Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
PG  ‧ Action Adventure ‧ 1 Hours 32 Minutes

Written by Matthew Fogel

Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

THE CAST

  • Chris Pratt as Mario
  • Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
  • Charlie Day as Luigi
  • Jack Black as Bowser
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Toad:
  • Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong:
  • Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong:
  • Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike
  • Charles Martinet, who voices Mario and Luigi in the Mario games, has various cameos. 
  • Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek

THE STORY

(In their own words). With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Nostalgia.
  2. About half the time they did a great job translating the world of mario from a game to a narrative.
  3. Visually, sort of stunning. But not surprising. Some things are just really cool to see in a movie setting. 
  4. Jack Black is wonderful in the role of Bowser.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Weak character development leading to not really caring whether Mario can save Luigi.
  2. They spent too much time being cute and not enough time working the a story.
  3. Some of the time early in the film where they tried to make the movie look like a game, was just kind of stupid. They did it much better later on. 
  4. The first half of the movie, I was honestly a bit bored. I didn’t active dislike the movie during that time, I just wasn’t engaged with it. 
  5. Really needed more humor. I’ve complaining a lot about the overindulgence of jokes in the superhero genre of films, but I felt like the reverse happened here. This could have been a great opportunity to inject a film full of humor to keep it moving. And while, it was silly at times, and I could see them trying to set it up as a funny scene, they too often just couldn’t deliver on a funny joke. It feels like they thought “hey, wouldn’t it be funny if “ so then created that premise, but never went back to finish the joke. 

THE COMMENTS

I think when the first trailer dropped for this movie, I was so distracted by the casting of Chris Pratt, but I didn’t really think much about what else could go wrong with the film.

I also didn’t really think about how much of a kids movie they would be making. Because Hollywood is making a lot of money right now by making movies on intellectual properties that appeal to my Gen X peers. And we are a group of individuals that have strong nostalgia toward our childhood, and are at an age where we can start to afford to see the movies, buy the merchandise and visit the theme parks with our kids.  So, I thought they would attempt to make this movie appeal to us. In the sense that they filmed the movie full of Nintendo game nostalgia and include a nihilist perky star, I supposed they did. Gen X loves nihilist characters (or does everyone). But in the sense that the plot really being very simplistic and at times boring, lending itself to a Neftlix original kids movie, it wasn’t for us. 

Was I expecting it to be Oscar worthy? I don’t know, with competing animation studios doing some pretty awesome animated films now. Disney has done some rather amazing films lately that appeal to all ages and I shouldn’t only expect that from them. This film would have ended up making a lot more money if it spent less time trying to be cute and more time on the basics of moviemaking. And if you are spending the money to put big movie stars in the film, why wouldn’t you attempt to get adults on board who are more apt to spend lots of money on it, if they enjoy it also?

THE LESSON

Together, anything is possible. 

AFTER CREDIT SCENES

Two. Stay for them both. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Maybe with your kids.

THE FINAL WORD

I think when the first trailer of the movie came out I was so focused on the poor casting choice of Chris Pratt as Mario that I didn’t realize he was the red herring to lure my complaints to somewhere else. Visually, its animation is fantastic. It’s like watching a Mario video game on the biggest screen imaginable. And it gives you a chance to smile, yet rarely laugh, at all the nostalgia Nintendo can provide you, as you are reminded throughout the film of all the different video games you’ve played over the years.  It is a cute movie at times, but done at the expense of just focusing on creating an engaging story. They had the plot points that should have made a really good film, but the writers failed to add character development to the hero’s stories. At times I was actually bored, but the second half picked it up a bit for me. Jack Black is a stand out performer voicing Bowser. I didn’t hate this film, as I expected I would a week ago, but I can’t say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do think my kids will really have a fun time watching it.  

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I give it a “Like Minus”. If you miss it on the big screen, I would rather just play a mario game than watch the movie. 

