Review: You can laugh at Avatar: Fire and Ash all you want, I love my crazy jungle Smurfs

 

I can now see why James Cameron went with Sam Worthington to play Jake Sulley in the Avatar films- he’s never been a super electric presence and I remember many critics perceiving him as a bit flat in that first 2009 entry. But I think he strikes the right tone for who he’s supposed to be, a stern marine grunt who’s getting accustomed to life in a new world. 

Worthington is particularly good in this newest movie Fire and Ash, where he and his Na’vi family are now defending the land of Pandora from two separate threats, on top of some heavy family conflicts. This third movie is definitely one that does not give a damn how anyone new to the series feels about it, as Cameron proudly writes his characters melodramatically, seriously and emotionally, with *just* enough subtle humor to break up the tension. 

He's a bit throwback in that sense, and that gives the Avatar series a unique tone that really isn't like any other big property recently. Because of that, I see why it's picked up such a strong cult following. With me, I thought the first film was okay enough, but I found myself charmed more by The Way Of Water than I had expected.

This time, the Sulley family is still reeling from the loss of Meteyam (Jamie Flatters, who displays a lot of warmth in brief spirit-form cameos). But if you thought Cameron was going to give our blue alien friends a break, think again- now they and the Metekayinas have to contend with both the human colonizers, led by Stephen Lang’s Colonel Quaritch (still in his blue alien form), and now the fearsome warrior Varang (Oona Chaplin) and her Mangkwan tribe. 

And things don’t get any easier when the two of them spark up a sinister relationship. So of course, they decide to take over Pandora together. Even by PG-13 standards these two are an insanely freaky couple, and they had my theater going “oooooh” at points.

Making matters more complicated is Quaritch’s continued pursuit of his estranged son Spider (Jack Champion) living as a Sulley, and it’s weighing heavily on the mind of family matriarch Neytiri (Zoe Salanda), who is developing a hatred of the human “sky-people” and she starts to wonder; is Spider really worth all of this trouble?

So I do agree that Lang does steal many scenes in this film, he and Chaplin are super entertaining, but I still was mainly invested in the Sulley drama. There’s a limit to it granted, because Cameron does still understand that he wants the audience to rally behind his heroes, but they do take the Spider dilemma to very intense levels, and Worthington, Salanda and Champion are quite convincing.

Chaplin’s performance as Varang is both threatening and scary, but also genuinely funny just through how theatrical and campy her portrayal of the evil tribal leader is. Salanda gets a lot to chew on through Neytiri’s arc, and you can see why she’s become so attached to this character over time. 

Sigourney Weaver as Kiri still sounds like a very deep-voiced teenager, and I can tell she’s trying to pitch up her voice as much as she can. I do feel she nails her emotional scenes well, though. Shoutouts also go to the arc that their son Lo’ak goes on with the whales, and him still feeling guilty over the loss of Meteyam- with Britain Dalton’s performance being a notable standout.

Thinking back to how stuff like, say Captain America: Brave New World and the 2010s Star Wars films seem confused about their identity, the Avatar franchise doesn’t have that issue. Their tone is always earnest, and they don’t care if it comes off corny. James Cameron knows his audience and what they want from his characters and narratives.

It’s certainly a movie made for its audience first and foremost, as well as its creator, and specifically creator-driven visions are less common these days in the focus group era. In spite of it not being a very entry-level film (you really have to watch this series in order, as Cameron isn’t interested in holding newbie’s hands here), I’m still going to recommend Avatar: Fire and Ash just based on that I think it’s a fairly breezy three hour action film, which I didn’t expect to say. The followers of Eywa will get the most out of it, but it’s nevertheless another admirable spectacle if you just want to see something otherworldly for a bit.

Review: Benoit Blanc takes on a new case, theology and grifter culture in Wake Up Dead Man

 

Unlike a lot of James Bond actors and as much as I enjoy his work in Casino Royale (the 2006 movie, not the late 60s car wreck) and Skyfall, I see Daniel Craig both as Benoit Blanc and 007 by now. Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films have always provided a consistent balancing act of dark humor and fun potboilers that also give some weight to the victims Blanc assists. Wake Up Dead Man keeps those traditions going mostly, even while dealing with larger themes than usual. 

The Blancster is back to assist troubled priest Jud Duplenticy, aided by a great performance from Josh O’Connor, who’s suspected by the local chief (Mika Kunis) of murdering Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), his church’s domineering Monsignor who’s whipped up many of his parishioners into a lather of paranoia. 

                                         

A former boxer who’s trying to atone for causing an in-ring casualty, Jud didn’t exactly hit it off well with Wicks, and he’s the authorities’ top suspect on part of stating on record he wanted to change the way the church operated. Blanc is still willing to take on Father Jud’s dilemma, despite his dislike or organized religion and its fueling of intolerance throughout history. The two of them form sort of an odd couple as Blanc tries to make sense of what seems like an obviously closeable case, but things get more bizarre when the missing Wicks family fortune comes into play. 

Brolin in particular is a standout performance throughout the film even in flashback form, incredibly convincing as a domineering cult leader who feeds off the fear and anxiety of his members, which makes him incredibly believable. It's a remarkable accomplishment when your character's still a good antagonist in your story from beyond the grave. Glenn Close is also noteworthy as the melodramatic churchwoman who tells the tale of the missing Wicks fortune to Jud when he arrives. 

So I normally dislike the statement “all art is political” because it doesn’t account for work that’s meant to be mainly escapism (cultural influence will only take you so far in analyzing a work when someone’s making art for art’s sake). However , I’ll concede that every content creator has a worldview that subconsciously influences their work. 

