M3GAN

M3GAN is a 2023 science fiction horror thriller directed by Gerard Gladstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant, The Nun 2) and a story by horror legend James Wan, the man behind the Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring franchises, and produced by Blumhouse, the production company behind the Halloween films, The Black Phone, and The Invisible Man.

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes a friend and teacher, playmate, and protector, for the child she is bonded to.

When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw from The Haunting of Hill House), Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems—a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.

The cast includes Allison Williams (Girls, Get Out), Violet McGraw (The Haunting of Hill House) Ronny Chieng (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will & Grace), Jen Van Epps (Cowboy Bebop), Lori Dungey (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition) and Stephane Garneau-Monten (Straight Forward).

M3GAN made its debut in theaters on January 6th, 2023, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

When it was first announced that M3GAN was a horror film with the involvement of Jason Blum and Blumhouse, I knew I would be seeing it on day one. When the first trailer was released I was genuinely excited because this looked really good. I couldn’t quite describe the feel initially in terms of whether it would lean more toward horror thriller or more horror comedy, but the premise was intriguing and the overall production value looked pretty damn top-notch. Plus, I was sold on the cast from the jump. So, was M3GAN just yet another run-of-the-mill horror thriller that left me wanting more, or was it able to leave a mark? Keep reading to find out!

Oh, it left a mark alright, this movie was an absolute blast to experience! More than anything else, M3GAN is such a well-rounded film that effectively utilizes elements from a variety of genres. If I had to try and describe the film, I guess I would say it is a horror thriller with a heavy dose of dark comedy, but it also has some unexpected feel-good moments mixed in believe it or not. The pacing is fantastic so I was never bored, and the stage was set pretty early on in terms of the anticipation for what M3GAN would become. I bought into Allison Williams as a genius workaholic engineer from the start, and I also really liked how they put our obsession with technology front and center as well. And to be honest the film somehow managed to be darker and also funnier than I expected, which needless to say took me by surprise in a good way. M3GAN is the perfect protagonist turned antagonist, and she is one heck of a badass not to be messed with. Long story short, similar to my wife, she likes to hold a grudge so best to stay on her good side.

I liked so much about M3GAN, but if I had to try and narrow down what I liked most about it I’d have to say the tone of the film. The premise really could have gone either way, but man they did it right. The writing was great, and believe it or not, balancing comedy and horror/thriller elements really isn’t an easy task. Either you make it clear from the start that things will be a bit ridiculous with the feel of a throwback slasher for example, or you keep the audience guessing. In my opinion, M3GAN accomplished the latter, sprinkling in a comedic tone while staying true to an overall feel that is nothing short of terrifying at its core. I was honestly very impressed by how many times I laughed out loud considering how certain characters meet their demise, but because the tone is so damn effective I didn’t even feel bad about it. That is a big win in my book.

M3GAN expresses herself verbally as well of course, but the scenes where she says nothing are the most intense. This brings me to my next talking point, the technical elements of the film. I was blown away by how amazing M3GAN looked, and just how great of a job they did with her. I did little to no research prior to seeing the film in terms of how they planned to bring her to life on-screen, and the entire time I was in awe of her. Her movements, voice, facial expressions, and mannerisms all came together to create this next best toy in the making turned murderous little psychopath. Trust me when I say you will not sit back and think this film is corny, not for a second. She is unsettling, to say the least. After seeing the film I did some brief research and learned that M3GAN came to fruition using a variety of methods, including VFX, puppetry, and a damn good performance from child actress Amie Donald. The film utilized several puppet versions of M3GAN to successfully accomplish the vibe and tone they were going for in certain scenes, and to say that an insane amount of creativity went into making this film would be a significant understatement, so kudos to everyone who worked on the project.

I knew the cast would be a bright spot for the film and it did not disappoint. Allison Williams is awesome in the lead role, and I have been a fan of hers since the HBO series Girls. Williams has quickly become an actress to watch after she starred in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, and I felt like she once again proved her abilities here as a lead actress. For those of you who don’t know, as a fun fact she is in fact the daughter of NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. I love me a good young actor when it comes to horror films, and man is Violet McGraw quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The 11-year-old McGraw has a real understanding of acting through emotion, and more than anything else she is believable in her emotionally complex role. I am looking forward to watching her career develop. Jenna Davis was fantastic as the voice of M3GAN, and Amie Donald was great actually playing the dangerous A.I.-empowered doll. I actually really enjoyed Ronny Chieng in his over-the-top role as goofy as he was alongside his pushover assistant played by Stephane Garneau-Monten. Both played a big part in keeping with the underlying comedic tone. Also a well-deserved shoutout to Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jan Van Epps, as the friends/co-workers of Williams’ character.

THE BAD

Full disclosure, I have very few issues with M3GAN, but it may not be for everyone. The film is very violent and often pokes fun at death in order to achieve the creative tone it was going for. It also has some very serious depictions of loss which may be difficult for some viewers. The film is rated PG-13, so the blood and gore are kept at a minimum, but they still get their point across with the violence. Plus, if you have an issue with creepy dolls in any form or fashion you may want to skip this one because believe me when I say you will likely be in for a few sleepless nights. With that being said I don’t personally consider the film to be scary, which isn’t a knock on it because that simply is not what they were going for here.

THE VERDICT

A visceral horror thriller infused with a unique and effective balance of dark humor, M3GAN packs a punch that will undoubtedly keep viewers fully immersed and on the edge of their seats. I admit I was nervous initially in terms of whether or not the film would feel too corny or over-the-top, but I felt like they succeeded in getting the most out of its PG-13 rating while staying true to what they were trying to accomplish. The film is a genuine slap-in-the-face wake-up call in terms of our reliance on technology, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I have been much kinder to Alexa since watching the movie. M3GAN was able to keep me entertained from start to finish, and I will continue to trust in just about anything James Wan, Jason Blum, and Blumhouse decide to attach their names to.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

M3GAN is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Crimes of the Future

By: Andrew Wing

Crimes of the Future is a 2022 science fiction body horror drama film written and directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, Videodrome). The film stars Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Green Book), Léa Seydoux (The Grand Budapest Hotel, No Time to Die), and Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga, Spencer).

It follows a performance artist duo (Mortensen and Seydoux) who perform surgery to audiences, in a future world where human evolution has accelerated for some individuals. Although the film shares its title with Cronenberg's 1970 film of the same name, it is not a remake as the story and concept are unrelated, and there is no connection between the two films whatsoever. The film marked Cronenberg's return to the science fiction and horror genres for the first time since Existenz (1999).

An international co-production of Canadian, French, British, and Greek companies, Crimes of the Future had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and received a six-minute standing ovation. The film received a theatrical release in France on May 25, 2022, opened in Canada on June 3, 2022, and had a same-day limited release in the United States.

THE GOOD

You can’t be a cinephile and not know who David Cronenberg is. The Canadian film director is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and the intertwining of the psychological, the physical, and the technological. Furthermore, he is best known for exploring these themes through sci-fi horror films like The Fly and Videodrome. That said, as much as I love sci-fi, I prefer Cronenberg’s drama thriller films such as A History of Violence and Cosmopolis. However, once I saw the trailer for Crimes of the Future, I was immediately hooked and knew that I wasn’t going to want to miss this. So did it live up to my expectations? Keep reading to find out!

It did! As previously mentioned, Cronenberg is the father of the body horror genre, a genre that despite its many challenging aspects has a number of great films, most recently Titane (see my full review here), which was one of the best films of 2021. That said, I was excited to see Cronenberg return to his true genre and he did not disappoint. He created this insane world where significant advances in biotechnology have led to the invention of machines and analog computers that can directly interface with and control bodily functions, and I was just in awe of his wild imagination. I’ll touch on some of the things I thought he could’ve done better later on in the review, but I thought this was a very well-directed film from Cronenberg and it’s great to see him back working in this genre.

As much as I liked the filmmaking from Cronenberg in Crimes of the Future, the thing I enjoyed the most were the performances we got. This was unlike any other performance I’ve seen from Viggo Mortensen before, but it was very good and pretty impressive to see his range. Léa Seydoux was also really good and I’ve just yet to see her give a bad performance. All that said, my favorite performance in this movie belonged to Kristen Stewart. She did this jittery, nervous kind of thing with her character Timlin, who is this weirdo, and I was totally on board with it and I honestly found her to be quite hilarious in the film too.

Aside from the performances though, the movie is visually striking so shout out to cinematographer Douglas Koch. The movie is very darkly lit and shady throughout, so much so that it made me question if it was ever daytime in this future world. Also, all of the interiors are very grimy and industrial looking. All in all, there is just great world-building here from the aesthetic presentation of the world. Oh, and the score by Howard Shore absolutely slaps and is without a doubt one of the best aspects of this movie!

THE BAD

It’s funny, the one complaint I have with the film is what will probably make more general audiences want to watch it, and that was that this movie didn’t deliver on being disgusting. I mean don’t get me wrong, there are a number of gross things that happen in this movie, but there are far crazier and gorier body horror films out there and the film was just a lot tamer than I expected. At the end of the day, I liked it and enjoyed it, but I was just disappointed in the lack of horror from Cronenberg and I thought he relied on exposition a bit too much. And lastly, when it comes to my complaints with Crimes of the Future, the end of this film just felt so abrupt and I really thought we were going to get another fifteen to thirty minutes where things really started to get crazy.

THE VERDICT

Although I wanted the film to be a lot crazier, Crimes of the Future is still a return to form for David Cronenberg. The world building was marvelous, the body horror was unsettling, and the performances from the big three were all amazing in their own different ways.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.5/10

Crimes of the Future is now available on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

All Quiet on the Western Front

By: Andrew Wing

All Quiet on the Western Front (German: Im Westen nichts Neues) is a 2022 epic anti-war film based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. Directed by Edward Berger, it stars Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds, Captain America: Civil War), Sebastian Hülk (Red Sparrow, Hanna), Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, and Devid Striesow.

Set in the closing days of World War I, it follows the life of an idealistic young German soldier named Paul Bäumer (Kammerer). After enlisting in the German Army with his friends, Bäumer finds himself exposed to the realities of war, shattering his early hopes of becoming a hero as he does his best to survive. The film adds a parallel storyline not found in the book, which follows the armistice negotiations to end the war.

All Quiet on the Western Front premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2022, and was released to streaming on Netflix on October 28, 2022. In August 2022, the film was announced as Germany's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards and made the December shortlist. It was also named one of the top five international films of 2022 by the National Board of Review.

THE GOOD

Heading into 2022, I was well aware that Netflix was making a remake of the 1930 Academy Award-winning film and the 1979 television film All Quiet on the Western Front. However, after it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and got amazing reviews, it certainly moved its way up my most anticipated list. On top of that, it was Germany’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for the upcoming 95th Academy Awards, and every year I unsuccessfully try to watch all of the films that get shortlisted, and I’m glad to say I finally checked this out! But was it good enough to take home the Oscar for Best International Feature Film? Keep reading to find out!

It most certainly is good enough! Not only is it good enough to win in that category, but this film is so good it might get a Best Picture nomination! I am a fan of both kinds of war movies, both war and anti-war like this one is, as dark and terrifying as they may be, and so is the Academy, and I really think this movie is nearly as good as 1917, the Sam Mendes film that almost won Best Picture back in 2020. Seriously though, this movie is incredible, and call me crazy, but I thought it was better than the 1930 film adaptation that actually won Best Picture.

The director Edward Berger just knocked it out of the park here. I felt like the main purpose of this film was to immerse us in World War I and make it feel real and alive again, and he 100% achieved that. I mean this was some really powerful visceral filmmaking from Berger here that puts us right in the mud with these soldiers and takes us on this very spectacular and enthralling, yet deeply terrifying experience with them. And as an anti-war film, I really don’t think Berger could’ve given us anything better because he makes war look so not fun and miserable, so much so that watching this film will entice anybody to never enter into a draft. All in all, Berger is very deserving of a Best Director nomination and he’s got an outside chance.

Continuing with the filmmaking, Berger and his team of people working on all the technical elements of the film made this movie a technical masterpiece. The movie was stylish, and while it wasn’t super different from the stuff we’ve seen in war films of the past, it was still told in such an immersive way and was more than faithful to the source material’s anti-war message. For real though, this movie is so technically well done. James Friend’s cinematography is so beautiful and is some of the best cinematography I’ve seen in a long time, Volker Bertelmann’s score was big and bombastic, the camera work is extraordinarily smooth, the production design is just absolutely insane, the visual effects are blended perfectly into the environments, the makeup is super impressive and character-driven, and the sound design is just on another level, especially for a war movie.

Aside from all of the aspects that went into the filmmaking, the performances we got from the entire cast were superb. First and foremost though was the performance from Felix Kammerer as the main character Paul Bäumer. He was really amazing in this movie and because of all the subtleties in his performance like his facial expressions and his eyes, I felt deeply connected to his character. It’s also a credit to the writing, but there were some scenes in this movie where we get some intimate moments between Paul and the other soldiers, and that made me care a lot and become emotionally invested. He was just perfect in this role and this looked like such a grueling part to play but he was so committed to it, so much so that it felt like we were really watching this young soldier in World War I.

Continuing with the performances, Helmut Zemo himself from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daniel Brühl, was really good here as a German politician who is seeking to end the war. All of the scenes he was in felt important and I think a lot of that was simply because of Brühl’s acting talents. Albrecht Schuch was also pretty great in All Quiet on the Western Front too as he played Stanislaus "Kat" Katczinsky, an older soldier whom Paul befriends. Schuch has some of the most emotional moments in the film and he just crushed them, and it’s not surprising that he was the only actor from the film to earn a BAFTA nomination.

THE BAD

If you can’t tell yet, I was a huge fan of All Quiet on the Western Front. That said, it certainly won’t be for everybody. With it being an anti-war film that definitely gets its anti-war position across, there is a lot of violence in the film so be warned. It’s just a tough movie to watch if I’m being completely honest. It’s a German film spoken entirely in a foreign language, and more than that, it’s pretty long too at 147 minutes, and as much as I loved this movie, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t drag at some points when we weren’t in combat.

