Barbie

Barbie is a 2023 coming-of-age fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), who co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, White Noise). The film is based on the eponymous fashion doll line by Mattel and is the franchise's first live-action film adaptation after several computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films.

After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness.

The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, with a supporting ensemble cast that includes Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, and Kate McKinnon.

Barbie made its debut in theaters on July 21st, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

Hooray Barbenheimer!! This review is Part 2 of a magical movie release week alongside the EPIC biographical drama thriller Oppenheimer (Andrew’s full review here). What should and would become a national holiday if I had anything to say about it, it is a great time to be alive. When the Barbie movie was first announced I was admittedly intrigued, although I wasn’t quite sure what direction a film like this would go. I mean sure regardless of gender we all grew up with some level of exposure to the popular dolls, but did that mean I wanted to see a movie about them? But soon after they announced the primary casting and I heard the names, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, I was all in. I didn’t need to hear anything else, I would be seeing this movie on day one.

I know some people have their opinions about Robbie as an actress but she is beautiful and a legit talent, hence why she was able to make such a massive impact in the recent Wes Anderson film Asteroid City (our full review here) with just a 30-second scene. Plus, as far as Gosling goes take your pick; Crazy, Stupid, Love, Drive, The Place Beyond the Pines (a personal favorite, RIP Ray Liotta), The Nice Guys, Blade Runner 2049, seriously what can’t this guy do?! So, was my unhealthy (but not weird) obsession with Ryan Gosling enough to make Barbie an instant classic? Keep reading to find out!

Let me just start by saying this movie did NOT disappoint! I had a blast with Barbie and man was this such a fun experience. I seriously cannot wait to see it again so I can fully appreciate all of the little details. Right from the jump the sheer uniqueness and creativity of the film had me bought in, with the vibrant colors, fun soundtrack, and just the most authentic portrayal you could hope for when it comes to human Barbies.

I loved the style of the film and the comedic element was front and center from the start which I certainly appreciated. I mean sure how serious can you really make a Barbie movie, but I was laughing right away thanks to great writing that effectively balanced adult humor without alienating the younger audience. The film is packed with talent as far as the cast is concerned, but Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling stole the show. I thought the film had a great message as well, and I was without a doubt satisfied by the end.

The story and the script were a driving force for Barbie, and we were treated to quite a talented duo in Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. The Gerwig and Baumbach collaboration yielded a final product that was smart, hilarious, unique, and important. The film itself as far as genre is obviously a comedy, probably even more so a coming-of-age comedy, but in many ways it really shines with the satirical undertone it has pretty much throughout the film. Barbie is an icon for a reason, but she is also the focus of contention for people who strongly believe she is responsible for several serious issues plaguing young women, and I won’t go into detail on that because well first of all I am a man, but secondly, I’m trying to keep this review light if at all possible.

Now with that being said, I felt like the script was able to effectively convey its message without pissing anyone off, which is no easy task, especially in this day and age. Will we all see eye to eye in terms of what Gerwig and Baumbach want to leave viewers with once the credits roll? Of course not, but that is also sort of the point. I appreciated how they kept the tone light without seeming like they were worried about ruffling any feathers. I also really liked how they touched on the history of Barbie over the years in a hilarious way, which included a number of discontinued dolls that really had no business hitting store shelves.

On the technical side I thought Barbie was awesome thanks to its sheer creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, pun intended. I felt immediately immersed in the world of Barbieland, and it was just so cool watching these actors portray dolls as they ”pretended” to drink from a milk carton, shower, drive, or even attempt to surf a plastic wave with hilarious consequences. The set design was just so damn good, and you could tell that they put a ton of thought into every little aspect and detail. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack which was a big part of the film right from the opening, with a ton of fantastic original songs and we even got a little bit of Aqua’s 1997 hit single Barbie Girl. Everything just looked great, and I am personally extremely happy this film was made and it feels like the right people came together to deliver the best Barbie movie we could have asked for.

The film is packed with talent as far as the cast is concerned, but as I previously mentioned, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling definitely stole the show. Robbie was the perfect choice for Barbie, and at one point a voiceover even points out the fact that if you want audiences to buy into the main character feeling “unattractive”, don’t cast Margot Robbie. She is one of the most attractive actresses working today, and the fact that she is so talented is pretty damn impressive. I’m not going to sit here and act like Robbie was able to utilize her full range but her believability as Barbie was a big reason why the film works so well especially once they are in the real world.

Now I have to talk about my guy Ryan Gosling, and he was so damn good. He contributed to the majority of the humor in the film once again reminding us why he can take on intense roles but is able to flip the switch and be the funny guy without missing a beat. Gosling has great timing and delivery as a comedic actor, but his mannerisms and facial expressions made him the perfect actor to play Ken. The only other character that even came close to having as much of an impact on the humor of the film was Michael Cera, who had a small but fantastic role. Cera is just great in general, but I really liked how they used him here.

The core of the supporting cast was led by America Ferrera, who is best known for her role in the 2006 sitcom Ugly Betty. Ferrera plays Gloria, who is Barbie’s connection to the real world along with her daughter. I thought Ferrera was great here and showed why she deserves more opportunities. I’m a Will Ferrell guy and I won’t apologize for it, and he was great as the out-of-touch Mattel CEO. The supporting cast was absolutely stacked and they all crushed it, including Simu Liu who served as the “Evil Ken” to Gosling’s “All-American Ken”, and comedy icon Kate McKinnon deserves a shoutout because she was just so, so good and fit the feel of the film perfectly. Aside from those already mentioned, other absolutely necessary shout-outs include Ariana Greenblatt, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Issa Rae (obviously), Kingsley Ben-Adir who is a BEAST as of late, and Rhea Perlman. The bottom line, the cast in this film is next level.

THE BAD

As much as I enjoyed Barbie it did have a few minor issues. First, not all of the jokes landed and if you didn’t buy into the wackiness of the film right away, it was going to be a long 2-hours. What I mean by that is Barbie is very goofy and unique by design, and that really shouldn’t be a knock on the film as it is one of its greatest strengths, but you still have to allow yourself to be immersed in the very pink and colorful world of Barbie. So I guess just watch the trailer, and if that leaves you intrigued, you’ll be good. Now I am not one to complain about the length of a film especially considering one of my greatest life experiences in quite a while was the glorious 3-hours I spent in the IMAX watching Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, but I did feel like they could have shaved maybe 15-minutes off. That may be a bit nitpicky on my part, but it felt a bit slow at times. Who am I kidding, I could watch Robbie and Gosling for 24-hours straight, so maybe just ignore what I just said entirely.

THE VERDICT

A super creative and hilarious comedy drenched in a vibrant bright pink with a hefty dose of tasteful satire, Barbie powers into the real world with a terrific screenplay and a legendary duo in Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. This movie must have been such a blast to make, and I am personally glad it was made and couldn’t be happier to see it doing as well as it is. As I touched on in the review it’s not a perfect film but the good far outweighs the bad by a long shot, and I seriously applaud the creativity and originality. If you have any reservations about seeing Barbie I say give it a chance, because if we really want filmmakers to generate content that feels fresh and new, we need to show up to support these projects.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

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

Oppenheimer

By: Andrew Wing

Oppenheimer is a 2023 epic biographical thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar). Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who was pivotal in developing the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project, and thereby ushering in the Atomic Age.

Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Peaky Blinders) stars as the titular character, with Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, A Quiet Place) as Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, The Martian) as General Leslie Groves, Oppenheimer's military handler, and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame) as Lewis Strauss, a senior member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The supporting cast also includes Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Black Widow), Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down, Wrath of Man), Casey Affleck (Ocean’s Eleven, Manchester by the Sea), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time to Die), and Kenneth Branagh (Dunkirk, Murder on the Orient Express).

The project was announced in September 2021 after Universal Pictures won a bidding war for Nolan's screenplay. Murphy signed on to portray Oppenheimer in October, with others in the main cast joining between November 2021 and April 2022. Pre-production was underway by January 2022, with filming taking place from February to May. Oppenheimer was filmed in a combination of IMAX 65 mm and 65mm large-format film, including, for the first time in history, sections in IMAX black-and-white analog photography. As with his previous works, Nolan utilized extensive practical effects and minimal computer-generated imagery.

Oppenheimer premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on July 21, 2023, by Universal Pictures. Its simultaneous release with the fantasy comedy film Barbie (see our preview here) led to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon on social media, which encouraged viewers to see both films as a double feature.

THE GOOD

Let’s fucking go! The day that all moviegoers and lovers of film have all been waiting for has finally come! July 21, 2023, also known as “Barbenheimer” Day! First things first, I just have to say as a cinephile that it was great to see this become a phenomenon on social media because both movies were original and organic, but more than that, both movies were necessary to make a big deal out of, and while I still have yet to see Barbie, let me just say that Oppenheimer absolutely lived up to the hype! Keep reading to find out why!

For starters, as Ted said to me as soon as the film concluded and the end credits came up, Christopher fucking Nolan man! He doesn’t miss! The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, I mean the list goes on! Add in Oppenheimer, and Nolan has made five of the best films of the 21st century, and I’m going to go out and say that Oppenheimer just might be the most important film of this century! Nolan is known for his Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, and while we still get that in Oppenheimer, it is truly an epic biographical thriller at the end of the day!

Doing press for the film, Nolan said he has been interested in the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer since he was just a boy from London. More than that, he addresses an old childhood dread of his in this movie, that of course being the threat of thermonuclear war and human annihilation. And while I don’t view this to be Nolan’s magnum opus because I just don’t see anything ever topping The Dark Knight, I do think this is the best-directed movie he has ever done. He put all of his childhood fears into this because, despite the fact that I and everyone else in the theater knew the outcome of this story, the film was still incredibly thrilling and gripping from start to finish. Best believe I will be rooting hard for him to win the Academy Award for Best Director, because let’s be honest, he is well overdue for one.

Onto the screenplay, which Nolan adapted from the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which I definitely plan on reading in the coming weeks, it is dynamite (pun intended). Seriously though, every line of dialogue is excellent and it goes to prove that not only is Nolan one of the best directors we have working, but also one of the best writers we have today. There are so many monologues given in this film that just made my jaw drop, and the only way he doesn’t win for Best Adapted Screenplay is if some guy named Martin Scorsese does for Killers of the Flower Moon (see our preview here), which is set to come out this fall.

But enough about Nolan, we have to touch on A LOT, and I mean A LOT of performances, but there is only one place to start, and that is Cillian Murphy, who is the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer. A frequent collaborator with Nolan, Murphy often plays side characters in his films, and he is most known for his work in the series Peaky Blinders which I have yet to start for some god-forsaken reason. Needless to say, even though I have not even seen that series, this is a career-best performance from Murphy, and it is truly one of the greatest performances of all time! Apparently, he was so incredibly focused on set and he would go days without eating because he wanted to try and look as much like Oppenheimer, a very skinny man, as possible.

The 47-year-old Irishman has never been nominated for an Academy Award, but I will BET MY LIFE that changes this year. Not only should he be nominated, he really should win. He absolutely carries this movie on his back with his performance, and his intensity in every scene makes the movie as good as it is. Then again, there is that movie I already mentioned that is coming out this fall that just so happens to star a man by the name of Leonardo DiCaprio, who apparently gives a career-best performance, so time will tell, but regardless, hats off to Cillian Murphy because this was unbelievable to watch!

The next best performance belongs to Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., who plays Lewis Strauss. Strauss, if you disregard the Nazis and the other Axis powers the U.S. is fighting in World War II, is really the film’s antagonist, and good lord does Nolan know how to cast because RDJ was perfect in this role! Being a big Marvel fan, RDJ means so much to me and my love for film because of what he did as Iron Man for over a decade, but other than that, he is just one of my favorite actors and he is so incredibly talented! I am so happy to see him back doing films like this with big-name directors because I’ll say it, I want to see him get some Oscars and I think he will very soon following his performance here! He has a very important role in the film, and in the final third of the film he just cooks with gas, and there is one scene in particular where he just goes off and I’ll say it, I got chills!

I mean I could go on for days because everyone in the cast gave superb performances. Aside from Murphy and RDJ though, the next two key players in the film were Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, and Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves, Oppenheimer's military handler. They were both fantastic and are both deserving of Academy Award nominations. Blunt steals the show in the last fifteen minutes with a great scene, and Damon was responsible for almost all of the movie’s few comedic scenes. Other standout performances belonged to the beautiful Florence Pugh who played Oppenheimer’s mistress, Jean Tatlock, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Benny Safdie of the Safdie brothers as the Hungarian-American physicist Edward Teller, Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) as Roger Robb, and Scottish actor Tom Conti (Reuben, Reuben) who plays Albert freaking Einstein, and that’s just to name a few because I’ll say it again, every actor involved killed it!

Now onto arguably my favorite part of a Nolan movie, and that is the technical elements! I have to start with the visuals! First, I saw this in IMAX, and I’m embarrassed to say that it was my first time seeing a film in IMAX, but boy oh boy did I pick a good first movie to pop my IMAX cherry with! For real though, from the opening scene, I was just in awe and it truly was an unforgettable experience, thanks in large part to Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography! Hoyte had done the previous three Nolan movies, and the most recent film he worked on was Jordan Peele’s Nope (read my full review here) from last year, and I just have to say it, he might be the best cinematographer working right now. I’m sorry Roger Deakins, you are the G.O.A.T., but what Hoyte is doing with the camera right now is just on another planet, and this should be a LOCK for Best Cinematography. The editing from Jennifer Lame was remarkable, and Oscar-worthy and the score from Ludwig Göransson is unreal stuff. The score just bangs and like van Hoytema, Göransson might be the best composer working right now and he proved it with this score which everyone should just go listen to right this very second!

THE BAD

Come on. I have never skipped this section in my over 130 reviews, but this is the closest I have ever come to skipping it entirely. Seriously though, this movie is a masterpiece and a true achievement in filmmaking. I have seen critics saying that Nolan is juggling too much here and good lord does that piss me off because he gives us one of the best movie endings of the past ten years in this because, in the last five minutes of the film, we get every question answered. Oh, and if anyone complains about the runtime of this movie, I swear to God, I will blow my top!

THE VERDICT

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is truly one of the greatest films of all time. It is an achievement in filmmaking in every way possible and it is carried by career-best performances from almost everyone involved, most notably Cillian Murphy who plays the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Seeing this in IMAX was undoubtedly the best moviegoing experience of my life, and I just can't wait to watch this win every award at the 2024 Oscars!

TED TAKES RATING - 9.9/10

Oppenheimer is now playing only in theaters. Watch the most recent trailer below.

Past Lives

By: Andrew Wing

Past Lives is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Greta Lee (Russian Doll, The Morning Show), Teo Yoo (Leto), and John Magaro (The Umbrella Academy, First Cow), and follows a reunion between two childhood friends as they contemplate their relationship and their own lives.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 2, 2023, by A24.

THE GOOD

Coming out of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, there was one film in particular that was getting more praise than any other, and that film was Past Lives. Those who saw it at the festival were already going ahead and saying that it was a lock to get a Best Picture nomination at the next Academy Awards, and with me being a big Oscars guy, needless to say, I was pumped for it! Throw in the fact that I had to wait four-plus weeks after its original release date before it came to a theater in my state, and my hype for this movie was at an all-time high! But did it live up to my lofty expectations? Keep reading to find out!

