Review by Camden Ferrell

Love, Death & Robots is an anthology show for adults that premiere on Netflix in 2019. It had its second season in 2021 and is about the release their third season. While David Fincher has been a producer from the start, this season sees him sitting in the director’s chair for the first time on the series among other creators. This season features another batch of enjoyable shorts of differing quality, and it’s clear that there are some episodes that are significantly better than the others this season.
 
In this season, there are 9 episodes, and I was able to watch four of them: Three Robots: Exit Strategies, Bad Traveling, Night of the Mini Dead, and Jibaro. Fans of the show will recognize the first title, which is a continuation of those same robots we met in season 1. The rest of them are about radically different things like the open sea, zombies, and a reimagining of a folktale. Like previous seasons, these ideas are really unique, diverse, and interesting on paper, but the show has also had some problems with developing and properly executing their exciting and original premises.
 
The writing in the four episodes I watched are decent. The writing has never been the strong suit of the show, and these episodes let other aspects take the reins. I will say that Bad Traveling was particularly well written more so than the other episodes and tackled some really interesting themes and ideas as well. I will say that while this season isn’t perfect in this regard, there is a noticeably reduction in the amount of casual and subtle misogyny that was so prevalent throughout the first two seasons.

As always, the actors they cast are above average, but the real star of the show is the innovative animation. This is a show that experiments with different styles and types of animations more than anything else streaming today. I particularly liked the animation of Bad Traveling and Jibaro as they both aimed for realism in their animation and achieved it with great results.
 
As mentioned before, Fincher made his animation directorial debut with his short Bad Traveling, and it’s easily one of the best episodes the series has put out thus far even if it still has some minor flaws. I also enjoyed some of the execution in Night of the Mini Dead and Jibaro even if they weren’t as memorable as Fincher’s episode. While I enjoyed all of the episodes so far to some extent, it doesn’t seem like a big step up in quality for the series, and it remains a show full of beautifully animated and average to great anthology shorts.
 
Love, Death & Robots will please its fans in its third season but for those who had a hard time getting into the show previously, this one will still probably not satisfy you. It’s worth watching for Fincher’s episode alone, but as always there’s always at least one thing to enjoy in each episode.
 
Love, Death & Robots season 3 will be available on Netflix May 20.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Adam Donato

Review by Camden Ferrell

Eugenio Derbez is one of the most well-known Mexican comedy actors today, and he most recently starred in the Best Picture winning movie CODA. His newest movie is The Valet, a comedy that is the remake of a 2006 French movie of the same name. This movie is a very standard and relatively enjoyable romantic comedy that hits all of the typical beats without aiming to do anything particularly fresh.
 
Antonio is a valet, living life with his big family and looking for love after his wife breaks up with him. One night, he finds himself accidentally photographed with Olivia, a famous actress, and the married man with whom she’s having an affair. In an effort to preserve her image, Oliva and Antonio begin a relationship to not implicate her with her married fling. The fake relationship premise and story have been done before, and this movie is fine but opts to follow the formula for this story closely.
 
The movie is directed by Richard Wong whose previous movie, Come As You Are, was also enjoyable despite its flaws. Wong is perfectly adequate as a director, simply telling this story with no frills or risks, and it works for better or worse. The movie desperately needs to feel surprising and original, but his execution is far too safe to achieve such a goal. 

The cast is mostly decent throughout. Derbez is the heart of this film, and while he doesn’t give his usual over the top performance, he still brings a lot of humor to the role. Samara Weaving co-stars as Olivia, and she’s usually a very talented actress, but her performance in this movie is passable at best. The movie also stars Max Greenfield and Betsy Brandt who give decent performances despite being forgettable.
 
One of the smaller details that I enjoyed was how Derbez’s on screen family spoke just as much Spanish as English. It’s a minor detail that really means a lot in terms of representation. Despite not being surprising or original, this is still a nice touch. Overall, the movie feels far too long, clocking in at nearly two hours, and its story is incredibly predictable. It’s a comedy that one can watch and mildly enjoy without too much effort, but it’s not something to actively seek out among all of the other new releases available.
 
The Valet will definitely please fans of Derbez, but many may still find this remake to be predictable and far too safe for a comedy film. There are a few good gimmicks and funny moments, but it could have easily been thirty minutes shorter.
 
