Review: “Free Guy” is Unadulterated Video Game-Style Fun

If there’s anything Free Guy could’ve benefited from, it’s even more Ryan Reynolds.

In the film, Reynolds plays Guy, an NPC (Non-Player Character) in a hit video game character called Free City. If there’s one thing NPCs aren’t supposed to do, though, it’s wander off their pre-programmed daily script. That’s exactly what Guy does, much to the surprise and chagrin of the game’s programmer, Antoine (Taika Waititi). Despite some great Reynolds-isms (and renditions upon them) peppered throughout the film, he still oddly feels a bit restricted. As fun as Free Guy ends up being, I think there’s a case to be made for more of Reynolds’ signature charm.

That charm, by the way, is all over this movie. Even though he’s doing an innocent, happy-go-lucky, Will-Ferrell-from-Elf-type performance, the Ryan Reynolds we all know and love shines through, comedic sensibility and all. He’s easily one of the best parts of this movie — he has to be, as one of its main selling points.

Review: “The Suicide Squad” Shows Just How Great Comic Book Movies Can Be

One thing writer/director James Gunn is excellent at are conversations between intentionally quirky characters that come off as awkward at first, but end with a witty comment that make you smile and think that was amusing — what a clever dialogue that informs both characters involved. His new DC Comics film, The Suicide Squad, is absolutely chock-full of moments like these.

Keep in mind, I’m not complaining about these — they’ve been a Gunn staple since 2006’s Slither — but never have his style been so omnipresent than in The Suicide Squad. This is what happens when a director is given complete creative freedom on a no-holds-barred comic book film, and it’s absolutely glorious.

The cast of The Suicide Squad (which acts as a sequel/reboot to the 2016 film of a similar title) is littered with colorful characters, cherry-picked from the DC Comics by Gunn for their particular, oftentimes wacky, skills. TDK (Nathan Fillion), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Savant (Michael Rooker) and Javelin (Flula Borg) are among the supervillains recruited by big-time government suit Amanda Waller (a returning Viola Davis) and Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnamen) to liberate an island that recently experienced a violent coup and a change of leadership. No one is safe, and anyone could die at any moment — so don’t get attached.

Expanding the Universe: July 2021

Another month has come and gone, and the summer is drawing to a close. Blockbuster theatrical releases picked up in July 2021, but I still found plenty of time to revisit some old favorites. Here are succinct reviews of what I watched in July 2021.

Minions (2015)

By all rights, this movie should not have worked. Take the main characters: silly yellow talking fire hydrants who speak a nonsensical, hodge-podge language. How would you be able to stand 90 minutes watching them travel the world and romance actual fire hydrants? Somehow, though, Minions pulls it off, giving the titular characters motivations and *shudder* personality. Pierre Coffin does wonders as both director and the voice of the Minions, and there are entertaining visual gags aplenty. [Grade: A-]

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)

The Boss Baby: Family Business manages to top the original, cramming more inventive ideas in addition to an absolutely insane villain reveal. I can describe it as nothing more than typical action-packed family fun; there is always something happening onscreen, oftentimes too much. The themes cover family and growing up -- nothing new there -- but something about Family Business feels fresh. Perhaps the charm of a returning Alec Baldwin carries the film, but it is quite possible Family Business is simply a better film. [Grade: B+]

The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)

One advantage of the Fear Street trilogy, released by Netflix over three weeks and based loosely on novels by R.L. Stine, was that all three of the films were made sequentially with a singular, interconnected story in mind. Every revelation is intricately set up, references carry over and pay off, and the viewers are rewarded for catching little, seemingly superfluous details. Part One: 1994 is a stylized nostalgia fest undoubtedly made with a ‘90s ‘to do’ list side-by-side with the script. It introduces us to the mythology of the Sarah Fier, the so-called Witch of Shadyside, a town with increasingly bad luck and a growing number of bodies. Part Two: 1978 brings us back in time to show us a massacre at a summer camp, with awesome performances from Sadie Sink and Emily Rudd. Part Three: 1666 shows us the necessary context behind Sarah Fier and her curse, and does a great job of answering almost every question we have. The Fear Street series also has the benefit of being rated R, which means each one is a no-holds-barred gore fest. And to top it off, each one is better than the last, in a rarity for horror movie franchises. [Grade: A+]

Review: Welcome to the “Jungle Cruise”

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised when Jungle Cruise, the latest Disney period film to be based on a theme park ride (but almost certainly not the last), opened with an orchestral arrangement of a Metallica song — performed by Metallica themselves! It’s a bit of an odd choice, but the music, courtesy of James Newton Howard, continues to be wonderful throughout the entire film — thank goodness for its strong start.