THE VERDICT

I was completely blown away by Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front, which is the third adaptation of the 1929 novel of the same name. The film is the current leader for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, and it should be because this film is a technical masterpiece that is carried by a remarkable lead performance from Felix Kammerer.

At the end of the day, If you liked 1917, you will really like this film as they are quite similar. With both films, you get an immersive experience where the camera work is meant to make you feel like you were there, you get great performances, and you get some unforgettable scenes that show you the soul-destroying horror that was World War I.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.4/10

All Quiet on the Western Front is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

She Said

By: Andrew Wing

She Said is a 2022 American biographical drama film directed by Maria Schrader (Unorthodox, I’m Your Man) and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (writer for Ida and Small Axe), based on the 2019 book of the same title by reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. The film stars Carey Mulligan (Drive, Promising Young Woman) and Zoe Kazan (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Big Sick) as Twohey and Kantor, respectively, and follows their New York Times investigation that exposed Harvey Weinstein's history of abuse and sexual misconduct against women. Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island, The Green Mile), Andre Braugher (The Mist, Primal Fear), Jennifer Ehle (The King’s Speech, Contagion), and Samantha Morton (Synecdoche, New York, Minority Report) co-star, with Ashley Judd (Heat, Divergent) appearing as herself.

The book was optioned in 2018, and the film was announced in 2021 as a co-production between Annapurna Pictures and Plan B Entertainment. Filming took place in New York with cinematographer Natasha Braier (The Neon Demon, Honey Boy). During post-production, editing was completed by Hansjörg Weißbrich and the score was composed by Nicholas Britell (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk).

She Said had its world premiere at the 60th New York Film Festival on October 13, 2022, and was released in the United States on November 18, 2022, by Universal Pictures. It was also named one of the best films of 2022 by the American Film Institute.

THE GOOD

As a huge fan of the Oscars and all of the awards shows, She Said has been on my radar for a very long time. Anytime there’s a journalism movie like this, it is usually going to be in the awards conversation. And whenever there’s a movie that deals with the movie industry itself, that is usually going to be in the awards conversation as well. That said, She Said checked both of those boxes as it follows the New York Times investigation that exposed former film producer Harvey Weinstein's history of abuse and sexual misconduct against women that worked in the film industry. Needless to say, I was pretty eager to check this one out, but did it live up to the hype? Keep reading to find out!

I certainly think it did! Now I am a huge fan of journalism movies. From the classics like All the President’s Men to recent ones like Spotlight and Bombshell, and I do not think I’m overreacting when I say that this belongs in near the same realm as those other movies. This movie is more like Spotlight as it is straightforward and faithful to how the story unfolded and I loved it! This movie never felt amped up like some of the other movies in this genre like Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 from a few years ago (a movie that I also loved), and I felt that was the right way for the director Maria Schrader to go about this. This movie really just is the reporters slowly doing this story and I just thought that was a good choice because it was important to see how these two incredible women broke this story and it also still managed to build a lot of tension.

Aside from Schrader’s solid direction, I was really impressed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s adapted screenplay. There are so many interesting and great scenes throughout the film, and a lot of those I felt were a credit to the dialogue. For example, there are a number of interviews that take place throughout as the reporters meet different people as they’re in pursuit of writing this piece on Harvey Weinstein and all of the dialogue in all of those scenes is really good and had me absolutely locked in. There are a number of standout moments in the film from the ensemble cast, and I’ll touch on that, but I think these moments worked so well because of Lenkiewicz’s screenplay that is a lock to be nominated for an Oscar and may even win.

But now onto the performances of Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan. I am a fan of both of them, and I really liked both of their performances in this even though they weren’t career-best performances. Kazan played Jodi Kantor and Mulligan played Megan Twohey, and you could tell how immersed they were in these roles. It was really cool seeing the actresses themselves being completely immersed in their work of playing real people who were completely immersed into their work. Does that make sense? Well anyways, I do think Mulligan did have the better performance and I could very well see her getting a Best Supporting Actress nomination that would be well deserved.

As good as the lead performances were from Kazan and Mulligan, the performances that really shined in She Said were the ‘one-sceners’ that played during the interviewees. For starters, Samantha Morton has one scene where she is truly phenomenal, and Jennifer Ehle had a couple of scenes where she really stole the show. Those two were probably my favorite performances here, but I also quite enjoyed Andre Braugher as Dean Baquet, and Peter Friedman as Lanny Davis. All in all, as good as these performances were, part of me wishes we got more of them, but I still really liked the film overall.

In closing, I just wanted to shout out some of the technical elements of She Said. I thought the editing was good which is essential in these journalism movies, the visuals were interesting given all of the different locations we get, and Nicholas Britell’s score was really good. Britell is just great, and he used a lot of cascading pianos and strings in this score and the score as a whole was just super prominent in the film at all the right times.

THE BAD

Now I obviously really enjoyed the film, but I can definitely see some people not liking it as much as I did. As I previously said, this movie is straightforward and it doesn’t fabricate the story, so there aren’t a lot of creative liberties taken to dramatize the story, and I do think that because of that some people will view the movie as being either boring or dry, and I respect that. Also, the two main characters that we follow don’t really get arcs in the film which will be a problem for some people, but at the end of the day, these women are already heroes just for doing their jobs, and despite me knowing how the story ended, I was still emotionally invested in the story and also the characters so I can’t complain too much.

THE VERDICT

Maria Schrader’s She Said is a really good journalism movie that follows the New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and their investigation that exposed Harvey Weinstein’s history of abuse and sexual misconduct against women.

Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan both have good performances as Kantor and Twohey respectively, the story is powerful, the writing is really good, and it’s just an easy movie for me to suggest checking out!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.9/10

She Said is now streaming only on Peacock. Check out the latest trailer below.

White Noise

By: Andrew Wing

White Noise is a 2022 absurdist comedy-drama film, written and directed by Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha, Marriage Story), adapted from the 1985 novel with the same title by Don DeLillo. It is Baumbach's first directed feature not to be based on an original story of his own. The film stars Adam Driver (Marriage Story, Star Wars sequel trilogy), Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, 20th Century Women), Don Cheadle (Ocean’s Eleven, Avengers: Endgame), Raffey Cassidy (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dark Shadows), Sam Nivola, and May Nivola.

Set in the 1980s, Jack Gladney (Driver), professor of Hitler studies at The-College-on-the-Hill, husband to Babette (Gerwig), and father to four children/stepchildren, is torn asunder by a chemical spill from a rail car that releases an “Airborne Toxic Event”, forcing Jack to confront his biggest fear – his own mortality.

White Noise had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2022, and was released in select cinemas on November 25, 2022, before its streaming release on December 30, by Netflix.

THE GOOD

Going into 2022, there was not a movie I was more excited about than White Noise. Why? Well because it was Noah Baumbach’s first film since Marriage Story, which is one of my all-time favorites, so there was that. But more than that, it was starring my favorite actor, Adam Driver, as a professor of “Hitler studies”, so needless to say I was interested to see what he was going to bring to the table. All that said because it was one of my most anticipated films of 2022, it of course didn’t come out until the second to last day of the year! Regardless, I watched it the first chance I could, but was it worth the wait? Keep reading to find out!

It was! As previously mentioned, I am a huge fan of Baumbach’s, and I was really impressed by what he did in the director’s chair here. This felt like his most daring and ambitious project yet, and while it wasn’t perfect, I still feel like it was an overall success. A lot of the movie is just exploring this strange, heightened world that Baumbach built, and exploring that was honestly one of my favorite parts of the movie. Now this movie is absolutely absurd and everything just feels off and strange, and a lot of that is because of the writing, but it’s also because of the genre-hopping Baumbach does in the movie. At the end of the day, this movie is a dark comedy through and through that is really funny, but at times it felt like a Spielberg adventure movie, while at other times Baumbach does thriller and also noir. I don’t see him getting a Best Director nomination, but nevertheless, I was really impressed by Baumbach’s direction here.

But now to get to what I really want to talk about, and that’s Adam Driver’s performance. Driver plays a man who, like many of us, fears death, and the film follows how he and the other people around him cope with this fear, and I really thought he carried the film. Driver and Baumbach just need to keep making movies together for the rest of eternity because this now marks their fifth movie together and every time Driver just gives another amazing performance so different from the one before. Driver just never allowed me as an audience member to take his character as seriously as the character does himself and he just killed the dry humor in this.

Driver definitely took home the gold here, but all of the other performances were really good too. Baumbach’s wife, Greta Gerwig, plays Babette and I thought she was perfectly cast in this as Babette is this sort of awkward, upbeat, emotional character. Don Cheadle is given some hilarious moments, and I also really liked all of the performances from the actors who played the children in this. I thought they were all very funny and I look forward to seeing what they do down the line.

Aside from the performances though, this movie’s technical elements are just top-notch. I loved the production design here that was just an immaculate feast of 1980s vibes, and as someone who stocks shelves at a supermarket part-time, I was in awe of all the perfectly stocked shelves. Danny Elfman’s score was certainly one of the highlights of the film, Lol Crawley’s vibrant cinematography was remarkable as it felt slightly heightened from our reality, and LCD Soundsystem’s original song “New Body Rhumba” comes on right at the beginning of the end credits and it was just perfectly used and would honestly win the Oscar for Best Original Song if it was up to me.

THE BAD

As good as Baumbach’s direction, the performances, and the techs were, there are just some problems with the film that I had and that most general audiences will have if they watch this. For starters, it feels weird critiquing Baumbach’s writing because he’s one of the best writers working today, but the screenplay just felt inconsistent. Now a lot of that is due to the novel he is adapting into a film being called ‘unadaptable’, but there is just no consistent plot and there are a number of varying tones at play in the film that greatly affected the viewing experience. Also, I think the movie just could’ve been a good fifteen to thirty minutes shorter.

THE VERDICT

Despite its inconsistent plot and the weirdness of it all, White Noise is Noah Baumbach’s most ambitious film yet and I felt it was a true spectacle and an overall success. It’s an absurdist comedy that is really funny throughout and it’s carried by another great Adam Driver performance, and also some stunning cinematography, a fantastic score, and just an awesome original song from LCD Soundsystem!

Now I just need to order the novel right now and get to reading it, so I can rewatch this film and really determine if Baumbach truly adapted the so-called unadaptable.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.2/10

White Noise is now available only on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

By: Andrew Wing

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (titled onscreen as simply Glass Onion) is a 2022 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman. It is the sequel to the 2019 film Knives Out, with Daniel Craig (James Bond film series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) reprising his role as master detective Benoit Blanc as he takes on a new case revolving around tech billionaire Miles Bron, who is played by Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Grand Budapest Hotel), and his closest friends. The ensemble cast also includes Janelle Monáe (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision, Step Brothers), Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton, One Night in Miami…), Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections, The Gray Man), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks, Boy Erased), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune).

Johnson had considered the idea of several films featuring the Benoit Blanc character prior to the first film's release. A sequel was greenlit by its original distributor Lionsgate in 2020, but in March 2021 Netflix bought the rights to two Knives Out sequels for $469 million. The cast signed on that May. Filming took place with a $40 million budget on the island of Spetses, Greece in June and July 2021, and continued in Belgrade until September 2021.

Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022, Glass Onion began a one-week limited theatrical release on November 23, 2022, receiving the widest theatrical release ever for a Netflix film and grossing $115 million; Netflix began streaming it on December 23, 2022. It was named one of the top ten films of 2022 by the National Board of Review and received two nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Craig.

THE GOOD

The time has finally come! Once I heard that there would be a sequel to the smash hit from 2019, Knives Out, I have been so excited! Knives Out was a top ten movie from 2019 for me, which was just a stacked year when it came to movies, and it is one of my personal favorites. More than that, once I saw the ensemble cast that was headlining the sequel, I knew this movie was just going to be amazing. It finally hit Netflix a couple of weeks ago, but before I could watch it, I just felt like I had to rewatch the original and let’s just say it holds up on a rewatch. That said, I finally got around to checking out Glass Onion, but did it live up to my crazy high expectations? Keep reading to find out!

It most certainly did! I loved Glass Onion! Just like the first one is already considered a murder mystery classic, I really think Glass Onion lives up to the first one in every which way and will likely also become a classic of the murder mystery genre. I know that’s kind of crazy to say, but I really believe that, and a big reason I do is because of Rian Johnson’s abilities as a writer/director which he absolutely put on full display here! I am such a huge fan of Johnson. His sci-fi film Looper from 2012, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis is very underrated and I don’t care what all the psychotic Star Wars fans say, Star Wars: The Last Jedi was a freaking awesome movie. I hate that he got a lot of online hate for what he did in that movie, but I’m glad that he has a chance to shut the haters up soon as he is reportedly going to get to write his own trilogy of Star Wars films down the line and get to direct the first installment which just puts me over the moon!

As for what Rian Johnson does in Glass Onion, he just crushed it in every aspect! I felt like he leveled up as a director honesty with some of the framing in some of the shots we got in Glass Onion. There was truthfully purpose behind every single shot. As for the story, he certainly had a challenge here following up on such a great film, but he freaking did it! The script and the movie itself felt less like a sequel and more like an anthology in my opinion as it felt like a separate movie if that makes sense. That said, Johnson still provided us as an audience with those same delicious pleasures with the comedy and the fun we have unraveling this mystery! It’s truly remarkable to me how he can come up with these stories. I can’t even imagine trying to come up with a murder mystery but he makes it look so easy and you can feel while watching the film the giddiness and enjoyment he got from writing this screenplay. The script is just so masterful as it is filled with so much great dialogue from quirky characters, and also a ton of great social commentary. All in all, I’d say Johnson and Ram Bergman, the man he co-wrote the screenplay with, are locks to get nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

I won’t lie, Chris Evans’ performance as Ransom was my favorite performance from Knives Out, but Daniel Craig’s character of Benoit Blanc was certainly my favorite from that film. And as much as I loved Blanc in the first film, I really think I came to love him more in this film because he represents the audience in a sense as he is desiring to have a good mystery just like we are as we watch. His character is just so funny and he brings so much joy, unlike any other character I watched on screen this year! As for Craig’s performance as the character in this sequel, he, like Rian Johnson, just did it again! I love Craig as an actor obviously being a huge fan of the James Bond films, but I just can’t get enough of his thick southern accent here. Sure, some will say he is overacting and is cartoonish, but I was just such a huge fan of everything he did here and I wouldn’t mind seeing him get an Oscar nomination for his performance here because it’s unforgettable!

