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Category: New Releases

  • The King’s Man (2021)

    The King’s Man (2021)

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    On a budget of over $100 million, Kingsman: The Golden Circle grossed $410 million worldwide despite a mixed reception. Following its release, director Matthew Vaughn confirmed that a third entry would be in production soon. This next installment would end the planned trilogy, though Vaughn decided to make a prequel. Since this would be telling the story of how the Kingsman was founded, none of the original cast would return. In 2018, the studio announced that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson were cast as the leads. Other cast members reported included Daniel Brühl, Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Gemma Arterton, and Djimon Hounsou. Filming commenced in January 2019 with a planned November release, but unfortunately, the film’s release was delayed numerous times. After being delayed for roughly two years, The King’s Man finally hit theaters in December 2021.

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    Synopsis

    It’s 1902, and Orlando (Ralph Fiennes) is visiting a South African concentration camp with his wife Emily (Alexandra Maria Lara). They’re working with the Red Cross when Emily is shot and killed during a sniper attack at the camp. Years later, Orlando lives with his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson), who wants to fight in WWI despite his father’s objections. They visit War Secretary Herbert Kitchener (Charles Dance), who ensures to Orlando that Conrad will not be able to enlist. Meanwhile, a shadowy organization led by “Shepherd” plans to further tensions between the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia. One of their agents is Grigori Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), a Russian monk who’s also a top advisor to the Tsar. He plans to convince the Tsar to pull out from the war, so Orlando and his spy network take action. Little do they know that there’s more at stake than they realize.

     

    Review

    One complaint I had with Kingsman: The Golden Circle was how chaotic and exhaustive the action sequences were. Even still, there was a sense of fun and energy to the film that made it exciting to watch. Unfortunately, The King’s Man lacks the spark that made the first two films so enjoyable in the first place. Before getting into the negatives, I will say that this has a decent cast with an exceptional lead. Ralph Fiennes does his best with the material given, and he’s easily the movie’s highlight. Rhys Ifans is having fun playing a larger-than-life villain, but unfortunately, he’s not in the film for long. Gemma Arterton and Djimon Honsou also make good additions, and Harris Dickinson does a decent job as Orlando’s son. And of course, there’s Charles Dance, who’s great in just about everything he’s in.

    Sadly, not even this talented cast can save a mainly dull film aside from a few moments. The only memorable sequences here are the fight with Rasputin and the climactic gunfight towards the end. Aside from these, most of the runtime is nothing but dialogue-heavy scenes of boring exposition and tedious back-and-forths. Also, whereas the first two movies prided themselves on having colorful, larger-than-life villains, there’s nothing to this film’s lead villain. As eccentric as Rasputin is, he’s not the primary villain, and the reveal leaves you asking more questions. At well over two hours long, several points in this movie feel like padding to further stretch the runtime. It’s disappointing that Kingsman: The Secret Service was so good, but the sequels gradually fell in quality. Overall, The King’s Man is a far cry from its insanely fun and exciting predecessors.

     

    Buy tickets to The King’s Man from Fandango: https://fandan.co/33Kdydt.

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  • Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

    Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

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    Towards the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, writer Mark Millar, and director Matthew Vaughn said a sequel might happen. Thankfully, the film grossed over $400 million worldwide on a budget of $81 million and received unanimous praise. Following the success, Fox announced that a sequel was in development, but it was unclear if Vaughn would be directing. However, in June 2015, Vaughn announced that he’d be returning to write and direct the sequel. There were concerns about Taron Egerton returning since he signed on to star in Robin Hood, which caused scheduling conflicts. Luckily, Lionsgate agreed to film after Egerton wrapped the Kingsman sequel and principal photography started in May 2016. Much of the original cast returned, alongside series newcomers Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, and Pedro Pascal. Three years after the original, Kingsman: The Golden Circle hit theaters in September 2017.