All expression of art is in specific degrees though, and Rian Johnson isn’t especially shy about his worldview- particularly in how hard he makes a fool of supporting characters like Daryl McCormak’s conservative blogger and Andrew Scott as a famous writer who’s fallen into the right-wing culture war grift scene. But here’s the thing- the mystery is still so well crafted and the characters are engaging enough to where the extreme beliefs of the antagonists help the execution flow better, as opposed to feeling like Johnson is reverse-preaching to the audience.

One distinct feature about the Knives Out franchise is how Blanc mostly plays a deuteragonist role to his clients, allowing them a bulk of the character development in the story. This third film’s no different in that respect, as Jud wrestling with his guilt and also wanting to be a kind and merciful priest makes up a good portion of the film’s narrative, which makes for a more dramatic shift than usual, as I feel Glass Onion upped much of the comedy from the first entry.

For the most part, the usual Knives Out style of dark humor is still present, but this movie does take itself a bit more seriously due to the nature of Jud’s character, which I get. Blanc does get some good progression as well, I felt- while he always remains himself  (and without spoiling anything), he does engage in a bit of introspection in order to help himself reach a conclusion.

Right now I can’t say if I’d put Wake Up Dead Man ahead of the first Knives Out, as I’d say I enjoy them both equally for different reasons. But as it stands, I think Glass Onion is still my favorite of the trilogy. Nevertheless, this newest film is proof that the series hasn’t lost any sense of fun and thoughtfulness, so I’ll gladly recommend it as well as the first two movies if one hasn’t seen them by now. And without spoiling anything, I think this is the best antagonist plot crafted in these films yet.

Review: DiCaprio, Penn (mostly) elevate One Battle After Another’s wild parent war

 

Leonardo DiCaprio has always been the kind of actor where it’s easy for me to imagine his roles are all in the same canon and they’re all reincarnated characters. Like I can see his revolutionary agitator “Ghetto Pat” Calhoun in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another having weird dreams some nights about running from Billy Zane on a sinking cruise ship, or that he’s Howard Hughes filming an air movie or a con artist pulling the wool over Tom Hanks. This newest venture from writer/director Anderson is mostly a strong mix of action romp and dramatic character study, but its twist is how the main conflict quickly goes from ideological to deeply personal.

When he’s not freeing immigrants from prison and enraging his arch-nemesis Colonel Lockjaw, played manically obsessive by Sean Penn, Pat is pursuing a relationship with his girlfriend Perfidia (Teyana Taylor), who’s more interested in keeping up her anti-government ambitions than settling down to family life. After the two have a daughter together, Charlene (played by Chase Infiniti during her teenage years) and Perfidia is forced to go on the run, Pat and Charlene take the identities of “Bob” and “Willa” trying to make the most things in a refugee town.

But Lockjaw can’t let bygones be bygones, and on top of hoping to earn his way into a secret racist society (Tony Goldwyn is effectively chilling as their leader), he’s quite suspicious as to who Willa’s actual biological father is. He launches a small-scale military attack on Bob that’s more or less an excuse to kidnap the kid, sending the two freedom fighters into a cat-and-mouse game.

The three way dynamic between Bob, Willa and Lockjaw is the core of the story and the film’s strongest element, with the bond between the two heroes being pretty convincing and Penn playing an absolute nutcase (not that he isn’t used to that). So far as hyper-obsessed would-be parents go, Lockjaw isn’t quite as over the top as Quaritch from Avatar (oh, we’ll get to him), but he gets the job done as a hateable villain. Infiniti displays some good range for an early point in her career, and Benicio Del Toro is charming as the town leader who helps Bob and Willa out.

What I’m gonna say might sound weird, but it’s not meant as a slight on the story, just an observation: there’s a hint of paranoia in it. I don’t state that to discredit the themes or the characters’ objectives, they’re rebels seeking to take the power back, an easily relatable idea as any Star Wars fan knows, and Lockjaw is cartoonishly persistent. 

I mean more so in how it’s directed and how well Anderson is in depicting their desperation. I’m kinda glad they don’t spend too much time going into long pontifications about their ideology (save for one scene where Bob dresses down a schoolteacher for celebrating slave owning historical figures), as the film is mainly a slow burn action piece. 

I guess the one sticking point for me that holds the movie back is how I’d like to have seen a bit more world-building. As it’s loosely based off of an alt-history novel, budgeting considerations notwithstanding, they could have used more propaganda on behalf on the villains, something to sell even more visually the level of police state that the French 75 are up against- think the New Founding Fathers from the Purge series. 

What’s here isn’t bad, it’s not enough to ruin the story- we do get some shots of a detention center, but it’s a bit hard to suspend our disbelief when the environments look so plain and the soldiers and cops look so ordinary. I’m not asking for Hunger Games-level stuff here, it’s just the kind of script that maybe would have benefited from a two-to three minute setup of One Battle’s world and detailing the exact scope of the Christmas gang’s influence. 

Those complaints aside, One Battle After Another still mostly works as a throwback gritty adventure film with that sort of tension you’d find in the 70s or more experimental movie eras. A bit more detail in fleshing out the world would have helped the tension level- this is more the kind of concept I feel could have worked better as maybe an HBO series.

Had this been developed for streaming and the audience had more of a chance to soak in the details of daily life in this world, I think it would have landded better for me. Like what happened in this version of history that got the French 75 started, more of Lockjaw's backstory, maybe it could ask how other citizens feel about what’s going on, maybe some of the Lockjaw soldiers are questioning themselves? I get it if Anderson was aiming to make the story feel more self contained though, and the acting quality generally keeps it above average.

