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Review by Adam Donato  The superhero genre has gone through a lot since the last Superman solo film. Marvel fatigue and DC’s reset button have had people questioning the future of the genre. James Gunn is now becoming a main character in the history of modern superhero movies. From the surprise hit of the Guardians of the Galaxy to the firing over insensitive tweets to joining the opposition with The Suicide Squad. After Gunn was allowed to finish his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, he was given the keys to the DC castle. His first big move being a solo Superman film written and directed by himself. There’s a ton of pressure on Gunn to deliver here. The future of the superhero genre hinges on the success of Superman. May God have mercy on our souls. Superman is a home run of a film. It perfectly captures the essence of the character that Christopher Reeve brought, but with the new age special effects of Snyder Superman. It’s crazy how the reaction to both iterations is inherently baked into the new movie that we got today. This movie is shorter and more action heavy than the Reeve Superman. It’s also more fun and relatable than Snyder's Superman. It really feels like the perfect balance was struck here. While Marvel feels like they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel this year with a successor Captain America and a new Avengers lineup solely made up of super soldiers with depression, Superman is a glowing reminder of what the foundation of superhero movies are. After a dark and gritty Superman in the DCEU, Gunn needed to deliver something fun and likable, which he delivers in droves. The cast is wonderful. David Corenswet will undoubtedly replace Reeve as their Superman for some people. He’s vulnerable and above all, human. He’s funny in a dork boy kind of way. His costume pops and is very bright. It’s similar to The Batman in that since this movie focuses mainly on the superhero side of the alter ego, we don’t get to spend much time with the standard human counterpart. What scenes we do get of Clark Kent are cute, but we’re not too worried about fleshing out that side of him here. This Superman feels straight out of the cartoons and comics. People come to these movies to see super-powered characters in cool costumes fighting bad guys. That’s all this movie is.  Rachel Brosnahan slips into the Lois Lane role perfectly. Her private moments with Superman are some of the best stuff in the movie. She’s very headstrong and beautiful in the way that the character should be. There’s a great chemistry between Brosnahan and Corenswet that adds a steamy layer of romance to this fun popcorn flick. Nicholas Hoult also has a featured role as Lex Luthor. He’s not as nutty as Jesse Eisenberg, not as whimsical as Gene Hackman, but more active than Kevin Spacey. He’s got this cartoonish intensity to him the whole time. Since the world is more lived in at this point, his villainous plans are more in depth. There’s sequences where he’s fighting Superman like he’s playing a video game. He’s shouting combo moves for his goons to control the super powered monster Lex has created. The more unhinged he gets as the movie goes along, the better his performance is for it.
A couple standout side characters to note are Mr. Terrific and Jimmy Olsen. Mr. Terrific is played by Edi Gathegi, who previously got his role in X-men: First Class totally shafted now gets a second chance. He has a featured fight sequence that feels like the most Gunn sequence in the movie. It’s clear that Gunn was trying to limit the usage of needle drops, but when he does utilize it then it’s a lot of fun. The character of Mr. Terrific has a cool costume, fun personality, and is one of the more proactive characters in the movie. Speaking of proactive, Jimmy Olsen has never been more important. Skyler Gisondo really makes the character his own. It’s such a great choice as he’s been one of the thriving comedic character actors as of late. Olsen’s relationship with Luthor’s ditsy squeeze Eve Teschmacher is one of the funnier bits in the movie. Also, shoutout to Wendell Pierce, Isabela Merced, and Nathan Fillion. All very fun roles to fill out this new universe. Gunn clearly has his finger on the pulse of this character and universe. Superman is the savior that the genre needed. These renditions of these characters are set to rival the best that the genre has to offer. This is sure to be the movie of the summer. An absolute home run. Out of the park. Be sure to catch this in a theater on the biggest screen possible. Superman will be in theaters on July 11. Rating: 5/5
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Review by Daniel Lima  “They just don’t make them like they used to.” These days I find myself thinking this about almost everything: cars, electronics, news publications, social policies. This particular lamentation feels the most powerful when I watch an old Hong Kong action movie, see the ornate choreography and death-defying stunt work, and realize that silly notions like unions and workplace safety mean these could never be made today. The closest that contemporary cinema comes to scratching that itch are the mainland Chinese streaming releases. Nine-Ring Golden Dagger is the latest example to get a stateside release from Well Go, and another solid example of recapturing a bit of that past glory. The Generals of the Yang Family is less an individual epic story, and more a collage of different fictional accounts of the life of the very real General Yang Ye and his descendants across the 10th and 11th centuries. In this particular tale, two of his daughters seek to recover his blade from the enemy forces that killed him. Pursued by this foreign army, they hole up at an inn owned by a sympathetic wine seller, and plan an escape home. It is important to note that General Yang Ye served the Han-ruled Northern Song Dynasty, and died fighting the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty (the Khitans being a nomadic steppe people that later assimilated into the Mongols). The film uses the term “Northern Expedition” to define the war he fought in, a term more commonly used for the war for reunification waged by the Republic of China in the 1930’s. Thus, the film makes a connection between the border wars of dynasties past, and the building of the modern nation state of China.  I freely admit that I am by no means an expert on Chinese history or culture, and plenty may have gone over my head. That being said, it is clear that this film furthers the notion of Han ethnic supremacy within China, and the idea that China is a distinct Han nation state. For centuries, the steppes people and other ethnic minorities within China have been portrayed as barbarian, and in this film the Han that administered the Han-dominated southern part of the Liao territory are treated as traitors of kind and country. It strikes me as an ahistorical way of framing this history, more interested in toeing present-day nationalist rhetoric than capturing life at the time.