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THE MEME REVIEW

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Review: Dungeons & Dragons:Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Adventure/Fantasy  ‧ 2 Hours 20 Minutes

Written by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein & Michael Gilio

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

THE CAST

Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Choloe Coleman, Daisy Head

THE STORY

(In their own words). A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Story – It’s a really fun and exciting story.
  2. The Ensemble – The actors really do a great job of giving the sense that these are people who know each other really well. It feels like long-time friendships and a clear loving bond between them all. They do wonderful jobs acting off of one another helping move along the script.
  3. The Humor – I found the film really funny. Played perfectly even within the ridiculous character situations they were put in. They consistently played the truth of the moment and brought on the laughter. 
Justice Smith plays Simon, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. There are a couple of predictable elements in the film, but I am largely forgiving of them as they seemed to be inevitable things that had to happen in this type of story. 
Daisy Head plays Sofina in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE COMMENTS

This Dungeons & Dragons film is everything I could have hoped for in an adventure film.  It was fresh, funny, moved along quickly, the acting was really good, the ensemble really played really well off of each other. 

One of the first questions I get from people about the film is “Will I like it if I’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons before?” The answer is yes. I’ve only played it myself a couple of times, despite being a well-known nerd amongst my peers. So I did not notice most of the in-world references they made, but I never felt like I was missing anything, I didn’t even realize I missed little things until I talked to some of my guests at the screening. For our press screening I brought with me three people who in their own life play Dungeons & Dragons as Dungeon Masters, and they filled me in on a bunch of the little “inside baseball” jokes or references I didn’t catch. So, I will say that your experience will be even richer if you’ve played it before, but it’s still an amazingly entertaining movie without that knowledge.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE LESSON

The love that is with you is more important than the love that you look back on. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, I can’t wait to see it again. 

THE FINAL WORD

This film is the most fun I’ve had in the theater this year. It is a fast-paced, fun adventure, worthy of the Dungeons & Dragons moniker. Chris Pine leads a stellar ensemble with poise, humor, and foundation of love and friendship for this band of thieves. You do not have to have ever played D&D to enjoy this film, but if you have, you will really enjoy the insider nods to that world. This film has everything I could hope for from an adventure film. I was very much a skeptic that they would ever make a good film in this franchise and I am more than happy to be proven wrong. More action adventure films should be this well-made. 

Sophia Lillis plays Doric in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves gets a Love It.

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Rye Lane

Rye Lane(2023)
PG-13  ‧ Romantic Comedy ‧ 1 Hours 22 Minutes

Written by Nathan Byron and Tom Melia 

Directed by Raine Allen-Miller 

THE CAST

Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson

THE STORY

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

(In their own words). Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London – helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

THE BEST

Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson in RYE LANE. Photo by Chris Harris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.


The BEST things about the film

  1. Moment of Brilliance – The karaoke scene in this film where Yas and Dom sing Salt And Peppa’s Shoop together….is probably my single favorite scene of the last year. It’s an absolutely adorable scene that makes the movie for me. 
  2. The Creativity – This film elevates a seemingly simple romcom to a work of art through a bold color pallet, fun cinematography, and very clever writing. Interesting movies are less about the story they are telling and more about how they tell the story. This story is told in a very creative and wonderful way. 
  3. The humor – It’s a very funny romcom. The writing is clever, the actors delivery honest and fun performances that fit into this comedic world.
  4. Black Excellence – I don’t even want to talk about it because it really doesn’t have much to do with the film…but I feel like I would be remiss to not mention all the Black excellence in this film. This is a Black love story. It is full of wonderfully written Black characters, written by at least one Black Writer, Nathan Byron. To be honest, I couldn’t figure out if Tom Melia was Black as well (it’s very hard to find pictures of writers). The director, Raine Allen-Miller, is Black and is making an outstanding feature debut with this film. From head to toe, this film is pouring with Black excellence. 

THE WORST

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Photo by Chris Harris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

The WORST things about the film

  1. While it is a super creative film, it does fall into the traps of many romcoms in making a clumsy ending wrap up the story. 

