The Humans

By: Andrew Wing

The Humans is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Stephen Karam in his directorial debut, and based on his one-act play of the same name that opened on Broadway in 2016 where it was very successful (was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play). A24, IAC, Scott Rudin (produced many award-winning films including No Country for Old Men, Uncut Gems, Lady Bird, The Social Network, and The Truman Show) and Eli Bush (has produced many A24 films including Ex Machina, Eighth Grade, and Mid90s) made a deal in March of 2019 with Stephen Karam to adapt his play into a feature-length film and principal photography began just six months after in September 2019 in New York City. In April 2021, Scott Rudin was removed as a producer on the film following allegations of abuse

The film stars Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers, The Shape of Water), Amy Schumer (Trainwreck, I Feel Pretty), Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird, Booksmart), Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, Minari), June Squibb (Meet Joe Black, Nebraska), and Jayne Houdyshell (Downsizing, Little Women) who actually reprises her role from the Broadway production in the film. The film follows a family getting together for Thanksgiving as their daughter is moving into her new apartment, and during their day together we see family tensions reach a boiling point.

The Humans had its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2021. The film was released by A24 on November 24, 2021, both in theaters and on Showtime.

THE GOOD

Whenever you get a film adaptation of a Tony-award winning play, that obviously gets you going, at least for me it does. But when I saw the all-star cast they put together for this, that only added to my already very high level of excitement for this. I mean we got two of my favorite actors in Richard Jenkins and Steven Yeun (go check out my review on Minari for which he got a Best Actor nomination for), but also two great young actresses with Amy Schumer and Beanie Feldstein. This movie has been getting a lot of awards hype, so keep reading to find out if I think it lived up to the hype.

First things first, Stephen Karam absolutely killed it in his directorial debut. With him doing the one-act play, he obviously knew what he wanted for the film and it was so evident while watching that Karam clearly knew exactly how he wanted to shoot every scene. A lot of the shots we get are very long and from one angle, and that just made for a much more immersive experience. The direction for this film was just excellent. He seized the opportunity to use the powers of filmmaking to tell his story in a brand new way and in doing so he announces himself as someone to be taken very seriously which is all the more impressive considering this is his first film.

The reason I was so excited for this film was without a doubt it’s all-star cast and they did not disappoint. It is so hard to pick a standout in this film as literally all six of the players involved make their presence felt in big ways, but if I had to choose, it would be a tie between Richard Jenkins and Jayne Houdyshell. Richard Jenkins was just perfect. It’s a role that he is very well equipped to play just based on how he might be typecast. He is especially great in the second half of the film as his performance deepens towards the end and I would love to see him get his third Oscar nomination (Best Actor for The Visitor, and Best Supporting Actor for The Shape of Water) for his performance here. As I said in the introduction, Houdyshell reprises her role from the Broadway production which she won a Tony for and it didn’t take long to see why. She had a couple scenes where there is a lot of pain going on around her and the way she expresses it in very subtle ways is quite impressive. She does also get some of the film's most coveted scenes and she does not disappoint to say the least.

I honestly enjoyed every cast member, but I just need to address the performance we got out of Amy Schumer real quick. Amy Schumer is one of my Mom’s favorite actresses because she is hilarious, but in this film we really get to see just how good of an actress she is. She fit perfectly into this role and I was very impressed with her performance that was easily the most dramatic one we have ever seen from her. All in all, with how great the acting was, all the family interactions felt very authentic and the dialogue just felt so natural and conversational and that took the film from being good to great. Not for one second did it feel like the actors were reading lines off a script and it just proves that this is one of the best ensemble casts of any film that has come out this year.

The sound design was also ridiculously good and very interesting as there’s this whole bump-in-the-night thing going on throughout the film. We got sounds from the radiators, we got creaking floors and doors, and we also have the neighbors upstairs making these bump noises that frighten the characters. The sounds made me feel like I was just waiting for a horror movie to break out at the seams of whatever is going on here in this apartment. While it isn’t a horror film in the traditional sense, the sound design is so good that it brings the existential horror to life as it reveals the anxieties of the characters in a way that was very impactful.

The production design for this film was very impressive too. The cast of players are in the apartment for the entire movie and they just did an amazing job making this look like a real NYC apartment with the bubbles in the wall, the external radiators, and many other small details. The way they lighted the apartment was very well done too as there was very little natural light coming through the few windows in the apartment. They just paid attention to every little detail and they honestly made the apartment itself feel like a character in its own right.

Lastly, the ending to this film is very bizarre and very cool at the same time and I really liked how it ended. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to spoil it, but it will throw you off in the best possible way.

THE BAD

If you can’t tell yet, I really enjoyed this film. There is nothing I didn’t like about it, but I just want to address some things I’ve seen getting pointed out. First, it is an A24 film and it’s label fits pretty well here as it is very strange and unlike any other movie you’ve seen.

Also worth noting is that the film has a very unconventional filming style that will probably throw a lot of people off. Speaking of unconventional, it is also unconventional when it comes to the story as there aren’t any character arcs. The story itself just might have people feeling cold after finishing this one. I say that because unlike the last film I reviewed in King Richard (see full review here) which was a feel-good crowd pleaser, this film is the complete opposite as it feels very cynical, and also quite down and depressing at times. The film definitely contains some great family moments (some are very funny) as the family is trying to connect and striving to unconditionally love each other, but at the end of the day the film is about (1) existential horror and (2) how regular Americans are in a state of anxiety at all times over their finances, health, relationships, and pretty much any major anxiety you can think of which is a very sad truth.

THE VERDICT

With outstanding performances from the entire cast, The Humans is one of the best movies of the year as it is an extremely unique and layered portrait of family and unrest in an age of immense anxiety. Stephen Karam had himself one of the best directorial debuts we have seen in a while as he brought his one-act play from the stage to the screen. His direction was superb, but his writing was even more impressive as he gives us a very deep script full of dialogue that is brilliantly written.

Not only is it one of the best films of the year, The Humans is also one of my personal favorite movies of the year and is yet another home run from the entertainment distribution company A24.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10

The Humans is now playing in select theaters and streaming on Showtime. Check out the latest trailer below.

King Richard

By: Andrew Wing

King Richard is a 2021 American biographical drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (also directed Monsters and Men and Joe Bell) and written by Zach Baylin, and follows the legendary life of Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, who also serve as executive producers of the film.

The film stars Will Smith (Independence Day, Men in Black) in the title role as Richard Williams, while Aunjanue Ellis (When They See Us, Lovecraft Country) plays their mother Oracene “Brandy” Price, Saniyya Sidney (Hidden Figures, Fences) plays Venus Williams, and Demi Singleton plays Serena Williams. Tony Goldwyn (Ghost, Scandal) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Wind River) also star in supporting roles as tennis coaches Paul Cohen and Rick Macci respectively. 

King Richard had its world premiere at the 48th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021, and was theatrically released on November 19, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures and on the HBO Max streaming service on the same.

THE GOOD

Before we get into this, I just need to inform the readers that I am a huge tennis fan. I played in high school and I follow it pretty regularly. With that said, when I heard there was going to be a major motion picture following the life of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams, I was ecstatic to say the least. Going in, it was a no-brainer that I was going to enjoy this movie, but it definitely exceeded my expectations 100%. Let’s find out why!

I won’t waste any time, so let’s get right into it. Will Smith just won himself his first Oscar ladies and gentlemen. It’s happening. Will Smith is the star of all movie stars, but this just might be his crowning achievement of his acting career. Will Smith seemed to have a deep appreciation and understanding of the man that is Richard Williams, and it was evident right from the get go that he totally transformed himself for this role. After watching, I really got a sense of who Richard Williams was at his core and why he was fighting for what he was fighting for and also just where his values came from. You see how he views what he is doing as a means of survival and Will Smith just really allows us as viewers to really see every layer of this man. You completely believe who he is and I was totally sold on every single choice Smith made for this character from the voice and the accent, to the way he walks and to the way he interacts with his daughters. I just felt like I was not watching Will Smith, but rather watching Richard Williams and I don’t know if there is a better compliment than that to give an actor, and I look forward to watching him receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance very soon.

The script for this movie comes from Zach Baylin and it was just brilliant. The movie is really a character study of Richard Williams and what kept me watching was just discovering more about this fascinating character. It’s clear that Will Smith himself and also the writer were really interested in Richard Williams as they painted a very multi-layered portrait of him and also gave him some strong choices to make. The movie presents him with all his glory and all his flaws. We see how charming and likeable he can be, but at the same time we grow frustrated with him throughout the movie. By the end of this film, I felt like I knew very well who Richard Williams was and that’s the entire purpose of a character study so they knocked it out of the park there. What’s special about this movie and what made it go beyond being just another biopic was how we were able to completely understand where Richard Williams is coming from and why he is the way he is. They did this without using explicit flashbacks throughout which we’ve seen over and over again with past biopics and that is a huge testament to how this movie was just expertly crafted.

Outside of all the tennis practices and tennis match scenes that I absorbed every second of being the huge tennis fan that I am, I’d have to say my favorite scenes in the movie were the ones focused on the family as a whole. The movie is certainly centered around Richard and his relationship with Venus and Serena, but the scenes where we see the other family members being fleshed out were really important if you ask me. The reason they felt so important and why I enjoyed them so much are completely thanks to the performances of the supporting cast. The best performance from the supporting cast without a doubt comes from Aunjanue Ellis who plays Venus and Serena’s mother, Oracene “Brandy” Price. She was phenomenal in this role and she will most definitely be getting nominated for Best Supporting Actress and she has a damn good chance of winning. If you need any convincing, go watch the scene in this where she absolutely goes off on Richard because it was unquestionably her “Oscar scene” and might have even been the most powerful moment in the entire film.

Demi Singleton was great as a younger Serena Williams, but Saniyya Sidney definitely stole the show as Venus. They gave a lot of moments to her in the second half where we get a little deeper into what she’s going through emotionally and she was just amazing. I also really liked Jon Bernthal in this as he plays the famous tennis coach Rick Macci. He’s very good and he gives a very funny performance which was great to see considering we don’t get to see that side of him too much as he usually plays the badass character in his films who do a lot of beating people up. It’s just crazy to see how far he has come since being Shane in The Walking Dead, and I can’t wait to see what he does next because he is a very talented actor.