It most certainly did! Simply put, this movie is amazing and it will without a doubt be one of 2023’s best films! What made Past Lives so good though? Well, there are many things, but first and foremost, Celine Song absolutely crushed it in her feature directorial debut! It is just insane to me that this is her debut film, and it reminds me a lot of Charlotte Wells' directorial debut from last year, Aftersun (read my full review here), as that was also a deeply personal drama distributed by the one and only A24. Unlike Wells though, I do believe that this film is a little bit easier for mainstream audiences to connect with and I strongly believe it will get a Best Picture nomination, and Song may even garner a nomination for Best Director too.

Seriously though, what Song brought to us was such a delicate and rich film that has so many layers to it. The film follows a reunion between two childhood friends as they contemplate their relationship and their own lives, and let me just say that this screenplay is just flawless. What I loved most about it was how Song doesn’t give you an answer, but rather she gives you the space to explore, and you could tell that she wanted viewers to focus on the space between the words. I definitely see Song earning herself a nomination for Best Original Screenplay because of the beautiful story that also serves as a strong immigrant story.

I definitely think Song won the movie, but I cannot say enough good things about the trio of performances we got in Past Lives from Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as the lead characters Nora and Hae Sung respectively, and John Magaro in a supporting role as Arthur, Nora’s husband. Lee and Yoo were just brilliant in this film at conveying the longing and excitement their characters were experiencing every time they were together. Both performances were layered and internal, and the movie itself really relied on the performances to move the story along and they just nailed it. The performance that really blew me away though was John Magaro. I thought he was so good in this as he played the husband who realized the awkwardness of the position he was in, and every scene he was in was just phenomenal, and I’d say he is extremely likely to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and deservingly so!

Lastly, when it comes to Past Lives, it is a movie that is very subtle visually speaking, but nevertheless, I found it to be really beautiful to look at. Song and the cinematographer Shabier Kirchner, who recently won a BAFTA for his work on Steve McQueen’s five-part anthology series Small Axe, worked well together and it was obvious they put a lot of thought into every scene the way it was so perfectly framed. More than that, there were so many great shots of people just walking around the cities and the last shot will certainly stay with you, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Kirchner earned himself his very first Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. Oh and one more thing, the music was done by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen of the indie rock band Grizzly Bear, and let me just say that they were fantastic and they made a fan out of me!

THE BAD

No surprise here, but I loved this movie! I have zero critiques but I will just say to those thinking about checking this out, which you absolutely should, that the first half of the film can feel pretty slow as the film definitely takes its time building up the characters and the central premise. Trust me though, it really pays off in the second half of the film, and especially in the final third! Also, with the film mainly being about the reconnection of two childhood friends from South Korea, it goes without saying that the film is spoken mostly in Korean, so while you may have to do some reading unless you speak Korean, what you’ll take away from this movie will make it well worth it!

THE VERDICT

Behind a trio of excellent performances and a flawless screenplay from Celine Song in her feature directorial debut, Past Lives is a deeply impactful romantic drama that will either move you to tears or put you on the verge of tears.

This is another gem from A24 that is 100% an awards contender, and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the years play out because A24 just might be going back-to-back when it comes to Best Picture.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.6/10

Past Lives is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a 2023 action spy film written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. It is the seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible film series, and the third in the series directed by McQuarrie, following Rogue Nation and Fallout. The film franchise is based on the original ABC “Mission: Impossible” television series from 1966. Part Two is slated for release in 2024, which is expected to be the final appearance for Cruise as Ethan Hunt.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

The cast includes Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Frederick Schmidt, all of whom will reprise their roles from the previous films. Newcomers include Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, and Cary Elwes.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One made its debut in theaters on July 12th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

It’s hard to believe that Tom Cruise first stepped into the shoes of soon-to-be IMF agent Ethan Hunt way back in 1996, and the action film landscape would never be the same. Although not all of the movies have been perfect, this has easily become one of my favorite franchises especially when it comes to the movie theater experience. The pandemic wreaked havoc on movie theaters and businesses in general, and people kept saying the movie theater experience is dead, people would rather stay home and watch movies. I knew better though, because as a lover of film ever since I took my first steps, there is nothing like the experience of seeing a movie in theaters.

I mean sure, if I was crazy rich and I had enough money to build my own movie theater that would be another thing entirely, but that is just an example of re-creating the experience at home, and last I checked we aren’t all millionaires. People like to say oh I have a great setup at home, but just because you have a 65” TV and a sound bar doesn’t mean you have what you need, trust me. The fact of the matter is these movies are handcrafted for theaters, and the only way you can even possibly experience a film the way it was made to be experienced is to see it in theaters. Period. Plus, the argument can certainly be made that Tom Cruise helped to save movie theaters with the success of Top Gun: Maverick (our review here). So needless to say I was PUMPED for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Did it live up to my expectations?! Keep reading to find out!

This movie was just incredible, simple as that. In some ways I feel silly even taking the time to write this review because it should be obvious, right? This franchise has become an absolute powerhouse, and somehow it keeps getting better. Even though Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is around two hours and 45 minutes long, it absolutely flew by. It was action-packed and exhilarating, the cast was phenomenal including the new additions, and the stunts were all holy shit worthy as anticipated. Oh and of course the visuals and soundtrack/score were just pure perfection. Considering this is the 7th movie and just Part One of Two you would assume that just maybe it would show some signs of slowing down, but no, not even a little bit. The Mission: Impossible franchise has set the bar for action films, and somehow they found a way to raise that bar. I’m still trying to process my experience.

The Mission: Impossible franchise is known for exciting and immersive storylines, but what intrigues me the most about these films is how easy they are to follow considering the intricacies. Now I understand how some films more or less assume the ignorance of the audience and try to serve up a spoon-fed screenplay, but that is not the case with this franchise or Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. I thought the story was fantastic and extremely timely considering our reliance on technology, and even though it wasn’t necessarily unique or groundbreaking in terms of the overall approach, it still managed to feel fresh and fitting for this franchise. The opening sequence had me on the edge of my seat, and needless to say, once things got going they never really slowed down. I also love the dynamic of the IMF team specifically Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, and the fact that this is the team that takes on the “impossible” missions, but just expects them to follow traditional protocol. It’s just a fun little wrinkle that helps keep this franchise from becoming boring or stale in any way. I also thought the cliffhanger was incredible, and satisfying yet left me wanting more, and I couldn’t be more excited for Part Two. Seriously, can we just fast forward a year?!

Let’s take a minute to talk about this incredible cast, starting with Tom fucking Cruise. Like seriously, you have got to be kidding me with this guy. I swear he is some sort of cyborg because no normal human being would ever be capable of what he has accomplished in his acting career. We have seen some greats, some still going and some no longer in the picture, but I would be hard-pressed to argue against Cruise someday retiring as the most impactful actor in the history of film. I mean even if we just talk about the Mission: Impossible franchise and Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, you’d still have an argument, but the man’s filmography is nothing short of mind-blowing. He is just a supremely talented actor in general, but his willingness to take on the stunts he takes on, especially at his age is unprecedented.

Rebecca Furguson has become a mainstay in the franchise and has proven to be a great addition. She is a fantastic actress but clearly, she thrives within the action thriller genre, and it was such a smart move bringing her in when they did. One of my favorite things about the Mission: Impossible franchise is the comradery between the team, with the primary core at this point and time consisting of Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg. I remember when they first added Pegg and I figured he would be more of a one-movie character, but he fit in perfectly and has become a mainstay for good reason. I also love Rhames as an actor, who has been involved with the franchise since the original back in 1996. He’s been acting as long as I have been alive, and although he may be a bit underrated in terms of the roles he has been taking on as of late, it is undeniable that he brings a ton of value to this franchise and that is why he is still an important piece.

I also thought Vanessa Kirby was great yet again as she continues to prove her talent as an actress. I have to quickly touch on the primary new additions to the cast which would be Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, and Greg Tarzan Davis. I thought Atwell was beautiful and did a tremendous job alongside Cruise in a very important role. It felt like she fit in right away and I really enjoyed her character. Klementieff, who most will recognize as Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy, was such a badass and super sexy. To say she was a formidable foe would be an understatement, and I loved the trajectory of her character. My guy Shea Whigham was fantastic as the guy tasked with hunting Hunt and his team, and I really enjoyed Davis as his partner. Both did a great job taking full advantage of their time on the screen. Last but certainly not least, Esai Morales was amazing as Hunt’s nemesis from the past, and I thought the writing team hit it out of the park with his backstory. An extremely talented actor who has made a career off of being the good guy, including a lengthy run on NYPD Blue, finally gets a chance to see things from the other side of the aisle.

As far as technical elements are concerned, the Mission: Impossible franchise sets the bar and that is once again the case here. Every fist thrown, gun fired, and automobile collision is nothing short of perfection. During every action scene, I felt like I was there, and I just kept thinking man this is what going to the movie theater is all about. This is why we watch movies, period. The action is in your face and infused with adrenaline, the score and soundtrack hit like a damn sledgehammer, and the incredible camera work and mesmerizing cinematography make for an experience like no other.

Sitting here and trying to break down the finer elements of the film feels like a bit of a waste of my time and yours to be honest, and if you pay attention to one thing during this review pay attention to this, please see this movie in theaters and see it on the BIGGEST SCREEN POSSIBLE. Tom Cruise appears on screen before the movie thanking everyone for making the trip to the theater, but trust me the pleasure is ours. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is incredible in every way, and even as I am writing this review I am trying to find time to see it again.

The stunts in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One were absolutely wild, and the fact that they used little to no CGI is honestly hard to even wrap my brain around. The action feels authentic and hits so damn hard you will be in a state of awe pretty much the entire time. I mean the movie had it all, intense car chases, shootouts, train crashes, and some really crazy stunts that will give those of us who have a fear of heights heart palpitations. Seriously, they do not hold back and we expect nothing less considering what this franchise has already accomplished.

Now I won’t go too in-depth on the stunts because I don’t want to ruin anything, but one in particular that is in the trailer is especially crazy. I am of course referring to Evil Kaneebil himself Tom Cruise taking a dirt bike off a giant cliff with a parachute on his back. This stunt, which took an incredible amount of preparation from building an insane ramp to Cruise doing 500 skydiving jumps, was not for the faint of heart. Once everything was ready you would think he would do it once and be like okay I’m good, but nope not this guy he did this stunt on camera SIX times before he felt like everything was just right. Once you see the movie take the time to watch some of the behind-the-scenes videos about what went into some of these stunts because it is well worth it. It should come as no surprise that this movie has been in development for years with a ton of work happening in the midst of the pandemic.

THE BAD

This section will be short and sweet because Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is damn near flawless. One thing I will point out although I don’t consider it a negative necessarily, is one of the big action sequences from the final act is essentially identical to the Uncharted videogame franchise. Like exactly. Perhaps it was inspired by the game, or it was just a coincidence, but I just found it interesting how spot-on it was. I guess Tom Holland will have to try something different if we end up getting another Uncharted film.

THE VERDICT

An immersive and exhilarating screenplay matched seamlessly with the jaw-dropping stunts the franchise is known for, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is an amazing achievement in filmmaking and a reminder that Tom Cruise is arguably the most versatile and accomplished actor in the history of film. This dude doesn’t just act, he lives his roles and literally risks his own personal well-being to make sure audiences get the experience they deserve. This is why we go to the movie theater, period. From start to finish I felt like a kid in a candy store just soaking up every bit of this magical experience unfolding before me. Stop what you are doing and go see Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One right now on the biggest screen possible, you can thank me later. I seriously cannot wait for Part Two to get here.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Joy Ride

Joy Ride is a 2023 comedy film directed by Adele Lim, in her feature directorial debut, and written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, from a story by Lim, Chevapravatdumrong, and Hsiao. From the producers of Neighbors and the co-screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians, the film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 17th, 2023.

When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu, Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians), Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina is Nora From Queens), David Denman (Greenland), Annie Mumolo (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Alexander Hodge (Insecure), and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians).

Joy Ride made its debut in theaters on July 7th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

When the first trailer was released I had heard literally nothing about Joy Ride, but after watching it I was genuinely intrigued. And once the near-perfect ratings from early screenings at SXSW in March were released, I was basically like holy shit I need to circle this on my calendar. I love me a good comedy, especially a good R-rated comedy that has a solid screenplay and a terrific cast, and this seemed to fit the bill. So I made my way to the theater on opening day, grabbed my soda and the biggest popcorn they had, and made my way to my comfy recliner. So, was my experience nothing more than a regretful experience of me consuming way too much popcorn or did Joy Ride live up to the lofty expectations? Keep reading to find out!

Even though my expectations were very high, I am very pleased to say that Joy Ride was a damn near perfect film as far as R-rated comedies go. The film was packed with vulgar language as expected, had a ton of laugh-out-loud moments, mocked woke culture at damn near every turn and just found a way to be smart and ridiculous at the same time. I loved all of the characters and felt like each one served their respective purpose, and I was impressed by the fact that the film also included what felt like a genuine emotional element in the final act which I didn’t necessarily expect. The movie absolutely flies by at a smooth hour and a half, and I enjoyed watching the story unfold. As far as R-rated comedies go, Joy Ride is definitely over-the-top but it somewhat felt more grounded compared to similar films and ended up having a great message about family and friendship which I really appreciated. I felt like I left the theater with a bit more substance than I anticipated.

The cast was a massive bright spot for this film, and I felt like they crushed it. Comedies often rely on the chemistry of the cast to ensure certain jokes land and it all came together here. I will start with Ashley Park, and let me just say I felt a little racist assuming she was related to actor Randall Park, but I did the necessary research and she is not. All jokes aside, I loved her in this role as she plays Audrey, the American-born go-getter who finds herself relying on her heritage to try and help close a big career-defining business deal. I haven’t seen the Netflix romantic comedy series Emily in Paris, but I have heard good things and apparently, she is fantastic in that. She began her acting career in the theater so she has some real-deal acting chops, and after seeing her in this movie it was clear that she is a versatile and very talented actress, but also very attractive which is also nice. Park played off the rest of the cast extremely well and I was 100% bought into her character from the start. Stephanie Hsu co-stars as Kat, Audrey’s childhood friend who is the screwup of the group living out of Audrey’s garage and essentially refusing to grow up. Hsu was downright hilarious in this role, and the chemistry she had with Park was a big reason why everything worked so well.

Sabrina Wu plays Deadeye, the painfully socially awkward member of the crew who basically ends up along for the ride. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about Wu’s character at first, but she grew on me and by the end of the film she was definitely one of my favorites. Her character was just so different from the others, and although she was considered the weird one, in many ways she was the most relatable by the end. Sherry Cola stars as Lolo, the successful actress best friend of Audrey who she met in college. From the start Hsu and Cola clash in the battle of the best friends, and it is hilarious watching these two do everything in their power to try and ruin the reputation of the other.

Some of the characters feel a bit outlandish at times, but so much of the film felt grounded in the reality of today and I thought that the characters provided a fantastic balance. I also need to shout out a stellar supporting cast including Daniel Dae Kim in a very small but important role, Timothy Simmons as Frank, Desmond Chiam as Lolo’s fiancé Clarence, Ronny Chieng as Chao the businessman Audrey is trying to win over, and last but not least Lori Tan Chinn who basically plays the same nutty grandma character in the comedy series Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Oh, and I can’t forget about the FANTASTIC cameo from former NBA player Baron Davis, so good!

