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TEEN WOLF: THE MOVIE -- TV Movie Without One of the Main Stars

1/25/2023

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Review by Adam Donato
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Paramount+ strikes again as they continue to squeeze every last drop out of their franchises as possible. This time, the target is Teen Wolf. The most notable star of the television show, Dylan O’Brien, doesn’t want to return for the straight to streaming sequel? Who cares! One of the series developers, Jeff Davis, and most of the cast are set to return so let’s make some content. Hopefully, this will convince audiences to continue their Paramount+ subscription. Will audiences still care about a continuation to a show that ended over five years ago? Is it good enough to maintain old fans, while maybe garnering some new ones?

Remember Twilight? Those were the days! With a Hunger Games prequel on the horizon, the young adult, science fiction/fantasy mixed with romance crowd is sure to have its fill of nostalgia bait. Teen Wolf: The Movie tries to balance the new and the old in this two hour and twenty minute movie. Crystal Reed returns as Allison Argent, but she is out to kill this time around and has no memory of her former lover, played by Tyler Posey. "Soap opera for teenage girls" is the vibe with this one. New blood is injected into the franchise as Tyler Hoechlin’s character from the show has a teenage son who has yet to materialize his wolf powers. There’s way too much going on and too many characters to juggle. That wouldn’t be so much of a problem if any of the characters were interesting in the slightest. The story feels much more like a truncated season of television than an actual movie. That all being said, this review is from the perspective of someone who has not seen the show, so it’s entirely possible these are timeless characters with compelling lore. As for Teen Wolf: The Movie, it just doesn’t stand on its own.
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Obviously this movie is based on a television show. Movies usually have much higher budgets than television shows. Making a movie out of a television series is usually met with a jump in special effects, but if that’s the case with Teen Wolf: The Movie, the show must look terrible. The eyes that light up, all the fire surrounding, and any time someone is impaled, it looks terrible. So it’s hard to enjoy this as a dramatic narrative and it’s hard to take it seriously as a fantasy/horror/action flick. These are B-movie ingredients and the intended audience will probably see these elements as a lateral move compared to the show. 

People who were teens when Teen Wolf came out have probably aged out of this sort of thing and if the quality is waning as well, then it’s hard to see anyone needing to subscribe to Paramount+ to catch this TV movie. The story and characters are cheesy and lame. Everyone is way too old now. The special effects are dreadful. Hardcore fans of the show can enjoy it, but there's not much going on here.

Teen Wolf: The Movie streams on Paramount+ beginning January 27.

Rating: 2/5
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THE DEVIL CONSPIRACY -- A Grim Rollercoaster

1/12/2023

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Review by Adam Donato
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The Devil Conspiracy is a horror movie about the reincarnation of the devil. An evil company uses the DNA of Christ to make a clone to be sacrificed to the devil so he can walk the Earth again. This crazy concept is concocted by first time writer and producer, Ed Alan. The movie is directed by Nathan Frankowski and stars Alice Orr-Ewing. Does this straight-to-Walmart-DVD movie utilize its genre well enough to warrant viewership from audiences?

One thing The Devil Conspiracy has going for it is the special effects are passable despite the lower budget. This is accomplished due to most of the film being shadowed in darkness. Nothing here looks outwardly phony and some of it is genuinely terrifying. There’s non-stop action and horror in this movie, which does a lot for the pacing as this movie is somewhat of a breeze. The plot is entirely nonsensical and insane so the appeal in this movie is solely the scares and the thrills. Not only is the movie visually dark, but its tone is completely dark as well, which fits the subject matter. That being said, there are moments where the film goes so over the top that it bleeds into camp. There’s a solid amount of self awareness that keeps this movie afloat.
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None of the characters in this movie are interesting in the slightest. The main character played by Orr-Ewing is an American art historian who gets kidnapped by this evil cult to bear the child that will be possessed by Satan. But it's not just the bad guys with this power — Archangel Michael possesses the body of Father Marconi to take down the evil forces at bay. Not only is this concept entirely confusing, but it’s irrelevant in this movie as the star of the show is the scares and the thrilling sequences throughout. This is just a B-movie that will be seen by few, but will get the job done for the target audience. 

