Thunderbolts* - Review: Misfits Assemble

 

We’re now witnessing the 36th film in the overall franchise that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and things are in a state. While still good, it’s been a far rockier road than what came before in the pre-“Endgame” era. From a series that once made almost billion dollar hits out of “Ant-Man” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” to one that can barely make a “Captain America” film break even, it’s gonna take an interesting group to save the day. And while there have certainly been bright spots in the past few years, “Thunderbolts*” emerges as one of the brightest and most character driven adventures the MCU has ever had.

Things suck for Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh (“Midsommar,” “Little Women (2019)”). After the death of her sister Natasha Romanov aka Black Widow in the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” she’s taken to contract work for shady CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Seinfeld,” “Veep”). After her last mission goes haywire, she finds herself reluctantly teaming up with fellow disgraced antiheroes John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell (“Overlord,” “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”), Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen (“Killjoys,” “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City”), Red Guardian, played by David Harbour (“Stranger Things,” “Violent Night”), and Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice,” “Pam & Tommy”), as well as the mysterious amnesiac Bob, played by Lewis Pullman (“Bad Times at the El Royale,” “Lessons in Chemistry"), to stop Valentia’s mysterious agenda and find self-fulfillment again.

This is director Jake Schreier’s (“Beef,” “Paper Towns”) biggest budget project thus far, but the scope of the tale doesn’t diminish his skill with character-driven stories in any way. Ironically, the bickering of the main troupe and their issues throughout have more in common with “Beef” than the previous MCU projects. Writers Eric Pearson (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Black Widow”) and Joanna Calo (“The Bear,” “Hacks”) build each member of the bunch with a slow burn of character development that makes each one engaging to spend time with. It’s a feat to turn characters that have their roots in secondary roles to the stars of the show, and Pearson and Calo manage to pull it off. This also ties into the film’s emotional climax, which works wonders and manages to make this one of the more emotionally impactful tales in the recent MCU, and possibly ever. There are remarkably few fights here (though they certainly do exist) and it's refreshing to see a film like this go for a more emotional ending instead of trading fisticuffs.

Pugh absolutely steals the show, which shouldn’t be surprising given her extensive resume or her love of the character. She gives an incredibly physical performance that never undercuts the emotional journey she takes Yelena on. Russell and John-Kamen are also excellent, levelling their characters up from b-players to legitimate leading types in their own right, with Russell turning in a surprisingly effective emotional turn. Harbour continues to deliver more of the same lovable oafish charm he had in spades in “Black Widow” and Louis-Dreyfus is a fun villainous role that’s only slightly undercut given the easy associate with her classic leading role in “Veep.” The film’s biggest secret weapon though is Pullman. His work here is deeply emotionally effective and far deeper than one might expect. It’s a testament to the script and direction, but his ability to have this character balance between comic relief and deep emotional pathos, without either ever feeling forced or countering the other, is nothing short of impressive.

There’s a strong sense of practicality throughout the entire film, from the fight sequences to the strong cinematography from Andrew Droz Palermo (“A Ghost Story,” “The Green Knight”). There’s a muted look to the entire film that feels purposeful given the circumstances and the adventure these characters are sent on. Things get wonky towards the end, intentionally so, and the look of the film keeps it up the entire way. Even the action feels more physical. Not necessarily grounded, as there’s still plenty of superhero shenanigans going on, but a surprisingly large amount of the film zeroes in on hand-to-hand combat, with remarkably few fights compared to the grand superhero film landscape. The musical score from Son Lux (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) is absolutely exceptional, putting a firm stamp on the genre, using the grand strings and bombastic nature of scores typical of the genre to sneak in something more complicated and inventive.

It’s hard to state that very specific special sauce that makes this film exceptionally without spoiling a large part of it but suffice it to say that “Thunderbolts*” has what most of these films have been missing for quite a while: heart. And it has it in spades. Outside of the recent “Black Panther” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, there’s been almost a reflex to push against any sort of inherent emotional vulnerability in the MCU. Schreier bucks that trend, and as a result creates something closer to those original films that started it all. Yes, there’s plenty of smashing, crashing, and big fights to entertain, but the genuine humanity and vulnerability at the core of this team keeps you invested the entire time. By the time things end, something special has happened: these anti-heroes didn’t go for the throat, they went for the heart.

“Thunderbolts*” is the absolute surprise of the year so far. What started as a ragtag group of b-tier leftover antagonists in a borderline “Suicide Squad” rip-off has somehow emerged as one of the most emotionally satisfying adventures the MCU has ever seen. By keeping things grounded in pseudo-reality, as well as pumping in plenty of excellent cinematography and music, Jason Schreier turns an already sharp script into an adventure that will surprise you with just how much you care about this team. Marvel has caught a new bolt of thunder in a bottle. 4.5/5

The Accountant 2 - Review: Revenge of the Nerd

 

Somewhere back in 2017, some person sitting in a plush office somewhere in Hollywood looked at the fact that the 2016 action thriller “The Accountant” made $150 million worldwide and said, “we need a sequel to that.” So now, fast forward almost a decade after the first film’s release and we have the creatively titled “The Accountant 2,” which retains the same director, same writer, and same cast.

The film follows Christian Wolff, played by Ben Affleck (“Good Will Hunting,” “Gone Girl”), an autistic accountant and money launderer who effectively “uncooks” the books for major criminal organizations and drug traffickers, occasionally sending tips and information to his connection at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, director Marybeth Medina, played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Shooter”). After the death of the previous director while investigating a missing mother and son, Medina seeks out Wolff and his estranged contract killer brother Braxton, played by Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher,” “The Walking Dead”), to help find the mother and son.

