Review by Adam Donato One Of Them Days is one of the first releases of the new year and starts us off with a laugh. This is Keke Palmer’s first leading role on screen since her success in Nope. She is coupled with popular artist SZA as two best friends who need to regain their rent money by the end of the day. Helmed by first time director Lawrence Lamont and first time writer Syreeta Singleton, can this comedy survive on the chemistry of these two popular leading ladies? Keke Palmer has more personality in her pinky than most actresses have in their whole body. That includes SZA, who is not bad in the movie, but the writing for the character isn’t doing her any favors. She’s majorly unlikable and annoyingly foolish. For someone who doesn’t regularly act, this was not a failure of a performance though. She has good enough chemistry with Keke Palmer to keep this buddy comedy afloat. Palmer doesn’t need much help. There’s so many laughs gotten from her just messing around. The way she delivers her lines and the energy she brings to every scene is magnetic. It helps that most of the central characters are very attractive and this movie loves to take every opportunity to capitalize on that. This is a horned up comedy to the bone. The narrative of the film gives a clear timeline and is fraught with comedic opportunities. All their attempts to acquire more money and to stay out of trouble are very funny. The film often relies on cheap, over the top slapstick comedy. Character getting hurt in some outlandish and fake looking way. These aren’t as funny as the banter between the characters, but it’s enough to make this day seem like a wild ride. The story threads are wrapped up in similarly unconvincing ways and leaves off feeling too convenient. The film lives and dies on the backs of the bond between these two best friends. The quality of the film does not inspire me to watch more from the first time writer and director, unless they are coupled with inspiring talent.
Turns out the pairing of Palmer and SZA is enough to satisfy audiences. The whole screening was hooting and hollering throughout. One Of Them Days certainly accomplishes its goal of being a fun, crazy and raunchy comedy. Palmer should continue to thrive when it comes to landing more lead roles. Hopefully SZA can garner some more box office attention with her music stans. Check this one out in theaters this January for some lighter laughs. One of Them Days will be in theaters on January 17. Rating: 3/5
0 Comments
Review by Adam Donato Hollywood has a poor history of how it treats women, especially as they get older. Pamela Anderson has gone from the star of Baywatch and Playboy magazine to animal rights activist and award nominee. The Last Showgirl is a tale about an aged dancer who is struggling with her long standing show cancelling and her estranged daughter reentering her life. A role that Pamela almost didn’t have because her agent immediately threw out the script. Luckily, the script got back to Pamela who took the role and subsequently fired her agent. This story gives her a unique opportunity to express herself and say something about a problem in Hollywood that many struggle with. Many probably wrote Pamela Anderson off as a talentless bimbo, but hopefully those people check out her performance here. Anderson is fantastic and the extent that she goes to show her vulnerability is admirable. The role is one that’s both tragic and likable. She’s so proactive as she tries to move forward and make things right. Her performance feels like the opposite of what Demi Moore was able to accomplish in The Substance. Now those are two entirely different movies that are trying to accomplish different things, but they both explore similar themes. While that film explores the subject at large, The Last Showgirl tells a more personal story that’s easier to sympathize with. All of these feelings are on the shoulders of Pamela’s performance as she is well deserving of all the acclaim she’s received. The supporting cast is stellar all around. One of the biggest complaints of the film would be that it’s not longer to allow time to further flesh out some of these supporting characters. Dave Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis in particular are nominee worthy. Curtis completely transforms here and it’s clear she was passionate about the project because she signed on the moment she found out Pamela Anderson was leading. Bautista is the most prestigious example of a professional wrestler turned actor. It’s excellent casting as both Curtis and Bautista can certainly draw from experience when it comes to performers who have been chewed up by the system when they pass their physical prime, but have succeeded despite it. Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka also stand out in their supporting roles as fellow dancers.