Jungle Cruise stars Emily Blunt as Dr. Lily Houghton, who travels to the Amazon with her brother McGregor (had to look that one up), played by the pathetically charming Jack Whitehall. In the Amazon, Lily meets Frank, the charismatic and witty skipper of a charter boat played, of course, by guaranteed franchise-starter Dwayne Johnson. The three of them navigate through the jungle (I wish Jumanji hadn’t snatched up “Welcome to the Jungle,” an orchestral cover would’ve been a dream come true) in search of a MacGuffin that will heal the world, or something. It’s all in the name of adventure — the destination is less important than the journey here.

Review: Courage and Honor Drive “The Green Knight”

The best word I could think of as I sat in the theater, watching the credits fly by on screen for David Lowery’s new film The Green Knight, was “wow.” My thought process was soon able to transcend that single word and I could form coherent thoughts. Here they are.

Adapted from the 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, this hybrid fantasy/drama features Dev Patel as the titular Sir Gawain, faced with a choice one day in King Arthur’s court. A knight (played by the unrecognizable, yet incomparable Ralph Ineson) offers a challenge, for any member of the court to lay a blow against him with his own axe. However, one year hence, the knight will be able to do the same to the brave one who dares face him. The brash Gawain, seeking glory and recognition, decapitates the knight, but of course that isn’t the end. For Gawain, the story has only just begun.

As a critic, this film is hard to review. As a viewer, time lost all control as I was pulled into a fully-realized, dirty, grimy, brutal fantasy world, in which the rules of magic are never explained and you aren’t sure what’s real and what isn’t until the film’s conclusion…and even then, not every question is answered. I would be lying if I said this film didn’t spark conversation with the people I saw it with — in fact, The Green Knight led to some of the best film discussions I’ve had in a while.

Review: “Blood Red Sky” Puts Vampires on a Plane

In another world, Blood Red Sky is a tale about finding the line between the human and animalistic parts of ourselves, and the sophistications of maintaining a balance between the two. In our world, on the other hand, it’s just about vampires on a plane.

I’m kind of glad we got the story that we got, though. It may not be that deep or intelligent, but Blood Red Sky pulls off its premise surprisingly well. German widow Nadja (Peri Baumeister), apparently suffering from leukemia, boards a plane to New York with her soft-spoken son Elias (Carl Anton Koch). The plane is hijacked mid-flight, and for a bit we follow the expected story pattern of terrorists taking control. This time, though, there’s an added twist — here there be monsters, and they’re hungry for blood.

It might sound delightfully absurd (á la Snakes on a Plane), and believe me, it is, but there’s so much more to it. The film plays everything completely straight, even the absolutely ludicrous concepts it continues to introduce. Writer/director Peter Thorwarth’s story makes the most of its premise and gives us exactly what it entails — an action-packed, hyper-violent thrill ride. Aeorophobics, beware.

Review: Shyamalan is Back on Top in Surreal Thriller “Old”

This afternoon, I tried explaining the entire plot of M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller Old to my mother, who promised me she was never going to watch it. After doing the best I could, I realized how absurd and nonsensical it sounded coming out of my mouth. The story, but all rights, is relatively simple, so I had no idea why I couldn’t do it justice. Maybe I’m just bad at explaining the plots of films I enjoy.

Then I realized: Old is an experience. The eerie one-word title and promising plot twists don’t mean too much at all when you’re not watching them onscreen. Shyamalan’s films have always been twisty and turny, but Old is something else entirely — it’s visceral, profound, disturbing, depressing, and everywhere in between.