I touched on the story briefly but I wanted to talk a bit more about it considering it was much better than I anticipated. Now I always get annoyed when so-called critics slam a comedy for lacking a story because sometimes the story is little more than a placeholder and the cast is the star of the show. I mean surely this doesn’t make a film a masterpiece by any means, but it can still be a very good movie within the comedy genre. In this day and age, we are more critical or “self-aware”, and yes I put that in air quotes for a reason, but sometimes it is honestly draining and downright annoying. But to get back on track a bit, Joy Ride has received significant positive feedback from both critics and viewers for a reason, it really is that good.

Yes, they did a great job casting the film, but this isn’t another movie with three or four big names that are capable of carrying the film. We are treated with a relatively simple yet timely and effective screenplay that takes full advantage of the cast, but it also puts the effort in to mock the way things are today without necessarily offending anyone, which is no easy task. I felt like the characters all felt relatable in their own way, and most of us can also relate to the balance of family and friendship especially as you get older. More than anything else I just appreciated the film’s message, loved that pretty much all of the jokes landed, and I know for a fact that I will be watching Joy Ride more in the future as it will likely find its way into my regular rotation of comedies.

THE BAD

Aside from stealing its title from a very underrated 2001 thriller starring the late Paul Walker and Steve Zahn, I am genuinely hard-pressed to try and pick apart Joy Ride, mainly because it perfectly executes what it sets out to do, from start to finish really. If I had to try and really dig deep to have a gripe I would have to say the film is slightly geared towards the female audience in terms of the majority of the jokes and the overall theme, but I was hardly surprised by this considering a primarily female cast as well as all female screenwriters. This isn’t a knock on the film as much as it is pointing out a fact that may entice female viewers a bit more. Also, this is an R-rated comedy, so if you have an issue with profanity or jokes of a sexual nature, needless to say, this movie is not for you.

THE VERDICT

An R-rated comedy with a very well-written and timely screenplay matched perfectly with a fantastic cast of characters, Joy Ride is a well-rounded film packed with laughs that never takes itself too seriously while offering a little something for everyone. Even though I went in with high expectations for obvious reasons, I still really enjoyed this movie and felt like it maybe even exceeded my expectations somehow. Considering the genre I was impressed with the fact that the film stuck with me well after leaving the theater, and Joy Ride is probably one of the easier movies to recommend to pretty much anyone in recent memory. Aside from kids of course, maybe go ahead and keep the kids at home for this one.

Oh and just a quick disclaimer, I know a few people who don’t do well with vomit so feel free to reach out about the parts where you should probably cover your eyes and ears. You have been warned.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

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

Elemental

By: Andrew Wing

Elemental is a 2023 American computer-animated romantic comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) and produced by Denise Ream, it was written by Sohn, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh with Pete Docter serving as executive producer. The overall 27th feature film produced by the studio, the film features the voices of Leah Lewis (The Half of It), Mamoudou Athie (Underwater, Jurassic World Dominion), Ronnie del Carmen (Inside Out, Soul), Shila Ommi (Charlie Wilson’s War), Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids, Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), and Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek).

Set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature, the story follows fire element Ember Lumen (Lewis) and water element Wade Ripple (Athie), who meet and fall in love after Wade is summoned by a plumbing accident at a convenience store owned by Ember's father, Bernie (Del Carmen).

Following the release of The Good Dinosaur (2015), Sohn began working on the project when the idea first started. He pitched the concept to Pixar to develop Elemental based on the idea of whether fire and water could ever connect or not. Elemental draws inspiration from Sohn's youth, growing up as the son of immigrants in New York City during the 1970s, highlighting the city's distinct cultural and ethnic diversity while the story is inspired by romantic films like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Moonstruck (1987), and Amélie (2001). For research, the production team spent many hours watching point-of-view city tours on YouTube like Venice and Amsterdam for inspiration. The animation tools were utilized to design the visual effects and appearance of each character, particularly Ember and Wade. Production on Elemental lasted for seven years, both in the studio and at the filmmakers' homes with the story being finished remotely. Thomas Newman composed and conducted the film's original score, marking his fourth collaboration with Pixar after Finding Nemo (2003), WALL-E (2008), and Finding Dory (2016).

Elemental debuted out of competition as the closing film at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 16 in RealD 3D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema formats. The film has grossed $255 million to date against its $200 million budget.

THE GOOD

I will never not be excited about a Pixar movie. Sure, everyone will tell you they are in a slump, but I was one of the few people who liked both of the movies they put out last year in Turning Red (see my full review here) and Lightyear (see my full review here). Maybe those films didn’t hit the same levels of say a Toy Story, or one of my personal favorites, WALL-E, but they are still pretty damn reliable. And with Elemental, a movie that premiered at the damn Cannes Film Festival for crying out loud, I was pretty damn excited to check it out despite the early mixed reviews. So was this another win for Pixar, or were the Cannes critics who were negative towards the film right? Keep reading to find out!

It is with deep sadness that I say it was the latter. Trust me when I say I will get to the bad parts later, but for now, let’s talk about the good stuff. For starters, the animation is once again really good. That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering it is Pixar, but I just thought that the animation was pretty impressive considering what the movie was about and how all of the characters looked. More specifically, I found all of the water and glass stuff in the film to look pretty good as it contrasted nicely with the characters, and the world-building was solid too as it allowed the city to feel truly alive.

Aside from the animation, the next best thing was the music. There is an original song from the American singer Lauv, called “Steal the Show” which I really enjoyed, and as for the score which was done by Thomas Newman, who also scored Finding Nemo and WALL-E, it is just what you’d expect from Newman. Like the movie itself, the music felt very different from other Pixar entries, but I think it worked. Other than that, I, unfortunately, don’t have many more great things to say about Elemental, but I will say that despite the many problems I had with it that you are about to dive into, there are still a lot of cute parts that both kids and the adults will enjoy so there’s that.

THE BAD

Alright, time for me to be the bad guy that craps on a Pixar film, but there is just no other way to say it, I just did not like this movie. I watched the movie over two weeks ago and have been thinking about why I didn’t like it and the main thing is just the story. If you’ve seen the trailer, you know what it is, but the movie is about fire falling in love with water even though it’s basically forbidden. And I don’t know what else to say, but the story was just so underwhelming in my opinion. It was straightforward and redundant, and despite the fact that it was trying to be this romantic comedy, I still found the story to be uninteresting to put it bluntly.

Continuing with the rom-com point, the romance was bad, and the reason it was bad was that it didn’t work because the characters just weren’t likable if you ask me. Yes, they were these blobs, but Pixar has made me feel emotionally connected to a rat before, so I don’t want to hear it. The characters were just dull and I did not feel any sort of emotional connection to any of the characters. Other than just despising the character of Wade, I think it ultimately doesn’t work because the presentation of the story felt rushed. There are these two stories going on at the same time, and while I don’t want to give anything away, it felt like they only got to halfway for both stories, and even though I thought the ending was decent, it just felt lazy and it was not the Pixar we are accustomed to.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to an underwhelming story, Elemental is bottom-of-the-barrel Pixar if you ask me. Sure, there are some cute parts here, the animation is good, and Thomas Newman delivers once again, but at the end of the day, it really just felt like a throwaway lazy parody of another Pixar film, so needless to say, I was disappointed.

Lastly, and I have to say this, just be prepared for the bad short feature film, Carl’s Date, beforehand that just made me ask why Pixar continues to do that. Does anyone like those? Because I don’t!

TED TAKES RATING - 5.5/10

Elemental is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

Insidious: The Red Door

Insidious: The Red Door is a 2023 horror thriller directed by Patrick Wilson from a screenplay by Scott Teems, from a story and based on characters from Leigh Whannell.

To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and a college-aged Dalton (Ty Simpkins) must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.

The cast includes Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Hiam Abbass, Sinclair Daniel, Andrew Astor, and Rose Byrne.

Insidious: The Red Door made its debut in theaters on July 7th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

THE GOOD

As a self-proclaimed horror aficionado, I’ve seen every one of the Insidious movies in theaters. The first film came out way back in 2010 and was directed by James Wan, same with Insidious 2 a few years later. Chapter 3 served as the prequel to the first two films and marked the directorial debut of writer Leigh Whannel, who also starred in Specs, as one of the paranormal investigators in the first two films. The fourth film was released in 2018 and directed by Adam Robitel with a storyline focused more on Lin Shaye’s character.

In general, I have enjoyed the Insidious films, and feel like it has been a very solid and consistent franchise from the beginning. It may not do anything exceptionally well, but the films have always had a clear identity, great characters, and a nice balance of horror and humor. After three years I was excited for the 5th entry in the franchise, so I made sure to make my way to the theater for Insidious: The Red Door on opening night. So, was this another solid addition to the franchise or did they finally drop the ball? Keep reading to find out!

Alright, so this is going to be a bit of a multi-faceted review, because although there is plenty about the film that I did like, there is a lot that really pissed me off if I am being completely honest, but I will talk about all of that later in the review. First with the positives, Insidious: The Red Door does plenty of good things. I thought the acting was solid and it was nice to see the original cast back together. The story had a really interesting connection to the first film which I thought was really cool and set the stage nicely. As far as the horror elements the film serves up a great horror feel and lots of effective jump scares and creepy moments of something lurking in the background. Similar to other films in the franchise the production value for Insidious: The Red Door was top-notch, particularly the seamless transition from the real world to The Further.

The cast was one of the film’s bigger strengths, particularly the return of Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. Wilson, who was also very solid in his directorial debut, once again proved his worth as an actor with solid on-screen confidence. He also did some great things behind the camera with what I felt was some creative camera work and a shooting style that seemed to fit the film. I am a big fan of Byrne in general, and even though she has a very small role in the film her presence is definitely felt.

The supporting cast was fine in terms of what they had to work with, and the film also had some great cameos which I enjoyed. I felt like the technical elements were great pretty much from start to finish which has always been a staple of the franchise, making for some very scary demons/evil entities. Once again kudos to the make-up and special effects team for some terrifying visuals throughout the film.

THE BAD

Insidious: The Red Door is not without its issues, and I honestly wish I could have gone without investing too much time in this section but here we are. Now as I said earlier in the review the acting was solid and I honestly liked the premise and the overall direction of the film, but the execution and screenplay were severely lacking. I won’t go too in-depth because as usual, I refuse to offer up any spoilers, but the film is quite ambitious in terms of the story which means you really had to sell it and build a solid foundation. I have no issue with the film making it so you need to have seen the other movies to fully understand what was going on because, at the end of the day, it is a sequel in a pretty successful horror franchise, but a paper-thin script turned a great idea into a bit of a mess by the end.

The character development was lazy making some of the more important connections in the film feel a bit forced or corny. Insidious: The Red Door delves more into the “The Further” just like prior entries, but this time around, the story relies heavily on events that transpired years prior in the first film making it so setting the stage was extremely important. To me, it just felt like the screenplay glossed over too many important elements of storytelling, making it difficult for viewers to become invested in what was transpiring on screen.

Now I mentioned how I actually thought the third act was pretty solid all things considered just in terms of how things came together, but I was disappointed in terms of how the film actually ended. A good example would be the recently released horror film The Boogeyman (our review here), which had what I felt was a fantastic ending. With horror films, it’s okay to have a quote-unquote happy ending, but I like when the final seconds feel a bit ominous because all things considered, it is a horror movie. I want to feel a bit uneasy leaving the theater, instead of that “oh well seems like it all worked out in the end” feeling. Insidious: The Red Door simply failed to get me excited for a sequel which is too bad considering the overall success of the franchise. I guess part of me also misses the original formula of a couple of nerdy paranormal investigators biting off more than they can chew when a family reports an evil presence in their home.

THE VERDICT

An otherwise solid horror thriller held back by what felt like an ambitious yet ultimately rushed screenplay lacking key storytelling elements, Insidious: The Red Door still packs some scares but fails to live up to its full potential. I really wanted this movie to be better and kept waiting for it to turn the corner, but even though the third act does save it in some respects as a whole the experience failed to leave a real impression on me. I do wish I re-watched the first couple films prior to seeing Insidious: The Red Door, and who knows maybe I will appreciate it more the second time around. Just to reiterate this is not a horrible movie and casual horror movie fans may feel like it is more than enough, but seasoned vets and big fans of the franchise like myself will be left wanting more. Either way, if you enjoyed the earlier films it is worth checking out to form your own opinion.

Another entry in the franchise considered to be a spin-off titled Thread: An Insidious Tale, is said to be in development and will star Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani. With James Wan still involved, I am hopeful that the Insidious franchise still has some gas left in the tank.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10

Insidious: The Red Door is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a 2023 action-adventure film directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote it with Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and David Koepp. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd., and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film is the sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones film series.

The film stars Harrison Ford in his final portrayal of archaeologist Indiana Jones. John Rhys-Davies reprises his role as Sallah from earlier films, along with new cast members including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen.

It is the first film in the series not directed by Steven Spielberg nor with a story written by George Lucas, with Spielberg and Lucas serving as executive producers instead. It is also the first film in the series not to be distributed by Paramount, as Disney acquired the film rights following its acquisition of Lucasfilm; however, as per compensation by the said deal, Paramount retained a residual associate credit.

Plans for a fifth Indiana Jones film go back to the late 1970s when Lucas and Spielberg negotiated with Paramount for four sequels to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Lucas began researching potential plot devices for a fifth film in 2008, although the project stalled for years. He passed the project to producer Kathleen Kennedy in 2012 when she became the president of Lucasfilm. Progress on a fifth film remained dormant while the company worked on the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Koepp was eventually hired to write the fifth film in 2016, with a release date set for 2019, although this was delayed several times due to rewrites. In 2018, Jonathan Kasdan was hired to replace Koepp, who returned to write in 2019 before eventually leaving the project. Spielberg was set to direct, but stepped down in 2020, with Mangold taking his place. Filming began in June 2021, taking place in various locations including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Morocco, and wrapped in February 2022.

The film’s plot picks up in 1969, where American archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Ford) lives against the backdrop of the Space Race. Jones is uneasy over the fact that the U.S. government has recruited former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space. His goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Waller-Bridge), accompanies him on his journey. Meanwhile, Jürgen Voller (Mikkelsen), a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the moon-landing program, wishes to make the world into a better place as he sees fit.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny made its debut in theaters on June 30th, courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.

THE GOOD

You simply cannot deny the fact that the Indiana Jones franchise is embedded in the great history of film. Back in 1981, a film legend with an iconic whip and hat was born, and he was destined to live on forever. Now star Harrison Ford has reached the age of 80 and similar to other aging actors like Clint Eastwood or Liam Neeson, he ain’t done yet. When Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was first announced, I was pumped. I love films that just remind me of the heyday of cinema, and the Indiana Jones films definitely do that for me. Now even though the first film was released a few years before I set foot on this green earth, I somehow found myself entrenched in the goofy one-liners and over-the-top action of these films. As I grew up and became interested in videogames, it came as no surprise that I found myself especially drawn to games in the action-adventure genre like Tomb Raider or the Uncharted franchise, which was just turned into a movie recently starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg (our full review here). Bottom line, I love this franchise and I had been eagerly awaiting the return of Indiana Jones. So, did Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny take me on a trip to the glory years of cinema or was this yet another unnecessary sequel? Keep reading to find out!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny impressed me at pretty much every turn, simple as that. Now I can’t quite explain whether I had high expectations or if I just wanted things to be status quo and feel familiar, but the “was I satisfied box” was checked with a big YES on my way out of the theater. Familiar is a good word to use because I feel like that was my biggest takeaway, the fact that this film felt like it belonged. I went back and re-watched the original just for old-time’s sake, knowing damn well I wouldn’t be able to watch all four films prior to heading to the theater (I have two toddlers, give me a break!), and I’m glad I did. I had just finished watching the 40+-year-old Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark just hours before heading to the theater, and man was it wild to see such a young and spry Harrison Ford, but it was so cool in terms of how smooth a transition it was watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Right from the opening sequence, it felt like a genuine Indiana Jones film, and for me that was exciting. Even at just over 2 and a half hours, I thought the film was paced well and was entertaining throughout with all of the fun action sequences we have come to expect from an Indiana Jones film.