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    Synopsis

    Following the first film, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is now a full-fledged Kingsman living with his girlfriend Tilde (Hanna Alström). Unfortunately, after an attack by rejected Kingsman Charlie Hesketh (Edward Holcroft), The Kingsman headquarters and several agents are destroyed. The person responsible for the Kingsman’s destruction is Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore), a drug kingpin based in Cambodia. Her ultimate plan is to poison people who’ve been using her drugs and holding the world ransom. Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) discover The Statesman, the American counterpart to The Kingsman, and ask for their help. They meet with agents Champagne (Jeff Bridges), Tequila (Channing Tatum), Whiskey (Pedro Pascal), and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry). While at Statesman headquarters, Eggsy and Merlin discover that Harry Hart (Colin Firth) survived his fatal wound. With several of their loved ones dying, Eggsy must get everyone together to save the world once again.

     

    Review

    As far as sequels go, Kingsman: The Golden Circle continues what worked in the first film, for better or worse. It doubles down on what made the original work but lacks the first film’s spark. While the first film had several over-the-top action sequences, it still took time to give the audience breathing room. Here, there’s an action sequence almost every five minutes, and it gets chaotic and distracting after a while. The action is well-choreographed and well-edited, but they happen in such quick succession that it gets tiresome. Also, there are so many new characters introduced that it can be hard to keep track of them all. Still, the further worldbuilding is exciting, and it helps show that the Kingsman goes further than just a tailor shop. Admittedly, the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime makes it feel much more overwhelming.

    Still, plenty of aspects elevates the film from a decent sequel to a solid action film. For one, the cast all do a terrific job, both the returning actors and the newcomers to the series. Taron Egerton has fully evolved into a gentleman spy while still retaining his streetwise persona. Mark Strong gets a much more significant role, and having Colin Firth’s character start over is fascinating. While not as memorable as Samuel L. Jackson in the original, Julianne Moore makes a quirky yet sociopathic villain. The other American actors, particularly Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, and Pedro Pascal, are good despite lacking screentime. Also, even though his part is an extended cameo, Elton John is hilarious and has a decent action sequence. Overall, Kingsman: The Golden Circle doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but it’s still a decent watch.

     

    Buy Kingsman: The Golden Circle from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qhNCO1.

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  • Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

    Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

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    While sharing some drinks at a bar, writer Mark Millar and filmmaker Matthew Vaughn discussed spy films. They felt that the current spy films took themselves too seriously and wanted a more fun, old-school spy thriller. In 2012, the comic book The Secret Service, written by Millar and David Gibbons, was released and spanned six issues. Vaughn opted out of doing X-Men: Days of Future Past to direct Millar and Gibbons’ comic adaptation. They hired major talents like Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, and several newcomers for the cast. One of those newcomers was a relatively-unknown Taron Egerton, who had just graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Filming commenced in late 2013 on reportedly 1/3 of the $200 million budget of Skyfall. After premiering at the Butt-Numb-A-Thon Festival in 2014, Kingsman: The Secret Service hit theaters worldwide in early 2015.

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    Synopsis

    Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) is a juvenile delinquent living in an English slum with his mother, Michelle (Samantha Womack). Unbeknownst to him, his father was a special agent who worked for a secret agency called The Kingsman. After being arrested for grand theft auto, Eggsy is released from prison and meets fellow Kingsman Harry Hart (Colin Firth). Due to a recent opening in the organization, Hart takes Eggsy on as a potential candidate to become an agent. Meanwhile, Internet celebrity Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits influential figures to join his new world order. Valentine plans to wipe out the world’s human population by giving out free SIM cards that trigger people’s violent tendencies. Unfortunately, Eggsy fails his training, and Valentine takes Hart out of commission, but with few options, The Kingsman recruits Eggsy. Will Valentine succeed in his plan, or will The Kingsman save the world?