Review: “Space Jam: A New Legacy” is an Entertaining Diversion

There’s only so much star power a movie can have. Pulp Fiction and Interstellar show how to do it right — the cast gets their time to shine, and isn’t overshadowed by the sheer amount of talent involved. The opposite is true for Space Jam: A New Legacy.

While the sequel to the 1996 cult classic isn’t so much bogged down by the actors involved (though there are many), it mostly suffers from an influx of intellectual property (IP). Warner Bros, the studio behind about half of the movies and shows you love, has decided to throw all of their IP at the Space Jam wall and see what sticks. This movie is about the Looney Tunes playing basketball, but you’ll see cameos from King Kong, the Iron Giant, the Scooby gang, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and many more. Too many, in fact.

Review: “Gunpowder Milkshake” is Just Another Day at the Office

Imagine a psychedelic 70s action movie, made in the present day. Now imagine that it was the most ridiculously violent thing you’ve ever seen.

Bingo. You’ve got Gunpowder Milkshake.

This new action/comedy from Netflix stars Karen Gillan as Sam, an assassin who loses the protection of a powerful guild after a job goes south. So she gives herself a new mission — protecting Emily (Chloe Coleman), the spunky eight (and three quarters) year old daughter of one of Sam’s targets. This is set in a world with a hospital, library and diner specifically for hitmen (and, more importantly, women) — very clearly inspired by John Wick and Hotel Artemis, just a few of the many influences that the film boasts.

Review: Ice Nine Kills is Top of Their Game with “Hip To Be Scared”

“This confession has meant…nothing.”

Horror-themed band Ice Nine Kills is a recent discovery of mine. Their best album (as “Hip To Be Scared” proclaims) is undoubtedly The Silver Scream, released in 2018. Most every song is inspired by a horror film, leading to some wildly inventive lyrics and brilliant melodies.

While they specialize in heavy metal, I enjoy Ice Nine Kills the most when they stray from that path. Their acoustic-only live album Undead and Unplugged, recorded at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, is a favorite of mine, because it converts their usually fast-paced and loud songs into subtler, slower versions that I can get on board with.

Ahead of the debut of their new album, The Silver Scream 2: Horrorwood, INK (as they’re known by their fanbase) has released a single from the album entitled “Hip to be Scared.” It’s inspired by American Psycho, and features numerous lyrical references to specific events in the film. They don’t mean much to me at the moment as I haven’t actually seen the film, but what I can appreciate is that the song combines moments of heavy metal with a more subdued melody, fit in between musical skits that poke fun at the band itself. It’s INK at their most self-referential, irreverent humor yet, and I’m here for it.

I feel like this is the beginning of a reinvention, and The Silver Scream was the leap they needed to get here. If The Silver Scream 2 includes more songs like this, I’m fully on board. And if the devil makes exceptions, consider me an All-American Psycho. [Grade: A]

Review: The First Season of “Loki” Takes the MCU to Bizarre New Heights

There’s never been a better time to be a Marvel fan.

They’re spoiling us with content, honestly. Black Widow released smack dab in the middle of Loki’s run, and we have another Disney+ TV series coming in just under a month. And when you think of the sheer amount of films they have planned for the future…hoo boy.

But today, I’m here to talk about the first season of Loki, which changed the game of the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet again, introducing the Time Variance Authority, which is perhaps “the greatest power in the universe,” according to the Trickster God himself.

First of all, I’ll be discussing major spoilers in this review — I don’t know how I’d cover this show with mentioning some key plot points. If I discussed anything specific beyond episode one, I’d be branching into that territory, so I just figured I’d go full send, no holds barred. It’s what Loki would want.

I’m fresh off the season finale, so excuse any recency bias I may have. One thing that I can be sure of, confidently, if that Loki is the most creative MCU series thus far. WandaVision (which had the benefit of being first) did something completely different, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier returned to the more straightforward MCU procedure. Loki once again threw away the playbook and elected to forge its own path…and damn, is it glorious.

The 2021 Emmy Nominations Celebrate what the Oscars Ignore

For decades, the Academy Awards have been largely about recognizing lesser-known films and performances. Be honest — how many average viewers saw Minari, The Father or Sound of Metal, in comparison with the 2020 nominations (Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood etc). To be fair, there weren’t many high-awareness movies released in 2020, but it’s always felt to me like the Golden Globes and Emmys have been better about appealing to the masses, as opposed to solely the cinephiles.