I really enjoyed the story for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and felt like they did a nice job staying true to the franchise while also adding potential to continue on if they decide to. The film begins with a flashback to set the stage for the direction of the story which worked well and also made it so you could jump in and watch this movie without going back and watching any of the earlier films in the franchise. Now with that being said, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny does add an intriguing wrinkle to the story that ties it directly to the last film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Now I won’t give anything away of course, but I loved how they did this and felt like it added a much-needed emotional element that became a big part of the film by the end. With that being said, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to watch that prior to seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. More than anything else, this film stays true to the franchise as even though Jones is now an aging shell of himself in so many ways, he is still a man of integrity who above all else believes in the importance of preserving our history, and you know he can only be held down for so long. I really loved the film’s final act and thought that the writing team put their heads together to serve up a grand finale that was truly a tribute to the franchise. I won’t give anything away but I cannot wait to see it again.

The cast for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was fantastic, with the legend himself Harrison Ford leading the way. Now Ford is 80 years old, and I promise you he is in better shape than the majority of the people that will see this movie. I mean just think about that for a second, 80 and he is putting out yet another action adventure film like this. It is impressive, to say the least. Once again Ford brings charisma and confidence to the role of Indiana Jones, and although he has understandably adopted some of the “get off my lawn” old man mentality, he can still hang with the best of them. Starring alongside Ford is Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena, a character we learn is part of Indy’s past and who has grown up to have some unique skills herself. I enjoyed Waller-Bridge in this role, and if in fact, the franchise continues with her involved, I wouldn’t have an issue with it. Ethann Isidore was great as Teddy, who is sort of the new Short Round from the original films and will likely stick around if the franchise continues.

As far as villains go, we got some really good ones here. First off, most of us can agree that Nazis make fantastic bad guys, and actor Mads Mikkelsen is perfect in the role of Dr. Voller. You despise his character from the start, and he definitely helped to carry the film’s narrative. Alongside Mikkelsen is his loose cannon of a right-hand man Klaber, played by Boyd Holbrook who fit within that Ben Foster sort of role in the 3:10 to Yuma (2007) remake. I personally love Holbrook as an actor, and I think it’s great he has gotten so many opportunities as of late. He was fantastic in the dark comedy-drama Vengeance (our full review here), and he is slowly becoming the ultimate villain after his role here as well as his upcoming role in Justified: City Primeval. Holbrook has been taking on several strong supporting roles for years now, and he is getting opportunities to prove his worth. Another great bad guy who stands out like a sore thumb is Olivier Richters, the 7’2 Dutch actor known as “The Dutch Giant” who is an imposing presence throughout the film. Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones, and Antonio Banderas were great in their roles as well. It was awesome to see several of the original cast return, including John Rhys-Davies as Salleh, and a few others but I don’t want to give anything away.

The technical aspects of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny were pretty damn good from where I was sitting. First off, having just watched the 1981 film it was a little crazy to see the film’s opening sequence which was a flashback that used de-aging technology for Harrison Ford, and man did he look almost just like that fit young man from the early 80’s. I found myself doing a few double takes because of how good the technology looked, and I also thought they did an amazing job with the entire flashback making it truly feel like the dark days of Hitler’s reign of terror. The action sequences were exciting and aplenty, feeling very true to the franchise.

I also really liked how they made sure to add in funny little bits of reminders that Indy is no longer a young man and is a bit out of touch with the current times, like when he thinks he can threaten a group of bad guys with just his trusty whip as they all quickly pull out firearms. Scenes like that definitely put a smile on my face. Although this is the first film not directed by Steven Spielberg, I felt like James Mangold worked hard to follow in the footsteps of the man who helped build this franchise. I also previously mentioned how Holbrook reminded me of Ben Foster from 3:10 to Yuma, and Mangold actually directed and co-wrote that film. Composer John Williams delivered an epic score, ensuring viewers felt a rush of nostalgia while also helping to appeal to a new generation. Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael took full advantage of some beautiful shooting locations in the UK, and I thought the set design and costumes were top-notch.

THE BAD

Let me just start by saying the majority of the criticism for this film is unwarranted, simple as that. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is not a perfect movie, but I do feel like it should be reviewed just as much for how well it fits within the franchise as for just how good of a movie it is. Now I say this because the Indiana Jones franchise, as iconic as it is, may not be for everyone and you aren’t going to make another movie and try to reinvent the wheel sort of speak. The franchise is built around a treasure-hunting risk-taker full of charisma, and all of the films tend to have a certain tone where although the action sequences can get pretty intense, they generally maintain a little bit of goofiness which tends to lighten the mood a little bit.

With all of that being said, I do feel like it is important to have an appreciation for the franchise in order to enjoy Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to the full extent. You don’t have to go back and re-watch the original films, although I would suggest it if you have the time, but if this genre doesn’t do it for you I don’t think this film is going to change your mind necessarily. For example, one of the “high-speed chases” in the film includes Indiana Jones driving what is essentially an old-school golf cart as he navigates down narrow alleyways in pursuit of the bad guys. I thought this particular scene was great and definitely felt true to the franchise, but I could see some people wanting more. The film does pay homage to the franchise and the earlier films pretty much throughout, so if you haven’t seen any of them you will miss out on a good majority of the entertainment value which is often catered to fans of the franchise. To close out this section, I honestly don’t have any major gripes with this film, and I felt like it did everything about as well as I could have hoped and is a deserving addition to this historic franchise.

THE VERDICT

A nostalgic return to form for Harrison Ford as the iconic whip-wielding and smooth-talking adventure seeker, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny brings all of the fun we have come to expect from the franchise while adding a bit more depth to the story. By the end of the film, I felt satisfied, and I thought the story itself came full circle in a very fulfilling way. Plus I was glad to see that although the final act was intense and action-packed, it was also grounded and emotional leaving viewers with a bit more substance to soak up just as the credits begin to roll.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may not win over new fans and won’t be considered the best in the storied franchise, but for me, this is a more than worthy sendoff for one of the greatest action adventure franchises to ever grace the big screen. Plus, just seeing the original cast back together again was pretty special. Do yourself a favor and check this one out in theaters.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings is a 2023 R-rated coming-of-age comedy film directed by Gene Stupnitsky (Good Boys), from a screenplay he co-wrote with John Phillips. Jennifer Lawrence stars and also serves as a producer on the film.

On the brink of losing her childhood home, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to "date" their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, before he leaves for college. To her surprise, Maddie soon discovers the awkward Percy is no sure thing.

The cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur (Killing It), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear).

No Hard Feelings made its debut in theaters on June 23rd, courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing.

THE GOOD

I love me some Jennifer Lawrence, simple as that. She recently starred in the Apple TV original drama from A24 Causeway (our full review here), which she was incredible in of course, but she has been appearing on screen since she made her debut back in 2006 on an episode of Monk. My first impression of her was the 2010 indie drama Winter’s Bone, where she delivered a mesmerizing performance that without a doubt ignited her career. A few years later she would star as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and would also star alongside Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook (2012). If I had to pick my favorite Lawrence role it would probably be her next David O. Russell film, the 2013 crime drama American Hustle, which was just so, so good. The bottom line, she is the entire package; sexy, talented, and supremely confident. So of course when I heard she was going to be starring in an R-rated comedy, I knew I would be seeing it as soon as it was released no matter what. So, did No Hard Feelings keep my Jennifer Lawrence obsession burning red hot or did it turn the heat down a notch? Keep reading to find out!

I genuinely enjoyed this movie, and to be honest it was actually quite a bit better than I expected it to be. No Hard Feelings offered so many things I just cannot get enough of, which is of course Jennifer Lawrence, genuine laughs, a good story, and more than anything else, just an hour and a half of movie theater goodness. I enjoyed the story much more than I expected, and I really liked all of the characters and thought the cast was fantastic from top to bottom. I went in expecting more of a full-on raunchy comedy as the trailer alluded to which I would have been fine with, but instead, No Hard Feelings digs a little deeper while making sure to still satisfy viewers expecting the latter. I felt like the majority of the jokes landed, and I also thought that because the script was a bit better than I had anticipated. Nothing ever felt forced or overdone which can often be the case with comedies. No Hard Feelings is an example of a film that tells an effective and relatable story while providing lots of laughs and feel-good moments along the way.

The cast was an obvious draw for me, and I thought Jennifer Lawrence was great in the lead role. Also if you don’t find her gorgeous, you may need to get your eyes checked. Now she wasn’t exactly flaunting her acting chops here and at times it did feel like she was dumbing things down a bit, but that is par for the course with comedy. She was still really good. What mattered most here was her chemistry with co-star Andrew Barth Feldman, and I felt like the two really hit it off. A successful Broadway actor moving into film who made his debut in the play Dear Evan Hansen in 2019, this is Feldman’s first big film role. I was hot and cold on his performance early on in the film, but he grew on me and I thought that his awkward but good-hearted demeanor really fit his character. Plus acting alongside a seasoned vet like Lawrence is not an easy feat, and the New York native made it seem easy.

Aside from the two stars of the film, I actually really liked the supporting cast in No Hard Feelings. My favorite of the group was without a doubt Scott MacArthur, the hilarious actor who just oozes on-screen personality. Although his screen time is pretty limited, he had me laughing out loud every single time he was involved in a scene. He plays the husband of the best friend of Lawrence’s character, and he is just so ridiculous with his take on dating and life in general. Now although MacArthur has been working his ass off in the industry for nearly two decades, he landed on my radar just last year with the 2022 Peacock original series Killing It, where he starred alongside Craig Robinson. This show is super ridiculous, but if you enjoy a good wacky, and often raunchy comedy it is well worth a watch. I hope MacArthur continues to get opportunities because the man is hilarious, and I’m glad he was given a chance with this film. Even though he also has a small role, my guy Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) delivers yet again. If you like Moss-Bachrach he was also really good in the HBO series Girls. Last, but certainly not least, legendary Ferris Bueller's Day Off actor Matthew Broderick was awesome as one of the aforementioned “helicopter parents”. The man has been around forever, and it was just so much fun seeing him in a role like this, and he for sure added to the comedic element of the film in an effortless fashion.

I went into No Hard Feelings not really expecting much from the overall story, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The script from director Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips was pretty damn good and felt much more coming-of-age which just happens to be a favorite genre of mine. The film is advertised as a raunchy comedy, which don’t get me wrong, is without a doubt another favorite genre of mine, but it really is much more than that. Now we do get plenty of raunchiness in the film, including a bare-naked Jennifer Lawrence brawl on the beach where she gets blasted right in the baby maker (yup, you read that right), and it was glorious for so many reasons, but there is so much more to the film than meets the eye. Although Maddie (played by Lawrence) is a complete mess and seems to always find ways to screw up her life, her story is relatable, especially for those of us who live in tourist destinations or who just have a hard time letting go of the past. Maddie lives alone in her childhood home after losing her mother, and she is struggling to keep the house after falling behind on her taxes. Desperately trying to hold on to the few things in her life that feel familiar, Maddie slowly begins to learn that sometimes in life you just need to take a leap of faith, and I enjoyed watching her often hilarious journey unfold.

I also liked how relatable the story with Percy, who is played by Feldman, was. In some form or fashion parents today feel the need to put their kids in bubble wrap in the hopes that nothing bad will happen to them, but at the end of the day, they will need to experience the real world for themselves. Percy’s parents begin to fear that they are sending their son to college without the proper tools to flourish, including but not limited to his intact virginity, and they are determined to pull out all of the stops to turn him into a man. The events that transpire in the process are equally hilarious and a bit emotional, which speaks to the writers really making an attempt to tell a real story that holds some weight. By the end of this “experiment”, Maddie, Percy, and his parents all learn more than a few valuable lessons and are better people for it. But back to the story in general, I liked how it all came together and also felt like it had a very satisfying ending.

THE BAD

No Hard Feelings is not a perfect movie, and it has its fair share of issues keeping it from joining the list of comedy classics. In no way does this make it a bad movie, it was just missing the extra “oomph” needed to push it over the top. As I said earlier in the review I thought the story was a bright spot for the film, but it could have been better. I thought the writers had an opportunity to tap a bit more into the backstory of Lawrence’s character in an effort to tug on the heartstrings a bit more but decided not to. Now granted this would likely have meant adding an additional 15 to 20 minutes to the film, and as Margot Robbie’s character pointed out in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City which Andrew just reviewed (full review here), we have to be mindful of long runtimes. I also felt like the cast mailed it in at times, Lawrence included, where it just seemed like they got a little lazy. This is a bit nitpicky, especially for a comedy, but worth pointing out. Luckily I only felt this way a few times throughout the entire film.

THE VERDICT

A satisfying and easy-to-enjoy comedy that is more coming-of-age than it is raunchy with a much better story than I anticipated, No Hard Feelings offers plenty of laughs while also serving up an extra helping of decadent dessert for Jennifer Lawrence fans. I had a lot of fun with this movie, and the blend of effective storytelling and just great old-fashioned comedy was really what did it for me. Jennifer Lawrence remains in my top 5 as far as actresses who are gorgeous and extremely talented, and I’m glad she is still willing to have a little fun and put out an R-rated comedy from to time. If you fancy yourself the combination of a few adult beverages and lots of laughs, check out No Hard Feelings in theaters now.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.7/10

No Hard Feelings is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Asteroid City

By: Andrew Wing

Asteroid City is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel), from a story he wrote with Roman Coppola (wrote with Anderson on his two previous films, Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch). Its metatextual plot simultaneously depicts the events of a Junior Stargazer convention in a retro-futuristic version of 1955, staged as a play, and the creation of the play.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Infinity War, Marriage Story), Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan), Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, The Batman), Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Doctor Strange), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Argo), Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk), Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Darjeeling Limited), Liev Schreiber (Scream, Spotlight), Hope Davis (About Schmidt, American Splendor), Steve Park (Fargo, Snowpiercer), Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice, The Death of Stalin), Maya Hawke (Stranger Things, Do Revenge), Steve Carell (The Office, The Big Short), Matt Dillon (Crash, The Outsiders), Hong Chau (Watchmen, The Whale), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, The Lighthouse), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Suicide Squad), Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Grand Budapest Hotel), Jake Ryan (Moonrise Kingdom, Uncut Gems), and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Thor: Ragnarok).