THE COMMENTS

While it is a romantic comedy, a big part of me want to tell you that this is a film about healing. I was once told that a breakup is kind of like a death. There is normally grieving from at least one party and it can be really difficult to learn how to move forward from after this change in your life. I think this film does a great job of exploring how these characters try to cope after a break up. 

THE LESSON

Breakups are hard. How you react to a breakup doesn’t necessarily define you as a person.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes

THE FINAL WORD

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

Rye Lane is a very special film. It is a very creative, British romantic comedy film that takes us through the lives of two people trying to process their recent breakups. The film features some wonderful writing, cinematography, and acting. It contains possibly my single favorite scene of the last year or so. Featuring a mostly Black cast, this film shows some wonderful promise from first time director Raine Allen-Miller. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Rye Lane gets a very strong Like It. 

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming exclusively on Hulu

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Review: Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2 Hours 10 Minutes

Written by Henry Gayden, Chris Morgan

Directed by David F. Sandberg

THE CAST

Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou and Helen Mirren

THE STORY

(In their own words) Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The comedy. It is a very funny film. For the majority of the film, the comedy is played really well. By that I mean the acting is played with purposeful intention with complete seriousness by the actors. The situation is funny and funnier because of how truthful and earnestly the actors are going at it. What doesn’t work for comedy is when the actors are “playing for laughs.” 90% of this film, they do the superhero comedy right. Honestly, there are a lot of ways they handle humor that I think Marvel could learn from. They let serious moments be serious, and comedy be comical. 
  2. Pacing. The film really moves quickly and keeps you fully engaged. 
  3. The actors. There are some top-notch actors in this film. Helen Mirren as a villain is just a wonderful treat. Make the best actors the villains because it just raises the stakes so much. 
  4. Story. The story really is interesting. They managed to keep it feeling a bit fresh for a superhero film because it is just different enough in tone. I really think it helps that they are leaning into the comedy aspect rather than just making it a super serious film that breaks up serious moments with a random joke (cough, MCU, cough).

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The overacting for laughs. As mentioned above, 90% of the film, the comedy is done right. But when it is done badly, it’s really hard to watch and I can’t stand the actor the moment they do it. At times it makes it feel like the actors are in different universes. The director has to be consistent and decide if the film is gonna have a slapstick over-the-top Nickelodeon kids’ comedy or it’s gonna be a good comedy.
  2. The ending. I am not really too pleased about how they make the moment at the end happen. I could write an essay about what is wrong with just the ending.
  3. Cringy age difference for love interests. I don’t want to get too into it and spoil things, but I will definitely talk about this in a discussion episode. 
  4. Too many characters. With all of the foster family kids superheroes now, there just isn’t enough time to really care about each of them. I think if they are going to continue this franchise, it might run better on the small screen as a series so we can get invested in all the characters. 

THE COMMENTS

The sequel to any film is really a challenge. Origin stories are usually always more interesting because there’s a lot of fun in watching characters discover who they are becoming. This sequel does a really good job in continuing the energy as Billy Batson is now comfortable with his powers but trying to figure out where he fits in the world as a superhero. He is at a crossroads of looking at graduating high school and not knowing if he can be with his superhero family much longer. The beauty of using teenage characters as superheroes is they are trying to figure out so much more than just their superpowers. They don’t even know who they are as a person and the powers and new responsibility just add to their personal chaos. 

THE LESSON

True power comes from working together. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE?

Yes. Very fun film. 

THE FINAL WORD

Lightning may have struck twice for this superhero sequel. They lean in strong on the comedy and it works 90% of the time. This franchise has probably done the best job of creating a comical world to play in. Really strong actors as our villains with Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu playing the daughters of Atlas really elevate the film. Shazam also manages to be one of the better sequels in the DC world. They manage to keep some of the naivety that origin stories typically have and bring it into the sequel. A benefit of having teenagers as the superheroes.
This isn’t a groundbreaking superhero film, let’s be clear on that. But it does have surprises, a level of freshness, and an extreme level of fun.  

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods gets a Like It.

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Scream VI

SCREAM VI (2023)
R  ‧ Slasher Horror ‧ Hours Minutes

Written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick

Directed by Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

THE CAST

Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox.