This year especially, the Emmys have seen fit to recognize two big blockbuster franchises that the Oscars have largely ignored for years: Marvel and Star Wars. Sure, Black Panther got nominated for Best Picture in 2019, and John Williams was nominated for six of the nine Star Wars films he worked on, but they’ve always been an underrepresented part of awards — not to mention some of the most successful franchises the entertainment world has ever seen.

In the 73rd Emmys (which take place September 19), The Mandalorian and The Crown have received the most nominations, each with 24. The expected hits are nominated for Best Drama Series, including The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale and This Is Us, but Amazon Prime’s The Boys has been unexpectedly thrown in there — another win for fans of the superhero genre (even though its chances of actually winning the award are slim to none, it’s great that it’s at least recognized for being a top-tier show).

Review: “Black Widow” Provides Closure for an Icon

When you Google Scarlett Johansson, you may notice that the first four films that pop up are from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which she plays Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow. It’s arguably her most iconic role, and for good reason — she’s been part of the well-established universe for twelve years, and in that time her character has emerged from relative obscurity into mainstream pop culture knowledge. When compared with her Avengers co-stars, though, her story is very much lacking.

Now, Johansson is the third of the original Avengers to retire from the MCU, following in the footsteps of Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans. It’s only now that Marvel has deemed it necessary to give Natasha a solo film, after her death in Avengers: Endgame. I suppose they hoped it would be more meaningful, retroactively giving the character more merit so we’re sadder to see her go.

In that regard, they’re partially successful. Because Black Widow is set between 2016’s Captain America: Civil War and 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, it’s able to give Natasha a storyline worthy of her status as the “enigmatic, mysterious” Avenger. She’s trying to make peace with her past, an arc which is made more poetic and satisfying because we know that this is her last chance to do so, and the outcome is even more cathartic for that same reason.

“Teenage Bounty Hunters” Review: (Semi) Wholesome Fun, Grounded in Realism, Filled with Surprises

After a fun fantasy binge, I was in the mood to watch something a little more…grounded. Something down-to-earth, something that was fun, practical, and easy to understand.

So, I picked a show that was brand-new to Netflix. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve recently made.

Teenage Bounty Hunters has the premise summed up right in its title. The bounty hunters in question are fraternal twins Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair Wesley (Anjelica Bette Fellini), who take a job with more experienced hunter Bowser (Kadeem Hardison) in order to pay for the damage they do to their father’s truck.

“The Witcher” Season One Review: Dive Deep into a New Fantasy World

Up until recently, I’d never played a video game, and I’ve never been knowledgeable of the subject, but I knew some of the major ones; and one that I’d always heard of but never paid much attention to was the Witcher games, adapted by the Polish fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. As with any other game, they never interested me…until Netflix announced a big-budgeted episode series based on the stories of the novels and games.

Now, this didn’t exactly catch my fancy, but I saw news about it. It was given a massive budget, Henry Cavill (known to me then exclusively as the DCEU’s Superman) campaigned for the lead role of Geralt of Rivia, and he eventually got it. Until its release, I put it on my radar.

The week that it was released, a bunch of my friends had already binged the entire series. It was winter break, and so everyone had more time on their hands. On the first day of the new year, I watched the first episode to see what all the fuss was about.

“Lovecraft Country” (Pilot) Review: A Timely Tale of Racial Terror

You’d think that a story apparently based on the stories of H.P. Lovecraft would be mostly horror-oriented. When Jordan Peele and JJ Abrams are involved, though, it turned out to be quite the opposite.

Aside from a signaturely weird HBO opening sequence and the final scene, the premiere of Lovecraft Country is entirely focused on a timely and important real-life horror: racism, in particular the injustices of the 20th century.

Set in 1950s white America, Black sci-fi fan Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) sets off on a road trip with his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), the publisher of the Safe Negro Travel Guide, and his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) to find his missing father and claim a birthright he never knew he had. It’s a basic premise, but one that lends itself to a number of potential paths. If the rest of the series is anything like the pilot, I very much like the one it settled on.