Director Gavin O’Connor (“Miracle,” “Warrior”) and writer Bill Dubuque (“Ozark,” “The Judge”) absolutely do not reinvent the wheel here, with either their own franchise or this specific thriller genre fare. It sticks to the building blocks of everything you’d expect from the genre, only marginally breaking out of those elements due to Wolff’s network and autism. Affleck plays the character well, turning out a charming performance that works best when he’s opposite Bernthal at any point in the film. The pair have an almost “Odd Couple” kind of chemistry, and the numerous moments where they’re just existing and spending time as brothers are the best moments of the film by a wide margin. Addai-Robinson is also great when she’s opposite Affleck and Bernthal, working as the straight man to their more chaotic, borderline silly behavior. But when she’s separated from them, her character just becomes far more generic and uninteresting.

The same can also be said for the film’s action sequences. While the film is actually fairly action light, saving these moments for the third act and focusing far more on espionage for the rest of the film, they don’t have any sort of impact. They’re shot well enough, and they certainly have a good energy to them as we watch Wolff and Braxton fly off the handle. But they’re simply just the least interesting part of the entire film. Thankfully though, they do buck the trend of recent action films given that they’re actually shot during the day and are completely visible as a result. An out of left field highlight is the film’s musical score, composed by Bryce Dessner (“Sing Sing,” “We Live in Time”), which cuts through much of the film and stands out as a far more reserved piece than most other thriller films get, and it's refreshing as a result.

It feels weird to say but the best parts of this action-thriller-sequel are the parts that don’t focus on the action or the thrills. Watching Wolff’s pseudo-CSI hacking squad made up of autistic kids from his former orphanage break into databases while they banter with him is extremely charming, and the most memorable parts of the film are when it sheds any notion of being this kind of film. A sequence in a cowboy-themed bar in the middle of the film involving square dancing with Bernthal and Affleck is without a doubt the best part of the film, not only because it leans heavily into their brotherly banter, but also because it just simply commits to the film and its concept’s B-movie level charms.

“The Accountant 2” is certainly not a masterpiece, nor is it a secret gem of memorable genre filmmaking. Rather, it's the kind of odd sequel that’s better than its predecessor because it doesn’t seem to care about being the kind of film it is. Affleck and Bernthal carry the film together, and almost any aspect not focusing on action manages to be effortlessly charming and borderline silly. It’s definitely better than the first film, and while it’s hard to say whether or not the film wants you to be smiling and laughing at it or with it, you’ll be smiling nevertheless. 3.5/5

The Wedding Banquet (2025) - Review: Queerly Beloved, We Are Remade Here Today...

 

Even in the realm of indie films, remakes are becoming more and more common. But that doesn’t mean they have no reason to exist. Case in point, director/co-writer Andrew Ahn (“Driveways,” “Fire Island”) and co-writer James Schamus (“Eat Drink Man Woman,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) have updated Schamus and Ang Lee’s original 90s indie romance for a more modern queer era. The result is a film that feels less like a remake and more like a film taking the bones of a previous work and crafting something of its own.

Angela Chen, played by Kelly Marie Tran (“Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”), and her partner Lee, played by Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Under the Bridge”), share a house in Seattle with their two best friends and fellow couple Chris, played by Bowen Yang (“Fire Island,” “Wicked”), and Min, played by Han Gi-han (“Where Your Eyes Linger,” “Dare to Love Me”). After Min learns that his student visa is expiring and he must return to Korea to run his family’s company or risk being financially cut off, he devises a plan: a wedding between himself and Angela to both secure a green care for himself and trick his grandmother Ja Young, played by Youn Yuh-ung (“Minari,” “Pachinko”), in exchange for paying for in vitro fertilization for Lee to have a baby.

Ahn’s direction is one of the film’s biggest strengths, as his ability to simply allow his actors to slowly simmer and boil over is put to great use here. The same borderline catty behavior that worked to incite conflict in his previous work “Fire Island” works wonders here, as the main quartet seems to revel in simply being messy, complicated people. Gladstone is a particularly goofy highlight, showcasing her expected dramatic skills with flourishes of a yet unseen comedic ability. Tran is much the same, and she and Yang are an exceptionally fun and extremely messy pairing that lights up the screen at every turn. Meanwhile, Gi-han is the heart of the entire film, managing to pull off a remarkably effective dramatic turn even as he consistently turns out the silliest, and borderline childish, performance of the film. Yuh-ung is also a powerfully understated performer here, and the film lets her play outside of her expected role in ways not spoiled here.

Schamus and Ahn make the most of this remake material by expanding the previous film’s plot instead of simply rehashing it. By introducing a second couple into the fray, it expands the material to encompass and embrace more of its queer identity and therefore makes for a more interesting film as a result. By the time it's over, the titular wedding is hardly a real focus, and it's not hard to see this film existing with a different title as its own wholly original work. The film seems almost determined to present itself exactly like you’d expect from a rom com like this and then immediately turn itself into something completely different.

If there are any disappointments, it's that despite being shot by Ki Jin Kim (“Driveways,” “Holy Emy”), whom Ahn has worked with before, it's a fairly plain looking film. It never showcases the beauty of Seattle like “Fire Island” did for its central location, resulting in a film that, for as charming as its cast is, lacks a strong visual identity. What it doesn’t lack is a great musical score from composer Jay Wadley (“i’m thinking of ending things,” “Fire Island”) which, coupled with some fun needle drops, helps make up for the film’s plain visual stylings.