If it seems I’m more overly concerned with the political messaging of the film than the characters, there’s a reason for that: so is the movie. Largely a cast of unknowns and supporting players who have been working the past couple decades, the actors are given precious little to work with in bringing these people to life. The bad guys are unambiguously evil, the good guys are valiant and very concerned with honor and national pride, and the one comic relief guy bumbles around oafishly. It’s not even worth learning their names. Fortunately, a good chunk of the film is just action set pieces, and on that front it delivers. Though the film takes place almost entirely in one location, there is clear thought in differentiating the fight scenes through the goals of the fighters, the weapons they use as well as how they manipulate the environment, and the tone of the bouts. Rather than the steady, long take medium shots that have to typify the best American action direction for the past decade, the film hearkens back to an older tradition: close ups to emphasize attacks, cutting to generate a sense of momentum, a mobile camera. Most importantly, the wushu-based choreography is beautiful to behold, and every instance of wire work brought a smile to my face. It may not stand out too much among its mainland Chinese DTV peers, but it’s certainly a cut above its contemporaries here. It might seem like this is very faint praise for an otherwise problematic movie, but it must be emphasized that at about ninety minutes, most of Nine-Ring Golden Dagger is devoted to the action. The fact that it succeeds in artfully delivering some gratifying fights at a time when so few films do is enough keep it constantly engaging. Though the aims of its propaganda are insidious to say the least, even then there is something interesting in how history from over a millennia ago is adapted to reflect modern values, as defined by the CCP. Even if its hard to stomach, there’s nothing like a three-on-one spear and sword fight to provide some relief. Nine-Ring Golden Dagger is now available on digital and home video. Rating: 4/5 Review by Jonathan Berk  Five years ago, Netflix dropped The Old Guard, and it was exactly what the pandemic needed. It was pure escapism with chaotic comicbook action, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, among others. Five years later, the core cast returns for The Old Guard 2 — but this time, they are joined by Uma Thurman, and Victoria Mahoney steps in to direct. It is Mahoney’s first feature film since Yelling to the Sky (2011), and her first action movie. Five years is a long time to wait for a direct sequel, and this one doesn’t quite reignite the joy the first film brought audiences during those dark times. That’s not to say it’s bad, but it’s not quite as impactful. Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors have renewed their passion to protect the world. With Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) — surely you still remember then entire team after waiting five years — still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh (Veronica Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality…again…(a detail surely you remember like it was yesterday) as a mysterious threat emerges which could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years. Both new alliances and old must be forged if the team is to overcome the obstacles placed before them. Of course, the biggest obstacle that Mahoney has to overcome is the sheer amount of lore this property asks of its viewers to process and recall. There are many rules in this world, and if you haven’t seen the first film since it debuted on Netflix during the pandemic, then there is a good chance you’ll be scratching your head trying to remember it all. This movie attempts to bring you up to speed with what happened while introducing the relevant details for the continued adventures of this immortal squad, but it struggles to find the right balance. What it has going for it, however, is that the premise and setting for the story are inherently compelling. Additionally, Theron simply demands you pay attention.  If you’re here for the cast, then you will likely be satisfied. Theron and Ejiofor are always going to yield something worth watching when they are cast in nearly any role. Layne is committed to her performance and stands toe-to-toe with the bigger names around her. Thurman is underutilized, but very solid. I truly appreciated the nod to some of her other iconic roles with her character in this one. Ngô gets more to do in this film, but I honestly didn’t remember her much from the first. The rest of the returning cast takes a little longer to remind me that I liked them in the first film, as they just aren’t as recognizable. The other significant addition to this film is Henry Golding, who I just can’t help but keep rooting for, as his charm and presence are undeniable. He is solid here, but, like Thurman, is slightly underused. The cast isn’t quite enough to push this movie over the edge and return it to the heights of the first. There is enough action present, and a good use of the Immortal's abilities is showcased throughout. However, the noticeably lower budget and difference in the director’s style hurt the overall product a bit. Fortunately, the performances and the drama between the characters with an extensive history are compelling, especially within the fantastical world.  Yet, this film still manages to suffer from a franchise folly that has been the bane of many comic book movies: they forgot to tell a complete, satisfying story. Instead, this film is more concerned with setting up the next entry and expanding the world-building rather than focusing on creating a solid, single-serving movie.