“An American Pickle” Review: Defying All Sorts of Expectations

Despite being a comedy, An American Pickle manages to defy Seth Rogen’s genre.

How, you might ask? How does this new streaming film challenge the typically-R-rated actor’s method of entertainment?

To start off, most of his films are “rooted in realism.” This doesn’t mean their contrived conflicts and insanity could (and would) actually happen, but they’re set in a familiar time, or political climate, that the audience can relate to.

Of course, there are some exceptions. Sausage Party and This is the End, among others, don’t exactly scream ‘relatable.’ However, An American Pickle isn’t a part of that group, but it wouldn’t find a place among his other films either. Instead, it’s in a league of its own.

“The Umbrella Academy” Season Two Review: The Seven Stages of Fun

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in August 2020.

by Rowan Wood

Time travel is a tricky business, that arrives, much like the heroes in the latest season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, with a whole host of questions: how do you avoid cliché time travel pitfalls? How can these characters grow and evolve, beyond their first-season selves? Most of all, how do you keep things original, and unique to the world you’ve created?

Thankfully, Netflix’s big-budget, ten-episode format is the perfect medium to tell the story that the show needed to tell. After the massive cliffhanger of the first season, the superpowered Hargreeves siblings are stranded at different points in the early 1960s, and must reunite to stop a world-ending apocalypse on November 25, 1963.

“The Umbrella Academy” Season One Review: Addictive, Fantastical Hero Drama

Weird is the new norm for television. And while the first season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy is certainly not as outlandish and far-reaching as the comic series it’s based on, it certainly (rather gleefully) buys into the strangeness that the world offers.

Set contemporarily (though the timeline is ambiguous, and full of anachronisms), the superbly styled first season picks up thirty years after a number of women around the world mysteriously gave birth, despite having never been pregnant in the first place. Eccentric billionaire Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) manages to purchase seven of the children, and he raises them to be a profitable team of superheroes (given that, aside from one of them, the children all have extraordinary abilities).

“Deadpool 2” (2018) Review: Maximum Effort

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in June 2018.

Typically, when people think of superhero movies, they think of an action-packed thrill ride packed with shocking moments and witty one-liners. In 2016, Deadpool stunned audiences as a superhero flick that somehow contained all the foul language, sexual references, fourth-wall breaking and gory violence that it could fit under two hours, while also managing to be a heartfelt tale of true love.

Now, in 2018, a rather unimaginatively-titled sequel has been released (you guessed it, Deadpool 2) and it’s just as graphic and awesome as the original.

“Little Women” (2019) Review: Some Stories are Truly Timeless

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in December 2019.

Greta Gerwig, writer and director of 2017’s critically-acclaimed Lady Bird, has thrown her hat into the ring and adapted Louisa May Alcott’s classic 19th century novel Little Women for the big screen for the seventh time.

Gerwig’s adaptation stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen as sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth March, respectively. The film follows them at two different points in their lives: once during the Civil War, as they come of age, and then seven years later, as they’ve matured and are moving into the next phase of their lives. The non-linear style of storytelling is a strength of the film, and it’s very interesting to watch how the different timelines complement each other by answering some questions, but raising others.

“Shazam!” (2019) Review: Wholesome Superhero Family Fun

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in April 2019.

Have you ever wondered what Big might have been like if it had been a superhero flick?

Well, that’s more or less the premise of Shazam!

Foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is recruited by a wizard named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) to become his “champion” for righteousness. Transformed into a powerful older version of himself (Zachary Levi) every time he says the wizard’s name, Billy turns to his foster brother, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), a self-confessed superhero fan, for help in controlling his newfound abilities. While they’re busy with that, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), a man who was rejected by Shazam years ago for being too easily tempted, teams up with demons that are the physical forms of the Seven Deadly Sins to attain Billy’s power.

And so we have ourselves a superhero movie.

“Mary Poppins Returns” (2018) Review: A Spoonful of Nostalgia

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in January 2019.

“Close your mouth, Michael, we are still not a codfish.”

This remark is just one of the many callbacks that comes from Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), who returns to the home of the Banks family from Disney’s classic 1964 film Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns to help Michael (Ben Whishaw) and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer), who are trying to save their family home from the greedy bank that Michael works for, spearheaded by William Weatherall Wilkins (played deviously by Colin Firth).