The project was first announced in September 2020 as an untitled romance film, with Anderson writing, producing, and directing, alongside Jeremy Dawson of American Empirical Pictures and Steven Rales of Indian Paintbrush, which was now described as being about a "group of brainy teenagers" instead in February 2021. Originally set for Rome, filming took place in Spain between August and October 2021, with cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman. Several sets in Chinchón, resembling a desert landscape and a mock train station, were used for the shoot. The post-production process included editor Barney Pilling and a score composed by frequent Anderson composer Alexandre Desplat, featuring country and western songs from many artists. The official title was revealed in October 2021 at the BFI London Film Festival.

Asteroid City had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It began a limited theatrical release via Focus Features in the United States on June 16, 2023, before expanding to a wide release a week later. The film has grossed $18.3 million worldwide so far against its $25 million budget.

THE GOOD

Say whatever you want, but I love me some Wes Anderson! Yes, his movies are incredibly unique as they are strange and very eccentric, but I find them to be hilarious and call me crazy, but I take joy in watching movies about dysfunctional families, which is a recurring theme in all of his films. All of that said, I was very pumped for Asteroid City when I first heard about it. He always has amazing ensemble casts for his films, but with this one, it was on another level. I mean aside from the usual suspects, this one had Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, and a guy by the name of Tom Hanks whom you might have heard of. On top of that, those who saw it at the 76th Cannes Film Festival were calling it one of Wes Anderson’s best, so my expectations for this were at an all-time high. But did it live up to the hype? Keep reading to find out!

Was it his best movie? I don’t think so, but nevertheless, it was really freaking good and an improvement from his previous film, The French Dispatch which came out in 2021. This is a return to form for Wes Anderson if you ask me. I really enjoyed it. It was fun and light throughout, and I really appreciated how in this film, the characters were actually the stars of the movie instead of his style. Don’t get me wrong, his style in this is remarkable like it always is, but I just liked how the characters in this got much more of a front seat than the characters did in his last two films, Isle of Dogs and the previously mentioned The French Dispatch. To continue with that point, because of the amount of humanity we get from the characters, that made it really easy to connect with them. And last but not least, this was easily one of his funniest films as there were a number of scenes that I was audibly laughing at.

But now onto what everyone wants to talk about when it comes to a Wes Anderson movie, and that is the ensemble cast. First things first, I am not going to touch on every performance from every cast member in this review because there are just too many, so instead I am just going to touch on the ones I found to be the best. That said, the best performance of the movie is without a doubt Jason Schwartzman’s in the lead role as Augie Steenbeck. I love Schwartzman in everything, but he is just perfect in Wes Anderson films, and if it wasn't for his incredible performance in Rushmore, I would say that this was the best performance of his career. I just loved him in this!

Call me boring by pointing out the two biggest performances in the film, but I think the runner-up for best performance of Asteroid City belongs to Scarlett Johansson. Johansson plays Midge Campbell, a famous actress, and mother of someone who is attending the Junior Stargazer convention. It’s not on the level of what she did in Marriage Story or Jojo Rabbit, but I just continue to be impressed by her versatility as an actress and her chemistry with Schwartzman was unbelievable. Other performances that need to be mentioned include Bryan Cranston as The Host, Steve Carell as the motel manager, Matt Dillon as the town’s mechanic, and Margot Robbie, who is not in the movie for more than three minutes, but just crushes it in her one scene!

It’d be a felony if I concluded a Wes Anderson movie without touching on the visual elements of it. No surprise here, but like all of his movies, this movie is just so beautiful to look at. The production design is off the charts and it is more than deserving of a Production Design win at the Academy Awards. As for the cinematography done by Robert Yeoman, all of the scenes that take place in Asteroid City are just so gorgeous and visually stunning. I loved how bright and saturated it was and it is easily one of my favorite movies of his visually speaking. As good as the movie looked when it was in color, it was just as astonishing to look at when it was in black and white. Yeoman is also more than worthy of an Academy Award nomination, and so is Alexandre Desplat, who once again gave us another fantastic score in a Wes Anderson film!

THE BAD

If you haven’t guessed already, I really really liked Asteroid City. That said, I didn’t love it and I can totally understand why people will not like this movie. It goes without saying that if you are not a Wes Anderson fan, do not even give this a try because it truly is as Wes Anderson as Wes Anderson gets. And with that, I get it if people think that this movie is not good because it values style over substance. However, I would try and push back against that because I found this movie to value the characters more than the style, and I haven’t said that about a Wes Anderson movie since The Grand Budapest Hotel which came out almost a decade ago.

Continuing with that point, I can see and have seen complaints already that people were not able to connect with the characters in this as they say about a lot of his movies. People are allowed to have their own opinions, but I just disagree with that notion. I was so emotionally connected to the key characters and there was a scene in the third act that almost moved me to tears. Lastly, when it comes to critiques of the film, I will admit that there are a lot of layers to Asteroid City. I might get this wrong, but it is a movie about a play that is being put on via a television show. I know. It sounds confusing, but if you are paying attention, you should be able to understand everything and follow it just fine.

THE VERDICT

Asteroid City is a return to form for Wes Anderson. It is one of his best films thanks to a flawless ensemble cast led by Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson, a hilarious screenplay, stunning cinematography, and maybe the best production design we have ever gotten from him before.

I just don’t want to hear the typical “style over substance” argument from the Wes Anderson haters, because while I get it for some of his other movies, that is just not the case here. Yes, the style was perfect, but the story we get here was deeper and one of the most profound works we have gotten from him as of late.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.4/10

Asteroid City is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

The Little Mermaid

By: Andrew Wing

The Little Mermaid is a 2023 American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) from a screenplay written by David Magee (writer of Life of Pi and Mary Poppins Returns). Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film of the same name, itself loosely based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same title by Hans Christian Andersen.

The film stars Halle Bailey (Grown-ish) in the titular role, alongside Jonah Hauer-King (A Dog’s Way Home), Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, Soul), Awkwafina (The Farewell, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Jacob Tremblay (Room, Luca), Noma Dumezweni (Mary Poppins Returns, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind), Art Malik (True Lies, John Carter), Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Dune), and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Spy).

Similar to the plot of the 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid follows a mermaid princess Ariel who is fascinated with the human world and makes a deal with a treacherous sea witch Ursula to trade her voice for human legs in order to impress Prince Eric, who she saved from a shipwreck before time runs out.

Plans for a remake of 1989's The Little Mermaid were confirmed in May 2016. In December 2017, Disney announced Marshall was being courted to direct the film. Bailey, Hauer-King, McCarthy, Bardem, Diggs, Tremblay, Awkwafina, and the rest of the cast signed on between July to November 2019. Production was expected to begin in London between late March and early April 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming ultimately took place primarily at Pinewood Studios in England and on the island of Sardinia, Italy, from January to July 2021. Composer Alan Menken, who worked on the original film's soundtrack, returned to compose the score and write new songs alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who serves as a producer with Platt, John DeLuca, and Marshall. The film is dedicated to the late Howard Ashman, who co-produced and co-wrote the songs from the original film.

The Little Mermaid premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023, and was released in the United States on May 26. The film has grossed $499 million worldwide against a total production budget of $250 million, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2023.

THE GOOD

I won’t lie, The Little Mermaid was not a movie I was excited to watch going into 2023. In a year where we are getting Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Dune: Part Two, I’m sorry, but a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1989 animated film of the same name, a movie I watched a lot during my childhood, just isn’t going to do it for me. Now I am not saying that like all of the other idiots who have been complaining about Ariel being played by a person of color in this film ever since the actress Halle Bailey was cast. Rather, I just wasn’t looking forward to seeing another live-action adaptation of a monumental and legendary Disney animated film from the 1980s and 90s. However, I do have a girlfriend who loves Disney movies, and I was intrigued, to say the least, so I went and checked it out in a packed theater! So did this 2023 remake prove me wrong for having my doubts? Or did it prove me right in my belief that these live-action remakes need to stop? Keep reading to find out!

Can I say both? But no, this movie was certainly better than I had expected, but I still am not a fan of these live-action remakes because more than anything they just feel like cash grabs, but we can save that for later on in the review. As for what I liked about The Little Mermaid though, there’s only one place to start and that is Halle Bailey. Bailey, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter, was just great in this. Her voice is truly incredible and I don’t see any way that she doesn’t become a massive star. It really did feel like I was watching an all-time vocal performance. I know that might sound a bit premature, but I was skeptical heading into this and her first song, “Part of Your World”, literally gave me chills and that was the case for every other song she did following that. It’s not a performance that is going to get any Oscar nominations, but I just can't wait to watch how her career plays out!

Other than Bailey, the only other things I really liked about The Little Mermaid were the musical sequences in general and the performances from Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, and Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle. McCarthy was perfectly cast as Ursula and you could really tell she was enjoying playing the legendary villain. As for Diggs and Awkwafina, they were both just hilarious in their vocal performances, and I kid you not when I say that every line of dialogue those two had made me laugh out loud!

THE BAD

Alright, let’s dive into (pun intended) my problems with this movie. First and foremost, my biggest issue with this movie is just how it looks. The CGI work and all of the underwater motion capture scenes just look bad. And what made that even worse was how the movie was shot when it was out of the water on land because they just were not seamless at all. More than that, the live-action animals and sea creatures they tried to involve just don’t work, and I think it would’ve been smarter to honestly cartoon them or something. All of the visuals just made me appreciate a movie like Avatar: The Way of Water (see Ted’s full review) that much more because of how well it ties together the underwater and above-water scenes.

I wish that was it, but I, unfortunately, have a few more complaints about The Little Mermaid that I just have to get off my chest. The first one is that I just was not a fan of Jonah Hauer-King’s performance as Eric. Sure, the dude had a good voice, but his main song was kind of cringe and I just wasn’t buying him. But even though I might not have loved his performance, I can still respect it, but what I can’t respect is Javier Bardem’s performance as King Triton. Javier! What are you doing in this my man? You gave literally one of the greatest performances of all time as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men back in 2007, and now you are doing this to just cash a paycheck? Come on man, you are better than that!

Continuing with the trend of asking people what they were thinking when it comes to The Little Mermaid, I have a question for all involved. Why on Earth is this live-action remake that we all know is MEANT FOR KIDS almost an hour, 52 minutes to be exact, longer than the 1989 original? I was flabbergasted at how long this movie was, and sure this might reflect poorly on me as someone who is reviewing the movie, but I’ll admit I dozed off at points during the last ten to fifteen minutes of the film. I’m sorry, but it was ridiculous and there should be a rule in place saying that remakes can only be so much longer than the original. Sheesh.

THE VERDICT

Not even an all-time vocal performance from Halle Bailey saves The Little Mermaid from being what it is, which is a painfully average movie. It’s a fun kids movie and there is some good nostalgia for adults too, but the bad CGI, poor visual effects, and the way-too-long runtime make me never want to see this movie again.

I just cannot stand these remakes. None of them have been terrible, but it’s frustrating to just continue to see Disney cash in on their IP by giving us average movies with zero creativity that don’t feel special at all, which is the part that annoys me the most.

TED TAKES RATING - 6/10

The Little Mermaid is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

Extraction 2

By: Andrew Wing

Extraction 2 is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave and written by Joe Russo, based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando León González, and Eric Skillman. It is a sequel to the 2020 film Extraction, and Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame), Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and Adam Bessa (Hanna) reprise their roles, with Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Black Widow), Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick, Logan), Tinatin Dalakishvili and Idris Elba (The Wire, The Suicide Squad) joining the cast.

Tasked with extracting a family who is at the mercy of a Georgian gangster, Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) infiltrates one of the world’s deadliest prisons in order to save them. But when the extraction gets hot, and the gangster dies in the heat of battle, his equally ruthless brother tracks down Rake and his team to Sydney, in order to get revenge.

Extraction 2 was released by Netflix on June 16, 2023.

THE GOOD

Going into 2023 when it came to Netflix original films that were set to be released, there was not a movie I was more excited for than Extraction 2! The first one, Extraction, was such a pleasant surprise that came out in April of 2020, so just about a month into the COVID-19 lockdown that we all have such fond memories of. That said, Extraction made the lockdown and the quarantine just a little bit better because it instantly became one of the best action movies of the past five years. So what did we get with Extraction 2? Was it a step down from the first film, or was this a step up that left us wanting more from this franchise? Keep reading to find out!

It most definitely was the latter! It wasn’t astronomically better than the first film or anything, but for me, there is no denying that this movie was an improvement from the first one. And a big reason why was because of everything the director, Sam Hargrave, did here. Just like the movie itself, Hargrave himself really improved from the first one. With Extraction 2, he dives more into the character elements which I thought added a lot to how I emotionally connected to the film. Also, the first one felt simpler, and while sequels going crazier isn’t always the best thing (just ask the Fast & Furious franchise, sorry Ted), it certainly worked here. It just felt like Hargrave and everyone else that worked on the film understood the setting, the characters, and the story better this time around and it was just fucking awesome from start to finish.

As great as Hargrave was in the director’s chair, the best part of Extraction 2 is the action sequences that he is primarily responsible for. Simply put, the action scenes in this are as good as anything we have gotten in the last ten years. If you’re reading this, I am sure you have heard about the 22-minute long one-take action scene, and allow me to be the one that tells you, it lives up to the hype! I won’t spoil it, but Hemsworth’s character, Tyler Rake was at certain moments on fire, on a train, in a car, hitting people with free weights, and all of it was just so cool. It was one of the most innovative action sequences I have ever seen, and while that definitely takes the cake for the best action sequence in the movie, I cannot forget to mention the fight that takes place on top of a skyscraper which was so so great! I don’t know how they pulled all of it off because it truly is mind-blowing stuff!

But enough about the action sequences, let’s talk about the cast! It is again led by Chris Hemsworth who somehow continues to just look even bigger on screen than he did in his previous movie. Like the first one, Hemsworth was used perfectly here. While his character of Tyler Rake is an absolute beast, he is also extremely charismatic, and this might be a bit of recency bias, but I enjoy him just as much in this role as I do as Thor in the MCU which says A LOT! Aside from Hemsworth, I again really enjoyed Golshifteh Farahani as Nik, and I was blown away by Tornike Gogrichiani who plays the film’s antagonist, Zurab! There is also a pretty awesome cameo in this movie that I won’t spoil, but let me just say the actor fits perfectly into this and it makes me even more excited for the future of this franchise!

THE BAD

I am sorry if this review is too positive, but what can I say, I am a dude who likes action movies! Give me a break! Seriously though, this is a good, if not great action movie. However, there are certainly some aspects that can be picked apart that keep me from saying it is in the same league as the Mission: Impossible and John Wick franchises. The biggest complaint here is just the script. While I did find it to be an improvement over the first one, the script still isn’t great. I am not asking for something from Paul Thomas Anderson or anything, but the story is simple and very generic, and you just know how it is going to play out beat by beat.

That said, I still had a blast, and I will recommend it to anybody. However, something I did not have a blast watching, and I hate to be overly critical of child performances, was Andro Japaridze who plays Sandro. There is no other way to say this, but he just was not good in this movie and I have a hard time believing they couldn’t have found a better actor for this role, but so be it. Lastly, the real travesty when it comes to Extraction 2 actually has nothing to do with the film itself, but rather the fact that we can’t watch this movie in theaters! I appreciate Netflix for giving Hargrave the platform to make this movie in the first place, but it’s just a shame I couldn’t watch this on the big screen.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to truly some of the best action sequences you will ever see, director Sam Hargrave’s Extraction 2 is an improvement over the previous film that makes me incredibly excited to see what is next for what is becoming one of the more reliable action franchises.

