The Phoenician Scheme - Review: The Family That Schemes Together

 

There’s a trend of “serious” directors or actors breaking off from their typical material to make films aimed at children shortly after they themselves have children. Martin Scorsese made “Hugo” when his daughter was 11, George Miller made “Happy Feet” and “Babe,” and plenty of famous actors have done voices for animated family films. That kind of realization makes Wes Anderson’s (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) latest film “The Phoenician Scheme” make a little bit more sense, as the film release just shy of his own daughter turning 9 years old.

Set in the 1950s, the film follows industrialist businessman Zsa-Zsa Korda, played by Benicio Del Toro (“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “The Usual Suspects”), as he attempts to set in motion a plan to rebuild the infrastructure of Phoenicia. He enlists in the help of his estranged daughter and nun-in-training Liesl, played by Mia Threapleton (“Dangerous Liaisons,” “The Buccaneers”), in seeking out his numerous benefactors, including Prince Farouk, played by Riz Ahmed (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Nightcrawler”), bankers Leland and Reagen, played by Tom Hanks (“Toy Story,” “Forrest Gump”) and Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad,” “Malcolm in the Middle”) respectively, club owner Marseille Bob, played by Mathieu Amalric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Quantum of Solace”), ship captain Marty, played by Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction,” “Angels in America”), and Korda’s second cousin Hilda, played by Scarlett Johansson (“The Avengers,” “Jojo Rabbit”), for more money for the venture. The pair are accompanied by Korda’s tutor turned administrative assistant Bjørn Lund, played by Michael Cera (“Superbad,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”), as Korda uses the trip as an attempt to reconnect with Liesl and convince her to be his heir in the event of his death.

Anderson’s films as of late have contained far more fantastical elements than they previously did. Gone are the days of more simplistic setups or worlds like “The Royal Tenenbaums” or “Rushmore.” Rather, like “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” his works as of late have been hyper specific borderline fantasies of European architecture and pastel soaked realism. Unlike previous works such as “Asteroid City” or “The French Dispatch,” where that style was utilized as a narrative technique as well as a stylistic one, here it only serves as the latter. It means that even the film’s most grounded emotional elements have to fight harder to break through the artifice Anderson creates. This serves as a double-edged sword, as his regular players who’re content to simply serve as background characters, such as Hanks or Cranston, do just that. However, it also means that those in his troupe that really push to break through make a bigger impact than they otherwise might.

Del Toro delivers one of the finest performances of his career and one of the best in any of Anderson’s films. His deadpan nature of being completely sincerely silly and serious makes Korda a fascinating person to watch. Threapleton also proves herself a fantastic addition to Anderson’s merry band or misfits. She is the standout amongst the entire cast and immediately catapults her career into newfound heights with her role here. Cera proves to be a remarkable addition as well. His role stands out particularly well given just how obvious of a fit he seems to be in this world. His mannerisms and canter slot perfectly into the material, making him seem as if he’s been working with Anderson for years.

However, all the artifice and performances in the world can’t prevent this “Scheme” from feel likes its moving at a deliberate pace from the very start. At just barely over 100 minutes, this tale proves to be one of Anderson and co-writer Roman Coppola’s (“Isle of Dogs,” “Moonrise Kingdom”) most lethargic in quite a while. It certainly doesn’t drag, but the innate engine of wordplay and intrigue can only do so much. It may just be the very first time in his career where Anderson seems to be spinning his wheels with his own material. There isn’t a grand moment of revelation like in “Asteroid City” or a beautiful moment of visual spectacle like “The French Dispatch.” Even the scenery eventually begins to look like leftovers from “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Anderson’s leftovers are still pretty delicious leftovers, but they’re leftovers all the same.

Wes Anderson’s latest film is a delight when its laser focused on its central three performances and the father-daughter story caught right in the middle. The surrounding elements meanwhile all feel like the best bits of previous Anderson adventures, from the locations, set designs, music, down to the supporting performances. It’s certainly not bad, but it’s unlikely to win over anyone not already firmly in Anderson’s camp, despite Threapleton’s fantastic performance, nor is it near the best examples of what he’s capable of. 3.5/5

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning - Review: Should He Choose to Accept

The past few films starring Mr. Movie Star himself Tom Cruise (“Jerry Maguire,” “Edge of Tomorrow”) seem to have been mirroring the struggles any real-world movie star would be having in this new uber-franchised age of streaming services and A.I. generated content. “Top Gun Maverick” had the air force seek out his character to teach a team of young recruits to do something only a real human could do; no drones, no computer guidance systems, only flesh and blood people. But that film pales in comparison to how on the nose “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning” was in its plot. That film sees Cruise’s character and his team having to fight back against an A.I. algorithm that is all knowing, shape shifting, and threatening to destabilize the sense of truth in our world as we know it.