It seems like a by-the-numbers plot, but it’s enough of a story to create a thread to connect the many extravagant musical and dance numbers that this film contains; unfortunately, while the original’s iconic songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” are classic Disney tunes, the music of Mary Poppins Returns doesn’t resonate with the viewer as much as it should; however, it does contain a number of jolly tunes that will have you humming as you exit the theater.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) Review: Doing a Legend Justice

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in December 2018.

Queen is one of the most recognizable names in the music industry — they have brought to life such classic songs as “We Are the Champions,” “Killer Queen,” and, of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Every member of the band is still alive except for Freddie Mercury, who was the lead vocalist, and one of the most flamboyant performers the world has ever seen. He died at the age of 45 from the AIDs epidemic of the late 20th century, and his story has been immortalized in the biopic, also titled Bohemian Rhapsody.

Doctor Who Rewatch: S7E6 “The Bells of Saint John”

The reintroduction of Clara in “The Snowmen” proves to be a more than adequate springboard for “The Bells of Saint John,” the midseason opener that is just a little confused about whether it wants to be a clever social commentary or a straightforward action/mystery.

Allow me to explain.

After an unsettling pre-credits sequence, “The Bells of Saint John” begins with Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) trying to access the internet in a family friends’ house. Not understanding how Wi-fi works is a good gimmick for about thirty seconds (thank goodness they didn’t try to make her lack of technical expertise a major part of Clara’s character), but luckily, the Doctor (Matt Smith) soon arrives, ready to save the day.

“Hamilton” Review: Say Yes to This!

“What’s your name, man?”

I don’t know of a single musical theatre fan that has never either longed to, or has been lucky enough, to see Hamilton live on stage. And the only thing more exciting than seeing a live performance of Hamilton is seeing the show with its original cast.

Now, finally, the latter is possible again, nearly four years after the cast’s exit. A professionally recorded version of a few 2016 performances (all spliced together) has debuted on Disney+, and even if you’ve seen the show once, twice, three times before, this is a completely new way to experience the show.

Doctor Who Rewatch: 2012 Christmas Special “The Snowmen”

Some say that Doctor Who is only as good as its guest stars. If that were true, then “The Snowmen” is golden — a perfect segue from Amy and Rory’s sudden exit to the fun mystery of the Impossible Girl.

Not only does it have fantastic guests, its setting is chillingly gothic. The wintry atmosphere of Victorian London not only perfectly communicates the Doctor’s depression at losing Amy and Rory, it also provides a great environment for a genuinely scary Christmas special, perhaps the first in the show’s history.

“Doom Patrol” Season One Review: A Wildly Insane Superhero Comedy with Heart

Where else have you seen a robot man fighting a giant alligator for his daughter, mere episodes away from a horde of butts on legs escaping a government facility and a sentient street having a massive sexual climax?

The creative team behind Doom Patrol is very obviously firmly committed to the weirdness that the creatively quirky superheroes brings to the silver screen. Couple that with actors that are as dedicated to the strangeness, and you get a highly entertaining introductory season to the most unconventional superhero series out there.

“Love, Victor” Season One Review: Squeal-Worthy Teen Drama

Love, Simon didn’t need a sequel. It was a perfectly self-contained story, so I must admit I was skeptical when Disney announced they were producing a TV series, set in the same world, that would follow new characters while also featuring a few returning ones.

Thankfully, my cynicism was not well-founded. Love, Victor is able to separate itself from the show while also involving some of its most important elements. There are a few returning characters (chiefly, Nick Robinson’s Simon Spier, one of the show’s narrators), but Love, Victor feels like a very distinct entry in this world, alike enough to its source material to satisfy fans of shared universes, while also being unique and introducing some new ideas.

“The Invisible Man” (2020) Review: A Hidden Gem

In the short history of blockbuster cinematic universes, none has been a more high-profile failure than Universal’s Dark Universe, which would have featured crossovers between well-known Universal monsters such as Frankenstein and Dracula. However, after the disastrous performances of Dracula Untold and The Mummy at the box office, Universal opted to go the standalone route. The Invisible Man is the first film to emerge from that endeavor, and if future films are as successful as this one, there’s hope for the series yet.

