“Brave New World” is none of those things.

In the years since "Avengers: Endgame," The Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled. None of the movies have reached the highs, and some have been the worst of the MCU. After taking a year off, the MCU is back, and we are getting a proper look at the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).

When Issian Bradley (Carl Lumbly) takes a shot at President Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam must uncover what really happened to save his friend and stop a war from starting.

My biggest issue is that "Captain America: Brave New World" doesn't do anything interesting. The movie plays it safe with every decision it makes. That leads to this movie leading nowhere and not advancing any story. All it manages to do a speed run of the other "Captain America" movies, making the movie feel disjointed.

One thing I liked was Harrison Ford's portrayal of Thaddeus Ross. This is a role that was played by William Hurt until his death in 2022. Ford is a great replacement. As an Army General, this is a Ross who is so used to being the blunt instrument. As President, he needs to use diplomacy to get things done. Ford is able to show this struggle that Ross goes through. Sometimes, he wants to use threats and brute force but has to tread lightly to ensure the treaty goes through.

I wanted this to be a return to form for the MCU. The story of Sam taking on the mantle of Captain America is interesting in the comics. As a Black man, Sam is not as easily accepted as Steve Rogers was. The story deals with racism and how he deals with it. The frustrating "Falcon and the Winter Soldier " Disney+ series briefly and poorly covered this. This movie could have done that, but it chose to be a sequel to the 2008 "The Incredible Hulk" instead.

5/10

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action and some strong language

1h 58m

“The Wild Robot” is as brutal as it is moving

Last Sunday, in lieu of watching Kermit the Frog play football, I watched "The Wild Robot" instead. Now while watching that Muppet get trounced and play what is arguably the worst game of his career, I stand by my decision. Seeing that team get systematically dismantled would have brought me great joy, "The Wild Robot" was still the better choice because it is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) is a robot stranded on an island, teaming with wildlife. After a terrible accident, she ends up with a gosling who she needs to take care of.

When I started this movie, the one word I would use to describe it was "brutal." As Roz figured out where she was, she picked up a crab that a bird quickly ate. When she finally makes it to land, the island's animals attack her. Raccoons try to take her parts, and all sorts of animals chase her. At one point, she is mauled by a bear, which leads to her crushing a mother goose and her nest. I was a little taken aback by this, but it sets up the world of the movie. It is life and death for these animals every day. They go after Ros because she is seen as a threat. Ros landed in an unforgiving place where weakness gets you killed.

That brings us to the gosling she cares for, Brightbill (Kit Conner). He is a runt and is not suited to last in this environment. Ros is programmed to help, so she sees Brightbill as a job to accomplish. She needs to feed him and teach him to swim and fly so he can go South for the winter. That is where the movie changed from to something else. Watching the relationship between Ros, Brightbill, and Fink the Fox (Pedro Pascal) grow is heartwarming. These three are outcasts on this island and form one of the most incredible found families ever put on screen. I was in tears multiple times during this movie. Watching these three grow and change made me fall in love with this movie.

I had heard that this movie was incredible when it was in theaters last year, and I am disappointed I never had the time to see it. This would have easily been on my top 10 list, probably near the top. This is easily one of the best animated movies of the last decade.

9/10

Rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements.

1h 42m

Random Rambling #58: Independent Movie Theaters Have More to Offer

Last week, I went to see "Blue Velvet." My favorite theater in Buffalo, North Park, has been showing David Lynch movies. This got me thinking about how important these small, local theaters are. These are the theaters that are the go-to for older movies.

The big chains, Regal and AMC, have occasional special showings, but these are usually special events run by other companies. They typically cost a lot more than a regular ticket. To be honest, they feel corporatized. It is an attempt to cash in on film nostalgia or an anniversary.

When North Park shows an older movie, 90 percent of the time, it is just because they want to. Last year, they showed "Back to the Future" and "Jurassic Park" for no other reason than that they are incredible movies (and yes, I saw them both). With these special screenings, there is usually a poster from a local artist. They are able to show David Lynch movies because they don't answer to a corporate overlord. Lynch's films have a passionate fan base and these showings give them a chance to appreciate the man. North Park makes money, and fans get to see one of their favorites on the big screen.