Lastly, I did think the film was very well put together and I was very impressed with the direction we got from Reinaldo Marcus Green. The film had a nice warm glow to it and the camera movement was always really smooth which sometimes isn’t the case with movies dealing with fast-paced sports. The editing, sound mixing, and score were also very good and Beyoncé’s original song “Be Alive” that plays over the credits is beautiful and will most likely win the Oscar for Best Original Song as Beyoncé has somehow yet to win as Oscar. All in all, King Richard is a great movie and it will certainly be one of the ten Best Picture nominees and I could really see this winning Best Picture a few months from now.

THE BAD

There have been a lot of films that I’ve reviewed in the past that I didn’t have much to criticize about when it comes to “The Bad” portion of a review. With King Richard though, I honestly have nothing bad to say about it. Sure the film is long with its 145 minute runtime and it also has some of the inspirational and motivational quips we often get with sports movies, but if they get the job done and inspire and motivate you like this film did for me, I am not going to critique that whatsoever.

Also, and this is just my selfish self talking, but if I had to have any nitpicks, I would say that I wanted more scenes of Serena. The main part of the story deals with Venus coming up through the different levels of being a professional tennis player with her being the first to do it with her being the older sister. But I mean Serena is the freaking GOAT of women’s tennis, so it just would have been awesome to get more scenes of her, but hey you never know maybe we will get a sequel (probably not though).

THE VERDICT

With an Oscar-winning performance from the legendary Will Smith, King Richard is one of the best movies of the year. It is one of those feel-good crowd pleasers that don’t come around too often as it tells the amazing story of Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. 

The film also features great supporting performances from Aunjanue Ellis and Jon Bernthal that are worthy of supporting actress and actor nominations respectively, but no performance outshines that of Will Smith. His performance is transformative and it will just have you so deeply invested into the character that is Richard Williams.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.6/10

King Richard is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

tick, tick...BOOM!

By: Andrew Wing

Tick, Tick… Boom! (styled as tick, tick… BOOM!) is a 2021 American biographical musical drama film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton) in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Steven Levenson (won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen, see Ted’s review on the 2021 film adaptation), based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson. The film stars Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Amazing Spider-Man, Hacksaw Ridge) in the lead role as Jonathan Larson, and also features Robin de Jesús (The Boys in the Band), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men franchise, Love, Simon), Joshua Henry (The Scottsboro Boys, Violet), with Judith Light (Before You Know It), and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical film series) in supporting roles.

Tick, Tick… Boom! had its world premiere at AFI Fest on November 10, 2021, and began limited theatrical release on November 12, 2021, before streaming on Netflix on November 19, 2021.

THE GOOD

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an extremely talented individual, but when it comes to musicals, he is just on another level. It was bizarre to learn that this was his directorial debut after seeing his prior projects like In the Heights, but I’ll say just to get the ball rolling on this review, Miranda had himself quite the directorial debut. It’s also fitting that his directorial debut is a passion project of his as he views Jonathan Larson as an idol and role model of his. Miranda apparently pushed to be the one to helm this film because he actually played Larson in 2014 during one of the play's runs. Also, Miranda obviously has a similar career to Larson as he himself was once a struggling playwright in NYC trying to make it big. Let me just say, I think Lin-Manuel Miranda did an outstanding job at making a film for musical theater fans. The camera movement and the outlandish musical numbers that have Lin-Manuel’s direction written all over them makes it a very fun and breezy film which is even more impressive because the film deals with a person going through a looming existential crisis.

I was also very pleased with the screenplay from Steven Levenson. For the most part, this film was a window into the life of a struggling artist and I liked that most of this film was very grounded and easy to relate with. A lot of the songs were very diverting and fun and even though the artist himself seems like he might be very pretentious, this play featured songs that were about parts of his life and just his everyday problems and that pulled us into his world as it was extremely relatable. I mean we all know the feeling that the clock is ticking and that time is running out and like you’re operating based on the fear of the ticking clock and the film itself is just an examination of that mindset that was done very nicely thanks to Levenson’s screenplay.

The main thing that got me to check this movie out was Andrew Garfield. I really love him as an actor and I still get annoyed everyday that he didn’t even get an Oscar nomination back at the 83rd Academy Awards for his supporting performance in David Fincher’s 2010 film, The Social Network. It’s also annoying because a lot of people have written him off ever since his portrayal of Spider-Man in the Amazing Spider-Man movies that get criticized a lot. With that said, with his performance in this, I think he might have finally shut the critics up when it comes to him as an actor. His performance in this is very jittery and it feels like he is on cocaine for the entire movie to put it bluntly. He’s playing a very outgoing and charismatic person in Larson that I knew nothing about going into this, but Garfield’s performance told me everything about him that I needed to know. That is extremely impressive considering we’ve never seen Garfield play this kind of character in his past. He nails every second of this movie and he made me really buy into this character. I think he has a very good chance of earning what would be his second nomination (first being Hacksaw Ridge) for Best Actor. Also, his singing was pretty darn good if you ask me.

The supporting cast in this movie was great and they all did a wonderful job of playing their roles perfectly and giving us an idea of what Jonathan’s friends were like during this time in his life. Speaking of the supporting cast, I really have to shout out Robin de Jesus and his performance in this movie. He’s truly phenomenal in this and his character steals a couple scenes as his character holds a lot of weight in the last half of the film after he tests positive for HIV in 1990. I think he is more than deserving of getting nominated for Best Supporting Actor and I think he could do it as that field is still very wide open. Vanessa Hudgens was also really good despite not having much of a character, but it was just great getting to hear her sing because it definitely brought me back to those High School Musical days.

This movie is certainly a musical, so it’s only right that I touch on the music in this film. There were some songs that stood out a lot including the opening number that really hooks you right in. There is also a song in the middle of the film that I won’t spoil the name of that is just awesome as it features some wild facial choreography that is really enjoyable and will put a smile on your face for sure. Also, the editing in all the musical numbers was very well done as it adds to the energetic nature of the film which I liked overall. The movie is also really funny and after digesting it, I could even see it being considered a comedy.

I was not surprised by how amazing the musical sequences were because well, it’s Lin-Manuel Miranda we are dealing with here. But what I didn’t see coming was just how moving this film was. The movie was just a great ode to the life of Jonathan Larson and just the kind of lifestyle that he lived as a struggling musical theater artist. What makes this film stand out apart from other musical films is just the film’s absolute intoxicating energy as it goes over the top to try and please the musical theater crowd and I just loved it. So to anybody who views themselves as someone who’s a fan of musical theater, you are going to freaking love this movie.

THE BAD

First things first, I am a fan of the musical genre of film. I mean 2 of my all-time favorite movies are Singin’ in the Rain and La La Land. With that said, if you aren’t a fan of musicals, there is no point to watching this movie because it is absolutely flooded with musical numbers. And yes, I did enjoy the majority of the musical numbers, but there were a couple numbers that I wasn’t a fan of because I didn’t feel anything for them as they didn’t resonate with me sometimes. As I said earlier, I know absolutely nothing about musical theater, but apparently there were some pretty big cameos of theater legends in this film and I didn’t know that at all which definitely changed my viewing experience compared to those who know more about musical theater, so that bummed me out.

Despite me loving the over the top nature of the film as it is really directed towards pleasing the NYC musical theater crowd, I can totally see why it might annoy some mainstream viewers like myself. I know absolutely nothing about theater and I’d say most people who will check this out are in the same boat, so it might be kind of annoying or off-putting at times just seeing how energetic and smiley the actors are at points during the movie. The movie just lacks subtlety at times, especially in certain songs that I felt would’ve just been better served as plain old dialogue rather than this grandiose musical number.

Lastly, with me being a huge fan of the Oscars, I was really expecting Alexandra Shipp to get some supporting actress buzz from this but that was just not the case. The blame for that could just ultimately fall on the writers not giving her enough screen time, but she just didn’t have enough presence in this film to get nominated which was disappointing as I see her as one of the best up and coming young actresses today.

THE VERDICT

With an outstanding performance from Andrew Garfield as the famous playwright Jonathan Larson that will likely earn him a Best Actor nomination, Tick, Tick… Boom! is an extremely enjoyable film that features some of the most fun and energetic musical numbers you’ll ever see thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda in his directorial debut. 

The movie was emotionally captivating and it had a message that I thought really resonated, but I must say, proceed with caution because if you are not a fan of musicals, this movie is definitely not for you.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Tick, Tick… Boom! is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a 2021 supernatural comedy directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gil Kenan. It is the sequel to Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989), and the fourth film overall in the Ghostbusters franchise. Jason is the son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two films. Like father like son.

The screenplay for the original film came from Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who is also one of the stars. After the second film released in 1989, a follow-up film was in development but kept getting delayed because one of the stars of the films, Bill Murray, refused to commit to the project. Aykroyd and Reitman tried for years to get Murray on board, but according to Murray himself he wasn’t happy with the scripts and said they wouldn’t come close to the quality of the first film, which was a huge hit with critics and viewers. It seems likely that the lesser success of the sequel had something to do with his reluctance.

Set thirty years after the events of the second film, a single mother and her two children move to a small town in Oklahoma, where they discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather's secret legacy.

The film stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, while Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts reprise their roles from the original films.

After a number of delays related to the pandemic, Ghostbusters: Afterlife finally hit theaters on November 19th, 2021 (3D and IMAX in select theaters).

THE GOOD

Ghostbusters is a storied franchise, that fact is simply undeniable. The original hit theaters way back in 1984, with a stacked cast consisting of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver. As I touched on above, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is touted as a direct sequel to the first two films, which had me excited from the start. I grew up with this iconic franchise, and I honestly believe that the Ghostbusters logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the last 35+ years. That is impressive if you ask me. Every kid dressed up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween, and most adults have at least one Ghostbusters shirt hanging in their closet. Because of the popularity they have tried repeatedly to reboot this franchise, with mixed results. Will this be the time they finally hit a home run? Keep reading to find out!