The Devil Conspiracy is wild and crazy. This movie doesn’t stop as the characters are constantly tortured by evil beings throughout. The action is fun and the scares are better. It’s baseline entertainment, but it delivers what it set out to accomplish. Have a drink and enjoy the ride. This 2022 movie is finally getting its release in the middle of January 2023. It must be trying to be fresh in the minds of critics for awards season. 

The Devil Conspiracy hits theaters on January 13.

Rating: 3/5
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THE OLD WAY -- Solid Straight-to-DVD Fare

1/5/2023

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Review by Adam Donato
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Nicolas Cage has been one of the most prolific characters in the film industry for some time now. His role in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent pokes fun at the fact that he works in an array of different types of movies and not all of them are blockbusters. The Old Way is a Western about a retired rough rider who just wants to take care of his family and tend to his store. When a gang of outlaws kills Cage’s wife for revenge, Cage has to juggle his daughter and his mission to hunt down those responsible. The film is directed by Brett Donowho, who most notably directed Acts of Violence, another straight-to-DVD type movie starring Bruce Willis. Is the Cage personality enough to make this little film stand out?

Cage’s character in The Old Way is a grumpy old man past his prime. There’s several moments when his sense of humor shows out, but this is certainly not one of his more notable roles as of late. The young girl who plays his daughter, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, holds her own in a role not dissimilar to Hailee Steinfeld in the True Grit remake. Her arc in the movie is the most compelling and their relationship drives the majority of the movie. The villain played by Noah Le Gros gets ample opportunities to flex his acting skills and does a solid job creating a realistic antagonist with personal motives behind him. Shoutout to popular character actor, Clint Howard, who played one of the goons.
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The Old Way is Cage’s first traditional western film and it holds true to the tenets of the genre. The sets are a lot of fun despite the clear low budget. It’s not an entirely dark movie as the foundation of the movie is the connection formed between Cage and Armstrong as the two were never previously close, but we’re forced to come together in a time of mutual crisis. Besides True Grit, this story draws comparisons to Logan and The Marksman. A grizzled vet has to defeat the bad guys while also juggling a cute sidekick. Despite its lack of creativity, this story checks all the boxes. 

Cage fans may take the competent screenplay to compensate for a toned down Cage. This is a very solid and enjoyable experience of a movie. It’s nothing game changing, but if it’s on cable and there’s nothing to do, this will get the job done. Long live the great career of Nicolas Cage, who is far from delighting audiences in 2023.

The Old Way opens in theaters on January 6 and VOD on January 13.


Rating: 3/5
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WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY -- A By The Numbers Musical Biopic

12/21/2022

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Review by Adam Donato
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From the writer of Bohemian Rhapsody comes another family-friendly biopic about a musical icon that also clearly made plenty of business decisions. Hell, even the studio made a business decision last second to include the artist’s name in the title of the movie — as if it was in question whether this is a real Whitney Houston movie. Plopping into a Christmas slate full of critically acclaimed films, Avatar: The Way of Water is sure to garner the lion’s share of box office, while Puss in Boots will take the rest of the family audience. If Babylon is too outrageous and audiences are already caught up with the Thanksgiving blockbusters, then Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody can have whatever’s left. Is the movie good enough to overcome poor marketing?

Obviously, the music is fantastic. That’s one thing that’s nice about these biopics is at the bare minimum there’s powerful music throughout. The more musical biopics that get made, the better Rocketman looks. Just like Bohemian Rhapsody, this movie doesn’t have the lead do any of the singing, but they wear a pair of false teeth and suddenly their performance is fantastic. Taron Egerton sang all throughout Rocketman and while it’s understandable to not want to compete with Houston’s voice, there is less to enjoy about Naomi Ackie’s performance. Ackie’s highest profile role was Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in which she was entirely unremarkable, but it’s not her fault the movie is a disaster. She clearly thrives in a leading role as she does a solid job of carrying this movie. Her performance is the only one of note besides Stanley Tucci's, and he is fantastic in everything he does.
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Clocking in at just under two and a half hours, it’s clear this needed another editor, or script, or even director. There’s nothing remarkable about the filmmaking in this movie. This feels like the SparkNotes version of her life as there’s no clear through line to the story besides the career of Whitney Houston. None of the supporting characters feel like their story was wrapped up by the end or fleshed out whatsoever. There’s way too much going on in this movie anyways. Is this about her restrictive relationship with her family? Her closeted relationship with her best friend coming into conflict with her marriage to Bobby Brown? The rise of her career with Stanley Tucci? Or is it about the subject of her death and her lifelong struggle with drugs? That’s another thing, why do artists' family and friends want to produce movies about famous artists where their story is covered in bubble wrap? I hope those extra ticket sales for the kids are worth compromising the reality of the story. 