It’s a good problem that The Last Showgirl leaves you wanting something more. The film is a very crushing representation of how our society uses women up and spots them out. Anderson’s honest portrayal of this character is deeply affecting and powerful. She’s well deserved of her opportunity to be back in the spotlight. The Last Showgirl will be in theaters on January 10. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato The musical biopic sub genre continues to thrive and will never go extinct. With so many coming out all the time, it’s imperative to make your film stand out. Better Man does nothing but stand out. The film is about a British pop star named Robbie Williams. Never heard of him? Neither have most Americans. The decision to portray Robbie Williams as a computer generated monkey man will definitely catch some people’s attention. There will be people who will only watch the movie because he’s a computer generated monkey. If that’s what it takes to expose people to the music and life of Robbie Williams, then whatever works. Unfortunately, the whole computer generated monkey man shtick doesn’t feel like an essential aspect of adapting this artist. It never fully connects in the narrative or about the person to justify the decision. Then it just feels reduced to relying on a gimmick. A fun gimmick, but a gimmick nonetheless. The narrative of the film is just like any other musical biopic complete with all of the cliches. It’s the type of story that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is parodying. The monkey man of it all is a welcome distraction from the mundanity. The quality of the computer animation looks very good too. They pulled it off, but some heavier moments are hard to take seriously when it’s happening to a monkey man. The musical sequences are quite dazzling and absolutely nuts. Michael Gracey had previously directed The Greatest Showman, which was an absolute hit at the box office and the songs still persist on the radio to this day. It’s clear how much Gracey has improved as the musical numbers are so full of life. Two that distinctly stand out are when they’re dancing in the street and the concert fight. You don’t even need to previously be a fan of the artist to enjoy his music. The songs range from fun to soulful and are sure to be new additions to your playlist. The clips of the musical numbers have already been making the rounds on social media and hopefully attract more open minded people to give the film a chance.
Most musical biopics follow the same type of structure, but Better Man does everything it can to differentiate itself from the crowd. It should be encouraged when filmmakers take big swings, even when they don’t fully work out. Similarly to Gracey’s past work, the musical sequences serve better as music videos than part of a movie with a compelling narrative. Robbie Williams’s story may not be remembered, but his personality is sure to shine through. American audiences should give this artist a chance in theaters this holiday season. Better Man will is in select theaters on December 25 before going wide on January 17. Rating: 3/5 Review by Adam Donato 2024 sees the release of a franchise film made with computer animation. A prequel that explains the origin of the relationship between the main leader and villain of the franchise. Of course, we’re talking about Transformers One. A film that was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, but absolutely floundered at the box office. A few months later, a very similar film came out called Mufasa: The Lion King. A film that’s likely to make a billion dollars, despite middling reviews. The remake of The Lion King is the tenth highest grossing movie of all time. Only a couple of months ago, an unnecessary continuation of a billion dollar movie came out in the form of Joker: Folie a Deux. That audience is a lot more particular with the quality of the film than the parents that will be when choosing what movie to take the family to see in theaters on Christmas Day this year. Look at last month’s release of Moana 2. A sequel that is inferior in every way possible to the original, but is going to go on to be the highest grossing animated movie of all time. Mufasa: The Lion King stole Lin Manuel Miranda from the Moana sequel and recruited acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins to helm the film. Is this influx of talent enough to overcome the clear conceptual problems with this prequel? Absolutely not. Barry Jenkins should go straight to jail. Do not pass go, but do collect a hefty paycheck. The hack claimed directing this project was not just a paycheck, but a week before release was quoted saying he doesn’t prefer this style of filmmaking and would like to return to smaller, more real projects. Great thing to say to get folks butts in seats this holiday season. Jenkins influence on the film is nonexistent. Mufasa: The Lion King could’ve just as easily been directed by Peyton Reed and most people wouldn’t notice the difference. The visual style of the film is still disgusting. There’s an effort to accentuate the facial expressions of the animals in the film compared to last time, but the problem remains the same. Making a musical with expressionless characters is a total contradiction. While competing holiday film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has main characters defined by bright contemporary colors, Mufasa’s characters are different shades of gray and brown. Now Jenkins didn’t invent the style of the film as he was hired to continue the look of the franchise. Nobody should feel bad for Jenkins though. He knew the paycheck would come with baggage. Take away his Oscar and don’t give it back until he makes three more real movies that have actual artistic integrity. Speaking of paychecks, Lin Manuel Miranda works more relentlessly than his popular stage character Hamilton. If he continues down this path, he may reach the same fate. The songs from Mufasa: The Lion King range from forgettable to laughable. Bye Bye is the most embarrassing moment of Mads Mikkelsen’s career. The villain song being so goofy totally contradicts everything else we see from his character as he’s a strictly serious force. The song from the trailer “I Always Wanted a Brother” starts out very catchy, but then the repeating of how the kids sing “brotha” gets funny quick. “We Go Together” does a lot of the heavy lifting with establishing the dynamic of the group, which overall feels rushed. Milele and Tell Me It’s You are both sweet, but don’t entirely hit home. Honestly, Moana 2 is looking much better after seeing Mufasa: The Lion King.
