Cha Cha Real Smooth

By: Andrew Wing

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a 2022 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Cooper Raiff (best known for his debut feature film Shithouse, in which he starred, directed, wrote, produced, and co-edited). Similar to his first film, Raiff also stars in this, with a supporting cast that includes Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades film series, The Peanut Butter Falcon), Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Leslie Mann (This Is 40, Blockers), Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond, Fargo), and Raúl Castillo (Looking, We the Animals).

The plot follows the 22-year-old Andrew (Raiff) who’s fresh out of college and stuck at his New Jersey home without a clear path forward. But when he begins working as a party starter for bar/bat mitzvahs, he strikes up a unique friendship with a young mom (Johnson) and her teenage daughter (Burghardt).

It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2022. It was released in limited theaters and on Apple TV+ on June 17, 2022.

THE GOOD

I am extremely happy to finally be writing this review because ever since Cha Cha Real Smooth premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, all I have heard is great things. And usually, when it comes to films that do very well at the festivals, we don’t get to see them until the end of the year as their distributors are expecting them to be Oscar contenders. But with this, the comedy-drama film from Cooper Raiff that Apple bought for $15 million, we got to get it on the Apple TV+ streaming service just in time for summer! With that said, I checked it out the first day I could, but did it live up to the hype? Keep reading to find out!

I’ll just get right to the point, it did and it honestly exceeded my expectations. And the main reason it did is Cooper Raiff. I still need to watch his debut feature Shithouse, and after seeing this it will definitely be moving up my watchlist because he absolutely crushed it here as he directed, wrote, and starred in his own film. I’m going to address everything Raiff did here, but I’ll begin with his direction because I loved it. It was just so sensitive and I appreciated how he made the film so funny and sweet, yet very relatable. It was extremely relatable to me especially as a 21-year-old aspiring writer because Raiff’s character Andrew is this recent college graduate struggling to figure out how he is supposed to live his early 20s which I already know is a time in life where you can be kind of desperate for some sort of shape to take form. At the end of the day, it was just so real as he made it a point to dive into the character more and explore what this film was really about.

Next with Raiff’s writing because it was superb. His character Andrew was so charismatic, like arguably one of the most charismatic characters I’ve seen in a film in a long long time. The level of likability his character had was sonridiculous that it had me wishing that I had his ability to just charm everybody I'm around with such ease. But truthfully, it was weird how much I liked admiring the main character of this movie because that’s not the main reason why I watch movies in the first place, but there was just something about this character’s willingness to put themselves out there in such a way, and it was all a credit to how Raiff wrote the character.

So now since I’ve touched on Raiff’s direction and his writing, there is only one thing left to touch on, and that is his acting. I’ve already discussed how much I loved his character Andrew as he just made him so likable and easy to root for, but what really made the film for me was Raiff’s unbelievably natural on-screen chemistry with Dakota Johnson. The romantic tension between the two was undeniable and I just wanted it for them so bad once they met each other. I won’t spoil it when it comes to how their relationship unfolds, but once you as a viewer realize what their relationship means to these characters, you will have no problem with how this film finishes.

But to continue, I have to highlight the other half of that dynamic duo in Dakota Johnson. She was freaking great here and this is right up there as one of her best roles ever with her previous performance in The Lost Daughter (see my full review here). The chemistry she had with Raiff was off the charts, but aside from that, I was buying everything she was selling from start to finish. Johnson definitely had the best supporting performance if you ask me, but to be honest the whole cast was great, from Evan Assante and Vanessa Burghardt in what I think was each of their feature film debuts, to the amazing on-screen couple that was Leslie Mann and Brad Garrett.

In closing, Cooper Raiff stole the show, Dakota Johnson was the best of an all-around fantastic supporting cast, and the film had a great message. It also was beautifully shot by Cristina Dunlap and it had a killer soundtrack. The last thing I will say, and while it’s unlikely, I would love to see this film kind of play out similar to CODA (see my full review here), another film that premiered at Sundance and was eventually purchased by Apple and went on to win Best Picture at this year’s 94th Academy Awards. Now I’ll be honest, I don’t see it winning Best Picture for a number of reasons, but I would love to see it stay relevant for the rest of this year and maybe be in contention for one of the ten Best Picture nominations slots, and also so it can get some support in categories like original screenplay, supporting actress for Dakota Johnson, and definitely lead actor in my opinion for Cooper Raiff, but we will just have to wait and see!

THE BAD

Do your best to keep your emotions in check as I am about to shock you, but I really have nothing bad to say about this film. While it maybe didn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to rom-coms, I never felt for a second that it was retreading any of the territory we’ve seen in past rom-coms. Also, if you’re someone who isn’t a fan of hyper-charismatic protagonists then this isn’t the film for you because that is exactly what Cooper Raiff is in Cha Cha Real Smooth. But despite him taking the risky move by having his personality have so much of a hold over the entire picture, it totally paid off as he was perfect for the role as only he could’ve played the character of Andrew.

THE VERDICT

In just his second outing as a writer-director, Cooper Raiff cements his place as a major new voice in the movie industry that we aren’t soon going to forget with his comedy-drama film Cha Cha Real Smooth that I would say is the perfect modern rom-com. Raiff also starred in the film and he showed that he is just as good of a dramatic and comedic actor as he is a filmmaker as his confident portrayal of the character was super infectious and incredibly magnetic from beginning to end.

Dakota Johnson also gave arguably the best performance of her young career, and all in all, this is a very charming, wholesome, and feel-good film that had me beaming right from the start, and it never faltered in that respect. I’ll shut up now because I could go on for days, but it is such an easy movie to fall in love with, and with that and also the fact that there are a lot of different things one can take away from it, I think it’s endlessly rewatchable.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10

Cha Cha Real Smooth is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Lightyear

By: Ted Trafton & Andrew Wing

Lightyear is a 2022 American computer-animated science-fiction action-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film, a spin-off of the Toy Story film series (serving as an origin story for the fictional test pilot/astronaut character who the Buzz Lightyear toy/action figure featured in the main films was inspired by), was co-written and directed by Angus MacLane (he also co-directed Finding Dory) and produced by Galyn Susman, and stars Chris Evans (played Steve Rogers / Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) as the voice of the title character, with Keke Palmer (Jump In!, True Jackson, VP), Peter Sohn (voiced Emile in Ratatouille, and Squishy in Monsters University), James Brolin (father of Josh Brolin, who starred in the television series Hotel), Taika Waititi (best known for directing Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit), Dale Soules (The Messenger, Orange Is the New Black), Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black), Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite) and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire) in supporting roles.

Lightyear tells the story of young astronaut Buzz Lightyear, who, after being marooned on a hostile planet with his commander and crew, tries to find a way back home while confronting a threat in the form of the Emperor Zurg. Initially, the source material for Buzz Lightyear was introduced in the 2000 direct-to-video film Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, which was the pilot to a spin-off television series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-01). After finishing work on Finding Dory (2016), MacLane, a science fiction fan, pitched the idea of making a film about Buzz Lightyear at Pixar. To evoke the science fiction films the director grew up watching, the animators wanted to give the film a "cinematic" and "chunky" look. The animation and visual process were done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Giacchino (Up, The Batman) composed the film’s scores.

Lightyear had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 8, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 17 in RealD 3D, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX formats. This was the first Pixar film to be filmed in IMAX.

THE GOOD

From Ted’s perspective…

First things first, the Toy Story franchise provides a ton of great nostalgia for me. Few songs have been engrained in my brain quite like Randy Newman’s “You've Got a Friend in Me”, and I wasn’t mad about it. That song was simply fire and fit the debut film in the franchise so well. The original Toy Story made it’s debut back in 1995, which seems crazy if I’m being honest considering how well it holds up today. The film remains nearly blemish free when it comes to critics, and pulled in an impressive $363 million in the box office. The 4th film in the franchise released just a few years ago in 2019. Realizing that Andrew had yet to be born when the original released makes me want to swan dive off the roof of my house, but that is a story for another day. The bread and butter of the franchise has always been the message at it’s core which is the powerful bond of family and friendship, and what it means to feel forgotten or left behind. At the end of the day, as human beings (or toys that come to life) we all need to feel wanted or valued in one way or another.

Back in November of 1995, life was good for a gun-slingin’ cowboy toy named Woody. He was the apple of his owner’s eye, a joyous and wholesome young boy named Andy. He even had Andy’s name quite haphazardly written on the bottom of his boot with sharpie as a nice reminder. But, all great things must come to an end at some point, right? All of the toys in Andy’s room are tightly wound as the little boys birthday has arrived yet again. Each toy fears the worst, being replaced. In comes Andy’s newest and highly sought after toy, the shiny Space Ranger known as Buzz Lightyear, complete with a wing suit, laser, and a quite an ego. When Buzz first comes to life, he doesn’t realize he is a toy. He thinks he is the real Buzz Lightyear, a character in one of Andy’s favorite movies which is why he asks for the toy for his birthday. Buzz is certain he has landed on yet another uninhabitable planet as he searches for signs of intelligent life, only to encounter Woody and the rest of Andy’s toys who proceed to convince him that he is in fact, just a toy. So, what about the “real” Buzz Lightyear?! I’m glad you asked! Andrew and I were beyond pumped when Lightyear made it’s debut in theaters, and knew we would be there on opening day. We decided to do a blended review considering we both have a different generational perspective when it comes to the Toy Story franchise. So what did we think? Keep reading to find out!

I’ll go first, I absolutely loved Lightyear! The film opened with several trademark Buzz Lightyear lines, and I damn near fell out of my seat I was so excited. Seeing this larger-than-life version of the toy I have grown to love just felt surreal to me in so many ways, and the 2022 animation advancements courtesy of Disney and Pixar Animation Studios was pure eye candy. I was drawn to each and every character outside of the titular Buzz Lightyear, which again, is a given, and I thought each character had great depth and fit the story perfectly. The writing team brings the heat yet again with a screenplay packed to the brim with exciting action sequences, a ton of emotional moments, and the power of family and friendship the Toy Story franchise is known for. Lightyear accomplished something I didn’t think was possible, which made me appreciate Buzz Lightyear more than I already did. I won’t go as far as to say that this is the best film in the franchise, counting the four Toy Story films of course, but it is a worthy and heartfelt addition that will hopefully serve as a springboard for more Toy Story movies. If they announce a Woody origin story, I might pass out. I wish I was kidding.

As far as the screenplay is concerned, it was actually much more elaborate that the trailer would lead you to believe. The trailer definitely puts you on the right track, but its one of those situations where they cut the trailer a certain way to avoid revealing the primary backstory of the film which I thought was a nice touch. The origin story of Buzz Lightyear is intriguing for several reasons, with the obvious and primary reason being the toy that was a huge factor in the success of the Disney-Pixar Toy Story film franchise. Buzz Lightyear and his “To Infinity and Beyond!” catchphrase has been rattling around the brains of kids and adults for decades, and we were finally afforded the opportunity to see why Andy wanted him for his birthday, and it wasn’t just the shiny and awesome suit.

Buzz is a man of the people, someone who is supremely confident but also terrified of failure. More than just failure, Buzz worries about letting the people who count on him down. There is no more prestigious position than that of a Space Ranger, and it is a role Buzz takes very seriously. The fate of mankind rests in the hands of Buzz and his co-pilot Alisha Hawthorne, and when a failed mission put everything they have worked for in jeopardy, Buzz is willing to sacrifice himself to save those he cares about most. This is the driving factor of the Lightyear story, and everything about it from the time travel element to the humor and emotional moments, I was engaged from start to finish.

As far as the voice actors are concerned, it should come as no surprise that they hit a home run with Lightyear. Chris Evans, who is attempting to transition to new projects after a phenomenal run as a Marvel mainstay, absolutely crushes it as Buzz Lightyear. I mean, who better to voice the real-life (sort of) space ranger than Captain American himself?! He just felt like such a natural in the role from the start, and I never once questioned his ability to really make this character come to life. His voice just fit everything that Buzz Lightyear embodied from the start and that had me fully invested. Uzo Aduba has a smaller but pivotal role as the voice of Alisha Hawthorne, but she was fantastic. Veteran actress Keke Palmer voices Hawthorne’s granddaughter Izzy, and I thought she was perfect for this role. Palmer, who recently starred in the 2019 comedy drama Hustlers, also has a lead role in the upcoming Jordan Peele horror thriller Nope, set to debut in theaters this summer (preview and trailer here). Palmer complimented Evans exceptionally well and the two had genuinely impactful chemistry in terms of the emotional element of the film.

The only thing that even came close to matching my excitement for the film in general or the fact that Chris Evans was voicing the great Buzz Lightyear, was the addition of my guy Taika Waititi, who yet again offers up his comedic chops for the greater good. The New Zealand native voices Mo Morrison, the poor oblivious “Space Ranger in Training” who stumbles upon a dangerous mission he couldn’t have been less interested in embarking on. But to the pure enjoyment of the audience, he didn’t have a choice. How I measure his performances may not be fair because his accent just kills me, but Waititi is hilarious in this with his well-timed punch lines and the fact that he just can’t seem to stop messing things up. I also really liked how they modeled his character to look exactly like real-life Taika Waititi, and that just made it even funnier for me. “My superpower is ingenuity!”

Oh, and for the people ready to boycott the film over the refusal to cast Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear you might want to take a few deep breaths and think about this for a second. This is the Buzz Lightyear the toy is based on, and Allen voices the toy. Would it make sense for the “real” Buzz Lightyear and the toy version of him to be voiced by the same person? I don’t think so. Maybe eventually we will get a Woody origin story, and we’ll see who they can find to fill the shoes of the great Tom Hanks.

On the technical side of things the animation is spectacular as expected. I mean let’s be honest for a second, when you sit down to watch a film with Disney-Pixar attached to it, you know it is going to incredible and just top-notch in every conceivable way. Nearly every scene left me in awe, from the characters facial expressions to how realistic and disgusting the inside out vending machine sandwiches looked, it was just eye candy throughout. The film was fairly limited in terms of visuals at its disposal because of the setting, but they made the most of it and created a world that felt very much lived in and alive. Also having seen the amazing film that is Top Gun: Maverick ( our full review here) recently, I couldn’t help but appreciate the glorious flying sequences that Lightyear had to offer. I was also very pleased with the soundtrack/score as it helped a ton setting the tone for the film especially during the more emotional scenes. I just realized I have been rambling for quite some time, so now I’ll give Andrew an opportunity to give us his thoughts on the film.

From Andrew’s Perspective…

It goes without saying that Lightyear was one of my most anticipated films of 2022. I’m sure 99% of the United States will say the same thing too because Buzz Lightyear is one of the biggest and most notable movie characters of all time, live-action or animated. I mean I grew up watching all of the Toy Story films and once I heard that this film was being made, I was just through the roof. More than that, the fact that the one and only Chris Evans, who was Captain America for the past decade, was going to voice the iconic character, I was on cloud nine. And because of my unhealthy anticipation, I just had to see this on opening night, so without further ado, did Lightyear live up to my otherworldly expectations, or did it prove that Disney and Pixar need to focus more on new stories rather than continuing off existing IP? Keep reading to find out!

Lightyear has everything you’d expect from a Pixar film and I will touch on all of those elements later in the review, but what I’ll talk about first is what was the most surprising thing about Lightyear, and that's how strong all of the science fiction elements were. That is in large part because of the director Angus MacLane, who made a sci-fi extravaganza with action worthy of the Star Wars films and ideas worthy of the genius Christopher Nolan. The story we got here was so good and I loved how character-driven it was. We really got to see how Buzz is at first this very self-absorbed person who gets off on feeling competent and in control, and the movie was constantly examining and challenging his shortcomings and I thought that was a nice touch. With all of that said, the film remained faithful to the spirit of the Toy Story movies while still being its own entity, so I give a big round of applause to director Angus MacLane, and I can’t wait to see what he does next!

Alright, I’ve waited long enough, it’s time to address Chris Evans’ voice performance as the titular character, Buzz Lightyear. His take on Buzz was amazing and it’s illegal to say that it’s as good or better than Tim Allen’s was because he made the character, but it was about as good as it could’ve been to me. Evans captured the character’s personality without doing a Tim Allen impression, and I was so impressed by Evans’ performance. The man can truly do no wrong, whether it’s kicking ass in that tight suit as Captain America or as the antagonist in the 2019 mystery film Knives Out (see Ted’s full review here), and I cannot wait to see him go toe to toe with another one of my favorite actors in Ryan Gosling in just over a month in the upcoming Netflix action thriller The Gray Man (see our preview here), which is directed by the Russo brothers.

Another great thing about Lightyear was its humor throughout. It is definitely a more inspired kind of humor and the fan-favorite when it came to who got the most laughs was the Sox character that’s voiced by Peter Sohn. I mean you just knew there was going to be a great comic relief character with it being a Pixar film. Aside from Sox though, all of the supporting characters were great from Taika Waititi’s Mo Morrison character to Bill Hader’s Featheringhamstan. They were all fantastic and provided a ton of laughs. James Brolin was awesome too as he voiced Emperor Zurg and Keke Palmer crushed it in her voice role as Izzy Hawthorne. Palmer is going to have herself quite the summer because not only is she in this, but she is set to star alongside Daniel Kaluuya in Jordan Peele’s upcoming science fiction horror film Nope (see our preview here).

There were so many other things I liked about Lightyear. First with the animation, and I know I use this word a lot, but it was truly stunning. I mean we know what to expect when it comes to Pixar, but they just continue to get better and better when it comes to their animation. I think a big reason I liked it so much though was because of all of the scenes in outer space and some of the longer takes we got in space that resembled Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 science-fiction epic Gravity which won Cuarón his first of two Best Director Academy Awards. Other than that, the sound design was fantastic, the visual effects were top-notch, and it was extremely well-paced. Oh, and one more thing, Michael Giacchino’s score was amazing and it brought so much to the film as a whole. As good as his score here was, it still isn’t even his best score of 2022, because that my friends is the score he did for the DC superhero film, The Batman (see Ted’s full review here).

In closing, the film has a lot of heart and it’s emotional too as we see Buzz learn the value of teamwork and the importance of accepting mistakes along the way. This may be a small spoiler, but there is at least one moment that will get you teary-eyed so just be prepared. All in all, I was just so impressed with how well put together this film was. A Buzz Lightyear origin story could have misfired in so many ways, but this film goes to infinity and beyond. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist, but in all seriousness, I will be rooting for this film to take home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature film at the 95th Academy Awards, because it is very deserving.

THE BAD

From Andrew’s Perspective…

Despite my love for this film, there were just a few minor things I thought they could’ve done better. The first was that the film was very predictable at times despite the interesting story we were given. At the end of the day though it’s a Pixar film, and I feel like most of them are quite predictable. I will say though that I think a longer runtime might’ve helped solve that problem a little bit just by maybe throwing some more stuff in there because this film is only just over an hour and a half if you take out the credits. With that said, it’s a kid’s movie so they really can’t make it 2 hours plus, or else you’d either have kids falling asleep or just no longer paying attention. Finally, this is definitely a nice addition to the Disney Pixar catalog, but because of the film feeling a little obvious at times, I just can’t put it in the upper echelon of Pixar movies because I think the best Pixar movies get their point across in more indirect ways like for example, in Inside Out which I truly think is not only arguably the best Pixar film ever made, but one of the best animated movies ever made.