Overall, The Old Guard 2 isn’t able to live up to the original. However, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and delivers enough of what worked in the first film to scratch the residual itch some audiences may have had. Of course, it’s also possible that, much like masking in public, this franchise is a forgotten relic of the pandemic. I found it overall to be watchable, and not as bad as many other forced sequels have been. The Old Guard 2 is streaming on Netflix on July 2. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Daniel Lima  The 2022 film M3GAN was at its best at its most absurd. When the titular little girl killer robot was breaking out in spontaneous song, or doing TikTok dances before executing people with a paper cutter, it managed to capture a deliriously silly energy that could power a story rife with cliches and dead air. M3GAN 2.0 promises to be a sequel that doubles down on these fleeting moments of unabashed camp fun, becoming something much grander than the original. That it then makes all the same mistakes is even more disappointing than the first time around. This sequel sees Allison Williams attempting to juggle raising her niece, running her tech start-up, and her new anti-AI activism, all to varying degrees of success. When a new murderous AI based on the M3GAN source code breaks free of its controls, Williams finds herself wrapped up in the quest to stop it, and is forced to accept help from an unlikely source: M3GAN herself. Gone are the horror trappings of the original, slight as they were. With this entry, the series has evolved into a sci-fi action thriller, jumping from set piece to set piece with not even the paltry attempts at tension that define modern Blumhouse slop. The comedy is emphasized even more, the emotional beats carry through from the first, this is through and through the same transition into crowd-pleasing tentpole that Alien and Terminator made. On paper, it should work. It is constantly impressed upon the audience that the heroes are racing against the clock to stop the villain, and the film leans into its own ridiculousness, finding ways to engineer manga-inspired martial arts brawls and outright superheroics. It doesn’t take long, however, for the lack of visual flair to bog the movie down. The original also had a drab visual palette and perfunctory direction, robbing the narrative of momentum, but as a low budget horror film that was more forgivable. A film like this, so proud of its most zany elements, should try to sustain that energy throughout with expressive, dynamic camerawork and propulsive editing. Instead, it wastes ample time with dull exposition, in lifeless rooms, shot in plain shot/reverse shot.  Much of this time is meant to set up the dramatic and emotional stakes of the film. Allison Williams still struggles in her parental role, her now teenage niece chafes against her, and M3GAN must prove that she is capable of real, genuine humanity. Credit where it’s due, the film does treat the interpersonal drama with a degree of seriousness, rather than choking it out with smug ironic detachment. Unfortunately, this dialogue is handled with the same brusqueness as the exposition. Given that explaining the plot machinations make up the bulk of the film, and that these characters never cross the threshold into the third dimension, the attempt at real pathos falls flat. Given the lack of presentation through the rest of the film, it should be no surprise that the promise of truly outrageous set pieces falls short of expectations, amounting to derivative pastiches of familiar concepts and works. There’s a temptation to give partial credit for the hodgepodge of ideas here — artificial consciousness, tokusatsu fights, body hacking — and how each manages to be incorporated into the plot in an organic way. In execution, however, they lack the stylistic flourish and the thematic depth to be impressive or fun; the action is largely cut up and unambitious, the themes are undercooked. Given that there are plenty of films from around the world that actually have managed to deliver the gonzo genre thrills that Hollywood can never quite match, it’s hard to get excited over pale, tame imitations. Is it funny? I can only say I laughed twice in a two-hour movie. Once again, the highlights of the film are Amie Donald’s physical performance and Jenna Davis’ voice performance as the titular AI: the former gives the robot body an uncanny, eerie movement that’s always just a bit off, and the latter manages to make bluntly impersonal dialogue absolutely drip in sarcasm. The latter does the heavy lifting here due to some plot contrivances, and it was a wise decision to spend as much time with the character as possible, but most of the material is just the juxtaposition of a dispassionate robot voice being mean. The best joke amounts to a callback to the first film. The most interesting thing about M3GAN 2.0 is how it grapples with AI, and what it has to say about legal restrictions on the technology. Admittedly, it feels a bit silly to burrow into the political messaging of a movie where a little girl robot infiltrates a secure building by flying through the air in a wingsuit, but it spends so much precious capital on delivering this message — and tying in to the emotional core of the entire story — that it’s worth examining.  The first film is a none-too-subtle critique of our reliance on technology, particularly how it has come to supplant our ability to form meaning social bonds with other people. This fear is externalized into a killer doll, but in truth M3GAN was plenty creepy even before she got violent; seeing how utterly dependent on her the niece had become, and how it limited her ability to process her emotions, is enough to disturb. At the time, this messaging struck me as old hat “kids and their phones” moralizing. If the same movie came out today, I’d commend it for grappling with present fears so directly.