As I previously mentioned, once I heard the ensemble cast that would be alongside Daniel Craig in this one, I almost passed out. Seriously though, the cast is stacked and I just loved getting a whole new colorful cast of characters. And let’s just say, the ensemble cast did not disappoint because they were extremely fun! I won’t touch on all of the members of the ensemble cast, but Janelle Monáe definitely got the largest role and this was just a showcase for her because she is fantastic and more than worthy of a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Kate Hudson is very funny as she gives a very big performance in this and I thought Edward Norton was a huge standout for me as he had one of the best performances as the tech billionaire Miles Bron.

As for some of the technical elements, let’s discuss the cinematography. The cinematography in the original was great and Steve Yedlin beautifully captured the New England region. But with Glass Onion, we get an entirely new location in Greece that was beautifully shot once again by Steve Yedlin. As a whole, the movie is just so stunning to look at. The costumes are awesome and the production design is on another level. The mansion in this film looks incredible and all the props in the mansion felt thematically significant to the film and I really think they deserve an Oscar nomination as well! And last but not least, I really liked the score from Nathan Johnson here as it is definitely one of the best of his career!

THE BAD

I’ll say it again, I loved Glass Onion! That said, I just have to put it a tick below the first. I could maybe even be convinced that it is as good on a second watch, but I just can’t say it’s better. One reason for that is because the story we get in Glass Onion, as much as I enjoyed it, is a far more complicated story than Knives Out. I have seen some critics call the movie an “explainathon” because, for a majority of the movie, you are getting explained what is going on. And sure, it takes a lot of time and maybe that time could have been better spent exploring the characters, but in my opinion, all the explaining was so fun and the big conclusion did not let us down so who cares about how we got there!

THE VERDICT

Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is such a fun movie full of amazing performances from the entire ensemble cast that is once again led by Daniel Craig as the hilarious private detective, Benoit Blanc. The writing is amazing and so fresh, the production design is outstanding, and Nathan Johnson’s score is arguably the best of his career!

As I said earlier in the review, I have this just a tick below Knives Out, but I couldn’t recommend this movie more, so watch it ASAP with family and friends because I guarantee you will have a good time with it!

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is now on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

By: Andrew Wing

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Spanish: BARDO, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades), or known simply as Bardo, is a 2022 Mexican drama film co-written, co-composed, edited, produced, and directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), The Revenant).

The film stars Daniel Giménez Cacho (Y Tu Mamá También, Cronos) alongside Griselda Siciliani, and follows Silverio (Cacho), a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who returns to his native country of Mexico and begins having an existential crisis in the form of dreamlike visions. It is Iñárritu's first film to be fully filmed in Mexico since Amores perros in 2000.

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in competition for the Golden Lion on September 1, 2022, and was released in theaters on November 18, 2022, then streamed on Netflix on December 16, 2022.

THE GOOD

Going into 2022, Bardo was without a doubt one of my most anticipated movies. I love Iñárritu as a director and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a perfect film in my opinion that is easily one of my favorites. The movie was getting a lot of awards buzz in early 2022, but after it premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, it got very mixed reviews and all the buzz around awards pretty much disappeared. To be completely honest, that only made me more excited to finally check this out once it hit Netflix, and I finally got around to it! So was this another great film in Iñárritu’s catalog, or was it what some are calling his worst film yet? Keep reading to find out!

While I don’t think it was as great as his masterpieces like Birdman or other amazing films of his like Amores perros and Babel, Bardo is still a really good movie in my opinion. It certainly won’t be for everybody and I will touch on that later in the review, but I am always so amazed by what Iñárritu does in the director’s chair. This movie was daring and ambitious and some people will fault the movie and him for that, but I really admired what he did here. He tackled a lot of big ideas here and while he didn’t do it perfectly, I still think he is worthy of a lot of praise. His framing and blocking in every scene were top notch and I am obsessed with the way he uses camera movement in his films. And lastly, I loved all of the comedy in this movie, and it really just makes me want to watch Iñárritu do a dark comedy movie because I think he would crush it.

Aside from Iñárritu’s direction, this movie is carried by a great lead performance from Daniel Giménez Cacho. I have seen Cronos, the 1993 Guillermo del Toro movie he had a supporting role in, but this was only the second performance of his and I was really impressed. He absolutely carries this film on his back as the main character Silverio, who is a stand-in for Iñárritu himself. Cacho conveys a lot of his character’s emotions in the film through his facial expressions, but he has some scenes that are heavy with dialogue too that I thought he crushed. Also, he has a great couple of minutes of dancing too in what was one of my favorite scenes of the film. Aside from Cacho’s lead performance, I do want to give a shout-out to Griselda Siciliani, the beautiful Argentine actress who played Silverio’s wife, Lucía, who I hope following this gets in more stuff!

As good as Iñarritu's direction and the performances were, the best part of Bardo is without a doubt Darius Khondji's cinematography. Khondji has shot some pretty great films in the past like David Fincher’s Se7en, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems, and also earlier this year, James Gray’s Armageddon Time (see my full review here). That said, what Khondji does here is remarkable and it is right up there with some of his best work. There are just so many shots throughout the film that I was in awe of and I put it right up there with Nope (see my full review here) as the film with the best cinematography of 2022. It’ll be a true shame if Khondji doesn’t get nominated for Best Cinematography at this year’s Academy Awards, but I’ll hold out hope that he can get a nom for the next movie he is shooting, Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming sci-fi film Mickey 17 that I just cannot wait for!

THE BAD

As previously mentioned, I thought Bardo was a really good movie, but I totally can see why the movie has gotten such mixed reviews. The writing, and the movie in general, has gotten a lot of flack for being a little too self-indulgent, and I get that. That said, this movie is a deeply personal one from Iñárritu that tackled his identity and his life, and I was just fine with it. That said, and I am not one to complain about long movies, but this movie could’ve lost a whole hour off the final cut, which is crazy to say considering that this cut was 22 minutes shorter than the one screened at Venice and Telluride for critics. The film clocks in at 160 minutes which along with the fact that it is completely in the Spanish language just makes it hard to recommend because that is certainly a commitment.

THE VERDICT

Despite the long runtime, BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is still a really good, deeply personal drama film from one of my personal favorites, Alejandro González Iñárritu. It is backed by great direction from Iñárritu, good performances from Daniel Giménez Cacho and Griselda Siciliani, and some of the best cinematography of 2022 from Darius Khondji!

TED TAKES RATING - 7.7/10

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

Ticket to Paradise

By: Andrew Wing

Ticket to Paradise is a 2022 romantic comedy film starring George Clooney (Gravity, Ocean’s Eleven) and Julia Roberts (Notting Hill, Pretty Woman) as a divorced couple who team up to sabotage the impending wedding of their daughter in Bali.

The film is directed by Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) and written by Parker and Daniel Pipski, while Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Dear Evan Hansen), Billie Lourd (Star Wars sequel trilogy, Booksmart), Maxime Bouttier, and Lucas Bravo (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris) also star.

Ticket to Paradise had its world premiere in Barcelona on September 8, 2022, and was released in the United Kingdom on September 20 and in the United States on October 21, by Universal Pictures and Working Title Films. It has grossed $171 million worldwide.

THE GOOD

Ticket to Paradise was nowhere on my radar going into 2022, but once I saw that first initial trailer I knew I had to check this one out. I mean it’s two of the biggest Hollywood stars that are still working today in Julia Roberts and George Clooney in a romantic comedy, and as much as I claim to be a man’s man, I just couldn’t resist. But were these two megastars coming together enough to make for a great romantic comedy? Keep reading to find out!

As much as I enjoyed this movie, I just don’t think I can call it a great romantic comedy, but I’ll dive into why a little later on in the review. But for now, I am going to discuss what I did like about Ticket to Paradise, and what I did like were the performances from the two stars. I mean these two are two of the best to ever do it, so I shouldn’t be surprised, but it was just crazy to see how easy it comes to the two of them. As good as dramatic actors as they are, I was really blown away by their comedic chemistry. I just couldn’t get enough of the bantering and bickering between the two of them, and I hope this isn’t the last time the two of them share the screen together.

As for the other things I liked about Ticket to Paradise, I do want to give some praise to the director Ol Parker who also co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Pipski. This film isn’t some groundbreaking achievement in direction, but I did think that the film was nicely edited, especially during the comedic scenes and continuing with the comedy, I thought all of the jokes were fantastic and I laughed at every single one of them. Aside from that, the only other thing with Ticket to Paradise that I wanted to shout out was the cinematography that was done by Ole Birkeland, which showed the viewer just how beautiful Bali truly is, and also the score that was composed by one of the best, Lorne Balfe.

THE BAD

Now I know I said how much I enjoyed Ticket to Paradise, and I hate to be a party pooper, but this film was just so generic. I mean at the end of the day, the film is selling Julia Roberts and George Clooney, and they are both great, but I just had some problems with the film. For starters, you just know how the film is going to end from the time you watch the trailer, but if not that, then the first act of the movie. More than that, and this isn’t something I was expecting to complain about with this movie being a romantic comedy, but I did not buy a single second of the film’s romance, whether it was between Roberts and Clooney’s characters, or their daughter and her fiancé and that was really disappointing.

THE VERDICT

Despite being pretty generic and having lackluster romance, Ticket to Paradise is still an enjoyable, easy-to-recommend movie that features good performances from the two megastars, Julia Roberts and George Clooney, whose bickering and bantering alone is worth giving this a watch.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.1/10

Ticket to Paradise is now streaming on Peacock. Check out the latest trailer below.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 epic science fiction action film from legendary director James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and Josh Friedman, and produced by 20th Century Studios. It is the second film in Cameron's Avatar franchise, following Avatar (2009), and is set more than a decade after the events of the first film. Similar to the trendsetting first film, Cameron, going all out as usual, decided it necessary to develop new technology in order to film performance capture scenes underwater, something never accomplished before, leading to significant delays to allow the crew more time to work on the writing, preproduction, and visual effects.

Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

Starring Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.

Avatar: The Way of Water made its debut in theaters and IMAX 3D on December 16th.

THE GOOD

It really is hard to believe that the last time I found myself in an IMAX 3D theater for a Avatar movie was way back in 2009, and to say it was a historic day would be an understatement. I actually drove nearly an hour to a bigger IMAX theater only to be turned away after being told all of the showings were completely sold out. Now this was before the days of reserved seating, so my buddy and I purchased our tickets in advance and planned to show up crazy early the next day to ensure we had good seats. The theater was in a building that also housed a Fudruckers restaurant and a full candy store, so needless to say we had everything we needed. Once the IMAX screen came and went, how I watched movies would never be the same. It was amazing.

Once it was all said and done I saw Avatar in IMAX 3D about 5 times, and I also made sure to purchase a 3D TV before the movie’s Blu-ray release. I bought the 3D Blu-ray the day it released, and was able to relive the joy of Avatar in my home theater complete with a 10” downfiring Klipsche subwoofer (it was a beast) that shook my entire house. It was epic. In many ways this movie was sort of a coming-of-age experience for me as a fan of movies, mainly because it changed the way I viewed the overall theater experience. Jump ahead damn near 15 years and we have our sequel to this groundbreaking film, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t nearly given up hope that this day would ever come. So here we are, and the big question is was James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water worth the wait?! Keep reading to find out!

Wow, just wow. James Cameron has done it again ladies and gentleman. Avatar: The Way of Water is yet another masterclass of filmmaking when it comes to the overall theater experience, and what I can only describe as something that needs to be seen and heard to be truly appreciated. The visuals are on another level, the story was nothing short of fantastic, and trust me when I say there wasn’t a dry eye in the theater at the end of the film which certainly caught me by surprise. Avatar: The Way of Water builds on the foundation established by the original film, and in my personal opinion the story was a perfect continuation. Nothing about the film felt gimmicky or forced, and if anything I was reminded that you should never doubt the talent of the man, the myth, the legend, James Cameron.

Now we can talk about the bread and butter of the film, the technical elements. Keep in mind that I did see the film in IMAX 3D for my second viewing, so this section of the review will be reflective of both the 2D experience but will of course focus quite a bit on the 3D side for obvious reasons. So, where do I start?! Seriously, Avatar: The Way of Water is just a marvel of filmmaking technology at every turn. Pandora looks incredible once again, but once they make their way to the islands and learn the way of the water, that is when the excitement gets kicked up a notch. Everything is just so vibrant and full of life, I honestly felt like I was there. In typical James Cameron fashion, he went as far as to develop ways to pioneer filming techniques as part of maximizing what he could do with his new film.

Cameron and his crew constructed a new camera system which consists of multiple high-end cameras bolted together, more specifically the Sony Venice cameras, creating a stereoscopic 3D system. He also went as far as finding a way to shoot and do motion capture simultaneously above and below water, which was a massive leap for what he was able to do with Avatar: The Way of Water. I mean, this dude really is something else. I won’t bore you with technical jargon, but the complex process that takes place when Cameron is bringing his visons to life for his Avatar films is nothing short of astonishing. Bottom line, the visuals speak for themselves and nothing can prepare you for the eye candy in this film.

Now moving over to more of the directorial side of Cameron’s job which requires a focus on the camera work and shooting style, similar to the original film it is once again incredible. Avatar: The Way of Water will leave you speechless from the opening scene to the end credits, but each time you start to think you may have seen the coolest or most immersive scene in the film, it is often outdone within minutes. I feel like it is nearly impossible for me to even try to pinpoint my favorite shots or action scenes in the film because it is all so beautiful and the cinematography compliments of Russell Carpenter is amazing, but a few specific scenes really stood out to me in terms of how immersive they were as a viewer.