One more thing and I feel this needs to be addressed, but the main critique that I have seen from other critics when it comes to Lightyear is that it is another example of a soulless way to profit off of existing IP like the Toy Story franchise, but that is just such an old and annoying argument that really doesn’t work. This definitely wasn’t the worst way to use the IP, and if we are going to be totally transparent, everything is based on a previous work and I’m down for any space adventure that Pixar wants to give us.

From Ted’s Perspective…

It made sense to let Andrew jump into his criticisms of the film first considering I knew it would be easier for him to take out the critical microscope if you will, and to be honest I agree with all of his points. Even though I score the film a bit higher, which you will see in the verdict section, Lightyear is not perfect, and surely isn’t the best Toy Story film either for that matter. That honor of course is reserved for the original film. But yeah, the plot is predictable as Andrew mentioned and surely limited by the fairly short run time, but I appreciate that as a dad who is at the mercy of kids and their notoriously short attention spans. I wouldn’t go as far as to necessarily criticize the decision to go this route mainly because the primary objective was to bring the iconic Buzz Lightyear to life, and I felt like they accomplished that goal. But at the same time Andrew mentions the incredible film Inside Out as an example, and even though Lightyear has a ton going for it, that is just in another league in terms of the whole package.

THE VERDICT

From Ted’s Perspective…

Top-tier voice acting matched only by the stunning visuals, laugh-out-loud humor, and the heartfelt moments the Toy Story franchise is so proudly known for, Lightyear is an origin story of epic proportions that put an ear-to-ear smile on my face and brought out my inner-child. To infinity, and beyond!! I ended up seeing the movie twice as I took my 3-year-old son the very next day, and it was even better the second time around. He loved it as well, of course, and couldn’t take his eyes off the screen. Which is saying something considering he had a plate of chicken fingers, waffle fries, and a full basket of popcorn in front of him. I really can’t put a price on a movie that makes me feel like a kid again while allowing me the opportunity to share something so special with my own son. It’s really a feeling I can’t even begin to describe. Bottom line, Lightyear is so much more than a cash-grab and I personally cannot wait to see it for a third time. Get the family together and head out to the theater sooner than later.

TED’s RATING - 9.1/10

From Andrew’s Perspective…

Lightyear, the latest film from the famous duo that is Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, is a really solid adventure film with amazing science fiction elements, and it is also surprisingly thought-provoking at times as it serves as a sort of character study on the iconic Buzz Lightyear.

I was so impressed with the direction and story we got from Angus MacLane as he gave us some sci-fi elements we’ve never gotten from a Pixar film, and Chris Evans absolutely killed it as the voice of Buzz Lightyear as he brought new depth to the legendary character. Other than that, the film had everything you could ask for when it comes to a Disney Pixar film from the stunning animation, heart, humor, lovable side characters, and an unforgettable comic relief character, this one being the robotic cat that serves as Buzz’s companion, Sox.

Andrew’s RATING - 8.5/10

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

Jurassic World Dominion

Jurassic World Dominion is a 2022 science fiction adventure film directed by Colin Trevorrow, who wrote the screenplay with Emily Carmichael, based on a story by Trevorrow and his writing partner, Derek Connolly. It is the sequel to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), the sixth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, and the third film in the Jurassic World trilogy. As with its predecessors, Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley will produce the film, with Trevorrow and Jurassic Park (1993) director Steven Spielberg acting as executive producers.

Four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed, dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

The film stars an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, Omar Sy, and BD Wong reprising their roles from previous films in the franchise, and they are joined by Mamoudou Athie, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, Campbell Scott, and DeWanda Wise.

Jurassic World Dominion made it’s debut in theaters and IMAX on June 10th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

I’m a Jurassic Park fan through and through, and although I wouldn’t necessarily say that I am a hardcore fan considering I don’t have a t-shirt in my closet or anything like that, these films still are absolutely pure nostalgia for me. I always think of the army green jeep with Jurassic Park written on the side, man that would be a cool summer vehicle. If you go all the way back to the original film, they always felt larger-than-life and ahead of their time. Dinosaurs really are the ultimate trigger of curiosity, I mean just look at the recently released docu-series Prehistoric Planet (see our preview here) which is incredible by the way. Okay so to get back on track a bit, I knew I would be seeing the latest film in the storied franchise, Jurassic World Dominion, as soon as it hit theaters. As I made my way to my super comfortable seat with warm delicious buttery popcorn and ice-cold soda in hand, was it worth my time? Keep reading to find out!

I had so much fun with Jurassic World Dominion. The movie delivered on the promise of edge-of-your-seat entertainment and genuine nostalgia as it managed to still feel like an authentic Jurassic Park movie. Bringing together the new age cast and the original cast for one final Jurassic World hoorah was a fantastic idea and they made the most of the opportunity. As expected, Jurassic World Dominion takes full advantage of the advancements in CGI technology, serving up some incredibly realistic and oftentimes downright terrifying dinosaurs. Don’t worry, we also get some cute ones that you would happily bring into your home as a pet. I was smiling for the better part of the film and really enjoyed seeing some of my favorite characters grace the big screen again. As far as the characters, the writing team put extra effort into ensuring the original characters felt like they had been living separate lives since the original film and subsequent sequels instead of it feeling like they just showed up.

The technical elements of Jurassic World Dominion take center stage as expected, and I don’t think many viewers will complain about that. At the end of the day, there is something reassuring about knowing you’ll have an unlimited supply of eye candy when you head to the theater to see a Jurassic Park film. Instead of going the route of feeling like a Transformers movie with one epic action sequence after another, which they easily could have, they opted for a nice balance to ensure the action helped to move the story along. The first few acts of the film are built around some of the more moderately sized yet still extremely dangerous dinosaurs as they are more popular in the underground black market scene for obvious reasons. I mean, you can’t exactly transport and conceal a T-Rex as much as you might want to.

We get some fantastic white-knuckle scenes including an awesome scene with Chris Pratt’s character on the run for his life on a motorcycle, as well as a few fantastic flying sequences. Plus our favorite characters are constantly in danger which had my blood pressure through the roof. When it comes to building tension, Jurassic World Dominion gets high marks from me. As far as the visuals are concerned, they really thrive in the finale when the humans step aside and let these amazing creatures fight it out. One scene, in particular, stood out to me and had a little bit of a Godzilla vs. Kong vibe. In my opinion, the film built things up like a great 4th of July fireworks display with a finale well worth the price of admission. So satisfying!

Aside from the visuals, the obvious bread and butter of Jurassic World Dominion is this fantastic and very well-rounded cast. The core Jurassic World crew is back led by Chris Pratt and the beautiful Bryce Dallas Howard. Pratt is great yet again as expected, and it was great to see how much his character has grown since the first Jurassic World film. If you were creating a list of jaw-dropping redheads, you better have Bryce Dallas Howard at the top of that list. The daughter of actor turned accomplished director Ron Howard, I just cannot seem to get enough of her. She is sort of like a more attractive but not quite as talented Jessica Chastain, and I mean that as a compliment. I love her in this role and her relationship with Pratt’s character is a big driving force for me. A big part of the film’s story is built around the Maisie Lockwood character played by Isabella Sermon, who made her debut in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Even though she is very inexperienced as an actress with this being her second acting credit, I thought she was great and definitely an asset to the film.

Jurassic World Dominion introduced a few newcomers as pivotal characters within the story, Mamoudou Athie, DeWanda Wise, and Dichen Lachman. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it took me much longer than it should have to realize why Athie looked so familiar. The Mauritanian-American actor has some quality acting credits on his resume, but his role in the Netflix drama-thriller series Archive 81 is likely to be fresh in the minds of most viewers. I loved his character and the intrigue he brought to the storyline, and I think he was easily the best new addition as far as the cast. Wise, who has been making quite a name for herself including a solid role in the Netflix film The Harder They Fall (our full review here), was just a badass in this. I really liked her former military-always-willing-to-do-the-right-thing-no-matter-the-consequences character, and she really upped the fun factor of the film.

I also really liked Lachman’s character as she took on the role of the mysterious antagonist, Sonoya Santos. Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Lachman is known for her role as Frankie in the hit series Animal Kingdom, as well as a supporting role in the incredible Apple TV+ drama series Severance. The versatile actress is obviously talented and continues to make her presence felt in film and television series roles. I did really like Campbell Scott as the film’s primary antagonist as he played the extremely intelligent and socially awkward Lewis Dodgson. His character is hard to get a read on but you can tell from the start something isn’t right about him. I also really liked my guy BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu. His character is conflicted as he finds himself in the middle of a global disaster, and I really liked the story arch for his character.

Okay so I will do my best to keep it brief as I have already rambled quite a bit, but I have to talk about the OG cast that helped to build the Jurassic Park franchise from the ground up. That would of course be the dynamic trio consisting of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and the man, the myth, the legend, Jeff Goldblum. This is random but even though Goldblum has enjoyed an illustrious career as an actor, when I see him now I somehow can’t help but think about the Seth Rogen scene from Pineapple Express when he mentions his girlfriend’s attractive high school friend he is jealous of and the fact that he is so funny with his great Jeff Goldblum impressions, to which James Franco’s character responds “F**K Jeff Goldblum, Man!”. So funny!!

So yeah, I can’t understate how much I love me some Jeff Goldblum, the guy is just always on point. Someone needs to give Taika Waititi a high five for casting him in Thor: Ragnarok. It blows my mind to think that his career began in 1974 in the Charles Bronson crime thriller Death Wish, as the titular character, Freak #1. But seriously, he is one of the greatest. I enjoyed so many of the characters in Jurassic World Dominion, but I think his iconic Ian Malcolm character was my favorite. It was just classic Goldblum as he managed to play more than one character for the sake of deception while remaining hilarious as always no matter what. Okay so back to Sam Neill and Laura Dern, it was amazing to get the two of them back on-screen again in a Jurassic Park movie. Their reunion held the most weight without a doubt, and I really liked what the writers did with them and how their relationship developed. So yeah, bringing back the original characters for Jurassic World Dominion was a slam dunk.

THE BAD

As far as movies that are just meant to be seen in theaters, Jurassic World Dominion is an absolute blast. But, it’s not perfect. For me, it starts off a little slow which is an issue considering the long run time and the fact that this is the 3rd film in the “Jurassic World” franchise. I just felt like they could have gotten things going a bit quicker to allow for more of the exciting stuff in the rest of the film. Although I did enjoy the story, especially how it all comes together at the end, they really played it safe here making it so this felt oddly similar to 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. We did get a few solid twists and the return of the original characters made up for a lot of the writing deficiencies. I will say though, that I’m honestly not sure why so many critics seem to have such an issue with this film, calling it dull and uninspired. It almost feels like they watched the beginning of the movie, made up their mind, and started giving an opinion. Which if I’m being honest, really wouldn’t surprise me.

THE VERDICT

Although the decision to play it safe with the screenplay limits its overall potential, Jurassic World Dominion still packs a hefty punch with exciting action sequences and stunning visuals, a satisfying reunion with the original cast, and an epic finale that serves as a great sendoff for the franchise. So much of this film is fan service, which is more than okay with me and most of you heading out to the theater. The original film was released way back in 1993, and it was so cool to see a few fathers and grandfathers taking the opportunity to share a special experience with their children and grandchildren. Jurassic World Dominion isn’t perfect as I talked about earlier in the review, but the pros far outweigh the cons, and the fact that this movie simply NEEDS to be seen in theaters seems obvious. Take what the majority of critics are saying with a grain of salt as for some reason they seem to be comparing this to the magical cinematic treat that is Top Gun: Maverick (our full review here). So yeah, kick off the summer movie season with the dinosaurs that have been entertaining us for nearly 30 years, you won’t regret it.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

Jurassic World Dominion is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Emergency

Emergency is a 2022 comedy drama film directed by Carey Williams from a screenplay by KD Dávila. It is a feature-length adaptation of Williams and Dávila's 2018 short film of the same name. The short film won the Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 SXSW. Dávila's screenplay also made the 2020 Black List of most popular un-produced scripts from up-and-coming screenwriters. Emergency premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival where Dávila won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

Ready for a night of legendary partying, three college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation.

The cast includes RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sabrina Carpenter, Sebastian Chacon, Maddie Nichols, Madison Thompson, Diego Abraham, and Melanie Jeffcoat.

Emergency made it’s debut in limited theaters on May 20th, and became available to stream on Prime Video May 27th.

THE GOOD

Emergency sort of snuck up on me when the trailer was first released, but once I saw that it had the one-two punch of a massive debut at the crème de la crème of film festivals, that being the Sundance Film Festival of course, as well as the underrated and frankly underappreciated RJ Cyler in a leading role. And with that, like a stone-faced poker player, I was ALL IN. The initial critic response to the film was insane, and you were hard-pressed to find anything negative about it. Plus considering the fact that it would be available to stream on Prime Video only a week after a limited theatrical release for awards consideration, the anticipation was building by the day. Was it worth the excitement? Keep reading to find out!

Bottom line, Emergency was fantastic, and is an absolute cinematic treat. I was laughing hysterically within the first few minutes of the film, and right away I could sense the creative direction it planned to take and I was excited to be along for the ride. I won’t give anything away, but the opening scene is by far the most entertaining and hilarious take on racism in recent memory. Try not to get hung up on the fact that it does shine a bright light on several issues that absolutely exist within our society, because it does so in such a way to avoid excluding anyone. Perhaps tasteful is the right word, but somehow they manage to make a powerful message extremely entertaining while still getting the point across. I wouldn’t even refer to it as social commentary because it just all feels so authentic and grounded. Plus, somehow Emergency finds a way to never take itself too seriously which is a huge benefit in terms of the overall entertainment value. I never once glanced at my phone and was fully immersed in the film from start to finish. Plus, the film absolutely left a lasting impression on me.

I like to give credit where credit is due, and without question, the primary strengths of Emergency are the writing and the acting. Considering it is the foundation of the film, I’ll start with the writing and what I felt was a masterful screenplay from Mexican-American screenwriter K.D. Dávila. Everything about the story feels very intentional and genuine for a reason thanks to the fact that the film is based on Dávila’s 2018 short film of the same name, which netted director Carey Williams several awards at various film festivals including the Special Jury Price Short Filmmaking Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Fast forward to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and Dávila took home the Waldo Scott Screenwriting Award for a U.S. Dramatic film. It is undeniable the impact Williams has had behind the camera, but for the feature-film version to work so well the screenplay had to take center stage.

You really have to experience it for yourself, but the tone is just so, so good. I’m not quite sure how they were able to find such a great balance, but Emergency never feels too funny, too serious, or too anything really, just like one of the many fantastic jokes during the film, it feels just right (Goldilocks and the Three Bears reference, obviously). But seriously, I laughed a ton, and when it was necessary I sat back and just took in the power of the moment. Nothing felt forced which is often a difficult balance with a film that touches on serious societal issues, and everything resonated with me. During one scene a very suburban “white” couple, and I can say that because I am very white myself, come out of their house and begin filming with their phones what they perceive as drug dealers on their property while yelling at them to leave before they call the cops. Once they leave the couple retreats to their home, seemingly satisfied, as they pass by their Black Lives Matter sign. I mean, hypocrisy at its finest.

Now it is time to talk about the acting and my guy RJ Cyler, as well as the rest of this fantastic cast. Cyler won me over after his role in the 2015 coming-of-age comedy-drama Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and because of that incredible film, I will always refer to him as Earl (I hope that’s okay with him). I’ve seen that movie easily 15 times, and it just gets better with every viewing, just be prepared to shed a few tears. I am a huge fan of a well-made coming-of-age film regardless, but it also has a deeper layer for lovers of the history of film, and I really appreciated that as well. Now I mentioned the fact that as an actor, Cyler is underrated and underappreciated, which I do firmly believe because let’s be honest, before reading this did YOU know his real name? Anyway, he has been getting his fair share of quality roles with the 2017 Power Rangers re-boot which I reviewed previously (our full review here), still waiting on a sequel, as well as the hard-hitting Netflix original film The Harder They Fall, which Andrew reviewed a few months ago (full review here). Cyler has a great on-screen presence and has proven he can play comedic and more serious roles with the best of them, while surely striving when he can do a little bit of both. Needless to say, he provided the majority of the comedic relief for Emergency while also handling the more dramatic roles perfectly. Cyler also has another film that looks really good, a historic drama called Freedom’s Path which should be available at some point soon, just waiting on news of a release date.

I know I have a problem talking about my appreciation for RJ Cyler, but he wasn’t alone when it came to this great cast. The other lead role was played by Donald Elise Watkins, who I thought was fantastic as well. His chemistry with Cyler was next-level, and the two played off of each other extremely well. With a film like this that relies on that nerdy “I care too much” role and the freewheeling “show up to class when I feel like it” role, both of these characters need to be believable otherwise the film quickly falls apart. Watkins, who admittedly I did not know much about prior to Emergency, has played a number of small supporting or very limited “background character” type roles, in films like Pitch Perfect (2012), Get on Up (2014), and Free State of Jones (2016). For me this is very much a breakout role for him as he is a big reason why the film works as well as it does.

He gets just as much screen time as Cyler, and arguably has a bigger impact on the film in terms of the dramatic element during the final act. In what is arguably the most powerful scene in the film, Watkins finds himself facedown on pavement with a single tear running down his face. This moment hit hard, and was really the culmination for the film and it’s underlying message. So yeah, he was great. The supporting cast did an incredible job as well, most notably Sebastian Chacon who plays Cyler and Watkins’ fanny pack wearing and pot smoking roommate. His chemistry with Cyler and Watkins was the icing on the cake for me, and the film simply wouldn’t be quite as good without him. I have nothing negative to say about the rest of the supporting cast consisting of Sabrina Carpenter, Diego Abraham, Gillian Rabin. Maddie Nichols, and Summer Madison. Just a great job all around.

THE BAD

I figured I would be able to easily speak to some of the negatives of Emergency when it comes to the social commentary etc, but I stand corrected. KD Dávila’s effective yet relatable screenplay simply works wonders with this cast, ensuring the entertainment value is prevalent from start to finish. The film feels authentic in terms of the overall goal of the story, and not a single scene or moment is wasted. I suppose you could argue that the comedic element takes a back seat during the film’s final act, but that is of course by design and surely not a flaw of the film. Bottom line, Emergency delivers on all fronts and is a movie with high replay value as well.

THE VERDICT

As hilarious and engaging as it is raw and purposeful thanks to breakout performances from RJ Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins, Emergency is a rare comedy drama that shines a light on a serious problem within our society without feeling overly political or one-sided. Rarely taking itself too seriously, the film manages to avoid limiting its reach and instead finds a way to appeal to all audiences thanks to a versatile mix of genres, and that is one of its biggest strengths. Director Carey Williams and screenwriter KD Dávila continue to develop their strong working relationship on the big screen, and I can’t wait to see what the duo comes up with next. Hollywood needs to take notice and start giving my guy RJ Cyler more opportunities because he always delivers. A Power Rangers sequel would be nice as well. Be sure to check out Emergency sooner than later.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.4/10

Emergency is now playing in select theaters and streaming on Prime Video. Check out the latest trailer below.

Dual

By: Andrew Wing

Dual is a 2022 American satirical science fiction thriller film written, directed, and produced by Riley Stearns (also directed Faults and The Art of Self-Defense). It stars Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame), Beulah Koale (Hawaii Five-0), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Westworld), and Theo James (The Divergent Series film trilogy, Archive).

The plot follows a woman (Gillan) who has to fight a clone of herself to the death after she unexpectedly recovers from a terminal illness.

The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2022. It was released in the United States on April 15, 2022, by RLJE Films.