Alright I know the suspense is killing you so I will get right to it, I really enjoyed this movie! The immersive “Ghostbusters universe” sucked me in right away, and I could tell from the first few minutes this was going to be a great movie. We have seen a ton of spinoff films over the years, but nothing comes close to living up to the original. And rightfully so, the 1984 film was groundbreaking and honestly ahead of its time. Ghostbusters: Afterlife recreates that slapstick feel without coming across as corny, which is a difficult balance. The film has a ton of quality humor, and a really good balance of interesting characters. I felt like having a strong cast with genuine chemistry would make or break this film, and they pulled it off and then some. I really liked how the story came together and connected to the first two films, and let me just say the ending is incredible. If you are a fan of this franchise, the way they end this movie will have you giddy in your seat I guarantee it. Bottom line, they hit the nail on the head and more than likely lit a brand new fire underneath this franchise.

Paul Rudd is nothing short of fantastic in this movie, as he takes on the the role of Gary Grooberson, a laid back summer school teacher who is smarter than he looks. I mean seriously, who doesn’t love Paul Rudd? As of late he has really taken off as Marvel’s Ant-Man, but you can go all the way back to his supporting role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, or what I consider to be a fantastic yet underrated performance in the feel good comedy drama, Our Idiot Brother. I mean, the 52 year-old actor who doesn’t look a day over 40 has 127 acting credits on his resume, that is bananas. He was recently voted Sexiest Man Alive for a reason, and its not weird that I am pointing that out. Not to take anything away from the rest of the cast, but his on-screen presence made the movie for me. He has that quirky and infectious humor element he is known for in full swing for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I just hope he sticks around if the franchise gets the re-boot that it deserves. Perhaps he is the next Bill Murray?! High bar sure, but one can dream.

Okay, so enough praising of The Sexiest Man Alive, lets talk about the rest of the cast for a bit. In true Ghostbusters fashion, the cast is a big strength of the film. Actress Carrie Coon plays the mother of Trevor, a teenager trying to find his way played by Stranger Things star Finn Woldhard, and Phoebe, a way-too-smart and slightly socially awkward middle school student (think Young Sheldon) played by 15-year-old actress Mckenna Grace, who is building quite an impressive career for herself. Coon is great as the no nonsense single mom who is struggling to make ends meet, and Wolfhard and Grace share great chemistry with her. Most importantly they are believable as a family, and the two kids are very different which helps the dynamic as well. As a family they tend to “tell it like it is”, which is refreshing. I enjoyed Logan Kim as Phoebe’s friend Podcast, as well as Celeste O’Connor as Trevor’s love interest, Lucky. As you may have expected, Ghostbusters: Afterlife treats viewers to some powerhouse cameo appearances. The original Ghostbusters make an appearance, hopefully that’s not a spoiler, and it is GLORIOUS. Everything about that final scene made me so happy and so sad at the same time. We get a few other awesome cameos which I will let you discover for yourself, but we are also treated to brief supporting roles from J.K. Simmons, and Bokeem Woodbine.

The writing for Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a big reason why the movie works so well. Original writers Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis are credited, but the primary screenplay duties for the film are split between Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman. I loved how they made this feel like a direct sequel to the original 1984 and 1989 films, and I also felt like the connection they made between the two had an authentic feel that fans should appreciate. The story roars to life, and their ability to create this “lived in world” feel as we are returned to the Ghostbusters universe, is just perfection. This is as much a homage to the original film as it is a re-boot for the franchise, and I truly hope they continue things from here and see where the next generation of Ghostbusters can take us.

On the technical side of things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife left me satisfied and then some. The CGI felt like a Ghostbusters movie, which needless to say was very important. A few of the ghosts are pretty creepy, but for the most part they are more on the goofy side. The soundtrack is high energy and very much compliments the more exciting sequences. I also really enjoyed the cinematography as it brought the small town of Summerville to life. I thought the location was fitting for the story to effectively unfold as well. Filming took place in Canada, primarily in Calgary and Alberta. The farmhouse, located in a rural area of Calgary, was actually built specifically for the film.

Touching on the CGI again, the unsung heroes of this movie are without a doubt the little marshmallow men, or more accurately the “Mini Pufts”. One of the most iconic characters from the 1984 film is The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, so bringing back some mini versions of him is the kind of genius that makes for a great film. I don’t want to give anything away, but they bring a sort of Minions type vibe, and the scene with Paul Rudd where they are introduced is just too good. You may feel a bit conflicted as they are doing some extremely questionable things to each other while looking just too damn cute, but I was grinning ear to ear the entire time. Just give these guys their own movie.

THE BAD

I genuinely enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and for that reason I really don’t have many issues to talk about here. They do put extra effort into unraveling the history of the Ghostbusters which might make things feel a little slow for some viewers at times, but if you have a love for this franchise like I do you will enjoy every second of it.

I will say that as a sequel of a franchise with such a gigantic following, some of the more hardcore fans are sure to disagree with the direction of the film. And I get it, you waited essentially 30+ years for the third movie which is obviously way too long, and for that reason you wanted it to be perfect. Now no movie is perfect and as I’ve said I thought the screenplay was everything I hoped it would be, but I think some people may have been hoping for more direct tie ins to the first two films. For me the strength of the Ghostbusters films has always been the idea that something more must be going on, and you get that with Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

THE VERDICT

Paving the way for a new generation of Ghostbusters while serving up a hefty dose of nostalgia for longtime fans, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a hilarious and immensely satisfying theater experience for the entire family. You will feel all of the emotions as this incredible story comes to life right before your eyes, especially when it comes to the ending. As I touched on in the review, I grew up watching these movies and I am just ecstatic to see such a legendary franchise on the forefront yet again. Do yourself a favor and see Ghostbusters: Afterlife in theaters sooner than later, because it deserves the big-screen treatment.

Just a side note, the film does feature a mid-credits scene, as well as an after the credits scene, so be sure to stick around for both.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now playing in theaters and IMAX. Check out the latest trailer below.

Spencer

By: Andrew Wing

Spencer is a 2021 biographical psychological drama film directed by Pablo Larraín (director of the Academy Award-nominated films No and Jackie) and written by Steven Knight (directed and wrote the films Locke and Hummingbird). The film stars Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga film series, Happiest Season) as Diana, Princess of Wales (née Spencer), and is a fictionalised account of Diana’s decision to end her marriage to Prince Charles and leave the British royal family. Jack Farthing (Poldark, Love Wedding Repeat) plays Prince Charles, while Timothy Spall (Harry Potter film series, The King’s Speech), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible - Fallout, The Green Knight - see my full review here), and Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine, The Shape of Water) also star.

Spencer had its world premiere in-competition at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021. It was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on November 5, 2021.

THE GOOD

First things first, Spencer has easily been one of the movies I’ve been most excited for. This past year, I wanted to become more knowledgeable of the British royal family, so like most young adults my age looking to know more about that, I watched The Crown on Netflix. Watching that amazing show, I instantly became fascinated with Diana and just her presence and who she was beneath the surface. As soon as I saw the trailer for this, I was immediately blown away and I just couldn’t wait to watch and see if it would live up to the hype surrounding both Pablo Larraín’s direction and obviously Kristen Stewart’s performance as Princess Diana.

Well it lived up to the hype for both, but first with Larraín’s direction. Pablo Larraín just killed it with this film. He is definitely looking to get his first Best Director nomination as he brings us such a well-crafted film that takes a lot of risks with its story. With that being said, I loved the story. Larraín and writer Steven Knight definitely take a lot of creative liberties to dive into Diana’s psyche in ways that are probably not the most accurate. Yet still, they had a magnificent original screenplay that is worthy of an Oscar nomination. The story and the entire movie itself is just different from other biopics we’ve seen in the past. One thing it did differently that I liked was how the film just picked up right where they wanted to rather than wasting time going through different decades of her life and watching her take her first steps for example. It just cut right to the chase and showed the viewer what it was going for.

As for it’s chances at Best Picture, it might unfortunately be on the outside looking in just due to how strong a year it is for movies. Also, as I have said, it is by no means your conventional Oscar-bait biopic like we have seen in the past with Bohemian Rhapsody and The Post for example. There will be 10 nominees for Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards and I strongly think Spencer is more than worthy of being one of those ten. It is around a subject that is of great interest to many people and it is very clear what it’s going for. The core of the film and where its heart is is very clear and the ending honestly made me choked up. The Academy definitely has a soft spot for moving films like this that make you feel good so I think that makes me really confident that it can get nominated. If you can’t tell yet, I really want it to get nominated but if it doesn’t, it will still go down as being one of the most intimate biopics I’ve ever seen. This movie really puts you right in the shoes of Diana, and we are meant to feel the same anxieties and pressures that she feels. Anxieties and pressures such as what she’s going to eat, going to wear, and where she is going to be at any point of the day, and the reason we feel that is simply because of Kristen Stewart’s performance.

Kristen Stewart was absolutely perfect and it was obvious from the first scene featuring her as Diana that she had immersed herself in this role unlike anything I’ve seen before. From the way that she carried herself to the way she moved and spoke, you could just feel every emotion she was feeling with everything that she did. She just did a perfect job at conveying Diana’s reservations and the feeling of just crawling in her skin and ultimately wanting to escape. You can go ahead and lock Stewart in for a Best Actress nomination, and I will certainly be pulling for her to win. There are still other contenders out there such as Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and also Lady Gaga in House of Gucci that I’m sure will both be great, but there is no denying that Kristen Stewart will be a very deserving winner if she does end up taking the cake.

The best scenes of the film were hands down the ones where Diana was spending time with her two boys, William (played by Jack Nielen) and Harry (played by Freddie Spry). These scenes were just so effective, moving, and magnificent, and I love how they made it a priority to keep this at the core of the film. It adds on to why I loved the screenplay so much, but to my surprise, this film does paint a picture of a happier Diana and those were the best parts of the film for me just seeing her happy with her kids. The dialogue was also really great in this movie which I didn’t see coming. There were a lot of fascinating exchanges between Diana and the other servants around the house. Every conversation was so deep and a lot of credit goes to the supporting actors for that. I thought Sally Hawkins and Timothy Spall were great in their respective supporting roles and both are worthy of consideration when it comes to Oscar nominations in those respective categories. Also, Sean Harris really impressed me as he played more of a dramatic character than we have seen from him in the past and it just shows how talented of an actor he is.