A remake of “The Wedding Banquet” might not seem necessary, especially given where this film divulges from the original, but Andrew Ahn and James Schamus take plenty of steps to separate this film from the original in ways that matter. It’s cast is excellent and endlessly charming, and the film takes pride in allowing each character to be complicated and messy. It results in a film that stretches a bit further outside the bounds of what a film like this would initially be expected to be, and its a charming tale as a result. 4/5

Sinners - Review: A Bloody, Musical, Spiritual, Horror Action Masterpiece

 

From humble indie beginnings way back in 2013, Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther,” “Creed”) has absolutely made a name for himself in the realm of modern filmmaking. From bringing the Rocky franchise back to glory to making global household names of T’Challa and Chadwick Boseman, he’s made quite the impact in just over a decade of filmmaking. Now his latest film, which reteams him with his longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther,” “Creed”), has him working within the horror genre, making a period piece, shooting it with IMAX film cameras, and writing his own original tale for the first time in his career. A tale of “Sinners.”

Set in Mississippi in the 1930s, the film follows the identical “Smokestack” twins Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Mo0ore, both played by Jordan, as they return to their hometown to open their own juke joint bar with the help of their musician cousin Sammie, played by Miles Caton in his film debut, Smoke’s estranged wife Annie, played by Wunmi Mosaku (“Lovecraft Country,” “His House”), piano player Delta Slim, played by Delory Lindo (“Malcom X,” “Da 5 Bloods”), singer Pearline, played by Jayme Lawson (“Till,” “How to Blow Up a Pipeline”), local general store owners Grace and Bo Chow, played by Li Jun Li (“Wu Assassins,” “Babylon”), and Yao (“The Last Bout,” “#LookAtMe”) respectively, Elijah and Elias’s surrogate sister Mary, played by Hailee Steinfeld (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “True Grit (2010)”), and Cornbread, played by Omar Benson Miller (“Ballers,” “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) as bodyguard. Soon after opening though, they find themselves targeted by Remmick, played by Jack O'Connell (“Skins,” “Godless”), a sinister figure seeking their community for his own twisted desires. 

Jordan leads an exceptional ensemble with a pair of fascinating layered and different performances. It’s incredible to watch him act against himself, not only for how naturally he comes across, but also for the nuances and differences he’s able to imbue in these characters. For how different they are, he makes sure to emphasize their similarities to help breathe life into them. Caton is the star of the show though. In his first film role, he’s proven himself to be just as strong of a performer as the legacy actors he shares space with here. Sammie’s tale is a heartbreaking one, and he imbues him with anger and joy, a musicality of his soul that makes him light the screen up with virtually everything he does. Each and every member of the film’s cast are exceptional, from the main roles down to those who only appear for a handful of scenes. It’s virtually impossible to make a clear distinction, as Coogler manages to give each person their little moment to shine, and shine they do. 

Jun Li, Steinfeld, and Mosaku each get fantastic moments that showcases the history of their town through their simple character interactions. Mosaku is a powerhouse of stern wisdom, and Jun Li is a lively force of charm and snark. Steinfeld feels like the character with the most unsaid about her, and she brings this to bear with a performance that feels exceptionally rich as a result. Most importantly, each of the women in “Sinners” feels particular fleshed out, regardless of their screentime, a welcome change from most other major studio blockbusters. Meanwhile, O’Connell is a fascinating and frighteningly vicious antagonist. His performance as Remmick is one that entrances as well as unnerves in virtually every interaction he has on screen. 

Arguably as much of a muse as Jordan is for Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther,” “Oppenheimer”), who’s worked on all of Coogler’s previous films, pulls out all the stops for arguably his most unique and phenomenal score yet. Music is one of this film’s central building blocks, and the score mixes perfectly with Coogler’s scenic work to build numerous moments to a surrealist crescendo. The editing by Michael P. Shawver (“Fruitvale Station,” “Black Panther”) is also particularly excellent, as numerous different characters and plot threads are woven together clearly, but with panache and tension throughout.

The work from cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (“The Last Showgirl,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) is nothing short of phenomenal. Numerous moments crackle and burn with her camerawork, and as the film’s tension builds, the film’s scope narrows from gorgeous wide-open vistas to claustrophobic interior shots. Her work here with Coogler is the sort of cinematography that manages to both excel in its visual beauty and also work on the film’s numerous different subtextual levels as well. It’s just a truly truly gorgeous looking film. 

Separate from its excellent pacing, visuals, and music, is the bones of this tale that Coogler has constructed so fantastically to craft a film that works as a cerebral, surrealist expressionistic piece without every sacrificing a moment of genuine fun and entertainment. It flies by and could easily be split down the middle into two equally compelling different films. Coogler not only combines the film’s genre elements with its dramatic ones, but embraces them, leaning hard into the deeper themes that make this a film that you can easily parse through for hours after watching it. Yet his skill at making films also means that even if you don’t wish to discuss it, you’ll still have an absolute blast from start to finish. Case in point, for those seeing it in IMAX, the format’s taller image means that the times when it is used are impactful as they juxtapose the rest of the film’s ultra-wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio. But he not only uses these moments for action, but to punctuate important moments within the film’s tale by slowly opening things up to its fullest view. It’s a perfect use of the highly entertaining nature of the format, while also using it for the film’s more subtextual elements. 

“Sinners” could easily be called Coogler’s best film (a non-definite statement purely due to his excellent previous works), and it shows him at his most muscular and confident. He flexes his technical and subtextual skills, and crafts a tale that allows drama and genre to exist hand in hand. With a cast that excels, including shockingly standout performances from Miles Caton and Michael B. Jordan, a musical score that is downright ethereal, and a handle on his own original material that would make other seasoned directors jealous, he’s delivered one of the best theatrical experiences in years and the first true must see movie of 2025. 5/5

Drop - Review: A Deadly Date Night Gone Digital

There’s something to be said for a reliable formula, and arguably no one in Hollywood knows that better than Blumhouse, the premiere makers of modern, reliable, low-budget horror fare. Over the past few years, one of their most reliable hitmakers has been Christopher Landon (“Happy Death Day,” “Freaky”), a director/writer who’s made a name more recently thanks to his campier, more comedic horror fare. Now, his latest film leans more into suspense and less into humor than any of his previous works, the simply titled “Drop.”