THE GOOD

I’ll be honest, I did not think I was going to have the privilege of checking this movie out and reviewing it this soon. The reason being that it just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and despite its pretty good reviews, I wasn’t expecting it to be widely released not even a full three months after Sundance. Nevertheless, it came to the AMC+ streaming service which I have in May, and I quickly added it to the list. I mean we got Karen Gillan in a dual role playing both herself and her clone just a year after we saw Mahershala Ali do the same thing in Swan Song (see my full review here). So without further ado, was Gillan’s performance enough to make for a quality film? Keep reading to find out!

I won’t waste any time. I’ll get right into the main reason I checked this out, and that was seeing Karen Gillan’s dual performance. First things first, I just got to say that Gillan is a perfect match for this director’s style as she just totally understood the assignment. I thought her performance here was amazing and probably the best of her young career. She just did a fantastic job with her deadpan delivery and she was able to give so many different emotions to both her original character and her clone which truly is unfathomable to just a guy like me who watches a lot of movies. At the end of the day, she crushed this role and her performance alone made the film a very solid one.

Aside from Gillan who definitely gave the best performance, the next best performance belonged to Aaron Paul in his supporting role. He comes into this film about halfway through and he gets a lot of screen time and I just had a lot of fun with his character. There were a lot of enjoyable moments with his character, but there was one in particular where he and Gillan’s original character are slow-motion fighting and narrating their every single move, and it was so hilarious. All in all, I thought Paul nailed this role, and similar to Gillan, his acting style is a perfect match for the director.

And when it comes to the director Riley Stearns, his direction here was just great. I still need to watch his previous film The Art of Self-Defense which is currently streaming on Hulu starring Jesse Eisenberg, because apparently, his style is similar in both that and this. But when it comes to his style, I already love it after seeing just one of his films. Through his direction, he was able to create this very surreal world with this very odd and dry sense of humor where all the characters are slightly more robotic than people are in real life as they deliver everything very dry and weird. He just understands his style in his own way and I can’t wait to see what he does next because I’m already a fan.

Continuing with Stearns, not only did he direct, but he wrote the film as well and this writing was impressive. Dual takes place in a world where you can clone yourself with the intention of the original personal dying, but when that doesn’t go through like in this, the clones are forced to duel to the death in a public spectacle televised event. I mean come on…who comes up with this stuff? I mean I loved this premise despite its absurdity and I had a lot of fun indulging in this premise. Also, continuing with the writing, it’s a really funny movie. I laughed a lot at the dialogue as the humor was just totally up my alley.

THE BAD

I really enjoyed this film, but unfortunately, I can see most people not liking it. A big reason why is this film just makes you ask a lot of questions that you just shouldn’t ask. Questions like why these characters don’t elicit normal human emotions, and many many more. I would totally understand people not liking this, but what I would suggest is to just not look at the big picture and just try to enjoy the dark dry comedy that’s right in front of you.

Also, if you’re looking for a movie where you can emotionally connect to the characters, this is absolutely not it. But the director knew that from the start and he really didn't care. But that is just what makes this movie an experience as this film really gets to the heart of emptiness and nothingness. Need proof? Just wait until you see the end of Dual, which I didn’t love to be completely honest, but it still made me appreciate the director’s work as he was trying to show us the bigger picture of the world he was painting.

THE VERDICT

Behind a career-best performance from Karen Gillan in a double role, Dual is a satirical science fiction thriller that shows Riley Stearns is already one of the most unique writer-directors working today. It’s off-beat, absurd, and emotionally hollow, but Gillan’s deadpan delivery, Stearns’ dark humor, and a great supporting performance from Aaron Paul that provided a lot of laughs made this film really work for me, and I can’t wait to see what Riley Stearns does next.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.9/10

Dual is now streaming exclusively on AMC+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick is a 2022 action drama from director Joseph Kosinski, the man who brought us TRON: Legacy and Only the Brave, from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, and a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks. It is the highly anticipated follow-up to the 1986 hit film, Top Gun.

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

The cast includes Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Bashir Salahuddin, and Ed Harris.

Top Gun: Maverick made it’s theatrical release on May 27th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

I mean, where do I start? The original Top Gun, which made it’s theatrical debut when I was still doing #1 and #2 in a diaper and eating dirt for no logical reason, is an absolute classic and one of the most quotable films in recent memory. You’ve surely heard the “Maverick” or “Goose” reference, even if you pretended to know what it meant but in actuality had no idea. Either way, Top Gun is one of those films that found a way to reverberate through the film industry for decades, and that is quite an accomplishment. I made it a point to re-watch the original film right before I made my way to the theater to see Top Gun: Maverick, and I am glad I did. Keep reading to find out why!

Boy oh boy, Top Gun: Maverick brings the heat, and then some. I went in with what I considered to be sky-high expectations thanks to all of the early screening feedback, and my expectations were met, and exceeded. I mean sure, it wasn’t like they reinvented the wheel or tried to get extra crazy with a new elaborate story, they just offered up a quality product serving as a continuation of the original, and in the process giving fans everything they wanted, and more. I loved so much about this movie, but my favorite thing about it would have to be how it felt like a passionate extension of the original film. Top Gun: Maverick opens with a mirror image to the opening sequence of the original film, and I thought that was such a nice touch. I was sitting close to an older couple who was probably in their late 20’s/early 30’s when the first Top Gun released, and the joy they were experiencing throughout the film was a big part of what makes movies so special if you ask me. The team behind the making of the film seemed to value one of my favorite sayings which is, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Seems simple enough, right? Back in 1986 Top Gun blew the top off the film industry for a reason, and the recipe for success was simple.

Tom Cruise riding his motorcycle with that awesome jacket of his and those slick aviators, I mean he was James Dean level cool (dated reference, but you get it). And some great flying sequences with a nice love story mixed in for good measure, as well as a bit of an emotional element. Speaking of Cruise, I have to attribute much of the success of the film to his involvement as he clearly cared about doing the original justice. When Top Gun: Maverick started and he put on that original jacket and jumped on that same motorcycle, I was giddy. Cruise as a person may have some questionable outlooks on life in general, but you just can’t deny his commitment to his craft, the guy is a generational talent. I firmly believe that without his involvement in the project and what seemed to be a certain level of creative freedom for him in terms of the story, Top Gun: Maverick wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. But, more on him later when I touch on my thoughts on the cast as a whole. Bottom line, the nostalgic element of the film was huge for me.

As I talked about already, the story in itself was a strength for Top Gun: Maverick, as it follows a similar recipe to the original with the “new generation” spin. Taking place over 30 years after the events of the original film, we find Tom Cruise and his Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell character working as a testing pilot for the Navy. Mitchell, who has always been a bit of a headache to his superiors, hasn’t changed one bit. Mitchell bites off more than he can chew once again, and even has another love interest to offer up just enough of a distraction from his work.

Top Gun: Maverick does begin with more of a purpose as the top pilots are brought in specifically to train for an intense and extremely dangerous mission, so the build-up is surely an advantage. I also noticed right away the comedic element was a bit more of a focus, especially considering they had lots to work with using the events of the original film as a reference point. They even paid homage to the iconic volleyball scene, and did an awesome job with that as well. The story also has more weight to it as far as the emotional element thanks to the strained relationship between Maverick, and his former co-pilot’s son Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, played by Miles Teller. I loved the story as I was engaged from start to finish and even wanted to stand and clap a few times, and don’t tell anyone but my eyes may have gotten a little teary a few times as well. Damn allergies.

As far as the acting is concerned, from the stars to the supporting cast I can honestly say I can’t think of any issues I had with it. First I have to talk about the man himself, Tom Cruise. Now watching the original film which showcased a handsome and charismatic then 25-year-old Cruise, and now seeing him in the sequel 34-years later, I can’t help but be blown away. I mean, look at this guy, he is definitely drinking from the fountain of youth and taking huge gulps. It is undeniable that Cruise is one of the best and most accomplished actors in the history of film, but some may not realize just how multi-talented this guy really is. His commitment to his craft is second to none as he is also a pilot in real-life, and always insists on doing his own stunts. In fact, the World War II P-51 Mustang that appears early on in the film, is owned by Cruise. Pretty cool if you ask me.

It was just so cool watching him in the original film, and seeing the leaps he has made as an actor in Top Gun: Maverick. Cruise has been acting for so long you’d almost immediately assume he has 100+ acting credits, I know I did, but he is actually at an even 50, which includes Part 1 and Part 2 of the not yet released Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (check out the preview and trailer for Part 1 here), as well as the currently filming and untitled “SpaceX Project”, and the rumored sequel to Edge of Tomorrow, which I really, really, really hope comes to fruition. Sorry to get distracted with his upcoming projects, but the moral of the story is that when Cruise agrees to a role, he makes sure it is going to be worth doing.

I was very confused initially by the character Penny Benjamin played by Jennifer Connelly, who serves as the on again off again love interest for Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick. In the original film, Mitchell rides off into the sunset with his newfound love interest Top Gun instructor Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis. I don’t want to sound like an a-hole here, but a quick Google search makes it very clear why McGillis was not going to return to star alongside Cruise. It reminds me of Leslie Mann in This Is 40, where she complains about how Paul Rudd’s character seemingly doesn’t age yet she can’t seem to get into a night club because she looks like a really old mom. So yeah, in steps Connelly. Now as I mentioned early on, I made it a point to re-watch the original film right before seeing Top Gun: Maverick, but like a dummy I was still confused.

After doing a bit of light research a few lightbulbs went off in my head. Connelly’s character Penny Benjamin was mentioned on two separate occasions during the original film, once by Goose when he was razzing Mitchell about his “sexual escapades”, and next when Goose’s wife, played by Meg Ryan, brings up Mitchell’s wild history with Benjamin in front of Charlie, so I applaud the writing team for the audible and bringing in Connelly who was fantastic by the way. Not only is she beautiful and just seemed to own her role, her chemistry with Cruise felt genuine, and was a big reason for why the film worked so well. I hate to say it, but I absolutely prefer Penny over Charlie #TeamPenny.

The best addition to the cast in my opinion which was also the most impactful, is without a doubt Miles Teller, who I personally love as an actor. Teller takes on the role of Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, the son of the Goose character from the first film, played by Anthony Edwards. Teller’s contribution to the story cannot be understated as his relationship with Cruise’s character was the driving force of the film. He had fantastic chemistry with Cruise, and once again proved why he is one of the better next generation of actors. Not only does he look the part with Goose’s signature mustache, he also has enough of a resemblance which helped with the believability as well. Plus like Goose he is taller than Cruise, but I mean, who isn’t. Sorry, unnecessary jab and I apologize just in case the man himself is reading this. The complex relationship between Cruise and Teller that develops throughout the film will be one of the biggest takeaways for viewers, I know it was for me. So yeah, massive casting decision.

As far as the supporting cast is concerned, Val Kilmer made his return as his iconic Tom “Iceman” Kazansky character, and even though he plays a very small part this time around, he is still a big contributing factor within the story. I really liked how they respectfully involved the legendary actor who has been battling throat cancer, making sure he was still an integral part of the film. Jon Hamm was another huge addition as Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson, a former Top Gun alum and Maverick’s new boss as he takes on his role back at the Top Gun academy. The former star of the hit series Mad Men, Hamm is an incredible actor so he was able to match Cruise in some of the more dramatic scenes, and I really liked how the relationship between their two characters developed. Charles Barnell did a really nice job as Solomon ‘Warlock’ Bates, the other authority figure alongside Simpson. I enjoyed their dynamic as Bates seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for Mitchell compared to Simpson, who seems to look forward to what he feels is inevitable failure.

Ed Harris was great as expected, but he played a very limited role. I really liked Bashir Salahuddin in his role as Bernie ‘Hondo’ Coleman, as he helped with the comedic element of the film. The new generation of pilots, aside from Teller of course, consists of Glen Powell as Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, who was essentially the new Iceman. His competitive relationship with Teller is very similar to the Maverick vs Iceman battle in the original film. As I said before I thought everyone was really good, so I have to give a shout out to the rest of the supporting cast of Top Gun pilots including Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman (yes, the son of talented veteran actor Bull Pullman), Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Jack Schumacher, Manny Jacinto, Kara Wang, Greg Tarzan Davis (awesome middle name), Jake Picking, and last but not least, Raymond Lee. Everyone I mentioned deserves a ton of credit for appearing in such an incredible film.

I was genuinely impressed with director Joseph Kosinski, and felt like he handled everything pretty much as well as he could have. From his unique camera work during the action sequences to his commitment to ensuring Top Gun: Maverick paid tribute to the original, he was just on fire. During each takeoff you could almost feel the adrenaline the pilots were feeling thanks to Kosinski. I can’t wait for his next film, the Netflix original sci-fi drama Spiderhead (preview and trailer here), starring Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller, set to release next month. Considering his directorial debut was the massive 2010 film TRON: Legacy, Kosinski is making a name for himself when it comes to big time action films.

As you can tell from the trailer, the flying sequences are incredible. It really is one white-knuckle scene after another, starting with the first five minutes of the film. Tom Cruise insisted Top Gun: Maverick prioritize actual stunts and real flying over CGI, and it really shows. The film uses minimal CGI and green screen effects, and even the cockpit shots are taken during actual in-flight sequences. For this to be possible, much of the cast had to take extensive G-Force training sessions to ensure they would withstand the physical elements of the G-Force pressure during flights.

If I wasn’t eating my popcorn or enjoying my ice cold soda, my mouth was wide open during every single one of these intense scenes. They were just so, so good. In fact, I keep going back and re-watching the trailer to get my fix. Another calling card for Top Gun: Maverick is the score and soundtrack, which was nothing short of top notch thanks to talented composer Lorne Balfe. He recently handled the music for the Michael Bay action thriller Ambulance which I reviewed just over a month ago (full review here), as well as the Prime Video sci-fi thriller, The Tomorrow War. His contribution to the film really helped to ramp up the feeling of nostalgia. I also really liked the commitment to quality cinematography this time around thanks to great work from cinematographer Claudio Miranda, known for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, TRON: Legacy, and Life of Pi.

THE BAD

Admittedly, I’m still riding the high of Top Gun: Maverick to the point where I can’t seem to identify any weaknesses for the film. Or perhaps they just don’t exist. I suppose I could say the fact that it took over two years to finally release, but that is more of a pandemic issue and I refuse to go down that rabbit hole. Everything about the film just felt so intentional and authentic without a single scene that seemed slow or out of place. Plus, even at two hours and 10 minutes, it absolutely flew by. The ending may seem a bit predictable, but it still had me smiling ear to ear and left me feeling extremely satisfied. So yeah, I’m going to chalk up the negatives as a big “Goose” egg, pun intended of course.

THE VERDICT

A tour de force of epic proportions when it comes to quality filmmaking and effective sequels, Top Gun: Maverick embodies everything that made the original film an instant classic, while adding more humor, a higher bar for thrilling edge of your seat action sequences, and a few not so subtle tugs on the old heart strings. Director Joseph Kosinski really hit it out of the park. From the identical intro to Maverick’s iconic jacket, this is how you give fans what they want while ensuring newcomers have more than enough to sink their teeth into. Simply referring to Top Gun: Maverick as a superior sequel is a disservice to both films which are such seamless continuations of each other, and I honestly couldn’t imagine a more perfect ending. As soon as the credits hit the screen, I was looking forward to seeing it again. Do yourself a favor and see Top Gun: Maverick in theaters as soon as possible so you can “feel the need for speed!” You can thank me later.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

Top Gun: Maverick is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

By: Andrew Wing

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a 2022 American live-action/animated action-adventure comedy film based on the characters Chip and Dale and a continuation of the animated TV series of the same name. Directed by Akiva Schaffer (Hot Rod, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the film stars John Mulaney (Big Mouth, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Palm Springs) as the voices of the titular pair, respectively, with Will Arnett (Arrested Development, Lego Movie franchise), Eric Bana (Hulk, Munich), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele, The Prom), Seth Rogen (Superbad, Pineapple Express), J.K. Simmons (Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Whiplash), and KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk, The Old Guard).

It is a co-production between Walt Disney Pictures, producers David Hoberman (produced the 2010 sports drama The Fighter) and Todd Lieberman’s Mandeville Films (co-produced the 2017 live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures), and The Lonely Island (which Schaffer and Samberg are a part of).

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers premiered in Orlando on May 16, 2022, and was released in the United States on May 20, 2022, via streaming on Disney+ as an original film.

THE GOOD

I won’t lie, as the calendar turned from 2021 to 2022, when it came to upcoming movies, the Chip ‘n Dale reboot film was nowhere near the top of my list. However, after hearing all of the good reviews it was getting from critics and also coming out from the rock I was clearly living under to find out that comedy legends John Mulaney and Andy Samberg were voicing the titular characters, my excitement level went from 0 to 100. I absolutely love Andy Samberg as I probably listened to the inappropriate songs he did as a member of The Lonely Island, and for the past couple of years, I, like the rest of the world, have really taken a liking to John Mulaney, thanks in large part to his voice acting work as Andrew Glouberman in the Netflix original animated show Big Mouth. So now that I’ve given you some context, let’s see if those two comedy legends did enough to make this the surprise film of the year, or if they made it yet another in the long list of failed reboot movies. Keep reading to find out!

I won’t waste any time before I answer that question, this movie is easily the most pleasant surprise of the year for me, it is super funny, it is original in its own way, and it is just incredibly charming from beginning to end. I loved the way those in charge went about this reboot, and that’s because they knew their primary target audience was adults. I mean sure, kids can enjoy this too, but they made it knowing the adults now are the same ones who grew up watching the original animated series. I’ll touch on the director Akiva Schaffer and the writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand more so later in the review when it comes to what I liked the most about this, but just to state the obvious, they did an amazing job with Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Alright, now I said the main reason I checked this out in the first place was because of the inclusion of both John Mulaney and Andy Samberg, and hands down, they were the best part of this. The movie had great voice work from everyone, but Mulaney and Sandberg absolutely crushed it. Their chemistry was off the charts and I’d be shocked if we don’t see them work together again in an animated movie, and hopefully, it is a sequel for this. First, with Mulaney, his voice is just perfect for animation. He was amazing as Chip, and he just did such a great job at showing how Chip is the mature and optimistic leader of the Rescue Rangers with a strong moral standard by just using his voice. As for Samberg, I mean what can I say, I absolutely loved everything he brought to the table here and he is the perfect actor to voice Dale. Similar to Mulaney, Samberg was somehow able to convey that Dale is this happy-go-lucky character who usually acts before thinking with just his voice, and I really can’t say enough about their voice acting in this. It was that good.

Now to touch on some of the supporting voice performances. J.K. Simmons probably had the best voice work when it came to the supporting crew. You could just tell that he was so committed to this like he is for all his other projects and he was just hilarious as his voice is so recognizable. Seth Rogen was awesome too in his voice role and I loved how the movie made a reference to the fact that Rogen has voiced so many animated characters in his career. Lastly, Will Arnett, Eric Bana, and Keegan-Michael Key also were great in their small supporting roles, but Tim Robinson stole the show in his cameo voice appearance as the infamous Ugly Sonic.