Now, when it comes to the other elements of this film, I’ve got to mention the score that was done by Jonny Greenwood (also scored PTA films There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread). Greenwood’s score was fantastic and right now I have it right up there with Hans Zimmer’s score for Dune (see my full review here) as being the best of the year. It was so good that I have already gone ahead and added the soundtrack to my playlist on Apple Music. There is a theme in his score we get over and over again on the piano that is marvelous, and also the jazz compositions have their own quality to them that adds to the overall versatility of the score. He is easily getting nominated for Best Original Score and like I said, it’s between him and Zimmer for who will win. Greenwood also has another score likely to get nominated for the upcoming Netflix western drama film The Power of the Dog, so I’d say he is having himself quite a year.

Lastly, the look of this film was phenomenal. The cinematography from Claire Mathon was absolutely beautiful and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a period film that looks and feels as good as this did. I loved the hazy and foggy look you got and I found it to be a genius look for the film as it has a very dreamy quality to it. She should definitely be getting an Oscar nomination for cinematography this year and it would be a travesty if she were to get snubbed. Continuing on with other visuals, the costume design is superb and will obviously get nominated because the dresses Kristen Stewart wears throughout the film are very expressive and they symbolically play a role in her internal state of mind. Also, the dresses are just accurate to the ones that Diana wore in real life as she was very well known for her wardrobe. Production design is also a lock for a nomination as is makeup & hairstyling as they were both done extremely well. Let’s just say, this film will be collecting a lot of nominations come award season.

THE BAD

To be quite honest, I didn’t find anything bad about Spencer. The only thing I guess you could say is that it was a little bit obvious when it came to where this movie was going to end up, but hey I loved where it ended up and I’m not going to critique that. Also, and this isn’t a bad thing, but the screenplay completely cuts around all the important details that we know about Diana’s life, and it almost expects you to understand a little bit of context around them and takes no time to explain her life to you. So with that said, it would definitely help going in to know just a little bit about her life.

I also wanted to discuss the differences between how Spencer is done compared to other movies/shows dealing with Diana and the British royal family. Spencer is very different from other adaptations such as the 2006 film The Queen and the Netflix series The Crown. The reason being because Spencer is really not interested in the Royal family as it is much more interested in the impact it has on Diana as an individual inside that system. It just doesn’t feel obligated to tell the story that people are familiar with, so if that’s what you’re going for, you might have to realign your expectations.

THE VERDICT

Without a doubt in my mind, Spencer is one of the best films of the year and I was totally blown away by it. It features a stunning, transformative lead performance from Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. More than that though, we also get Greenwood's score and Mathon's cinematography which were both equally beautiful. The direction from Pablo Larraín combined with the story from Steven Knight gave us what I felt to be an amazing tribute to Diana. A tribute that will move you in more ways than one as it is a focused, distressing portrayal of someone who was not just a member of the royal family, but rather somebody who stood on her own who gets the ending in this film that we all feel she deserved.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

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

Red Notice

Red Notice is a 2021 action comedy written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Thurber may not be a household name, but his feature-film directorial debut Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, has reached cult classic status. If you haven’t seen that movie, you either live under a rock or hate movies, perhaps both. He also directed the 2013 comedy We’re the Millers, as well as the action comedy Central Intelligence (2016), starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, and the action thriller Skyscraper (2018), also starring Dwayne Johnson.

When an Interpol-issued Red Notice, the highest level warrant to hunt and capture the world's most wanted goes out, the FBI's top profiler John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) is on the case. His global pursuit finds him smack dab in the middle of a daring heist where he's forced to partner with the world's greatest art thief Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) in order to catch the world's most wanted art thief, "The Bishop" (Gal Gadot).

The full cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Ritu Arya, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Ivan Mbakop.

Red Notice was originally set to release exclusively in theaters by Universal Pictures, but Netflix acquired the distribution rights on July 8th, 2019, with the film set to hit theaters November 5th before makings its debut on the streaming service November 12th.

THE GOOD

I was admittedly concerned going into see this movie because of all the negative feedback that it received, more or less expecting a lazy cash grab with big names for that reason. I made sure to see it in theaters so that I would get the full affect, and I have to say I had a blast with this movie. I don’t know if critics are just upset about the conspiracy that is daylight savings time, or maybe they are just angry about gas prices, which in that case I get it. But between Eternals (full review here), and Red Notice, movies are getting unfairly bashed, and in turn limiting how many people are making their way out to the theaters, which really is too bad. I was entertained from start to finish, I laughed out loud several times, and more than anything else I had a ton of fun with this movie.

The story was intriguing and kept me on my toes, always wanting to see what was going to happen next. By the end I felt like I was on a wild ride, and the finale which is the perfect setup for a sequel actually felt satisfying instead of making me feel like this movie was just a springboard for the next. I mean sure, I didn’t walk out of the theater blown away by a crazy storyline or a performance I knew would take home an Oscar, but I walked out fully satisfied and pleased that I ignored the negative reviews and gave this movie a chance. This is an action comedy that does a really nice job blending all of the necessary elements making for a very well-rounded and extremely entertaining experience. Most of all I really enjoyed the relationship and non-stop banter between Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, two of my favorite actors working today.

On the technical side of things Red Notice does a really nice job and keeps things in the positive column. I thought the cinematography was great for this type of movie, the camera work was creative and helped to keep that stylish vibe they were going for, and the action sequences were a blast and often hilarious. Rawson Marshall Thurber did a nice job behind the camera, and maintained what seemed to be an enjoyable working environment throughout production judging by the interviews I have watched. I especially enjoyed a fight scene between Reynolds, Johnson, and Gadot, which had me smiling ear to ear. I really liked the high energy soundtrack, and thought composer Steve Jablonsky did a great job. The soundtrack, which closes out the film with Notorious B.I.G. which is definitely a statement move, also includes music from Ed Sheeran (who also has a funny cameo, sorry in advance if you consider that a spoiler), Beastie Boys, and Tony Hatch’s timeless classic song, Downtown.

The cast is without question the primary driving force for this movie, and that tends to be the case when you have three big name actors like this. By no means are we treated with any career defining performances, but everyone holds their own and brings enough to the movie to warrant their involvement. I also thought the overall chemistry was fantastic, and it was obvious they had a great time working on this movie. Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson get the majority of the screen-time, and I could honestly watch these two all day. That’s not weird, by the way. Reynolds is the comic relief, with the majority of his jokes coming at the expense of Johnson’s character. You will often find yourself concerned about Reynolds and his well being, because well, Johnson is a very, very big man. Gal Gadot is as beautiful and talented as ever, and she does a great job staying one step ahead of Reynolds and Johnson. I was always curious how you properly pronounce her last name, and according to the internet it is pronounced “Guh-dot”, meaning the T is in fact NOT silent which surprised me. You learn something new everyday. I really enjoyed Ritu Arya’s role as the relentless Interpol agent. Most people will recognize her as Lila Pitts in The Umbrella Academy.

Even though Red Notice is now streaming on Netflix, people are still taking advantage of the theater experience which truly warms my heart. A group of people walked out of the theater ahead of me and started talking about how much they enjoyed the movie, and it just brought me back to the pre-pandemic days which is a good feeling. I was a little late seeing it so I was in the theater the day it made its debut on Netflix, and I was impressed with how many people were in the theater. All kidding aside, a movie like this will be best in theaters as far as the action sequences, but whether you watch it in theaters or at home, I think you’ll genuinely enjoy it. Red Notice is a popcorn flick through and through, and I really don’t see how that is a bad thing.

THE BAD

As you’ve likely gleaned from the review so far, yeah I used the word gleaned, this movie is a blast but it is not without its issues. Most glaring in my opinion is the issues with the writing. With a cast like this, the sky is the limit. At the same time, you live and die by how well you utilize such a talented cast. For the most part things come together pretty well, but opportunities were squandered as it relates to the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds as their relationship developed throughout the film. At times it seemed forced, and I felt like they struggled to effectively develop the complex relationship between the two as far as their respective upbringings and how they became who they are, which was an important element of the story arch between the two leads. I will also point out that the plot twists may have played a part in this, so if I am unfairly criticizing my guy RMT (Rawson Marshall Thurber, of course), I apologize in advance.

Also the storyline itself is not without its flaws if you really try and pick it apart. Some of the plot twists feel a bit forced, although they did catch me off guard each time. Perhaps I am slipping in my old age, but that is a conversation for another day. But with that being said, Red Notice is an action comedy first, and heist flick second. And in my humble opinion, that’s more than okay. You can enjoy the cool twists and turns while still maintaining that popcorn entertainment element that allows you the opportunity to just sit back, relax, and take it all in. Sometimes with a movie, what more could you ask for?

THE VERDICT

An infectious action comedy packed full of plot twists and great one-liners, Red Notice takes full advantage of a star-studded cast and is absolutely deserving of a sequel. I genuinely enjoyed this movie, and I’m having a hard time understanding why most critics had such an issue with it. Was the bar set too high because of the cast? Were they expecting another Ocean’s Eleven? I really don’t get it. I mean sure, Thurber isn’t exactly Scorsese, but I think as a director he does pretty damn well for himself, and clearly he’s fun to work with considering this is the 3rd time Dwayne Johnson has collaborated with him. Bottom line, I’m looking forward to repeat viewings so I can continue to appreciate all the humor and just the pure fun that is Red Notice. I personally saw the movie in theaters, which is of course the best way to see it in my opinion, but if you prefer to watch from the comfort of your couch, no judgment here. Just enjoy and you can thank me later.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.8/10

Red Notice is now playing in theaters and streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

The French Dispatch

By: Andrew Wing

The French Dispatch is a 2021 anthology film written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson from a story he conceived with Roman Coppola (son of the director of The Godfather trilogy, Francis Ford Coppola), Hugo Guinness (worked with Anderson on the story for The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Jason Schwartzman (has starred in seven Anderson films including this one). The film stars an ensemble cast, featuring Benicio del Toro (Traffic, Sicario), Adrien Brody (The Pianist, King Kong), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, Burn After Reading), Léa Seydoux (Inglourious Basterds, No Time to Die), Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Nomadland), Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Dune), Lyna Khoudri (Papicha, Gagarine), Jeffrey Wright (The Hunger Games films, Westworld), Mathieu Amalric (Munich, Quantum of Solace), Stephen Park (Do the Right Thing, Fargo), Bill Murray (Ghostbusters, Lost in Translation), and Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Midnight in Paris).