The film follows recently widowed single mother and therapist Violet Gates, played by Meghann Fahy (“The Bold Type,” “The White Lotus”), going on her first date since her husband’s death. After matching with Henry, played by Brandon Sklenar (“1923,” “It Ends with Us”), and leaving her sister Jen, played by Violett Beane (“Truth or Dare,” “Death and Other Details”), to watch her young son, Violet and Henry meet for a dinner date at an exclusive fancy restaurant. Shortly after arriving though, she begins receiving airdrops from an unknown party asking her to do certain things, including killing Henry, or else they will kill her sister and son.

For a fairly simple concept, Landon goes fully in on crafting the thrills in as creative a way as he can without completely reinventing the wheel. Numerous moments make excellent use of faux lighting and camera angles, purposefully playing with how things must look to Violet as opposed to being strictly “realistic.” One moment of her looking at her home security cameras has them appearing on different tiles on the wall behind her, and the film will occasionally dim or shut off the lights around her to isolate her. That, coupled with some fun Hitchockian dutch angles courtesy of cinematographer Marc Spicer (“Lights Out (2016),” “Fast & Furious 7”), makes for a presentation that's far better than the B-movie tale it's telling.

Which isn’t to say that said B-movie tale isn’t still entertaining. While a larger part of that comes from the presentation, the script from Jillian Jacobs (“Fantasy Island,” “Truth or Dare”) and Chris Roach (“Fantasy Island,” “Truth or Dare”) does its basic job in setting things up and getting you invested in the thrills Violet is subjected to. There’s just enough mystery and intrigue to keep things puttering along, and the central performances from Fahy and Sklenar both make for a compelling duo. The rest of the cast all fill their spots admirably, with none really amounting to anything more than pawns put in specific places for this kind of a “who-is-doing-it” whodunit.

At a brisk 95 minutes with credits, “Drop” doesn’t overstay its welcome. The performances from Fahy and Sklenar keep things brisk, and the pacing never drags. While things get a bit over-the-top in the last ten or so minutes, what’s here works on a very basic level. It’s the sort of movie that just feels like something that used to come out all the time back in the early 2000s. For anyone who’s seen the early 2000s Wes Craven film “Red Eye,” there are a few similarities here, in both construction and concept. That’s not a bad thing though, as plenty of horror or thriller films often overstay their welcome. Here, Landon gets you in and out in a timely and fun manner.

“Drop” is a perfect example of a film telling a B-movie tale with the flourishes of something next level. Its two leads are great, and the central idea provides enough twists and turns to keep things entertaining the whole way through. If there was a less skilled person in the director’s chair, it's not hard to imagine it being far more forgettable. With Landon, it’s a great little deadly date-movie treat. 3.5/5

A Minecraft Movie - Review: The Biggest Block-Buster of the Year

 

A lack of limitations can be the bastion of the most talented filmmakers and also an anchor that drags them down in a sea of endless opportunities. After all, we got an Academy Award winning billion-dollar film out of “Barbie.” So, it stands to reason that Any filmmaker would leap at the opportunity to make a movie with material as limitless as a game known for having zero limits. The other edge of that double edged sword is also likely the reason that development on a “Minecraft” movie started over a decade ago and passed through numerous writers, directors, and producers before arriving with Director Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite,” “Nacho Libre”) and writers Allison Schroeder (“Hidden Figures,” “Christopher Robin”), Chris Bowman (“Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,” “Masterminds”), Hubbel Palmer (“Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,” “Masterminds”), Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta (“The Kings of Summer”). After years of waiting, we finally have “A Minecraft Movie.” 

The film follows a quartet of misfits; Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison, a washed-up former video game champion played by Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” “Fast X”), Henry and Natalia, two siblings moving to a new town after the death of their mother, played by Sebastian Hansen and Emma Myers (“Wednesday (2022),” “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”) respectively, and Dawn, a real-estate agent/traveling zookeeper played by Danielle Brooks (“Orange is the New Black,” “Peacemaker”). After Henry discovers the Orb of Dominance, the four are teleported to the Overworld, a vast world made entirely of cubic landscapes and wildlife. The evil Malgosha, voiced by Rachel House (“Moana,” “Soul”), seeks the Orb of Dominance so she can rule the Overworld, and the group are helped by legendary crafter Steve, played by Jack Black (“School of Rock,” “Kung Fu Panda”), to return home and keep the orb from her. 

First and foremost, “A Minecraft Movie” is a class clown. This is a film that exists almost entirely to entertain and to make you laugh. If you’ve seen any of Hess’s previous films and their sense of humor just didn’t gel with you, “Minecraft” is no different. While things are paired down a bit, there’s still a good amount of tater tots, weird animals, loud screams, and random short songs. It can make for a charming experience as it all just washes over you, and certainly doesn’t feel like the hyper-processed, focus-tested-to-death blockbusters we can get out of big studios nowadays. This is a film that certainly has its own identity, for better or worse. 