Horror movies have never been my favorite genre, but I’ve always been fascinated by the creative ideas they present and their ability to convey real-life concepts through their stories. The Invisible Man is a fantastic example, telling the story of Cecilia Kass (a crazily on-edge Elisabeth Moss), who believes that her controlling and abusive ex-boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has faked his death, figured out a way to turn invisible and is coming after her.

“The Lion King” (2019) Review: Another Pointless Remake

The visuals really are impressive.

Disney has clearly gotten it into their heads that if they remake their classic films, even from within the past twenty years, with the added twist of ‘live-action,’ that people will watch them — and they’re right.

The Lion King is the perfect example of that — a nearly carbon-copy of the 1994 original, only in the 2019 version everything is photorealistic, from the animals’ expressions to the (mostly empty) African landscape.

There are a few problems with this — namely, the mouths of animals, notably lions, aren’t made for human speech, so at times they look clumsy and awkward while speaking. Then there’s the issue that, since the lions’ faces don’t betray much emotion, the actors have to match that with their voices — and that creates a tedious amount of unemotional performances from actors that usually are dazzlingly dynamic while on screen.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Review: High Amounts of Flavorful Style

“Don’t flirt with her.”

To those unfamiliar or uncomfortable with Wes Anderson’s filmmaking style, The Grand Budapest Hotel’s wacky vibe might throw you off. From the very beginning, you’re plummeted into a world that could only exist in the mind of a stylistic creative type, and it’s not exactly jarring…it just takes some getting used to.

The plot? Hard to explain. The production design? Difficult to do justice. There’s a lot held within the film’s surprisingly short 100-minute runtime, including a story-within-a-story-within-a-story set-up that on the surface seem purposeless and trivial, but actually contains immense depth (as Wes Anderson stories typically do). If you think about this film for a while, you might come to a conclusion that the story is about nostalgia and the significance of the past (hence the deeply layered storytelling), and the effects of the stylistic past on the present.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” Review: The Diminishing Stock of Morals

by Danial Cousins

What a smug bastard.

The Wolf of Wall Street is an excellent lesson on the downfalls of excess. Based on a true story, the film features Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) starts a brokerage under the name Stratton Oakmont, selling low cost penny stocks to the rich for way more than they are worth for a 50% commission. The director (Martin Scorsese), and writers Terence Winter (of the screenplay) and Jordan Belfort (of the book the film is based on), show the audience the absurd nature of stockbrokers in this firm, and the ludicrous and unnecessary amount of money each person makes.

“Space Force” Episodes 1-4 Review: Finding Its Footing

Space Force is a very interesting series, for a number of reasons. Created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carrell not long after the new branch of the United States military was announced, the Netflix show manages to be funny while also being politically inoffensive (a smart move on the writer’s part).

It would be very easy for this show to ridicule the current administration for the creation of such an absurd-sounding military branch, and true, some characters do. The writers’ feelings about the President are alluded to, but surprisingly, it’s a relatively politics-lite show.

Newly promoted four-star Air Force General Mark Naird (Steve Carrell) is put in charge of the brand-new Space Force and, much to his family’s chagrin, they have to move to a remote town in Colorado. Jump to a year later, where the Space Force has made leaps and bounds towards their goal to get “boots on the moon” by 2024. However, there’s still day-to-day trouble that Mark and his employees have to deal with.

“Ready or Not” Review: Something for Everyone

You drew the wrong card, Grace...

Is there any such thing as an original movie anymore? As in, are there any truly original ideas in today’s entertainment world? Some topics and subjects have been done to death, but some have been barely touched. However, it’s always possible to revitalize a certain topic, and put a new spin on it to create an incredibly enjoyable story that somehow makes you forget about where you’ve seen these elements before.

Take Ready or Not, a wickedly fun hybrid of a number of tropes: weird, darkly comedic in-laws (Meet the Fockers), human hunting (The Most Dangerous Game) and deals with the devil (Damn Yankees). As you can see, these are relatively widespread story elements; however, Ready or Not manages to meld them all together in an extremely entertaining fashion.