Review: Saturday Night's Main Event gives John Cena his deserved flowers, but how did it reflect on Triple H?

It's no secret that WWE's creative has been fairly up and down in 2025, in spite of the record business they've been doing at the gates. Much of that is the momentum fro the exciting twists of the Bloodline story through 2022-to 2024, culminating in Cody Rhodes finishing his story at Wrestlemania 40. The farewell tour of John Cena has served as the key storyline through most of this year, and opinions of it have been all over the place. It's led to this farewell SNME show in Washington, D.C. (at least as far as Cena's in ring competiton is concerned, as he's signed a new Legends deal with the company), which understandably whipped up emotions among the wrestling fandom.

Cena's retirement run has felt somewhat bucket list-ish, which is funny given the main criticism of Triple H's booking this year year has been that he allegedly plays things too safe. It's as if they wanted to get as much done as possible- let's give those jaded fans the long-awaited heel turn (an ill-time suggesstion from the Rock), let's give them the 17th world champinship, let's pass the torch to the next generation, let's put on a few last 4 and 5-star matches, and let's also put on a Antonio Inoki-style tournament to determine his closing opponent. Part of why I feel this whole thing has left many fans feeling weird is how WWE wasn't able to stick to one consistent narrative for Cena's final dates. Thankfully, Cena's charisma and still solid in-ring timing has kept much of the questionable creative afloat. 

Even during the peak of his backlash (no pun intended), I was always generally a Cena guy. My all-time favorite men's wrestler is Macho Man Randy Savage, that never changes, but John's always been somewhere in my personal top ten (usually seated between Mitsuharu Misawa and Jushin Liger). On top of his versatility in the ring with different opponents, engaging mic skills, charity work and commitment to the industry, I've just always found his energy infectious. His acting chops aren't bad either, as his run as Peacemaker and the depth he gives James Gunn's version of the character has shown. His performance here shows how thin a line there is between film a ring acting, and he wasn't the only one displaying that tonight.

Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi

We open up with a non-title exhibition match between the WWE men's champion and the current NXT men's champion. Oba is called "The Ruler" for good reason as he spends much of the match dominating Cody, who plays the underdog role well as usual (another quality he got from his dad).  For a bout that's under nine minutes it's pretty entertaining, but after Cody makes his eventual comeback into a stalemate, Drew McIntyre interferes for a disqualification finish. 

I can see where WWE didn't want either Cody or Femi to lose at this point- they're still highly protective of Rhodes as a draw, and they're also still invested in keeping up Oba's destroyer-type aura. McIntyre will no doubt spin this into a complaint over not getting a title shot, because as the apparent WWE mandate indicates, "Drew Must Suffer."

Bayley vs. Sol Ruca

Ruca reminds me in many ways of a more impactful Kelly Kelly, another women's superstar with a gymnast background, but who also worked much lighter than Sol (not that I'm condemning Kelly for that, it's just her style). There's more of a rawness and desperation to Ruca's work in comparison, and Bayley is of course athletic enough to keep up. I'm still not all that wild about the Rose Plant as a finisher- I've seen worse, it's better than the overdrive at least. (I prefer Bayley's flying elbow as a match ender, frankly I think hers is better than Okada's.) 

After a series of pinfall attempts, Ruca is able to counter Bayley for a three-count in a brisk but entertaining contest. The two are sympatico after the match, though I foresee Sol and Bayley having tensions once the former is called up to the main roster given how erratic the former world champion's been lately.

World Tag Team Championship match: AJ Styles and Dragon Lee. vs. Je'Von Evans and Leon Slater

Wrestling writers absolutely love Je'Von Evans, and for good reason, his physical ability and still blossoming charisma are damned impressive at such a young age. It's to where the Wrestling Observer more or less has a complete meltdown whenever he comes up short, and I can't help but think to myself "calm down, he is still developing and if he remains healthy then he'll be in line for a major push soon". 

He and his tag partner Slater put a lot of doubt in my mind as far as Styles and Lee retaining, because some of these near falls convinced me they were dead to rights. Alas, it's not the youngster's time quite yet as AJ is able to take advantage of an error from Dragon and pin him with a Styles Clash. For the time it was given, not a bad title defense and it has me interested in what AJ is planning for his own retirement tour in 2026 (his Clash In Paris match a couple months back against Cena was a banger also).

John Cena vs. Gunther

So as you'd expect, this was the match of the night because it was going to get the most time. Gunther spends a fair amount of time working Cena's upper half, particuarly with a series of brutal lariats. Cena has rightfully pointed out he's slowed down considerably, so he mostly sticks to his bread and butter while playing the underdog against the final boss Gunther- pretty impressive when you're as bulky as Cena, which goes to show you in spite of his hulk-up moments throughout his career, the dude has been an under-apprectated seller for a while. 

The flying leg drop, super-AA and STF aren't enough as Gunther, as promised, gets a submission win and he gleefully soaks up the boos as he heads to the back. The roster comes out to celebrate Cena with a pretty moving tribute video set to One Republic, including Cody and CM Punk symbolically sharing their belts with him, but Hunter gets absolutely lambasted when he steps out to the ring. This is "2003 Triple H Reign of Terror" levels of rage at this guy now.

The reaction to the booking to me is a reflection of how well Cena connected with audiences throughout the years. Regardless if the crowds were on his side or not, he always made them feel something. One of his defining contributions to the business was a style of performance that showed a young fan living out their fantasies and never losing that sense of excitement about it- not an easy thing to pull off in an industry this insane at times. 