People who love Whitney Houston and just want to see this movie for her music and bullet point life story. They won’t care about the technical filmmaking aspects of this movie. They will just be happy to hear the songs and be reminded about a period of history. The runtime may be noticed, but Elvis was ten minutes longer and nobody batted an eye. Houston’s discography and Ackie’s performance are enough to make Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody an enjoyable experience. This should not be an awards contender and will be lost in the shuffle of uninspired and gutless musical biopics. 

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody hits theaters on December 23.

Rating: 3/5
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SONIC PRIME -- No James Marsden

12/12/2022

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Reviewed by Adam Donato
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Image courtesy of Netflix.
Sonic has been experiencing quite the Renaissance during the 2020’s. Paramount produces a live action/animated feature film called Sonic the Hedgehog. The movie stars a CGI Sonic voiced by Jean Ralphio from Parks and Rec because you need a celebrity to voice a character that has had an iconic voice for decades or else the movie will not succeed at the box office. That’s not enough assurance, though, so Jim Carey stars as Dr. Eggman and James Marsden plays the audience insert character. You can’t tell a story about Sonic in Greenhills. It’s too different and expensive. There’s no way a narrative can be produced about Sonic that closely resembles the video game. 
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Sonic Prime is a television show made for Netflix. The show stars *throws up* professional voice actors. The plot follows Sonic and his friends in their never ending battle to thwart Dr. Eggman. Somehow, Sonic finds himself trapped in another dimension not too dissimilar to his own. He has to rally his friends from multiple dimensions to come together to prevent a world where Dr. Eggman reigns supreme. The entire show is 3D animated and will run for 24 episodes.
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Image courtesy of Netflix.
It’s funny that the Sonic movie franchise is heralded as this big success from a quality standpoint. After watching this show, it’s beyond annoying that they didn’t go this route. James Marsden is really cute and funny, but there’s no need for him in a Sonic movie. For all the heat that the Super Mario Bros. movie has been catching, at least it’s set in a Mushroom Kingdom and not Iowa. Sonic Prime has everything you’d want from a Sonic narrative series. All the characters and situations feel authentic to the source material. The humor is intended for children, but has the capacity to play for adults who are fans of the games. The relationships between the characters seems to be a focal point during the first eight episodes. There’s a lot of heart here.  The story takes us through a wide variety of set pieces. It’s not Shakespeare, but it’s everything a Sonic television show for Netflix should be. 

It’s hard to say if Sonic Prime should be recommended for adults without children. Kids will love this show, but it’s hard to see regular adults becoming avid fans of this show like they do with Star Wars and Marvel shows. Nevertheless, it’s a fun and high octane adventure with all your friends. Check it out on Netflix. 

Sonic Prime streams on Netflix beginning December 15.

Rating: 4/5
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NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: KAHMUNRAH RISES AGAIN -- What Disney Thinks of Fox

12/9/2022

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Review by Adam Donato
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Nick Daley (voiced by Joshua Bassett) with Rex in 20th Century Studios' NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: KAHMUNRAH RISES AGAIN.
Disney is taking over in more ways than one. The acquisition of 20th Century Fox brought with it a plethora of usable brands to capitalize on. What do they do with an Ice Age franchise that has run way past its course? They produce a cheaply animated sequel of sorts starring the side characters. Night of the Museum seems to be taking a similar route as an animated movie coming straight to Disney+, where the son of Larry Daley takes over the mantle as night guard of the museum. Does anybody still care about Night of the Museum? Doesn’t matter. If there’s juice that’s able to be squeezed out of this fruit, Disney will exploit it. Despite the uphill battle, is Night of the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again good enough to be noticed on this endless crop of mediocrity that is Disney+ original content?