That is not, however, the message of M3GAN 2.0. The fact is, once you start building a film franchise around an AI you can’t be too critical of the technology. Here, it is made glaring obvious from the start that Williams’ anti-AI advocacy is a detriment to her own life, bordering on zealotry that blinds her to making levelheaded decisions. Her partner in the advocacy endeavor is portrayed as an unlikable fool. M3GAN herself follows in the footsteps of the T-800, on a quest of self-actualization that in the world of this film is plainly possible. Clearly, there has been a softening of the original position. Of course, this is the kind of movie where a character attempts to run the program “morality” in a killer AI’s source code. Which is to say, it’s a bit of dumb fun that is deliberately avoiding being too sober on the topic of how exactly should we treat AI, beyond “carefully”. It does, however, still attempt to have that dialogue, and the fact that it is more toothless than the first film in spite of the current threat that AI poses to society is both surprising, and not at all surprising. Pretending to take a stand while ultimately saying nothing at all is the kind of bloodless, unmotivated, creatively bankrupt decision that is well in keeping with the rest of the movie. All that said, M3GAN 2.0 is not horrible. There’s plenty of charm in the two performances that bring the titular character to life, it avoids the pitfalls of many unserious franchise films, it at least gestures towards interesting conceits. It’s just impossible to shake the feeling while watching that you could be watching something more substantive, more adventurous, more daring. It’s telling that the end credits feature more clips from the previous film than the one you just watched; there’s more to pull from. M3GAN 2.0 arrives in theaters June 27. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  Summer 2025 is in full swing and Elio seems to have fallen under the radar. Just a year ago, Pixar saw one of their biggest box office successes in the form of Inside Out 2. If only Elio was a franchise, then maybe it would warrant an amount of effort on marketing. With the dominant box office of live action remakes of Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon, maybe audiences are just turned off to animated movies. That’s why Predator: Killer of Killers got dumped to streaming, while Predator: Badlands gets a theatrical release. At least Pixar is done sending their original animated movies straight to Disney+. Elemental had legs at the box office so hopefully Elio can replicate its success with good word of mouth. Pixar has not won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars since Soul, can Elio bring optimism to critics of the studio? This Animated film is helmed by Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi. Sharafian previously wrote and directed the short Burrow and Shi did the same for Turning Red. The character of Elio is similarly hyperactive like Meilin Lee from Turning Red. The title also continues the Pixar title trend of just using the main character’s first name like Luca and Coco (grandma’s name sure, but similarly also about the life of a young boy). It’s also similar in character design as these other Pixar movies of late. While Elio is a well animated movie, Pixar is certainly not the class of animation right now. It’s funny that all these live action remakes are out in its midst because the alien characters of Elio would look disgusting. It’s a wonder Pixar isn’t pushing Elio harder since this film is absolutely delightful. After seeing the film, it must be just a reliance on good word of mouth. Let the quality speak for itself or if it bombs then use it as an excuse to make more reliable sequels and spinoffs. The only competition Elio has for Best Animated Feature right now is Dog Man, which definitely does not have the artistic prestige necessary to garner a win. As if sequels to Zootopia, The Bad Guys, Smurfs, and SpongeBob are poised to be met with high brow acclaim. Indie and international animated films have dominated the award for the last three years, but Elio is destined to be the premiere mainstream option.  Interesting how there’s two Disney films this summer that center around a broken family relationship between a child that has trouble fitting in and their female family member who has to sacrifice career opportunities in order to try to take care of the child after their parents died. While Lilo & Stitch cops out when resolving this dilemma, Elio delivers in stride. The true heart of the film is the relationship between Elio and his aunt, voiced by Oscar winning actress Zoe Saldana. Not only that, but this relationship delivers the funniest Pixar joke in years. The film is very overt and clear about what its themes are and they flow through these two.
Elio rivals Dog Man for the funniest family film of the year. This movie just proves how much better animated child characters are than live action children when it comes to performances. The live action Lilo fumbled every joke, but Elio in contrast is such a funny little psycho. He’s just such an endearing and flawed little boy to follow in the film. He has such a defined character arc and leads the film well. The supporting alien characters all have such interesting designs and silly quirks. It’s just nice to watch a big expensive movie like this that’s full of personality. Elio deserves to be in theaters that are packed full of families. The allure of the familiar when it comes to these live action remakes is safe and strong, but children deserve new stories on the big screen. While Elio isn’t like classic Pixar movies, it stands among the best of the Pixar movies from the past fifteen years. Sharafian and Shi appear to be inner circle Pixar directors for the foreseeable future. Expect Elio to be in the mix come award season. The quality of the film has the potential to be a huge hit and a big win for original blockbusters. Elio will be in theaters on Jun 20. Rating: 5/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  In 2022, Joseph Kosinski struck box office gold with Top Gun: Maverick, a legacy sequel that embodied everything a blockbuster should be. He is attempting to see if he can strike gold again with his newest film but instead of cashing in on a beloved film of the 80’s, he will see if he can capitalize on the popular sport of Formula One racing. F1® The Movie is a high-thrill sports drama that makes use of the sport’s frenetic energy and Brad Pitt’s reliable charisma. We meet Sonny Hayes as he takes the overnight shift for a racecar team doing a 24-hour race in Daytona. He is living out of his van after a tumultuous life after a crash ended his F1 career decades prior. He is approached by his longtime friend Ruben who offers him a chance to race for his struggling F1 team. There he meets Joshua Pearce, a young stud in the world of racing. Despite being asked to mentor the prodigy, Sonny and Joshua end up butting heads as they try to bring their team their first ever F1 victory. It’s a classic story of underdogs, comebacks, and legacy, and while it’s nothing groundbreaking, it feels like a staple of the genre that is ripe for summer blockbuster enjoyment. Written by Ehren Kruger, the movie does a great job at supplementing the thrilling action sequences with enjoyable moments in between. He does a great job at building tension between conflicting personalities as well as capitalizing the snarky and mature intelligence of Sonny. It tackles cliche beats that can make the movie feel a little too paint by numbers, but it’s a familiarity that lends itself well to a sports drama like this one. While you won’t get a lot of shocks or subversion in this movie, you’ll actively be invested in these characters and their own personal motivations.  Kosinski once again relies on the established charm of one of the industry’s last bona fide movie stars. He trades Tom Cruise for Brad Pitt who proves he can still carry a blockbuster like this one on his shoulders. Pitt's character is more or less the same as his other characters, but it’s a classic case of not fixing something if it isn’t broken. Pitt excels with the quips but also with the moments of tension and explosion that fester throughout the movie’s runtime. In addition to Pitt, I found myself very impressed with Damson Idris’ performance. Playing Joshua, he holds his own magnificently against Pitt with an undeniable charisma that might suggest he has a bright future ahead of him in film. Actors like Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem round out an ensemble that plays it safe while still being incredibly entertaining.