Its plot follows three different storylines as the French foreign bureau of the fictional Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper creates its final issue. Additional cast members in The French Dispatch include Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ray Donovan), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, The Florida Project), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Little Women), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Invisible Man), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Marie Antoinette), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained), and Anjelica Huston (The Witches, The Addams Family).

The project was first mentioned in August 2018 as an untitled musical set after World War II. That December, the film was officially announced, with Anderson calling it a “love letter to journalists.” Filming took place between November 2018 and March 2019, with cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman (Bridesmaids, The Grand Budapest Hotel), in the city of Angoulême, France. During post-production, editing was completed by Andrew Weisblum (The Wrestler, Black Swan) and the musical score was composed by Alexandre Desplat (won the Academy Award for Best Original Score on the films The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water).

Following a delay from 2020, The French Dispatch had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on October 22, 2021.

THE GOOD

When it comes to film for the year 2021, The French Dispatch was easily one of the most anticipated films of the year with it coming from one of the most successful directors working today, Wes Anderson. For me personally, it was right up there with Dune (see my full review here) in terms of my level of excitement, so it was only fitting that they had the same U.S. release date. Add in the larger than life cast consisting of the who’s who of Hollywood right now, and I was chomping at the bit to see if Wes Anderson could do the unthinkable. The unthinkable being if he could possibly make an even better film than his last live-action film, The Grand Budapest Hotel that collected 9 nominations at the 87th Academy Awards, and won three. So now you’ll just have to read and find out to see if he did!

The main attraction with The French Dispatch outside of Wes Anderson, is undoubtedly the ensemble cast. Anderson is used to having these crazy star-studded casts, but with this film, he went another route in terms of how he was going to portray them all. That different route being an anthology film featuring three different stories. I have to say, I really liked how the film was broken down into three different parts because it gave all of the big names in this movie their time to shine. Now this unique format for Anderson wasn’t perfect, and I’ll touch on that later in the review, but it was still very effective. Obviously, some of the all-stars in this cast don’t get as much screen time and rather serve just as cameos, but nonetheless it was still great to see stars like Saoirse Ronan and Christoph Waltz even if it was just a cameo.

The way the film was structured was just awesome, and just to give you reading this some food for thought, the film begins with some introduction to the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper, before diving into the three stories. The first story deals with an artist who has been sentenced to life imprisonment and features Benicio del Toro, Léa Seydoux, Adrien Brody, and Tilda Swinton. The second story deals with student riots and its main players are Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, and Lyna Khoudri. And lastly, the third story follows a kidnapping that gets resolved by a chef and that features Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, and Stephen Park.

The first story was easily my favorite as we saw Benicio del Toro really stand out from the rest of the cast as he played the artist serving life imprisonment. Continuing with the first story, I also really enjoyed both Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton a lot as they were both downright hilarious at times. My favorite duo though came in the second story with two of my favorite actors period in Frances McDormand and Timothée Chalamet as I loved their chemistry. I would love for this not to be the last time the two of them share the screen together because it was just a blast to watch.

All three stories, and the movie as a whole was very funny and it obviously features a good amount of that classic witty Wes Anderson dialogue that we have come to expect in all of his films. Lastly, despite Bill Murray not being featured in any of the stories, he is still the most prominent figure in the non-story scenes with his character being the editor of the paper, and let me just say that I never get tired of him. He is one of the funniest actors we have ever seen and his comedic delivery just goes hand-in-hand with Wes Anderson’s writing.

When it comes to the best part of The French Dispatch, it has got to be the production design. The production design is simply off the charts. The amount of effort and detail that Wes Anderson and his team put in for just one single shot that lasts for maybe three or four seconds is unfathomable. It will easily get a nomination for Best Production Design at the 94th Academy Awards, and I would put my money on it to win because it is that good. Along with that, the visuals don’t end there as both the costumes are really good and the cinematography is gorgeous. The film is sort of told half in color and half in black and white, and both looks were excellent. The film is just so incredibly well done from its blocking, to the movement, to the positioning of the actors within the frame in every scene, and is just an absolute treat with its delicious aesthetics. It's easily one of the most meticulous films I’ve ever seen as every inch of every shot is just so satisfying to look at.

Not only does the film look amazing, but it also sounds really good as well with the score done by Alexandre Desplat. Desplat is just great and all of his scores he has done in the past in Wes Anderson films have been among his best and that is the case here as he will be looking to attain yet another nomination for Best Original Score. He just knows how to make a very fun and enjoyable score and it’s no surprise that he is considered one of the best composers in the industry today.

THE BAD

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this film as Wes Anderson just flexes his muscles with every aspect of it. To be honest though, the movie was sometimes kind of overwhelming just with so much going on visually as well as the fast-paced dialogue and also the storylines that were a little overcomplicated. I was fine with the visual overstimulation as I just love me some sick visuals, but when it came to the convoluted plot especially in the third story, it was frustrating and definitely took away some points.

My biggest issue with the film has got to be just its anthology structure. I liked it because we got to see all of the big names attached, but it was definitely a head-scratching decision from Wes Anderson to do it that way because he has never done an anthology before. He usually sticks with the comedy-drama genre for his films, and I don’t know why he went away from that because with the anthology structure and the three different stories, we don’t get a central arch that goes through one character. With no central story arch, we really don’t get any strong climactic moments that all great movies have. Because of that, it was just tough to truly care about any of these characters as nobody really makes a lasting impression, and that’s not what you want with these big ensemble casts.

Lastly, the first story was my favorite, the second story was my second favorite, and the third and final story was my least favorite. I think that descending order is probably not the best order to present this movie in and I think it hurts the viewing experience as a whole.

THE VERDICT

Despite it not being Wes Anderson’s best as he goes off the beaten path with an anthology film that features a convoluted plot with no true climax, The French Dispatch is still a really fun movie you will have a consistently good time with. There is not a single scene to be bored by as we get in my opinion, Wes Anderon’s most visually stunning and eye-popping film yet.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.7/10

The French Dispatch is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Eternals

By: Ted Trafton & Andrew Wing

Eternals is a 2021 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), preceded by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (see our full review here). The film was directed by Chloé Zhao (director of the Best Picture winning film Nomadland, that we also reviewed), who wrote the screenplay with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. It stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians, Captain Marvel) as Sersi, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, Stuber) as Kingo, Lia McHugh (Totem, The Lodge) as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Godzilla vs. Kong) as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead, Sound of Metal) as Makkari, Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk, American Animals) as Druig, Don Lee (Train to Busan) as Gilgamesh, Angelina Jolie (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Changeling) as Thena, Salma Hayek (Frida, Grown Ups), as Ajak, Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) as Dane Whitman, and Harish Patel as Karun, Kingo’s human valet. In the film, the Eternals, an immortal alien race, emerge from hiding after thousands of years to protect Earth from their ancient counterparts, the Deviants.

In April 2018, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that a film based on the Eternals had begun development, with Ryan and Kaz Firpo hired to write the script in May. Zhao was set to direct the film by late September, and was given significant creative freedom with the film, which resulted in filming on location more than previous MCU films. Zhao re-wrote the screenplay, which Burleigh was later reported to have also contributed to. Principal photography took place from July 2019 to February 2020, at Pinewood Studios as well as on location in London and Oxford, England, and in the Canary Islands.

Eternals premiered at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on October 18, 2021, and was released theatrically in the United States on November 5, as part of Phase Four of the MCU.

THE GOOD

From Andrew’s perspective…

Similar to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, I was skeptical about Eternals at first once I heard they were going to be making a feature film on these characters. Obviously not every Marvel movie can be focused on the main Avengers, but I just didn’t get that same level of excitement due to me not knowing much or anything about these characters. However, after seeing Nomadland, the 2020 neo-Western drama film directed by Chloé Zhao that won her Best Director and also Best Picture at the 93rd Academy Awards, how could I not be excited about the fact that Zhao’s next project was going to be a Marvel film. That is just such a big get for Kevin Feige and Marvel to have Zhao’s expertise and level of filmmaking skills a part of this universe, and she did not disappoint with her MCU debut. Zhao’s vision definitely came through in this film, as you can see it with her tenderness and attention to detail. It was unlike any other Marvel movie I have ever seen with its different approach to themes and its next-level cinematography and all visuals in general. 

The film truly looked amazing. Did it look as good as Nomadland? Maybe not. But was it one of Marvel’s best movies visually? I would say 100% yes! I knew after seeing the trailer for Eternals that we were going to get some stunning visuals, but watching it up close and personal on the big screen was still breathtaking. Even the visual effects on the Celestials and the Deviants looked awesome and were even pretty scary if I’m being completely honest. Also, the action scenes were very well filmed which is no surprise when you are dealing with a Marvel movie.

Continuing on with things I loved about Eternals, the next on the list has got to be the world building we get with this. World building is so vital when you are dealing with new entries into the MCU, especially when the audience does not know much about the players involved, but Zhao and her team of writers I thought did a fabulous job developing all ten of the Eternals and giving each one of them their own relationship with humanity. I was just completely immersed in the story, and we will touch on this later in the review, but I honestly liked that it was a little complicated at times because it kept my mind sharp. The worst thing that can happen when you’re watching a movie is when you just check out mentally, and that was not the case with Eternals.

As I mentioned earlier, I was very pleased with Zhao’s approach to numerous themes that was unlike anything we have seen in an MCU movie before. With every MCU movie prior to this, the main objective has been to defeat the bad guy and preserve life on Earth. With this, you still get that for the most part, but it comes at a greater cost for the Eternals themselves as they must go against their beliefs that the Celestials have instilled in them. I just really liked how Zhao showed us how each character’s struggle was slightly different from the others and just how the movie offered the audience some deeper questions about life. Questions such as: What is the purpose of humanity? Why are we here, and do we deserve to be?