This movie is labeled as a comedy, and I’ll get it out of the way right now if you were wondering, it is so so funny. Every couple of minutes there was something that happened that made me laugh out loud. Sure, a lot of that is thanks to the voice actors, but the majority of credit belongs to the director Akiva Schaffer and the writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand for what they created here because this movie is extremely clever. The meta-commentary in this was perfect and I really think this movie showed everyone what meta-humor should be. In the past couple of years, we have seen meta-humor used a lot more in movies and we have seen it used so terribly. But thankfully with this, we got what meta-humor should be because they took self-referential humor and intertwined it into the story in a way that was organic, functional, unique, and most importantly, funny. From the Ugly Sonic joke, the dumping on Alvin and the Chipmunks, to the references to the 2019 film Cats which is maybe the worst movie ever, there were so many amazing jokes that will make it endlessly entertaining for years to come.

I know I’ve already spoken a lot about John Mulaney already, but this isn’t his first time starring in an animated film. He was in what I think is the greatest animated movie ever back in 2018 with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and aside from all of the awesomeness that film had, its best aspect was its animation style. Since watching that, I have slowly gotten more into anime, and after watching Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, I can certainly say that their animation was very good. It was really cool to see the blend of different animation styles they worked throughout the movie and I can’t imagine what the animators had to do to make that work. But whatever they did, it looked great and I hope that come next year’s Academy Awards, they have the chance to bring home some hardware for what they accomplished.

THE BAD

There is no denying that this movie is a freaking blast from start to finish, and as I have already said, it is the surprise movie of the year for me. Sure, there are some jokes that don’t land like all comedies and I could’ve gone without the KiKi Layne human character because I don’t think it brought much to the story, but in Layne’s defense, it cannot be easy acting with air which is what she had to do in this because the movie is primarily full of animated characters. At the end of the day though, that is about all I can say negatively about Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, so with that said, it’s undeniably a very good movie.

THE VERDICT

After exceeding all of my expectations, I can say without a doubt that Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is the surprise movie of the year as it has everything you could ask for. It’s genuinely funny as it has got great meta-humor that is full of lots of funny references, and it also has solid animation and some incredible voice acting from the entire cast that is led by John Mulaney and Andy Samberg.

I really loved this movie. It is a lot of fun, it is very honest, it is sincerely made, it is adorable, and it is just a well-put-together film. It is super accessible to many different audiences which is why I think it is the perfect family movie, so if you’re looking for a movie to watch with your kids, this is the one.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Operation Mincemeat

By: Andrew Wing

Operation Mincemeat is a 2021 British war drama film directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). It is based upon Ben Macintyre’s book on the British Operation Mincemeat during the Second World War. The film stars Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Mamma Mia!), Kelly Macdonald (Trainspotting, Boardwalk Empire), Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice, Succession), Penelope Wilton (Shaun of the Dead, Match Point), Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Stardust), and Jason Isaacs (Peter Pan, The Death of Stalin).

The film’s plot begins in 1943 during the war and follows two British intelligence officers (Firth and Macfadyen) who concoct Operation Mincemeat, wherein their plan to drop a corpse with false papers off the coast of Spain would fool Nazi spies into believing the Allied forces were planning to attack by way of Greece rather than Sicily.

The film had its world premiere in 2021 at the British Film Festival in Australia and was released in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures, before it was released on Netflix in North American and Latin American countries on May 11, 2022.

THE GOOD

Where do I start? Operation Mincemeat definitely snuck up on me, which is all the more surprising since I’d say I keep pretty good tabs on films that premiere at festivals, but I let this one fall by the wayside. Despite that, once I saw the trailer a week or two back and saw the two biggest names attached to the film in Firth and Macfadyen, I knew I was going to have to check it out once it hit Netflix. And that is just what I did. But did it match my expectations? Well, there is only one way to know that, so keep reading to find out!

I don’t know if I can say it matched my expectations, but Operation Mincemeat is a good film nonetheless. I went into this with fair expectations. I wasn’t expecting to be watching the next Saving Private Ryan or 1917 level of war film, and because of that, I enjoyed it. That said, the best part of this movie was hands down the story. The story in this movie rules so props to Michelle Ashford for writing an amazing script that is adapted from Ben Macintyre’s book on the British Operation. It is a legitimately great story and it was so bizarre that it reminded me a lot of the Best Picture-winning film Argo, which was also based on a true story. But yeah, it was super cool to hear about this operation that played a big role in the Allied forces winning the Second World War that I had never previously heard about.

Continuing with the story, I got to bring this up because we see it so much with war movies, but I liked that Operation Mincemeat served as a very realistic take on a very real operation. Sure, it takes some creative liberties like most of these films do, but not so much that I had to drop some points off for it. Honestly, I thought it was a more accurate representation of what spycraft truly is as it is more sitting at a desk going through things rather than halo jumping out of planes or jumping from building to building like Tom Cruise does as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible film series that I absolutely love. Seriously though, nothing felt over-dramatized in Operation Mincemeat which I appreciated, and that did the film wonders in my opinion.

Now I already mentioned why I watched this movie in the first place, and that was because of the inclusion of both Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen. Firth is an Academy Award-winning actor thanks to his unbelievable performance in The King’s Speech, and Macfadyen is just a legend mostly thanks to portraying the character Tom Wambsgams in the HBO drama series Succession. But when it comes to their performances in Operation Mincemeat, I thought both of them were solid. It wasn’t the best performance of their careers or anything, but I liked how both the film itself and their performances showed the audiences that they weren’t these superheroes without flaws. Rather, they were these valuable people working during the Second World War who were at times unsure of themselves as they didn’t know if what they were doing was right, and both of them made that feel so real and that was the best thing they brought to this film.

They were the stars of the show, but there were also some good side performances here as well. It was weird because both Johnny Flynn and Simon Russell Beale were in this and I watched it directly after watching The Outfit (see my full review here), a movie I recently reviewed. They were both good in that, and they were both just as good here although they had much smaller roles. Beale played a great Winston Churchill and Flynn played the famous Ian Fleming, whose most notable work includes only writing the most famous spy novels of all time, the James Bond series. Seriously though, I liked how they included Ian Fleming in this, and while I knew he was responsible for writing James Bond books, I had no idea he was a British naval intelligence officer during the war, so them adding that small tidbit was sick.

Lastly, when it comes to Operation Mincemeat, I absolutely loved this movie on the technical side of things. I really liked the production value of it. It looked great thanks to Sebastian Blenkov’s cinematography and its look really put me into that specific setting of the 1940s. I also liked the way they presented the timeline too and it helped me never feel lost or confused in the complex story.

THE BAD

Alright, as I’ve said, Operation Mincemeat is a good film, but there are a couple of big problems with it in my opinion. First, it just felt so slow which is never what you want out of a war film. Granted, it’s not a typical war film as it takes place more on the spy side of things rather than being out on the battlefield, but still it just felt slowly paced. It also felt very dry at times, and I just really think it could’ve used a better director than John Madden. I’ll be honest, I have never been a big fan of the legendary director that is John Madden, and I still to this day cannot fathom how his most notable film Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Private Ryan at the 71st Academy Awards, like WTF!

A bigger problem than that though was what really hurt the film a grand amount. And that would be the love triangle side plot. Yes, there was this side plot in the movie revolving around a love triangle between Firth, Macfadyen, and Macdonald’s characters, and it was honestly pointless. It took time away from the movie and it was just such a colossal waste of time. It definitely makes the pacing issues of the movie hurt worse, and I just don’t know why they decided to add it to the film. Also tied with that, I didn’t like Kelly Macdonald’s performance here, and with her being a talented actress, I found them to waste her talent with this one unfortunately.

THE VERDICT

Despite it being a bit dry and having a pointless side plot that bogged it down, Operation Mincemeat is still a respectable war drama film that tells the true story of the British Operation that played a crucial role in the Allies defeating the Axis powers in the Second World War. It is great technically speaking and it also features two awesome performances from big-time actors Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen in their lead roles.

For me, undeniably the best part of this film was the story. Yes, they took some creative liberties with it as all historical movies do, but they told the story in such a realistic way that helped it tremendously so I have to give credit to Michelle Ashford for writing a fantastic adapted screenplay.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

Operation Mincemeat is now streaming only on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Survivor

By: Andrew Wing

The Survivor is a 2021 biographical drama film, directed by Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man), from a screenplay by Justine Juel Gillmer. Ben Foster (Hell or High Water, Leave No Trace) stars as Harry Haft, a real-life survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he boxed fellow inmates to survive. Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Old), Billy Magnussen (Game Night, Aladdin), Peter Sarsgaard (Flightplan, An Education), John Leguizamo (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!), and Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, Deck the Halls) co-star.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021 and was released on HBO on April 27, 2022.

THE GOOD

I have been looking forward to reviewing The Survivor for a long time now ever since I first heard about it. It was the first film from the legendary director Barry Levinson since 2015, and it was starring one of my favorite actors working currently in Ben Foster as Harry Haft, so I was pumped. Obviously, I was eager to learn more about this incredible true story that I had surprisingly never heard about before, but I’d be lying if I said anything got me as excited as Foster’s inclusion in this project. I mean, this has Academy Award Best Actor potential written all over it, and with my obsession with the Academy Awards, I knew I couldn’t miss this once it came out. And a long seven months after premiering at Toronto, The Survivor hit HBO Max, and you are damn right I checked it out first thing. But with all that said, was Ben Foster’s inclusion enough to have this film not only be a great film but live up to my incredibly high expectations for it? Keep reading to find out!

Well, unfortunately, the film didn’t, and I will talk more about why it didn’t work in the bad section, but there was one thing that exceeded my expectations. And that one thing was Ben Foster’s performance as Harry Haft. As I said, I had never heard about Harry Haft and his incredible true story, but Foster clearly did his research and he made a point of emphasis in his acting to show the toll it took on Haft as he went through these impossible challenges. Those in charge of this film really don’t sugarcoat anything, which I liked, and Foster went through the wringer (pun intended) in this film. On the same note, when discussing Foster’s performance, he truly gave us some beautiful things about the character, and those were the moral ambiguities that both he and we are faced with throughout the film. All in all, Foster undoubtedly honorably serves the man he is portraying and nothing is more important than that as an actor when playing a real person.

Continuing with Foster, I don’t know if he will be eligible for the 95th Academy Awards with this being a 2021 release, but I would love to see him tab his first Best Actor nomination for this because he damn well deserves it. For starters, the film covers three decades of Harry Haft’s life, starting with him before WW2, then going to him in the concentration camps, then after the war in New York when he is boxing, to ultimately a man in his 50s, and all of those four different timelines required Foster to give a completely different performance which is insanely impressive. Another thing was you could tell this wasn’t an impression to Foster like most other biopic performances are, but rather, Foster found the man inside himself. He showed that Haft was a man who wasn’t able to get away from his past, and he also did a great job at portraying the war fatigue that Haft dealt with. And lastly, Foster went as far as he physically could to inform the rest of Haft’s life by losing as much as 62 pounds to get to his recorded weight when he was in the concentration camps, and also put on 50 pounds after that for when he portrayed Haft in the boxing ring. I mean case closed honestly, with that alone Foster is deserving of a nomination and I really hope he can get it.

Now that I have addressed the best part of the film which was easily Foster’s performance, let’s hit on some of the other things I liked about The Survivor. First, I really liked Justine Juel Gillmer’s screenplay. I feel like some people will say it’s easier to write a biographical screenplay as opposed to any other screenplay, but it’s still super challenging to do because it can’t be easy determining which parts of someone’s life you want to write about the most. And with that said, Gillmer did a great job in my mind. I loved the dialogue she provided for later in Harry’s life as I found it to be super emotional and moving, and most importantly, I liked how she made it a point of emphasis to show that hope alone can get you through these tough times, and just how important it is to never lose hope.

Also, when it comes to things I liked about The Survivor, we got to address some of the other performances from the supporting cast. I wasn’t a fan of all of them, but I did enjoy what we got from both John Leguizamo and Danny DeVito. We see them only during the time when Harry is boxing, but they played their roles perfectly and I would love to see both of them have another role in the future where they are either a boxer’s trainer or mentor. They were good, but when it comes to the supporting performances, Billy Magnussen absolutely stole the show as he played the Nazi general at Auschwitz. I’d guarantee that this won’t be the last time we see him play a Nazi in a film because he crushed his role and his accent was flawless too.

Lastly, if you have been paying attention to the pictures throughout this review, the film is in color in Haft’s life after Auschwitz, and in black and white for both his time before the camps and while he was in the concentration camps. And you know I’m a sucker for some black and white cinematography, so I got to give a shout-out to the cinematographer George Steel. This was the first I’ve seen of him, but it was so well done and I look forward to seeing what he does next. Also, the editing that was done by Douglas Crise for this was really really good. I liked how well shot the boxing scenes were as we didn’t get too much of a shaky-cam, and after looking through his past work, I shouldn’t have been surprised that I liked his editing as he was the editor for the 2014 Best Picture-winning film Birdman that is one of my all-time favorites. And just one more thing, Hans Zimmer’s score was as great as you would expect any Zimmer score to be as he is the GOAT composer in my eyes.

THE BAD

When it comes to The Survivor, there is no debating that it is a good film, but it wasn’t the great film I was expecting it to be. Now it wasn’t due to Foster’s performance that I feel that way as I have already addressed, but I really think it falls on director Barry Levinson. Now Levinson is now eighty years old and there is no denying that he is a legendary director, but this will probably be one of his more forgettable pieces of work despite Foster’s amazing performance. Now I said I liked Gillmer’s screenplay and I did, but the inclusion of and Levinson’s decision to hop around from different timelines in Haft’s life hurt the film a little I think. It wasn’t terrible, but I think it made the film feel uneven if that makes sense, and I think their decision to do that also resulted in the film running too long.

Aside from the film’s uneven feel and long runtime, there was nothing else that really dragged the film down for me. I will say though that I wasn’t extremely pleased with what we got from both Vicky Krieps and Peter Sarsgaard. Now Sarsgaard’s character had a small role in the film, but I just felt like we got nothing out of it which was unfortunate as he is a very good actor. As with Krieps, and maybe I’m an outlier here, but I just wasn’t buying what she was selling. I’m surprised that I am saying that because she is a fabulous actress that I loved in Phantom Thread, but for all the emotional scenes towards the end with her character and Foster’s, Foster carried as I thought she didn’t bring enough emotion to her performance.

THE VERDICT

Behind a transformative performance from Ben Foster that is arguably the best of his career, The Survivor is a solid biographical drama that tells the story of Harry Haft, a real-life survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he boxed fellow inmates to survive.

Foster’s physical and emotional commitment to the role makes me think it is the best of his career. The story we got from Justine Juel Gillmer was powerful and the film was very nicely crafted thanks to Douglas Crise’s editing, George Steel’s stunning cinematography, and Hans Zimmer’s score, but some of the directorial choices made by Barry Levinson gave the film an uneven feeling and a long runtime that left more to be desired.

TED TAKES RATING - 8/10

The Survivor is available only on HBO and the HBO Max streaming service. Check out the latest trailer below.

Firestarter

Firestarter is a 2022 horror thriller film directed by Keith Thomas (The Vigil), from a screenplay by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills) based on the novel by Stephen King, and is produced by Jason Blum (Halloween, The Invisible Man) for Blumhouse and Oscar® winner Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend, Constantine) for Weed Road Pictures. It is a reboot of the 1984 film of the same name.

A girl with extraordinary pyrokinetic powers fights to protect her family and herself from sinister forces that seek to capture and control her. For more than a decade, parents Andy and Vicky have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction.

The cast includes Zac Efron, Sydney Lemmon, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Michael Greyeyes, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, and Gloria Reuben.

Firestarter made its debut in theaters and on the Peacock streaming service on May 13th.

THE GOOD

Put your hand up if you’ve seen the original Firestarter starring Drew Barrymore. Anyone? Anyone? Obviously, I can’t see you right now and have no idea if you have your hand up or not, but I am going to assume most of you kept your hands down. For one, the original came out back in 1984, and secondly, it just wasn’t very good. The film came out two years after the instant cult classic I assume most have seen, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and talk about a regression. Luckily Barrymore’s career remained intact as she beat out the “child actor curse”, many others weren’t quite as lucky. To get back on track, they decided to remake the film and put my guy Zac Efron in a leading role which was sure to at least garner some interest. I for one was intrigued and willing to give it a chance so I did, hoping for the best of course. Was Efron able to help Firestarter get re-ignited for a new generation?! Keep reading to find out!

Nope, not even a little bit. The flame fizzled out in the first five minutes of the film as audiences will quickly realize how ridiculous this premise is, causing them to lose interest pretty fast. Now I talked about Efron being a draw for the film and he was, but his performance isn’t exactly keeping people around until the end credits and I will touch on that more later in the review. The score is on the shortlist of positives as the duties were handled by horror legend John Carpenter and his fellow Halloween franchise composers Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. Umm so yeah, I wish I had more good things to say about Firestarter but I just don’t. I guess if you watch it sarcastically you might enjoy it more, but the fact that they technically consider this to be horror, well that in itself is pretty damn hilarious.

THE BAD

Remakes can be tough, I get that, but usually, the remake has an uphill battle due to the fact that the original was usually really good. I mean, why else are we remaking a movie if that’s not the case. Well, someone decided that remaking a mediocre Stephen King adaptation from 1984 was a good idea, and I would love to give that person a nice slap aside the old noggin’. All jokes aside, the original film which starred a young Drew Barrymore, was watchable but not much beyond that. Fast forward to 2022, and as if we don’t have enough bumps in the road in the last few years, here comes a remake with an entirely new cast, and I could honestly spend all day talking about why this movie shouldn’t have been made.

First of all, I am a big Stephen King guy. As far as book-to-film adaptations, even though a few have been less than great, he has knocked it out of the park more often than not. I often think back to Pet Sematary, which was actually recently remade as well. The original terrified me as a kid to the point where I thought any of our pets that passed away were going to walk into my room in the middle of the night. So yeah, not the recipe for a restful night’s sleep when you are 5-years old. And as far as the remake goes, I really enjoyed it all things considered. It all comes down to the story, and as long as you focus on the meat of the story, you have something to work with. But, with Firestarter, we have a little girl who shoots fire out of her hands and makes dishes fall off the dinner table. So yeah, not really much to work with. This brings me back to my original question, WHY are we remaking this movie?!

When you start with what I consider to be a poor concept, bad writing is sure to follow, right? Scott Teems, the man who wrote the screenplay sure didn’t have much to work with. Teems, who looks like he could star in a Rob Zombie film, is starting to carve out a career for himself as a horror writer after last year’s Halloween Kills, with two projects in post-production where he shares writing duties including another remake with The Exorcist, and Insidious 5. But I have to be honest here, I am far from sold on Teems and his ability to put together a script with any substance. I mean sure with Halloween Kills it is what it is, and although the story was pretty ridiculous more often than not, it scratched that slasher itch for fans of the franchise.

With Firestarter, the memo had to be clear, do something to make this movie not suck. Work with King and come up with some cool ideas. Did he do that? Nope, not even a little bit. But even worse than that, he managed to serve up dialogue that had me thinking Zac Efron, who played famed serial killer Ted Bundy recently let’s not forget, might need to go back to the Disney Channel. Seriously, the dialogue was trash, often felt forced, and was just cheesier than a well-made grilled cheese sandwich (apologies for the dad joke, couldn’t help myself). Fingers crossed this was just a misstep for Teems and his upcoming projects are worth watching, because if he pulls this crap again, he will find himself on my screenwriter blacklist (which I will create just for him).

This seems like a nice segue (anyone else think that was spelled “Segway” or am I the only idiot?) into the acting that was served up in Firestarter. Perhaps we can blame the casting team because they basically said hey Zac feel like starring in a movie surrounded by a mediocre cast? I imagine he was like sure I have nothing else going on, I’ll film my scenes in one weekend. Seriously, I like Efron as a actor and feel like he has proven his versatility time and time again, so I know this isn’t on him. With that being said, at times it honestly felt like he was having a hard time keeping a straight face during the more “dramatic” scenes. I can picture him laughing when he read over the script.