What Hargrave pulls off in this movie is nothing short of incredible as he gives you things you’ve never seen before in an action movie, while also giving you a better and more emotional story, and last but not least, another great Chris Hemsworth performance!

TED TAKES RATING - 7.1/10

Extraction 2 is now streaming only on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.

The Flash

The Flash is a 2023 superhero action film directed by Andy Muschietti (IT films, Mama), from a screenplay by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, Bumblebee), with a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Joby Harold (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Army of the Dead), based on characters from DC. The film is the first standalone film for The Flash character.

Worlds collide when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

The cast includes Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.

The Flash made its debut in theaters on June 16th, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

Alright so DC has had its fair share of issues serving up some duds while in pursuit of big brother Marvel, but of course as we got closer to the release of The Flash actor Ezra Miller was like “Hold my beer!”. This dude has so many screws loose it is incredible that his head hasn’t come completely loose from the rest of his body. Miller has been building a solid resume since a prominent role in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), a big role in The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), and finally his debut as the DC Comics character The Flash in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Now that movie had issues for so many different reasons, but Miller’s role was seen as a bit of a bright spot. He would go on to appear in Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017), all as The Flash/Barry Allen, as he cemented himself as a great casting choice for one of DC’s more intriguing superheroes. His biggest impact was felt in 2021 when Zach Snyder’s Justice League was released and he seemed to be on the trajectory as a polarizing new face in DC with an impact similar to Marvel’s Tom Holland as Spider-Man. But, due to seriously erratic and self-destructive behavior from Miller after filming concluded, the release of The Flash was in doubt. Ultimately the studio decided it made sense to release the film which received positive early screenings, and deal with the issues surrounding the star later. Did Miller’s black cloud rain on what has been a highly anticipated release for DC and Warner Bros. Pictures, or was The Flash still the film I was hoping it would be? Keep reading to find out!

Quick answer, I really enjoyed this movie and felt like for the most part, it did live up to my high expectations. I’m not going to sit here and act like everything going on with Ezra Miller wasn’t a distraction, but I will talk more about that later in the review. Bottom line, The Flash is a high-powered superhero film packed to the brim with eye-popping CGI, intense action sequences, the great one-liners we have come to appreciate from big brother Marvel, some incredible cameos, and just an all-around entertaining experience from start to finish. The film was never boring and I thought the story, which really did a nice job tugging at the old heartstrings, was well-executed and immersive.

What intrigued me most about The Flash originally was the “Butterfly Effect” element of the story. Just touching on the basis of the film without spoilers, Barry Allen/The Flash inadvertently discovers that his superpower allows him to time travel. Now needless to say, due to his own tragic past he immediately considers the possibility that he can go back and alter events in the past to in turn create a better future. He shares his ideas with Bruce Wayne/Batman who has his own tragic past, but Wayne is quick to warn Barry about the negative ramifications of altering the past, which would surely create problems they couldn’t even imagine. Barry has proven that he isn’t one to take advice and actually listen, so he takes it upon himself to do what he believes to be the right thing. This is where things start to get interesting, and I thought the story made for a unique layer of intrigue with an emotional element, combined with all of the great superhero action and humor that gets us in the door in the first place. The emotional element hit me pretty hard on a personal level as well which had a lasting effect on me well after leaving the theater so I have to offer up a well-deserved kudos to the writing team for all of their hard work paying dividends.

Just to piggyback off the story a bit, Barry’s superpowers made for some incredible and extremely stimulating CGI. Barry’s unique abilities allow him to move so fast that everything else around him seems frozen in time, making it so he can save the day in a way unlike any of the other superheroes. The film’s opening sequence is an absolute blast giving viewers a heavy dose of what to expect, and I was on the edge of my seat right from the start. Now granted it may seem a bit over the top at times because they really did not hold back on the CGI, but for me, it added something extra making it so The Flash sort of stood out with its own signature in a way. As the film progresses the CGI continues to play a big part and for me, it never disappoints. If you are expecting a more realistic or grounded film, you may want to reconsider seeing this movie. Just saying.

All the drama aside I really liked the cast, including Ezra Miller continuing as Barry Allen/The Flash. Miller was perfect for the role from the beginning as he embodied that unique balance of awkwardness and confidence, and just like he did in the previous films mentioned earlier in the review he delivered yet again. Unfortunately, he is likely out after this film but at the end of the day, he only has himself to blame. Ben Affleck has limited screen time but it worked as it was one of his better performances as Batman, but the cherry on top of the film for me was the legend himself, my man Michael Keaton. Keaton first played the Caped Crusader back in 1989, just think about that for a second, just a year after he blew people away with his role in the 1988 classic film Beetlejuice. With 90 credits according to his IMDb filmography with a few projects in the works, he will go down as one of the greatest and certainly more underappreciated actors ever.

The other Michael, Michael Shannon that is, returns to play villain General Zod. I enjoyed his character but I do wish the writing team would have added a bit more depth. Go ahead and put the earmuffs on the kids because man was I feeling Sasha Calle as Supergirl. I think we can all appreciate a good solid balance of sexy and badass, and she tipped the scales in the right direction for both. But seriously, the actress best known for The Young and the Restless took full advantage of this golden opportunity and I look forward to seeing her in future roles. I enjoyed the supporting cast too, particularly a few awesome cameos that I won’t spoil.

THE BAD

I really enjoyed The Flash and felt like it met my expectations after what I felt were some really awesome trailers prior to its release in theaters. Interestingly enough, some of what I loved most about the film will also be criticized by some viewers, mainly the CGI element. Within the first 5 minutes of the film, you will be well aware of what to expect, and that is some very creative but extremely over the top at times special effects. I was personally impressed with just how great it looked and the film’s willingness to pull out all of the stops, but that won’t be the reaction of every single person who sees this movie. I can confidently say that some people will consider the CGI to be a bit much or maybe even cheesy, and although not a universal outlook I do think the criticism would be warranted. It can feel like a lot at times, so my suggestion would be to go in with that expectation and you will be just fine. As I made very clear earlier in the review the story was a massive bright spot for the film, but it wasn’t perfect. In particular, I would have loved to have seen a bit more backstory for the other characters, but I also understand that some scenes were likely cut to make sure the film wasn’t 3-hours long.

I have to talk about Ezra Miller and the fact that he tried his absolute hardest to make sure this movie never saw the light of day, getting shelved similar to the Batgirl film which was considered “not releasable”, but for entirely different reasons. The Flash was essentially completed when Miller was arrested multiple times in 2022 for various reasons, but he eventually issued a public apology citing mental issues and the motivation to “get better”. It seems like Miller likely burned his bridges when it comes to his role as Barry Allen/The Flash especially considering he clearly can’t be trusted to stay out of trouble, but if he really does clean up his act I’m sure he will get other opportunities in the future. But with all of this being said, the drama surrounding the film was definitely a distraction for me and it did take away from the overall experience.

THE VERDICT

If you can set aside the questionable antics of actor Ezra Miller and focus on the immersive and emotional story, epic cameos, and jaw-dropping CGI, The Flash brings more than enough to the table making for an experience well worth a trip to the theater. I’m actually hoping to see this in theaters at least once more prior to the eventual VOD and streaming release. The CGI may prove to be a little much for some viewers hoping for more of a balance, but for me, it worked. I hope the film does well at the box office because it simply deserves to be seen, but I do feel like the drama surrounding it may keep some people away. If you want an action-packed theater experience to help kick off the summer movie season, The Flash will without a doubt satisfy that craving.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.1/10

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

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

By: Andrew Wing

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a 2023 American computer-animated adventure film based on Nintendo's Mario video game franchise. Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo, and distributed by Universal, the film was directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel.

The ensemble voice cast includes Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, The Menu), Charlie Day (Horrible Bosses, The Lego Movie), Jack Black (School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda), Keegan-Michael Key (Get Out, Toy Story 4), Seth Rogen (Superbad, This Is the End), and Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live, Easy A).

The film features an origin story for the brothers Mario and Luigi, Italian-American plumbers who are transported to an alternate world and become entangled in a battle between the Mushroom Kingdom, led by Princess Peach, and the Koopas, led by Bowser.

After the critical and commercial failure of the live-action film Super Mario Bros. (1993), Nintendo became reluctant to license its intellectual properties for film adaptations. The Mario creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, became interested in developing another film. Through Nintendo's work with Universal Parks & Resorts to create Super Nintendo World, he met with Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri. By 2016, the two were discussing a Mario film and, in January 2018, Nintendo announced that it would produce it with Illumination and Universal. Production was underway by 2020, and the cast was announced in September 2021.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released in the United States on April 5, 2023. The film has grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, setting multiple box-office records, including the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and the highest-grossing film based on a video game. It became the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time.

THE GOOD

While it might not have been on my personal most-anticipated list, there is no denying that going into 2023 The Super Mario Bros. Movie was one of the most anticipated movies of not only 2023 but arguably of this century. Why, though? Well, the answer is easy and that is because Nintendo’s Mario video game franchise has had an unfathomable impact on popular culture for the past four-plus decades. My parents played the games, my brother and I played the games, and I’m sure there are kids today that are playing the games. That said, when it comes to film adaptations of the legendary game, the track record is just about as bad as it gets. The 1993 live-action film Super Mario Bros. is honestly one of the worst movies ever made if you ask me, so you could say this 2023 version and the team behind it had quite a task on their hands. So did they just give us another terrible film like the one thirty years prior or did fans of the Nintendo game finally get the film adaptation they have been waiting so long for? Keep reading to find out!

I can thankfully say that it was the latter! Before getting into it though, I think it’s important to start by saying that this is a kids’ movie through and through so I am not going to dive too deep into it. That said, let’s begin! First things first, I just have to give props to the directors Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath for finally giving the world a quality Mario movie. This is not just good, but a really good kids’ movie. It’s really funny and really entertaining, and I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if kids who see this call it their favorite movie for the next couple of years. All that said, as a 21-year-old man reviewing this film, there is still lots of nostalgia in it and despite it being 99% geared towards children, the movie still has some nice little moments and nods for adults which I greatly appreciated!

But now onto the main selling point when it comes to The Super Mario Bros. Movie which would be an incredible voice cast that is led by none other than Star-Lord himself, Chris Pratt, as the one and only Mario. People online were just losing their minds when the news came out that Pratt was going to be voicing Mario, and the good news is all of those people can shut up and take a chill pill now because Pratt was great as the voice of Mario in my opinion. I thought he brought the character’s charm to life through his voice and I just had no complaints. Aside from Pratt though, really everyone else I thought did a fantastic job like Charlie Day as Luigi and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, but there is no denying that the two stand-outs were Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser!

Aside from the voice cast, there were a ton of other elements I enjoyed about The Super Mario Bros. Movie that I wanted to touch on. First, the animation looked great! I continue to be really impressed by Illumination and all of the animated content they put out. The movie was just so colorful making it beautiful to look at, and they crushed all of the things you wanted to see in a Mario movie like the Rainbow Road and Mushroom Kingdom. Second, the music in the movie was so good and I could not stop singing “Peaches”, a song that Jack Black not only sang but also co-wrote, for a solid week after seeing this! Other than that, I just really hope it holds on to be the highest-grossing movie of the year because I am very excited to see what’s next for this franchise!

THE BAD

No surprise, I had a really good time with this movie and I think everyone will, specifically children. That said, it did have its flaws, and its greatest flaw in my opinion was that it was way too short. Apparently, the film’s runtime was 92 minutes but it really felt like it was an hour long. It just never stops to breathe which I didn’t completely hate, but I also didn’t love. I get it. With these kids' movies, you want to get them in and out of the theater, but there just wasn’t enough meat on the bones if you ask me and I definitely wanted more from it.

Another thing I’ll say is that this is certainly not a “great” kids’ movie. That’s fine, but if you’re going in expecting this to be like a Pixar movie full of great life lessons or even Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, one of the best-animated movies of 2022 (see Ted’s full review), you are going to be disappointed because this doesn’t hit those same benchmarks. The last thing I’ll say is just be prepared going into this because some will definitely find it to be overstimulating. The colors are very vibrant and the movie moves incredibly fast, and that all just ties into my main problem which is the movie being way too short. They should’ve just added another fifteen minutes just to let the movie breathe, and hey, maybe the extra fifteen minutes could’ve allowed for some cool easter eggs for fans of the game like myself, but maybe we will get that in the sequel which should be getting announced very soon!

THE VERDICT

Despite leaving some potential on the table with its shorter runtime and just not being everything I wanted it to be, there is no denying that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is perfect for its intended audience. It’s just a good time from start to finish as it is funny, colorful, and full of great vocal performances, and I recommend checking it out with the whole family if you haven’t done so already!

TED TAKES RATING - 6.8/10

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now available to buy or rent on demand. Check out the film’s final trailer below.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

By: Andrew Wing

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a 2023 American fantasy heist comedy film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (directing duo responsible for Vacation and Game Night), who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gilio from a story by Chris McKay (director of The Lego Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War, and Renfield) and Gilio.

Based on the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, it is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and has no connections to the previous film trilogy released between 2000 and 2012. The film stars Chris Pine (Star Trek, Wonder Woman), Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious franchise, Avatar), Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton, The Gray Man), Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon Detective Pikachu), Sophia Lillis (It, It Chapter Two), and Hugh Grant (Love Actually, The Gentlemen).

Production went through various phases in development since 2013, beginning with Warner Bros. Pictures after beating Hasbro and Universal Pictures in a lawsuit over the film rights to the tabletop role-playing game, before moving to Paramount Pictures, each with various writers and directors. Goldstein and Daley were the final writers/directors, using elements from the previous attempt by director Chris McKay and screenwriter Michael Gilio. Filming began in April 2021 in Iceland and later Northern Ireland.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2023, and was released in the United States on March 31, 2023, by Paramount Pictures. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics and audiences, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing over $208 million worldwide against its $150 million budget.

THE GOOD

I’ll be honest, once I saw the first trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, I was not excited about it. The tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was I believe the generation before mine, so my only experience with the game is thanks to the huge Netflix series, Stranger Things, because the game plays a big role in that series. All of that said, the initial reviews out of South by Southwest where the film premiered were way better than I expected, so I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to check it out, and she said yes. But was it a good movie date? Or was it like the time I made her watch Blonde (see my full review here) with me and she didn’t talk to me for a week after because of how bad of a movie that was? Keep reading to find out!

Thankfully it was a good movie date! I know I’m not alone in this, but this is without a doubt one of the biggest surprises when it comes to film in 2023! There is no other way of saying this, but the trailers for this movie just were not good. More than that though, I just thought this movie was going to be a box office bomb because it felt like a movie meant for 2003 rather than 2023. It just felt like nobody was asking for this, and while it still underperformed at the box office, it did well enough with critics and audiences that I think we will be getting a sequel! You best believe I’ll be seeing the sequel to this if we get it, and hopefully, both Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley come back to direct because these guys just know how to make fun movies.