It's evident in the sense of gratitude John gives off as he leaves his sneakers in the ring. With one key main eventer taking his last bows, how that affects the makeup of the men's Royal Rumble remains to be seen, but of course, none of the superstars are thinking about that currently.

There have been other superstars who were more technically sound than Cena, and he'd be the first to tell you that he's not as crisp as a Bryan Danielson or a Bret Hart. Personally, I think bell to bell he's still a bit underrated. But just as a performer who left you with fun, memorable moments and made everything feel larger than life- the fundamental goal of a professional wrestler- there were few more effective in its history. So I'd still recommend the show because booking concerns aside, I think it's a nice final showcase of the qualities that made Cena such a WWE pillar.

Review: Sean Combs: The Reckoning details the twisted rise and fall of a modern mad emperor

 

Sean Combs is right to assume he's a deeply fascinating individual, it's just not entirely for the reasons he had hoped for. Watching the new 50 Cent- produced Netflix documentary The Reckoning, detailing the various legal troubles he's encountered over the past couple of years- it focuses on a film crew following Combs around New York City as he deals with his incoming charges- I've been reflecting a bit on the concept of "separating the art from the artist". 

Most of my feelings towards Diddy prior to his scandals breaking out were...just kinda there. Let's face it, there are reasons why Fitty, for all his faults, keeps insisting that Combs "is not an artist", as he's more of a "does it sound sexy?" type producer and stylist. Mark Curry, one of many former Diddy acquaintances interviewed, notes how bland and flat his actual rapping skills are, and how he had to coach Combs all night until his remaking of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" into Diddy and Jimmy Page's Godzilla '98 anthem "Come With Me" sounded halfway listenable. Not too far into episode one, those wind up being the least of the sins he's committed.

The four-episode documentary briefly notes his origins as the son of a hustling but unattentive late father and an abusive mother,  his internship at Uptown Records (also later, the subsequent undercutting of his business associates to eventually found Bad Boy Records), and then the tragic crowd crush during a Diddy-sponsored party at a NYC community center, which resulted in the loss of nine lives. Holding close to his chest a constructed image of a charitable, culture-minded businessman, the infamy he gains from the publicity leads to him achieving music industry clout through his promotions of star acts like Jodeci, the Notorious B.I.G and Mary J Blige. 

This all serves as a backdrop to accusations during his rise of sexual assault, violence and intimidating business rivals, his apparent involvement in the killing of a Suge Knight partner, shamelessly fueling the East coast vs. West coast tension to a dangerous point for profit's sake, and severely attacking a producer for not shelving his "Hate Me Now" video with Nas after rethinking his crucifixion visual. And no, that's not the only time in this doc that Combs attempts to martyr himself, or comes off as a twisted spoiled brat. All the footage from his MTV show Making The Band is so facepalm worthy- so demanding that your trainees go walk for miles in the frosty New York night to buy you a specific type of cheesecake, and then mocking their contributions to the group, is "setting the value for your people"?

                                                

Mr. Jackson's eternally burning hatred for Combs is evident in how candid the footage he pulls from the vault is. It's not just limited to graphic audio and visuals of the aftermath of Biggie Smalls's assassination- in fact, Fitty throws some partial blame towards Diddy's direction by the sheer arrogance of him daring to party on enemy rap turf in a rather Tekashi-ish fashion. He's even harsher in his and other people interviewed's direct accusations of ordering Tupac Shakur's death (including getaway driver Keefe-D, currently set to go on trial as of writing). Yes, he plays the 911 call there as well, so viewers be warned about some unsettling content in this doc. I won't spoil how Puffy handles Biggie's affairs after his passing, but let's just say it's no wonder he wasn't on Voletta Wallace's good side.

Though it's thankfully nowhere as graphic as the actual transcripts, the infamous drug and sex-fueled Diddy parties are mentioned, along with unsettling allegations of not-of-age attendees. Everything related to Kid Cudi, including things both referred to by the documentary and a couple of things that weren't, is straight out of a bad mobster movie, and the nasty recollections from members of Diddy's girl groups Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty-Money are tough to sit through. In the mould of another 2000's hip hop icon, Curtis has been clearly rubbing his hands together like Birdman to add on any additional details to any salacious Puffy tale he can find.

                                    

For me, separating art from the sins of its creator depends, so long as one isn't trying to stan for people accused of terrible things just because one enjoys their work- I can admit to thinking "Moonlight" and "Sippin Tea In Yo Hood" are modern rap classics despite XXXTentacion's abusive history. I mention this because it's an understandable human reaction to have an increased gag reflex towards the creations of someone we know has done reprehensible deeds- for example, any curiosity one might have about the work of the band Lostprophets is forever tainted by the horrifying crimes Ian Watkins committed

If one wants to still enjoy his stuff, I'm not going to stop you- but there's a song by Blood Orange that I otherwise love called "Hope", which has (an unfortunate) Diddy verse toward the breakdown where he ponders what it'll take for him to be loved "the way he wants" and pouts about not being able to handle it. To which I go back to an old saying, you have to put out love in order to receive it, pal. Not just simply changing your stage name (for the millionth time) to "Love", I mean actually treating other people with respect. 

The Reckoning, spiteful as it is on 50 Cent's part (who is no saint himself), is clear evidence that Diddy hasn't figured out this lesson yet, and is deservedly paying the price for it. Despite the grim subject matter, I can still recommend it just based on how psychologically fascinating it is, as a strong lesson on how one can lose their humanity in the pursuit of dream-chasing.