Last but not least, when it comes to things I enjoyed about Eternals, we have got to talk about the performances. I honestly enjoyed everyone’s performances in this. I felt like Gemma Chan and Richard Madden were both a bit stiff at times, but they very well just could’ve been playing their Eternal-selves, so I’m not going to critique them too much there. I probably had a three-way tie for my favorite performance, so I might as well just hit on all of them real quick. First with Barry Keoghan as Druig. His character Druig is isolated from the rest of the Eternals as he has a difference in thinking when it comes to using his powers on humans, but I thought Keoghan did a superb job at showing us with his performance why his character is the way he is. Secondly, Kumail Nanjiani was awesome as the comedic relief in this film as he is responsible for most of the laughs I had. Well him and his human valet Karun who is a fan-favorite for sure. Kumail is another great addition to the MCU with him being undoubtedly one of the funniest actors working today. Lastly, I loved Lauren Ridloff’s performance as Makkari. Ridloff herself is deaf, as is her character in this making Makkari the first deaf superhero in the MCU. I was just so impressed with how well she can act and express her emotions without any words involved.

From Ted’s perspective…

Just to provide a bit of context, before the initial announcement of Eternals and the release of the first trailer I had very little understanding of who these Marvel superheroes were. I’m not a comic book guy, so I usually get roped in once a movie or series is made. I actually first heard about the movie when I read an article about how actor Kumail Nanjiani, who I knew from the HBO series Silicon Valley, was getting shredded for his role in the film. Eternals is finally here, and early feedback has been mixed to say the least which admittedly had me a little concerned heading in to the theater. So, was it a dud or a future addition to my slowly expanding Ultra 4K Blu-ray collection? Keep reading and find out.

I know the suspense is killing you at this point so I will cut to the chase, I really enjoyed Eternals. It had a very balanced cast ranging from A-list actors to some up-and-coming talent, incredible visuals, beautiful cinematography, top-notch CGI and special effects, and one heck of an exhilarating final sequence. The fact that I had very little knowledge of who the Eternals actually were allowed me the opportunity to immerse myself in the overall backstory, and it was a very satisfying ride. The humanistic element of the characters was an extremely captivating element of the film in my personal opinion, making it feel surprisingly grounded in reality considering they are superheroes who have been around for thousands of years. The cinematography was on another level with so many really cool locations throughout the film. More than a few times I just wanted to jump through the screen and experience it for myself, especially Babylon, which I learned is a historical ancient city in Mesopotamia, located in present-day Iraq. The Iraq part is less enticing, but it looked truly amazing in the film.

The writing felt authentic, allowing each character the opportunity to develop and by the end of the film I felt an attachment to each character in varying degrees. I feel like that can be a difficult accomplishment especially with so many “main” characters. The two and a half hour plus run-time felt well paced without any a wasted sequences. I enjoyed the entire movie from start to finish, but my favorite story arch was that of the previously mentioned Nanjiani, who plays the character Kingo. He provides the majority of the comic relief as expected, and I thought he was hilarious along with his valet Karun, played by Harish Patel. If the two of them were on-screen together, odds were good that I was laughing, or at the very least had a big smile on my face. They were easily my favorite characters, just such a fun dynamic. As far as the film itself and how things came together, the finale was absolutely next level and just so much fun to experience. I was on the edge of my seat right up until the mid credits and post credit scene. Bottom line, director Chloé Zhao deserves a ton of credit for what she was able to accomplish. She is the real deal.

Acting is definitely a big strength for Eternals, and its not so much that it was always perfect, but more so that the cast is so well balanced and everyone played their characters very well. I already talked about Nanjiani and Patel, who were fantastic, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest name in the film is easily Angelina Jolie, who plays Thena. I thought she was fantastic, and within 30 minutes she was no longer the larger than life actress and just became her character, which was huge. Another big name is the versatile actress Salma Hayek in the role of Ajak. I thought she did a great job as well and had a big impact on the film and the story.

My guy Brian Tyree Henry was crucial as far as the dynamic of the characters in his role of Phastos. He sort of took on that Iron Man role where he ended up having a little more to live for, and I thought that added a ton to the story. I first became a fan of Henry in the FX series Atlanta, and he has proven himself to be a very talented actor. I also really liked American Animals actor Barry Keoghan, who played a very complex character and did a really nice job with it. Gemma Chan and Richard Madden were fantastic, and had great on-screen chemistry. Ma Dong-seok was hilarious, Lia McHugh made her presence known as usual, Kit Harington was great, Bill Skarsgård was awesome as usual, Lauren Ridloff was a very pleasant surprise as she really took charge toward the end of the film, and we are also treated to a great cameo in the mid-credits scene but I will let you experience that for yourself.

THE BAD

From Andrew’s perspective…

To my surprise, and I’m sure many other MCU fans, Eternals has been, for lack of a better word, bashed by critics more than any MCU film in recent years. The main things I’ve seen being criticized are its exposition, pacing, runtime, and lack of character development. While I’m not as mad about these things as other critics, I find it only right to discuss why I understand these critiques, but ultimately why I was okay with it for the most part.

The reason for the critiques being centered around exposition, pacing, and runtime are simply because the film is extremely ambitious, some calling it overambitious. I mean we have ten new characters that need to be introduced and that they are trying to get the audience to feel emotionally attached to, so to do that you need exposition on the existential stuff that moviegoers don’t know much about. The heavy exposition definitely takes away from the action that most MCU fans want and need, but I liked the amount of exposition we got because we NEEDED it with all these new faces. And despite the film’s lack of action, I thought both the middle battle scene that takes place in the woods and obviously the finale made up for it as they were amazing to say the least.

I don’t understand the complaint about the 157 minute runtime for Eternals, because Avengers: Endgame was 181 minutes long and I didn’t see anybody having a problem with that when it came out. As for the lack of character development complaints, I totally agree with that. As I said earlier, I do think that they did a good job giving us the basics about them, but there is no denying that we could and should have gotten more. Yes, it might have added to its already long runtime, but I wouldn’t have minded one bit. The films lack of character development makes it really hard for me to disagree with the notion that this project might have been better suited as a Disney+ series, just so the characters could have gotten flushed out more, but at the end of the day, this needed to be a feature film and I still had a blast with it.

Lastly, and this is one thing that I haven’t seen a lot of from other critics, but is just my personal opinion after watching this, and that is that Marvel needs to improve on their film scores. I know we obviously have the great Avengers theme that we get every time the opening credits roll, but after watching a film like Dune (see my full review) where the movie was almost carried by its score, I just felt that Marvel needs their movies to have something like that. We know they can afford it, but I strongly believe that a score done by a great composer could have helped this movie tremendously and I really want to see Kevin Feige and Marvel try to improve and take advantage of that for the remainder of Phase Four and so on.

From Ted’s perspective…

I agree with Andrew 100%. The bar is high for anything with Marvel attached to it which is understandable, but to be completely honest, I had very few serious issues with this movie. Surely part of the reason for that is the simple fact that the majority of the initial feedback for the film was disheartening to say the least which did lower my expectations, but as someone who considers himself to be a sort of anti-critic, I always relish the opportunity to prove the Rotten Tomatoes crowd wrong. It may feel a little different compared to most Marvel films as it takes a much more humanistic approach, and it may feel a bit slow at points to some because it is in fact an origin story, but the bottom line is that Eternals is a very good movie. Andrew is also correct as he referenced the lack of deeper character development, but I expect we may get more of that in the next movie. I would happily see this in theaters a second time even if just for the experience alone, and will definitely be picking up the 4K Blu-ray when it releases.

THE VERDICT

From Andrew’s perspective…

While I definitely see why some people had problems with Eternals as it bites off maybe a little bit more than it can chew as it is very ambitious, I feel it should rather be getting a lot of credit for that.

The 26th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes from the brilliant mind of the award-winning Chloé Zhao and she gives us a genuinely ambitious Marvel film unlike any other we have seen before with its unmatched visuals, themes revolving around humanity that will entice all viewers, and numerous terrific performances from its star studded ensemble cast.

Oh and one more thing, the credit scenes are wild in the best way possible and teach us that whenever you think the MCU can’t get any better, it can!

From Ted’s perspective…

A rare genuinely intimate superhero experience thanks to the talented Chloé Zhao, complete with her trademark incredible cinematography as well as the top-notch action sequences we have come to expect from Marvel, Eternals was the theater experience I was hoping for and then some. Do yourself a favor and ignore the out of touch critics who wouldn’t know a good movie if it bit them in the rear end, and see Eternals in theaters sooner than later. If they don’t let Zhao direct the sequel, get your signs ready and put your protesting shoes on!!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.4/10

Eternals is now playing in theaters and IMAX. Check out the latest trailer below.

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.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a 2021 superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Venom, produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel. It is intended to be the second film in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, and the direct sequel to Venom (2018).

Directed by Andy Serkis from a screenplay by Kelly Marcel, based on a story she wrote with Tom Hardy who stars as Eddie Brock / Venom alongside Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, and Woody Harrelson. In the film, Brock tries to reignite his career in journalism by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady (Harrelson), who becomes the host of an alien symbiote similar to Venom named Carnage.

Venom was intended to be the start of a new shared universe, and plans for a sequel began during production on the first film. Harrelson was cast to make a brief appearance as Kasady at the end of Venom, with the intention of him becoming the villain Carnage in the sequel.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage was delayed from an initial October 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally made its debut in theaters October 1st.

THE GOOD

My expectations going in to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage were fairly high all things considered, because well for starters you have Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, and Michelle Williams rounding out the cast, an accomplished actor turned director in Andy Serkis, and the Marvel name attached to the movie. What more could you ask for? So needless to say I was expecting a memorable experience, and while it didn’t necessarily live up to my lofty expectations, it was still very good.

I really enjoyed the original film, 2018’s Venom, also starring Hardy and Williams, but this may have been a little better for a few reasons. The first movie felt a bit slower for the reason that we had to get acclimated to Eddie Brock’s character and get a feel for his overall backstory. With Venom: Let There Be Carnage we are able to dive right into the good stuff which made the experience fun from start to finish. The Eddie Brock/Venom character has a unique comedic element to it which was perfectly brought to life here, further reinforcing the decision to give Tom Hardy this role.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage was never boring, offering up a ton of great action sequences all of which I thought were fantastic. The dialogue is top notch with tons of great one-liners and pop culture references. I really enjoyed the bad roommate type relationship between Brock and Venom as well which is always good for lots of laughs. I won’t give anything away of course, but one of my favorite scenes is towards the end of the film involving Michelle Williams character and Mrs. Chen, played by Peggy Lu. This scene perfectly epitomizes the beauty that is the goofy nature of these films.