Similar narratives of the film have been executed more efficiently this year. Transformers One has multiple moments where the weight of the inherent betrayal hits hard. Mufasa fails to stick the landing on a relationship that is the soul of this movie. They played it safe and so there’s nothing to feel invested in. It all just feels cheap, rushed, and obligatory. The structure of the narrative is annoyingly intercut with scenes of Timon and Pumbaa making bad jokes as Rafiki tells the story to Kiara. The runtime is exactly two hours and what should feel like an epic narrative feels rushed. The Lion King 1 ½ being remade was an idea that was flirted with recently. Let Timon and Pumbaa shine there. Mufasa needs as much time as he can get. The film also relies heavily on references to the first movie. Remember this? This is how this character got this object! That type of lazy crap. There’s ingredients for a good movie in here, but the final product is not worth it. Disney opted not to take the criticism from the first movie and instead ran it back. The glaring faults of the film will be hidden by brand recognition and general inoffensiveness. Families will flock to Mufasa: The Lion King. The franchise will continue and paychecks will be cashed. The only hope is that these “artists” take their earned money and use it to make something new. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens in theaters on the exact same day. See that instead. Mufasa: The Lion King is in theaters on December 20. Rating: 1/5 Review by Adam Donato There are not a lot of studios that regularly pump out Christmas movies like Netflix. That Christmas is an animated film that was supposed to be a Warner Bros film, but got bought by Netflix. It’s based on a series of children’s books from Richard Curtis. The studio responsible for the film is Locksmith Animation, who was responsible for Ron’s Gone Wrong. The cast sports notable British actors like Bill Nighy, Jodie Whittaker, and Fiona Shaw, as well as the Scottish Brian Cox voicing Santa Clause. Does this Christmas adaptation have enough heart to be included in the family's Christmas movie rotation? That Christmas has nothing but heart. The story follows the impact of a major snowstorm on a community of families in a small town in England. There’s three central narratives that intertwine with one another. Who but the writer of Love Actually to pen this one. A shy new kid struggling with his parents divorce, twins who can’t be more opposite, and a group of children fending for themselves as their parents face the weather to get back home. These stories are all blended together nicely and come together in the end in a satisfying way. The themes of the movie deal with some pretty serious subjects and there’s some mild language, but this story works for all members of the family. All the characters have so much personality and are each memorable in their own way. The child characters sound and act like actual children, without being annoying. The character designs are nothing to write home about. The animation looks like any old computer generated animated movie these days. The lack of visual style to the film is covered by the personality, humor and heart of the characters. The dialogue is very cleverly written and the delivery from the reputable cast is on point.