It is undeniable that the movie excels the most when it’s on the racetrack. Kosinski directs such gripping sequences of racing that even those who don’t follow the sport will be on the edge of their seats. The movie’s only discernible flaw is that it feels bloated in the middle. It slows its pace a little too frequently which can be detrimental to a movie that relies so heavily on fast paced action. F1® The Movie is a classic popcorn flick that general audiences are going to love. While I can’t speak to how much diehard fans of the sport will enjoy it, I can say that as someone who doesn’t follow the sport, I had an amazing time. It’s not going to blow anyone’s mind or win prestigious awards, but if you’re looking for some high-octane thrills this summer, look no further. F1® The Movie is in theaters June 27. Rating: 4/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  Last month, Norwegian writer and director Dag Johan Haugerud released the first movie in a trilogy of films, The Oslo Trilogy. The second movie to be released in this trilogy is SEX, which had its premiere at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. While there are a handful of tangents that disrupt the film’s momentum, this movie is full of amazing and lengthy dialogue that addresses the unspoken yet complex interaction between masculinity and sexuality in today’s modern society. This movie follows two chimney sweeps who grappled with their roles as men in heterosexual marriages. One of them engages in an impromptu extramarital affair with a man but doesn’t interpret that as having homosexual desires. The other experiences a recurring dream where he presents himself as a woman. Both men experience complex emotions that challenge their status quo and the perspectives they have of themselves and the world. Even if it’s an experience most have likely never had, it’s still a bold and provocative way to force the viewers to join the leads in examining the more hidden and taboo aspects of modern sexuality and the expectations that are imposed through gender norms. Haugerud's writing is utterly phenomenal more times than not in this movie. He utilizes lengthy and captivating scenes (one of the first scenes is a nearly ten-minute single take) that allow its characters to freely explore the film’s central themes. It never feels like the movie is fighting to pad its word count; every line feels essential and most importantly natural to the overall flow of the movie. Even when the movie can sometimes lose its way as far as the narrative goes, the dialogue and analysis of the film’s thesis is more than enough to make up for it.  The movie is led by Thorbjørn Harr and Jan Gunnar Røise, and both men are stellar in their respective roles. They tackle the movie’s nuanced and complex themes with such maturity, and they do it in a way that doesn’t feel preachy. They let the themes explore their characters and not the other way around. They use subtext to allow the more revelatory components of the movie to sneak up on you when you least expect it. Siri Forberg is also a nice highlight in this movie, playing one of the chimney sweep’s wives. Watching her character handle the pain and confusion of her husband’s infidelity is quite enthralling and one of the more impactful aspects of the film.
The movie has so much working for it, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the disparity in the quality of scenes sometimes. Even though both men had captivating storylines, I found myself far more invested in the infidelity narrative and thought that it almost made the movie feel unbalanced as a result. While the second narrative does pick up steam in the film’s final half, there are some scenes that feel superfluous enough to make me question if this movie needs to be two hours. The better of Haugerud’s two movies thus far, SEX is a bold piece of contemporary cinema that challenges societal expectations and the more fluid and abstract concepts of sexuality and identity. It’s mature, provocative, and full of some truly amazing dialogue and performances. While it might resonate more with men, this is a movie that I think everyone should see just for how it tackles the unspoken feelings that have festered beneath the surface of society for so long. SEX is in theaters June 13. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  Celine Song made a strong impression with her debut film, Past Lives. Getting a best picture nomination on your first try is special. Her follow up is a romance film starring a love triangle of Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Materialists has the opportunity to easily become the top grossing A24 movie as Warfare holds the lead with $26 million domestically. With big movie stars and a prime June release date, Materialists should take advantage of a theatrical landscape devoid of films targeted towards women specifically. It’s also just nice to see an original movie out in theaters, especially when the summer is packed with remakes and sequels. Still, a movie like this needs to have good word of mouth to sell tickets so can it win the hearts of audiences? By all means, Materialists delivers and should become a summer hit. While it may not snag a best picture nomination, it’s clear that Celine Song is no one hit wonder. She has a clear handle on creating relatable characters and having something meaningful to say about relationships. Hopefully the film’s critical success is met with box office success so Song can make whatever she wants going forward. Easily one of the best new filmmakers in the game right now.  Dakota Johnson is in desperate need of a big win after Madame Web crashed and burned. Her performance here is arguably her best ever. Her character is so proactive and relatable. It’s clear she has a passion for her profession and is also a very jaded individual personally. There’s several monologues for her character about dating and love that really hit home. Even when faced with adversity that isn’t directly her fault, her feelings are so understandable and heartbreaking.