     

    Review

    Kingsman: The Secret Service skirts the line between being a parody and taking itself seriously as a spy thriller. It plays with the genre’s familiar tropes in a way that’s less mocking and more paying tribute. It’s somewhat similar to movies like Young Frankenstein, where they poke fun at the genre conventions in a loving way. Outside of that, this film works as a fun, energetic, and high-octane thrill ride that never lets up. There are so many action sequences that are well-staged, well-edited, and somewhat gruesome at times without being gratuitous. A few standouts include the massacre at the church and the scene where Eggsy infiltrates Valentine’s compound. As frantic as the action sequences are, the film takes time to develop the characters further and give breathing room. It helps that the writing is clever, and the actors give each character their own unique quirks.

    Colin Firth is perfect casting as the archetypal gentleman spy with his dry delivery and sarcastic humor. He has fantastic chemistry with Taron Egerton, who plays Eggsy with the right combination of attitude and sincerity. Michael Caine and Mark Strong are excellent in their supporting roles, and Samuel L. Jackson makes for an enjoyable villain. Sofia Boutella is also memorable as Jackson’s right hand, playing a robust, sexy character similar to Oddjob or Jaws. Sophie Cookson and Edward Holcroft do a good job, but unfortunately, neither character gets fully developed. Also, Mark Hamill is another standout in the small but pivotal role of Professor James Arnold. Admittedly, the film takes a while to get going, spending most of its time world-building, but it still delivers. Overall, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fun and exciting action film perfect for old-school spy fans and newcomers.

     

    Buy Kingsman: The Secret Service from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qgBBbt

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  • Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

    Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

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    My review of Spider-Man: Far From Home mentioned that sequel plans existed before Spider-Man: Homecoming. Unfortunately, plans stalled when Disney wanted to expand their deal with Sony, but neither could agree on the terms. Because of this, Sony announced that Spider-Man would no longer be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which upset fans. Thankfully, Tom Holland met with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman and convinced them to renegotiate. With the business handled, filming on the third installment started in October 2020, with the original cast and crew returning. Soon, reports began surfacing that many characters from previous Spider-Man movies would be returning, including Doc Ock and Electro. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the film’s release was delayed from July to November to December 2021. With tons of hype built up, Spider-Man: No Way Home finally hit theaters on December 17, 2021.

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    Synopsis

    After his secret identity is revealed, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has his life turned upside down. He’s labeled a murderer by conspiracy theorist J. Jonah Jamieson (J.K. Simmons), and people keep hounding him. After his friend Ned (Jacob Batolon) and girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) are rejected from MIT, Peter decides to try something extreme. He visits Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and asks if there’s a way that he can make everyone forget his secret. Strange starts performing an incantation to erase the world’s memory, but Parker has second thoughts and accidentally ruins the spell. While trying to appeal to the dean of MIT, Peter gets attacked by Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). It turns out that people from alternative dimensions who have ties to someone named Peter Parker have entered our world. Peter and his friends have to round up any other villains who’ve arrived, but they’ll need some help.

     

    Review

    After being hyped for several months, I’m happy to report that Spider-Man: No Way Home lives up to its expectations. First off, this is easily Tom Holland’s best performance as Spider-Man since debuting in Captain America: Civil War. While he still acts like the kid he did before, there are some emotional moments where his character grows. You feel just how the weight of his actions and what’s happened in previous movies has affected him. Jacob Batalon and Zendaya are given more to do, and their characters feel more fleshed out than before. Benedict Cumberbatch works great off of Holland as the voice of reason who gets more annoyed as Peter screws up. The action sequences are well-staged and exciting to watch, especially how they incorporate each of the villains. Additionally, each of the villains gets their moment to shine and doesn’t feel like unnecessary additions.