Efron stars alongside Sydney Lemmon, who plays his wife in the film. Lemmon fits the bill for someone I would consider to be an unknown actress who proved she isn’t yet ready for the bright lights of feature-films. She just wasn’t very convincing. I did find it funny that the marketing team referenced her role in HBO’s hit series Succession when promoting the film, but she was in one episode. Now she’s not horrible here, and she is gorgeous (just sayin’), but she really falters when she has to be a bit more serious and clearly struggles with that. Maybe she’ll get there, time will tell. Michael Greyeyes takes on the role of Rainbird, who is essentially the man who also has some abilities of his own and is hired to bring this little girl in. He was fine as far as his role in general, and probably a bright spot as far as the acting to be honest.

Gloria Reuben, who takes on the role of the diabolical Captain Hollister, tasked with acquiring the girl at all costs leading her to bringing Rainbird out of retirement, was brutal at times in my opinion. One scene in particular during the middle of the film she goes to see Dr. Wanless played by Kurtwood Smith to make him aware of the dire circumstances surrounding this dangerous little girl, and to say that her acting was cringeworthy might be generous. It was just downright silly, and she couldn’t have been less believable in this role.

I will save you the headache and not go too much in depth on the dialogue choices, but they are pretty bad. I mean, with such a ridiculous premise you either have to have a little bit of slapstick humor to balance things out, or find a way to make things really, really dark. Unfortunately the tone is just uncomfortable from start to finish, which ties in nicely with what I consider to be bargain-basement special effects. I mentioned how it seemed like Efron was trying to keep a straight face during the majority of his dramatic scenes, and one scene in particular stood out to me. Cover your ears, or eyes I suppose, if you are a big time cat lover because the scene I am referencing involves a cat getting barbecued “accidentally”. Basically it scratched the wrong little girl and burst into flames, I mean, these things happen right? Anyway, this cat is toast, literally, and Efron quickly reassures his daughter that it’s okay and they have a little burial for her in the back of this random parking lot. Efron decides to say a few nice words because he is a great guy after all, and as he is referring to the cat he refers to it as either a she or a he because of course he has no idea, and even throws in the “they” at the end just for good measure. Now I’m not sure if this was a knock on the current climate or a futile effort to seem with the current times, but if it is the latter I like the film a little bit more. So yeah, just picture the scene it sums up the movie pretty well.

THE VERDICT

An extremely unnecessary remake where the bad acting and special effects make it feel more like a spoof film than a horror thriller, Firestarter overstays it’s welcome pretty quickly and puts into question why this film was made in the first place. I can’t help but question screenwriter Scott Teems and his ability to come up with a screenplay with any substance or dialogue that isn’t cringeworthy, or even just an original idea or two. But this isn’t all on Teems, and to be honest every single person that worked on this film has some explaining to do. If I am Zac Efron, I am chalking this up as a fun exercise in what it’s like to star in a really, really bad movie. Can’t wait to see him in the Three Men and a Baby remake to get this bad taste out of my mouth.

TED TAKES RATING - 2/10

Firestarter is now playing in theaters and streaming on Peacock. Check out the latest trailer below.

Vendetta

Vendetta is a 2022 crime thriller written and directed by Jared Cohen, who is no stranger to the genre.

After the murders of his wife and young daughter at the hands of a ruthless crime family, an ex-marine seeks revenge by picking off members of the gang one by one until he completes his mission, even if it costs him his own life in the process.

The cast includes Clive Standen, Theo Rossi, Bruce Willis, Thomas Jane, and Mike Tyson.

Vendetta was released in limited theaters, VOD, and direct to Blu-ray and DVD on May 17th, courtesy of Vertical Entertainment and Redbox Entertainment.

THE GOOD

Like most people, I was shocked and just sad when I heard about the cognitive issues actor Bruce Willis was dealing with, essentially forcing him into retirement. We all had our opinions in terms of his decision to star in a ton of low-budget films, but we never expected that he was just trying to get in as many roles as he could before his illustrious career came to a close. The talented actor has just shy of 145 acting credits, with 20 of those coming in just the last few years. He is most often thought of as a guy starring in some kind of action/crime thriller film, and he has a great feel for revenge films. I personally thought he was fantastic in the 2018 remake of the Charles Bronson film Death Wish, which I reviewed back when it came out (find the full review here). The film was unfairly shredded by the majority of critics but is absolutely worth a watch for fans of revenge thrillers. So, when I find out one of Willis’ final films, Vendetta, was slated to come out in mid-March, I had to check it out and give it a fair assessment. So, does it hold up to Death Wish? Keep reading to find out!

I am sad to say the answer is a resounding no, which is a huge bummer because I was expecting so much more. I will get into my issues with the film, and the list is long, later in the review, but for now I will try and touch on some of the positives. Vendetta is your classic revenge thriller, borrowing basically the exact premise from the 2007 James Wan film Death Sentence that offers up a pissed-off Kevin Bacon on a path for revenge. Spoiler alert, that is much, much better. The basic premise behind Vendetta is family man William Duncan, played by Clive Standen, experiences the worst thing in the world as his young daughter is murdered as part of a gang initiation. If that isn’t bad enough, the broken justice system proves to be of no help even though they have the killer in custody, forcing Duncan to resort to vigilante justice. Lucky for him, and unlucky for the gang who had his daughter killed, he is a decorated veteran who is no stranger to death. Duncan embarks on his mission for revenge with little care for his own well-being, deciding early on that seeing those responsible suffer is enough.

I enjoyed the film’s opening sequence which did a nice job setting the tone for what was to come, and I have to say I was a bit too giddy when the gang members showed up wearing Jason masks. Even though things went a bit sideways soon after, the opening was pretty good. I also enjoyed certain elements of the film’s conclusion and the overall finale which had a nice high-energy feel to it. The ending was pretty good as well all things considered. Even though his character was about as out of place as a stripper in church thanks to zero explanation as to who the heck he even was, I enjoyed Thomas Jane’s role as Dante. His pipe smoking, Budweiser drinking, and rambling on about nonsense character was fun and added some element of comic relief. Speaking of comic relief, even though he is on the poster Mike Tyson is on-screen for all of five minutes, I liked his role as it felt like more of a cameo. In my opinion, Tyson earned the right to play in any movie he wants after knocking Ed Helms into next week in The Hangover, and we get to see him throw a mean right hook in this role as well.

THE BAD

Let me be clear, I’m not going to write a film off just because it is a low-budget straight to VOD and Blu-ray/DVD release. It’s entirely possible for films like this to actually be pretty good, plus as I mentioned before I made it a point to check out what is likely one of the last times we will see Bruce Willis on-screen. But, with that being said, I can think of several revenge thrillers that are so much better than Vendetta. I already mentioned Death Wish and Death Sentence, Law Abiding Citizen is amazing, The Brave One is fantastic, The Foreigner is one of the better revenge thrillers you’ll watch, and I’ll even add in Peppermint which sends mom jeans-wearing Julia Garner on a streak for vigilante justice. Bottom line, even though the premise for the films I mentioned are as simple as it gets, execution is key. Not only did Vendetta miss the mark on execution, but they also couldn’t even spell the word if their life depended on it.

The writing is just so bad, like cringe-worthy at times. Just as an example, the film is of course built on the gang initiation that ends up killing the daughter of the main character. That scene in itself was pretty awesome honestly as I touched on a bit above, where the gang members essentially overtake this poor girl sitting in the car waiting for her dad who is grabbing dinner. The father hears gunshots and comes out to find his daughter dead, and the idiot is too slow to get out of there before the cops arrive so he ends up arrested. But because of certain events that unfold, he ends up getting released. And I’ll ignore the ridiculous nature of this scenario for the sake of making my other point, but as the gang greets him upon his release, they tell him how proud they are and that he is a man know who is capable of “running the world”. Okay so did I miss something, or did this idiot not only botch his initiation, he killed a girl in broad daylight and stuck around for the police to arrive. This is exactly when I realized logic has no place in Vendetta.

At one point Clive Standen’s character is barely making his way down the hallway in the hospital with crutches and the help of a nurse, but in the next scene he walks out the front door right into a slow-mo “power scene” as he embarks on his second (yes, second) mission for revenge. And this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as plot holes go, just think about that for a second. This is silly but at one point during his training montage, if you want to call it that, for some reason, he continues to wear his hospital gown as he is working out. Lie huh? I can’t, I just can’t. I didn’t think you needed a big budget for common sense storytelling, but I guess I was wrong. This feels like as good a time as any to touch on the dialogue, and it is BRUTAL. So many scenes felt downright uncomfortable, and if I’m being honest a 4th grader could have given the cast more to work with. The acting, in general, isn’t great and at times is pretty rough, most of which I think we can blame on the script, but I was pleased with how they handled Bruce Willis and his limitations, keeping his lines short and effective. Oh and the technical elements are mostly atrocious, although the soundtrack is okay, I just don’t have the energy to get into it. The editing is so bad that it’s honestly nonsensical at times, like to the point where they either pulled crucial scenes that helped to weave together the story or just threw scenes together in random order just for the fun of it. Like somehow Standen’s character knew where one of the men in the gang lived, but had no clue about the gang’s hideout which was a strip club he had previously cased as part of his revenge mission.

THE VERDICT

A paint-by-numbers revenge thriller weighed down by a predictable plot and a frustrating lack of creativity, Vendetta may be watchable with a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit but is ultimately a disservice to Bruce Willis in one of his final roles. I went in knowing what to expect thanks to director Jared Cohen’s lackluster resume, but I still held out hope that perhaps he had a gem in the making. But long story short, all writing duties in the foreseeable future should be taken away from Cohen, for his own good and the good of the viewing public. Also, perhaps hiring an editing team with half of a brain between them is a good start as well. I know I sound bitter, and it’s because I am. I love this genre and I just hate when films take a big crap on it assuming viewers are too stupid to notice.

TED TAKES RATING - 3.2/10

Vendetta is now available VOD and for rental and purchase on Blu-ray and DVD. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Outfit

By: Andrew Wing

The Outfit is a 2022 American crime drama film directed by Graham Moore (best known for writing the screenplay for The Imitation Game) in his directorial debut from a screenplay by Moore and Johnathan McClain (who wrote multiple episodes of the AMC television series Mad Men). The film stars an ensemble cast including Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, Dunkirk), Zoey Deutch (Why Him?, Zombieland: Double Tap), Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Stardust), Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner trilogy, Love and Monsters), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Avenue 5, The Personal History of David Copperfield), and Simon Russell Beale (Into the Woods, The Death of Stalin).

The plot centers around an English tailor, or, as he prefers to be called, a “cutter”, (Rylance) in Chicago whose primary customers are a family of vicious gangsters.

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 14, 2022, and was released in the United States on March 18, 2022, by Focus Features.

THE GOOD

I’ll be honest, I was not with the majority when the first trailer for The Outfit came out. I don’t know why, given all the big names that I liked that were attached, but maybe it’s just the fact that there have been some bad crime drama films over the past couple of years. Anyways, once The Outfit hit theaters, it was getting generally favorable reviews everywhere, so I started to get more excited about it. I unfortunately never got around to seeing it in theaters, but once I saw that it was coming to the Peacock streaming service, I knew I had to check it out ASAP and write a review for it. So with all that said, was The Outfit yet another in the long list of failed crime drama films over the past couple of years, or was it a surprisingly good addition to the legendary genre of film? Keep reading to find out!

Let’s not waste any time, The Outfit was awesome. Sure it had its quips that I’ll touch on later in the review, but it was such a breath of fresh air for the genre and it honestly felt like something we haven’t seen before. Yes, it takes place in Chicago in the 1950s with all the typical mobs and crime bosses we’ve grown accustomed to, but all the surrounding elements were unique to me. And a big reason for that was what we got here from Graham Moore in his directorial debut. I was super impressed by Moore, and it says a lot about him as a director and a writer that he was able to make a movie that literally takes place entirely in a tailor shop for 106 minutes, and still have it be a good product at the end of the day. His direction here was great, but his writing alongside co-writer Johnathan McClain was even better. I’ll talk about some problems I had with the script, but it was still solid. Every time I thought I had this film figured out, it kept turning the tables on me and kept me in suspense, and I don’t know about you, but that's what I truly want from a script, to not know what is going to happen next, and they executed that.

As good as the direction and the writing is in The Outfit, it is undoubtedly carried by the performances. I’ll touch on all of them, but we need to start with the star of the show, and that is Mark Rylance. Rylance is an Oscar-winning actor thanks to his unforgettable performance in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, and I honestly thought he should’ve garnered another nomination last year after his downright hilarious performance in Adam McKay’s comedy Don’t Look Up (see Ted’s full review here). In this though, Rylance plays a more subtle and laid-back character with a lot hiding underneath the surface. Despite that, he conveyed all of his emotions just as you would expect an actor of his caliber to do before the final third of the film where he captivates you by releasing everything he has been keeping on the inside. Simply put, the man is a legend and he continues to kill it.

The second-best performance in The Outfit and definitely the most impressive for me was Johnny Flynn’s. I had never even heard of or seen this guy before watching this, but man did he make it so I won’t forget him. His character is a badass, and his accent was pretty sick too, but yeah I thought he really stole the show here. I also really liked Zoey Deutch’s performance here as the shop receptionist, Mable, and it was weird to see her not being in a comedy film like she often is, but she definitely showed her wide range of skills as an actress. 

Continuing with the performances, I just need to highlight both Dylan O’Brien and Simon Russell Beale who play father and son in this. First, with O’Brien, I know he caught a lot of crap after the Maze Runner trilogy even though I thought he was fine in them, but after last year’s surprisingly fantastic Love and Monsters, and now this, I think he is back on the right track and I’m sure he will start giving us more great performances. Now with Beale, he was so good in this as the Irish Mob boss. I mean he is certainly intimidating given his stature, but he was such a nice addition to the already awesome cast. Side note, speaking of Beale, if you haven’t seen The Death of Stalin, go do yourself a favor and watch that. His performance in that is freaking phenomenal and the movie itself is hilarious, and it’s easily one of my favorite films from the last decade.

Lastly, you know I had to touch on a couple of the technical elements when it comes to The Outfit. First, I loved both the production design and the costume design. As I said, the film takes place entirely in the tailor shop, but I was totally fine with it as it looked very nice and it really put us in the film’s setting. Also, to add to the feeling of being in the setting, the costumes were fantastic and I mean if they weren’t that would’ve been a problem given the film follows a tailor. And finally, the score for the film was superb. It was composed by Alexandre Desplat, so I am not surprised at all that I loved it as he is arguably one of the best film composers of all time thanks to his legendary scores for films like The King’s Speech, Argo, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Shape of Water.

THE BAD

There is no denying that this film is a good one. It’s a great addition to the crime drama genre of movies as I already mentioned and I would recommend it to anybody. However, there are just a couple of things that held it back from reaching that truly upper echelon of crime drama films. Its biggest flaw in my opinion and I hinted at it when discussing the screenplay, was I think its overabundance and overreliance on twists. It was a great asset in spots, but I also found it to be its biggest problem. Now I know I just mentioned I like scripts that keep me guessing and keep me on my toes, but this overdid it because it pushed my suspension of disbelief past a certain point if that makes sense.

Two other small things that took some points off of the film were first, its slow pacing in the first third. I don’t know, I was into the story at the very beginning, but it stayed pretty slow for the first 25 to 30 minutes, but it eventually got going and it was worth the wait. And two, I would’ve liked to see Zoey Deutch’s character either have a more prominent role in the film or just more screen time. It would’ve been tough given that the film was already 106 minutes long and it shouldn’t have been any longer than that, but I just liked her character and I thought she could have brought more to the film.

THE VERDICT

Graham Moore’s directorial debut, The Outfit, is a smart and gripping crime thriller that is a worthy addition to the crime-drama genre that has been weak for the past couple of years. Moore’s screenplay will most definitely keep you guessing, sometimes to a fault, but there is no debating that the film is carried by some awesome performances, its brought-to-life 1950s setting thanks to the production design and costumes, and a marvelous score from the legendary Alexandre Desplat.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.3/10

The Outfit is now streaming exclusively on Peacock. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Fallout

By: Andrew Wing

The Fallout is a 2021 American teen drama film written and directed by Megan Park (most known for her role in the television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager). The film stars Jenna Ortega (Jane the Virgin, You), Maddie Ziegler (The Book of Henry, Music), Julie Bowen (Modern Family, Happy Gilmore), John Ortiz (Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious 6, Bumblebee), Niles Fitch (St. Vincent, This Is Us), Will Ropp (The Way Back, Silk Road), and Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars, The Divergent Series). The score is composed by American musician and actor Finneas O’Connell (Billie Eilish’s brother).

The film follows Vada Cavell (Ortega), a high school student who deals with significant emotional trauma following a school shooting which she experienced in a bathroom stall alongside Mia (Ziegler) and Quinton (Fitch). Together, the three form a unique and dynamic bond as they navigate the never linear, often confusing journey to healing in a world that feels forever changed.

The Fallout had its premiere at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021, where it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in the Narrative Feature Film Competition, the Audience Choice Award in the Narrative Feature Competition, and the Brightcove Illumination Award. It was released on January 27, 2022, on HBO Max by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

THE GOOD

The hype surrounding The Fallout has been very hard to miss, to say the least. I remember a little about it after it premiered at South by Southwest last year, but once it came to HBO Max in late January, the buzz surrounding the film was insane. With that said, you are probably wondering why I am just now reviewing it in mid-May. Well, I am too, but after a busy semester of college, I have finally gotten some free time and The Fallout was right at the top of my watchlist so I checked it out. So was it worth the wait? Did it live up to my expectations and was all the hype real? Well, there’s only one way to know, so keep reading to find out!

So yeah, aside from having a busy semester that kept watching and reviewing this film on the back burner, when it came out, I had just recently watched and review another film that touched on the same topic of the after-effects of a school shooting, and that film was Fran Kranz’s Mass (see my full review here) that is now streaming on Hulu, and all jokes aside, I didn’t want to watch another heavy film with difficult subject matter like this right away. So months later I did, and to get right into the review, the way actor-turned-director Megan Park wrote and directed this film in her feature film debut was remarkable.

As I said in the introduction, The Fallout is a film about high school students that have to deal with a recent school tragedy that was a school shooting. And with that said, this movie is extremely emotional as it deals with a very difficult subject matter and thanks to Park’s direction and screenplay, it goes about it with a ton of empathy and sensitivity and in both an honestly raw and an incredibly sincere way. With her direction, it was all great, but a couple of her choices really stood out to me. Things like how she would let certain scenes sit for a while so you could get all of the underlying emotions that were being conveyed and I also liked all of the texting scenes going on between Vada and Mia as they silently packed a punch. 

Next with her writing, I loved how she made a point with her screenplay to show audiences that people deal with tragic events like this in their own way and grieve in their own way, and that there is no “right” way to grieve, and we should all be understanding of that. Also, despite the difficult subject matter at hand, Park still added humor to the script and I thought she did it perfectly. All in all, Park’s directorial debut was impressive and it is easily one of the most daring debuts in recent years as she tackled complex emotions tied to a terrible trauma through the eyes of a high school teenager.