Right around the third act of the film the humans are hammering around in what I guess you would call mini two-person submarines, and at times they have the camera angle from the view of the pilots and I felt like I was on a ride at Disney. Like seriously, with the 3D effect and the feel of being underwater, this was such a surreal feeling and to be honest a bit terrifying considering we were on the wrong side of the action if you know what I mean. The action scenes throughout the film are unmatched, and so much of that is thanks to a pioneering director like James Cameron who demands perfection at every turn.

The story takes place more than 10 years after the events of the first film, making it feel like the sequel was somehow in real-time which is pretty crazy when you think about it. Jake Sully has made Pandora his home, and now has taken on newfound responsibility with a family of his own. The story kicks off by establishing the importance of family which absolutely resonated for me, and also helped to get viewers once again invested in the characters and their well-being. Similar to the original film the people of Pandora are under attack by the human race hell bent on taking possession of their resources, but now they are more prepared than ever to fight back.

I really enjoyed the story of the original film even though it was fairly straight forward, and Avatar: The Way of Water builds on that premise while raising the stakes as Sully now has his loved ones to protect, something that he makes very clear defines him and his mission in life. One thing that is readily apparent from the very beginning in Avatar: The Way of Water is that the value of human life is paramount, and you are programmed to do whatever it takes to preserve your way of life and protect those you love. The ability to add such a relatable and humanistic feel to the film made a huge difference in my opinion in terms of how much of an impact the story had on me. I won’t go too much into detail as I don’t want to spoil anything, but I loved how they reintroduced a familiar threat and I felt like the overall story arch was absolutely genius and had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

The cast for Avatar: The Way of Water is stacked, and everyone does such an incredible job. The hard thing about a film like this even more so than voice actors for animated films, is so much of what goes into it takes a back seat to the visual spectacle. Even though I know for a fact stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Jermaine Clement, and Brendan Cowell, just to name a few, were absolutely incredible in their respective roles, it is nearly impossible to see them as anything other than these characters. Even looking at pictures of the actual actors now I am still having a hard time connecting them.

That is of course a testament to the film and how immersive it is, but the CGI really takes on a life of its own and these characters become separate from the actors playing them, if that makes sense at all. For that reason, the cast will likely be overlooked when it comes time to hand out the awards Avatar: The Way of Water will undoubtedly receive, but trust me when I saw they put it all out there to make sure this film became the incredible experience that it is. Additional shoutouts to Jack Champion as Spider, Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Jamie Flatters as Neteyam, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuk, and Bailey Bass as Tsireya. Take a minute to look over the entire cast list because they all deserve a great deal of recognition.

Admittedly I am a bit late to the game getting this review posted, but I wanted to make sure I watched Avatar: The Way of Water in standard 2D and also in IMAX 3D before writing a review for the sake of a fair comparison. I watched it in standard 2D first, and I loved it. I thought the visuals were amazing, and the sound still blew me away. But, considering the fact that my experience with the original film was entirely in 3D IMAX as far as theater viewings, I had to get the full effect, and boy oh boy was it worth it. Avatar: The Way of Water is night and day better in IMAX 3D, which should come as no surprise considering that is by design. I understand the overall fad of 3D has sort of run its course, but it is just different with the Avatar movies.

James Cameron is an absolute legend in the world of filmmaking, and more than anything else I felt completely immersed in the film when watching in IMAX 3D. While watching in 2D certain parts throughout the film made me think wow that would look really awesome in 3D, which sort of left me wanting more. I was often distracted by the fact that my jaw was basically on the floor as I attempted to take in the 3 hours of beauty that was on the giant screen in front of me. As I said Avatar: The Way of Water is still fantastic in standard 2D and well worth the trip to the theater, but if you have the ability to see it in IMAX 3D, do yourself a favor and leave no stone unturned. It is well worth it.

THE BAD

Avatar: The Way of Water is an incredible film, simple as that. But, it is not for everyone. As I touched on in my 2D vs 3D comparison, the film truly shines when watched in 3D, IMAX 3D to be more specific, and the reality is not everyone likes 3D movies especially when they are 3 hours long. If you have an issue with 3D or simply don’t enjoy it, this movie clearly is not for you. I will however say that if that is in fact the case, be sure to still see it in standard 2D because you will be amazed. As far as any other issues I had with the film I got nothing, I saw it twice and liked it even better the second time. I guess I could say that you need to see it in theaters, because even though it will be fantastic at home, you need to experience it for the first time on the big screen otherwise it will pale in comparison. Don’t be that person a year down the road that says Avatar: The Way of Water was just okay, after clarifying you didn’t actually see it in theaters. That’s how you get unfollowed on social media.

THE VERDICT

A truly mesmerizing and triumphant sequel to one of the most groundbreaking films ever made, Avatar: The Way of Water will leave you in awe with its jaw-dropping visuals while offering an engaging and emotional story perfectly setting the stage for the next film. This movie blew me away, simple as that. Even at 3 hours long I can’t wait to see it for a 3rd time, which is really saying something. How do you follow-up the highest grossing film of all time? This is how. Not a minute is wasted in terms of action or story, and they even could have made it longer and I wouldn’t have complained, it is just that good.

After the first viewing in standard 2D I wasn’t quite prepared to say this was better than the original, but after seeing it in 3D IMAX I can comfortably say it was. And that isn’t taking anything away from the original film because Avatar: The Way of Water builds on what made that film so great, and just ups the ante in every way. The film will break records for good reason, so don’t be left in the dark and be sure to see it in theaters as soon as possible. Now I just need to dig out my 3D glasses so I can watch the original again in all of its 3D glory.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.5/10

Avatar: The Way of Water is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a 2022 computer-animated adventure directed by Joel Crawford, and co-directed by Januel Mercado. It is a sequel to Puss in Boots (2011), and a spin-off of the Shrek franchise. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, from a screenplay by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow, based on a story by Swerdlow and the first film's writer Tom Wheeler, with additional screenplay material provided by Etan Cohen.

The voice cast includes Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, as well as Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez who voice new characters introduced in the film.

Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish made its debut in theaters on December 21st.

THE GOOD

I remember watching the original Puss in Boots back in 2011 and I really enjoyed it, but because it has been so long I honestly more or less forgot about it. When they began advertising for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish I had that classic what the heck is going on here reaction and was genuinely curious why they would wait so long for a sequel especially considering the success of the original film. As a spin-off of the Shrek franchise, it seems a reboot of that franchise/universe in some form or fashion is the overall goal here. The fact that the franchise centers around a ridiculous cast of voice actors led by Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, I knew I would give this a chance no matter what. So, was Puss in Boots: The Last Wish a simple cash grab or something that will more than likely lead to a Puss in Boots/Shred franchise resurgence? Keep reading to find out!

Wow, just wow. This is such a good movie! From the overall message of the film to the humor, the action, and the visuals, it was all just so damn good. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish feels so genuine from start to finish, and at times I honestly forgot that my primary goal was to keep my kids entertained for an hour and a half. My wife and I take any opportunity we have to bring our two toddlers to the theater when an animated movie is playing, and this seemed like as good an opportunity as any. But this time was different. Usually, I am sort of half-focused on the movie and half-focused on making sure my kids aren’t streaking through the aisles like Frank the Tank in Old School, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. At one point both kids were in my wife’s lap and I had two empty chairs in between them and myself, and even though I knew I would pay dearly for this later, I simply did not care. The movie had my complete attention, and I desperately needed to make sure I was able to get the full experience. And yeah, it was worth each and every death stare I received from her.

As simple as it was, the story is what first hooked me. Assuming you saw the original film, Puss in Boots has a great origin story but in the end, he became someone obsessed with the legend that he became. But with that being said, it was always clear that under that tough (or I suppose fairly soft and hairy) exterior was a big heart and a genuine fear of failure. Puss in Boots wanted to be loved, and he felt that his self-worth was wrapped up in this larger-than-life persona he created over the years. Plus, Puss was always naïve in the fact that he overestimated his own mortality, which is the center of the story of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Puss has finally exhausted 8 of his 9 lives, and for this reason, he can no longer live the way a fearless legend needs to live. Puss stumbles upon an opportunity to regain his sense of immortality and embarks on a journey to regain his identity. Along the way, he crosses paths with an old friend while making a few new ones, and what I loved most about the story was how it focused on what it means to be selfless, and how even though we feel like we have been shorted in life and feel resentful because of it, others out there have truly struggled and somehow still find a way to experience real happiness. It really is a powerful and heartfelt story that really resonated with me.

Okay so on to what else really stood out for me, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish looks incredible. The animation in the film is really on another level, and more often than not my jaw was literally on the floor. It looked great from start to finish, and the action shots were just so unique and eye-catching that I couldn’t help but admire the creativity involved in the film. The animation style reminded me of the animated action comedy The Bad Guys (our full review here), just that much better. The action sequences felt genuinely intense, and the primary antagonist The Big Bad Wolf was just next level each and every time he was on screen even though he did scare the crap out of my kids. Bottom line, the animation style felt so unique and it without a doubt is a big reason why Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was so damn good, but don’t take my word for it, you need to experience it for yourself.

Similar to the original film, the cast of voice actors is stacked yet again with a few very impressive additions. Similar to the first film, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is built on the back of the great Antonio Banderas, who voices the legend himself. I have been a Banderas fan ever since my dad had me watch his 1995 film, Desperado. I would never look at a guitar case the same way again, what a true badass. Returning after a pivotal role in the original film is the ageless and gorgeous Salma Hayek, who plays the role of Kitty Softpaws. I love Hayek in literally anything she does, and the only issue I can honestly say I had with her here was the fact that I couldn’t see her in real life.

The best addition to the film in my mind was Florence Pugh, who has been on quite a tear with Midsommar (2019), Black Widow, and more recently Don’t Worry Darling (our full review here). Pugh, an extremely talented actress, absolutely crushes the role of Goldilocks as the film continues with an amazing focus on classic children’s stories. I loved Harvey Guillén as the adorable and hilarious dog pretending to be a cat Perrito, who was surely a runner-up as my overall favorite character. Guillén is best known, by me anyway, for his role as Guillermo in the FX comedy series What We Do in the Shadows. Other notable supporting cast members include Wagner Moura as the aforementioned The Big Bad Wolf, John Mulaney as Big Jack Horner, Ray Winstone as Papa Bear, Samson Kayo as Baby Bear, Olivia Colman as Mama Bear, Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mama Luna, and last but not least. Anthony Mendez as the Doctor/Barber.

THE BAD

First and foremost, I had zero issues with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. It really was that good in my eyes. But, you can call me crazy which would be fair and very much warranted but as I touched on briefly my wife and I did bring our 2-year-old and almost 4-year-old to see it. With that being said, some of what I loved most about the movie was no bueno for them, which was the primary antagonists and most notably The Big Bad Wolf voiced by Wagner Moura who honestly scared the crap out of my kids. They did such a nice job with the scenes he was involved in, and he was a genuinely terrifying character who I thought added some extremely valuable depth to the story and the Puss in Boots character arc. So yeah, I guess I am pointing this out more as a warning as we did have to reassure our boys that the good guys would prosper in the end, and they did say that they loved the movie once it was all said and done which is all that matters if you ask me.

THE VERDICT

An action-packed, hilarious, and genuinely heartwarming adventure showcasing incredible visuals and an engaging story, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a treat for kids and adults alike and easily one of my favorite animated films in recent memory. This movie was so much fun, and I can’t remember the last time an animated film just hooked me in such a way. The story tugged at my heartstrings, the animation blew me away, and the humor had me laughing out loud an uncomfortable amount considering at the end of the day, it is a movie meant for kids. Bottom line, I really can’t recommend Puss in Boots: The Last Wish enough because this is top-tier cinema, simple as that. So get out there and show your support because I need a 3rd movie.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.4/10

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Prey

By: Andrew Wing

Prey is a 2022 American science fiction action film in the Predator franchise. It is the fifth installment and is a prequel to the first four films. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and written by Patrick Aison. It stars Amber Midthunder (Hell or High Water, The Ice Road), Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush (Dead Man, Pathfinder), Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, and Bennett Taylor.

The story, being set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719, revolves around Naru (Midthunder), a skilled Comanche warrior, who is striving to prove herself as a hunter. She finds herself having to protect her people from a vicious, humanoid alien that hunts humans for sport, as well as from French fur traders who are destroying the buffalo they rely on for survival.

Development of the film began during the production of The Predator (2018), when producer John Davis was approached by Trachtenberg and Aison, with a concept that they had been developing since 2016. In late 2020, the film's title was revealed to be the codename for the fifth installment in the franchise. Filming took place around Calgary during the summer of 2021, with the entire film shot in English and some sequences shot in Comanche as well. The remaining sequences were dubbed into Comanche by the cast, reprising their roles. The film is the first feature film to have a full Comanche language dub.

Prey premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2022, and was released by 20th Century Studios as a Hulu original film in the United States and on Disney+ Star internationally on August 5.

THE GOOD

Did somebody say finally? Seriously though, I cannot believe it took me so long to finally check out Prey. Once it hit Hulu in August, the initial buzz for the movie was insane and I immediately added it to my watchlist, but one thing led to another and I wasn’t checking it out until a couple of days before 2023. Needless to say though, I, like most other adult males, am a huge fan of the Predator franchise, and despite the up-and-down nature of the films in the franchise, I was still pumped to check this bad boy out. I mean some people were saying it was the best Predator installment since the first film, so that got pretty stoked. But was it true? Or was it just another junky Predator movie? Keep reading to find out!