I touched on it a bit already, but the bread and butter of Venom: Let There Be Carnage is without a doubt the cast. Tom Hardy is easily one of my favorite actors, whether he is taking on the role of Bane, playing an absolute badass in Warrior, or starring as one of the Bondurant brothers in Lawless. He is a more versatile actor than he gets credit for who doesn’t seem to get enough of the quirky or funny roles which I think he plays well. I’m not going to sit here and act like I can’t get enough of his bruising type characters, but he should be allowed to do more. His portrayal of journalist Eddie Brock/Venom is fantastic yet again, and I had no issue buying into his character.

The next guy is a legend and needs no introduction, and that would be the great Woody Harrelson. Bringing him in as Carnage was a HUGE move for this movie, and made all of the difference. I mean you can go all the way back to the 1994 cult classic Natural Born Killers, and Harrelson has always had a knack for playing the sadistic and unhinged roles. He is without question one of the most talented actors working today, and he is great as expected in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

I really like Michelle Williams especially when she lit the world on fire in Manchester by the Sea, but similar to the original film, she is just average as far as her presence on screen. Her character sort of exists to progress the storyline, but I don’t think she necessarily adds all that much to the film. I guess I just have higher expectations for an actress of her caliber. I did enjoy veteran English actor Stephen Graham in his role as Detective Mulligan. Mulligan’s portrayal of Al Capone in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire was epic, and I enjoyed all of his screen time in Venom: Let There Be Carnage as well. This guy is an extremely talented and very underrated actor. I did enjoy Naomie Harris in her role as Frances Barrison/Shriek, and thought she had great chemistry with Harrelson.

On the technical side of things, Venom: Let There Be Carnage was firing on all cylinders. I thought the CGI was incredible and so much fun to experience, adding a very immersive element to the film. I also thought the cinematography was surprisingly impressive and much better than I even expected it to be. The soundtrack and score was also a big positive for the film, helping to keep things light and upbeat similar to the original. Keep an ear out for the latest Eminem track once the credits start. I also thought the pacing was great, delivering up a smooth 90-minute runtime which is always nice.

THE BAD

Okay so I think I made it clear Venom: Let There Be Carnage wasn’t perfect, and now its time to talk about why. I just felt like it was lacking that “it factor” somehow, that element needed to make it great. Now at the risk of stating the obvious, it would have been much better with an R-rating. Now I’m not saying this movie needs to try and be Deadpool or anything like that, I just feel like it lacked a certain level of grit or intensity that an R-rating would have given it. It just felt like it was missing something, most notably during the scenes when Venom or Carnage would chow down on one of their victims. Because of the limitations of a PG-13 rating, most of the actual mauling is done out of the shot, so you aren’t going to see much as far as blood or gore. I mean its not a deal breaker and maybe its just the horror movie lover in me, I just think it could have made a difference.

THE VERDICT

With an abundance of eye-popping CGI and a post-credit scene sure to leave fans of the MCU downright giddy, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a worthy sequel and yet another reason to visit the theater. Although I do think an R-rating and a bit more from Michelle Williams character would have made a difference, it was still a very fun movie and a more than welcome addition to the impressive Marvel film library. So grab a few friends and some popcorn, and check this one out in theaters.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Queenpins

By: Andrew Wing

Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. The film stars Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bad Moms) in the lead role as Connie Kaminski, a bored and frustrated suburban homemaker whose hobby of using coupons eventually leads to a multi-million dollar counterfeit coupon scandal. The film also stars Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Downward Dog, Killing Eve) as Connie’s partner-in-crime JoJo, Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell, BlacKkKlansman) as Ken Miller, the hapless Loss Prevention Officer from the local supermarket chain, Vince Vaughn (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Wedding Crashers) as the determined U.S. Postal Inspector Simon Kilmurry, and it also features American singer and songwriter Bebe Rexha in her first live-action feature film debut.

The film was released in the United States on September 10, 2021 by STXfilms, and is currently available to stream on Paramount+. Also, the legendary Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer for this movie under his Red Hour Productions banner.

THE GOOD

I remember when Ted sent me the first trailer for this movie and I remember being pumped for it to say the least. Obviously, I was excited to see Kristen Bell in another comedy movie because I am a big fan of some of her big comedy films she has done in the past such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat, and Bad Moms. However, I’d be lying if I said that she was the main attraction for me when it came to Queenpins. The main attraction right off the bat was Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn. We all know Vince Vaughn and we know just how funny he is, but a lot of people still don’t know much about Paul Walter Hauser and just how good of an actor he is. His range as an actor is extremely impressive. There are not many actors who can play both the lead role in a Clint Eastwood biographical drama film like Richard Jewell where he leaves you in awe with such a powerful and authentic performance, but at the same time can also leave you pissing your pants with his comedic skills that he puts on display big time in this movie.

If you haven’t been able to guess yet, Hauser’s performance in this was the highlight of the film for me. There was something just so freaking hilarious about him playing a Loss Prevention Officer for a local supermarket chain that takes his job incredibly seriously that put a smile on my face. This isn’t a big spoiler, but his character’s entrance into the film was amazing as he tells an elderly woman that she can’t use a coupon because the coupon is a fake because of its expiration date being the 31st of November where the month of November only has 30 days. Arguably more impressive than Hauser’s performance, was his on-screen chemistry with Vince Vaughn. Whoever was in charge of casting for this film deserves a raise because these two went together perfectly and because of how good they were together, I am hoping and praying for some sort of future buddy cop comedy film that brings these two actors together again because I know it would be just perfect.

Aside from their performances, I just really enjoyed the fact that the amount of silliness didn’t take away from the overarching story in my opinion. I also thought the movie was paced really well. I was worried going into it that it might drag at points with a 110-minute runtime but that was not the case. Trust me, the fact that this is based on a true story is interesting enough that you won’t be feeling bored whatsoever.

THE BAD

I certainly enjoyed the movie overall, but similar to the last comedy movie I reviewed, Vacation Friends (see full review here), it still has its flaws. Even though I said I thought the downright silliness of the film didn’t take away from the story as a whole, that is just my opinion. It is a very silly movie and you can tell it’s trying to fluff up the story as much as they can to make it an interesting enough film and there is a chance it could be a tad over the top for some viewers. That also ties into my next point that this movie is LOOSELY inspired by true events, so if you’re thinking that this movie will show you exactly how all of it went down, you are mistaken.

I also really wasn’t blown away by Kristen Bell’s performance in this. I mean she’s not terrible by any means, but going into this I really thought she was going to take the cake but that was not the case. For as compelling as her character’s backstory is, I felt Bell’s performance was anything but compelling and that was rather unfortunate. As for the other key players in the film, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Bebe Rexha, I just thought their performances were average. They really didn’t bring much to the film as a whole other than a few laughs here and there.

Lastly, I thought this movie could have benefitted big time from a good soundtrack but it felt nonexistent at times. I would have loved to see slow-motion scenes of either Bell’s character using her coupons or Hauser and Vaughn’s characters doing some investigative stuff with some modern hip song playing in the background because I think that just would have brought another element to this story.

THE VERDICT

Although not everyone in the talented cast of this coupon-clipping comedy makes their presence felt, Queenpins is still an above average comedy film that most audiences will enjoy. It is a very silly telling of a true story where two housewives created a multi-million dollar coupon scam that is highlighted by awesome performances from two of my favorite actors, Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn, whose comedic chemistry in this film is so good that it will leave you wanting to see more of it in the future.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.4/10

Queenpins is now streaming exclusively on Paramount+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Cry Macho

By: Andrew Wing

Cry Macho is a 2021 American neo-Western drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Cry Macho is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by N. Richard Nash and was adapted from a book to the big screen by Nick Schenk. The plot follows a former rodeo star Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood) who is hired to reunite a young Rafael “Rafo” Polk (Eduardo Minett) in Mexico with his father Howard Polk (Dwight Yoakam) in the United States.

There have been numerous attempts in the past to adapt the novel into a feature film with a variety of actors negotiations to star, none bigger than when Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast back in 2011 only for production to be canceled after a scandal. In 2020 though, it was announced Eastwood would create an adaptation with Albert S. Ruddy, Tim Moore, and Jessica Meier attached as producers. Production took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico with cinematographer Ben Davis (cinematographer for MCU films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel). During post-production, the score was composed by Mark Mancina (also scored big films such as Speed, Bad Boys, Training Day, and Moana).

Cry Macho was theatrically released in the United States on September 17, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures with a simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service for 31 days.

THE GOOD

There is no denying what the main attraction was when it came to this movie. It was the man, the myth, the legend, the 91-year-old Clint Eastwood. It is already remarkable that he is still acting at his age, but the fact that he is also producing and directing on top of that is unfathomable. He is undoubtedly one of the biggest movie stars of all-time and after seeing the last movie he directed, Richard Jewell in 2019 that I thoroughly enjoyed, I was not going to miss his follow up.

Unfortunately, there was a lot I didn’t like about the film and I will dive into that later in this review, but one thing I did like about the movie was Eastwood’s performance. It was nowhere near his best work that we got with his early films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Dirty Harry (1971) or even some of his more recent films such as Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Gran Torino (2008), but it is still an overall good performance in this movie because even despite his age, it is still Clint freaking Eastwood that is acting. But for real though, his performance in this was very down to earth and authentic and you could tell that this was certainly a passion project of his.

Other than that, the two best things about Cry Macho were the score and the scenery in my opinion. First with the score that was brought to us by Mark Mancina. When I first watched the trailer for this film, what stuck out to me most other than Eastwood’s name being attached was the amazingly moving score that was being played throughout the entire trailer. I am not even joking when I say that I was humming the score hours after initially watching the trailer. That one song was definitely the best, but the entire movie is full of some great music and I am not ashamed to admit that I was already a fan of Mancina’s work thanks to the 2016 Disney film Moana, and with this, my fandom for him has grown even more. Onto the scenery that was shot by cinematographer Ben Davis. The scenery throughout the whole movie is really breathtaking. The film takes place in Mexico for the most part, while production took place primarily in New Mexico and Davis just does a marvelous job at really providing essence to the story as a whole with some of his shots and I would be lying if I said that wasn’t my favorite part of the movie.