No, it’s bad. The biggest change to note in this installment of the franchise is the switch to animation. This decision makes sense as gathering all these stars would be overly expensive considering the level of quality this feature was expected to be. Not to mention, recasting Teddy Roosevelt is not an easily digestible task. The quality of animation in this movie is the first indication that this movie is meant for babies. Having a run time of 77 minutes also doesn’t help. There’s clear effort in the recast of these memorable characters. The stand out (if there is one) would be Thomas Lennon, who remains one of the most underrated comedic side character actors. Only one scene is worth remembering, where “the camera” flies around the room as each member of the team tries to take down the undead army. That’s really grasping at straws though.
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(L-R): Attila (voiced by Alexander Salamat), Joan of Arc (voiced by Alice Isaaz), Sacagawea (voiced by Kieran Sequoia), Teddy (voiced by Thomas Lennon), Easter Island Head (voiced by Kelemete Misipeka), Nick Daley (voiced by Joshua Bassett) and Laaa (voiced by Zachary Levi) in 20th Century Studios' NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: KAHMUNRAH RISES AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
If anyone cares about the canon of the franchise, then this continuation is certainly of interest. Passing the torch to the son of Ben Stiller’s character is a logical and easy choice — especially if this story is animated and it doesn’t matter who stars in it because it’s made for babies. It becomes clear that the highest ambition for this franchise is to have this movie spinoff into its own show as we follow the new adventures led by Nick Daley. This story is written by a marketing team and the test screenings probably consisted of babies exclusively. There’s little to no good reason for Larry Daley to leave the fold as he has to take some job overseas. It feels like such a passionless, borderline bastardization of what was a solid fantasy, family comedy franchise.

This half-assed attempt to continue the Night of the Museum franchise should be properly ignored. There is nothing of value or substance. The comedy doesn’t work. The sense of wonder is non-existent. It’s a shell of the type of movie the franchise had been clearly. To be honest, it was never good enough in the first place to demand more stories be told in this universe. Please, go gently into that goodnight.

Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 1/5
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THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL -- Appreciate Greatness Before It’s Gone

11/23/2022

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Review by Adam Donato
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Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Marvel Studios' THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: HOLIDAY SPECIAL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
The MCU has certainly faced a good deal of adversity in a post-Endgame world. Disney+ launched and utilized the Marvel franchise to curate a never ending content train based on brand recognition to keep audiences subscribed. While shows like Moon Knight have been met with approval, movies like Thor: Love and Thunder have been met with mixed responses. Two filmmakers have stood out over the last decade in the MCU: Ryan Coogler and James Gunn. While Coogler is releasing his hotly anticipated Black Panther sequel, Gunn is warming up for his third installment. In the meantime, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is sure to keep Marvel stans in good spirits. 

There’s been a lot of exposure for The Guardians of the Galaxy in 2022 as they appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder and I Am Groot. Why so much in such little time? Gunn made it public that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be his last hoorah and with the announcement that he will be running the DCEU going forward, the hope of him continuing with the MCU are down the drain. It’s not the greatest loss as fans were blessed with a whole trilogy on top of several appearances in other movies and shows. He’s gotten his fair shake in the MCU, so let’s have some fun on our way out. A holiday special is perfectly on brand for the Guardians, a family of heroes who thrive under a comedic tone and jammin' tunes. 
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(L-R): Pom Klementieff as Mantis and Dave Bautista as Drax in Marvel Studios' The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2022 MARVEL.
This holiday special is absolutely perfect. One thing the Disney+ content machine has done well is their short-form content. Not elongated television shows or unnecessary franchise sequels, but taking side characters and giving them a spotlight on a small-scale, low-risk environment like shorts or specials. While it’s clear the CGI characters are limited in their screen time for cost, the special takes advantage of the opportunity to flesh out characters who haven’t gotten much spotlight in the past. While the plot is centered around Star Lord, it’s Mantis and Drax’s story. They’re compartmentalizing, but maintaining the zany humor and the toe-tappin' bops that make the movies stand out.   

Mantis truly is the MVP of the special. She was a featured addition to the second volume and had a small role in Infinity War, but here she gets to play the lead. Clutch timing too as audiences are sure to go into the third volume with more connection with Mantis. Especially with the team going through so many changes as Kraglin joins the squad and Gamora is MIA. Kraglin continues to be part of the emotional heart of the franchise due to his connection with Quill and Yondu and that relationship is flexed here as well. Drax is as funny as ever as well. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is full of fun and heart as any Guardians project is. It’s just a bite size piece running at just over forty minutes, but it’s important to appreciate greatness, while it still lasts. May could be the last time we’re graced with Gunn’s creative input on the MCU, so a holiday special is more than worth it. Gather the family and prepare to experience what is sure to be a holiday season regular for all fans of the MCU. It’s crazy what happens when studios give talented creators freedom to make what they want to make. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special streams on Disney+ beginning November 25.

