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.

Review: The REAL factors as to why Sinners became such a strong horror hit

 

Half of the entertainment factor in Ryan Coogler's Sinners is in its buildup. Just watching Michael B. Jordan as twin ex-Chicago gangsters Smoke and Stack interacting with both each other through movie magic and the various townspeople of Clarksdale, Mississippi is entertaining even before all of the blood insanity kicks off, as they go about putting together their own nightclub. Their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), much to his bible thumping father's chagrin, wants to perform his music at the new spot. All their friends are helping them get set up, how could this possibly go wrong? 

But there's trouble brewing for the young establishment alongside the booze. Purchasing land previously owned by Klansmen? That's one issue. The customers possibly not having the right currency to pay is another thorn in their new club's side- oh, and there's also the Irish family of bloodsucking souls from the damned who are lured in by the spellbinding music and are gien a taste for taking over their town. That's probably the biggest hangup.

As well received as Sinners was overall, I noticed it did get a very slight amount of blowback for how allegedly unweildly it comes off attempting to mash so many genres together- it's part gangster film, part souuthern gothic drama, and of couurse part creature feature. But Coogler did mention during the press buildup that he wanted the story to feel like "a full course meal", which he and the rest of the cinema chefs certainl pulled off. Personally, I didn't feel like it was necessarily trying to do too much, moreso that the filmmakers went ouut of their way to maximize the potential excitemment from their various inspirations.

It's not just Jordan pulling double duty who gets to shine in this feature, the charming supporting cast is half the entertainment factor here. Sammie has a very solid arc throughout the movie- in fact he's the heart of the story, and Caton's performance has a good deal to do with that (the story about him not knowing he was walking into a vampire flick is pretty funny). Without spoiling anything, it leads to a nice payoff. 

He's not the only co-star who elevates the story- Omar Benson Miller's Cornbead is charming, Hailee Steinfeld as Stack's love interest, and Wunmi Mosakku as Smoke's Hoodoo-minded girlfriend all get stand out moments, and Jack O' Connell as the lead vampire has an alluring charisma that doesn't have me surprised at all how he became such a big breakout character. I was humming "Picked Poor Robin Clean" for weeks.

When you brush away all of the static and tedious arguing about what Sinners symbolizes, and how timely and relevant it perhaps is, guess what you're left with? A fun, stylish period piece with girls, gin, guns, the fear of god, the blues, and yes, vampires. Yes, there's a political undercurrent to the story, but come on, it's about a black owned juke joint with jezebels coming from out of the nation. They're in the deep American South in the 30s, it's not hard to see the revelation. (90s kids will get that reference.)

Like 1: that's always been a key part of Coogler's work, and 2- not to mention another director may have taken a far preachier (no pun intended) approach to the material. The messages, due to the time period and some circumstances with the plot, are apt to the setting, and it feels cathartic without coming off like a lecture, so it's a film with a good deal of variety. It can be enjoyed as a pointed historical commentary and as an escapist horror romp, without either aspect necessarily cancelling out the other. 

It's kind of a shame that unique works like this have to be instantly dragged into and analyzed within culture wars and debates, to where said discourse can drown out how stylistically strong and just plain thrilling it is. Not to say one can't do that if they genuinely like engaging with media that deeply, but it's still okay to watch Sinners because it's just a flat out good original horror flick, as opposed to putting together a straight up TED Talk about every single metaphor. There's plenty of them, it's just your choice.

So is Sinners worth a watch? Easily, even if you don't like scary movies, the tribute to classic American music will likely spark your interest. I like that there's some ambition here and that it isn't content to be a mindless bloodfest, and it mostly succeeds in delivering the kind of variety it aims for.

Review: No, the Minecraft Movie isn't high art, but it's just plain stupid fun and a treat even if you don't play it

I just wanna start off by saying something about video game adaptions: it's more important for them to simply entertain me and for them to be fun, regardless if they're accurate to every single detail of the actual game's lore and/or design aspects. Growing up as a Sonic SatAM fan, which took a ton of liberties from the original Sega canon in order to craft Sonic's Knothole Village, and also enjoying the Paramount trilogy of films that reinterpret the Sonic lore altogether, I have a built-in precedent for accepting changes from the original source. 