THE BAD

As I said in “The Good” portion, there was unfortunately a lot I didn’t like about this film. For starters, it is an incredibly slow movie. If you are going into this movie thinking that you are going to get another gunslinging Western featuring Eastwood in the lead role, you will be sorely mistaken. It also didn’t help that the film was poorly paced. There were some scenes that I wanted to see more of and also scenes that I wanted a lot less of if that makes sense. For example, it made me think of another Eastwood film from a couple years ago, The Mule. With that film, despite it also being really slow in some ways, I thought it was still very well-paced and that helped keep me engaged from start to finish when I watched it where this one did not.

I might as well continue comparing it to The Mule. I know that film got bashed by critics, but I really enjoyed it because of what was a very interesting story in my book. With Cry Macho, I just was not a fan of the screenplay. I already said that it was slow due to poor pacing, and because of a weak screenplay, I also found it to be a quite boring movie for lack of a better term. I thought going into it that there would be some intense action scenes with either Mexican police or border patrol because of the film’s premise dealing with getting the kid back into the United States, but there wasn’t any of that. Instead, there was way too much dialogue for my liking and I just felt that the film’s tone was all over the place.

Lastly, I really did not like a single performance from anyone else besides Eastwood. I’ve already mentioned that this was far from Eastwood’s best performance but I am not going to over-critique a 91-year old man’s acting. I just won’t. I will critique everyone else though. First with Eduardo Minett, the actor who played the boy “Rafo”, I just wasn’t buying what he was selling. I don’t know how many performances he has under his belt, but his inexperience stuck out like a sore thumb in some scenes, especially some of the more emotional ones. Also, it pained me how many times this darn kid said “macho” in the film, I was like dude we get it, that’s the name of the movie. I also did not like Dwight Yoakam’s performance in this. Maybe it is part because his character is kind of a piece of s**t, but he just didn’t bring enough emotion to his character. It felt at times like he was just reading off a teleprompter.

THE VERDICT

Despite some beautiful scenery and a profound score, Cry Macho gets bogged down with its poor pacing, weak screenplay, and some pretty forgettable performances from the supporting cast.

While Cry Macho did not leave the impact on me that I was hoping for, it is still a Clint Eastwood directed movie featuring you guessed it...Clint Eastwood. If there is one thing I took out of watching this movie, it is that Eastwoods proves that he still remains one of the prominent filmmakers we have working today and that is he will always bring the same charismatic screen presence to any role of his.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.5/10

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

Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen is a 2021 coming-of-age musical drama directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).

The film tells the story of Evan Hansen, a high school senior with Social Anxiety Disorder and his journey of self-discovery and acceptance following the suicide of a fellow classmate. Ben Platt plays the title role, reprising the performance that he originated on stage. Dear Evan Hansen held its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9th, 2021 as its Opening Night Gala Presentation.

Featuring Grammy winning songs, including the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever” and “Words Fail,” Dear Evan Hansen stars six-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams, Oscar® winner Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Colton Ryan (Apple TV+’s Little Voice), Nik Dodani (Netflix’s Atypical), DeMarius Copes (Broadway’s Mean Girls) and Danny Pino (NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

Dear Evan Hansen made its debut in theaters September 24th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

I should probably start this review by pointing out the fact that I have never seen the Broadway musical the film is based on, or any Broadway musical for that matter, and had zero context until I watched the trailer. I’m also not a huge fan of musicals in general, although I loved The Greatest Showman and I’m not ashamed to admit it. But once I watched the trailer for Dear Evan Hansen, I knew I needed to see it. I have friends who did see the musical and have been anxiously awaiting the film release as well, so that was definitely a contributing factor. 

Long story short, Dear Evan Hansen is a fantastic and incredibly moving movie. It is heartfelt, very well acted, and the script felt raw and genuine and had me invested from start to finish. I had my reservations as someone who usually has the take it or leave it mindset when it comes to musicals, but with Dear Evan Hansen I was 110% invested. Maybe it’s the subject matter or the simple fact that I’m a sucker for a good tear jerker or coming-of-age film, but for me this was an experience that stuck with me more than most movies do. I felt like it hit me on a personal level, and it also resonated with me as far as my educational background as it relates to psychology and mental illness. High School is hard enough, but in the social media age I can only imagine it is damn near unbearable at times. Movies like Dear Evan Hansen need to be seen to help spread awareness, similar to the recently released Words on Bathroom Walls (full review and trailer here), that tackles schizophrenia, now streaming on Prime Video.

Dear Evan Hansen explores so many important themes while creating awareness in the process, and for me, that’s something that really matters. Whether you’re passionate about the widespread prevalence of mental issues like depression or anxiety, or just the overall struggle with suicide awareness in this country, the topics on the forefront hit hard. Also, I’m not even going to hide from the fact that I was full on tearing up several times, and a few women in the theater were outright crying. Not even kidding. I did my best to sniffle during the louder parts of the movie of course, I mean I have a reputation to protect after all.

The storyline is extremely heavy emotionally, and I feel like the addition of the music was a big time contributing factor as far as the tear jerking element of the film. If you consider yourself to be a bit of a softie with these types of movies, bring lots of tissues. I felt the isolation and loneliness the characters felt whether it was Connor’s family dealing with this tragedy in this unforgiving age of social media, or Evan having to navigate high school while dealing with his own demons. And speaking of the music, the performances were exceptional. I loved each and every song, and if this is what most musicals are like, I should probably start watching more. I mean the music was so seamless in each scene that it just felt like it belonged. Kudos to everyone that worked on this movie.

Speaking of people who worked on Dear Evan Hansen, if you want to bring a coming-of-age musical or book to the big-screen, director Stephen Chbosky is your guy. Anything this guy teaches receives rave reviews, especially from viewers, which at the end of the day is really all that matters. These are the people going out and supporting these movies. He did the 2012 film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, also based on a book. He also did a favorite of mine, and one of my wife’s absolute favorite films, the coming-of-age 2017 drama Wonder (full review and trailer here), based on the New York Times Bestselling book. I read the book which was amazing, and it was perfectly depicted on-screen as well. The film is now streaming on Hulu. Bottom line, you want Chbosky behind the camera for these films because the guy just gets it, and he quite simply makes movies that matter.

The acting is without a doubt one of the main reasons Dear Evan Hansen works so well. The cast is stacked and very well balanced. Going in I wasn’t hugely familiar with Ben Platt aside from the Pitch Perfect movies, but he is incredible in this role and I now understand his Broadway success. His portrayal of a high school student who is struggling with borderline debilitating anxiety and depression felt real and inspiring. He was genuine and his display of emotion was amazing. He is such a talented actor, singer, and songwriter, and the fact that he won a Tony, Emmy, and Grammy in the title role in the Broadway musical for which the film is based, is absolutely insane to me. I mean this guy lit the world on fire with this coming-of-age musical from 2015-2017, and was able to step into the lead role in the film version at the age of 27, and still play what I thought was a very believable and fantastic portrayal of the character. The critics that are grilling him for “looking too old” to play a high school student are just looking for something to nitpick because that never once entered my mind. Instead Platt’s commitment to this role should be applauded, not criticized. Just see the movie and you will be amazed.

Julianne Moore was fantastic in the role of Evan’s mom, and her portrayal of a struggling single mother with a teenager dealing with struggles of his own felt genuine. I loved Amy Adams in her role as Connor’s mom, and felt like her unimaginable struggle as a mother grasping for something to hold onto to keep the memory of her late son alive was authentic. I have dealt with loss in my life and watched my own mother go down a similar path, and it is downright crushing mentally and physically so I really felt for her character. Its true what they say, there is no love like a mothers love. Adams is one of the best actresses working today, and she proves it here.

I also really liked Danny Pino, best known for his role in Law & Order: SVU, as Connor’s step dad. As a father myself, he got the water works going for me a few times. Kaitlyn Dever does a really great job as Connor’s complicated but ultimately kind hearted sister, and her chemistry with Platt was huge to the success of the film. I also really enjoyed Colton Ryan in his role as the troubled and misunderstood Connor Murphy. I was extremely pleased with Amandla Stenberg in her role as Alana Beck. She may not be a household name, but she was amazing in the 2018 coming-of-age drama The Hate U Give. She is an actress to keep your eye on. Nik Dodani essentially plays his exact same character from the Netflix series Atypical, but I didn’t mind it and felt like he did a really nice job here as well with his light-hearted presence.

THE BAD

Whether you are turning a book or a Broadway play into a movie, the bar is already set high and the expectations are unrealistic more often than not. A movie requires so many different things to work in unison in such a small window, that it often produces something considered to be nothing short of a letdown. But sometimes that bar is part of the problem. Like I explained earlier in the review I wasn’t comparing Dear Evan Hansen to the Broadway musical it is based on, but from my perspective, this is just a really good movie plain and simple. You could maybe argue that the acting felt forced at times, but it was few and far between and I felt like it was more of the difficult transitions from acting to singing in certain scenes. I can’t think of any substantial issues I had with Dear Evan Hansen, and I honestly feel thankful that I had the opportunity to see it. This is a movie that will leave a mark on you, and I think it will inevitably help a lot of people. It is a little long at 2 hours and 17 minutes which is lengthy for most people, but trust me it flies by.

THE VERDICT

Powerful, inspirational, and genuinely moving, Dear Evan Hansen is hands down the best musical since The Greatest Showman, and quite the tear jerker. Do yourself a favor and ignore the cynical so-called “critics” and check this out in theaters, you’ll be glad you did. I mean seriously, sometimes these out of touch critics are the absolute worst (I consider myself a lone ranger of sorts of course), and I can’t seem to figure out what is up their you know what when it comes to this movie. I guess I should thank them for lowering my expectations, but needless to say I will be recommending this movie to everyone who will listen, and I truly hope it does well and allows this important message the opportunity to reach as many people as possible.

So please, do me a huge favor and ignore the naysayers and trust the audience score, Dear Evan Hansen is worth it.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

Dear Evan Hansen is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.