    My only major gripe with this film, which I’ve had with other MCU movies, is the lack of consistent tone. While most of the jokes land, there are times where they’ll ruin an otherwise dramatic moment with some awkward humor. Admittedly, the use of characters from older Spider-Man films might come off as fan service, which is understandable. Thankfully, the fan service doesn’t feel forced or like it’s added in to appeal to the hardcore fans. Unlike some of the fan service featured in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, it’s handled much more respectfully here. While the movie is long at roughly two and a half hours, it never feels boring or stretched out. Issues aside, this is still another excellent MCU movie that opens up tons of possibilities for future installments. Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home is easily the best MCU movie of 2021.

     

    Buy tickets to Spider-Man: No Way Home from Fandango: https://fandan.co/3dEKJRD.

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  • Carnal Monsters (2021)

    Carnal Monsters (2021)

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    Since the mid-2000s, Joe Cash has worked in special effects and stuntwork in big-budget films. He was a special effects assistant on the 2010 Wolfman, Underworld: Awakening, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Joe also performed stunts on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, World War Z, and Thor: The Dark World. Unfortunately, Cash was out of work with many major movie studios shutting down due to COVID-19. In the meantime, Joe set up Screaming Screening Productions, a low-budget company devoted to making B-movies. He got some work at Troma Entertainment directing segments for the anthologies Grindsploitation 9 and Grindsploitation 10: Milkin’ It. After filming the documentary Gorenography, Cash decided to make his first feature-length film on a small budget of £500. Despite some technical difficulties requiring them to discard 50% of footage, Carnal Monsters was released in late 2021.

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    Synopsis

    At the Tromaville Nuclear Research Center, Dr. Dilf (Ian Sen) consults with nurses Spanks (Alexxa Vice) and Meow (Laura Barker). Suddenly, a series of explosions force them to evacuate, but unfortunately, they die in a fiery car crash. Six months later, a group of five friends is enjoying their time together across the countryside. They play with beach balls, wander through the woods, have a sitdown, and talk about their lives. While walking past the remains of the research center, they find two girls who seem to be unconscious. The group takes them inside to treat their wounds, but the girls start going mad when they wake up. Before long, the group is picked off one-by-one by a group of masked assailants who the nuclear explosions have corrupted. Who will survive the incoming onslaught, and who will be the carnal monsters’ next victim?

     

    Review

    Before going any further, I’d like to thank Screaming Screening for sending me a screener copy of Carnal Monsters. They reached out and asked me to review this film for them and be as honest as possible. That said, this is by far one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen, and I’m not being hyperbolic. I want to be nice because this was made with no money by people making a silly movie. If all you’re looking for is copious amounts of nudity, crude jokes, and cheap gore, this is for you. While I enjoy these things as much as anyone else, that doesn’t make or break a movie. Here, it feels like these compensate for the film’s lack of a cohesive story and interesting characters. Even if it’s just brainless entertainment, you need a decent narrative to hold everything together.

    This thing is a pathetic excuse for a feature film even by Troma standards, and that’s saying a lot. Not only does it have a threadbare plot and no characterization, but it’s also a mess on a technical level. The audio is so bad that I had to turn down the volume whenever the sound would get blown out. Plus, there are several instances where they resort to using shaky-cam, making it even harder to watch. The movie also commits one of the biggest sins in cinema: never reference a better movie during your crappy movie. They use the theme music from Class of Nuke ‘Em High, add stock footage from Citizen Toxie, and even reference Frankenstein. Honestly, I can’t even recommend this as a so-bad-it’s-good movie because I’m sure this was made to be bad. Overall, Carnal Monsters is pure trash and not even fun trash.