One cliche of the medium is present in this film. About halfway through there’s a montage set to an original song from Ed Sheeran. The song is alright, but the film could’ve done without it. That being said, the runtime is already at a low 95 minutes. The rest of the film features a collection of references to radio hits. This coupled with some more modern references date the film. Nothing outwardly cringe worthy, but certainly noticeable. Unfortunately for That Christmas, it will probably be forgotten in the depth of Netflix’s catalog. 2019’s Klaus, which is a superior film, was so well regarded it received an Oscar nomination, but has seldom been talked about in the last half decade. The family that stumbles upon That Christmas when it’s auto played after The Christmas Chronicles will be rewarded for their faith. That Christmas is an absolute delight and better than most of the theatrically wide released animated films this year. It’s a family film that takes its audience seriously and would be enjoyed by all this holiday season. That Christmas is out on Netflix on 12/4. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato Disney Animation Studios may not be dealing with a world war or near bankruptcy, but this era is quite a low point for the studio. Wish and Strange World were total flops. Even when Encanto succeeded critically, it underachieved at the box office by the studio’s standards. Another hindrance in their box office is the insistence of Disney+. Audiences have been conditioned to know that they can skip the theaters since the movie will drop on the streaming service for free in a couple months. It’s safe to say Disney’s Revivial Era is long over. Besides Encanto, Disney has been crapping out impactless originals and lazy sequels. Will Moana 2 perpetuate this downward spiral? Not unlike Frozen 2, Moana 2 has been plagued with bad press centered around the making of it. Moana 2 was supposed to be a Disney+ series. Last year, Nielsen crowned Moana as the most streamed movie of the year with over 11 billion viewing minutes. From a business perspective, it was a no brainer to stretch this sequel out into a full blown movie. After seeing the film, there are pacing signs that show this was repurposed content. The animation feels up to par and the main voice cast is back, but Lin Manuel Miranda is noticeably missing. Do these disadvantages ruin the film? Moana 2 is fine. Every single aspect about this sequel is inferior to the original. There is not a single song here that is better than any song from the first movie. The jokes are lazy retreads of the exact same jokes from the first movie. The narrative is reminiscent of the story of the first movie. It’s really depressing for a movie about venturing outside of the norm to discover the new to have a sequel lacking in ambition. The only thing really new about this story is the sequel bait, which is hard to get excited about when the story of this movie feels like it’s lacking purpose. Families won’t go into this sequel with as much cynicism as cinephiles, but even then it will be surprising to see any fans of the first movie preferring the sequel. Criticisms aside, Moana 2 is a very digestible movie. The animation is still pretty and the world of this movie is such a vibrant place to revisit. It would’ve been nice for Moana 2 to take notes from another Disney sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, which sports a similar plot to the first, but feels unique as the location of the film couldn’t be more different from the first. Luckily for Moana 2, the location reflects a beautiful vacation type spot. Watching Moana swing around her boat is almost like watching Spiderman swing around New York City. She’s such a proactive character that’s full of personality so hanging out with her again is a delight. Seeing her grow as a leader and build more relationships with her people is rewarding. The songs aren’t anything to write home about, but there are songs and they are generally fun. There’s kind of a villain song that feels like a villain song, but isn’t really a villain song. Nothing bad with the music, just entirely unspectacular. The new characters are not very memorable, but cool enough and not annoying. Moana has a little sister with big front teeth who is very adorable. Moana 2 is one of the cutest movies of the year and families will eat it up.