Black and Momoa are the stars here and completely run away with Hess’s comedic sensibilities. Black is at his Jack-Black-iest, and cranks things up to eleven as the film progresses. Momoa likewise plays Garrett as an overgrown man-child and the two of them frequently feel like they’re simply there as vehicles for jokes. Hansen and Myers get the closest thing to an emotional arc that the film wants to build, and it's fine enough. Their sibling bond is typical family film fare, and they execute it well. Hansen actually impresses most from the entire cast, simply due to how new he is at leading this kind of a movie and fitting snuggly into the everyman (or everykid) role he’s presented with. Brooks, like Black and Momoa, is simply a vessel for jokes, but the film sidelines her and Myers for a significant chunk, further preventing them from leaving any kind of impression. House gives an inspired vocal performance as Malgosha, and the supporting voice/live action cast rounds consists of a lot of character actors who’re here for a few minutes of fun before disappearing. There’s barely any character development for anyone here, and while it can easily be argued that it’s completely unnecessary for a film like this, it does mean that none of the characters have any sort of staying power of memorability. You’re likely to remember plenty of the jokes and not the characters or circumstances that set them up. 

Despite plenty of criticisms of early trailers and promotional material, the film’s visuals and production design are exceptionally impressive. It pops with color and light, with the physical props and sets making an excellent impression. Apart from a handful of bad green screen moments, it's a visually sumptuous film, without breaking out of its blocky constraints. It’s the kind of film that feels like you can just reach out and touch it and surprisingly doesn’t find itself bogged down in an overuse of digital backgrounds and sets. It really is impressive how many of these locations were physically built and how excellent they look. Given how iconic the game’s music is, the score from Mark Mothersbaugh (“The LEGO Movie,” “The Rugrats Movie”) does a great job of blending the game’s themes with a grander, more “blockbuster” movie score. It certainly won’t replace the game’s music but it's a worthy interpretation, nevertheless. 

So, it's a big studio comedy with a weird sense of humor and a grand sense of visual panache. Where’s the rub? Well, it all comes back to the script and overall story from its six credited writers. In attempting to craft an original story to fit into the blocky constraints of the “Minecraft” world, they’ve instead crafted a tale that is anything but original. It’s a hodgepodge of everything from “Lord of the Rings” to “The LEGO Movie” to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” to even “Napoleon Dynamite.” It’s the sort of film that celebrates creativity in its individual moments and overall message, but it’s constructed of the most conventional pieces and parts one could imagine. This then leads to the sense of humor being used as a crutch rather than as a supplement, which means that even those who are fans of Hess’s sense of wackiness and how much Black and Momoa are embracing the weird will just be numb by the end of things. If everything is weird and wacky, then eventually that becomes the norm, and nothing feels weird and wacky anymore. 

“A Minecraft Movie” is a class clown of a film from start to finish. The biggest caveat is that it starts as a class clown in middle school, and ends as a class clown in college, without anything ever changing. Black and Momoa lead a pretty game cast and it's certainly a gorgeous movie in its own way. This is the sort of film that is easily embraceable if you just hop on its wavelength and sense of humor and go along for the ride. But it's hard to imagine anyone not being exhausted by the time that ride ends, especially when the stuff that’s supposed to supplement it is so woefully underwhelming. 2.5/5 

Disney's Snow White (2025) - Review: Not the Fairest (Nor the Worst) of Them All

 

This is the one everyone has been waiting for. The one we’ve been expecting since this trend of Disney churning out its classic animated films in live action began. The fairest of them all, one might even say. Yes, the much maligned, long in development, $270 million reimagining of the Walt Disney company’s very first feature length animated film, and the first feature length animated film period, has arrived. And as the title of the film clearly states, this is “Disney’s Snow White.” 

Set in a long past fantasy kingdom, the film follows the princess Snow White, played by Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story (2021),” “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”), who finds herself and the kingdom under the rule of her stepmother, the Evil Queen, played by Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman,” “Death on the Nile”). The Queen decides to have Snow White killed so she can pose no threat to her. Snow flees into the forest surrounding the kingdom, where she meets seven mining dwarves (Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, and Dopey) living in the forest and a band of rebels led by Jonathan, played by Andrew Burnap (“WeCrashed,” “The Front Room”). Together with the dwarves and the rebels, she embarks on a plan to liberate the kingdom from the Queen’s evil clutches. 

There are plenty of good ideas here and things that work quite well with a reimagining of material this old (the original film is fast approaching its 90th anniversary). Director Mark Webb (“(500) Days of Summer,” “The Amazing Spider-Man") and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (“Secretary,” “The Girl on the Train”) establish a more caring and people-centric life for Snow, which makes her desire to help free the kingdom really work. It makes sense, and it works as a worthwhile addition to the material without feeling bloated. It’s one of the shorter of these Disney live-action remakes, and while this added material isn’t essential in its importance or how it’s told, it certainly isn’t monotonous either. 

Zegler is the heart and soul of the film. One would hope that would be obvious, given the fact that she is in the titular role, but she really excells in the material. While the overall script isn’t perfect, she manages to push through some of the worst lines to rise above when the material fails her. She’s entirely genuine and charming and whenever she’s on screen, the film actively becomes better. The same goes for the vocal performances for the dwarves. Lead by a really charmingly goofy performance from Jeremy Swift (“Ted Lasso,” “Downton Abbey”) as Doc, this septet of miners keeps exactly the same kind of oddball energy you’d expect from their borderline comedic-relief roles. With Martin Klebba (“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Pacific Rim: The Black”) as Grumpy, George Salazar in his film debut as Happy, Jason Kravits (“The Practice,” “Our Cartoon President”) as Sneezy, Andy Grotelueschen as Sleepy, Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Schmigadoon!”) as Bashful, and Andrew Barth Feldman (“No Hard Feelings,” “Saturday Night”) as Dopey, the group all sound great singing and otherwise. 