     

    Follow Screaming Screening on all of their socials: https://linktr.ee/screamingscreening

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  • Pig (2021)

    Pig (2021)

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    While attending Yale University, aspiring filmmaker Michael Sarnoski wrote a screenplay with fellow Yale student Vanessa Block. At the time, Sarnoski wanted to explore themes of grief and loss after losing his father at a young age. He centered the script around this image of an older man and a pig living in the woods all alone. Sarnoski presented the script to WME, who suggested Nicolas Cage for the lead role after giving it a readthrough. Cage loved the writing and agreed to star, and through that, they cast Alex Wolff to star opposite him. With the cast in place, they began shooting in Portland, Oregon, in September of 2019 for roughly 20 days. Neon, the distributor for Ingrid Goes West, I, Tonya, and Parasite, picked up the film for distribution in March 2020. Finally, on July 16, 2021, Michael Sarnoski’s Pig hit the big screen in the US.

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    Synopsis

    Rob Feld (Nicolas Cage) is a hermit living in the woods outside of Portland with his pig and hunting truffles. He sells the truffles to Amir (Alex Wolff), who supplies ingredients to high-end restaurants and is Feld’s only outside contact. One night, a group of people break into Feld’s cabin, knock him out, and kidnap his pig. Feld asks Amir for help, and he points him to drug addicts Bree (Julia Bray) and Scratch (Elijah Ungvary). Unfortunately, the couple sold the pig, so Rob and Amir head to downtown Portland to find where the pig is. After chasing down various leads, it turns out that Amir’s father, Darius (Adam Arkin), was responsible for kidnapping the pig. Darius offers to pay Rob $25,000 to leave the pig, but he refuses and ends his partnership with Amir. Rob must do whatever it takes to get his pig back with nothing to lose.

     

    Review

    From how I described the movie, this sounds like it could be a John Wick-style action movie with Nic Cage. However, Pig is nothing like that, which will be good or bad depending on your expectations. Instead, this is an intense, character-driven drama that deals with loss, death, isolation, friendship, and finding hope. Even at roughly 90 minutes, this is a slow burn where not much happens, and it’s more dialogue-driven. It helps that the film has a beautiful cast delivering this well-written dialogue to help keep your attention. Nicolas Cage is in top form as a lowly hermit trying to live out his days with his beloved pig. Alex Wolff works perfectly off Cage as the young and inexperienced Amir dealing with family issues. Though he’s not in the film much, Adam Arkin stands out as Darius, both intense and grieving.

    While the rest of the cast does a good job, Nicolas Cage is easily the most substantial presence here. Admittedly, this comes at the price of the rest of the cast not given much material to work with. On the one hand, it’s better to have one fully-developed character than several characters you have to keep track of. However, it’s hard to care about the other characters when only one gets any backstory or character development. That said, the direction is wonderfully moody, and there’s a foreboding sense of dread throughout. Even when there’s no dialogue, you can feel the sadness and remorse on the actors just by looking at them. Most would probably dismiss this as a pretentious vehicle for Nicolas Cage, but they’d be missing out on something special. Overall, Pig is a wonderfully melancholy character study with an incredible lead that sticks with you after watching it.

     

    Buy Pig from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cXukY1.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Pig (2021)

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  • Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

    Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

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    Though it made nearly $230 million on a $144 million budget, the Ghostbusters reboot was considered a flop. Combined with its mixed reception, the studio decided to cancel plans to develop a sequel. In early 2019, the studio announced a new film that would follow the events of the original two films. Original director Ivan Reitman would serve as a producer while his son Jason Reitman would be directing. Jason gained much attention in Hollywood for critical darlings like Thank You For Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air. He was determined to make a film that respected his father’s originals while appealing to a new generation. After a 68-day shoot, the film initially had a July 2020 release planned but was delayed due to COVID-19. Following numerous delays, Ghostbusters: Afterlife finally saw its theatrical release in November of 2021.