This past summer, when I went to see "Jurassic Park," many parents/grandparents brought their kids/grandkids to see it. I love that this movie, which, as you know, is my favorite movie, is being seen by a new generation on the big screen. It was not an anniversary or some other milestone; it was just a chance to show this masterpiece on the big screen. Every year, North Park does Ghibli Chalk Fest. For one weekend in the summer, they show a handful of Studio Ghibli movies and have people color Ghibli characters and scenes in chalk in front of the theater. I make sure to walk Rory down there the morning after just to see the art. Last summer, during the Barbenheimer phenomenon, there was a very cool poster; if you showed them your ticket to "Barbie," you got a free soda when you came to see "Oppenheimer." The big chains don't do stuff like this.

Theaters like North Park also show movies you might not see anywhere else. "Sing Sing" only played at North Park in Buffalo. I would have never seen the delightful "Thelma" without the North Park Theater. They pick what they want to show, not based on anything the theater is told, but a combination of what will make them money (they are a business after all) and something worth showing.

If you have a local theater in your city, I highly recommend checking it out and seeing what it offers (The Little in Rochester, for example). We need these types of theaters.

“Presence” explores life (or death) as a ghost.

Steven Soderberg is a director who cannot be pigeonholed. He has done everything from small movies with unknown stars to something like the Ocean's Trilogy with massive movie stars. He is one of those directors who keeps things interesting, and I am always on board to see what he does next.

His new movie, "Presence," is a ghost story told from the ghost's perspective. The movie opens with a camera moving through an empty house, and it rushes to the window when a noise is heard outside as the realtor just pulled into the driveway. The entire movie is done in many long takes as the presence goes to different rooms, listening in on the members of the family who just moved in.

Despite centering around a ghost, I would not categorize this as a horror movie. There are no jumpscares, no gruesome murders, and no Ouiji boards. The movie really is just listening in on various conversations. It is how the audience pieces together the family's dynamic and history. The daughter recently lost a friend to a fentanyl overdose, the son is a cocky jock, the mother is involved in something shady at work and has a bizarre attachment to her son, and the father is doing his best to be supportive of everyone.

The movie didn't fully explore the concept of what the presence could and couldn't do- traditionally, a ghost's powers are wildly inconsistent in movies. I would have liked to see a more concrete set of rules that this ghost followed. There are times when it can interact with things and times when it can't. Those seem to depend on when it will be more dramatic for the plot.

I enjoyed it but did not love it. I think that maybe if it had been more of a horror movie, there would have been much more fun. In this case, the subject matter, drama in the family, is kind of heavy, so there are no real moments for it to embrace its premise.

7/10

Rated R for violence, drug material, language, sexuality and teen drinking

1h 24m

Chalamet shines in “A Complete Unknown”

Music biopics tend to follow a formula; an artist reflects on their life moments before a big/important performance. It became such a trope that it was lampooned in 2007's "Walk Hard." That has made watching a music biopic and avoiding comparisons to "Walk Hard" impossible.

"A Complete Unknown" looks at the first four years of the career of Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) from 1961 to his decision to go electric in 1965 and anger many in the folk community.

I love the decision to focus on a specific period in Dylan's life and not try to cover all of it. Those four years were some of the most prolific and vital of his career. It allows you to see a microcosm of what makes Dylan great. If it had covered everything, it would have become repetitive. His life before becoming famous is not important, so it is better to focus on why Dylan is beloved.

Chalamet is fantasic as Dylan. He worked with a vocal coach and took guitar and harmonica lessons to embody the legendary singer better. And embody Dylan he does. I was never entirely sure if Chalamet was doing his own singing (he did) because he sounded so much like Dylan. It is well known that Dylan is a bit of a jerk. "A Complete Unknown" doesn't shy away from this aspect of his character. He knows what he wants and is quick to ignore the advice or help of others, and he is not always nice about it.

The best example is his relationship with Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). Seeger helped Dylan break into the folk music scene. Dylan was made famous at the Newport Folk Festival, and when Seeger heard rumblings that Dylan would use electric instruments at the 1974 festival, he tried to convince him to use acoustic. He uses people for their help, and when he feels like they can't help him anymore, he shuts them out.

This past week, "A Complete Unknown" was nominated for a bunch of Oscars. I am sure it will take a few home come Oscar night. I don't think it would have made my Top 10 list, but I still think this one is worth checking out.

6/10

Rated R for language

2h 21m

“Pantera” is not a worthy “Den of Thieves” sequel

2018's "Den of Thieves" had two things going for it that made it catnip for me: Gerald Butler, and it was a heist movie. I was destined to love it. The movie did not do well critically or commercially, but I loved it. Luckily, I was not alone, and seven years later, we finally got a sequel.