As mentioned in the intro, these are the directors who gave us Game Night (read Ted’s full review), which is easily one of the best comedies of the 2010s. It was just so funny and awesome, and it also includes one of the funniest scenes involving Jesse Plemons. As for what they did with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves though, I was really impressed! This movie is definitely made for fans of the game, but thanks to the directing duo, it was also really digestible for people like my girlfriend and I who know nothing about Dungeons & Dragons, and that was great because it didn’t take away from our viewing experience. Continuing with their impressive direction, this movie has a lot of solid action as they do some really unique stuff with the camera work (shoutout to cinematographer Barry Peterson) that made for one hell of a heist scene! And lastly, the film was really funny. The punch-up dialogue is very tongue-in-cheek but that leads to some solid humor and just some really funny and clever scenes.

Aside from Goldstein and Daley, another reason this movie was significantly better than I expected was the tone it set and the amount of charm it had, which was in large part thanks to the cast led by Chris Pine! I’ll touch on some of the other cast members, but Pine was just great in this! He is so likable and charismatic in this as the main character Edgin Darvis, and he is about as good of a pick you can make if you’re looking for someone to be an anchor in a franchise movie. Other than Pine though, Michelle Rodriguez was her typical badass self that she is in everything else, but I never get tired of her, and I know Ted, a huge Fast & Furious fan himself, agrees with me there! Hugh Grant was incredible in this too as Forge Fitzwilliam, an ambitious rogue and con artist. Grant is just perfectly cast as the film’s primary antagonist if you ask me, and I love watching him ham it up as an actor! Oh, and one more thing I liked about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was the score from Lorne Balfe, who is composing the highly anticipated, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (check out our preview here)!

THE BAD

As I’m sure you can already tell, I really enjoyed this movie! I don’t see anyone even disliking it, but that said, it is far from perfect, and don’t expect it to be getting any Academy Awards. My biggest complaint with this movie is the runtime, which is rare coming from me, someone who regularly watches three-hour films on the Criterion Channel. Maybe it was less about the runtime and more about the film’s pacing, but nevertheless, the film could’ve lost a good fifteen to thirty minutes if you ask me.

Another thing that bothered me when it came to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was the final third of the film. Now I love action sequences, I mean John Wick: Chapter 4 (check out Ted’s full review) is my second favorite movie of 2023 and that entire movie basically is an action sequence, but literally the final forty minutes of this movie is just one loud action sequence full of bad CGI. This was my main complaint a couple of years back with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (read my full review), but I just don’t understand why the people in charge of these movies think we want this. I mean at least make it look good if you are going to give it to us. It was just frustrating with this movie in particular because the practical effects we get in the first half of the film are really good, but the second half is full of some really bad special effects, specifically on Sofina, the Red Wizard.

THE VERDICT

While it might not reinvent the wheel when it comes to big franchise fantasy films of the past, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fun family movie built for parents and their kids to enjoy that is so much better than it has any right to be!

I don’t know if I’ll ever watch it again, but I’d have a hard time finding someone who won’t enjoy this as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing what is next for this franchise!

P.S. This movie does contain what will undoubtedly be the best and funniest cameo of any film coming out in 2023, so for that reason and that reason alone, do yourself a favor and check this out! You won’t regret it!

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is now streaming on Paramount+. Check out the final trailer below.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a 2023 science fiction action film directed by Steven Caple Jr., written by Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber, from a story by Joby Harold. Based on Hasbro's Transformers toy-line and primarily influenced by the Beast Wars storyline, it will be the seventh installment in the live-action Transformers film series and the sequel to Bumblebee (2018).

In 1994, a pair of archaeologists from Brooklyn come into an ancient conflict through a globe-trotting adventure that ties in with three factions of Transformers: the Maximals, the Predacons and the Terrorcons.

The cast includes Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, along with a stellar cast of voice actors including Michelle Yeoh, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Pete Davidson, Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez, Peter Cullen, and Cristo Fernández.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts made its debut in theaters June 9th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

Lets take a trip back to 2007, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were making history, and Michael Bay was on the cusp of igniting a massive Transformers film franchise. Bay brought his ability to entertain with larger-than-life action sequences together with an engaging storyline and relatable characters. I looked forward to seeing these movies in theaters, and at the end of each movie a Linkin Park song would come through the speakers as the camera panned away and I would be officially ready for the next movie. The Transformers franchise is tailormade for the full theater experience, and Bay made sure that he gave viewers their moneys worth and then some.

The films got a little crazy even for me as they added more action and less storyline, making for an experience that felt like it was missing something even though they were still around 2 1/2 to 3 hours long. The last Michael Bay film in this franchise, Transformers: The Last Night, released in 2017 and to say it was not well received would be an understatement. But, all was not lost as in 2018 the franchise received an official reboot with the origin story of Bumblebee, starring the talented Hailee Steinfeld. The follow-up to that is the shiny and new Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which attempts to bring the entire Transformers origin story to the forefront. So, is the franchise trending in the right direction or should you stay home and save your money? Keep reading to find out!

In many ways Transformers: Rise of the Beasts felt like a blast from the past, and I mean that in the best way possible. I genuinely enjoyed this movie, and it felt like the Transformers movies that always had me itching to be in the theater on opening day. The smooth balance between story and action is alive and well once again, and the film even found a way to tug at the heart strings a little bit.

I enjoyed the cast lead by Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) as Noah Diaz, and Dominique Fishback as Elena Wallace, who is fantastic in the Apple TV drama series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey which also stars Samuel L. Jackson. The tandem had solid chemistry and helped to progress the story and keep things interesting. I also thought Dean Scott Vazquez did a really nice job as Noah’s little brother Kris and was a big part of the emotional element of the story. I really liked the mid 90’s era setting that helped to provide a fantastic soundtrack and great overall feel, and I thought director Steven Caple Jr. is worthy of some praise for a movie that begs to be seen in theaters.

I was very pleased with the cast of voice actors which included Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Pinker Dinklage, and Michelle Yeoh to name a few, but the star of the show as far as the voice cast was Pete Davidson. Davidson voices Mirage who is the Transformer who becomes connected to Noah through a sequence of unforeseen events, and I thought he was hilarious. Mirage is the cocky member of the group but in a goofy way, and I thought Davidson nailed it with some great one-liners. My guy Cristo Fernández, the Mexican actor better known as Dani Rojas in the hit comedy drama series Ted Lasso, has a small role as the Transformer Wheeljack but I recognized his voice right away and it immediately put a smile on my face.

Obviously you can’t have a Transformers movie without talking about the action sequences, special effects, or soundtrack, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts brings the heat as expected. This movie has some absolutely gorgeous visuals, and I will likely snag the 4K Blu-ray when it comes out. I thought the action sequences were equally exciting and edge-of-your-seat worthy from start to finish, and one thing this movie will not be accused of being is boring. The soundtrack hits about as hard as a giant pissed off robot colliding face first with a massive building, and it definitely kept my energy level high.

I loved the variety of Transformers we get to see from the traditional vehicle that turns into a giant robot, to what looks like it came straight from a Godzilla vs Kong film. I especially enjoyed Pete Davidson’s Mirage character, who was not only on point with his banter, but also one of the more nimble Transformers making for quite a few high-energy action sequences. The films third act did not disappoint as it had my blood pumping making for a very satisfying finale. Bottom line, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes full advantage of the estimated $200,000,000 budget.

THE BAD

I’m sure by now you can tell that ultimately I was very pleased with this film, but it did have its issues. The Transformers films always relied primarily on the action sequences making it so the sometimes goofy dialogue was mostly overlooked, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is no different. I laughed quite a bit throughout the movie, but some of the jokes did fall flat and sort of made for an awkward silence in a way, at least briefly. I was able to overlook these instances for the most part mainly because the last few Transformers films lowered my expectations, but also because it is far from a deal breaker. I also touched on the cast which I was pleased with, but you won’t be getting top-tier acting, nor should you be expecting it. The main cast is talented and definitely pulled their weight, but oftentimes the supporting cast felt left behind or a bit mediocre in comparison.

THE VERDICT

Following in the footsteps of the successful 2018 film Bumblebee with a heartfelt origin story seamlessly blended with plenty of humor and the intense action sequences we crave, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts exceeded my expectations and has me excited for the future of the franchise. My eyes were so glued to the screen for the entire two hours that I ate way more popcorn than I planned to, but that is a me problem. But in all seriousness, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this movie but it checked all of the boxes that mattered to me. If you ever considered yourself to be a fan of this franchise, you will enjoy it. Don’t wait to watch this at home because Transformers: Rise of the Beasts needs to be seen in theaters to be appreciated. Also be sure to stick around for the post-credit scene because big things are on the horizon.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Boogeyman

The Boogeyman is a 2023 supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage (Host) from a screenplay by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) and Mark Heyman (Black Swan), based on the 1973 short story of the same name by Stephen King. The film was originally scheduled for a streaming release on Hulu before switching to a theatrical release.

High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

The film stars Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey), Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy, Madison Hu, LisaGay Hamilton (Vice), and David Dastmalchian (Dune).

The Boogeyman made its debut in theaters on June 2nd, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

Ever since the original Pet Sematary traumatized me as a child to the point where I genuinely believed my dead pets would eventually come visit me at night, I have had a unique attachment to anything Stephen King. Plus I am also a native of his home state of Maine. Now in the last several years we have had an abundance of King adaptions make their way to the big-screen, some great, some not so great. But there is no denying the fact that he is a horror mastermind and when something of his gets the big-screen treatment, it is worth a look. Now add in the fact that Rob Savage, director of the terrifying under-the-radar horror film Host (streaming on AMC+), is at the helm for The Boogeyman, I was extra intrigued. So, did it satisfy my thirst for horror or send me home disappointed? Keep reading to find out!

I am pleased to report that The Boogeyman was actually really good, especially considering it is a PG-13 horror movie. Right from the outset I loved the tone as it was ominous and dark from the start, and I also really liked that the core of the story is rooted in real-life trauma which helps to make the story have a layer of depth beyond just having a scary monster lurking in the shadows. In The Boogeyman the monster preys on the vulnerability of those dealing with immense grief, and in this story he latches onto a family that is grieving the sudden loss of a wife and mother. As someone who has suffered a similar loss in my life, I was able to relate to the characters particularly Sophie Thatcher’s character Sadie, who finds herself becoming an outcast among her friends as they are unable to understand or grasp what she is dealing with while also proving to be extremely inconsiderate and harsh towards her. I thought the foundation of the story was very well-executed, and I found myself sympathizing and ultimately caring for these characters pretty much right away.

The majority of viewers are coming to see The Boogeyman because of the source material, which is of course a short story from Stephen King originally published way back in 1978. I made it a point to avoid researching the short story prior to seeing the film, and I also avoided watching the trailers to make sure I was surprised when seeing the movie and I was impressed by the story. My favorite thing about The Boogeyman aside from the effective technical elements was the less is more idea as it relates to the monster. Back in 2015, Robert Eggers directed the horror film The Witch (our review here) which was fantastic by the way, and in an interview, Eggers talked about how with horror movies he believed the monster was often scariest in the shadows, and that really resonated with me.

I felt like The Boogeyman took this approach to heart, and although we do get a good look at the monster by the end, the majority of the film it is just quick glimpses and he is quite literally lurking in the shadows often only revealing his eyes. The story in itself is rather simple and stays true to the overall idea of a boogeyman hiding in the closet or under the bed, but the additional layers to the story and how the monster feeds off grief and trauma put it over the top for me. As far as scare factor, the film has lots of jump scares but the scenes that instill real fear and give you chills really did it for me. I can handle scary with ease and still sleep like a baby, and I thought The Boogeyman did enough to make it easy to recommend to horror fans.

Acting is often overlooked in horror films, but I was genuinely impressed with the performances in The Boogeyman. Sophie Thatcher takes on the lead role in the film and I thought she was fantastic. Thatcher has proven herself to be an extremely versatile actress after her breakout role in the Showtime original series Yellowjackets, which is a fantastic show if you haven’t seen it. Similar to that series, Thatcher’s character is required to carry a heavy emotional weight and you can see the pain and despair in her eyes. So much of the film relies on the believability of her character and I never once questioned her authenticity.

Starring alongside Thatcher is young actress Vivien Lyra Blair as her little sister Sawyer. It can be difficult to find talented young actors who can effectively play a substantial role in a film like The Boogeyman that does rely heavily on the cast, and I feel like Blair has a very bright future. She is often the focal point during the film and I thought she did a great job. Chris Messina, former star of The Mindy Project who has taken on several roles since, plays Will Harper the widowed father of two young girls. I really like Messina as an actor and I thought he was absolutely the right choice for this role. Will Harper is a therapist who sees patients from his home, and the fact that he is dealing with a significant trauma of his own and spends his days talking through his patients issues adds a unique element to the film. I also really liked David Dastmalchian and thought that even though he had a limited amount of screen time he still brought a ton of value to the film.

I was impressed with what The Boogeyman brought to the table as far as technical elements, particularly the unique camera work, the score, and the great use of lighting. As far as the camera work is concerned, the film was able to maintain an intimate feel throughout and that is a big reason why. At one point Blair’s character Sawyer looks under her bed and the camera rotates with her to give viewers a sort of POV perspective of what she is seeing which helps to create a level of suspense. I also thought they did a really nice job with several great emphasis shots whether it be holding to see if something is in fact in that dark corner, or just helping to create the feel of helplessness the characters are experiencing. Director Rob Savage clearly has the right feel for the horror genre, and I hope he continues to get more opportunities in the future.

The score was fantastic from start to finish helping to create an uneasy feel throughout, and for me that is a pivotal piece of what makes for a horror movie that is able to really immerse viewers. Lighting was a big part of The Boogeyman as the darkness was the primary strength of this monster that feeds off the trauma of its victims. Light bulbs would constantly blow leaving viewers staring into the fateful darkness, and I really liked the use of the light ball Sawyer’s character would always have with her due to her fear of the dark. She would often roll the ball toward the darkness to ensure nothing was there, and this was something that helped to create tension throughout the film.

THE BAD

The Boogeyman is a really good horror movie but it’s not perfect, and more than anything else it suffers from the usual horror pitfalls, which is story inconsistencies or the “why the heck would you do that” moments during the film. I am a firm believer that it is impossible for everything the characters do to make sense otherwise every scary movie would include the cast getting far away from whatever monster or killer trying to get them as fast as possible, and that would make for a very, very boring movie. This of course allows viewers the opportunity to shake their heads when a character does something that will almost surely end badly, and that does happen more than a few times here.

It was also interesting that Sawyer’s character, who is very young and would likely be more so under the watchful eye of a parent, is involved in quite a few traumatic incidents where it takes quite some time for anyone to come and check on her. And I’m talking lots of loud banging etc to the point where it would be impossible not to be hear it throughout the house. Now I know it is silly to harp on this because clearly it was important for viewers to feel the sense of helplessness from Sawyer’s character especially being the most vulnerable, but it is just one of those things that you overanalyze without even realizing.

THE VERDICT

An effective and unnerving horror thriller that emphasizes chills over jump scares while still offering a good balance, The Boogeyman thrives with a talented cast and a less is more approach bringing the Stephen King short story to life. I genuinely enjoyed this movie and felt like it earned its place as one of the better King adaptations. I will always feel like a horror movie could be scarier just because I am sick in the head, but The Boogeyman gave me chills more than a few times and kept me on the edge of my seat. As I mentioned I have yet to read the short story the film is based on, but I plan on checking it out soon to see just how accurate the film is. Don’t let the PG-13 rating deter you because all it did was force the film to get creative with the scare factor instead of relying on blood and gore, and that is a plus in my book.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.6/10

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

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a 2023 animated action-adventure superhero film directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, from a script by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callaham, based on characters from Stan Lee. It is the sequel to the hit 2018 film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

The cast includes Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, and Oscar Isaac.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is set to debut in theaters on June 2, 2023, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

THE GOOD

Things got away from me a bit back in 2018 when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hit theaters. I remember I went to see The Mule with Clint Eastwood which came out the same day, but I also just wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this new animated Spider-Man movie. But lo and behold, the movie dominated the box office and created a massive following pretty much immediately. It also had quite a run on Netflix, which yet again I somehow missed, so as we got closer to the sequel releasing in theaters I knew I needed to see this movie.