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    Synopsis

    After being evicted, Callie (Carrie Coon) and her kids Phoebe (Grace Mckenna) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) move to Summerville. It turns out that Callie’s father had passed away and left them a dilapidated farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. They try making the most of their situation, Trevor getting a job at a diner and Phoebe attending summer school. While checking out the house, Phoebe and Trevor find the PKE Meter and Ecto-1, learning more about their grandfather. It turns out their grandfather was Egon Spengler, one of the Ghostbusters who mysteriously left everything behind. Phoebe learns more thanks to her teacher Gary (Paul Rudd), studying a series of earthquakes in the town. Soon enough, some paranormal activity starts happening, and there’s something bigger happening than just some earthquakes going on. Phoebe, Trevor, and her friend Podcast (Logan Kim) must save the world, but they’re going to need some help.

     

    Review

    Since the release of Ghostbusters II, people had been clamoring for another entry in the series. With this in mind and his dad was overseeing the production, Jason Reitman had to deliver to satisfy the fans. Thankfully, I’m happy to report that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a proper follow-up that respects the original while doing something new. This one goes for something much smaller and family-focused rather than repeating the same plot similar to the reboot. Not only that, but this film does a great job introducing new characters for new audiences without alienating long-time fans. Mckenna Grace is fantastic as Phoebe, an impossibly bright 12-year-old who’s weirdly likable with her dad jokes and dry delivery. As always, Paul Rudd is funny and loveable as the kindly teacher, though he’s not in the film much. Admittedly, Logan Kim comes off slightly annoying, but I eventually warmed up to him.

    Unfortunately, despite Finn Wolfhard and his love interest Celeste O’Connor giving good performances, there’s not much to their characters. Many critics have been dismissive of the film’s “fan service,” but I think the filmmakers got it just right. Rather than beating you over the head with references, this uses fan service and nostalgia to complement the story. Without going into spoilers, there’s one aspect that, if handled another way, would’ve come off as being in bad taste. Thankfully, it’s done respectfully and tugs at the heartstrings without feeling manipulative, though a moment early on made me nervous. While Jason Reitman is known for doing independent character-driven movies, he does a good job directing a big-budget blockbuster. Some pretty exciting action sequences, particularly a chase scene throughout the town, left me on the edge of my seat. Overall, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a worthy successor to the supernatural comedy classic.

     

    Buy tickets to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife in theaters from Fandango: https://fandan.co/3co17VR.

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  • Ghostbusters (2016)

    Ghostbusters (2016)

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    Despite being the eighth highest-grossing film of 1989, Columbia considered Ghostbusters II a critical and commercial failure. Because of this, plans for a third entry stalled, though talks of another film popped up over the years. While most everyone was on board, Bill Murray was very reluctant about returning, given how lackluster the second installment was. Several writers tossed numerous scripts, but eventually, the studio chose to reboot the franchise primarily due to Murray’s reluctance. After Harold Ramis’ passing in 2014, Ivan Reitman stayed as a producer while the studio decided Paul Feig to direct. Unfortunately, the reboot was under fire due to Feig’s insistence on an all-female cast, casting a shadow on the production. While plenty of hardened fans were disappointed by the changes, many of the people involved labeled them “entitled” and “misogynist.” Finally, in July of 2016, the dreaded reboot of Ghostbusters made its way into theaters.

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    Synopsis

    Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is a professor at Columbia University who has been trying to make tenure for years. Unfortunately, someone uncovers an old book she wrote about ghosts with her former partner Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy). She ends up going with Abby and her partner Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), to investigate the Aldridge Mansion. While there, they encounter a ghost and post a vlog declaring that ghosts exist, but they all get fired. Despite the firing, they decide to set up on top of a Chinese restaurant and start a business catching ghosts. Former MTA staffer Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) joins them after seeing ghosts in the New York subway. It turns out the recent surge of spirits is because of disgruntled hotel employee Rowan North (Neil Casey). He plans on bringing about the apocalypse, but will our female Ghostbusters be able to save the world?