And that certain high school teenager was portrayed by Jenna Ortega. Now, all of the performances across the board were astonishing, but Ortega absolutely stole the show. Before diving into her performance, it just needs to be said that Ortega is about to blow up, if she hasn’t already after having quite the year with both this and the A24 slasher film X from Ti West that Ted reviewed (see his full review here). But for real, she is an amazing actress at the young age of nineteen and I see a lot of awards in her very near future. But in this specifically, Ortega was phenomenal and her range of emotion was utterly ridiculous. It was hard to fathom how believable her performance was and I know it won’t, but she should really get looked at at next year’s Academy Awards when it comes to the Best Actress category because she was that good and her performance made the film unforgettable.

Aside from Ortega though, as I said, all of the performances were astonishing. First, with Maddie Ziegler, she was really good and as another nineteen-year-old like Ortega, she has a very bright future. Next with both Julie Bowen and John Ortiz as they played Vada’s parents, Patricia and Carlos Cavell. They were both so good, and Ortiz in particular had an “Oscar” scene towards the end that had me on the verge of tears. Niles Fitch was great as well and it was weird to see him in something that wasn’t This Is Us, Will Ropp was very funny as Vada’s best friend Nick, and Shailene Woodley made the most of her smaller role as Vada’s therapist, Anna.

Last but not least, the film’s score that was composed by Billie Eilish’s brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell was nothing short of perfect. The score was brutal and sombering and it just added to the brutality of this movie that was sad, and as I already mentioned, very emotional. We just saw Billie Eilish and him win the Academy Award for Best Original Song with “No Time to Die” from No Time to Die (see Ted’s full review here), and I know it’s a long shot, but I could see O’Connell getting a Best Score nomination at next year’s Academy Awards thanks to his score here.

THE BAD

If you haven’t got the memo yet, The Fallout was a truly incredible film that I don’t have a lot bad to say about. One thing I will say though is that in certain scenes, I felt like they were trying to lay some emotional bait if that makes sense which I could’ve gone without, but at the end of the day, it’s a movie and they are dramatic and try to pull on your emotional heartstrings, so enough said. Also before closing, and I say this as more of a warning before you go ahead and check this out, this movie portrays issues of trauma resulting from an act of violence, so viewer discretion is obviously advised.

THE VERDICT

Behind one of the most impressive directorial debuts in recent memory from Megan Park, The Fallout is a daring film that tackles the complex emotions a high school teenager faces after being a part of a school shooting. As I said, Park’s direction was great, her screenplay was fantastic, it had a sombering score from Finneas O’Connell, and it was backed by incredible performances, most notably Jenna Ortega.

All in all, The Fallout is a really really solid movie, and I implore you to check it out. It’s a movie that deals with a very difficult subject matter in an honest, mature, and appropriate way.

From Ted’s Perspective

A powerful and moving film that handles an extremely difficult subject with a delicate touch, The Fallout is at its core a film about the importance of human connection in the midst of unthinkable tragedy within a disconnected generation. Everything about this movie impressed me, from the acting to the soundtrack, it was just so easy to fall in love with everything about it.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10

The Fallout is now available only on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Moonshot

By: Andrew Wing

Moonshot is a 2022 American science-fiction romantic comedy film directed by Chris Winterbauer and written by Max Taxe. It stars Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Riverdale), Lana Condor (X-Men: Apocalypse, To All the Boys film series), Mason Gooding (son of Cuba Gooding Jr., and he recently starred in Scream - see Ted’s full review of that here), Emily Rudd (Fear Street trilogy), and Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State).

The plot follows a college student, Sophie (Condor), who helps a barista, Walt (Sprouse), sneak onboard a space shuttle to Mars. Together, they join forces in order to be reunited with their significant others, embarking on a lively journey that takes them wildly off course.

The film was released on HBO Max on March 31, 2022.

THE GOOD

With as crazy a year as 2022 has already proven to be when it comes to movies, Moonshot completely went under my radar. I actually didn’t even catch it until it popped up on the HBO Max homepage one day last month. Needless to say, I did some research and saw that it was starring the guy I grew up watching every morning before school in Cole Sprouse from both The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck, so I knew right then and there that I had to check it out. Aside from that, it also starred Lana Condor who was the star of the Netflix To All the Boys trilogy (2018-2021) that I actually really enjoyed watching. Despite all that, I had never heard of the director before and it is labeled as a sci-fi rom-com which is a blend of genres that I don’t know if any film before has tackled all at once. With all that said, were the familiar faces enough to make this a quality movie that is worth the watch? Keep reading to find out!

I am not going to write a dissertation on this, so let’s just get right into it. This film pleasantly surprised me as I enjoyed it from start to finish. It was a unique story that was very well written by Max Taxe, and the fact that the director Chris Winterbauer was able to blend these three very distinct genres together and make a solid movie is very impressive to me. Continuing with Winterbauer, there was more he did that impressed me. None of his directorial choices were off the charts or mind-blowing, but he knew what he was trying to make and what he was working with, and that led to him having a pretty good feature film debut if I do say so myself, and I look forward to seeing what he does next!

Next with the performances, and it’s only right that I start with the two stars. Both Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor were great, but Sprouse is definitely the main character of the film and his performance was the best in my opinion. Sprouse has really just been doing the CW television series Riverdale for the past five years, which I admit I do watch, but it’s not that great of a show, to tell the truth. However, he starred alongside Haley Lu Richardson in the 2019 romantic drama film Five Feet Apart and he was great in that, and after another good performance in this, I really hope he starts getting more roles in movies. Yes, I am biased when it comes to him just because I loved him and grew up watching him on the Disney Channel, but he is really a talented actor and he put that on full display here.

With Condor, she was perfect in her role. As I said, I loved her in the To All the Boys trilogy, and in this, despite it still being a romantic film, she showcased some more of her acting skills with some comedy that I didn’t see coming. Her chemistry with Sprouse I thought was fantastic, and there is no denying that she has a very bright future ahead of her. Sprouse and Condor were the stars of the show no doubt, but all of the performances helped make the movie as enjoyable as it was. From Mason Gooding, Emily Rudd, to Zach Braff who played a sort of comedic Elon Musk type of character, all of the actors played their roles tremendously.

Other quick things I want to touch on when it comes to Moonshot were the cinematography, production design, visual effects, and also the soundtrack. The cinematography was done by Brendan Uegama and I will now remember his name as I thought there were some stunning shots in the film. The look of the film wasn’t on the level of some of the other sci-classics from the past decade like Gravity, Interstellar, or the lesser-known Ad Astra, but it added a lot to the film and continuing with the look of the film, the production design was superb when it came to the shuttle they were on, and the VFX were miles better than I thought they would be when I hit play. And lastly, the soundtrack was solid. It was very modern as it included a lot of the top songs from the past year, but it brought the film to life and it meshed very well with David Boman’s score.

THE BAD

Yeah, so if you can’t tell yet, I was pretty pleased with Moonshot. It was a fun watch, it was better than expected, and I would recommend it, but despite all that, it did have its flaws. First, it’s important to note that this film will not be in any awards conversations later in the year, and there is nothing wrong with that. But just to address some of the things I didn’t vibe with when it came to Moonshot, it was predictable like most rom-coms are, I think it could have been a good ten to fifteen minutes shorter but it didn’t bother me too much, and lastly, the side characters that were meant to be funny were terribly not funny. I won’t name names, but there was one character who to me was literally just trying to be like Kate McKinnon from Saturday Night Live and it was annoying, to say the least. Other than that, Moonshot definitely has more good than bad and I liked it.

THE VERDICT

While it won’t be in the awards conversation towards the end of the year, Moonshot was surprisingly pretty good as it’s a rom-com set in space that features two great performances from both Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor. Sure, it was predictable like most romcoms are, but it was a fun watch from start to finish and it also had a solid modern soundtrack and some stunning visuals.

TED TAKES RATING - 7/10

Moonshot is now available only on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Memory

Memory is a 2022 action thriller film directed by Martin Campbell, known for GoldenEye (1995), Vertical Limit (2000), and Casino Royale (2006), from a screenplay by Dario Scardapane who was a contributing writer on the FX crime thriller series The Bridge. It is based on the novel De Zaak Alzheimer by Jef Geeraerts, and is a remake of the novel's previous adaptation, the Belgian film The Memory of a Killer (2003).

Alex Lewis is an expert assassin with a reputation for discreet precision. Caught in a moral quagmire, Alex refuses to complete a job that violates his code and must quickly hunt down and kill the people who hired him before they and FBI agent Vincent Serra find him first. Alex is built for revenge but, with a memory that is beginning to falter, he is forced to question his every action, blurring the line between right and wrong.

The film stars Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Harold Torres, Taj Atwal, and Ray Fearon.

Memory hit theaters on April 29th, courtesy of Open Road Films.

THE GOOD

As Liam Neeson movies often do as of late, Memory sort of came out of nowhere for me. When I first came across it I expected a direct to on-demand release, so I was surprised when it received a wide release in theaters. Naturally, as a Neeson fan for obvious reasons I made it a point to check this out as soon as it hit theaters knowing full well it could be a gimmicky cash grab and a waste of my time. I made my way to the theater, grabbed my ice cold soda and large heavily buttered popcorn, and proceeded to my seat just as the trailers started. So, did Memory deserve the wide theater release it received? Keep reading to find out!

First and foremost not only is this one of Liam Neeson’s best films as of late, it is a very solid crime thriller with quality acting, an engaging and often intense story, and my favorite takeaway a very satisfying conclusion. Films that fall into the revenge thriller genre need to get viewers invested, but they also need “damn right!” fist bump moment as the story comes to a close. Memory not only gives us that satisfaction, it also offers up more substance than you might expect from what could have easily been little more than another run-of-the-mill cash grab with a few big names attached. Neeson will forever be remembered as the man with a particular set of skills in the hugely popular 2008 crime thriller Taken, but we all know he is much more than that. But, for what it’s worth, the man thrives in this genre and I have no issue whatsoever with him sticking to his guns, literally and figuratively. The film opens with a dark noir feel to it which is prevalent throughout the film and a big reason why everything works as well as it does. The dark tone and mostly top-tier acting allow viewers the opportunity to get fully immersed in the film while deep down hoping for the end the film deserves.

I touched on it already but the bread and butter of Memory is without a doubt the story, as well as the acting of course. Dario Scardapane was the man behind the screenplay, and let me just say he has a knack for this sort of storytelling rooted in harsh realities. As I touched on in the intro, Scardapane previously worked on the FX crime thriller series The Bridge, which ran from 2013-2014 and starred Demián Bichir and Diane Kruger. If you haven’t seen this series, you need to. It is INTENSE, and deals directly with the deep-seeded issue revolving around the lack of interest in all of the women that disappear over the border in Mexico every single day. It ran for two seasons and is streaming on Prime Video and Hulu if you want to check it out.

At the heart of Memory the premise shares quite a few similarities, as it opens with a joint task force between Mexico and El Paso FBI working to take down a human trafficking ring. Bureaucracy gets in the way over on the U.S. side as it often does, leaving agent Hugo Martinez, the contributing agent from the Mexico side of the border, feeling frustrated as it is all too often easy to forget the atrocities they deal with every day, and the sad fact that a missing person in Mexico is somehow deemed less important. That is the underlying message for the film, and helps to fuel Hugo’s character played by Harold Torres, as he proceeds to defy orders in a collective effort to do what’s right.

Liam Neeson is 69-years-old and he is still churning out his trademark action thriller films, that is insane right?! For that reason before I dive too much into the acting for Memory I need to give this guy his hard earned credit. Neeson made his acting debut in 1978, and has since racked up 139 acting credits according to IMDb, with three films in post-production and one currently filming. This guy is an absolute work horse! It’s funny because the project that is currently filming, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, has almost the same exact premise as this film. But hey, as they say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The Irish actor surely found himself type casted somewhere along the way thanks to his big 6’ 3 frame and brooding presence, but he is a very versatile actor, showcasing his softer side in films like Love Actually (2003). A fantastic film of his from 1989, which I would bet most of you have never even heard of, is the crime thriller Next of Kin where he stars alongside the late and great Patrick Swayze. That is a fantastic film well worth watching, and is now streaming on Prime Video. Check it out!

So to get back on track and talk about how the cast did in Memory starting with Neeson of course, I thought this was one of his better performances as of late. He was given a character with a ton of depth allowing him the opportunity to not just beat the living crap out of people which he still does and does well, but also to express a great deal of emotion as he struggles with old age and a willingness to do what is right. As a hitman with a strong moral code, I really enjoyed his character. Even though he is a bad guy just by the nature of his profession, he still finds a way to be sympathetic and relatable which I thought was a testament to his abilities as an actor. Starring alongside Neeson is Guy Pearce who plays FBI agent Vincent Serra who is hot on the hitman’s trail. Neeson and Pearce form a complex relationship as it turns out they both want the same thing. I was sold on Pearce’s character from the start and really liked how invested he was in this role. As far as performances go, Pearce delivers the best the film has to offer. It’s interesting that Pearce plays in a film about a man slowly losing his memory as he previously starred in Christopher Nolan’s crime thriller Memento (2000), which has a few prominent similarities.

All things considered Memory is a very technically sound film, which should come as no surprise considering veteran director Martin Campbell is captaining the ship. I thought the camera work throughout the film was that of a man who knows his way around a crime thriller, giving us some great action shots, as well as some great shots designed to build suspense. Sticking with the noir style the film had a very dark feel with each shot feeling like it mattered more than just what you may be seeing on-screen at any given moment, which I thought was a testament to David Tattersall’s cinematography. Neeson’s character works alone so the film relies heavily on feel and tone, which the cinematography helps contribute too. To say Tattersall is a veteran would be an understatement, as he worked on the 1999 drama The Green Mile, and more recently the intense revenge thriller The Foreigner, which we reviewed back in 2017 (check it out here). That film is now streaming on Netflix. I was also pleased with the music/score from composer Flotek, as he helped to keep the dark tone.

THE BAD

This is easily one of Neeson’s best films as of late, but it is not perfect. Overall the screenplay impressed me, I just felt like at times the dialogue either felt forced or unnecessary. The acting which was a bright spot for the film did fall a bit flat during a few of the more intense scenes from some of the supporting cast, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. It was also a struggle to accept a Liam Neeson character with vulnerabilities, because well he is Liam Neeson, but I eventually warmed up to the idea. Memory does feel a little slow at times and could have probably cut out a few scenes for that reason, but even more than that I think they left something to be desired during the more pivotal scenes as they were building towards the film’s conclusion. Also I loved the ending, but I can think of a few small changes that would have made it even better. But the bottom line is this, the film has quite a bit more in the good column compared to the bad, which is really all we can ask for at the end of the day right?

THE VERDICT

A gritty crime thriller unafraid to shine a light on a serious issue plaguing our society, Memory is easily the best Liam Neeson film as of late as he teams up with Guy Pearce while offering a very satisfying final act. As I talked about in the review, my expectations for this film were admittedly grounded but I left the theater very satisfied. The story kept me engaged and intrigued from start to finish, and also kept me guessing to the very end. I also really liked how the plot felt so relevant and important which allowed viewers the opportunity to get invested. A revenge thriller like Memory lives and dies by how it closes things out, and as far as that goes they did the film justice and then some.

Personally I think the majority of the criticism from critics is unwarranted, especially when you take a step back and look at the film as a whole. I mean, at the end of the way what are we comparing it to? Memory is not without it’s flaws, but the overall experience is more than worth a trip to the theater if you enjoy the crime thriller genre, or just can’t get enough of Liam Neeson kicking ass. I say bring on both!

TED TAKES RATING - 7.2/10

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

The Northman

The Northman is a 2022 epic action-packed revenge thriller from visionary director Robert Eggers, co-written by Eggers and Sjón. It is Eggers 3rd film after he directed and co-wrote The Witch (2015), and The Lighthouse (2019). The film is said to be very loosely based on the story of Amleth, which was inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who's on a mission to save his mother, kill his uncle and avenge his father.

The all-star cast includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

The Northman made it’s debut in theaters on April 22nd, courtesy of Focus Features.

THE GOOD

I can’t even begin to explain how excited I was to see this movie after the first trailer released, and seeing it a few times in theaters only compounded that excitement. Robert Eggers is a man that values the finer elements of filmmaking, and if you take the time out to watch a film of his, you know you are in for for a real treat when it comes to storytelling and technical mastery. I became a huge fan of his after seeing The Witch, and The Northman served as a reminder of why. I knew I had to see this movie in theaters, and I knew I had to see it on the biggest screen possible. So, was I in for a treat as I hoped or did I leave the theater disappointed? Keep reading to find out!

It would be impossible begin a review for The Northman without talking about the man himself, writer/director Robert Eggers. Eggers, who looks like he could have starred in the film with his full beard, is originally from Lee, New Hampshire. The 38-year-old began his career as a costume and production designer, and quickly became known for his obsessive attention to detail. His debut film, the horror thriller The Witch (2015) also starring Taylor-Joy and set in 1630’s New England, which I (sort of) reviewed way back in 2016 (full review here), really set the tone for his filmmaking career. Next he did another horror film set in the 1890’s called The Lighthouse (2019), which he co-wrote with his brother Max. If you are paying attention you’ve noticed the trend of films that are set way back in the day, and that is beginning to become his calling card of sorts. Eggers himself has said he refuses to do a film set in present-day, and to be honest, I don’t blame him. First of all, present-day is scary enough as it is, and second of all filmmaking is supposed to be a form of escapism, and we are allowed a unique form of that when we are transported to a time so long before us.

Robert Eggers has done it yet again! As advertised, The Northman is an epic fantasy adventure spread across vast countryside’s, complete with jaw-dropping visuals, exceptional acting, incredibly immersive storytelling, and the perfect payoff in the final act. The story is told in chapters, and to say that it included everything you could possibly want in a Viking-era film would be a huge understatement. I need to see it again as soon as possible just to soak it all in because quite a lot happens as I am sure you can imagine. The costume and production design will have you in absolute awe, which is no surprise considering Eggers’ background.

The first thing I noticed about The Northman was just how purely massive of a film it was, which just sucked me in right away and kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is just a fantastic blend of ultra-violent Viking-era goodness with dashes of folklore which added a layer that was just icing on the cake for me. I won’t give anything away of course, but Eggers finds a way to blend fantasy and reality within the confines of the story in such a way that you can’t help but feel connected to the characters and their journey. Man, I just want to sit in the same room with Eggers and listen to this guy talk about how he makes his incredible vision come to life on-screen.

As much as the incredible scale of the film and the gorgeous visuals matter, they wouldn’t be effectively utilized without storytelling that really in so many ways defies all odds. Co-written by Eggers and the talented Icelandic author Sjón, who recently co-wrote the 2021 horror drama Lamb, the screenplay is without a doubt the backbone of the film. It is just so intensely detailed and well thought out that I couldn’t possibly bang out a review right after seeing it, I needed at least 24 hours to process. Plus, I am finding it increasingly difficult to talk about how amazing of a film it is without giving anything away. But, as always I will stick to my spoiler-free promise. I know my wife won’t see it so I tried talking to her about the movie and she just looked at me like I had 6 heads, so yeah, YOU (just picture me pointing like the old school Army recruitment poster) need to see this so I have someone to dissect it with. Just prepare for hours of slowly marinating in the delicious juices of quality storytelling.