Review: Zootopia 2's cuddly cops return with more laughs, tears, and sharp satire

 

Speaking as someone who had a soft spot for Disney's charming but underrated box office flop Strange World, it's hurt to see a number of their recent original works fall a bit flat as of late, and the less said about most of their live-action remakes, the better (the new Aladdin was cute but kinda meh, that new Little Mermaid sucked, and Jon Favreau's Lion King left me feeling grossed out). But as far as their mainline animated sequels, which have been hit or miss themselves (Ralph Breaks The Internet was all over the place), Zootopia 2 is easily one of their best in years. 

Judy Hopps has been one of my favorite Disney characters since the 2016 Oscar-winning classic, and seeing Ginnifer Goodwin's energetic but sweet ZPD detective team back up with Jason Bateman's charming fox Nick Wilde is a treat. Their latest adventure is even more frantically funny, with loads of animal puns and animal-themed parodies, but director Jared Bush and producer Byron Howard provide genuine wit to the humor, all while maintaining the dramatic tension, heartwarming aspects, and expanding their universe.

This particular story is still very early in their career, not too long after the two fluffballs foiled the scheme of Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate, who I always felt was an under-appreciated Disney antagonist), and Nick has joined the academy as Judy's police partner. 

Despite Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) forcing them to go to Dr. Fuzzby's (Quinta Brunson) "partners' therapy" after an undercover mission goes haywire, Judy and Nick go around their grumpy boss's back to find out why Gary De'Snake (Key Huy Quan, giving this reptile co-star a funny mix of innocence and determination) is so desperate to steal a book owned by the powerful Lynxley family, and the secrets it holds about Zootopia's past. The stuffed animal-like dispatcher Clawhauser (Nate Torrrence) is here again as well, now playing a larger role in the stakes of the action.

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Their willingness to help a fugitive draws out a bunch of brand new eccentric characters, among them the huggable beaver podcaster Nibbles (Fortune Feimster) who's leaded with conspiracy theories, the western-vibed lizard Jesus (Danny Trejo), the Lynxley's goofy misfit son Pawbert (Andy Samberg) and WWE superstars CM Punk and Roman Reigns as zebra cop partners "the Zebros". Gazelle, who belts out the catchy new Shakira song "Zoo", is not a fan of the long-reigning champions, to say the least. Patrick Warburton is also enjoying himself obviously as the muscular new Mayor Windancer, a former himbo action hero who's forced to be the Lynxley family's go-getter.

While it's overall shaping itself as a series with a well-made theme about celebrating each other's differences, Zootopia 1 was more concentrated on the biases between the prey and predator mammals and how they learned to evolve beyond baser instincts. The main arc was Judy learning to look past her own unconscious biases about foxes and grow as a person, with Nick showing others- and himself- that he wasn't just a sly, selfish fox, he could be altruistic and learn to trust others again. This new movie focuses more on how systemic biases and unchecked power can make our prejudices even more dangerous.

                                    

It's reflected nicely in both the villains here, who I feel are some of the strongest from Disney in a while since arguably the 1990s in terms of their ruthlessness, and also in how the reptile locations are merged into Zootopia's lore. One can see not just a clear upgrade, but a shift in the color palette from the lush greens of the first movie and more towards hot neon pinks and teals (it's as if Nick's attire is a telltale for what the aesthetic of the story is).

But like the best police procedurals, this sequel understands that the key to any sort of empowering message registering with the viewer is if we're invested in the main heroes. Similarly, with other big franchises like X-Men that also use their characters as un-coded metaphors to talk about social biases (much like the first film, while the tensions among the mammals and with the reptiles were relatable, none are specific stand-ins for one IRL group), it's also about audience connection and wanting to see our protagonists succeed. 

Fortunately, Nick and Judy (along with the lovable Gary) are easy to rally behind. It doesn't hurt that they're both these tiny, cute furry critters that you just want to pick up and snuggle (not to mention Judy, for a cartoon rabbit, looks pretty stunning in a Belle-like yellow dress), but Goodwin and Bateman both deliver another pair of amazing performances- aided by some solid character animation that has them even more expressive during the comedic moments, with very hopeful-looking eyes in the more introspective scenes.

Their banter is charming, and you can feel their sincerity as the fox and bunny's friendship slowly burns into a nuanced romance. Judy passionately wants them to be the best duo in the department, but Nick, on top of dealing with his own insecurities about reptiles and learning to open up more emotionally, is deeply protective of the fearless Judy and is frustrated by her willingness to dive into danger.  Both have strong evolution as they learn from each other, with a couple of powerfully directed and genuinely scary scenes that got me choked up, admittedly.

Though it's got some heavy food for thought mixed into its narrative and a notable line of anger towards injustice in its commentary, as was the intent by the writers, Zootopia 2 manages to make it part of another hilarious and heartfelt family fable without coming off as if the audience is being lectured or nagged at, so it's an easy and high recommendation from me. Given how much money it's generating across the globe I'd say Z3 is pretty inevitable, with an extra-credit scene that promises even more adventures and Nick/Judy cuteness, so bring it on I say. 

Review: So who really *did* kill the Montreal Expos? Spoiler- it wasn't Rick Monday.

 

Me and probably most of the public recognize Youppi! foremost as that wacky orange mascot for Montreal Canadians hockey, sort of a softer counterpart to the Philly Flyers' more aggressive Gritty. But many people up north are quicker to identify him in his first role as the head cheerleader for the now- defunct Montreal Expos baseball team. Even as a kid, I dreaded seeing my STL Cardinals head into Olympic Stadium during their Dennis Martinez-led period, because I knew they were going to be in for a difficult fight. 