It’s quite the precedent narrative to have in your borderline three-hour long blockbuster action epic, even without the public figure Cruise has crafted for himself. After all, when your whole identity is doing stunts and action in films with as little digital fakery as possible, making a film about fighting against a digital entity is quite the move. But it takes more than a clever idea and some stunts to make a good movie, especially to make a good finale.

“Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning,” the eighth film in the franchise and the fourth written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie (“The Way of the Gun,” “The Usual Suspects”), almost directly follows the events of the previous film and sees Ethan Hunt, played by Cruise, and his team, consisting of former pickpocket Grace, played by Hayley Atwell (“Agent Carter,” “Christoper Robin”), computer hacker Luther, played by Ving Rhames (“Lilo & Stitch,” “Pulp Fiction”), technical field agent Benji, played by Simon Pegg (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Star Trek (2009)”), and former assassin turned ally Paris, played by Pom Klementieff (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “The Killer's Game”), hunting down Gabriel, played by Esai Morales (“How to Get Away with Murder,” “Ozark”), as he attempts to control the mysterious rogue A.I. known as “The Entity” as Ethan attempts to find and kill it.

The film certainly involves much more than just that, and it's a veritable who’s-who of past MI installments. Angela Bassett (“9-1-1,” “Black Panther”) returns from “Fallout” as the President of the United States, Henry Czerny (“Revenge,” “The Boys of St. Vincent”) as Eugene Kittridge, director of the CIA, returning from “Dead Reckoning,” and even Rolf Saxon (“Woman in Gold,” “Capital City”) reprising his role from the first “Mission: Impossible” film as William Donloe, among many others. It’s a joy to see so many players from past films come back to continue to dance about in Cruise’s wild spy-fiction playground. The franchise is no stranger to having random character actors pop up for one or two scenes, and it never fails to provide a little hit of classic ensemble film nostalgia, like “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” “Caddyshack” or “Airplane.”

However, the number of characters from previous films does lead into the film’s biggest issue: the first act specifically is loaded with flashbacks and callbacks to previous films and previous footage to the point where it becomes overbearing. It could simply be a studio note or the nature of this being the “final” film, but it’s surprising to see McQuarrie and co-writer Erik Jendresen (“Killing Lincoln,” “Band of Brothers”) resort to this for a series which has previously had films just as interconnected as this, but resisted delving this deep into saying “remember this” and pointing fingers. The film’s opening 15-or-so minutes, everything before the opening titles, feels particularly rough and over-expository, and while the 30 minutes afterwards slowly shake it off, for a film that’s almost three hours, having its first act be largely an exposition dump is an unfortunate move.

Cruise is just as electrifying as he’s ever been, and his entire ensemble is fantastic, slotting right into their roles in the tale with precision. A surprise highlight is Saxon as Donloe, who appears in what could have been a brief cameo that ends up resonating through the rest of the film as a nice, succinct example of the central themes bleeding through the whole franchise (more on that in a bit). Every character is dialed up to just the right degree that their actions are sufficiently exaggerated for this end of the world scenario, without teetering into cheesy “made for TV movie” territory.

The stunts, as expected, are absolutely thrillingly put together. Each moment comes together as a ballet of production techniques to craft some of the most exciting sequences you’ll see in any movie this year. The submarine sequence that is at the center of the film’s middle chunk is just jaw droppingly impressive and as tense as anything in the franchise before. There’s a very direct sense of isolation before the third act begins its thunderous rise to the climactic finish, and it's an interesting dichotomy that further enhances both aspects of the film. The musical score by composers Max Aruj (“The Ice Road,” “Lansky”) and Alfie Godfrey (“A Town Called Malice,” “Marching Powder”) backs this up, turning in a score that’s far more somber than before, matching the film’s mixture of isolation and action.