Just to scratch the surface, the story itself is built around Alexander Skarsgård’s character Amleth, and the trauma he endured as a child. The journey he embarks on that is fueled by relentless revenge is as incredible as it is grueling, and you can see the unrelenting determination in his eyes and in his mannerisms. Once you see Skarsgård and his 6 foot 5 inch physical specimen of a frame maniacally roaming a poor village covered in blood while wearing a damn wolf as a hat, and just straight murdering people like they are nothing more than mosquitos, you’ll know this movie means business. The wolf part is significant but I won’t get into it to avoid spoilers, but I will say that the character of Amleth is the absolute last person you want to piss off. Trust me on that. Without giving anything away, the film does include a really cool scene that I can only describe as the Viking version of rugby, and it was such a cool addition to the film that also proved to be a pivotal piece of the story.

If I had to describe the acting for The Northman in one word, it would have to be groundbreaking in terms of how big of an impact it had on the film. You can tell by just reading names off the cast list that it is pretty much stacked, but some certainly contributed more than others. The majority of the screen-time is reserved for Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, and Claes Bang. I know I talked about Skarsgård some already and his overall impact on the film, but it simply cannot be understated. His performance was just insane in my opinion, and considering what he likely had to endure to deliver such a performance, he is more than deserving of a Best Actor nomination at next year’s Academy Awards. He just crushed this role.

Starring alongside him is one of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars in Anya Taylor-Joy, who made her feature-film debut back in 2015 with The Witch. in 7 short, or very long years if you want to point out 2020-2022, she has become a household name. I was a fan of hers after seeing The Witch and knew she was an up-and-coming actress, and we even got a shout out from her on social media when we did our review. Also, is it weird to say that Taylor-Joy became a woman right before our very eyes in The Northman?! But in all seriousness, the talented 26-year-old actress from Miami, Florida is deserving of her success, and her performance in The Northman was nothing short of spectacular. I bought into her character from the outset, and loved the relationship that developed between her and Skarsgård. The chemistry was absolute fire, with one particularly intimate scene that just blew my mind, and I see a best supporting actress nomination in her future.

Next up is a generational actress in Nicole Kidman, who made her acting debut back in 1983. Although she only has a single Oscar win which is a travesty if you ask me, she is without question one of the best out there. In the film she plays Queen Gudrún, the mother of Amleth, and to say there is more than meets the eye with her would be selling you short. Her character is extremely complex, allowing Kidman the opportunity to utilize her full range of acting talent and she does just that. The final chapter of the film offers up some very intense and exciting, if not a bit cringeworthy at times, scenes including her and Skarsgård. A supporting actress nod could be in her future as well, although her limited screen-time compared to Taylor-Joy may hurt her chances. Danish actor Claes Bang stars as Skarsgård’s uncle, and the films primary antagonist. I thought he was fantastic throughout the film, and I enjoyed trying to figure out his character as he seemed to transform within the films primary story arch. Bang also manages to somehow match Skarsgård’s intensity, which was no easy feat trust me. Ethan Hawke stars in the film as well, but he plays a much more limited role as Skarsgård’s father. But rest assured, he is fantastic in his limited minutes as per usual. Be sure to check him out this summer in the horror thriller The Black Phone (preview and trailer here).

The supporting cast is aplenty so I can’t touch on all of them, but from one of my all-time favorite actors in Willem Defoe, to Iceland native musician turned actress Björk who is amazing as The Seeress (check out the films alternate posters if you have a chance), right on to Olwen Fouéré, Gustav Lindh, and Elliott Rose, the list is long and trust me when I say everyone brought their A-game, and then some. And if you were expecting me to make mention of Alexander Skarsgård's real-life brother Bill, the star of the It remakes, he had to drop out of the film due to scheduling conflicts after production halted due to the pandemic.

The camera work was as good as you will ever see, with every single shot feeling so genuinely intentional and raw. I loved how Eggers made it a point to always ensure each frame had a primary focal point, which speaks to his keen eye for detail. His chemistry working with Blaschke is obvious as the two work very well in sync with each shot, ensuring that viewers always feel close to the action and immersed in the environments. Eggers previously worked with him on his first two films, The Witch and The Lighthouse. Admittedly I have a sweet spot for amazing cinematography and I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen even if I wanted to. I often found myself mesmerized and just staring off into this world that was created for us to enjoy. Louise Ford did a great job with the editing as well, making sure that even though the film had a ton going on, it all felt seamless and it all just flowed really well. She also worked with Eggers on The Lighthouse. They were able to create a few long-shot scenes as well, most importantly during the films finale.

Next I have to talk about the films score which was just chilling and invigorating all at the same time. You just knew when something important was about to happen, and Skarsgård’s imposing presence was always matched with a burst of musical energy. It was hard to describe what exactly I was hearing at any given time, but the sound always had an upbeat and thrilling feel to it. After reading up on Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough, I learned that the two have worked together for quite some time under Carolan’s independent music label, Tri Angle. Gainsborough specializes in a combination of electronic and orchestral music. The label has collaborated with several artists over the years, but singer/songwriter/actress Björk was one of the early supporters. Björk, who plays a supporting role in the film, seemed to have had some influence when it came to bringing Carolan and Gainsborough to work on The Northman, as this is the first film score the two have worked on together, or separately for that matter. Quite a way to break in to the business, and judging by Eggers seemingly unrelenting loyalty working with many of the same people on his projects, I think it is safe to say we will be hearing from this duo again.

Taking a break from gushing over the beauty of the film for just a moment, the sheer scale of The Northman is quite an experience in itself. The gorgeous and vast Icelandic filming location offered the film an opportunity to feel as grand as it’s cast and story. I loved everything about this setting and the way that it made the world Eggers was able to create feel larger-than life. Each time the camera panned back and allowed the environment to take over the frame, I was in pure awe. It got to the point where I just couldn’t wait to experience the next shot just to take it all in, and I absolutely preferred the daylight scenes as it allowed me the opportunity to really take it in.

Now we have arrived at Eggers 3rd and by far his biggest film as far as budget and scale, The Northman, and his first film not to be under the umbrella of famed independent film distributor/production company A24. From the outset it is clear this is one of his films as his signature style is felt throughout. Whether it be the attention to detail that stays true to Norse mythology and the Viking age, the masterful detail in the sets throughout the film, or the incredible costume design, it was clear this was a film he took great pride in making.

THE BAD

I have very little to harp on when it comes to this film, but I feel like a few things should be mentioned. A film from Robert Eggers isn’t meant to appeal to mainstream audiences, and The Northman is no different. But in no way is that a knock on the film itself, quite the opposite to be honest. He isn’t concerned with CGI or cheesy action sequences, he wants to immerse viewers in this world he has created right before your eyes, and he wants you to take something away from it. This means you will be treated to stunning visuals and some very creative camera work which oftentimes take center stage, but that is just part of his genius. At the end of the day he is an artist offering up a piece of himself to allow us to experience something truly special, and for that I am thankful. So let that serve as a bit of a heads up in terms of what to expect, but if you give the The Northman a chance, it will pay off huge in the end trust me.

Okay this a Viking-era film, set in the year 914 to be exact, so needless to say it is extremely violent. I lost count in terms of how many heads were permanently removed from their bodies, but it was closing in on John Wick headshot numbers. But let me say this, The Northman really isn’t as violent as it could have been, and that is a testament to Eggers and his vision. He isn’t concerned with blood and guts for the sake of blood and guts, he wants substance that will help move the story along in an authentic way. He wants you to feel and experience the violence of the film as it is a necessary element to the storytelling, but he finds ways to get the point across without being overly in your face. But, the film is still very violent pretty much from start to finish, with a few holy sh*t that just happened type scenes, so just brace yourself for that and you will be fine.

THE VERDICT

An epic tale of revenge brought to life by stunning cinematography and transformative performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy, The Northman is a powerful and expertly crafted film that serves as yet another notch in the belt of talented writer/director Robert Eggers. I mean, Braveheart meets 300? Interested? Yeah, I thought so. The film is just a clinic when you talk about the technical side or better yet the finer elements of filmmaking, the beating heart of film if you will.

The Northman is as massive as it is unique, and without a doubt begs to be seen on the big-screen as it is a special experience you won’t soon forget. I know I didn’t touch on the awards potential too much during the review, but if this film isn’t named in a ton of categories at next years Academy Awards, I will throw my remote through my TV, and regret it immediately. So with that being said, please, please, please for the love of all things cinema and all of the men and women who pour blood sweat and tears into making a film like this possible, go and see The Northman in theaters to ensure that talented directors like Robert Eggers continue to be entrusted with creating quality films like this. He is the future of filmmaking and his films need our support, so go see this movie as soon as you can. And if you are anything like Andrew or myself, you’ll want to see it two or three times at least before purchasing the Blu-ray when it releases just to soak it all in. Highly recommended.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.5/10

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

Everything Everywhere All at Once

By: Andrew Wing

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a 2022 American science-fiction action film written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as “Daniels”). It stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians), Stephanie Hsu (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies), Jenny Slate (Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation), Harry Shum Jr. (Glee, All My Life), with James Hong (Chinatown, Big Trouble in Little China) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween franchise, True Lies, Knives Out).

The plot follows a Chinese-American woman (Yeoh) being audited by the Internal Revenue Service who discovers that she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from causing the destruction of them all.

Everything Everywhere All at Once premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2022. It began a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 25, 2022, before a wide release on April 8, by A24.

THE GOOD

Where do I start? Ever since this movie premiered at SXSW in early March, the buzz has been completely insane. As a massive fan of everything A24 has ever put out, I remember going through their scheduled films to be released in 2022 and seeing this film and being like WTF is this movie with way too long of a title? However, after doing some research and seeing that it was to be directed by Daniels, the directing duo that gave us Swiss Army Man (now streaming on Showtime), which is the most unique film I’ve ever seen, and also seeing the involvement of the famous Russo brothers as producers, I knew this movie would be special. And so many people would agree. Since releasing in March, the reviews and ratings for this film have been as good as any film since Parasite back in 2019, which just so happens to be what I think is the best movie ever, so you shouldn’t be surprised when I say that I was not going to miss this once I got the opportunity to see it. Well, I did, but was it so good that it can already be heralded as one of the best movies of the past decade? Keep reading to find out!

I won’t waste any more time, I absolutely freaking loved this movie. It was as good as advertised, if not better. This movie has been a sensation and it’s easily one of the coolest original films that have come out in the past decade, and we as a society of film lovers, need more movies like this. I know it’s early, but I truly think this will be my favorite movie by the end of the year and I agree with the statement I’ve heard that it’s already one of the best of the decade. I mean this movie just hit it out of the park on all levels. But for you, someone who maybe hasn’t seen it yet and is reading this review to determine if you will or not, let’s break down every part of this film and find out why it’s so damn good.

We might as well start with those that created this work of art. As I said in the intro, this film comes to us from Daniels. It took one film, Swiss Army Man, for me to fall in love with them. It’s an overlooked movie, but it’s amazing and fantastic, and definitely one of my favorite movies of the past few years that I’ve watched. But this new film of theirs is just on another level. With Everything Everywhere All at Once, they give us everything they have to offer cinema and it was a fucking treat. The amount of energy and density packed into every second of this movie is insane and that’s why I loved it so much. It’s so impressive how they even pulled off what this movie is because on many levels the multiverse concept that tackles five different genres shouldn’t also be able to make you cry and be heartfelt. Like none of that should really work here but somehow they made it work and for that alone, I would love to see them get a Best Director nomination at next year’s Academy Awards.

Their directing was perfect, but what was more perfect was their script. As I mentioned, the plot follows a woman going through these alternate universes to try and ultimately save the world. More than that though, and I know this film’s genre is said to be a science-fiction action film, but it’s really a swirl of genre anarchy as you can also throw in comedy, black comedy, drama, and maybe even some thriller and some romance in there too. This film really has everything, pun intended, and this script deserves to be put in a museum somewhere because it’s straight gold. As I said, it fires on all cylinders but the comedy was the best in my opinion. It made me laugh out loud as the physical comedy is absolutely hilarious. There are a lot of really great gags, and there’s one revolving around the famous Disney Pixar film Ratatouille that nearly made me piss myself. Also, as an action film, it was phenomenal. It’s one of the most exciting that I’ve seen as the middle of the film is nonstop action full of endless possibilities. The action and the comedy just went together seamlessly and it was all extremely awesome.

Continuing with the writing, as fun as it gets, the writing allows us to get enveloped in the world on an intellectual level. They are able to take us through this odd and complex world and make us understand it. Despite all of the craziness, I loved how they kept the core of the story the core of the story, and that’s the mother and daughter relationship who are just these mediocre ordinary people living in a laundromat trying to get by. For all the movie's genre-bending rides it takes us on, they ultimately come back to that story and the familial connection was beautiful, and that’s all a testament to Daniels' superb writing. All in all, I have a hard time seeing a script to come out this year that’ll be better than this, and with that said, go ahead and give them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay right now.

Now it’s time to touch on some of these performances. First with the star of the show, Michelle Yeoh. Yeoh is no newcomer to the film industry and she has been acting for almost forty years and has starred in some pretty big movies, but after seeing her in this, I really think this is what she’ll be remembered for when she calls it quits. She was responsible for the majority of the emotional moments in the film thanks to the connection she has with both her daughter as they share the generational drama and also with her husband. More than that though, with the film being 139 minutes long, I’m not joking when I say she is on screen for almost all of it. I was just in awe of her performance as she really showcased her wide range of skills with the film touching on so many different genres. She is always digging into this character and bringing it out to us as she is constantly delivering in every moment. She can kick ass thanks to her martial arts training, she can make you laugh, and as I’ve hinted at, she can certainly make you cry, and her performance was so crucial to the movie working as a whole in the first place. With all of that said, I would be ecstatic to see her get nominated for Best Actress, and if she won I would absolutely love it because she’s been at this for a while now, and she deserves it!

Next with what might’ve been the best performance of the whole film, and that belongs to Ke Huy Quan. I was shocked to learn that he was the same actor who starred in two huge movies back in the 1980s, as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Data in The Goonies. Despite me finding out before the movie though, I still would like to think I would’ve recognized him as his voice has not changed one bit since the 80s. For real though, Quan stole the show. His character is really endearing towards the end as he gives us arguably the most emotional part of the film. Throughout the film too, he switches back and forth between being the protagonist’s husband Waymond, and also the Waymond from another universe, and that was super amusing and that showed how talented of an actor he is.

Another huge standout like Quan was Stephanie Hsu as she played the daughter. You connect a lot with her character especially towards the end as she has some of the most touching moments in the film. But aside from that, her character is really fun and some of her line deliveries were hilarious. I could totally see her getting a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but after seeing what she does in this movie, I can really see her being a star sometime in the very near future.

To be honest, I really liked all of the performances and I bet they’ll win an award for an ensemble, but I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t touch on the performance we get from Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis plays the IRS inspector agent Deirdre Beaubeirdra, and I was really happy with the role she was given here. She played this curmudgeon character perfectly and she had me laughing in all of her scenes.

Now onto the tech side of things, let’s talk about the film’s unbelievable editing. The editing of a film is definitely one of those things that you can usually go through an entire film and not even think about it, but as a person who watches a ton of movies, I’ve paid more and more attention to a film’s editing and Everything Everywhere All at Once’s is maybe the best I’ve ever seen. Back to the action scenes, the combat was very stylized and the coverage of all these scenes was great as we got to see some of the choreography play out over a longer take. As fast as this film goes, the editing never felt like it had rapid cutting that is often quite annoying, but they just gave it this frenetic and urgent pacing that was top notch. Every cut felt very deliberate and necessary and I never felt like I got cheated out of moments. The editing allowed us to see exactly what’s happening, and it shined through to me personally by being able to see it in a theater. As I said, it was some of the best editing I’ve ever seen, and because of that, it should win Best Editing too at next year’s Academy Awards.

Continuing with the technical side of things, let’s talk about the overall sound of the film. The degree of sound this film uses is something we don’t too often see and it’s very similar to the way Dune (see my full review here) used sound to make sure that we were going through every single moment with the characters. Really though, every five seconds is its own journey in this movie and it added so much to the viewing experience. You can lock in a Best Sound nomination too if you’re keeping track reading this. Not just the sound, but the score too was astounding. It was done by Son Lux, and it included collaborations with musicians Mitski, David Byrne, and André 3000, and I bet you are about to be shocked, but I see them getting an Oscar nomination as well. In conclusion, the sound and the score worked together to take you through that journey and the film would be so different if they didn’t make the musical choices they did.

Before I close and start making this into a dissertation, I just wanted to touch on some other small things I appreciated about the film. The costumes and production design were amazing. Some of the outfits are Cruella-level weird, and to show you why that might be helpful to all of the nominations this film will get, Cruella (see Ted’s full review here) won for Best Costume Design at last month’s 94th Academy Awards. The production design though was so cool. This thing takes place in a corporate office building and because of the production design and how they shaped the lighting in all of these scenes, we feel like we go on this whole journey despite being in the same location for most of the film. Also, and you should have been expecting this if you’ve ever read a review of mine, but Larkin Seiple’s cinematography was sick. Lastly, I liked how it touched on both existentialism and nihilism. With nihilism though, which is really the belief that nothing matters in the world, I loved how the film tries to offer an antidote to that sort of existential dread. There’s no denying that at some point in our lives we’ve maybe taken on a nihilistic mentality and this movie was a comforting reminder that we can still find love and joy in life despite the perceived smallness of our own existence.

THE BAD

You guessed it, I don’t have much bad to say about this film as it will be receiving the best score I’ve given a film in a few years. Honestly, though, I really loved everything about this movie and I think most people will feel the same way. Two things I will say though are that it is long with a 139-minute runtime, but it definitely flies by, and second, it can feel overwhelming because there’s so much to take in at first, but once you begin to understand what’s going on your mind will be at ease. Needless to say, I will definitely still be giving it a rewatch to one, pick up on some things I missed, and two, more importantly, to just bask in its undeniable glory.

THE VERDICT

Without question, Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of 2022’s must-see films as it is a cinematic masterpiece of epic proportions. You can already lock in the fact that this will be regarded as a classic film as the performances are amazing, it’s technically impressive, and thanks to Daniels, the film effortlessly blends both a heartfelt tone and an otherworldly imagination.

I think it will dominate at the 95th Academy Awards, but even if it doesn’t, it will still be one of the most fun movies I’ve ever seen. I was blown away by Daniels as they reached into their imaginative tool kit and gave us unapologetically the wildest film ever. Despite all the craziness, thanks to their phenomenal script, the story makes sense as we get this great family story that will make you feel so many different emotions. It’s just a blast from start to finish and you need to see it in theaters while you can.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.9/10

Everything Everywhere All at Once is now playing at Smitty’s Cinema. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a 2022 action comedy film directed by Tom Gormican, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Etten.

Nicolas Cage begrudgingly accepts a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a billionaire super fan. When things take a wild turn, Nic is forced to become a version of some of his most iconic and beloved characters in order to extricate his wife and daughter from the fan who is a notorious drug lord.

The film stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself, along with a supporting cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Jacob Scipio, Lily Sheen, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent made it’s debut in theaters April 22nd, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

When I first read about The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, I will be honest I wasn’t quite sure what to think. But when I watched the trailer, I grabbed my calendar immediately and blocked off April 22nd. And I am not a calendar guy at all, so this was a big deal. Literally everything about this movie grabbed my attention, and I honestly didn’t even care if early release feedback was negative. I was ready. Just for a little background, Andrew and I are hardcore Nic Cage fans, devoted followers you might say, just not in a cultish way. And listen we have heard it all, you are either #teamnicolascage, or you think he is a wannabe actor who has been riding his uncles coattails since his first feature-film role in the 1982 cult classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It was the last time he was officially credited as his birthname, which was Nicholas Kim Coppola. Apparently his stage name of Nicolas Cage was taken from the Marvel comic book character, Luke Cage.