Evans and Pascal are welcome additions to this romance film as audiences with crushes on these two have been clamoring to see them in something that isn’t just a blockbuster. Evans does more of the heavy lifting here, but Pascal’s character is more subdued. This does give way to a great moment of vulnerability for Pascal’s character though. Evans has had a tumultuous stretch post Avengers: Endgame so seeing him pull off a real human being performance in an actual good movie is refreshing. Superhero movies and franchise films sometimes monopolize the time of the biggest actors of the day so it’s great to see them doing something different here. Materialists is certain to create discourse about the dating world, which will hopefully inspire couples to go out to the theater. It’s certainly worth their time as the film is as sweet as can be. It is like a more upscale version of the hit Will Smith rom com, Hitch. Big Hollywood actors being in movies that aren’t covered in special effects are a necessary part of the cinematic landscape and Materialists is a must see summer romance. Celine Song is a must watch director going forward. Materialists will be in theaters on Jun 13. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  Dreamworks saw what Disney was doing and thought they would copy their playbook. Universal clearly believes in the How To Train Your Dragon heavily because there’s a whole new theme park with an Isle of Berk section. There is a lot of precedent being set with this live action remake. If the plan is to remake the whole trilogy in live action, then the failure of this first remake would cancel those plans, but you can’t tear down a brand new theme park section. If it succeeds, will Dreamworks explore live action remakes of other beloved franchises? There’s enough distance in the release date between Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World: Rebirth so How To Train Your Dragon should clean up at the box office. How safe of a bet is How To Train Your Dragon for Universal? The safest a live action remake can be in 2025. There’s minor changes, but for the most part it’s a shot for shot remake. There isn’t a Disney live action remake that is as faithful as this one. Unfortunately for Universal, Disney has oversaturated the live action remake market so there is an element of fatigue, especially since Lilo & Stitch and Snow White are fresh in our memories. How To Train Your Dragon is certainly better than the majority of the Disney live action remakes, but it’s less interesting to explore because there’s really nothing new here. The story and everything is more or less the same. One place where the live action remake is different is in the cast, excluding Gerard Butler. He is the best part of the cast though. Butler in his career has such little range that it’s funny to see him just redo a performance of his own straight up. The biggest glow up in the cast has got to be Nick Frost as Gobber. The look and utilization of his tool like appendages is well done. He is a lot funnier and more heartfelt than Craig Ferguson’s animated version. The biggest downgrade is Ruffnut, played by Bronwyn James. Part of the appeal is that she is twins with Tuffnut and they look nothing alike here. Her sense of humor is also less comically gruff.  The main couple of the film played by Mason Thames and Nico Parker feel like Tom Holland and Zendaya were the blueprint. Thames doesn’t pull off geeky quite like Jay Baruchel did, especially with a lack of that iconic voice. Still a very serviceable performance. Unfortunately, the topic of conversation around Parker has been more about the color of her skin than anything else. It seems foolish to complain about a black Viking when dragons definitely don’t exist. She embodies the character well and her role is beefed up as her character aspires to be chief. The entire handling of Astrid’s character is the most “woke” aspect of the remake, but aren’t actual problems at all. Both of these characters are too cute. All of the other Vikings are properly ugly so the couple definitely stands out weirdly.
At the end of the day, it’s the same complaint as every other live action remake. This story and these characters were designed to be represented in animation. Adapting it into live action and doing the exact same things only draws attention to how much of a useless downgrade this movie is. It’s not a bad film, but it provides nothing new. There should be zero sympathy for the film as it will gladly utilize the franchise recognition for box office success, therefore the film must be held to the standard of the franchise’s quality. The law of diminishing returns is strong in this one. Every movie borrows from movies that came before it, but How To Train Your Dragon doesn’t even bother making it its own in any way. This makes for a very disposable experience. It’s hard to imagine anyone preferring the live action to the animated version. This safety is good for the box office and theme park success, but its lack of ambition will make this movie fade away over time. It’s not necessarily a bad movie, but it’s not worth going out of your way to see. How To Train Your Dragon will be in theaters on June 13. Rating: 3/5 Review by Daniel Lima  What is a John Wick movie without John Wick? The critical and financial success of the four films helmed by Chad Stahleski has made Lionsgate very keen to find an answer to this question, seeking to leverage that acclaim into a multimedia franchise. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is the latest attempt to capture that essence, a proof-of-concept for the labyrinthine criminal underworld being a compelling draw even without Keanu Reeves. Though it fails in many ways to successfully justify its own existence, it ultimately does find the one key component that both distinguishes it from the John Wick movies, and makes it worthy to be spoken of in the same breath. Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, a young woman raised within the Ruska Roma, the fraternity of assassins that also counts a certain man of few words as a member. Seeking vengeance for the death of her father years before at the hands of a mysterious group, she sets off on her own to figure out who is responsible. Her quest takes her around the world, and brings her face to face with some dangerous characters, as well as familiar faces. Immediately, this film begins to clarify what has made the John Wick films so special. In that first 2014 release, just a quarter of an hour is spent establishing the emotional buy-in to the carnage that will unfold: we meet John while he is sad, we see a montage of him being happy with a little puppy, then the puppy is killed. That has been the foundation of hours of bloody revenge, with Keanu Reeves massacring scores of well-dressed assassins around the world who have absolutely nothing to do with that damn dog, and millions of fans have been entire satisfied with it. That kind of resonance goes beyond just a general love for man’s best friend; it is clear to the audience that for this character, the puppy means so much more. It’s a link to love lost, it’s a promise for a bright and peaceful future, and that is the kind of abstraction that humanizes an otherwise unempathetic character. Conversely, the hero of Ballerina has a far more generic motivation. Certainly, the death of a parent is a traumatic experience for a child, but the manner it’s played out at the start of the film fits so neatly within genre conventions that it’s hard to take seriously. The random act of violence that kickstarted this franchise is the kind of nightmare within reach of most people; the same cannot be said of an army of masked men with matching scars storming your idyllic Mediterranean mansion and executing your dad after a heated gunfight. The film doesn’t even bother attempting to sell what the life that was torn out of the young girl’s hands looked like beyond a father/daughter dance that lasts all of one minute. This is what is supposed to power both the protagonist’s motivation, as well as the audience’s sympathies. To say that it is grossly insufficient is an understatement, and it has a directly negative impact on the rest of the film. This is also about as much definition as Ana de Armas’s professional killer receives through the narrative as written. Almost as soon as she takes the reins, she is flung into a wide-spanning, fast-moving plot that is more about getting her to the next big set piece than fleshing her out as a person. John Wick is similarly underwritten, but that is both in service to the story and world of the films, and Reeves as a performer. After a life filled with violence and losing the one person who could pull him out of it, he has become a shell of himself, more myth and legend than man. What the audience learns about John is conveyed through how other killers react to him: apprehension, respect, deference, terror. It is also the kind of role that benefits the terse, clipped, awkward delivery of Reeves, and his limited range of physical motion (at least, compared to the career stuntpeople he is up against) further defines how John fights and kills.  Eve Macarro could have been played by anyone. That’s not to say that de Armas is bad in the role, but there is nothing to distinguish her from all the colorful characters in the world that she moves through. The lack of an emotional core means her quest lacks dramatic weight, there are few characters with a sense of shared history through which she could be further defined, and unlike John she is an unknown quantity with no reputation. That gives de Armas precious little to grasp on to as a performer, and so she ends up mostly conveying exposition and reciting action movie clichés. By the end of the film, she was just as amorphous as the start. One of the most novel features of the series is the intricate network of professional killers operates just under the radar of the general public, in spite of the fact that it seems there’s at least a handful of hit men in any public gathering. They have their own economy, their own power structure, code of laws and ethics, nomenclature and social mores. Fans of these films know what it means to post up at a Continental, to live Under the Table, to visit a Sommelier or go for a Hunt. Some may balk at the complexity as it becomes increasingly byzantine, but this scaling grandeur is something that truly sets these films apart from other actioners. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it also allows for some unique settings for gunfights. An important part of this, however, is that the cosmology of John Wick’s underworld is constantly expanding and iterating on itself. There are certain touchstones, characters, and ideas that recur, but each movie introduces a host of additions to the worldbuilding. Ballerina instead spends much of its runtime reminding the audience that it is, in fact a John Wick movie. Look, there’s the Continental! Winston and Charon, you know them, you love them right? Hey, there’s the man himself, the Baba Yaga! All the allusions to the previous films keep this one in their shadow, interrupting the flow of this story while not allowing the world to grow beyond the boundaries previously set. It points to a worrying trend that has befallen many a media franchise, simply regurgitating the iconography that general audiences are already familiar with rather than experiment or creating something new within a particular universe. We are the cattle, this is the cud; we are the piggies, here is our slop. It’s what’s in vogue among the studios, and it remains as irritating and demeaning to the public as ever. Even more frustrating is that the one new idea that Ballerina introduces is not even elaborated on. Over the course of the film, it becomes clear that the group that killed de Armas’ father has motivations that go beyond merely killing people for the sake of it. The reveal of those motivations introduces a level of moral complexity that is new to the franchise, questioning inborn assumptions about these kinds of revenge thrillers and how audiences tend to emotionally respond to these narratives… at least, they would, if the movie were at all interested in pursuing that line of thought. Any such nuance disappears into a hail of bullets and streams of flame, and in the film’s closing moments I couldn’t help but wonder whether anyone had stopped to tease involved in the production had stopped to tease out the implications of what had been put forth. There are, however, those hails of bullets and streams of flame.  