Rating: 5/5
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DISENCHANTED -- Anything and Everything That is Commercially Viable

11/18/2022

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Review by Adam Donato
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Amy Adams as Giselle in Disney's live-action DISENCHANTED, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Jonathan Hession. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
After a few years of Disney+‘s dominance in the streaming wars, a pattern of behavior has become apparent. Whether it’s their Marvel/Star Wars shows, short and sweet animated series, or entirely unnecessary live-action sequels to Disney Channel quality movies, it's all content. The first Enchanted movie was quite the hit. When traditional 2D animation looked like it was on its way out, Enchanted puts a twist on the classic formula and cliches of the subgenre of animated Princess fairytales. Today, Disney has an insatiable monster it has to feed content to on a regular schedule to maintain subscribers. Any brand name that can be salvaged will be revived whether you like it or not. This time, the fairytale doesn’t end as Giselle and her new family move to the suburbs to pursue a more quiet, simple life together. Will Disenchanted live up to the original?

Seldom do good movies launch exclusively on streaming services. This fall is seeing the release of the hotly anticipated Knives Out sequel on Netflix and even that is getting a shot at a theatrical run. If Disney had any real faith in this project whatsoever, it would get some kind of wider release. It’s clear from the start that this sequel was a passionless piece of content. That being said, it’s not devoid of quality. Enchanted is such an interesting concept and the cast is returning so there’s some things going for this sequel.
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Amy Adams as Giselle in Disney's live-action DISENCHANTED, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The best thing about the first movie is also the best thing about the sequel, which is the cast. Amy Adams and James Marsden seamlessly slip back into these iconic roles. The best idea for this sequel was having Adams play a contrasting role to what she did in the first one. She’s still hamming it up, but it feels fresh following up the first one. It’s nowhere near the caliber of the first movie, but that wasn’t Oscar worthy either. Patrick Dempsey is equally as unlikable in this movie as he was in the previous one except here he has nothing to do. Maya Rudolph is the big new addition to the cast and she clearly has fun doing the whole evil Queen stereotype. 

The musical numbers here are not as memorable as they were in the first one. Despite this, Disenchanted has another feather in its cap compared to other Disney live action rehashes because it’s filled with musical numbers. Nothing here is worthy of being added to your playlist. Speaking of unremarkable, but appreciated aspects of the movie, the animation is entirely uninspired. Either it’s 3D animation made to look like 2D animation or it’s cheap 2D animation. Disney has a reputation of being stingy on their budget for these projects they clearly have no faith in. 

It’s not the worst Disney live-action rehash, but that’s not saying anything at all. Eventually, Disney will run out of things audiences remember and start making more original content. When it comes to Disenchanted, stick to the first movie as this sequel is uninspired and skippable. 

Disenchanted is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 2/5
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SPIRITED -- The Movie That Killed Mystery Movie Night

11/9/2022

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Review by Adam Donato
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Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in "Spirited," premiering November 18, 2022 on Apple TV+.
Regal has been doing a fun little promotion as of late where they show a movie that has not been released yet for only $5. The screening is on a Monday night and is advertised with a large question mark. What a beautiful opportunity to trick audiences into seeing something they normally wouldn’t have seen under the guise of unlimited possibilities. The first of these screenings was hotly anticipated and turned out to be The Greatest Beer Run Ever from Apple TV+, a silly movie where Zac Efron goes to Vietnam to show support for his brothers in arms directed by the always astute Peter Farrelly. The second of these screenings still had audiences scratching their chin as to what it could possibly be. The popular lazy guess was Apple TV+’s new Christmas Carol reimagination Spirited because it’s from the same studio. Lo and behold, Apple TV+ strikes again. 