Burnap is less memorable than Zegler or the dwarves, sliding into an archetype that seems more like a live action version of Eugene from “Tangled” got mixed into the fray, but he’s still a good presence, as is Ansu Kabia (“Miss Scarlet and The Duke,” “The End We Start From”) as the Evil Queen’s Huntsman, although he seems to be forgotten by the film by the end. Gal Gadot is the big sore thumb sticking out of the cast. She’s just plain bad. Numerous scenes involving her are punctuated with bizarre facial expressions and vocal deliveries. Her song is the worst in the film, both from a writing and performance standpoint. She’s just not compelling or delivering an interesting performance, or even a mediocre one. Her delivery is stilted and wonky, as if you fed her voice into an AI and had it dub over the lines for her. She’s, without a doubt, the worst part of the film. 

Visually the film is a very mixed bag. Cinematographer Mandy Walker (“Elvis (2022),” “Hidden Figures”) keeps things clear and moving, sometimes paying homage to shots from the original film while also working well within the visual effects heavy world. Where the mixed bag comes into play is in the film’s effects and production design. Anything in the kingdom has exceptional production design and effects work, it's simply gorgeous to look at. Outside of the kingdom, in the forest with Snow and the dwarves though, things are far more garish and ugly. The dwarves themselves aren’t terrible, but they also stand out even amongst the rest of the CGI due to their uncanny nature. The forest also has a bizarre dayglow lighting effect on everything. In the dwarves' house, for example, it's constantly lit as if the sunrise is shining in through every window, from every angle. It just looks very odd, almost like a lighting tech demo. 

While still containing a few iconic songs, the original “Snow White” has a less remembered soundtrack overall compared to previous Disney films. Songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land,” “The Greatest Showman”) have updated some of the classic songs really well, with “Whistle While You Work” and “Heigh-Ho” getting fantastic updates. Zegler’s solo song “Waiting on a Wish” is also excellent, and the rest of the songs are good, if not as good as those three. Almost ironically consistent though, the only bad song in the film is Gadot’s solo villain song “All is Fair.” Her singing isn’t just subpar, the song itself just feels out of place and like a blended concoction of every other Disney villain song. The choreography, planned by Mandy Moore (“La La Land,” “Babylon”), is great across the board though, and it makes you wish Webb and Moore will team up in the future for an original, better musical. 

“Disney’s Snow White” is certainly not the train wreck some were predicting, nor is it the second coming of these live action remakes. It isn’t even the worst of said remakes either. Rather, it's a film with plenty of issues and plenty of good things as well. Zegler completely captivates and is the reason to watch the film itself, and the new and updated songs are delights. Apart from that, the rest of the film manages to be a fun distraction but never rises to replace the original in any way. It’s hard to tell if that was ever the point, but it does mean that in the years to come, after all the “controversies” die down, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone to watch this over the original in most contexts. 3/5 

Novocaine - Review: A Painless Dark Comedy-Action-Romance Romp

 

Sometimes, all you need is a big, bright smile from a charming person to carry a concept through to its best result. Jack Quaid (“The Boys,” “My Adventures with Superman”) is one of those people who has the charm and the smile in spades, to the point where it almost becomes unfair. After years of leading ensembles or playing second fiddle, this eager fresh face finally has a film where he is unequivocally the lead, and he makes the absolute most of it. He also gets beat to hell and back, but if you’ve seen previous works involving him, this is more of a regularity than you’d expect. 

“Novocaine” stars Quaid as Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered middle manager at a bank with the inability to feel pain. He isn’t invincible or bestowed with superpowers, he just has a genetic disorder that means that he cannot feel pain, though he can still bleed and get plenty hurt. After an impromptu date night with bank teller Sherry, played by Amber Midthunder (“Prey,” “Legion”), his bank is robbed, and she is taken as a hostage. Worried that the police will not arrive in time to help, Nathan takes matters into his own hands and, with the help of his online gaming friend Roscoe, played by Jacob Batalon (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Reginald the Vampire”), he sets out after the bank robbers who’re led by the almost charmingly evil Ray Nicholson (“Smile 2,” “Panic”). Meanwhile, Mincy and Coltraine, two detectives played by Betty Gabriel (“The Spine of Night,” “Get Out”) and Matt Walsh (“Veep,” “The Do-Over") respectively, follow Nathan’s trail, trying to piece together whether or not he was in on the robbery. 

This is the sort of film that entirely comes down to Quaid and his willingness to throw himself into a role where the basic premise requires him to get beat to hell and back. He is the absolute best part of the film, giving a performance so charming and winning that it could be argued that it is his true uncanny ability in the film. Somehow, he keeps the film’s energy high no matter the moment, and he keeps the film believable and grounded. Despite the hits Nathan takes, you never stop believing that he is willing to keep getting knocked down and popping right back up. 

Meanwhile, Midthunder makes for a compelling love interest Quaid, even if she doesn’t quite rise to his levels of weaponized charm. Batalon is a fun bit of confident comedic relief opposite Quaid more awkward everyman stylings, and Nicholson is truly a harrowing villain without teetering into being completely despicable. Gabriel and Walsh are both fine, and their b-plot does have an element of emotional truth and freshness to it by the end, but for the most part it’s a bog-standard police plot you see in a typical film of this ilk. 

The action is quick and high energy, without feeling like yet another “John Wick” style hyper-kinetic action fare. While not as precise as the action seen in those films, there’s a charming scrappy nature to the action here. Like Quaid’s own abilities, the fights feed back into the idea that Nathan is just an average dude put into a decidedly less average situation. Directing duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (“Villains,” “Significant Other”) makes sure that the tale is small scale from start to finish. It helps that writer Lars Jacobson (“Day of the Dead: Bloodline”) has crafted a story that never gets overblown; Nathan isn’t a secret former military/hitman badass, nor is there a criminal underworld involved. In a world where it seems like each action film feels the need to craft those kinds of plots, it's completely refreshing to see something that looks small scale that actually is. It allows the film to stretch its legs and become the sort of film that, while not breaking out of its genre, becomes a fantastic example of what this kind of film can be when its firing on all cylinders. 