     

    Review

    The 2016 Ghostbusters isn’t one of the worst movies ever made, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good movie. Even as its own thing, this is a comedy where almost none of the jokes land, and it’s embarrassing. The biggest issue is that none of the actresses know when to stop and are just rambling. It feels like Paul Feig thought they were so funny that anything they came up with was gold. There’s nothing wrong with actors adlibbing, but there comes the point where they have to stick to the script. Granted, it doesn’t help when the actresses are just playing exaggerated versions of characters from the original. For instance, Kate McKinnon is playing the Egon Spengler role if you dialed the quirkiness to 11. She’s having fun with the part, but it starts to get irritating very quickly, much like the other cast members.

    Honestly, I found Chris Hemsworth to be the funniest one, perfectly fitting the role of the loveable lunkhead. I can’t say the same for Neil Casey, who plays every single stereotypical basement-dwelling self-proclaimed intellectual you’ve ever seen. That’s not even getting into the cameos from the original cast, most of whom look downright embarrassed to be here. Also, it says something when the effects in the 1984 film have more creativity than the CGI cartoons shown here. For the record, the idea of an all-female Ghostbusters movie isn’t necessarily terrible, but it could’ve been so much better. This film might’ve turned out decent with a better script and a director who cared about the source material. Instead, it’s a black stain on a beloved franchise that audiences will quickly forget while the originals remain. Overall, the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot should’ve stayed in the containment unit instead of being set free.

     

    Buy Ghostbusters on Amazon: https://amzn.to/303mTfe.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Ghostbusters (2016)

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  • Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 (2017)

    Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 (2017)

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    While filming Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1, director Lloyd Kaufman decided to split the film into two parts. The first part had a limited theatrical release in late 2013 that the studio expanded in 2014. While critical reception was mixed, audiences loved it, and the film was awarded at the Fright Night Theatre Film Festival. Unfortunately, during the production of the second installment, funding for the film dried up, and they couldn’t afford post-work. To help cover the post-production costs, Troma launched a Kickstarter campaign in June 2015, which raised over $60,000. After a lengthy post-production process, they screened the film at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, which became Lloyd’s last appearance. Despite the screening going well, Kaufman claimed the staff abused the Troma employees and vowed never to return. Regardless, Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 premiered in late 2019.

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    Synopsis

    Picking up from where the last movie ended, Lauren (Catherine Corcoran) gives birth to a duck-human hybrid baby. Meanwhile, Principal Westly (Babette Bombshell) blackmails her girlfriend Chrissy (Asta Paredes) to take down her blog, which she refuses. It turns out Westly got ahold of footage showing Lauren and Chrissy together from local loser Zack (Zac Amico). Local reporters hound Chrissy about this, but she uses it as an opportunity to expose the corruption of Tromaorganics Inc. Elsewhere, CEO Lee Harvey Herzkauf (Lloyd Kaufman) has been huffing farts from high school students to stay young. He plans on sharing this with some influential figures, only for his supply to run out, causing him to mutate. With their fellow students at stake, Chrissy and Lauren must stop Herzkauf while also fighting off The Cretins. Also, a fully-mutated Kevin the WonderDuck returns to protect his lovechild with Lauren.

    Review

    Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 is more of the same as the last film. There’s just as much blood, boobs, slime, and political incorrectness as the first film, if not more so. Like the last one, this one has similarly higher production values, but you’ll notice where they had to cut corners. While there are still tons of practical effects, there’s also more dodgy CGI that feels out of place. Also, tons of recycled scenes are used as flashbacks to pad out the runtime, complete with tacked-on narration. Granted, Troma was having troubles behind the scenes, and it’s admirable that they could finish this given the circumstances. Plus, some of these flaws add to the overall campy and over-the-top nature of the production. It’s just one of the many struggles surrounding independent filmmaking, especially with a Troma movie.