One of the most infuriating tendencies in those who would call themselves appreciators of art — cinema specifically — is the anti-intellectualism surrounds action cinema. With a handful of exceptions, it is incredibly hard to get otherwise erudite, thoughtful people to consider the craft and artistry that goes into choreographed violence on equal terms with, say, the latest arthouse-coded indie drama with awards prospects. No one would question whether the physical control displayed by a dancer in a production of Swan Lake, or the propulsive editing rhythms of a Bob Fosse movie, constitute art worthy of serious critique. Simulate a fistfight that calls for both precise physical control and editing, however, and it is populist drivel. Action is storytelling, not an aberration in the middle of a story. Beyond the amount of grueling physical and mental energy that goes into building an action scene, these are integral parts of an artistic work. Whether a gunfight, a car chase, a big death-defying stunt, or an old-fashioned brawl, these scenes establish character, create atmosphere and tone, communicate broader ideas and worldviews that are particular to the identity of a given film and the artists behind it. The John Wick films are some of the clearest contemporary examples of this. Series creator Chad Stahelski is an action veteran whose career goes back to working on direct-to-video productions in the early 1990s, and throughout his films he has had an action-forward design philosophy. Stuntpeople are front and center, with every set piece shot clearly to allow the audience to see the breadth of movement, every kick and every fall. There is a constant drive to experiment and incorporate new complications into the choreography, whether it be as simple as 3-Gun competition shooting or as radical as attack dogs. The capabilities of the actors are reflected in how they fight and kill on-screen, which in turn communicates aspects of their character in ways dialogue alone could never do. Here is where Ballerina lives up to its predecessors. The same ingenuity and playful experimentation that drives those movies, that more than anything has cemented the film in the popular consciousness, is present through just about every action scene. Clearly, each set piece was designed to answer a particular question; “How many ways can we hurt people on ice?” “What would close quarters combat armed with only explosives look like?” “Does OSHA regarding fire safety apply if we’re shooting in Europe?” To answer all these, the 87eleven action team is put through their paces, showcasing not only some incredibly dynamic and fluid choreography, but some absolutely brutal stuntwork. Whether showcasing a diversity of falls like an 80s Golden Harvest film, or pushing the boundaries of how long you can have someone on fire, the film is as much a love letter to the capabilities of these performers as it is jaw dropping spectacle. More than anywhere else, this is where the personality of the film begins to show. The John Wick movies all have a certain amount of comedy, but confided to some dry wit and some mean-spirited beats within the action. While there’s a handful of puns in Ballerina that serve as a bit of dumb fun, the main comedic thrust is actually slapstick. The graphic but deliberate and controlled violence of the series has always elicited incredulous laughter, but here it is elevated to straight up gags: hitting someone with a TV remote that starts channel surfing, smashing plates over heads straight out of a Three Stooges short, a goofy reaction shot before a grenade goes off. The comedy is synthesized with the violence in a manner that has eluded many an action comedy, without ever detracting from the gravity of the carnage. David Leitch, please take notes.  Most strikingly, the choreography provides the characterization to de Armas’ character that the script sorely lacks. Early in the film, a trainer advises her to “fight like a girl”, as she will always be at a size disadvantage and cannot allow her opponents to dictate the terms of combat. At first, it seems like this simply means she’ll occasionally kick men in the testicles, otherwise adhering to the gun fu style that this series has pioneered. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that she has taken that lesson to heart, and so every scrape she gets in sees her using the environment in every way she can. Where John moves like a shark through water, with deadly efficiency that expends as little energy as possible, Eve grabs every tool at her disposal no matter how outlandish, improvisational but confident. Although yes, she does still kick men in the testicles.
In spite of all this, the action is not perfect. It takes some time for the film to find its own groove, with most of the action in the first half feeling like a pale imitation of the clean shootouts and fisticuffs of the main series. At times, the choreography commits to some of the same shortcomings of those films, with people jumping in front of the camera only be to unceremoniously cut down being the main offender. Even the action in the second half of the film is hamstrung by its broader issues, namely the lack of worldbuilding and the lack of emotional stakes. The latter means that as thrilling and evocative as the action is, it doesn’t feel like it matters as much as the similarly thrilling and evocative action that populates the other films. The former means it lacks a bit of the character diversity and opportunities to build out the universe that motivates many of the series’ best moments. The last movie boasted Marko Zaror, Donnie Yen, and Scott Adkins in showy and memorable roles, that allowed for unique and personalized choreography, same as Reeves; here, you get a bit of Daniel Behrnhardt and human Chad meme Robert Maaser in nondescript roles. It’s not the worst problem to have, but a missed opportunity for sure. There’s an open question of who to attribute the film’s strengths and weaknesses to. It is known that there was additional photography directed by Chad Stahelski himself, taking over from director Len Wiseman, but there are conflicting reports to the reasons behind them, the extent of what was reshot, and whether or not they were even reshoots in the first place. It’s easy to credit the best parts to the John Wick director, and the worst parts to the Underworld director, but things aren’t quite so clear; for example, the first action scene in the film happens to feature an actor who was only cast for additional photography, and it is clearly the worst. Who actually was behind what is bound to be something of a mystery for at least the length of this press tour, and I am curious to find out those details. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina does manage to articulate a case for the franchise to exist beyond the confines of its titular character, but only by the skin of its teeth. The lack of faith in this movie to stand on its own its palpable, threatening to overwhelm the film by basking in what is already familiar rather than exploring the possibilities of this world. It is only through the series hallmark action design that the film finds its own identity, and in doing so recaptures the magic that permeates the series. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina arrives in theaters June 6. Rating: 4/5 |