Despite its contemporaries, the “MI” series has always been based more around its individual characters than the action, and this installment is no exception. Rather, its a far more emotionally cathartic mission than any of the previous ones. Those previously mentioned flashbacks are one example of the wistful nature of this tale, drawing directly back into each previous installment in interesting and surprising ways. Like with Donloe, it’s a way to tie everything together in ways that will satisfy those who enjoy piecing the whole puzzle together, as well as those who go for the emotional gut-punches. Cruise and his team have always made this a series about the individual humans who do this work, not the work itself, and “Final Reckoning” is a mission statement entirely for that ideal.

If this truly is “The Final Reckoning,” then Tom Cruise and his production and secret agent team have turned in a truly thrilling new tale that easily sits alongside the best of the franchise, even if it doesn’t eclipse them. Once things really get going, you’ll be hard pressed to remember the stiffer opening segments as things just keep crescendoing over and over with the same technical skill you can expect from this series. Think of it like this: Tom Cruise likes running. The hardest part of running is getting started. But once you do, it’s almost impossible to stop and the momentum and feeling is exhilarating. 4.5/5

Lilo & Stitch (2025) - Review: A Soulless Little Abomination

 

“There’s one in every family,” or so the marketing for the 2002 original “Lilo & Stitch” said. It makes sense, given the titular character’s more anarchic and chaotic nature, to juxtapose him against the nicer, calmer Disney fare. It clearly worked, as the original film was not only a box-office success, but the character has become one of Disney’s most profitable cash cows. Now, deep into the age of the Disney live-action remake, it makes sense that a character as popular as him would get the same treatment given to other Disney classics like “Cinderella” and “Snow White.” They’ve even kept the marketing the same, with posters involving Stitch messing with recent Disney live-action films but this time with a far more fitting tagline: “Who asked for this?”

The film stars newcomer Maia Kealoha as six-year-old Lilo, a young Hawaiian girl living with her sister Nani, played by Sydney Elizebeth Agudong (“Infamously in Love,” “At Her Feet”), after the recent death of their parents. Lonely and frustrated with her sister, Lilo wishes for a best friend, and she gets one in the form of the alien experiment Stitch, voiced by Chris Sanders (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Croods”), shortly after he crash lands in Hawaii from deep space. Stitch uses Lilo to try and blend in, hiding in plain sight from his creator Jumba, played by Zach Galifianakis (“The Hangover,” “The LEGO Batman Movie”), and Pleakley, played by Billy Magnussen (“Game Night,” “Aladdin (2019)”), while also avoiding the human CIA agent Cobra Bubbles, played by Courtney B. Vance (“Isle of Dogs,” “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”).

Stitch’s chaotic nature is still here in ample supply, even if his strict violence has been toned down a bit. He tears things up with reckless abandon, and the heart of his character is still there. Given her newcomer status, Kealoha also holds her own remarkably well, not only for a child actor but also for one having to play against a non-existent CGI creature. She’s adorable and manages to only occasionally drift into the territory occupied by other child actors. Magnussen is also an absolute delight as Pleakley, either in his human disguise form or voicing his CGI alien counterpart. His gift for extremely physical humor carries over to his voice as well, and he is a scene-stealer in every moment. Stitch himself also looks fantastic and stands as a great example of transforming a 2D character into 3D CGI with ease.

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. This new version of the original film, directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”) and written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes (“Dear David”), is a bizarre Frankenstein version of the original. It alternates between scenes that are either completely different than what came before or are word for word the exact same, and the difference in material makes for a jumbled mess of central themes. For example, the original film’s main antagonist Gantu is completely absent, with Jumba now fitting into that role. An interesting enough change, but the film doesn’t change Jumba’s character at all to fit this more opposing role, making him lack any sort of menace or danger and making the third act chase to save the day as exciting as a bowl of corn flakes.

This is just one of numerous scripting and plot issues with the film as a whole. It feels as though there were too many various ideas on how to mix things up for a remake and Bright and Waes simply threw a dart at a board to decide what to change. It leads to the central themes and morals lacking the character arcs or impact needed to actually make them work. This coupled with the performances from the rest of the cast, which maintain an overly energetic, hokey feeling, give the entire film this identity of being a streaming film gussied up for a theatrical release. This would be a shocking idea if not for the fact that that’s exactly what happened. This might explain why the colors look flat, the cinematography is basic and bland, and the CGI characters look incredibly ugly besides Stitch. There’s even a moment of product placement so blatant, you’d think the moment was initially shot to be a commercial and was accidentally included in the final film. I hope you like Capri-Sun!