Rewatching the first Moana after seeing the sequel is a depressing act as the level of passion and artistry has taken a huge hit. It’s not an instant classic, but it’s a fun and light movie that will entertain the masses. It will contend for the highest grossing animated movie of all time, but if Frozen 2 didn’t warrant a Best Animated Feature nomination, then this shouldn’t get one either. Listen to what the studio was saying in the first place: this “movie” belongs on a streaming service for kids to play on repeat. Watch it in theaters for a mildly fun, if not forgettable time. Even in a dismal year for animation, Moana 2 is more of the same for Disney Animation Studios: passionless and cynical content. Moana 2 is in theaters on November 27. Rating: 3/5 Review by Adam Donato Musical adaptations have not seen much success at the box office as of late. Mean Girls, The Color Purple, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights, and Cats all saw failure at the box office in the last five years. Wicked appears poised to buck the trend. These days musicals seem to try to hide the fact that they’re musicals, but Wicked brandished it like a badge of honor. The only thing it’s trying to hide is the fact that it’s a part-one situation. Just like Dune, the uninitiated will be going in completely unaware that this two-hour and forty-minute movie is only half of the story. The difference between Wicked and Dune is that Wicked Part Two is slated for next year, but Dune wasn’t a slam dunk to get a part two. Any inch marketing can get to squeeze out a larger audience. The film is dazzling. Despite its lengthy runtime, it’s engaging throughout. The film centers around the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba as they start out at odds with one another, but develop a sister-like bond. There have been many adaptations of The Wizard of Oz, but it’s been over a decade since the last theatrical adaptation of the story. That fact, coupled with the fresh perspective on the narrative, keeps this movie feeling fresh. It may not hold up to the original The Wizard of Oz, but that’s arguably the greatest fantasy film of all time. Regardless, they made something old feel new and it’s sure to delight audiences. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are electric together. It’s not easy to follow in the footsteps of Idina Menzel when it comes to singing, but Erivo does a great job hitting some of those notes. Her makeup looks convincing and her look overall was on point. The role requires a ton of dramatic weight that will have audiences on the verge of tears. Such a heartbreaking role and performance. Grande may be the more impressive performance as acting is not her main trade. Going from popstar to musical lead isn’t a total change, but it’s not a one to one comparison. Fans of Nickelodeon shows like Victorious and Sam & Cat know that Grande is hilarious, but she reminds the world here that she is. It’s a very physical comedic performance as well that kept the tone feeling light throughout. Her character has more of an arc than Erivo’s character, but that’s just due to the fact that this is more of Erivo’s story and this is only one half of the film.
A good deal of concern was brought up over the look of the film. Many were up in arms about the cinematography saying that it was too washed out and desaturated. This is less of a problem while watching the film. While the film doesn’t give you that bright technicolor feel like in the original, the world does look pretty and it’s not as distractingly dull like the Solo: A Star Wars Story is infamous for. The special effects hold up pretty well. There’s probably going to be more intense CGI in the second half of the story, but the talking animals and the flying sequences look good. It feels like the visual inverse of Oz the Great and Powerful, which was criticized for its over reliance on green screens. Wicked is very much a known commodity. It’s sure to be one of the biggest box office successes of the year despite tough competition in Moana 2 and Gladiator 2. The musical lives up to the lofty expectations and is sure to garner some awards nominations this year. What a glorious win for Broadway adaptations and for moviegoers everywhere. Be sure to check this one out in theaters this Thanksgiving season. Wicked will be in theaters on November 22. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato Curious how streaming sites decide when to let their movies be released in theaters and for how long. Any normal person would think that a big, action blockbuster starring Captain America, the yellow peanut M&M, and The Rock might attract people to come out to the theater. Of course these streaming sites don’t want to support the box office as they want to kill the theater industry and move movies to streaming. Short term payday or long term culture shift? Today, Amazon chose a wide theatrical release. Jake Kasdan has directed many comedy films, but Red One feels most akin to the Jumanji reboot duology. That franchise also stars The Rock and is a bad mouth, but family friendly, fantasy, action, adventure romp. Those movies were a big hit at the box office, but this time the franchise recognition is Santa Clause and The Rock’s reputation isn’t the same as it was five years ago. Speaking of five years ago, that’s the last time Chris Evans played Captain America. He’s collected a few streaming flops in that time in Ghosted, The Fall Guy, and Pain Hustlers. The marketing for Red One is pretty substantial for an original film like this. Seems like a pretty big gamble. There’s plenty of good ingredients here, but this movie is just corporate garbage. Evans and The Rock have zero chemistry together and the majority of the movie is just the two of them together. The constant lame one liners from Evans are cringe inducing and make him entirely unlikable. The Rock is the same old serious The Rock action man. Both of these guys are really good actors that have had success in the past and have the potential to succeed again, but Red One is no success. It’s funny thinking of Santa Clause as a franchise. Can’t make a blockbuster without some sort of name brand recognition. It is interesting to see the different takes on Santa in movies. This corporate ripped Santa and CIA esq crew are not a crazy new take. It’s reminiscent of Arthur Christmas, especially in its corporate aspect. The entire joke of J.K. Simmons’s Santa is that he’s ripped, but it’s funny because Santa is usually fat because he eats all the cookies. The elves are little CGI freaks. The trolls are big CGI freaks. One of the main supporting characters is a CGI polar bear named Garcia, who happens to be the only memorable character. Just seeing this corporate/special ops take on Santa coming from Amazon was sad.