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE STORY

(In their own words). Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

THE PREFACE

Okay, I have to make a confession before I start this review. I have only seen Scream 1 & 2, and to be completely honest I don’t even remember Scream 2 much. I also have a vague recollection that in some film in the franchise they started doing a thing where they were making a movie about the events in Scream but it was a fictional world within the fictional universe of Scream. But I didn’t know how it went. So I went into this film not knowing a lot of what is going on. I thought,  “A good film should stand on its own and make me just want to go see the films I missed. 

Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), left, and Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter” star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The thrills. I was thrilled the entire movie. It was just super exciting. I don’t know if it’s because I was in the dark from the past movies, or if it was repetitive, or if there were swerves from the last film that I wasn’t picking on. All I know is that I was fully engaged and riveted the entire film. It works on its own. Having not known about a majority of the cast, I never felt lost. There were times I figured I should know more, but I think they did a great job of keeping the film self-contained while bringing in information that we need to know.
  2. The humor. I was honestly shocked to go back and look and see that none of the previous films are labeled horror comedies.  There’s this element of self awareness and meta humor within it that I was sure it was also a comedy. The creators just identify each of the films as a slasher horror, but this film I really do think has enough humor to get the horror comedy label.
  3. The ensemble. I think this is a pretty terrific ensemble of friends that we get to watch in this film. The acting between each other is nice, they come off as truly having a long term friendship that works well together. The acting across the board is pretty good.
L-r, Mason Gooding (“Chad Meeks-Martin”), Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Mindy Meeks-Martin”), Devyn Nekoda (“Anika Kayoko”) and Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter”) star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

  1. This is pure entertainment. I think the best horrors, the best comedies, the best of filmmaking happens when there is a social commentary being made. To say that this film is trying to get out a message  would be a paper thin argument.
  2. There’s some real twisting of laws of physics and common sense that needs to happen in order to make a lot of points of the film move forward. Suspension of disbelief needs to be pushed really far for this. 
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE COMMENTS

I don’t know how this ranks in the series. I need to see the rest of the series. I have no idea how much this film repeats itself from other films. All I know is that what was presented to me was pretty exciting. This film has made me want to go back, watch the original, then see all the ones I missed.

THE LESSON
The past comes back to you. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. In fact, I want very much just to see how well the ending works/makes sense. And I will rewatch as I go back to view the whole series.  

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE FINAL WORD

A thoroughly entertaining thrill ride. I have not seen the last three films in this series and it made me want to run out and watch them all. It’s a pretty exciting film with a really terrific ensemble of actors. While it certainly has the violence for a slasher label, the film is full of really funny moments. In fact, there are elements that seem so absurd, I was a little surprised to discover it isn’t labeled a horror comedy. I could never have predicted the sixth installment of any horror film would be something I’d have been happy to have seen. But this one got me, it really got me. You scream, I scream, we all scream for Scream VI. 

. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Scream VI gets a strong Like It. 

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Review: Champions

Champions (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Comedy ‧ 2 Hours 3 Minutes
Written by Bobby Farrelly
Directed by Mark Rizzo

THE CAST

  • Woody Harrelson as Marcus, a disgraced G-league basketball coach
  • Kaitlin Olson as Alex, Johnny’s sister and Marcus’ love interest
  • Matt Cook as Sonny, an assistant coach
  • Ernie Hudson as Phil Perretti, a fellow coach and Marcus’ friend
  • Cheech Marin as Julio, the manager of the rec center where the Friends practic
  • Mike Smith as Attorney McGurk
  • Scott Van Pelt as himself
  • Jalen Rose as himself

THE STORY

(In their own words) A former minor-league basketball coach receives a court order to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Despite his doubts, he soon realizes that together they can go further than they ever imagined.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film;

  1. All of the intellectually disabled actors are played actors with those disabilities and they do a fantastic job. 
  2. This movie made me smile the entire time. It was just such an enjoyable movie to watch. Touching, poignant, funny…it really hit all the right notes for me. 
  3. Woody Harrelson does a wonderful job acting and working with all of the actors/players and brings a level of prestige to a film.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film;

  1. The writing isn’t the best. It borders on an after-school special level. It’s not intolerable, but that is I believe in large part due to the actors bringing more to the script than is there.
  2. While mostly really respectful to the  actors with the disabilities, there was one female character where I didn’t think the jokes worked because the humor may have been more directed at her than with her. 