Big Nick (Butler) travels to Europe on the hunt for Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.). "Big Nick" is determined to stop his latest heist.

If you haven't seen the original, leave now and watch it. It is an entertaining heist movie, and the ending twist/reveal was well done. Because of that, I was slightly disappointed by "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." The big reveal at the end of the movie was not nearly as clever, and it was easily telegraphed.

I also was not a fan of the heist. It involves breaking into the world's largest diamond exchange in Paris. It is more complicated, but how it plays out is not as interesting as the heist from the first one. It involves a lot of waiting for blindspots in cameras.

This did not reach the level of the original, but there is still fun to be had. Butler is having a great time as "Big Nick," while I feel like his rougher edges have been sanded down, he is still an entertaining antihero. I had a good time during the movie, but as the days passed, I grew very lukewarm about the movie. It doesn't make the first one worse, but I still love it. It feels like an unnecessary/wasted sequel.

6/10

Rated R for pervasive language, some violence, drug use and sexual references.

2h 24m

Welcome to “The Pitt”

I have never watched "ER." I was too young to watch it when the show was airing, and 15 seasons feels overwhelming to commit to right now, so it's not one I will be getting to any time soon. I bring this up because there have been a lot of comparisons between "ER" and the new show on Max, "The Pitt."

"The Pitt" follows Dr. Robi (Noah Wyle) and the doctors in the ER of a Pittsburg hospital. Each episode is going to cover one hour in a 15-hour shift.

I pivoted to this as my review this week because the first two episodes dropped this past week, and I love it so far. As a fan of "24," I appreciate the real-time element of the show. They don't lean as heavily into it as "24" did-there is no ticking clock on the screen or anything like that. It is more the types of cases or small, off-handed comments that orientate you on time (beyond a title card at the beginning of the show). This adds to the feeling of chaos in the emergency room. Doctors are juggling multiple cases at once, and new patients keep coming in. Many medical dramas rely on the "case of the week" format; a sick person comes in, and the episode is about figuring out what is wrong with them. "The Pitt" cannot do that. Each episode has several cases; some get solved quickly, while others will take multiple episodes.

There are some interesting characters as well. Dr. Robi is working on the fourth anniversary of his mentor's death from COVID. He is a great doctor, but he and the hospital administrator butt heads often. There are other doctors and three residents on an ER rotation who we are slowly getting to know. I worry that because we have so many characters, there will not be enough time to develop them fully. The cases are what take up most of the episode's running time.

I would love to know how accurate this is to life in an ER (maybe the medical professionals in my audience who share my last name can enlighten me). The big question I have is, are things that crazy all the time? I am sure not every case is as interesting as the ones presented here, but I can forgive that to make an entertaining show.

"The Pitt" airs every Thursday on Max.

Top 10 Movies of 2024

10) Deadpool & Wolveriene

This was the most fun I had in the theater in 2024. A lot of the criticism of this movie was that the plot was 95 percent references, and I get that. I really do. Here's the thing, I don't care. Many of those references actually enhanced and moved the plot along. Putting Laura in the movie was more than a reference to "Logan." She was there to help this version of Wolverine (the worst version, as we are told) be who he can be. I hope Marvel does the smart thing and keeps Deadpool in a separate pocket of the MCU. Do I believe they will? Not in the slightest. They have made some recent casting announcements that don't inspire confidence. This movie was a massive success and was the shot in the ass that Marvel needed. There is no telling what is next for Deadpool or this Wolveriere, but I hope to see more of these two on the big screen again.

9) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

"Mad Max: Fury Road" was a huge success. Its prequel was not, but it should have been. Furiosa was the stand-out character from "Fury Road," this was her story. It is not as good as "Fury Road," but that is a very high bar to clear. Anna Taylor-Joy takes on the role of Furiosa (originally played by Charlize Theron) and knocks it out of the park. We see Friosa become the fighter we meet in "Fury Road." Chris Hemsworth, best known as Thor, gives a transformative performance as Dementus. Hemsworth has made a career of playing the hero, but here, he gets to play the villain, and he does so with such relish. This is one of his best performances.