The CGI in the film was disgusting. Again, outside of Garcia the polar bear. All the CGI characters had such ugly designs and were very unconvincing. There’s a scene where The Rock slides down a giant outdoor slide. Horrible. One of the recurring bits in the movie was that some characters would have the ability to shrink to about half their size in an instant like Ant-Man. This looks bad every time. That being said, there are some makeup and practical effects that look cool in this movie, this is especially true for Krampus and his horde of goons. It was reminiscent of the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A movie that’s quite similar in tone to Red One, but much, much better quality. The humor in the film is lazy. It’s littered with baseline “person getting hit or falling down” jokes. Red One is rated PG-13 and thinks mild cursing is a good punchline. They don’t even actually go for it. PG-13 allows one f bomb and they cut away from it. Either say the word or don’t. They want to appeal to the same type of kids that would go to a Marvel movie. This is really sad because Jake Kasdan has a very good track record of comedies. The film just feels passionless and artificial. When the people asked for original movies, this is not what they meant. Maybe paying Dwayne The Rock Johnson $50 million in 2024 wasn’t a good value contract. He cannot wait until Moana 2 revives him. Unluckily for Red One, Moana 2 is only a couple weeks away. Next week is only Gladiator 2 and Wicked. If Amazon would’ve kept this on streaming, nobody would’ve noticed this bellyflop. The masses may mildly enjoy this, but it’s not sneaking into the annual Christmas movie rotation. Red One is in theaters everywhere on November 15. Rating: 1/5 Review by Adam Donato Scott Beck and Bryan Woods put their names on the map when they came up with the story for A Quiet Place. They received their first chance to make a wide release movie in the form of 65, which flopped both critically and at the box office. The pair of filmmakers reteams not even a year later with Sophie Thatcher, the star of another horror film they wrote called The Boogeyman (2023). Thatcher and co-star Chloe East are young missionaries going door to door to spread the word of their religion when they come across the door of Hugh Grant’s character. Far removed is Grant from his heartthrob, romantic comedy days as his career has turned towards more fantasy, action, and comedies. Heretic is an A24 film and is sure to garner quite the audience due to that alone, but is it good enough to deserve the label. Hugh Grant is no stranger to playing the villain lately, and his performance in Heretic is where the movie shines. The film has a classic horror concept of a man holding a couple young women hostage, but diverts from the formula in that his character doesn’t appear to be openly hostile. Instead he’s more focused on deep discussions about theology and belief. The film peaks when Grant is monologuing about his cause. He’s so eloquent and charming. This adds a layer of uncertainty to the creepiness the missionaries are experiencing. Grant is quite funny as well, which helps keep this dark concept feeling light. He’s like a delightful, British Jigsaw. The main characters become more interesting as they gain more agency, but the majority of the film is carried by Grant’s performance. The film is all about religion as Grant’s character wrestles with the validity of religion and puts the missionary's faith to the test. In a horror landscape filled with Terrifier sequels, it’s nice to watch a horror film that encourages the audience to think. The themes are very engaging and it’s very interesting seeing the different perspectives the characters have about the concepts at play. While it is a film that heavily questions religion, the film isn’t insulting enough to completely alienate religious audiences. It’s an interesting subversion of cultural norms in this story as usually older generations maintain their religious faith, while young people seem to abandon religion. Here, we explore the opposite.