About the movie itself and not its release, Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell join forces for a comedy musical centered around the most classic Christmas tale known to man. A Christmas Carol has been done so many times, even The Muppets have done it. How can a story like this be fresh? The twist this story takes on the concept is not unlike Arthur Christmas, where the operation is run like a regular business. The haunting of the three ghosts is a routine affair being conducted by higher beings. This self aware approach acknowledges how run of the mill this story is and makes light of it. What’s better than the comedic benefit is what this change does for the theme of the movie. By the end, it’s still the same old story, but somehow they managed to squeeze out just enough juice for a glass.
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Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in "Spirited," premiering November 18, 2022 on Apple TV+.
Reynolds and Ferrell is an odd pairing, to say the least. As Ferrell seems to be a shell of the comedic powerhouse he used to be, Reynolds is reaching new heights with the Deadpool franchise and whatever science fiction comedy Shawn Levy has next. While most would agree that Ferrell has the better comedic acting chops, the question Spirited asks — which nobody has ever asked before — is which one of these guys can sing better. That’s right, baby. This is a full blown musical. It’s such a musical that there’s a character whose main bit is to complain every time a new number is about to start. All of the songs in the movie are generally fun and work in the context of the story and tone. The only problem is there’s nothing particularly memorable to add to your Spotify playlist (Spotify is to Apple Music as Netflix is to Apple TV+). That being said, having this be a musical lets this adaptation of the classic story stand out amongst the field that much more.

Somebody’s mom is going to love this movie so much. It’s generally fun and full of heart. It’s overly long, running at just over two hours, but there’s enough going on to keep audiences engaged. It will be interesting to see if Spirited makes an impact this Christmas season as streaming movies very easily slip into obscurity, especially since this is on one of the less popular streaming services. In keeping with the theme of this review, Spirited has just enough personality and unique aspects to be worth a watch. Check it out with the family this holiday season. If there’s another Mystery Movie Night screening in a month from now, it will surely be Will Smith’s Emancipation.

Spirited hits theaters on November 11 and Apple TV+ on November 18.

Rating: 3/5
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THE WONDER -- Annoying and Pretentious

11/2/2022

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Review by Adam Donato
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(L to R) Kíla Lord Cassidy as Anna O’Donnell, Tom Burke as Will Byrne, Florence Pugh as Lib Wright in The Wonder. Credit: Aidan Monaghan/Netflix © 2022.
The Wonder is the newest Netflix movie and this one has some significant names attached. Florence Pugh is one of the hottest (as in popular) young actresses working today. This year hasn’t been so hot though as Don’t Worry Darling had more drama behind the camera than in front of it. Director Sebastián Lelio won Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 2017. Put these two fantastic artists together and it's sure to be a hit. The story, based on a novel by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote Room, follows a nurse is hired to watch a young girl, who has managed to survive the last four months without eating food. 

The film opens with a monologue over a panning shot of a soundstage that is basically begging the audience to play along with the story. It becomes clear why this plea is occurring as the plot is so obnoxiously annoying and boring. The story takes place during the mid 1800s in the Irish Midlands so their science certainly isn’t up to par, but the concept is so outwardly ludicrous and handled with zero percent of a sense of humor. IMDb lists the film as a drama, mystery, and thriller. The story is so dark and full of superstition that one might mistake it for a horror movie without any scares. There is definitely drama and mystery, but the topic of discussion is so vexing that it’s hard to care.
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(L to R) Florence Pugh as Lib Wright, Josie Walker as Sister Michael in The Wonder. Credit: Aidan Monaghan/Netflix © 2022.
Florence Pugh and the rest of the cast do a good job. The look of the movie is good from a visual standpoint. The sets are very fitting and detailed. The filmmaking behind the movie is well done. The pacing and tone of the movie are where this picture really lacks. It’s hard to tell who this movie is even for. With how weird the concept is, it fits pretty well into the arthouse genre. The problem with streaming movies is they come and they go in record time. Unless they get nominated, they have no staying power. Even self-proclaimed streaming blockbusters like Red Notice and The Gray Man are forgotten just like that and no sequel announcement is going to change that. Netflix recently said they’re halting their vanity projects with talented directors. Lelio is a quality filmmaker and even a stinker like The Wonder has more artistic value than Red Notice or The Gray Man.

Pugh is quickly approaching being titled as a household name. If she gets more leading roles like this, but with some box office recognition she’s sure to be a staple for years to come. While this story is weird in all the wrong ways, there’s clear effort in the filmmaking involved. Maybe the mystery of how a girl can live without eating is more interesting than this review gives credit. Check this one out on Netflix to find out.

The Wonder is now playing in theaters and streams on Netflix beginning November 16.

Rating: 2/5
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