8) Nosferatu

My question is, how does Robert Eggers keep getting millions of dollars to make his movies? They have been loved by critics and audiences but have not been box office smashes. This is a remake of the 1922 silent movie of the same name, and it is incredible. All of the performances are great, but Lilly-Rose Depp's is career-defining. She plays Ellen, a young woman who has a connection to Orlok(Bill Skarsgard). He can invade her mind and thoughts. The movie took a bit to get going for me. The setup, while interesting, is too slow for me. Once Orlock gets to the city, things pick up considerably. It has plenty of the weird, surreal moments that Eggers employs in all his movies, but he makes them work in a way that really enhances those scenes. It is a really gorgeous movie with strong performances to match.

7) His Three Daughters

A theme you will see on this list is that half of these are smaller, performance-driven movies. This one has three powerhouse performances from three incredible actors Carie Coon, Elizabeth Olson and Natashia Leyone). Watching these three women navigate their shakey relationship is as compelling as the action scenes in movies Nos. 9 and 10. The story is so deceptively simple: three sisters return to their father's apartment to care for him in his final days. There is a lot of depth to these three women, and through their conversations, we unwrap their complex relationship and how they ended up this way. The movie is fantastic and deserves more than a Netflix release.

6) Anora

I don't know what I was expecting from "Anora," but this was not it. This was one of the funniest movies I saw this past year. Anora (Mickey Madison) is a force of nature. She may be a sex worker, but she doesn't allow others to look down on her for it. She is rarely at a disadvantage in any situation, and she is always quick with a retort. Madison does an excellent job showing this strength while also letting us see her insecurities. The other stand-out performance was Yura Borisov as Igor, one of the henchmen. His is a much quieter. A lot of it takes place in the background, but it is just as interesting.

5) Wicked

I have seen "Wicked" twice and would easily go a few more times. This could have easily been a colossal bust. It was always going to be a hit: the musical is too big for it not to be, but it could have been a critical disaster. This could have been a terrible movie, but it wasn't. It got everything right and made all the right adjustments to make the film stand out: impressive performances, excellent song arrangements, and stunning visuals. The second one has a lot to live up to, but with this team behind it, I have no doubt it will be great.

4) Dune Part 2

The first "Dune" was an incredible cinematic achievement. Frank Herbert's book was long considered unfilmable, and Dennis Villeneuve did the impossible with the movie. "Dune Part 2" concludes this epic story and delivers a masterpiece. After seeing this, I listened to the audiobook, and there was one huge change I liked. In the movie, Chani (Zandaya) is skeptical of Paul's (Timothée Chalamet) rise to power. She loves him, but he starts to make decisions that she questions. He is using his position as a messiah figure among her people, the Fremen, in a way that she sees as dangerous. In the book, she agrees with him and everything he does. In the movie, she is given more agency and is more of a character. Given where Paul goes in the next book in the series, "Dune: Messiah," I am glad that the movie made this change. It will make the next film more interesting.

3) Ghostlight

I knew next to nothing about this one when I watched it, and I recommend watching it under those conditions. It is the story of a father dealing with grief through acting. The performances from real-life father and daughter Keith Kupferer and Kathrine Mallen Kupferer are incredible. These two get the most to do, leading to some incredibly powerful scenes as they deal with emotions neither has expressed out loud. It can sometimes be a little heavy-handed, but that doesn't take away from the power behind the performances and the film's message.

2) Rebel Ridge

I am just as shocked as you are that two Netflix movies made it onto my list. This company pumps out dozens of movies a year that are mostly garbage. I would have loved to see this movie in a theater with a large crowd. Aaron Pierre is destined to be a massive star. He was also in "Mufasa" and will play John Stewart, the Green Lantern, in the Max series "Lanterns." He is incredible in this movie. The calm he shows when faced with injustice and blatant racism, combined with how he deals with the cops when he is out of options (that P.A.C.E scene lives rent-free in my head), makes this one of the year's best action movies.

1) Sing Sing

Every year, there is a moment when I know what my No. 1 movie will be. This year, that moment happened on August 18th in Philadelphia when I saw "Sing Sing." Much like "Ghostlight," this showcases the power of art and performance. Coleman Domingo has always been terrific in whatever I have seen him in, and he deserves the Oscar for this one. The surprise to me was Clarence Maclin. He is an ex-con who went through the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at the center of the movie. That is a huge part of why his performance feels so real. The story is inspiring and shines a light on a population that most people have given up on. The more I read about the movie (the use of real ex-cons, everyone getting paid the same for each step of the process), the more I love it.