    Like the last one, Asta Paredes and Catherine Corcoran have great chemistry and play off of each other well. While Paredes was more the center of Part 1, Corcoran gets the spotlight as her character grows further. Zac Amico is fun as the loveable and hateable loser who wants to get back at Chrissy and Lauren. He also has a hilarious nude scene that pays homage to the infamous streaking scene from Terror Firmer. Kaufman is great as the stereotypical corporate villain, who chews up as much scenery as possible. You also get appearances from Troma alums like Debbie Rochon, Ron Jeremy, Lemmy, Joe Fleishaker, Mark Torgl, and Stan Lee. This film has plenty of gross-out gags at under ninety minutes to satisfy Troma fans, even if parts do drag. Overall, Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 is exactly like the last one, warts and all.

     

    Buy Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GU9pTz.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA Vol. 2 (2017)

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  • Eternals (2021)

    Eternals (2021)

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    Legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby left Marvel in 1970 and joined DC Comics to create the “New Gods.” While he had a definitive ending planned, the series ended in 1972, and Kirby returned to work at Marvel. Originally dubbed “The Celestials,” these new god-like beings first appeared in 1976 as “The Eternals” due to legal reasons. In 2018, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that the characters would debut in Phase 4 of the MCU. The directors considered were Nicole Kassell, Travis Knight of Bumblebee fame, and the pair Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra. Eventually, they hired Chinese-American filmmaker Chloé Zhao, who gained much attention after directing the Oscar-winning film Nomadland. Though scheduled for a November 2020 release, the COVID-19 Pandemic caused numerous delays, initially settling for a February 2021 release. Eventually, Eternals saw its worldwide theatrical release in November of 2021.

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    Synopsis

    Thousands of years ago, the Celestial Arishem (David Kaye) sent god-like beings called The Eternals to Earth. Their mission is to destroy an infectious race called The Deviants, but they’re not allowed to interfere in human affairs. Due to internal conflicts, The Eternals go their separate ways and continue living their lives waiting for Arishem’s orders. In present-day London, Eternals Sersi (Gemma Chan) and Sprite (Lia McHugh) live together and enjoy everyday civilian life. One night, a Deviant called Kro (Bill Skarsgård) attacks them, but thankfully fellow Eternal Ikaris (Richard Madden) saves them. With the threat of the Deviants returning, they decide to find the other Eternals and reunite them. Unfortunately, a Deviant killed their former leader Ajak (Salma Hayek), so it’s up to Sersi to lead them. She gains the ability to speak with Arishem, but she soon learns more than she could’ve ever expected.

     

    Review

    Despite its flaws, Eternals is undoubtedly one of the more ambitious films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s plenty of introspection where the characters discuss humanity as a whole and how our issues make us human. Every cast member gives a stellar performance, particularly Gemma Chan and Richard Madden as the central focus. Though she doesn’t have tons of screentime, Salma Hayek is decent as the former leader conflicted with her mission. Kumail Nanjiani steals the show as the boisterous Kingo, whose character has become a famous Bollywood actor throughout multiple generations. Angelina Jolie doesn’t get many lines, but she shows a lot of her character just from her facial expressions. Admittedly, the one weak link in the cast is Barry Keoghan, who comes off very emotionless in his line deliveries. Also, Kit Harrington comes off bland, but that might’ve been intentional given the film’s later reveal.

    Another point this movie gets is for being inclusive without being in-your-face about its inclusivity. For instance, Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos turns out to be gay, but they don’t draw much attention to it. No one talks about him being gay, he and his husband don’t act stereotypically flamboyant, and it’s played relatively seriously. Unfortunately, the film’s pacing is somewhat haphazard as they constantly jump between flashbacks without any clear indication. Also, for all the more introspective stuff going on, there are the typical CGI fight scenes that bog everything down. They’re entertaining enough, but it’s the moments where it doesn’t feel like an MCU movie that is more compelling. While this is far from being the worst MCU movie, one can only hope that things improve after this one. Overall, Eternals has plenty to offer, but it feels like it’s collapsing under its weight.

     

    Buy tickets to Eternals in theaters now: https://fandan.co/3nJ2Wlw.

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