Instead of renting VOD I decided to buy the 4K Blu-ray and planned a movie night with my wife and two toddlers, and we all loved it! I just couldn’t get enough of the unique animation style, the voice actors were superb, and it was just so action-packed and fun from start to finish. I finally knew why people were next-level excited for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and I was officially on the bandwagon as well. So, does it live up to sky-high expectations after a nearly 5-year wait or should you just hold off until it inevitably becomes available to stream? Keep reading to find out!

Pardon my French, but holy shit was this movie amazing! I’m still trying to gather my thoughts and make sense of it all, but this was without a doubt two and a half hours of audio and video ecstasy. I honestly don’t know how else to explain it. Now I’m not going to sit here and break Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse down from top to bottom, for one because I refuse to spoil anything, but also because I quite simply don’t have the knowledge of the comics or the brainpower to fully comprehend everything that happened in this movie. To say that there was a lot going on would be one heck of an understatement. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has more Easter Eggs than my kid’s Easter baskets after I spent an hour covering the yard for their egg hunt. From a purely cinematic standpoint, as it relates to what a film has to offer visually for a live-action animated film, this really is as good as it gets.

Right from the opening, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse had my eyes damn near popping out of my head, and my ears were equally engaged. The editing team seriously deserves like 30 Oscars, and the entire crew behind the technical elements of the film is all amazing. While I was watching Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse I just kept thinking about how many hours went into crafting what I was now seeing on screen. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started working on this movie as soon as the original was released nearly five years ago. A ton of credit to the directing duo of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson for all of their efforts to create this work of art, and Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callaham for a masterful screenplay.

I’m going to try my best to keep this review short and sweet so that I can get people out to theaters to experience it for themselves, but I have to touch on the visuals, editing, and the cast of voice actors. I will start with the star of the show for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse which was without a doubt the animation and the editing. If you watched the original film, you had an idea of what to expect as far as some of the most amazing and unique visuals I have ever seen in a film. It all just looks so, so good, and in some ways, the animation dominates the film because you will find yourself in awe from start to finish. Working in tandem with the animation and the incredible visuals is high-level editing that I cannot even begin to fathom as far as the scale of difficulty. Everything is as smooth as butter, and I was having so much fun I wanted the movie to surpass the two-and-a-half-hour runtime, for a few different reasons but I won’t get into that. Bottom line, when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse releases on 4K Blu-ray, I will be standing in front of Best Buy waiting for the doors to be unlocked and telling them to take my money.

Next, I have to touch on this phenomenal cast of voice actors, and everyone was amazing. First I have to talk about Jamaican-born actor Shameik Moore who has been making a name for himself in Hollywood, but undeniably was given a massive opportunity with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and he has taken full advantage of it. Moore is the voice of Miles Morales, who goes by the nickname Spin in my kid’s favorite show Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Fun Fact, the nickname was given in the show so as to not confuse children as the primary characters are Morales (Spin), Peter (Spidey), and Gwen (Ghost-Spider), who are friends and crime fighters. The nickname was also used earlier in the comics. Moore embodies the role of Morales and I honestly couldn’t imagine anyone else taking it on.

Next, I have to touch on the other main piece of the puzzle which is the gorgeous Hailee Steinfeld who voices Gwendolyne Maxine "Gwen" Stacy, who is also known as either Spider-Woman or Ghost Spider, as my kids know her. My 4-year-old is obsessed with her, but that is a story for another day. Steinfeld, who I have loved since her role in the coming-of-age movie Edge of Seventeen, has proven herself to be a very versatile and talented actress, albeit with questionable taste in men as she is reportedly now dating Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Steinfeld is amazing as Gwen, and she really brought to life some of the more emotional scenes in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Jake Johnson aka Nick Miller (New Girl) once again voices Peter Parker, and although he does have a smaller role in this film compared to the original, he is fantastic yet again.

I can’t go on a spiel about everyone who voiced characters in the film got obvious reasons, paramount amongst them my inability to keep a reader’s attention for that long, but this is one of the best casts of voice actors I have ever experienced. Just to go down the list of pure talent, we have Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis, Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart ‘Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk (he was so damn awesome in this), Taran Killam as Patrick O’Hara/Webslinger, Andy Samberg as Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider, Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ohnn/The Spot, Karan Soni as Spider-Man India (love this dude), Amandla Stenberg as Margo Kess/Spider-Byte, Jorma Taccone as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture, and Shea Whigham as George Stacy. Now if that doesn’t sound like the guests at a red carpet Hollywood event I don’t know what does, and they are all incredible.

THE BAD

If you have been paying attention it should come as no surprise that this part of the review will be brief. Bottom line, I loved this movie and honestly have no criticisms. But as a parent of kids who love Spider-Man, I do suggest seeing it yourself before bringing the kids because the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime will likely be a bit much for young kids and may result in an early departure from the theater. I plan to offer an unlimited supply of popcorn to mine and hope for the best.

THE VERDICT

With jaw-dropping visuals, a spectacularly satisfying soundtrack, some of the best film editing I have ever seen, and an absolute dream team cast of voice actors, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is everything I wanted it to be and then some. This movie really is that good, and I know for a fact that I will need to see it another few times to fully appreciate everything it has to offer because I know I missed a ton. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is going to obliterate next year’s Academy Awards, and I cannot wait to celebrate along with everyone who worked on this cinematic masterpiece.

If you want to avoid spoilers I’d suggest seeing this movie in theaters ASAP, and I personally hope to see it again very, very soon. Plus, it will likely be not only the best-animated movie you will see all year but one of the best movies in general. Highly recommended.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

About My Father

About My Father is a 2023 comedy directed by Laura Terruso and written by Austen Earl and Sebastian Maniscalco.

Sebastian is encouraged by his fiancée to bring his immigrant, hairdresser father, Salvo, to a weekend get-together with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family. The weekend develops into what can only be described as a culture clash, leaving Sebastian and Salvo to discover that the great thing about family is everything about family.

Starring Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb, Anders Holm, David Rasche, Brett Dier, and Kim Cattrall.

About My Father made its debut in theaters on May 26th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

I am always game for a good comedy, and although I’m not super familiar with Sebastian Maniscalco and his stand-up comedy, having Robert De Niro in a leading role piqued my interest. Interestingly enough one of the first movies I reviewed for this site was the raunchy comedy Dirty Grandpa (our full review here) from back in January 2016 where De Niro starred alongside Zac Efron. I remember several older people walking out during the first 5-minutes of the movie after they realized it wasn’t quite what they expected. Although it was pretty ridiculous and very over-the-top, I still enjoyed it so I was more than willing to give About My Father a fair shake. Was it a solid easy to recommend good-hearted comedy or just another film trying to bank on the talents of its cast without much going for it otherwise? Keep reading to find out!

I actually really enjoyed this movie, more than I thought I would honestly. It had a simple yet effective story, great chemistry from the cast, tons of great comedic moments, and a smooth runtime of just over an hour and 30 minutes. What stood out to me most was the chemistry between De Niro and Maniscalco as father and son, but I enjoyed the entire cast and thought everyone did a great job. About My Father never feels too over the top, and the underlying message of the film is something we can all relate to.

About My Father utilizes comedy to shed some light on the significant disconnect between working-class families and their wealthy counterparts. The screenplay is simple and will likely feel familiar, but I really liked how they added the additional layer of the family history element which helped to solidify the significance of never forgetting where you come from. The film opens by giving the necessary background on Maniscalco’s character and his Italian roots, while also touching on the dramatic differences between his ancestors and those of the family he hopes to become a part of. As a parent, you want more than anything else to raise your children to become the best version of yourself, and About My Father is the perfect depiction of that.

The characters feel authentic and well-intentioned, and although the film still has a big focus on comedy it doesn’t take away from the broader message it is trying to convey and I personally appreciated the great balance. One particular scene that resonated with me was a lunch at the families country club where De Niro’s character was questioning why the menu didn’t have any prices on them. Let’s be honest for a second, people that order without even considering the price have more money than they should have, and those of us working-class folk just like to know what we are getting ourselves into. I’m from New England and when you go to dinner if you want certain items on the seafood menu like a lobster roll for example, you will see the note “MKT Price or Market Price” meaning the price fluctuates and you won’t know what that is until the bill comes. I am always so tempted to ask what the price is before ordering to try and avoid heart palpitations when the bill comes. I wish I was kidding, but the struggle is real ladies and gentlemen.

The cast is an obvious strength for About My Father, and they more than held their own if you ask me. I thought each and every character was cast perfectly. Just like the families refusing to stray from their roots, the characters themselves never veer from their identity which I thought was important. Robert De Niro was fantastic as always playing the strong-willed but overall well-intentioned Italian father, and comedian Sebastian Maniscalco impressed me as the son attempting to forge his own path much to the dismay of his father. Leslie Bibb stars as Maniscalco’s wife and I thought she was fantastic and provided the perfect balance necessary. Aside from De Niro my favorite casting is easily my guy David Rasche who is lights out as always. The veteran actor who also stars in the HBO drama Succession just has the perfect demeanor for this role, and no matter how wacky things get he always remains even-keeled and is believable throughout. Plus, Rasche is one of those actors who can make you laugh with a simple facial expression. Rounding out the cast is Workaholics actor Anders Holm, Brett Dier, and Kim Cattrall, and they were all great. I am a fan of the comedy series Workaholics so I knew going in I would enjoy Holm in this role.

THE BAD

About My Father is not perfect; it feels a bit slow at times, and not all of the jokes land as well as anticipated. But the good news is none of these issues prove detrimental. The film has a very clear identity from the start not relying solely on the comedic element to keep it going, instead allowing the foundation of the film’s success to be the story and the cast. So yeah, as far as feel-good slightly dysfunctional family comedies go this is pretty damn good in my opinion.

THE VERDICT

A well-written feel-good comedy with relatable characters thanks to great chemistry between leads Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, About My Father offers plenty of laughs while delivering an impactful underlying message. I really enjoyed this movie and feel like it has plenty of replay value which speaks to the emphasis on the story and characters as opposed to going the route of a potentially throwaway over-the-top comedy. My wife and I bonded over our dysfunctional families and now we have kids of our own that we are trying to not screw up too badly, so admittedly movies like this are extra special for me. Go ahead and grab a crazy family member from each generation and go see About My Father in theaters sooner than later.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.7/10

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

Fast X

Fast X (also known as Fast & Furious 10) is a 2023 action film directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk), and written by Justin Lin (F9) and Dan Mazeau. As the tenth film for the extremely successful Fast & Furious Saga which dates back to my freshman year in high school, we are finally approaching the final chapter.

Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved, and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone—that Dom loves, forever.

The cast includes Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood, with Oscar® winner Helen Mirren and Oscar® winner Charlize Theron. New additions to the already star-studded cast include Oscar® winner Brie Larson, Jason Mamoa, Alan Ritchson (Reacher), Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad), and legendary Oscar® winner Rita Moreno.

Fast X made its debut in theaters on May 19th.

THE GOOD

If you called me a Fast and Furious fanboy, you’d be onto something. I talked about it at length during my Fast 9 review so I won’t bore you with the details, but this franchise has held a special place in my heart for over two decades. Now granted the films have become a far cry from street racing on the side streets of Cali, but I’m still here for it. A successful franchise builds a massive fanbase with great characters, edge-of-your-seat action, and if it’s lucky a substantial emotional attachment which has been the case for me with these movies. So, does Fast X keep the fire burning or flame out after such an impressive run? Keep reading to find out!

It certainly didn’t flame out but I do have some mixed thoughts which I will touch on later in the review, but all in all Fast X was the high-octane action thriller we all expected. The action sequences are absolutely bonkers as expected, and although we don’t take a trip to space this time around, the opportunities to defy logic and gravity are still aplenty. Fast X also makes sure to pay homage to the franchise with several scenes that fans will recognize right away, including the opening scene reminiscent of the original 2001 film. Speaking of the original film, the soundtrack is fantastic yet again. This franchise has become synonymous with big-name actors over the years and that is the case yet again, adding another few big players to the mix.

The cast is a big draw yet again and Fast X adds a few new big names to the mix. The biggest addition to the film is Jason Mamoa who plays the film’s primary antagonist. I really like Mamoa a lot as an actor and have always felt he has a unique versatility to him. Not only is he a big and brooding presence, but he also has great on-screen energy and charisma. I will admit I do have mixed thoughts on his character as a whole and I will talk more about that later in the review, but for the most part, I liked his casting and thought he was the man for the job. Following in the footsteps of Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, or John Cena is a big hill to climb, but he makes it look easy. Another big addition is the gorgeous and talented Brie Larson, and she is fantastic as always.

I think the argument can be made that 70% of the budget for these films goes to the special effects, but at this point, if you go into a Fast and Furious movie expecting realism you clearly missed the last 5+ movies. The franchise traded street racing and edge-of-your-seat tractor-trailer heists for explosions, cars flying out of skyscrapers, and oh yeah let’s not forget submarines. The action is aplenty yet again in Fast X, and for that reason, I was entertained from start to finish just waiting to see how far they decide to push things this time around. I do think that F9 pushed things a little further considering a character went to space, I mean that is a high bar, but the amount of Dominic Toretto muscle car goodness put a smile on my face.

THE BAD

I really did enjoy Fast X, but certain things either felt off or didn’t quite meet my expectations. First, I have become especially attached to the emotional element of the films ever since Furious 7 which followed the tragic death of the great Paul Walker. The ending of that film hit me hard, and I even did my own sort of review as to why which you can check out here if you are interested. But bottom line, the loss I have suffered in my own life coupled with my own personal attachment to this franchise from a young age has made these movies special to me.

The films have effectively followed up Furious 7 with plenty of hard-hitting emotional moments, but I just felt like Fast X sort of fell flat in comparison. Now it still made sure to honor Walker’s involvement with the franchise, but it just felt minimal in comparison. Maybe it was because of the fact that the film had a cliffhanger and maybe I should reserve judgment for how things close out in the finale.

The other issue I had with the film was what I felt was a strange balance as far as the overall tone and much of that relates to the film’s villain played by Jason Mamoa. I love Mamoa, and overall I did enjoy his character and what he brought to the film, I just thought that the balance for his character in terms of the comedic and psychotic elements felt unbalanced. Maybe I am overthinking it and that was just the core of his overall character, but it felt sort of all over the place for me especially when compared to other villains in the franchise.

THE VERDICT

Embracing the absolute absurdity of the action sequences for better or for worse, Fast X may not surpass prior entries but still delivers for fans of the franchise an experience made for the big screen. It’s not perfect and certainly could have been better, but if you go in expecting more of what this over-the-top franchise has offered as of late it is well worth the price of admission. Plus, a movie like Fast X simply needs to be seen in theaters,

TED TAKES RATING - 7.1/10

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