“Novocaine” is a silly title for a film that revels in being a fantastic example of this kind of action film. It keeps the stakes small, fitting perfectly alongside a game cast led by Jack Quaid’s truly winning lead performance. The action is tense and grounded, but the film never loses a bit of its gory dark humor. Quaid’s everyman charms make it all flourish, even building a legitimately engaging romance by the end. It's hard to imagine anyone indulging in some “Novocaine” without a big grin on their face. 4.5/5 

The Electric State - Review: A Shambling Hunk of Expensive Cold Metal

 

In their post Marvel careers, the brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (“Avengers: Endgame,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) have had an uneven career to say the least. While their producing work has been largely stellar, bringing their names to projects like the “Extraction” series, “The Legend of Ochi,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” their directorial efforts have been less than stellar. After the crime-drama misfire of “Cherry” and the film named after its own color palette “The Grey Man,” the brothers have returned to more family friendly science-fiction adventure fare with “The Electric State.” 

Based on the illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, the film takes place in an alternate version of the 1990s after a war between humanity and the robotic animatronic machines built to serve them, led by an animatronic version of Mr. Peanut, voiced by Woody Harrelson (“The Hunger Games,” “True Detective”). After the robot's defeat by human manned drones created by tech mogul Ethan Skate, played by Stanley Tucci (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “Conclave”), they were banished to the exclusion zone, a chunk of the Midwest desert, and humanity began to use the drone technology to live their lives almost entirely in a virtual reality, piloting robotic drones to do their menial tasks. Years after the war, young orphan Michelle Greene, played by Millie Bobby Brown (“Enola Holmes,” “Stranger Things”), is visited by a small robot who claims to be her deceased brother. She then teams up with scavenging drifter Keats, played by Chris Pratt (“Parks & Recreation,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”), and his robotic friend Herman, voiced by Anthony Mackie (“Captain America: Brave New World,” “Twisted Metal”), to venture through the exclusion zone to find scientist Clark Amherst, played by Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Loki”), to locate her brother. 

Admittedly, it sounds like there’s far more going on than there is, and while the film does tackle a lot of ground, it does so in a fairly neat package. At just a little over two hours, things move along at a brisk pace, proving to be a nice showcase for the elaborate and cluttered sets and robot designs. The visual effects are good, without becoming exceptional, riding a line between style and realism. Cinematographer Stephen F. Windon (“Fast Five,” “Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)”) has plenty of experience shooting visual effects heavy films, and he keeps the action clear and easily identifiable. It’s not a colorful or “pretty” film, but it certainly isn’t devoid of life or color and there’s an active effort to make things look nicer. 

Unfortunately, that’s where the net positives end. What this film is at its core is a complete rehash of virtually every science-fiction family adventure film to come out post “Star Wars.” Pratt’s character dresses and acts like Han Solo, complete with a non-human sidekick. Much of the musical score from Alan Silvestri (“Back to the Future,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”) doesn’t just sound ripped from films like “Super 8” or “E.T.”, it sounds like those films were accidentally left on while the musical score was being recorded. Each story beat and moment feels torn from other better films in this genre: “The Iron Giant,” “E.T.” “Super 8,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” “Jurassic Park,” hell even “Ready Player One” feel like they’ve been stripped for parts by the film’s zombie-like robot scavengers and reassembled into the derivative hodgepodge that is this film. 

Pratt and Brown are turning in what could charitably be called passible work here, and neither are any semblance of interesting. Pratt is practically sleepwalking through this kind of grimy loner role that he established he could pull off well in “Guardians,” only this time he’s accompanied by a horrendous mustache and cheap costume. Brown is delivering the same kind of precocious mediocre child-actor performance that reminds one of the likes of Spencer Breslin, with some lines even delivered as if she’s reading them for the first time. Tucci isn’t much better, working with the same copy-cat “evil CEO” material that’s been a subject of these kinds of films since the early 2000s. Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad,” “Do the Right Thing”) is here as a robot bounty hunter Marshall Bradbury, but by the time it ends you’ll be hard pressed to remember he was there. The same goes for Jenny Slate (“Gifted,” “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”) and Brian Cox (“Deadwood,” “Succession”) who have borderline vocal cameos as Penny Pal, a mail robot, and Popfly, a baseball robot respectively. 

The script, from screenwriting duo Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”), feels like a complete mashup of other, better films in this genre. It’s not that it attempts to harken back to those other films through moments of nostalgia, it's that they have moments and stretches of the plot simply lifted from those other films. When Michelle first meets the robot form of her brother, the scene feels like an almost shot for shot recreation of Elliot finding E.T. in his backyard. It could be seen as a fun throwback to more nostalgic family fare, but the film never does anything with these elements. It feels like a script made of puzzle pieces from better films simply because the writers couldn’t be bothered to come up with anything better. It would be disheartening, to see a concept wasted like this, even if it was an original film, but it's even more upsetting given the material this film was based on. 