Just to offer up a bit of background on the man, the myth, the legend, Cage, born January 7th, 1964, in Long Beach California, is the nephew of famed director/writer/producer Francis Ford Coppola (his father’s brother), who has been in the business since the late 50’s. He’s just the guy who directed and co-wrote The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and The Godfather: Part III (1990), no big deal. Easily one of the most influential names in the history of cinema. But, it’s not Cage’s fault he is his uncle, and he surely ended up paving his own way. I could talk about the history of the man all day long, but you are here to find out if The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is worth your time or not, so keep reading to find out!

I absolutely loved this movie, big surprise right? But it is for reasons that stretch well beyond my appreciation for one Nicolas Cage. The film is genuinely funny and well-intentioned, the acting was sublime (obviously), the screenplay was creative, engaging, and more than anything else relevant, and the technical aspects of the film were top notch. Now sure we are talking about a movie where Nic Cage plays a fictional version of Nic Cage, but that is just part of the genius behind the film. And if you are still questioning his abilities as an actor, assuming you haven’t seen The Rock (1996), Face/Off (1997), or Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), just check out his recent under-the-radar and painfully underrated indie gem Pig, which Andrew reviewed back in August (read the full review here), now streaming on Hulu. He absolutely crushed it in that movie.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is just vintage Nic Cage, an actor that always makes his presence felt in any project he is involved with. Sure he’s had his fair share of duds, but with almost 110 acting credits on his resume, four of which are currently in post-production, that is par for the course, and they have all contributed to the man he is today. if you don’t think he is one of the hardest working actors in the business, you just aren’t paying attention. In the film he is a struggling actor who even though he has had a long and successful career, he is still having a hard time making ends meet. He is also more disconnected from his daughter than he ever was, and as he points out during the film, it is impossible as a parent to be close to a 16-year-old. Just so much of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent hit home for me, and the film just felt like such a rewarding experience.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent paints Cage as an actor that is obsessed with film, and is always talking about how you can’t conceivably pick your all-time favorite film from 100+ years of quality filmmaking. He points out that what might be your favorite in the moment could depend on your mood which would of course influence the genre you might prefer, which rang true to me considering my wife always tells me she needs to be in the “right headspace” to watch an intense crime thriller like the True Detective series on HBO, whatever the heck that even means. Anyway, he is portrayed as a film fanatic who loves what he does, too much in many ways, and it all feels so authentic considering his roots. I mean, this guy grew up around film and still wanted to make it his life’s work, now that is saying something. His character is just delightfully naïve and well-intentioned, and very likable.

Throughout The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we are treated to several clips of Nic Cage classics, including the films opening with a glimpse of the 1997 classic Con-Air, and I thought this was such a nice touch. For the film to work, we needed to envision Cage as a larger-than-life figure, which he already was of course, but plenty of background and relevant reasons are provided to help convince the naysayers. For my money, Javi, the alleged drug kingpin played by Pedro Pascal, was the perfect character. He played a Nicolas Cage “superfan”, and to say he was well-versed on the man’s career would be an understatement. He had a shrine documenting all of his classics, a few of which that were more of Easter eggs for true Cage fans, and this got me real fired up. Love him or hate him, Nicolas Cage has acted in a ton of movies in the last nearly 40-years. If you don’t consider that impressive, you may need to re-evaluate your priorities.

Naturally, we have to touch on the acting in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. I will do my best to not focus too much on the performance of the great Nicolas Cage playing the great Nicolas Cage, but he really was that good. Cage grabs the wheel and drives this film from the outset which was more than okay with me. I just loved this fictionalized version of him, and I could personally watch him go about his business all day long. Starring alongside Cage is Pedro Pascal as Javi, and he was nothing short of amazing. The chemistry between these two actors was just perfect, making the film feel like one of the more genuine buddy comedies in recent memory. Pascal isn’t necessarily a big name to your average film fan although he has played roles in some big films and shows including Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), Game of Thrones, and The Mandalorian, but I can’t picture anyone playing this role as well as he did. He just has such a presence on-screen that matched Cage perfectly, and the two were so much fun to watch.

The supporting cast was flawless as well, from Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz as the CIA agents, to the always fantastic Sharon Horgan as Cage’s wife, and Lily Mo Sheen as Cage’s daughter. The London native is the daughter of Martin Sheen and Kate Beckinsale, and by the end of the film I genuinely believed she was in fact Nic Cage’s daughter. I really enjoyed how her relationship with Cage developed throughout the film. I am a HUGE Neil Patrick Harris fan, and I enjoyed his limited screen time as Cage’s agent. I enjoyed Paco León as Javi’s sociopath of a brother, and felt like he really owned his role. I can’t think of anything negative to say about the entire cast.

THE BAD

Alright, so this section is going to prove difficult for me. First of all, I am a Nicolas Cage guy. Many of you may not be, and I suppose that is okay. Needless to say if you have an issue with Nicolas Cage you may very well have an issue with The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. But, with that being said, it may actually turn out to be the exact opposite. Let me take a few minutes to explain. First and foremost, Nic Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself very much rooted in a reality that seems true to what you would expect a struggling yet well-known and successful actor to be going through.

He comes across as genuine and grounded, even if he may annoy the crap out of his 16-year-old daughter due to his obsession with old cinema. The film itself just works as it manages to take a simple yet intriguing concept and craft an experience for viewers of all ages. I realize I am straying off track a bit, but unless you just don’t enjoy action comedies, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent checks all of the right boxes. I suppose they could have given Neil Patrick Harris a bigger role, but that feels nitpicky.

THE VERDICT

An immersive and hilarious trip down the Nicolas Cage rabbit hole, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a fresh take on the action comedy genre that provides relentless entertainment value while also serving as a love letter to fans of film. Bottom line, I thought this movie was fantastic. I went in expecting something at least moderately along the lines of a slapstick type comedy, but it was so much more than that. The film is extremely self aware, the entire cast is fully invested, and somehow everything just works. Plus, the replay value is no joke and I can’t wait to see it again. I will also be adding the Blu-ray to my collection as soon as it becomes available. I was already a big Nic Cage fan as I made very clear throughout the review, but after watching this movie I can’t wait to go back and re-watch all of his classics throughout the years. Do yourself a favor and see The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in theaters sooner than later, you’ll be glad you did!

Once you see the film you will likely be intrigued by the numerous name drops of classic Nic Cage and non-Nic Cage films and want to know more, so when that time comes go ahead and check out this very helpful and detailed write-up from Mashable.com by clicking this link.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Father Stu

Father Stu is a 2022 biographical drama film written and directed by Rosalind Ross, in her directorial debut. The film is based on the inspirational true story of Stuart Long.

After surviving a motorcycle accident, a former boxer and longtime agnostic starts to wonder if he can use his second chance to help others, leading to the surprising realization that he's meant to be a Catholic priest.

The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, Teresa Ruiz, Malcolm McDowell, Aaron Moten, Cody Fern, and Winter Ave Zoli.

Father Stu made its debut in theaters on April 13th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

THE GOOD

Admittedly Father Stu snuck up on me somehow. As a native New Englander, I am a Mark Wahlberg aka Marky Mark guy through and through and will support any project he is involved with. I go back to some of his earlier more under-the-radar films like the 1998 action-comedy The Big Hit, or even the 1996 thriller Fear. Or a pivotal point in his career was when he played Bobby Mercer in the 2005 gritty crime thriller Four Brothers, which I felt was the first film where he was an absolute badass. Let’s get back on track though, so Father Stu somehow flies under the radar for me to the point where I forgot about the movie entirely until I’m on a walk with my kids, and I meet some new neighbors who mention the movie after my movie review website comes up in conversation. Naturally, I’m like what the heck am I doing and I make sure the film is on my radar going forward. I will say though, that I decided against reading up on the true story the film is based on, preferring to be surprised instead. So, did I regret my ignorance or was Father Stu a waste of 2-hours of my life? Keep reading to find out!

Okay, so I’m an idiot because this movie was really, really good. Father Stu tells an emotionally charged true story that will tug on your heartstrings throughout while serving as a perfect opportunity for star Mark Wahlberg to yet again prove that he is one of the best Hollywood has to offer. At this point in his career, Wahlberg has plenty of money. Whether he is acting, producing, or dabbling in some other kind of business venture, his success is undeniable. But, instead of packing it in and taking the easy road by cashing a big check for some direct-to-streaming deal (not a direct knock on Adam Sandler, butttt….), he is showing up in a real way and making movies that matter.

I really liked how the film somehow finds a way to make humor a constant throughout even the most emotionally charged scenes, which for me was a testament to the writing as well as a collective effort to take advantage of Wahlberg’s abilities as an actor. Stuart Long’s story will hit you like an emotional bag of bricks, that is a fact. But the lighthearted moments are sprinkled throughout to ensure that the audience has an opportunity to experience a wide range of emotions. Oh, and we are treated to a ton of great one-liners, and an abundance of bad language just for good measure. At one point, Wahlberg is banging on Gibson’s trailer door and he comes to the door telling him he is going to wake the entire neighborhood, to which he responds “this ain’t no damn neighborhood, it’s a trailer park!”. That is just an example, but it had me laughing pretty good. We get a great deal of great banter like this between Wahlberg and Gibson, which was a real treat if you ask me.

As you probably figured out from the beginning of this review, the acting was very much a sweet spot for me when it comes to the success of Father Stu, but I will talk about that more later in the review. Right now I wanted to touch on the other vital part of this film’s success, and that would be the screenplay. I might be getting ahead of myself a bit, so let me pump the brakes. As film critics, or just regular guys who enjoy talking about movies which is how Andrew and I would describe ourselves, oftentimes the best part of doing a movie review is the tidbits you discover while doing a bit of research while writing the review. Granted, that can lead you down quite a rabbit hole, but it is often worth it.

I am still wracking my brain on this, but not only is Father Stu the directorial debut for Rosalind Ross, but it is also her feature-film writing debut for the screenplay. Oh and one more fun fact, the 31-year-old writer/director has been dating the 66-year-old Mel Gibson, who also stars in the film as Stuart Long’s father, since 2014. She also birthed his 9th child who was born in 2017, and yes I said 9th as in right before the even number of 10. For those of you bad at math, myself included, Gibson was around 35-years-old when Ross entered the world. I know it sounds like I am being overly critical of Gibson or Ross for that matter for their life choices, but I promise you I am not. More power to the happy couple. Most of Hollywood may hate Gibson for this reason or that, but for my money, he is still one of the most talented individuals in the industry whether he is acting or directing, I mean his 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge (our full review here) was nothing short of fantastic. Plus, people may not realize this, but not only did he star in the epic film Braveheart back in 1995, but he also directed it as well. Yeah, Mel Gibson is Hollywood royalty and anyone who says otherwise can go pound sand.

I touched on it briefly already, but the acting was without question the icing on the cake for me with Father Stu. Mark Wahlberg was incredible in what is considered a passion project for him. Father Stu was not only an emotional commitment from him as an actor, but it took a significant toll on his physical well-being as well. As someone who trains like a madman, Wahlberg had to transform his body to make this role insanely believable, and he does that and then some. His physical transformation is absolutely mind-blowing. During one of the later scenes in the film when it is the most evident, the entire theater shared a collective “oh wowwwwww”. It honestly catches you off guard. Even though this is based on a true story, Wahlberg’s portrayal of Stuart Long felt so incredibly genuine, that I swear the two men became one and the same. For me, that is a testament to Wahlberg and his commitment to such an important role. As well as a special tribute to a special man.

The next best performance, even though it was a much smaller role comparatively, was delivered by Mel Gibson who played the role of Stuart Long’s father, Bill. I love me some Mel Gibson, a fact that I likely already made quite clear in this review, but he was stellar in this role. Even with his fairly limited screen time, Gibson’s character progression was very impressive, and I enjoyed watching his relationship with his son grow. It was clear from the outset that he was dealing with a great deal of unresolved trauma, but thanks to his performance we get to see quite a transformation. Where Stu and Bill end up compared to where they started is almost difficult to describe, but man was it amazing to experience. The other transformative performance was delivered by Jacki Weaver, who can someone go from playing Bradley Cooper’s sweet as pie mother Silver Lining’s Playbook to a massive BI**H in the hit television series Yellowstone. The bottom line, she has impressive range as an actress. I can’t say enough great things about her in the role of Stu’s mom Kathleen Long as she developed insane chemistry with Wahlberg and Gibson, ensuring that by the end of the film you won’t have a dry eye in the theater.

Father Stu also included some great supporting roles that contributed a ton to the film, including Teresa Ruiz as Stu’s love interest Carmen and Malcolm McDowell as Monsignor Kelly, both of which played their respective roles well, especially McDowell. Aaron Moten as Ham, a man who befriends Stu as he begins to work towards becoming a priest, and last but surely not least Cody Fern who played Jacob, a complicated man who becomes a big part of Stu’s journey.

THE BAD

If you have been paying attention during this review, my guess is you are ready to just skip over this section. If not, you may want to go back because the odds are you missed a few paragraphs. But in all seriousness, I am struggling to find anything truly negative to say about Father Stu. It may not be the most polished film from the technical side of things, but we are also dealing with a debut film from the directing and writing side of things. But, I’m honestly not sure if that even matters. The bread and butter of this film is the story, and how well it was executed. That’s it. I went in a bit blind as I said before in terms of what Stuart Long’s story entailed, and his story resonated with me on so many levels which is likely part of why I enjoyed the film so much. At the end of the day, criticizing this film as a whole is an attempt to take away from how hard Rosalind Ross and the entire cast worked to tell this incredible story, and that is no bueno if you ask me.

THE VERDICT

A heartfelt and powerful true story that will have you tearing up one second and laughing the next, Father Stu is an inspirational journey made possible by an incredibly talented cast. The entire cast shines, and it was clear and obvious from the start that this was a passion project for Mark Wahlberg, as he just seemed to be incredibly invested and sacrificed a lot. Even though certain parts of the film are more entertaining than others, it is never boring and I felt like the 2-hours really flew by. As the end credits began to roll we are shown some photos of the real Stuart Long, and I just sat there and took it all in. Father Stu is a movie that matters, and one I highly recommend seeing in theaters.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

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

Master

By: Andrew Wing

Master is a 2022 American psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by Mariama Diallo in her directorial debut. The film stars Regina Hall (Girls Trip, The Hate U Give), Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray (Hadestown musical).

The film follows three women as they strive to find their place at an elite Northeastern university as old as the country. However, when anonymous racist attacks target a Black freshman (Renee), who insists she is being haunted by ghosts of the school’s pasts, each woman must determine where the real menace lies.

Master had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2022, and was released in the United States via Prime Video on March 18, 2022.

THE GOOD

While you can go ahead and put it on the record that the horror genre is probably my least favorite of movie genres, you can also put it on the record that psychological thriller is one of my favorites. With Master, we get a psychological horror-thriller film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it received generally favorable reviews. It reminds me of Hereditary, another psychological horror film from a newcomer director that premiered at Sundance, and let’s just say that film was pretty good and it was easily one of the best horror films of that decade. So with all that said, is Master on track to be the 2022 version of Hereditary? Keep reading to find out!

My answer is maybe. We will really have to wait and see, and while I don’t know if I see Master being one of the best horror films of this decade when I look back eight years from now, I definitely do see Master being regarded as one of the best horror films of this year for sure. And a big reason why I say that is because of what Mariama Diallo does with her direction in just her debut. I saw online that this film took inspiration from The Shining, one of my favorite movies ever, regardless of genre, and I could definitely see it in this film. It showed the most just by how creepy and scary this film was. I will talk more about what I liked about Diallo’s direction aesthetically later in the review, but I think she definitely passed the test as a director in her first outing. I judge a horror film on if I can watch it at night or not, and with this, I had to hit the pause button at night and have it wait until the sun was out, and that’s a huge testament to Diallo. Simply put, this film is terrifying at times, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Not only was Diallo’s direction impressive but her writing here was astounding. On the surface, it’s a social horror, but deeper down it’s a damning examination of racism on college campuses, and not just what one student experiences, but how a whole institution is tainted by this white supremacy. All the white administrative figures in the film refuse to see or acknowledge it, but all the people of color face it every day, and the film does a great job at painting these universities as being defensive, unwilling to change, and even worse, as using black staff members as tools to further uphold and bolster the institution to meet the modern-day demands of diversity and inclusion. So yeah, it’s a heavy film to watch because of the screenplay, but it’s a great script and it does a good job validating these experiences people have as they step onto a majority-white campus.

Now to the performances. All of the performances were amazing here, but the three main players that portray the three women were fantastic. First, with Regina Hall, she gave a great performance and I was shocked by how good she was. When I think of her, I immediately think of comedy, but in this, she shows that she is an excellent dramatic actress. Next with Amber Gray as she played the biracial English teacher. She was solid, especially towards the end when she is given more dramatic scenes. And lastly with Zoe Renee as she portrayed the new student on this campus. I was super impressed by her, and something tells me this won’t be the last horror film we’ll see her in because she was incredible in this.

Lastly, and you knew this was coming if you have read any of my reviews, but this film looked really nice. It was filmed in New York, so you can’t go wrong there, and the film’s general look reminded me a lot of another great horror film, Get Out, just with the way it was lit. All in all, I was blown away by Charlotte Hornsby’s cinematography here, and I will keep an eye on her. Now I said I would touch on Diallo’s direction aesthetically, so here it is. In film, especially in films of this genre, a great way to build tension in a scene is to leverage the shot selection to individual shots, and in Master, Mariama Diallo frames each character individually and it adds so much tension to every scene. By shooting a single character in each frame, each moment built on the next one as the audiences awaited to hear and see the next character’s reaction, and it was just so well done from start to finish.

THE BAD

There’s no denying that I really enjoyed the film, but there was one thing that really brought it down in my opinion, and that would be the fact that it focuses too much on the supernatural horror elements more than the social horror. The social horror elements were what really terrified me here, and I get that the supernatural played a very heavy role in the plot, but I still felt it was a little unnecessary by the time the film concluded. It was just clunky, and I didn’t see how the supernatural related to the social themes so that dropped the film some points for sure. I just don’t know why they went that way, but it was still an overall solid film.

Another thing I’ll bring up that was disappointing when it comes to Master is that it really slows down in the second act. The first third of the film is amazing and its final act as a whole is superb despite me not loving the ending, but the middle is pretty messy. That’s also the same time where they bounce around between social horror and supernatural the most, but I’d be lying if I said the film didn’t lose me midway through it a little bit. You’ll see my score shortly, but I think if that middle was a little better and not so slow, this movie’s score could’ve been much higher.

THE VERDICT

With what will definitely be one of the best directorial debuts of 2022 from Mariama Diallo, Master is a psychological horror-thriller that breaks down a New England university that claims to be one focused on diversity and inclusion but is rather a foundation of hatred and white liberalism. The performances are great, especially Regina Hall, but I really loved how Diallo confronted this particular issue in a way that I haven’t seen another movie do. It gave me a different perspective which is important.

Sure, they overfocused on the supernatural horror rather than the real-life ones, it’s pretty bleak, and also very damning, but it’s a good film and I’m certain it will be one of the best horror films of 2022 by year’s end.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.8/10

Master is now available only on Amazon Prime Video. Check out the latest trailer below.