Damn right it was true! This movie is without a doubt in my mind the best film in the Predator franchise since the original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. That said, as big of a fan as I am of the Predator franchise, my favorite part of this film was truly that it felt like you didn’t even need to see those films to enjoy this one. This was a very interesting idea for a franchise film and I respect those in charge for thinking out of the box and doing something different than just putting out the same slop like they did in 2018 with The Predator. A big reason this film worked was mainly because of Dan Trachtenberg’s direction. Funny enough, this wasn’t Trachtenberg’s first time jumping into directing a franchise film because before this he directed the great sci-fi thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane. Seriously though, the similarities between that movie and Prey are plenty, and I am just a huge fan of Trachtenberg’s direction. Everything he did in Prey just felt so grounded and it was nice to be in this completely new world, but at the same time the movie was full of fantastic suspense and a lot of violence.

As for Trachtenberg's visual direction here, I thought he absolutely knocked it out of the park. The action scenes in this movie are simply great. The action was flawlessly paced and it never felt like it repeated itself too much. Continuing with the visuals though, the cinematography in Prey is truly beautiful. It really made me wonder why more action movies don’t look this good. The camera work did a great job of capturing the beauty of the environments, it used natural lighting perfectly, and it changed color palettes from scene to scene in a way that was really compelling. All that said, shout-out to the cinematographer Jeff Cutter.

Now onto the performances from the amazing indigenous cast that was led by Amber Midthunder. Midthunder absolutely crushed it here as she played the main character, Naru, a young Comanche warrior who was really easy to cheer for because of Midthunder’s performance. This wasn’t the first I had seen of Midthunder because she had a cameo in one of my favorite shows right now, Reservation Dogs, but after watching her in this, you can tell she is on the come up. It wasn’t anything that is going to get an Oscar nomination but she really carried this film. Aside from her though, I also quite enjoyed the performances of Dakota Beavers as Taabe, Naru's brother and a skilled hunter, and also Dane DiLiegro who played the actual Predator. All in all, though, the entire indigenous cast was great and I think it’s really cool that this film is the first feature film to have a full Comanche language dub.

THE BAD

Alright, there is no denying that I was a big fan of Prey, but there was just something missing here for me. Maybe it’s because I simply watch too many movies, but I just knew how this movie was going to play out from the very start once I was given the setup of the movie. I don’t know, maybe I’m being harsh, but I just wanted it to go further at some points, but at the end of the day it was a Hulu original film that ultimately delivered on what I came for. Oh and last but not least, and this doesn’t deduct any points from my rating of the film, but why the f**k wasn’t this movie released in theaters! WTF!

THE VERDICT

Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey is without a doubt one of the biggest surprises of 2022. It’s a really compelling action movie with a fresh Comanche perspective that looks and sounds great, and is 100% the best Predator installment since the first film. More than that, it’s thrilling, straightforward, and is carried by an awesome Amber Midthunder performance that is hopefully the first of many for the young actress.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.8/10

Prey is now streaming exclusively on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

Spirited

By: Andrew Wing

Spirited is a 2022 American Christmas musical comedy film directed by Sean Anders (Daddy’s Home, Instant Family), and written and produced by Anders and John Morris (We’re the Millers). It is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol and a satire of the various adaptations since. The film stars Will Ferrell (Elf, Step Brothers), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Free Guy), Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water, Ma), Sunita Mani (G.L.O.W, Search Party), Patrick Page (In the Heights), Marlow Barkley (Slumberland), and Tracy Morgan (The Other Guys, Cop Out).

In the film, The Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) is nearing retirement, which would mean a return to Earth. He sets his sights on an "unredeemable" man named Clint Briggs (Reynolds), who may end up helping the Ghost come to terms with his own past.

Spirited was released in select cinemas on November 11, 2022, before its streaming release on November 18, 2022, by Apple TV+.

THE GOOD

So it was Christmas Eve and my family and I were sitting down to try and find a Christmas movie to watch and we had no idea what to try. We didn’t feel like watching Home Alone for the hundredth time, and I couldn’t talk my mom into watching Die Hard because well, she doesn’t think it’s a Christmas movie. Yes, that’s right, she is one of those people. Anyways, we turned on Apple TV+, and right on the home screen was Spirited, a Christmas movie starring two of the funniest actors working today, Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Those two guys were too tough to pass on so we said screw it and hit play. But was it better than watching Home Alone for the 101st time? Keep reading to find out!

That’s tough. I don’t know if I ever get tired of Home Alone, but despite some of my problems with the film that I’ll discuss later, I was still happy to check this out. Hands down though the best part of the movie, in my opinion, was the performances we got from Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, and more than that, the chemistry they share. As he said while doing press for this film, Ferrell is no stranger when it comes to Christmas movies because he is Buddy the Elf at the end of the day. I thought Ferrell was the star of the show as he was just so damn funny throughout, and I’ll just never get tired of watching him on TV. As for Reynolds, he just plays the same character in all of his movies pretty much and while I know some people get tired of him from time to time, I thought he was perfect here as the “unredeemable” man named Clint Briggs. That said, these two’s performances carried the film and the chemistry they shared has me hoping that this isn’t the last we see of them together.

As previously mentioned, those two guys’ performances were worth the price of admission for me, but there were also some other things I enjoyed about Spirited. I always love me some Octavia Spencer because she is truly one of the best, and I also was really impressed by Sunita Mani’s small-yet-hilarious side performance as the Ghost of Christmas Past. And last but not least, with this film being a musical comedy, you get a bunch of original songs that are just a blast. My personal favorite original song was “Good Afternoon” which actually has an outside chance of tabbing an Oscar nomination, so fingers crossed there!

THE BAD

I feel bad being a Grinch during the holidays, but there are just a few problems with this movie that keep it from being a Christmas classic. The main problem with the film is that it is the same story we get what really feels like every holiday season. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a classic story that’s entertaining at times, but I was just frustrated with this film’s lack of improvement over previous adaptations of Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. And to tie that into my next problem with the movie, you would think if they were re-telling this story for the umpteenth time, it wouldn’t take so long! I am one who usually has no problem with longer movies, but this movie was just way too overstuffed at the end of the day.

THE VERDICT

Despite it being overstuffed and not too different from the previous adaptations of the famous Christmas carol, Spirited is still a film I would recommend because for one, it’s the holiday season, and two, it’s Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds together and their chemistry is pretty great to be honest.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.8/10

Spirited is now streaming only on Apple TV+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Babylon

By: Andrew Wing

Babylon is a 2022 American epic period comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land, First Man). The film features an ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt (Fight Club, Inglourious Basterds), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico), Jean Smart (A Simple Favor, Mare of Easttown), Jovan Adepo (mother!, Overlord), and Li Jun Li (Wu Assassins).

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, the plot chronicles the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood as it transitions from silent to sound films in the late 1920s.

Chazelle began developing the film in July 2019, with Lionsgate as the frontrunner to acquire the project. It was subsequently announced that Paramount Pictures had acquired worldwide rights in November 2019. Much of the main cast joined the project between January 2020 and August 2021, and filming took place in Los Angeles from July to October 2021.

Babylon premiered in Los Angeles on December 15, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 23, 2022, by Paramount Pictures. It received five nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and nine nominations at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture.

THE GOOD

Holy shit, I cannot believe I am finally writing this review! For those who don’t know me, it should be stated that Damien Chazelle is my favorite living director right alongside Denis Villeneuve. I think Whiplash is a perfect film and La La Land is one of my all-time favorites. The 37-year-old New England native is just on another level when it comes to filmmaking and when I heard his next film would be an epic period drama that was about Hollywood transitioning from silent to sound films in the late 1920s, I was f**king ecstatic! Throw in the fact that the film was being headlined by Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, and I knew I was going to have to see this the first chance I had! Well, I did, but did it live up to my otherworldly expectations? Keep reading to find out!

It most definitely did! As previously said, Chazelle is my favorite director working today and what he gave us here just continues to make me love him even more. Everything he does in Babylon is incredible, and there is just nobody on his level right now in my opinion. His detail to all of the crafts here is out of this world and this is one of the most energetic films I’ve ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat for over three hours and that is all credit to Chazelle’s filmmaking skills. There are just so many unforgettable scenes here that are among my favorite scenes of the year and I just continue to be blown away by Chazelle. This movie is insane and crazy and he was trying to make a maximalist comedy that also has great dramatic moments and he delivered without a doubt. That said, he is more than deserving of a Best Director nomination but I’m skeptical if he’ll get it, unfortunately.

The other great thing about Chazelle is that he writes original screenplays for all of his films aside from his 2018 Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, and I was blown away by his screenplay here. I will watch any movie that is actually about the making of movies, but this particular time period in Hollywood when they transitioned from silent films to talkies is so interesting and I love that he focused on that era. The story we got was fantastic and it is one that everyone can connect to as it is mainly about a man who wants to be a part of something bigger that will make him be remembered. All in all, Chazelle gave us amazing dialogue in this, and I hope this can somehow snag a Best Original Screenplay nomination because he is deserving of that too.

Onto the performances in Babylon, we have to start with the star of the show, and that is Margot Robbie. Robbie plays the aspiring actress Nellie LaRoy, and she delivers hands down one of the best performances of the year, and I think the best performance of Robbie’s young but already illustrious career. She does everything you can think of from yelling, crying, screaming, to dancing. She just does things in this movie that I have never seen before and her performance strengthens the case that she is arguably the best actress working right now. You could really make the case that she should win Best Actress for her performance here, but the competition this year is ridiculous, but that said, she still better get nominated, or else I’ll have to riot.

The second-best performance in Babylon belongs to a new face for me, Diego Calva, who gave what can only be called a star-in-the-making performance. As epic and outlandish as this movie was, I felt like whenever we came to Calva’s character, Manny Torres, the movie instantly became more grounded. A lot of that was because of how likable his character was, but I can’t say enough good things about Calva’s performance here. I was just so taken aback by the subtleties of Calva’s performance and how much he as an actor could convey with simply a single glance. All of the character’s emotions were in Calva’s eyes from start to finish and it was truly amazing. That said, I really really want Calva to get a Best Actor nomination, but something tells me even if he doesn’t, he will have more chances down the line.

As for that other dude in the film who you might have heard of, Brad Pitt, well he was pretty damn good too. He plays a character who we have definitely seen before in films like Sunset Boulevard, Singin’ in the Rain, and most recently, The Artist, but I loved Pitt’s performance here. Brad Pitt has some really good scenes in this that stood out and I was a big fan of his character arc throughout the film. Because of it being the one and only Brad Pitt, it was just so easy to connect with his character and want the best for him, and let’s just say Pitt has still got it when it comes to the more emotional scenes. That said, I think Pitt is likely to grab a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but because of the competition in that category and also the recent allegations that came out against him, I don’t see him winning.

Those were definitely the big three when it came to the performances, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t touch on some of the others. I’ll start with Peter Parker himself, Tobey Maguire, who has a small cameo in the third act of the film that while I know other people didn’t get or like, I just loved. He played this incredibly weird mob boss, and I just need Maguire to act more because the man’s range is incredible. I also was a big fan of both Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li’s performances as two small side characters, and I really look forward to seeing them in more stuff. Other than that, Jean Smart was as great as she usually is, P. J. Byrne was as wild as he usually is, and Spike Jonze kicked ass in a weird cameo role thanks to his remarkable German accent.

Aside from the performances, Babylon is just a stunning movie when it comes to the technical elements at play here. The cinematography from Linus Sandgren is just incredible, and it’s by far the most ambitiously shot film Chazelle has ever done. From the crazy long takes to the camera movement, to the colorful saturated shots, the film is just so gorgeous to look at. Another reason why it is so gorgeous is because of the production design too which is also for lack of a better word, just insane and is going to win the Oscar. And last but not least, the score from Justin Hurwitz is unbelievably great. The film and the score are so united which is another reason why I love Chazelle so much because of how well he integrates music into his projects. I haven’t stopped humming the “Welcome” track from the film since I saw it and Hurwitz is 110% going to win the Oscar for Best Original Score. There’s just no denying it.

Before I get to “The Bad”, I just got to talk about the ending of the film. I really really loved the ending and I’m pretty sure my jaw was dropped for the entire last fifteen minutes. Like the entire movie, the ending is not going to work for everybody as it is this weird experimental outburst of crazy editing and while some people will roll their eyes at it, it somehow allowed me to connect with the movie so much better emotionally. It allowed me to put the pieces together and made me see the purpose behind every scene that came before it. The ending truly is what ultimately made me give this a 5/5 stars rather than a 4.5/5. I think the ending will be studied and discussed, and I can’t wait to watch this for a second and third time just so I can pick up on more stuff that I might’ve missed. Anyways, please Lord let this get nominated for Best Picture for if it doesn’t, the Academy will dearly regret it years from now.

THE BAD

Alright, I’ll be brutally honest here, it really annoys me how poor this movie is doing with critics, but more than that, how bad it is doing with general audiences. The main complaints I’ve seen from critics and audiences are the graphic content and also the runtime, which just gets under my skin. I don’t understand why people get so annoyed with the runtime as long as it is paced and edited well, which this movie 100% is. That said, the movie is 188 minutes long, so be warned, but it flew by for me and I don’t think you’ll regret checking this out. It’s just a blast from start to finish.

Now onto the graphic content, which is somehow more annoying than the runtime complaint. It’s really similar to what we saw from critics and audiences after Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic The Wolf of Wall Street, which is also a 5-star film for me. Obviously with this movie, if you do any research, you should know that this isn’t a movie you bring your family to see over the holidays. It’s rated R, and it almost garnered an NC-17 rating because there’s a lot of drugs, nudity, and also some good old bathroom humor that you’ll get in the first five minutes. At the end of the day, this movie isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay, but I absolutely loved every second of it and maybe that shows my odd taste in movies, but it is just a shame that it’s rating with critics is hurting its chances in a number of categories for the upcoming Academy Awards.

THE VERDICT

With Babylon, Damien Chazelle swings for the fences with an epic period comedy-drama that serves as both a hate letter to Hollywood and a love letter to cinema, and he absolutely knocked it out of the park. It’s a wild three plus hour ride that contains amazing performances from Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, stunning visuals, the best score of the year from Justin Hurwitz, and a perfect ending that made this an unforgettable moviegoing experience for me.