And as someone who works at Busch Stadium's retail, I often run into folks with Montreal Expos jerseys and hats. This new documentary from Netflix is a damned powerful and understandably mad indictment of every possible suspect in the vicinity of how one of MLB's quirkier, sometimes feared, and never boring franchises simply vanished, heading to Washington D.C. in 2005 to be rebranded as the Nationals.

Interviews with the citizens of Montreal lend a strong poignancy to this film. Fans growing up in the Andre Dawson, ace pitcher Steve Rogers (no, not the Avenger), speedster Tim Raines, and Hall Of Fame catcher Gary Carter eras pass down memorabilia and memories of the tri-colored squads to younger generations, or at least those who haven't watched their past exploits online. Preceding the Toronto Blue Jays by nearly a whole decade as Major League Baseball's first international club, the Expos limped through early franchise growing pains and middling seasons, only to turn their fortunes around with strong years in 1979 and 1980 before winning their first and only playoff series in 1981. 

The heartbreaking Rick Monday home run off of Rogers during Game 5 of that year's NLCS against the Dodgers, ending Montreal's Cinderella season, is considered one of their only two best chances at a French-Canadian World Series title- but it's only briefly mentioned. That's because the film isn't really concerned so much about the stats and win/loss records as it is all of the chaos behind the boardroom doors and foolish decisions that eroded the Expos from the inside. 

Mediocrity on the field, a rough local economy and high player salaries plagued the Expos in the 80s, but bright spots start to emerge- team president Claude Brochu gets some local businessmen inolved with the team, Dennis Martinez throws a perfect game against the Dodgers in a bit of revenge in 1991, and Felipe Alou is managing a monster of a 1994 team, with future Cooperstown members Pedro Martinez and Larry Walker aboard. Knock-knock: who's that? "Strike!" "Mike? Who is Mike?" "No, I'm the STRIKE! Clear out the locker room, buddy!" Yes, owner and player-union squabbling upends the Expos' fortunes again, which Brochu is powerless to stop.

 Much of the blame for the team's unravelling is pointed towards the greed and big business machine of MLB's US-based executives, frequently looking down on the small-market Expos and their eccentric, mostly French-speaking fanbase. Not much care is put into nurturing the team's future prospects, falling victim to a nasty fire sale following the 1994 disappointment. The swaggering art dealer Jeffrey Loria comes into the organization with big promises, only to rip up the proposed stadium deal with long-time beer partner Labatt for a more profitable hopeful deal with Molson, which goes nowhere. 

Loria's stepson David Samson speaks with the filmmakers as well, who denies having a true malicious intent for the Expos and blames Montreal as not being an adequate baseball town, but I don't think he realizes this makes him into the doc's de facto villain, especially when the coverage begins of the inevitable move of the team to the US capital. Watching the footage of disconsolate players, fans and announcers is quite a pity and a clear sign of how the Expos boosted their hometown, even if they weren't always playing the best nine. 

Even with the loss of their team, Expos fans both young and old keep the torch alive, something I can totally identify with as someone still bitter about my St. Louis Rams heading back to LA after the Greatest Show On Turf days. Losing a team totally sucks, it's like a friend moving away. The Nationals do acknowledge the Expos legacy to a degree, but a devoted base in Montreal is still around who believe in the long history of baseball in that city. I'd easily recommend this doc celebrating them to both baseball and non-fans, as it also serves as a warning of who gets impacted when the people behind the pastimes we love so much are more consumed with wealth than the fanbases.

Review: The product placement in War Of The Worlds 2025 is annoying, but it fails for SO many other reasons

*sighs* Doughboy my man, Doughboy....what happened to you?

It is amazing to behold just how Amazon's War of the Worlds gets everything wrong- not just about what made the original presentation so compelling, but how this remake just flat out doesn't even understand proper filmmaking technique. Hey, I'm not opposed to a digital-based story framing in a film once in a while- the John Cho thriller "Missing" is criminally underrated, and the teen horror film "Unfriended" is camp fun. Ladies and gentlemen, War Of Worlds 2025, directed by Rich Lee (god bless his soul) ain't no Unfriended, and I think we owe the Tom Cruise version- flawed as it is- a sincere apology now.

As William Radford, a cranky HS analyst who's obsessed with monitoring everything and everyone around him (including his own family), Cube is busy mourning over his deceased spouse when Eva Longoria, his NASA contact, alerts him of chaos erupting worldwide, heralding what's eventually shown as an incoming invasion of angry people from beyond the stars. Mayhem and explosions abound, but it's hard for the audience to get a good sense of the impact since everything is viewed through Ice Cube inside his little bunker. The budget's too thin for him to peek outside and maybe see if his neighbors are all right.

What do they want? It's not made clear eventually, but there's a weird dangling thread of potential conspiracy that Radford inevitably has to unravel, although he maintains a notable level of stubbornness that prevents him from picking up on some odd things that are staring him right in the face. Henry Hunter Hall plays Will's equally tech-savvy son David, who's got the dirt on the government's interest in the aliens. Because as Jesse Ventura will tell you, there's always something under the surface with these things.

 Also we have Devon Bostick here, whose talent is being ill-served as a comical but heroic- what else?- Amazon delivery boy. I can't believe it, a whole ass corporation made a movie and literally added in their own Mary Sue-character. Jesus, at least Mattel had Will Ferrell play their CEO as a complete goofball in the Barbie movie, and they satirized themselves as a bit greedy. Nope, Amazon's gotta help save the world!