The Valet will be available on Hulu May 20.
 
Rating: 3/5

Review by Sean Boelman

If there is one thing Hollywood can’t get enough of, it is milking once-valuable IPs past their prime in an attempt to cash in on nostalgia and create a new franchise. And despite the efforts of Lonely Island members Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is one of the most corporate nonsense kids movies to come out in a while.

The film follows Chip and Dale decades after their television show (the one that this is a reboot… er… comeback of) has ended and they have drifted apart as they must come back together to solve a mystery involving an old friend. For a movie that so desperately wants to be edgy, it’s disappointingly subdued in its plotting.

Granted, there are a few gags in the film that will leave viewers shocked that the filmmakers got the permission from Disney to include them — not that they aren’t family friendly, but that they are so weird and cynical compared to the type of humor that fills a lot of Disney movies. However, that is where the positive comparisons to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? stop.

This movie desperately wants to live up to its similarly Disney-produced predecessor’s image so much, but it misses the things that made that one work. Yes, it’s chock full of references, and there are a few funny moments, but what is missing here is a compelling mystery. The twist isn’t bad, but it is also nowhere near as fresh as it seems to think it is.

The dynamic works if you have a fondness for the characters of Chip and Dale from your childhood, but the fact of the matter is that it’s shallow and derivative. It feels more like Andy Samberg and John Mulaney playing themselves than them playing their respective characters, and it’s disappointing.

There are some other good voice performances in the cast playing new roles, like J.K. Simmons and Seth Rogen, but the thing that the film is missing is a strong live-action presence. Kiki Layne is the main actress with a live-action role, and while she’s obviously talented, she feels wasted here.

Apart from not really taking advantage of the medium as well as it could have, the visuals of the movie look very good. The way in which the animation was blended into the real world looks fantastic, even if more should have been done with it. It’s a pretty cool mix of 2D animation and 3D animation that works quite well. 

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers was a major disappointment, especially given all of the talent and potential that was involved. It’s sure to have its fair share of fans, but many of those are going to be too blinded by nostalgia to see that this isn’t as smart as it appears.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers streams on Disney+ beginning May 20.

​Rating: 2.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

With his two previous directorial efforts, Ex Machina and Annihilation, Alex Garland has established himself as one of the most exciting directors working today. His new movie, Men, is a horror movie that sees him expanding his cinematic horizons for better or worse. The movie features a masterful lead performance from Jessie Buckley and some gorgeous cinematography, but it can feel the slightest bit uneven at times.
 
After a traumatic incident, Harper decides to go on a vacation to the countryside of England to clear her mind and heal. Upon arrival, ominous happenings with the locals proves things are not as they seem. This premise is simple on paper, but Garland has a special way of weaving emotionally complex characters into these stories to make it feel fresh and original.
 
While its writing is above average, it pales in comparison to Garland’s previous films. This movie tackles universal and complex themes with grace, and it creates a memorable lead character. However, it sometimes doesn’t balance the horror, drama, and emotion the way it needs to. His previous movie, Annihilation, is a complex and beautifully written movie, but this movie fails to be as consistent as his previous efforts.

The most outstanding aspect of this film is Jessie Buckley’s lead performance. She has consistently proven that she is one of the most talented actresses in recent years, and this is another masterful performance under her belt. She plays the pain, fear, and sorrow with such breathtaking emotion, and it still makes the movie worth watching even in some of its duller moments. Rory Kinnear is also fittingly creepy in his unique performance alongside Buckley.
 
Another great thing about this movie is its gorgeous cinematography. From the start, the movie is meticulously crafted from a visual standpoint, and it’s gorgeous and haunting. While the scares and thrills don’t always land and it can take a while for it to build up momentum, Garland once again shows that he knows how to make an unforgettable final act. It’s gruesome, shocking, and emotional, and it should still captivate even the film’s harshest critics.
 
Men is ambitious, and it’s bound to be a divisive outing from Garland. Buckley is astonishingly profound in this role, and it’s a visual treat. The slow pacing and uneven execution in the first half tend to bog down the overall product. Regardless of its flaws, this is a movie that’s definitely worth viewing as it’s sure to inspire many discussions upon release.
 
Men is in theaters May 20.
 
Rating: 3.5/5