Yes, the movie is insane and over-the-top and it will certainly lose some people, but I found there to be a point to all the ridiculousness involved and I hope other people do too because this movie is saying something that deserves to be heard and seen.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.5/10

Babylon is now playing at Smitty’s Cinema. Check out the latest trailer below.

Amsterdam

By: Andrew Wing

Amsterdam is a 2022 period comedy thriller film written, directed, and produced by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook). Led by Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Big Short), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, I, Tonya), and John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman, Tenet), the film features an ensemble cast including Chris Rock (Grown Ups, Fargo), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, The Queen’s Gambit), Zoe Saldaña (Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy), Mike Myers (Austin Powers films series, Shrek film series), Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, The Shape of Water), Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Andrea Riseborough (The Death of Stalin, Mandy), Taylor Swift (Valentine’s Day, Cats), Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl, Red Sparrow), Alessandro Nivola (The Neon Demon, The Mant Saints of Newark), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time to Die), and Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, Goodfellas).

The story is based on the Business Plot, a 1933 political conspiracy in the US, and follows three friends—a doctor (Bale), a nurse (Robbie), and a lawyer (Washington)—who are caught in the mysterious murder of a retired US general.

Filmed in Los Angeles from January to March 2021, it was Russell's first film since Joy (2015), and it was released in the United States on October 7, 2022, by 20th Century Studios. Despite it being a box office bomb, with estimated losses for the studio reaching $97 million, a sequel titled True Love, which is set to be directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), comes out on October 6, 2023.

THE GOOD

A year ago now, if you were to ask me my top five most anticipated films of 2022, I would have definitely had this movie, which a year ago was called “Canterbury Glass”, in that list. Why you might ask? Well for starters, I am a fan of David O. Russell’s films, specifically The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, so I was excited to see his first film since 2015. But more than that, this cast is about as stacked as a cast can get. I mean Christian Bale and Margot Robbie are arguably two of the best actors working today, and John David Washington and Anya Taylor-Joy are no joke either. Not to mention Oscar winners Rami Malek and Robert De Niro’s involvement, this cast is just insane! But was the stacked cast enough to make for another great David O. Russell film? Keep reading to find out!

It, unfortunately, was not, but the blame for this movie’s failure does not fall on the cast, because the majority of the cast gave solid performances. First, with the man himself, Christian Bale, who I would say is the best actor working right now since Daniel Day-Lewis retired. In Amsterdam, Bale plays Burt Berendsen, a doctor and war veteran who wears a glass eye. This is a character unlike anything Bale has played before, but I thought he gave a really good performance. I for one actually liked the accent he has in this and I found his character to be pretty funny at the end of the day. It’s a shame the movie wasn’t better, because if it were, I really think Bale would be in the Best Actor race, but nevertheless, he will be there for many more years to come.

Next with Margot Robbie, who is just an insanely talented actress. She, like Bale, also plays a character that I found to be different from anything she has done before as she plays an eccentric nurse who makes art out of shrapnel removed from the soldiers. Nevertheless, I loved every second she was on the screen, and I just haven’t seen Robbie give a bad performance yet in her young illustrious career. That said, I just can’t wait to check out Robbie’s next two films that she will star in, Babylon (see our full preview here) which hits theaters in a couple of weeks, and Barbie (see our full preview here), the huge film from Greta Gerwig that comes to theaters next summer!

Those two definitely stole the show in my opinion, but there were a couple of other performances that I liked, and those were Michael Shannon, Austin Powers himself, Mike Myers, and this other actor you might have heard of, Robert De Niro. Aside from the performances, there, unfortunately, wasn’t a ton more that I loved about Amsterdam. I will say though that the production design was fantastic. The setting was 1920s New York City and because of the impeccable production design and also costume design, it really felt true to that time and place so cheers to that!

THE BAD

Alright, let’s do this. Now I said I’m a fan of David O. Russell’s past films, and I am, and I don’t know if I can definitively say this because I haven’t seen Joy yet, but this has got to be his worst film yet. I am just at a loss for words over this screenplay. The story is just so wacky and exhausting and the plot is just very busy. Seriously though, Russell was trying to say something about race relations and concentration of wealth, while also trying to say something about veterans and fascism and I just think he fumbled the bag. As for his direction, I didn’t think that was all too great either. The editing was bad and the film is way too freaking long, and at the end of the day, there was just a massive lack of vision with this film and it’s quite disappointing, to say the least.

Also, I was pretty let down by some of the other performances we got from the ensemble cast. I thought Anya Taylor-Joy was fine, but her character was strange and we didn’t get nearly enough of her to understand her character. Aside from her, there were two male performers here that I just didn’t like in this film. I’m just not a big fan of Rami Malek, and it still pains me to this day that he won Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody over Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born. And last but not least, John David Washington just did nothing for me with his performance in this. I don’t know, maybe I’m alone in thinking that, but I just hope he bounces back in whatever he does next because he is better than this.

THE VERDICT

Despite great performances from Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and a few other cast members, Amsterdam is just a mess and is unfortunately David O. Russell’s worst film to date. From the wacky story to the muddled tone, the movie is just trying to be something that it isn’t and that plus the ridiculous runtime led to this being one of the more exhausting watches of the year.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10

Amsterdam is now streaming only on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

RRR

By: Andrew Wing

RRR is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the film with V. Vijayendra Prasad. It was produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson (Dexter, Black Sails), Alison Doody (A View to a Kill, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), and Olivia Morris.

The film centers around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), their fictional friendship, and their fight against the British Raj. Set in the 1920s, the plot explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country.

Rajamouli came across stories about the lives of Rama Raju and Bheem and connected the coincidences between them, imagining what would have happened had they met and been friends. The film was formally announced in March 2018. Principal photography of the film began in November 2018 in Hyderabad and continued until August 2021, owing to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was shot extensively across India, with a few sequences filmed in Ukraine and Bulgaria. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by M. M. Keeravani, with cinematography by K. K. Senthil Kumar and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad. Sabu Cyril is the film's production designer whilst V. Srinivas Mohan supervised the visual effects.

Made on a budget of ₹550 crore ($72 million), RRR is the most expensive Indian film to date. The film was initially scheduled for theatrical release on July 30, 2020, which was postponed multiple times due to production delays and the pandemic. RRR was released theatrically on March 25, 2022, and it hit the Netflix streaming service on May 20, 2022.

With ₹240 crore (US$30 million) worldwide on its first day, RRR broke the record for the highest opening-day collection earned by an Indian film. RRR emerged as the highest-grossing film in its home market of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, grossing over ₹415 crore (US$52 million) and surpassing Rajamouli's previous film Baahubali 2. The film grossed ₹1,200 crore (US$175.47 million) worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, including the third highest-grossing Indian film and second highest-grossing Telugu film worldwide. It also went on to become the highest-earning Indian film in Japan. RRR became the third Indian film and the first Telugu film to receive nominations at the Golden Globes, nominated in the Best Non-English Language Film Category and for the Best Original Song. It was nominated in three categories at the 47th Saturn Awards and won the Best International Film award. The film was considered to be one of the best films of the year by the National Board of Review, making it only the second non-English film ever to make it to the list.

THE GOOD

The time has finally come! I truly cannot believe that it has been almost seven whole months since RRR hit Netflix and became one of the most talked about films of the year! I added it to my watchlist once I saw how much hype and praise it was getting, but life got in the way as it does and next thing you know it’s almost Christmas and I still haven’t watched the epic action film that has recently been getting some awards nominations and consideration. All that said, earlier this week I had some free time so my brother and I decided that it was officially time to watch RRR! But was it worth the wait? Keep reading to find out!

It most definitely was! I am a huge fan of foreign films, but despite that, this was my first time watching an Indian film aside from The Apu Trilogy from the great Satyajit Ray, but needless to say, RRR is quite different from those films. Nevertheless, I am so happy I checked this out because as my brother said once we finished it, it was just so entertaining from start to finish. I will be giving a lot of praise to this film throughout this review but I have to start by praising the man in charge, the director S. S. Rajamouli, who also co-wrote the film with V. Vijayendra Prasad. Simply put, Rajamouli directed the shit out of this movie. There was so much detail in every scene and the action sequences were just on another level. More than that, the script he wrote here alongside Prasad was such a simple yet beautiful story that allowed me as the viewer to emotionally connect with the characters. All in all, Rajamouli made a fan out of me with this epic action drama film of his that could very well earn him a Best Director nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards.

As good as Rajamouli’s direction, screenplay, and action sequences were, this movie is carried by the amazing performances of the cast, particularly Rama Rao and Charan’s. This was obviously the first I had ever seen of these two actors, but oh my lord, it did not take very long to fall in love with them and their characters! Both of them were just absolute beasts who kicked a whole lot of ass for three hours, and I just loved every second of it! I hope with how much universal acclaim this movie has gotten in the United States that we can see them in some American films in the very near future because they both just carry that movie star quality that doesn’t come around too often.

To continue with my praise for RRR, this film just doesn’t miss on a technical level. The editing done by A. Sreekar Prasad was so awesome! There were so many sick cuts during all the action scenes and while I’m usually not a big fan of slow-motion shots, I loved every single one this movie had to offer! More than that, the cinematography we got here from K. K. Senthil Kumar was awards-worthy! India is just an incredibly beautiful place and Kumar took full advantage of the setting the film took place in. And last but not least, when it comes to the techs, the VFX in RRR are superb! Spoiler alert, there are a ton of wild animals in this movie, specifically tigers, and they looked so damn real, so shoutout to V. Srinivas Mohan, the man who supervised the visual effects.

But despite how good the film looked, RRR sounded even better in my opinion. The background score that was composed by M. M. Keeravani was just terrific! It was just one of those background scores that brought so much to every scene, and let’s just say that I was humming it for the remainder of the day after watching this. As for the soundtrack though, it is truly fantastic. There were so many great songs from the soundtrack, but hands down the best one was "Naatu Naatu" which is I would say pretty much a lock to get a nomination for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, and it’s so good it might even win!

THE BAD

I don’t know what you want me to say, RRR is just one hell of a fun time from start to finish! That said, there’s no denying that this movie isn’t for everybody. For starters, it’s a foreign film that is spoken entirely in the Telugu language, and on top of that, the film clocks in at just over three hours with a 182-minute runtime. And I’m one that doesn’t really care too much about long run times, but even I’ll admit that this movie is way too long. Aside from that, the movie is pretty absurd at times with the situations our protagonists find themselves in and somehow get out of, but despite all that, the movie is just so freaking entertaining, and for that reason and that reason alone, I urge you to give RRR a try. I have a feeling you won’t regret it!

THE VERDICT

Thanks to incredible action sequences, amazing musical numbers, and some impressive filmmaking from S. S. Rajamouli, RRR is about as epic a movie as you will ever see! The Indian Telugu-language action drama film is entertaining from the 1st minute to the 182nd, and it’s carried by the unforgettable bromance that is N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan!

Sure, it has its flaws and it's over the top, but the movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and plus, it’s got a legit shot at getting a Best Picture nomination despite India not even submitting it as their entry for Best International Feature Film!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10

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

The Banshees of Inisherin

By: Andrew Wing

The Banshees of Inisherin is a 2022 black tragicomedy film written and directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). The film stars Colin Farrell (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) in the lead role, while Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter films, Paddington 2), Kerry Condon (Better Call Saul, Ray Donovan), and Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Eternals) also star in supporting roles. It reunites Farrell and Gleeson, who previously worked together on McDonagh's directorial debut In Bruges back in 2008.

The film follows two lifelong friends (Farrell and Gleeson) who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, which leads to alarming consequences for both of them.

The Banshees of Inisherin had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2022, where Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. It was theatrically released in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States on October 21, 2022, by Searchlight Pictures. It was named one of the best films of 2022 by the National Board of Review.

THE GOOD

Going into 2022, The Banshees of Inisherin was at the very top of my most anticipated list. The reason is Martin McDonagh. For those who don’t know, Martin McDonagh is a British-Irish playwright who is hands down one of the most impressive writer-directors we have making movies today. As said in the introduction, his feature film was In Bruges, and he followed that up with the highly underrated Seven Psychopaths, before almost winning Best Picture in 2018 for his 2017 crime drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which is just brilliant if you ask me. And with The Banshees of Inisherin, he was getting back together with the two stars from In Bruges in Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson so I just could not wait to see this on the big screen the first chance I got. Well, I got the chance to see it alright, but was it as good as I had hoped? Keep reading to find out!

No, it wasn’t. It was better! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this is Martin McDonagh’s best work. The man just understands the black comedy genre better than anyone else. The script is flawless and it is just such a funny movie. The premise is so simple really, it’s about one friend basically unfriending the other friend out of nowhere, but I was just blown away by it. Because of how simple the film’s premise was, we were able to see how far these characters are willing to go, and we also actually come to understand why both characters are doing what they are doing. At the end of the day, the movie is just perfectly directed and McDonagh is worthy of a Best Director nomination. More than that, as already said, this original screenplay is just a masterpiece and in my opinion, it’s between McDonagh and Todd Field for TÁR (see my full review here) for Best Original Screenplay.

But now onto these amazing performances we got, and I have to start with one of my favorite actors who just killed it here, and that’s Colin Farrell. First things first, Colin Farrell is having himself one hell of a 2022. He was in the A24 drama After Yang (see my full review here), earlier this year where he gave a great dramatic performance that I felt didn’t get enough attention. He was also in one of the biggest movies of the year in The Batman (see Ted’s full review here), as he was totally unrecognizable as  Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot / Penguin. That said, he gives his best performance of not only the year but of his illustrious career in The Banshees of Inisherin.

Seriously though, I loved his performance and his character so much here. At the beginning of the movie, we see that his character’s identity is mostly rooted in his niceness. His character prides himself in being a nice guy despite being a little bit dull. That said, throughout the movie we see Farrell’s character begin to shift from being the nice guy to one who is enraged at his old friend for what he is doing to him and that is when Farrell really begins to shine through his performance. He has one scene that is just remarkable and it’s one of my favorite performances of the year. I think Farrell is definitely going to receive his first-ever Oscar nomination for this, and who knows, he could even win given the competition and I would be so happy for him because as previously mentioned, he truly is one of my favorites.

