father made a legend that will live in television history forever. Maybe I have a soft spot for James Gandolfini and The Sopranos in general, but it just warmed my heart to see that his son had the opportunity to play this role. Kudos to everyone for making that happen.

THE BAD

While The Many Saints of Newark is a great film, it is not perfect. The issue that plagued the film the most would have to be the writing. Now let me just preface this by pointing out the obvious fact that writer Lawrence Konner was at a gigantic disadvantage as he was tasked with doing right by The Sopranos as he collaborated with David Chase, and the characters and world he created. Konner is no slouch with a pen in his hand, as he is credited with contributing to the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, as well as the 2001 film Planet of the Apes, but this was still a tall task. Not only is he in a position where he has to somehow live up to the expectations of one of the greatest crime drama shows ever created, he also has the task of trying to attract new viewers who have yet to see the show. The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel and is without a doubt successful in that sense, but where it struggles the most in my opinion is balancing character backstories as it essentially tries to build up to the start of the series. It was clear that Konner and Chase wanted to tie the film into the series at every turn, but it was a tall task.

The Sopranos ran for 6 seasons and totaled 86 episodes, and one of the biggest strengths of the series was the writing and the acting. The characters and the world that was created is what kept people coming back for more. It is extremely difficult to balance so many influential characters, and while I do think the film does a great job all things considered, it is not perfect. A series has the benefit of taking its time with character development from one episode to another, but with a movie you have to cram just enough into a short window. I do however feel like the decision to try and focus on the coming-of-age element for a young Tony Soprano was the way to go, I just felt like the story jumped around so much that at times it seemed to waste momentum. But again, that is just my personal opinion as a fan of the series.

THE VERDICT

A gritty and extremely violent coming-of-age tale chronicling young Tony Soprano’s formidable years, The Many Saints of Newark is a rewarding and immersive experience for fans of The Sopranos and newcomers alike. I mean sure, the fact that this is a prequel to the show helps, but I could easily recommend this film to fans of crime dramas that have never seen an episode of The Sopranos. While it admittedly is not as polished as the award-winning series, the fact that it can stand on its own like it does is probably what impressed me most about The Many Saints of Newark. While its not perfect and the writing will surely leave some fans feeling like opportunities were missed, the package as a whole still delivers in my opinion. This is a just a good old fashioned mob style flick taking place during a very difficult and confusing time in our countries history, and it is well worth a watch.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

The Many Saints of Newark is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max through October 31st. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Guilty

By: Andrew Wing

The Guilty is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed and produced by Antoine Fuqua (director of Training Day, Shooter, and The Equalizer), from a screenplay by Nic Pizzolatto (creator of the HBO crime drama series True Detective). It is a remake of the 2018 Danish film of the same name that was selected as the Danish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. 

The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role as the troubled LAPD officer Joe Baylor who is working the night shift at a 911 call center while he awaits a hearing for an unspecified incident that occurred on duty eight months prior. The day before his court hearing, Joe answers a call from a young woman who reveals she has been abducted. This leads to Joe scrambling to do everything in his power to save the distressed caller during what turns out to be a harrowing day of revelations and reckonings.

The film also features Christina Vidal (Freaky Friday, See No Evil) and Adrian Martinez (best known for his role as the “Discount Double Check” guy from the Aaron Rodgers State Farm commercials) in live-action supporting roles, along with a talented voice cast consisting of Ethan Hawke (Training Day, First Reformed), Riley Keough (American Honey, The Devil All the Time), Eli Goree (Ballers, One Night in Miami…), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Office Christmas Party, Dolemite Is My Name), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, Prisoners, Swiss Army Man), and Peter Sarsgaard (Flightplan, An Education, Blue Jasmine).

The Guilty had its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September, 11, 2021. The film was released in a limited release on September 24, 2021, before then being digitally released on Netflix a week later on October 1.

THE GOOD

As a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal like most people who love movies as much as I do, I have been looking forward to this movie ever since I saw his name attached to it. Once I saw that Antoine Fuqua was directing AND that it was going to be a Netflix film, my excitement for it doubled.

With as many movies as I watch and have on my watchlist across the streaming services, it is very easy for me to forget about certain movies on those said lists, and as it turns out, I have had the original 2018 Danish version of The Guilty on my Hulu watchlist for some time now. With that said, it wasn’t until after I watched this U.S. remake this past Friday that I actually decided to watch it. First things first, both films are very good and I enjoyed both of them a lot. But with this review being a review of the 2021 U.S. version, I will occasionally reference where I felt it was better than the original and certainly later on in the review in ‘The Bad’ portion, where I felt it was inferior to the original film and why.

There is no denying that the main attraction for this film is Jake Gyllenhaal. He is undoubtedly one of the best actors in Hollywood today and it is mind-boggling that he only has one Academy Award nomination throughout his illustrious career. If there is one genre that suits Gyllenhaal as an actor, it would definitely be the thriller genre in my opinion. I mean we got Donnie Darko, Zodiac, End of Watch, Prisoners, Nightcrawler and the list goes on. There is just something about the way he acts that just fits like a glove with thriller films, so with The Guilty, it was a match made in heaven. Although I didn’t find his performance in this to be his career’s best work, that does not take away from the fact that he is still really really good in this. He is, and this is not a joke, literally on screen for the entire 90-minute runtime, so it was a treat getting to watch him portray this character and make you feel every emotion you can throughout this wild ride.

Another thing I enjoyed about this film and where I felt it improved from the original film were both the sound editing and the overall look of the film. It is very evident when you watch the trailer, but the use of the ringing of the phone in the 911 call center throughout was really cool and I felt it added another layer to an already suspenseful movie. As for the cinematography done by Maz Makhani, I loved the look of this movie, especially inside the 911 call center and the use of the colors red and black. Also, with the movie taking place in Los Angeles during a forest fire, there were plenty of impressive drone/aerial shots on display.

Lastly, the voice actors in this were great and I was surprised to see so many big names once the credits rolled. It was fun trying to guess whose voice each character was and I thought they all did a fantastic job at bringing their characters to life despite not seeing them on screen.

THE BAD

The biggest critique I have on this film is simply that it just isn’t as good as the original despite the big names this one has attached to it. I know that isn’t saying a lot and it doesn’t help its case that the original was really good, so good that it was the country of Denmark’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. But, I have to be critical of it because I think whenever there is an American remake of a successful foreign property, the goal of those involved is to make a better film than the original no matter what and with this, they just didn’t do that.

The main reason I felt this was inferior to the original was because in this one I felt it was over-dramatized. The two films are extremely similar obviously, from the story to the script, but the U.S. version is definitely more dramatic and I just felt they went over the top in some scenes that came across just fine to me the way they were in the original film. And despite how good Gyllenhaal was in this, even in some of the more intense scenes towards the end it felt like it was overplayed and just a tad embellished which was unfortunate because it took away from the true genuine emotions they are trying to make you feel when you are watching this story take place.

Lastly, and I am curious to know your thoughts on it if you take my suggestion and check this out, but I just didn’t vibe with the ending. I get what Fuqua was going for with Gyllenhaal’s character of Joe Baylor, but as a member of the audience that I was for this film, I wasn’t very pleased with the journey I went through to reach this conclusion.

THE VERDICT

Despite feeling inferior to the original film, The Guilty is still an extremely tense and enjoyable 90-minute crime thriller from Antoine Fuqua that features another exemplary performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, a talented voice cast, and an intriguing story that just may leave audiences feeling muddled over its divisive third act.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.1/10

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