So I came into The Minecraft Movie willing to give it a chance, especially seeing as unlike things like Sonic, the 1995 Mortal Kombat film and (the kinda underrated) Detective Pikachu, I don't play Minecraft. But I am something of a Jack Black fan, enjoying him in School Of Rock, Illumination's better-than-critics-claim Mario film as a flamboyant Bowser and a number of Tenacious D songs, and while I was mostly a Sonic main in Smash (and I still mostly play Street Fighter over that), Steve was fun to use here and there. 

With no emotional attachment to worry about, there wasn't much reason for me to rage- also, I watched it on HBO Max so I didn't have to deal with those now infamous psycho audiences with people hollering catch phrases and throwing popcorn around. And you know what? I had a surprisingly fun time with it. 

Black, in all fairness does a nice job giving Steve a ton of personality, as I don't know about any actual Minecraft lore. Bored with his life selling doorknobs, he outmaneuvers the angry guard blocking the mine shaft by his house, where he finds a magical cube that teleports him to Overworld and creates his own personal playground of awesomeness. His fun's interrupted by Malgosha (Rachel House), an evil pig wizard from the dark and firey Nether, who hates fun and whimsy, so she wants that cube to gain ultimate power (as all evil wizards do). 

Eventually Steve is joined by four other visitors to Overworld- an imaginative kid named Henry (Sebastian Hansen), his sister Natalie (Emma Meyers), the 80s-tinged former video game champion Garrett (Jason Momoa), and the real estate dealer Dawn (Danielle Brooks). They're our designated party on their Wonderboy-esque quest to save Steve's pet wolf Dennis, and save their magical world from Malgosha's bitterness.

This was nothing less than the Gen-Alpha version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and I mean that as a compliment. Because even without the prompts, the movie is regardless directed like it's specifically meant for audience shout-outs during your second viewing of it- just walking into the room and hearing Jack Black scream "The Great Hog! She finally put in her brain!" with no context provided is more than likely going to be memorable for you. 

Once it gets to the game world action, here's a theatricality on display here that showcases a ton of imagination. The swooping camera shots are legit epic, not quite up to the level of the original How To Train Your Dragon films, but still in that same mold, and I'm assuming it took some influence from that series. 

Here's what you can't deny about the movie: they do try to give it some heart. That, and this whole project is a baked-in excuse for Jack Black to essentially be himself; which is, well, a big kid.  I'm sure he's got his own Slime Cube setup that he bounces off of in his backyard or something like that. Heck, he has a Tenacious D track talking abouut his love of gaming, so at least they got someone (much like how Paramount approached Ben Schwartz for Sonic, who played the Genesis/Mega Drive games in his youth) who is familiar with the genre (I don't know Chris Pratt's history with Mario, but he could have at least tried not to sound like Star-Lord dressed as a plumber).

 Jason Momoa is also having a blast here, presenting the kind of idiot jock energy that his run as Aquaman only mildly hinted at. Natatlie and Henry are a bit generic as the main kid leads, so while it isn't necessarily their fault, given they're only handed so much to work with, I didn't hate them but they are kind of a weak spot. Rachel House hams it up (no pun intended) as Malgosha, and Danielle Brooks as Dawn at least gets an opportunity to give us the same brand of everywoman charisma she's got on Peacemaker. 

So yeah, I'd recommend the Minecraft Movie even if you're not into the game series. Don't let the stuff about the nightmare screenings scare it away from you, it's a silly good time that encourages the idea of keeping the kid inside one's self alive, and I think that's a good takeaway for its target audience, even if it's not meant to be arthouse-level material.