THE COMMENTS

  1. This is an English-language remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones directed by Javier.
  2. This is a film that is elevated by the actors. The script itself is a bit predictable, mildly preachy, and razor this with its premise believability. But the actors elevate this out of what it could have been. 
  3. My biggest fear about the film would be the misuse of the intellectually disabled actors and would be them making a lot of jokes at their expense. But that isn’t what happened. The film is very respectful. 
  4. I think casting Woody Harrelson in the coach position was perfect because of my knowledge of him as a person made me feel okay watching it. I assumed that he wouldn’t do a film that made fun of the players. Also, in my personal universe the film would take place in the same universe as White Men Can’t Jump.

THE LESSON

Being a champion has nothing to do with outcome, it’s a way of living. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Absolutely.

THE FINAL WORD

Watching Champions is giving yourself an opportunity to smile for two hours. Heartwarming story and performances that elevate the script made it a solid sports-comedy film. The actors in the players in the film are in real life part of the intellectually disabled community and it was fantastic to see them have an opportunity to show a story with respectful portrayals and fully developed characters.  Give yourself an opportunity to be happy and see this film. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Champions gets a Like It. 

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Review:Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

PG-13  ‧ Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy ‧ 2 Hours 5 Minutes 

Written by Jeff Loveness

Directed by ‎Peyton Reed

THE CAST

Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O’Brian, Bill Murray

(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Visually stunning. It’s like everyone’s imaginations have just come to life. 
  2. I think it’s the most appropriately funny of the films. While all Marvel has comedy, I feel like Ant-Man is built for it.
  3. Great new villain in Kang the Conqueror. I’m very excited to see where this goes. 
  4. Paul Rudd continues being a very relatable superhero. He gives us that glimmer of hope that we might one day be able to fill his shoes. He’s a regular guy who happens to surround himself with brilliant people who will help him be a better man.
  5. The whole film either met or exceeded my expectations. 

THE WORST

Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The beginning of the film is great, as we are learning about the world, then it tapers off a bit quickly and I don’t feel entirely fulfilled by the things I learned. Some of “the world” just wasn’t explained enough. 
  2. While it does a wonderful job of spectacle, I don’t think the film was great for character development. I don’t think any of the characters really changed to any significant degree over the course of the film. It just really squanders the opportunity to elevate it over just another event and be a powerful film.
  3. As much as I liked the film, I feel like it’s starting to feel redundant. It’s like the dopamine hits the films used to provide are just not lasting as long. I’m watching incredible visual films and in the back of my head I’m thinking. Is this it?
  4. I really wanted to get into Kang’s backstory more. If he is being set up as a villain, they really need to show us why he’s doing what he’s doing. The best hero stories really invest the time in developing the villains, and for me, they just didn’t do that in this film.

THE COMMENTS

The MCU has hit a dangerous spot. Endgame was such a masterpiece with so much building to it, it doesn’t seem like that is something it could ever replicate again, but it has to try. They are releasing so much content, it’s hard to keep track. This film should have had a huge wow factor, but as creative as it was, you get the feeling like you’ve seen this before. The introduction of Kang The Conqueror is interesting because he seems to be different. We don’t know completely what is behind his motivations, but it seems to have potential. I really wish they had gotten more into Kang’s backstory, because I wasn’t invested in rooting against him enough. 

(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

THE LESSON

Keeping secrets is never a good idea. Keep communication going and you won’t accidentally be sucked into the quantum realm. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. There’s so much to take in visually, I don’t think you can catch it all at once. 