As for Brendan Gleeson, he is just one of the best-supporting actors working today and he was perfectly cast in this film as the friend who unfriends Colin Farrell’s character. Gleeson’s character’s motivation behind that decision is actually really interesting and it’s one of the most thought-provoking parts of the film. That said, because of how talented of an actor Gleeson is, we were able to see where he was coming from despite his unbelievable pettiness. I just thought his character felt so real despite both the mystery inside him and the extremes he goes to in the film, but all in all, Gleeson was fantastic and he is locked in for what would be his first Oscar nomination as well for Best Supporting Actor.

Gleeson wasn’t the only great supporting performance in the movie though, because Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan both gave amazing supporting performances as well. First with Condon, and I had never seen her in anything before this, but she was certainly a standout in the film. She is really funny in this and her character has some of the best comedic moments in the whole thing. The other one who is responsible for the other best comedic moments in the film is Barry Keoghan. He plays the absolute dumbest person in this town and he just does it so well. It is just a perfect casting choice, and I don’t know how he plays idiots so well. Both Condon and Keoghan are serious threats too to get Oscar nominations which is insane because that’d be four acting nominations, but the acting from the whole cast in this is better than any other movie I’ve seen this year.

Aside from the performances though, the technical elements in this film are simply incredible. The setting of the movie takes place in this small Irish seaside town and the location really felt like a character in this movie because of how beautifully it was shot by Ben Davis. The cinematography is just outstanding here though. From the way he captured the landscapes to the way he shot the interiors of the bar, I was just in awe of Davis for taking this movie to another level. Also, the editing was done with an awareness of where the jokes were and how long the audience would be laughing at said jokes, so shoutout to Mikkel E. G. Nielsen, the editor of the film, who will most definitely be getting nominated. And last but not least, Carter Burwell’s score for this is just ridiculously good. It felt very fitting to the movie and I don’t see any way he doesn’t get an Oscar nomination either. All in all, this movie is just fantastic on every level and it’s a serious contender for Best Picture.

THE BAD

If you can’t tell yet, I absolutely loved this movie. It’s #2 on the year for me only behind Everything Everywhere All at Once (see my full review here). I just don’t have anything bad to say about it. Sure, the story is kind of absurd at the end of the day, there’s some gore, and the ending might lose some people, but I seriously recommend checking this out. You won’t regret it.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to Martin McDonagh, the master of black comedy himself, The Banshees of Inisherin is not only his best film but also one of the year’s very best films. It’s backed by Oscar-worthy performances from the four main cast members and it's just a seriously well-crafted film that is full of laughs throughout.

This movie is fucking hilarious, there’s no debating that, but there’s also something existential about the movie too that really makes you think about how you go about your own everyday life, and I don’t know what else to say, I loved everything about it.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

The Banshees of Inisherin is now playing in select theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Violent Night

Violent Night is a 2022 action dark comedy directed by Norwegian native Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters), from a screenplay by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who also co-wrote Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). The film is produced by 87North who previously produced Nobody, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour, Black Widow, Stranger Things series) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.

The film also stars Emmy winner John Leguizamo (John Wick), Cam Gigandet (Without Remorse), Alex Hassell (Cowboy Bebop), Alexis Louder (The Tomorrow War), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), and Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise).

Violent Night made its debut in theaters on December 2nd, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

Christmas is a big deal in my house, but my wife is much more traditional and just wants to watch Hallmark movies and drink hot chocolate. Now I will drink the hot chocolate of course, but you can keep the Hallmark movies because I need something a bit edgier; enter Violent Night. When the first trailer for the film was released I was immediately overwhelmed with the Christmas spirit, this looked awesome. First, who doesn’t love Mr. Stranger Things himself David Harbour best known as Hopper in the series. The 6’3 behemoth of an actor who makes Tom Cruise look like a child is perfect for the role of old Saint Nick. So yeah, to say that I was excited would be an understatement, the Holiday Season would not begin until this movie hit theaters. So, the day has finally come, did Violent Night spread the yuletide cheer I hoped it would? Keep reading to find out!

Move over National Lampoons Christmas Vacation because this might be my new favorite Christmas movie! Seriously, Violent Night was fantastic for so many different reasons. First off, I made it clear why I was excited about the movie in the first place, but it turned out to be so much more than I expected. I sort of thought it would be more in the realm of a horror comedy which would have been fine, but instead, it finds itself somehow teetering on over-the-top and ultra-violent action comedy meets Holiday classic. I certainly wouldn’t let any children watch this movie, but the underlying message is dare I say magical. Violent Night finds a way to instill the joy of Christmas while offering viewers the unique opportunity to watch Santa Clause fuck some shit up, pardon my French. David Harbour’s version of the jolly guy who delivers presents to kids one day out of the year is a damn legend, simple as that. Violent Night is immersive, hilarious, very well-paced, packed full of incredible fight sequences that are as brutal as they are satisfying, and still somehow manages to offer up some heart along the way. Also, the cast is nothing short of fantastic from top to bottom.

Alright so as far as the story, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from Violent Night. But as I said I sort of imagined a horror comedy style of a film where this badass Santa Clause just wrecks house on these dudes for landing on his naughty list. Now that is honestly sort of what happens, it just doesn’t quite evolve how I pictured it. But before you get all bent out of shape, this is a good thing. I was genuinely impressed with the depth of the overall story and the fact that at its core this really is a Christmas movie, and is built around the traditions we all know and love. I mean listen, we all have rough days, weeks, months, or even years, and good ol’ Saint Nick is no different. I won’t say much more in terms of the story because I really don’t want to give anything away, but viewers will have plenty to sink their teeth into. The story really impressed me at every turn, and it perfectly complimented what I considered to be one heck of a fun roller-coaster ride.

We have to talk about the cast, and needless to say, we need to start with my guy David Harbour. Widely known for his role as Hopper in Stranger Things, Harbour reminds me of the great Michael Shannon in so many ways. Both actors are roughly 6’3 in height which is basically Tom Cruise x3 and are each incredibly talented. What is most impressive is the range they possess, which granted I have to give the edge to Shannon in terms of some of the versatile roles he has taken on, but as his career progresses I am getting more and more impressed by Harbour. I absolutely loved him in this role and felt like he was the man for the job. His believability was spot on whether he was selling viewers on the legend of Santa Clause and his reindeer, or the dark past that you will learn about once you see the movie. He was just great.

Next in line is honestly one of my favorite actors over the years in the talented John Leguizamo. I have been a fan of his ever since the over-the-top and ridiculous 1997 comedy The Pest, which has a 4% rating on Rotten Tomatoes just in case you were interested. Leguizamo really is a generational talent with 155+ acting credits and counting, and he recently played a great role in the fantastic satirical comedy-drama The Menu (our full review here), which is a must-see. In Violent Night Leguizamo plays the primary antagonist as he is the guy who will stop at nothing to get what he wants during a very well-planned and sophisticated heist. But what makes this movie so unique is that each pivotal character has an important backstory, and he is no different. Although Harbour and Leguizamo lead the way for me, the supporting cast is great as well. I have to give credit to Leah Brady who plays her best Kevin McAllister of Home Alone fame.

Alexis Louder, who is lights-out good in Copshop (our full review here), held her own as well and once again proved why she is an actress to keep an eye on. Veteran actress Beverly D'Angelo, known for the Christmas classic National Lampoons Christmas Vacation that I previously mentioned, also dominated a pivotal role as the matriarch of the Lightstone family. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have liked Cam Gigandet ever since his role in the underrated 2008 sports drama Never Back Down. He has always played that a-hole privileged guy role perfectly, and he takes on some of that here as well with some solid comic relief. Actress Edi Patterson was great as well in her role as Alva Lightstone and had great chemistry with the rest of the cast. The entire supporting cast was honestly as good as you could hope for and each did their part.

The action sequences and fight scenes in Violent Night are next-level awesome. When a film involves a guy named David Leitch, you know it is going to hit as hard as a 90’s era Mike Tyson uppercut. His resume is just insane. He directed the recent action thriller Bullet Train (our full review here), now streaming on Netflix, he also directed Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2 (our full review here), Atomic Blonde (our full review here), and co-directed the first John Wick movie. So yeah, he knows his way around a fight scene or two. Violent Night sets the tone early, and the violence does not let up. Santa is a bit of a punching bag at first because I mean he only planned to be out delivering presents and didn’t exactly pack his brass knuckles, but the old muscle memory kicks in real quick. So many of the action scenes are a blast to experience, and each one felt unique and well thought out. I also loved the homage to Home Alone, and one scene, in particular, had me damn near yelling “ohh shit!!” out loud. So good. Bottom line, if you want to be entertained this holiday season, Violent Night is the movie you need to be seeing in theaters.

THE BAD

Alright listen, I loved this movie. I thought it was a blast from start to finish, but with being said, Violent Night is not for everyone. The film is extremely violent, excessively vulgar, and just a good old-fashioned wham-bam-thank-you-man when it comes to the season of sugar cookies, presents, and spiked egg nog. I feel like a broken record every single time one of these movies comes out because let’s be honest, it is very clear what kind of movie Violent Night is from the start. So if you don’t like the subject matter clearly you will have a hard time enjoying this movie. But with that being said, the film was right up my alley and even exceeded my expectations.

THE VERDICT

An epic and brutally violent action comedy that is basically Home Alone meets John Wick with a surprisingly wholesome underlying message, Violent Night is the next great Christmas classic and I will not be convinced otherwise. This movie was just so much fun I can’t even begin to describe how much I enjoyed it. The age-old debate about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie can finally be put to bed because David Harbour is officially Santa Clause, and Violent Night is the next great Holiday classic. Mark it on your calendars folks, because you will be watching this bad boy for years to come. Be sure to fully immerse yourself in the true Holiday cheer of this masterpiece in theaters sooner than later, you won’t regret it.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.9/10

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

Armageddon Time

By: Andrew Wing

Armageddon Time is a 2022 American coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and produced by James Gray (The Lost City of Z, Ad Astra). The film stars Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Les Misérables), Jeremy Strong (Succession, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, and Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, The Father). The film was shot in New Jersey with cinematographer Darius Khondji (Okja, Uncut Gems).

Inspired by Gray's childhood experiences, the story follows a young Jewish-American boy (Repeta) who befriends an African-American classmate (Webb) and begins to struggle with expectations from his family and growing up in a world of privilege, inequality, and prejudice.

Armageddon Time had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2022, and was released in the United States via a limited theatrical release on October 28, 2022, by Focus Features, before expanding wide on November 4, 2022.

THE GOOD

For some reason, James Gray isn’t a household name, but his movies are all awesome. His 2019 science fiction film Ad Astra was one of my favorites of 2019, and that says a lot considering 2019 was arguably one of the best years in film we have ever had. That said, I was pumped once I first heard that his next movie, Armageddon Time, would be based on and inspired by Gray’s childhood experiences from growing up in New York in 1980. Not only that, but the fact that it was headlined by quite a trio of actors in Hathaway, Strong, and Hopkins, and I knew I was not going to miss this one during its limited run in theaters. But were the big names attached enough to make Armageddon Time a good movie at the end of the day? Keep reading to find out!

Yes! The answer is yes! For real though, James Gray has done it again! As I said in the introduction, he really isn’t that well known but he truly is one of most fascinating American directors working today, and with Armageddon Time, he takes us on an unforgettable autobiographical journey. I thought James Gray was really vulnerable here as the director for a lot of reasons. For starters, the movie’s main focus is on dissecting the white privilege that Gray grew up with, and I just commend him for acknowledging that and dissecting it so effectively throughout the film. Also, this movie just wasn’t as sensational as other films like this usually are, and I think that’s why I connected with it more. More than that, it never felt like Gray was forcing us as the audience to find one specific conclusion within all the threads in this boy’s life. Rather, it just felt grounded in reality and that is all it needed to be in my book so hats off to James Gray for yet another great job writing and directing!

Now let’s get into the amazing performances we got in Armageddon Time. I’ll start with Banks Repeta who plays the main character, Paul Graff, who we can assume is a reflection of James Gray as a child. This wasn’t the first I had seen of Repeta, but this was hands down the best I’ve seen of him. He was both kind of awkward and kind of charming, and I just thought he was perfect for this role. It didn’t feel like Gray was trying to cast someone perfect to play his younger self, but rather he wanted to cast somebody who felt believable as a misfit and Repeta was just great. As for newcomer Jaylin Webb, the other child performer in Armageddon Time, I thought he was excellent in his first feature film performance. His chemistry with Repeta was flawless, and the two of them provided some of the best moments the film had to offer.

But now onto that acting trio I previously mentioned that ultimately got my ass in the theater. I’ll start with Anne Hathaway who has been on a stinker streak lately, unfortunately. That said, her performance in this puts that streak to an end if you ask me. I loved Hathaway’s performance here and I thought she was very good. I did think she had the weakest of the primary familial relationships with Banks Repeta’s character Paul, but still, it’s Anne Hathaway and she’s incapable of giving a bad performance even if it’s in bad movies like The Hustle or The Last Thing He Wanted.

Continuing with that big three, let’s discuss the two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins. I mean what can I say? The man is a legend and he has given us some of the best performances we have ever seen in the history of film. Well, he puts another feather in his cap with his performance in this as the wise old grandfather, Aaron Rabinowitz. He is the one adult figure in Paul’s life who is able to get through to him and because of that, he was responsible for some of the more emotional and sentimental moments in the film that I’ll admit did hit me pretty hard.

And lastly, with Kendall Roy himself, Jeremy Strong, I thought he had the best performance in the entire film which also surprised me the most too. He comes across initially as this stern and emotionally distant father, but because of Strong’s acting talents, you can see how charming he is in some scenes with his kids. Also, he has some of the strongest scenes in the film as later in the movie we start to see his emotions come through the cracks, and similar to Hopkins, he caused my eyes to water a time or two. Strong really just continues to move higher and higher up my favorite actors list, and I cannot wait for season three of the best show on television right now, Succession.