Let's not kid ourselves: this thing is shameless and crass. I believe advertising, when done well, can be great art, but there's got to be some heart and wit behind it. This isn't a catch jingle or a funny thirty-second TV spot from your childhood; no, you need to get ready for 90-minutes plus of Ice Cube screaming "Run!" "Move!" and "Get outta there!" at what looks like PS3-quality cutscenes that one could find in your average Call Of Duty fantasy add-on. It's like one of the AI robots I guess they have back there at Amazon HQ spilled Mr. Bezos's coffee on itself, malfunctioned, and tried to edit an action movie. Or rather, imagine if Beavis and Butt-Head were playing with a camcorder, Beavis went on a sugar binge, turned into Cornholio, and they said "Uhhh, we'd like to shoot your movie, sir. Huh huh huh." 

They can not hold the camera straight for ONE second. If the corny constant "last goodbye" speeches and contrived plot twists weren't headache-enducing enough, the camerawork's gonna do you in at some point.

In all honesty, Cube isn't the worst part of this film, the man's working with what he's given, and it's not much. He can be incredibly funny and captivating with the right material, why force him to just bark at a monitor for two hours? I get what they're going for with his arc, the overworking parent who's way too strict and comes off standoffish because they're too devoted to their job. 

It's just that the execution is so weak and hamfisted, so there's no hope of the story's tender spot elevating the material. Also, the son throughout this story is proven to be a smarter and more clever than his dad is, and IMO that guy should have been the star. (Not that it would have helped matters much, but still.)

Now keep in mind, all that I just described is only going to be a deterrent if you're coming into this movie genuinely asking for it to legit good. As long as you turn on War Of The Worlds 2025 and you fully realize that this is a complete god damn fiasco, one of the most laughable piles of garbage yet in the streaming movie era, then you'll be more than able to appreciate the Ed Wood-level incompetence of it all. 

Some people are saying this is one of the worst movies of all time, and...eh? That depends on what your criteria is, because I do feel it's one of the worst films of the online age, though your meaning on "the worst" could be for one person or another something that bored them, offended them, etc. I can see the sheer commercialism of this movie turning plenty of people off, but I was laughing my ass off at points because I couldn't believe the creative decisions being made here, so I wasn't bored. 

Of course, "interesting" doesn't necessarily mean "good". This new War Of The Worlds is absolute ass, but I would still be willing to recommend it just based on how it's just that fascinating of a train wreck. I'm mainly so-so on the Barbershop films, but they're Frank Capra level movies on the Ice Cube Scale compared to whatever this was. And it's absolutely hilarious- just not for the reasons Amazon had intended.

Review: How James Gunn's Superman is a warning on the dangers of being petty

 In life, be it dealing with co-workers, a jealous ex, naggy parents or whatnot, you're destined to encounter haters of some form. It's up to us how we deal with them, do we give in to our baser instincts and respond with more venom towards their way, or do we turn the other cheek and try to be a better person in response? 

That's part of why I feel this recent Superman movie has struck such a strong cord with the public- it takes a character who's often either been portrayed as being distant from humans (as seen in the gloomier Zack Snyder films), considered "too good to be true or believable" (as seen by the rise of popular "dark superman" archeypes like Invincible's Omni-Man and The Boys' Homelander), or just too powerful to put in truly convincing peril.

Luckily, director James Gunn knew the assignment.  It's pretty refreshing how he foregoes the usual Superman origin story recap, focusing on the early years of his career as he tries to manage both a conflict between two fictional nations (Boravia and Jarhanpur, which are locations from the original comics) and Lex Luthor's various schemes and plots against him simultaneously. 

David Corenswet gives a ton of Midwestern far boy heart to the titular character- as good a Superman I thought Henry Cavill was, the overwhelming haze of Snyder's direction limited the amount of depth he was allowed to show off. Gunn keeps things intense for Superman, but there's sort of a childlike energy and sense of frivolity to this Super-story that surprised me.

He's got the help of the eccentric Maxwell Lord-sponsored Justice Gang, consisting of the supersmart and dry Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi, giving us a "terrific" breakout supporting character), the ruthless Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and the swaggering Green Lantern Corps member Guy Gardner (Nathan Filion, having himself a good ass time). Not hard to see why this trio have become so popular and sold so many action figures, they're also great foils for Superman without upstaging or discrediting him.

Outside the suit he's well supported by Clark Kent's confirmed-to-the-audience girlfriend and fellow ace reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan, delivering the expected Lois attitude), Wendell Pierce's Perry White and Skyler Gisondo's lovable Jimmy Olsen, and of course his trusty dog Krypto. Yes, he's a disobedient pooch, but he's also just a little cutie who wants to play, and he does prove his heroism so he's still irresistably charming. But Luthor and the Boravian president (Zlatko Buric, eating up so much scenery and getting some hard laughs from me) have a secret plan to eliminate Superman, one that hits very close to home for him...

I've heard some critics knock Superman 2025 for being a bit overstuffed with content, but I didn't find it as overwhelming as Dawn of Justice was. But there's a clear narrative line of action that holds everything together I feel, that being the clash of Clark's inherent goodness and Lex's ambition and bitterness that he doesn't get the same public love Superman does, in spite of his success in technology and business. 

Nicholas Hoult's performance is theatrically scummy as he goes totally apeshit with plans on top of plans just to mess with Clark and prove he's better than him, which is anchored by Superman's focus on rescuing people and saving as many lives as possible (which leads him into disagreements with the Justice Gang's ruthlessness).

Warner Bros have wanted to work with James Gunn for a while, and given his success with the Guardians films, it's no wonder they wanted to try his style of filmmaking out with the DC cast after the Snyderverse proved so polarizing. Following the success of his version of Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, he's able to lend a bit of his punk energy and St. Louis native-natural weirdness to Superman's throwback sense of compassion, and it results in a damn fun time. 