Thatcher and East are both good in the film. Missionaries are a group that’s easy to shut your door on, but the two actresses bring relatability to the role and make you sympathize with them. Their best scenes are when the two of them are alone talking about their thoughts and beliefs. The film quickly and clearly sets up how the two are similar, but different in certain ways, which sets the table for the concepts at play quite nicely. Heretic is a fun and thoughtful horror film that is sure to keep you guessing. The film plays with larger than life themes, but delivers them in digestible ways and finds a way to wrangle it into a satisfying conclusion. The slash ‘em up, gore fest horror fans may not be satisfied with this one, but if you enjoy engaging dialogue and debate, then Heretic is the horror film for you. Be sure to check this one out in theaters soon. Heretic is in theaters everywhere on November 8. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato As the first half of 2024 comes to a close, the film that reigns supreme at the box office is Inside Out 2. It seems the most reliable films at the box office this year are animated franchise sequels, as Kung Fu Panda 4 is also one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Another fourth film in an animated franchise kicks off the second half of the year in Despicable Me 4. It's funny how it used to be taboo to include the number four in your title. Most franchises opt to slap a colon and a second title so as to not alienate new fans who might find the task of catching up on three movies too daunting to see a fourth film. Despicable Me 4 wears the number like a badge of honor. That doesn't even include the two Minions spinoffs, which also feature Gru's story. It doesn't seem as though audiences are getting sick of the villain-turned-dad as Despicable Me 4 is primed to own the month of July as long as Inside Out 2 fever wains. Outside of the baby, Despicable Me 4 is indistinguishable from the prior two installments. Unfortunately, the minions are iconic characters. They're universal. Literally. It feels like the last Minions movie also had superhero versions of the mutants. Who cares? They're cute, and the rest of the movie is pretty light. Fans of the franchise will certainly be satisfied with this entry, but the ceiling is so low, and the floor is so high. Watch this movie in a theater full of kids and say it doesn't fully succeed in entertaining its target audience. Adults also enjoy it due to the relatability of the family and the broad humor of the silly minions. It's surefire fun for the whole family. The villain of the film, Maxime, is voiced by Will Ferrell. His character sports a voice reminiscent of his performance in Zoolander. Maxime has backstory beef with Gru, which is better than him being some random bad guy. He's pretty funny, but it's not Will Ferrell's best voice-acting work. The character just isn't given enough focus, as the middle of the movie has Gru doing some side quest with the girl next door. There are too many subplots going on and so many characters to keep up with, and it must all be wrapped up in 95 minutes. Maxime has a love interest in the film, voiced by Sofia Vergara, and she has nothing to do. Why make up this character, get a good comedic actress to voice her, and not give her anything to do? The Minions subplot has nothing to do with the film's main plotline. It's an entirely separate mission from what Gru and the family have going on. This does give Steve Coogan more of a role to shine. His character is turning the minions into Mega Minions. The most memorable thing about his character is that his name is a butt joke. This is the level of humor we're working with here. There were just as many adults laughing during the movie as there were kids. It's got mass appeal.
One thing the Despicable Me movies have always been known for is the music in their films. Pharrell Williams, who has a LEGO biopic coming out later this year, always brings it with good original songs for these movies. Double Life is a fun bop that sets the stage at the beginning of the film. The soundtrack usually has characters singing popular throwback hits. At the end of the day, it's a funny twist on a good song. Illumination goes back to the well, extending the franchise to a fourth film. Recent news came out saying they're taking The Simpsons model by not aging up their characters. With how sure of a success this film is destined to be at the box office, one may wonder if there will ever be a movie one day named Despicable Me 8. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's working enough. Despicable Me 4 is mildly entertaining and entirely unspecial. Despicable Me 4 hits theaters on July 3. Rating: 3/5 |
Archives
February 2025
Authors
All
|