THE BAD

News flash, I loved this movie. It made me as emotional as I have ever been in a movie which I wasn’t expecting, and this is undoubtedly one of my personal favorites of the year. That said, I really don’t understand why this film hasn’t gotten more buzz during this year’s awards circuit. Maybe it’s because we have gotten so many of these movies where the directors are basically just doing autobiographies of their own lives like Kenneth Branagh did last year with Belfast (see my full review here), and like Steven Spielberg is doing this year with The Fabelmans (see our preview here). But at the end of the day, this movie isn’t trying to be the charming Oscar bait we have grown accustomed to. It’s rather more of a matter-of-fact approach about this child at this point in his life and I was just totally absorbed by it, so I wish it got more awards attention because I think it deserves it.

THE VERDICT

Behind great performances from the entire cast, Armageddon Time is a really interesting memoir film from American filmmaker James Gray. I loved that he chose to tell this personal story that ultimately serves as a direct and damning takedown of the white privilege that was percolating in 1980 New York and still is today. The film is complex yet grounded in a familiar reality, and it really hit home for me on an emotional level.

I don’t know, maybe it’s because it is a movie that is free of nostalgia, but this movie is just getting no awards buzz for some reason. Yes, it’s a film that tackles a lot from the political angles, the family dynamics, to the friendships, but I just think it all comes together so nicely and I couldn’t recommend it more.

TED TAKES RATING - 9/10

Armageddon Time is now available for rent or purchase on demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

TÁR

By: Andrew Wing

TÁR is a 2022 psychological drama film written, directed, and produced by Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children). It is Field's first film since the release of Little Children in 2006, and the film stars Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Carol). The cast also includes Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Nina Hoss (Homeland), Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover (The Empire Strikes Back), Allan Corduner (Yentl), and Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Shazam!).

The film, set in the international world of classical music, centers on Lydia Tár (Blanchett), widely considered one of the greatest living composers/conductors and the first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.

TÁR had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September 2022, where Blanchett won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 7, 2022, before a wide release on October 28, 2022, by Focus Features.

THE GOOD

When I first heard about TÁR, let’s just say I circled the release date on my calendar. I was excited for a number of reasons. Obviously, I was excited because it was getting a lot of buzz from critics after its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September, but I was also excited because it is Todd Field’s first film in sixteen years! More than that, it is headlined by one of the greatest living actors in Cate Blanchett as the title character, who critics were saying gave a performance of the ages. All of that said, my expectations for this film were higher than high, but did it match those expectations? Keep reading to find out!

It most certainly did, and I won’t keep you waiting, the main reason it did was because of Cate Blanchett! This movie simply is a long and patient character study that follows Blanchett’s character, Lydia Tár, and her fall from grace. Lydia Tár is a very secretive and elusive person who is very unemotional and stoic, and Cate Blanchett just brings this character to life so much that by the end of the film you’ll be Google searching to see if Lydia Tár was actually a real person. I mean it is really insane how she just transformed into this woman.

I’ll touch on the screenplay very soon, but every word Cate Blanchett says in this film is pitch-perfect. She elevates every single sentence, every single word, and every single syllable. She truly doesn’t miss in this. To continue, Blanchett doesn’t hesitate in this film and she never breaks character. She is locked in from the beginning to the end and it was just fascinating to see. I really think it is one of the greatest performances I have ever seen and as much as I loved Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once (see my full review here), Cate Blanchett needs to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in this film. Yes, it would be her third Oscar win and Yeoh hasn’t won one yet, but there’s just not a better performance we are going to see this year.

Next with Todd Field, and I’ll be blunt, the man is fucking back! He is really a genius when it comes to filmmaking. Every scene in TÁR was just so meticulously and expertly crafted and there is just no denying that Field will get a Best Director nomination. When it comes to purely directing, I don’t know if I was as blown away by what he did as I was by say the Daniels for what they did in the aforementioned Everything Everywhere All at Once, but what Field does is still fantastic. He rests so much of what this film does and is on just having an actress of Blanchett’s caliber who has the utmost talent to be front and center here in the film and that is what makes the movie and his direction so brilliant if you’re asking me.

Continuing with Field, the screenplay we got from him here was just the definition of a masterpiece. It is just full of so many interesting and enticing themes such as cancel culture, but also the topics of power dynamics, manipulation, and also the idea of separating the art from the artist. Furthermore, the screenplay grapples with the idea that the perception of these people like Lydia Tár is going to change over time and it is not going to be in our hands. There is a tight insistence throughout the film of Lydia controlling her image and her perception only for it to be overtaken by a changing tide that is the way in which people view public figures like Tár.

All of that said, after watching TÁR, it is evident that Field really respects his audience’s intelligence and I love that. I mentioned how this film is a character study, but more than that it is an examination of the infamous cancel culture I just brought up in a much less sensationalized way. At the end of the day, there was a lot Todd Field was trying to say with his script, but my favorite thing about it was that he didn’t give us answers. Instead, he gives us this movie in a way that allows us to observe that phenomenon in a broader sense and take away our own ideas and I think that is what makes a script like his so masterful and compelling. The skill in his writing is that the details are there to pick up on and as previously mentioned, he trusts you to pick them out. There are just so many subtle clues he leaves throughout the film that allows you to fill in the blanks and I know I’ve said this a number of times now, but I just loved everything he did with TÁR and I’m pulling for him to win for Best Original Screenplay!

Now onto the technical side of things with TÁR, and with this being a movie that follows a renowned composer-conductor, I have to start by talking about the music. Now the film doesn’t have a true score here like most other films because Blanchett is conducting Gustav Mahler’s 5th Symphony which isn’t the original score and there also is not a ton of music in the movie other than that. That said, the film’s score nevertheless was composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, who is most known for her score in the 2019 film Joker, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. That said, while there isn’t a ton of music in TÁR, there is still a score that is made up entirely of sound that plays in the movie, and after doing some research after seeing this, I have to say that what she did is very impressive. Now it probably won’t get a score nomination because most people will watch it and be confused but all of the orchestra scenes in this were breathtaking and those were composed by Guðnadóttir, so I just got to give a shout-out to this woman who is one of the most remarkable musicians we have working today.

To continue, while there is no better performance than that of Cate Blanchett in this film, that doesn’t take away from all the great supporting performances this movie gives us. I personally thought Nina Hoss was the best of the supporting bunch. Hoss is a German actress that I had never seen before, but she was amazing in this as Tár’s wife and concertmaster, Sharon. I don’t know if she had enough screen time to get herself nominated but you never know. Aside from Hoss, I loved Noémie Merlant, Julian Glover, and Mark Strong (especially his wig), and also shoutout to Adam Gopnik, staff writer for The New Yorker who plays himself in the film and was just awesome.

In conclusion, I am just obsessed with this film. It’s my number three on the year and I don’t see it going any lower than that. It’s a lock for a Best Picture nomination and I really don’t see anyone other than Cate Blanchett winning for Best Actress. She literally created a movie persona in Lydia Tár that will be remembered in the same way we remember characters like Daniel Plainview. Oh, and last but not least, the ending to this film is just phenomenal and it left me with the biggest grin on my face.

THE BAD

Alright, as you clearly know by now, I don’t have much bad to say about TÁR, but the main critique of the film from what I’ve seen that has been widespread among critics is that the movie is too pretentious and inaccessible. Now I’ll admit, the dialogue is super witty and tense, and also extremely intelligent, but I just was never turned away from the movie. Also, and I almost feel like I’m breaking the law or cheating by writing this review after only having seen the film once, but it’s almost impossible to have the tightest grasp on the film and completely understand everything at play in my opinion after just one watch. It’s just one of those movies where you are trying to wrap your head around what is going on, but that’s why I loved it so much to be perfectly honest and I can’t express to you how excited I am to check it out again whenever it hits streaming.

Aside from that, the second biggest complaint that I have seen from other critics is the film’s runtime. I don’t know, I know I’m in the minority on this one, but I just truly don’t care how long a movie is as long as it is well-edited like this one was. TÁR clocks in at 158 minutes which some people just won’t be able to overcome and that’s okay I guess, but I have to say you will be missing out. The movie really flew by and I did not want it to end. Also, and this is more of a warning, but the first three scenes in the film take up like 25 to 30 minutes but just know that all of those scenes, and truly all of the scenes in the film are critically important and the movie wouldn’t be the same without them. The movie is really built and defined by these long, extended conversations and the reason that it works and is riveting is because the dialogue is just so dense and the delivery of every line of dialogue from all the actors is just flawless.

THE VERDICT

Behind a career best performance from Cate Blanchett that is one of the most incredible performances I have ever seen, TÁR is a five-star film that is hands down one of 2022’s best. As impressive as Blanchett’s performance as Lydia Tár was, Todd Field’s direction and screenplay are right there with her. It is a patient, smart film that is really watchable despite it being a 2.5 hour long movie that consists largely of conversations about classical music.

Sure, some people may find it to be inaccessible because it’s a movie that offers more questions than answers, but I loved being able to engage with so many different ideas and topics that are prevalent in today’s society, most notably cancel culture.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10

TÁR is now available for rent or purchase on demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

Strange World

Strange World, formerly titled Searcher Clade, is a 2022 animated adventure film directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6, Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon), and written/co-directed by Qui Nguyen (Raya and the Last Dragon). It is produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and will be their 61st animated feature. It is the first Walt Disney Animation Studios film to be composed by Alexandre Desplat.

The legendary Clades are a family of explorers whose differences threatened to topple their latest and most crucial mission.

The voice cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu, Karan Soni, Adelina Anthony, and Alan Tudyk.

Strange World made its debut in theaters on November 23rd, courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

THE GOOD

Let me just start by saying this has been a down year when it comes to family-friendly movies which is a bit of a bummer when you have kids who have become obsessed with going to the movies with dad. Now I have no issue bringing my 2-year-old to see Smile or Prey for the Devil considering he claims he likes “scary”, but something tells me my wife may have a few issues with that. So instead we had a great time taking both boys to see Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile which they talked about for weeks, and waited patiently for Disney to release the animated adventure Strange World, which looked right up our alley. So we packed the kids in the car, loaded up on popcorn and candy at concession, and rushed to our seats just as trailers started. We were ready! So, was Strange World worth our time and effort?! Keep reading to find out!

I won’t post the picture here of course, but the smiles on the faces of our boys standing in front of the movie poster said it all. Strange World was a blast to experience, and above all else it offered something for everyone. Needless to say the visuals stole the show, but the voice-acting was superb and the score was great as expected, but the big surprise for me was just how powerful and impactful the story was. I thought the film had an important message regardless of how you perceive it, but what I enjoyed most was the focus on family and what it means to pave our own way in life. Strange World offers viewers a beautiful and immersive environment that will leave you in a constant state of awe, and the twists and turns will surely keep you on your toes. The film also delivered several laugh out loud moments that had the kids and adults smiling ear to ear.

For me aside from the animation the cast of voice actors are without a doubt the bread and butter of the film. The talented group is lead by Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jaeger Clade and Searcher Clade, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two characters. Much of the film focuses on these two in terms of what it means to be a part of the Clades family. But I mean let’s be honest, Gyllenhaal is great in pretty much everything he does, so putting him on the forefront was a good move. Gabrielle Union plays Searcher’s wife Meridian Clade, and I thought she was great as well. Jaboukie Young-White did a nice job as young Ethan Clade. The great Lucy Liu was amazing as expected as she played the role of Callisto Mal. Whether she is taking on family-friendly animated roles or beating the crap out of someone in Charlie’s Angels, Liu is easily one of the more versatile actresses working today and she deserves a ton of credit. The remaining supporting cast was great as well.

Aside from the incredible cast the visuals are a stand out as expected. Strange World is one of those films that you can just sit back and appreciate the incredible creativity that went into bringing to life every bit of this vibrant and immersive environment. Things really ramp up when the characters embark on their adventure to the unknown, but the animation in general is fantastic. I loved the look of the characters and just how fluid everything felt. The creatures in Strange World are so damn cool and are easily worth the price of admission. Right when you think you have a handle on the weirdness of what is going on, it will surprise you. I just couldn’t get enough of the vibrant colors and just watching my kids smiling and pointing at the screen every few minutes. So yeah, Disney has outdone themselves yet again.

THE BAD

I really enjoyed Strange World, but I have to say it did have a few things that sort of rubbed me the wrong way. First and foremost, and I won’t dig too deep into this because I honestly don’t care that much, but Disney is trying way too hard to be a part of the “woke” crowd. Certain elements of the film just felt overly forced to me and unnecessary, which in my mind just distracts and takes away from what is otherwise a very good film with a strong and impactful story. Also I wouldn’t necessarily consider this to be a negative because I felt like the writing was great and actually added more depth than you might expect, but the overarching message of the film will likely create some debate and rub some people the wrong way. My wife and I actually debated the film a bit and seemed to agree and disagree on a few aspects, but for my money I like when a film has you leaving the theater discussing more than just the obvious elements of the film. Even though it may not reach instant classic status, Strange World does what it sets out to do which is provide a theater experience worthy of viewers of all ages.

THE VERDICT

Jam-packed with gorgeous visuals and a spectacular cast of voice actors paving the way for this epic adventure, Strange World met my expectations and kept two high-energy toddlers entertained from start to finish. This is a fun movie that will surely satisfy you whether you want to just sit back and enjoy it as the spectacle it is, or want to dig a bit deeper into the story. It’s not an instant classic and certainly could have been better, and I do wish that Disney would take a step back and focus on what they do best instead of dividing audiences which has without a doubt impacted the films earnings. And trust me I am all for inclusivity, especially when it means all you can eat and drink at a luxurious tropical resort. Although Strange World may irritate some people in respect to the screenplay and the overall message of the film, the fact that it makes you think is an accomplishment in itself. Plus, I could listen to Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid debate the greater purpose of life and family all day long.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.2/10

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