Review: There's a great MCU film inside of Captain America : Brave New World, but certain aspects keep it locked away from true peak

 

I will gladly concede the peak years of the MCU were arguably the 2010s, as this was the period i which directors were firing on all cylinders with a unique blend of intensity, heart, and humor that appealed to both veteran comic book fans and the general publicity at the same time. 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a notable standout that featured Steve Rogers posing larger questions about what would be needed to be sacrificed in the name of national security, providing more food for thought than the typical superhero film while also delivering marketable thrills.

With the recent entry Brave New World, which this time stars Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in the titular role, this entry in the series is entertaining but comes off a bit restrained in many respects to how explosive Civil War was (which I still believe was far more fun than the overly cynical print story it was based on). A number of new details are set up here for future Marvel capers, but the exposition and world-building sadly overwhelmed a good amount of time that I felt could have been saved for more character developing.

Following a battle with Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito, villain actor extraordinare), Wilson is swept up into a plot where he iscoers he has to clear the name of his friend Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumby, reprising his role in the Disney+ series) after he's presumably behind an assassination attempt on President Ross (Harrison Ford, who got a chuckle out of me during the press buildup in which he was annoyed about people still asking him Star Wars and Greedo questions). 

With the help of the new Falcon in Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Ross's top agent Ruth Bat-Seraph  (Shira Haas), they're quickly in the line of fire of The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson, underneath some nasty makeup) and his plan to destroy the president's reputation. But does Ross know more about the whole truth of the situation than he's stating?

So I might catch some hell for saying this, but I didn't entirely hate this film- my one major issue is how the writers went too far out of their way to make Sam act too much like Steve, or at least they did during the action scenes. He only gets so much to work with in terms of character development- nothing awful, but the storyline kinda forces Mackie to operate as a standard tactical hero and it doesn't really *analyze* his Captain America in the way Winter Soldier did and Civil War did with Steve and the tough decisions he was forced to make in those movies. I liked the parts where we got to see how protective Sam was of Torres, but in a stronger script that would have played a much larger role in the narrative. Ruth unfortunately was a bit boring, but her role in the story was fairly light.

Harrison Ford's Ross I actually felt was one of the standout highlights of Brave New World, and yes, I did feel some empathy for his character- him playing a real world symbol as a POTUS wasn't about to have any sort of effect on how I felt he worked in the story. I'm sure there are a lot of hidden allegories for how America approaches certain things in his transformation into Red Hulk, they just weren't going to be the thing that made or broke my enjoyment of it. 

Because personally speaking, the most fascinating thing about Captain America as a character isn't inherently tied to his political meaning but rather his overall personality and how that impacts his decisions as a crimefighter. Steve Rogers was a decidedly old-fashioned type who often found himself at odds with modern sensibilities, but that was tempered by his natural goodness. San is a more modern take on the star-spangled shield fighter, and while Falcon and Winter Soldier did a nice (if imperfect) job on fleshing out Wilson as a person and what being the Captain means to him, there's only so much that Brave New World gives him outside of the overall mission. 

Ultimately, I was much higher on this fourth Cap film than many other MCU fans and moviegoers, perhaps because I still have in my head the "dark age" of superhero films. Maybe I should be raising my standards and not put it next to stuff like Catwoman, but I generally judge superhero films like I wouldd any other movie- they're not being graded on any sort of special curve or scale, so I'm focused if the film entertains me overall, not so much if it's perfectly comic-book accurate or every single piece of alleged sybolism related to it. At the very least it did make me more intrigued about the upcoming Avengers movie, and how Sam's Cap will perform in presumably that leadership role. (Also, fingers crossed for some funny Sam and Rocket interactions, please Disney?)

Welcome to my blog!

 Huh, okay, so I don't have anything that fancy to put here yet- it's just a quick intro. 

Hi, I'm Justin. This place is just meant to be a hub for any past, present and future reviews. Mainly I just wanted a personal spot for my work, and that's what  this site is for. Could be about anything pop culture related- movies, games, TV shows, music, wrestling, webcomics, sports, who knows? 

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