And speaking as a fan of differing interpretations on established characters- lord knows I love my Roger Moore James Bond movies and my more dramatic American Sonic the Hedgehog stories- I can sympathize with Snyder fans feeling a bit left out, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it (the Snyder Cut of Justice League was a bit better, but it still had the Joss Whedon version's basic problems). 

But as someone who still cries for Rocket Raccoon in all three GOTG movies and also grew up as a fan of the Kids' WB Superman in the 90s, I was more than ready for a fresh take on Superman, and this was certainly that. It's kind of a blend of the DCAU Superman mixed with the Peace On Earth book, spiced up with some Gunn style- irreverence. Clark being human enough to be irritated by online trolls calling him "the Supershit" is a hoot.

Hey, I'm fine with the occasional anti-hero- I'm a massive Dirty Harry fan, and I also think Logan is one of the greatest comic book movies ever, but I don't necessarily enjoy them as the norm, and I generally gravitate more towards unironic protagonists just because they're often not in "vogue". Everyone loves a bad boy, but there's a reason why James Gunn picked the theme song he did for this movie. 

What makes Superman cool is that in his most engaging stories, he isn't trying to be "cool", just simply the right thing. Whereas the Snyder-movies were more concerned with the symbolism of the S-shield, this new 2025 Supes lets Clark and his flawed but earnest self take the lead, much to the story's benefit. 

Even if you're suffering from alleged "comic book movie fatigue", trust me when I say that Superman still might have something for you even if one's not that much of a superhero person. While it's got more edge than the 1978 Richard Donner movie, it has a nice mix of comedy, badass action, heartfelt moments and cosmic-level fun that long time comic fans should be satisfied with. 

Review: F1 is a MANLY movie that's gentle enough to cross over to those outside the racing realm

Motorsport's allure is all at once adrenaline-pumping, heroic in an old-fashioned sense, and slightly terrifying due to the inherent dangers involved, and it takes a special kind of individual to throw themselves into it. Looking to capitalize on the recent jump in popularity Formula 1 has received in recent years, Warner Bros' Joseph Kosinski-directed film named after the famed top division provides us such personas on display, accompanied by plenty of high-octane racing action, personal drama, clashing personalities, and a considerable bit of understated humor along the journey.

No, I can't say that this is the deepest or most profound movie ever made, in many ways it's all just an excuse for the FIA to show off how cool their racing is and their drivers and vehicles are. But regardless, thanks to the strong performances, simple but appealing narrative and intense visuals, I found myself invested in these characters a ton.

Quick question- has there ever been a game that was so hard you couldn't finish it, and you were constantly dying on one level, so you took a break from it? That's the dilemma ace racer Sonny Haes (Brad Pitt) is dealing with, even after a successful run at the 24 Hours of Daytona (in what's a damn thrilling sequence). 

A vicious crash early in what he hoped to be his blossoming Formula 1 career has left him reluctant to return to the division- that is, until a down-on-his-luck team owner/former racing teammate (Javier Bardem) comes to Sonny in need of a second driver alongside the young and aggressive Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). As you might expect, sparks fly at first sight- not just between Sonny and Kate the tech director (Kerry Condon), but also between Hayes and Pearce as their opposing driving styles lead them to come into frequent conflict with each other. 

Say what you will about Brad Pitt, at times it does come off like he's playing himself in many roles, but he gives Sonny Hayes such an affable self-confidence that it makes him difficult not to easily get behind. Idris lends his character a cocky but still sympathetic charisma, and even though you can already guess they're eventually going to become closer, their opposing approaches to racing technique and their generational gap have them at odds to start. 

The filmmakers highlight well the contrast between Joshua's high-tech and modernized training facilities, and Sonny's more old-fashioned methods and tricks to gain an edge on the track. Kate does the best she can to get them to coexist, but the fellas eventually are able to teach the other new things.

If there's one thing I can call Kosinski's F1, it's "atmospheric."  The cinematography from Claudio Miranda is equally as immersive and engaging as it was in Top Gun Maverick, making it feel as if you're really in the grandstands at the racetrack. Hans Zimmer was an apt choice for scoring the film, as his headbanging theme for the Las Vegas sequence in his Rain Man soundtrack was used for NASCAR's starting grid role calls for a couple of years, so he grants this film plenty of bass-heavy background grooves that fit the tension well throughout each contest.

Note that when I call this a "manly movie", I'm talking about manliness in the sense of brotherhood, not just aggressive machismo (although there is plenty of that too, and it all works well within the story progression). There's a sensitivity to the script and a willingness to explore personal fear and anxiety, to take a next step in hope of bettering one's self, just to say "I did it". 

And yeah, I'm reading possibly way too much into what's just meant to be advertising for the racing league of said name, but sorry, I wound up caring way more about this band of misfits than I first predicted. Also, all-time wins leader Lewis Hamilton is here, and he doesn't have any character moments to speak of, but he doesn't need any, as just his and Charles LeClerc's mere presence allows them to serve in that "final boss" role. 

Speaking as a long time Days Of Thunder and Talledega Nights fan, the NASCAR fan in me almost feels jealous as to how well F1 merges the thrills of its sport with a fun simple popcorn story that still has affection and warmth to it, especially given the recent NASCAR constroversies (there's no suuch thing as a perfect auto racing league, for the record.) All that aside, I'd gladly recommend F1 to just anyone who wants to see a fun action movie overall. I don't know if it's quite as epic as the 1966 Grand Prix movie, but I'd definitely say it's right up there with Ron Howard's underrated "Rush" from 2013.