What all of this means is that the identity of the film has been flattened, turned into a generic kid’s movie E.T. knockoff, the kind that used to come out every few years before streaming services became the main home for films of that quality. Yes, the original film still exists and this new remake being subpar will not affect that, but its nevertheless disappointing to see a character and story that are regularly regarded as the height of Disney’s 2D canon turned into a shallow impersonation of the kind of film it was poking fun at when it was originally released.

“Lilo & Stitch” is a bland, bloated, confused, boring mess that changes its story at random and doesn’t even put forth the effort to retrofit its central themes to fit the new narrative. Stitch himself may look and sound great, Maia Kealoha does a fine job and could easily have a bright career ahead of her, and Billy Magnussen tries his best to save what he can, but this is a film that lacks any kind of whimsy or identity apart from being the same thing you’ve seen before, but with a new coat of paint. I’ll remove the critic facade for a moment for a perfect example: the speech Stitch gives at the end of the film about his “little broken family” is word for word the same speech as in the original film. And if you listen closely, it sounds almost exactly like the vocal recording itself was just reused from the original film. If that isn’t a perfect example of what this film is, I don’t know what is. 1.5/5

Friendship - Review: I Think He Should Leave

 

When a comedian finds their niche that really works, you’d be hard pressed to see them ever move outside of it. Whether it’s Seth Rogen’s crude stoner humor, Will Ferrell’s over the top exaggerations, or Eddie Murphy’s fast-talking personas, there are plenty of comedians who find their groove and never move from it. Tim Robinson (“I Think You Should Leave,” “Detroiters”) is a similar kind of comedian, having found great success with his Netflix sketch show after years of writing sketches for “Saturday Night Live” that are a bit outside that show’s sense of humor to say the least. He may have found a film director who knows exactly what his strengths are as well in the form of writer/director Andrew DeYoung with their first film together, “Friendship.”

The film follows Craig Waterman, played by Robinson, an executive working for a company that makes technology more addictive for its users. His wife Tami, played by Kate Mara (“House of Cards,” “Brokeback Mountain”), runs a flower shop out of their house, and seems to be disillusioned with their life, with Craig completely oblivious to the fact. Craig then meets Austin Carmichael, played by Paul Rudd (“Ant-Man,” “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy”), an exciting new neighbor who invites him on various excursions and beers at his house. All seems well, until Austin asks Craig to stop hanging out with him, which results in Craig becoming even more invested in their non-existent friendship to awkward and amusing results.

Robinson and Rudd are a match made in comedic heaven, and the film is consistently laugh-out-loud funny, bordering on absurdist filmmaking. One could even easily call this a gateway into more bizarre and absurdist humor, like the kind found in the wee hours of 2am on Adult Swim. If you’re familiar with Robinson’s work and Rudd’s performances on sketch shows like “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” then you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into. But it does manage to be just “general audience” friendly enough to provide a jumping off point for anyone looking to get into those other, weirder shows.

The entire film seems to exist in this realm of off-kilter reality, where Rudd and Robinson are able to be completely free-wheelingly weird without consequence or care. It leads to a kind of comedy that will certainly not be for everyone but is extremely rewarding. The way it sets up jokes and bits is like a set of pins, eventually making them all crash to the ground with the joke equivalent of either a bowling ball or a bulldozer. This is the kind of film that does this one aspect exceptionally well, with virtually nothing else going on under the hood though. So, if you’re the sort of person who enjoys a bit more subtext or undertones with your comedy, you certainly won’t be getting that here.

That’s not to say the story at the core of this tale isn’t extremely engaging. DeYoung ties the comedic beats directly into the story, allowing them to naturally be derived from the plot as it progresses. It makes the laughs hit harder and the awkward bits cut a little bit deeper. It also makes the film just as a whole more compelling to watch, as opposed to one that tells an average story that has to pause itself for jokes to be interjected in. It also helps that things are elevated ever so slightly more so but a fantastic musical score courtesy of composer Keegan DeWitt (“Snack Shack,” “Heart Beats Loud”).

“Friendship” is an exceptionally absurd piece of comedic filmmaking. This is the sort of film destined to become a cult hit in the next few years, thanks to its two leads playing wonderfully off each other and its bizarre sense of world. It manages to tell a cathartic and engaging tale without losing the humor at any point, resulting in one of the oddest tales of male bonding this side of Adult Swim. 4/5

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