Review by Sean Boelman

There is no question that The Lord of the Rings is one of the most beloved fantasy franchises of all time, and fantasy television is hot right now thanks to the popularity of the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon. Yet despite having the beast of an IP behind it, the exuberantly expensive The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a dud, a largely dull — albeit gorgeous return to Middle Earth that does not know what to do without Tolkein’s source materials.

Set years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the series follows a group of heroes as they set out on a quest to defeat the forces of evil. The series takes characters and parts of the world that was crafted so intricately by Tolkein and builds upon them in a way that lacks the magic of his extraordinary craftsmanship as a writer.

Like the properties actually based on source material actually written by Tolkien, there isn’t a whole lot of story in these first two episodes. It’s essentially setting up the quest to come in a way that will hopefully pay off in later episodes (the show is starting off with a two-season greenlight, after all) but is quite frankly boring to watch, even if you are invested in the world thanks to the previous films.

However, perhaps the single biggest mistake the series makes is turning this into an ensemble series from the start. The Fellowship of the Ring gives the audience the opportunity to get acquainted with the group dynamic from the start before splitting them up to have their own arcs in The Two Towers. The Rings of Power attempts to juggle multiple storylines from the get go, and as a result, it lacks that all-important connection.

The series features a combination of returning characters and new additions to the on-screen lore. Headlining the cast is Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, and she is no Cate Blanchett. Granted, it is entirely possible that she just wasn’t given enough to work with in these first two episodes, and the rest of the season will fare much better for her.

Indeed, there is a pretty shocking lack of A-list stars in the ensemble cast given that this is quite possibly one of the biggest intellectual properties on Earth. While the casts of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies might not have been household names prior to the films coming out, they at least had a few established legends and promising up-and-comers. The only notable actor in The Rings of Power is Ismael Cruz Cordova, who truly deserves a big breakout like this.

While it’s hard to base off the first two episodes alone, and it is entirely possible that it will improve over the course of the season, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a massive disappointment so far. In terms of fantasy in general, it’s not terrible, but given the budget and IP that went it to this, it should have been fantastic and it simply isn’t.

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power streams on Prime Video beginning September 1 with subsequent episodes airing Fridays. Two out of ten episodes reviewed.

Rating: 2.5/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

George MacKay had a good year when 1917 came out. He was riding the wave of all the awards coverage and potential nominations for himself and the film. He hasn't been in many of the most notable film and television projects since then. I Came By is the latest film he's in, but he's not the only established star in the movie, or even the main star, for that matter. Sadly, they are all wasted in this muddled mess of a film.

MacKay's character and his friend (Percelle Ascott) are petty thieves who like to tag their jobs with the moniker "I Came By." While working for a man named Hector Blake (Hugh Bonneville), doing yard work, they notice he's pretty well off, and they set up another score. The problem is Ascott's character wants out because he and his girlfriend are having a child together. He doesn't want this life anymore. He wants to go straight. The MacKay character decides to do the job on his own and finds something disturbing at the man's estate in the cellar.

MacKay's character's mother, played by Kelly MacDonald, notices something is bothering him. He doesn't key her into his situation, instead getting in a fight with her and storming out. What he saw still bothers him, so he goes back to investigate the situation a little more. This wasn't a good decision because the Bonneville character was waiting for him and ambushed him in the cellar. His mother and friend start to get concerned about him after that night he disappeared.

This film has a vibe of Rear Window mixed with Disturbia. These shady characters have the authorities looking at them, and then they get out of whatever accusations are thrown against them. That's a trope in suspense thrillers like this. The problem is the other two films I mentioned are much better than this one. This film doesn't know what it wants to be, so it's all over the place.

The Bonneville character is set up as a judge who has some sexual proclivities. He's hiding some things from the authorities, and all these people are trying to get him. The filmmaker, Babak Anvari, and writer Namsi Khan didn't set up the story properly. It doesn't justify why people care so much about this man and his secrets. They are the ones in the wrong from my point of view. If they had never tried to rob him, none of the extra activities in the film would have happened. 

This film is based on contrivances to justify why all these characters do what they do, which isn't good from the start. The film doesn't look bad from a cinematography point of view. It's shot very well and has some nice camera angles. The performances are fine even though they are wasted in a ridiculous story from beginning to end. The concept of graffiti taggers robbing houses and using "I Came By" as their moniker was an interesting premise, but it went totally wrong in the end.​

I Came By streams on Netfix beginning August 31.

Rating: 1.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

As the summer movie season comes to a close, a light-hearted family film will fill the void this coming weekend. Gigi & Nate is a comedy-drama film from director Nick Hamm and writer David Hudgins. Despite being a predictable and by-the-books movie for all audiences, this movie is harmless and decent, proving itself to be more competent than expected.
 
Nate is a young, active boy, but he soon finds his life changed. After meningitis leaves him hospitalized, he becomes quadriplegic. After this event, his life changes for the worst as he finds himself falling into depression. However, everything changes when he receives an unlikely service animal. Gigi is an intelligent capuchin monkey that gives Nate the companionship and hope he desperately needed. This is a unique and inspiring story that is simple, accessible, and easy to consume for all ages and audiences.
 
Hudgins has experience writing a lot of network television, and this screenplay feels on par with the quality of writing he has typically done on television. It’s not bad by any means, but it also isn’t particularly compelling or fresh. It is sufficient in telling its story, but it does seem to gloss over Nate’s initial struggles more than one would hope, but it also was fairly bloated as is at almost two hours.

The acting is decent from everyone involved, but it’s nothing that stands out as moving more so than the average drama. Charlie Rowe leads the film as Nate, and he’s a charming enough lead to carry the movie. He’s not perfect, but like everything else in this movie, he’s good enough. He has enjoyable chemistry with his co-stars like Josephine Langford, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jim Belushi, but none of them give memorable performances despite their competence.
 
This is standard family-friendly fare that aims to tug on the heartstrings with mixed results. It’s extremely undemanding of the viewer and can be some low effort viewing that could prove entertaining to many. Once you can look past the weak visual effects to bring Gigi to life, there’s more to like in this movie than dislike.
 
Gigi & Nate is a comedy drama with no shortage of cheesiness, and this can be a pro or con depending on who you are. It will definitely find many fans due to its inspiring story even if it is content to be unambitious. Overall, this is a harmless and not bad way to spend two hours.
 
Gigi & Nate is in theaters September 2.
 
Rating: 3/5

Review by Adam Donato

Review by Paris Jade