Stålenhag’s original book is heavy on the visuals and atmosphere, and light on story. It's the sort of book where things are implied but never confirmed. Giant battle drones pepper the landscapes, although no specific war or battle is ever mentioned. It’s a bleak tale but almost disarmingly so, one that feels human and engaging, never cold, without losing that bleakness. Some of those visuals from the book are seen built out in hyper-realistic CGI sets here, but the larger plot is completely different. Rather, the Russos seem almost uncomfortable with this kind of material, choosing instead to adapt this tale of humanity and technology with all the subtlety and emotional intelligence of a 12-year-old middle school boy on the playground. Who needs a moment of compassion between robots and humanity to exist on its own when we can keep cutting back and forth between a giant destructive battle outside. 

As the film’s final emotional monologue is being given by Brown, there’s a piece of music playing beneath her speech. It isn’t a needle drop though, and as the notes well to an emotional climax, it becomes clear what the song is. In their big final emotional monologue of their film about humanity needing to reconnect after technology has split them apart, they’ve chosen to use an instrumental version of “Wonderwall.” That would already be a resoundingly obvious and mind-numbing choice, but then as the credits roll, the song “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1” begins to play. This song, which contains the lyrics “Those evil-natured robots (I'll get you, Yoshimi)/They're programmed to destroy us,” feels remarkably out of place coming just after an ending which feels like a win and a humanizing victory for the downtrodden robot population. These decisions don’t come from directors who have made a film like this for emotional or creative reasons. These are decisions made by people who just want a cool song to end their cool movie, which is badass and cool, with nothing to back it up. All style, zero substance. Why is the leader of the robotic revolution Mr. Peanut, a character who wasn’t even in the original book? Well, because it's a fun childhood thing. And I’m sure Planters paid a decent bit as well. 

“The Electric State” feels like a robotic concoction. Like its CGI metal characters, it's a shambling mess that looks nice and has a handful of good performances but is merely stitched together from the parts of other, better films on almost every level. From the music to the characters to the story beats, it's as if it's trying to remind you of better films not in a nostalgic way, but because otherwise the film itself wouldn’t have anything to bring to the table. What’s here honestly isn’t the worst thing in the world; it’s routine and mediocre at best. But what it represents is a far worse thing. 1.5/5 

Black Bag - Review: I Spy a Sexy, Witty, Quick Good Time

 

There’s something particularly alluring about the life of a spy. The secrecy, the style, the globe-trotting, the murder. Virtually since the beginning of film, spies have been a reliable source of dramatic intrigue for filmmakers across the globe. It can be a calculating and cold job, but then so can the work of Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s Eleven (2001),” “Logan Lucky”). When he’s at his best, he’s lively and full of little quirks and touches within a seemingly calm exterior. So, if you mix his style, with that of the spy genre, and a script from someone like David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Panic Room”), you get a nice neat little package. You get a “Black Bag.” 

George Woodhouse, played by Michael Fassbender (“X-Men: First Class,” “Steve Jobs”), is married to Kathryn St. Jean, played by Cate Blanchett (“The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” “Tár”), and the pair are so in love it borderline puzzles their friends and acquaintances. They’re also both spies within the same British intelligence spy agency. One evening, George is told that his next assignment is to find the internal source who stole and leaked a piece of software called Severus, and that one of the suspects is his wife. From there, he begins to suspect her and their marriage, roping in his friends and fellow spies Clarissa, played by Marisa Abela (“Industry,” “Back to Black”), Freddie, played by Tom Burke (“Mank,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”), Zoe, played by Naomie Harris (“Moonlight,” “No Time to Die”), and James, played by Regé-Jean Page (“Bridgerton,” “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”), to help find the leak before he must answer to Arthur Stieglitz, played by Pierce Brosnan (“GoldenEye,” “Mamma Mia!”), their agency head. 

Soderbergh’s best sensibilities are on full display here, to the very best effects. Despite still going by pseudonyms, he continues to be his own editor and cinematographer, and it means that his pictures feel exceptionally purposeful, every decision deliberate. This matches extremely well with the spy thriller genre itself and works as a fantastic complement to the fluidity of Koepp’s script. The lines, jabs, quips, and quirks flow so naturally that it begins to feel voyeuristic, as if you yourself are a spy peeking in on the events as they unfold. The cinematography is particularly gorgeous; simplistic and deliberately done without being plain, creative without being showy. 

The entire cast is completely locked in, and while it could be easy to label this a film where you just watch attractive people talk and lie to each other, the nuances of each performance are clear and excellent. Fassbender and Blanchett are a steamy and complicated couple together, letting each scene feel as though it could play out in any number of ways. The ensemble cast all fit into their various roles and archetypes in the spy genre well, but playing within said roles enough to prevent any kind of stagnation. Abela is a particular standout, imbuing Clarissa with a smarmy kind of innocence without betraying her intelligence. As the youngest member of this work group, hers is the most interesting role to observe, as she slowly pieces together just what kind of a world she’s involved herself in. 

Soderbergh keeps things brisk and light, and his directorial touches are virtually tailor made for this genre. But so are his editing skills and ability to construct this film like an inside out puzzle box. Things that might initially come across as plot holes or oddities early on are slowly recontextualized as things progress. It shows a tight and masterful grip on the medium, yet another example of Soderbergh’s ability to shapeshift into whatever genre is handed to him. This brisk and playful pace is elevated further by David Holmes’s (“Ocean’s Eleven (2001),” “Logan Lucky”) electric and punctual score, popping up just when needed as if it’s the final cherry on top of a scene. 

At just over 90 minutes, “Black Bag” is just a good old fashioned adult drama. Its talented cast runs away with the material, and Soderbergh’s style keeps things fun without becoming farcical, or without betraying the thriller nature at the core of the tale. Koepp’s script maintains that same sensibility and results in one of his best writing efforts in years. For those bemoaning the lack of movies for grown-ups at a theatrical level, Soderbergh and Koepp have essentially left a nice and tidy little thriller to dive into and enjoy. 5/5