THE FINAL WORD

A thoroughly entertaining and visual spectacle of a film that is propped up by really solid actors. This film is clearly the set up for the next big phase of Marvel films and you get that the studio really wanted to wow the audience with visuals and potential for the future. Disappointing is the lack of character growth within the story. It’s really a missed opportunity since it was full of such talented actors. Jonathan Majors is excellent with what he is given for the role. I look forward to seeing what he has to offer the franchise and just hope Marvel Studios will not forget what got the films so popular in the first place.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

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Comedian Ken Hamlett

Comedian Ken Hamlett drops by to answer the seven questions and to learn why Silas may have to move. 

Available in video only on our audio only podcast or on our Youtube Channel. Pick whichever one below

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Review: Knock At The Cabin

Knock At The Cabin (2023)


R ‧ Mystery Horror ‧1 H 40 Minutes
Written by M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman
Based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay

Directed by ‎M. Night Shyamalan

(from left) Adriane (Abby Quinn), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Leonard (Dave Bautista) and Redmond (Rupert Grint) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE CAST

  • Dave Bautista as Leonard
  • Jonathan Groff as Eric
  • Ben Aldridge as Andrew
  • Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina
  • Kristen Cui as Wen
  • Abby Quinn as Adriane
  • Rupert Grint as Redmond

THE STORY

(In their own words) While vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

Kristen Cui as Wen in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The actors. In particular, Dave Bautista. This is perhaps his best performance yet. He isn’t the only one though, the acting was really good from everyone and  really the entire Ensemble worked really well together.
  2. The story – it was tense, suspenseful, a good balance of thriller and horror, I really wanted to know how it was going to end, and with this Director, I really had no idea which made it extra fun.
  3. The Direction – I really like the way the story was told, bouncing between the current events and back to moments between the parents to learn more about their love for each other and how they got their daughter. The pacing was really nice, the tension and the thrills were constant. I never knew where it was going to go nor could I predict the ending. I genuinely was tense trying to guess how he would end the film. 
(from left) Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Leonard (Dave Bautista) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1.  It’s very serious and if you are hoping for some comedic moments to break tension, you wont get it.
  2. Do not watch the trailer. Too much given away from the trailer. Your enjoyment will be based on how little you know.

THE REVIEW

Okay, confession time. I am a sucker for apocalypse movies. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because of my own fears of the afterlife and confusion with religion, so I embrace these types of films and really try to get into them and find it a source of entertainment rather than fear. I don’t know. So, I went into the film wanting to like it. I mean, I do most of the time, but I have a fondness for M. Night Shyamalan, so this was extra. This was more of a, “don’t disappoint me, M., and I’ll like it. And I wasn’t disappointed and I really liked it. 

For me, there’s a lot to like about this film. The acting is solid, the story is interesting, the pacing moves fast, and we get a morality tale and discussion points. It really hits all the points well that I like in a movie. I think this is in the upper half of M. Night Shyamalan films.

I really can’t say too much about the film without giving away important points. If this was a baseball game, I think the film hit a standing double. I think it will be rewatchable and age well. While it has tone of a lot of the director’s previous movies, he does some things differently that are an improvement.

And NOT SPOILING……even after a full day to think about it….I really like the ending. Not everyone will, but I really did. 

(from left) Leonard (Dave Bautista) and Wen (Kristen Cui, back to camera) in Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

THE LESSON

Less of a lesson and more of something to think about; What will you sacrifice for love and what won’t you. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. And unlike a lot of M. Night Shyamalan films, the whole film doesn’t rely on some giant twist. That would make it less enjoyable the next time. 

THE FINAL WORD

M. Night Shyamalan delivers a solid, tense, thriller/horror that stays within the spirit of his previous works, but also packs a punch without relying on his old tricks. David Bautista is a stand out performer in this with his best performance to date. This terrific ensemble gives us a fast paced pending apocalypse story that will keep you wondering how this will end all the way to the last moment. While this may not be Shyamalan’s best work, it’s probably in the upper half of his filmography. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Knock At The Cabin gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER

THE MEME REVIEW