Most Anticipated Films of 2025

Den of Thieves 2: Pantara (Jan 10)

The original from 2018 is a very underrated heist movie. Gerard Butler plays "Big Nick" O'Brian, a cop who leads an elite unit of the LAPD targeting bank robbers and faces a crew of thieves looking to rob the Federal Reserve. The sequel (spoilers ahead) finds "Big Nick" in Europe trying to stop another heist. If it is half as fun as the first one, this will still be a blast.

September 5 (Jan 17)

Set during the 1972 Munich Olympics, this follows an ABC sports broadcast team that finds themselves covering the hostage situation. There has been a lot of good buzz around this movie after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

Sinners (March 7)

I know nothing about this movie's plot. I have seen the trailer twice, and all I can figure out is that it appears to be a horror movie set in the South. It stars Michael B. Jordan and was directed by Ryan Coogler, who also directed "Black Panther," "Creed," and "Fruitvale Station" (all of which starred Jordan). These two have an impeccable record regarding their collaborations, and that is all I need to know.

Mickey 17 (March 7)

Bong Joon Ho, best known for "Parisite," is back with what looks to be a weird, trippy sci-fi movie about a clone picked to go on dangerous missions. When he dies, his memories go into the next clone. This movie looks bonkers. Robert Pattinson plays Mickey and the clone(s)

Thunderbolts* (May 5)

Thunderbolts could be a lot of fun, which is something the MCU has been missing for a while. And yes, that asterisk is an official part of the title. The prevailing theory is that they will end the movie with a different team name (like Dark Avengers). The movie follows a bunch of MCU characters who are, and I hate to use this term, a ragtag group of misfits. We have only seen these characters once or twice (in one case, a lot more) in the movies/TV shows. These characters are not the most popular or well-known outside of comic book fans, but the fact that they are put together in a movie has the potential to be the most fun the MCU has had in a very long time.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (May 23)

If the rumors are to be believed, this is the last time Tom Cruise will play Ethan Hunt. He has been making these films since 1996 and is getting too old to hang off tall buildings or airplanes. This will conclude the story started in "Dead Reckoning," and the vibe I am getting from the trailer is very much an end to this arch for Hunt/Crusie. I was disappointed by the last movie because it felt like a part one- it was marketed as such. I hope this one finishes the story and improves a mediocre previous film.

28 Years Later (June 20)

"28 Days Later" is considered one of the best horror movies of the last 20 years. As the title suggests, this takes place 28 years after the first one, and humanity has adapted to living in a world where infected, not zombies, plague the world. I am a fan of this series, and the fact that the original director, Danny Boyle, is returning makes it all the more exciting.

Superman (July 11)

The first trailer was recently released, and I am cautiously optimistic. The most recent Superman movies have not done justice to the character's core: he is upbeat, hopeful, and a man of conviction. That is what this movie hopes to bring back. I trust James Gunn, the writer, director, and co-head of DC movies. A lot is riding on this film, but given that Gunn is behind it and it stars one of the most recognizable superheroes, it will be a huge hit.

Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been in a slump since 2019's "Avengers: Endgame." The Multiverse Saga has been filled with more misses than hits-one might call them disasters. It has been over a year since there has been a proper MCU movie ("Deadpool and Wolverine," while a Marvel movie is MCU adjacent). As much as I am looking forward to it, I am worried. The multiverse has not worked out well for Marvel, and this has the most potential to include elements of that.

Predator: Badlands (Nov.7)

When "Prey" was a HUGE hit on Hulu, Fox/Disney regretted not putting it in theaters. "Prey" was the best "Predator"" movie since the first one. As a fan of writer/director Dan Trachtenberg, his days as one of the hosts of the Totally Rad show, it's been great to see him make movies people love (10 Cloverfield Lane). After Prey came out, he said he already had ideas for more, and this appears to be one of them. From what I know, this film is told from the Predator's perspective. That is all I need to know. A series is coming out in 2025 as well, so this year is the resurgence of a classic movie character.

Wicked: For Good (Nov. 21)

I stand by my statement that "Wicked" should have had the subtitle "Act One," and this one should have the subtitle "Act Two." Terrible naming aside, I am very much looking forward to this. It was recently announced that Cynthia Erivo is co-writing a song for this one (probably with Stephen Swartz, the composer and lyricist of the Broadway show). I love what they did with "Wicked," so I cannot wait to see what they do with this one.

The Top 5 Shows of 2024

5) Evil Season 5

"Evil" was one of those shows that more people should have watched. It was funny and weird, had some scares, and had great characters. The move to Paramount+ after a season on CBS allowed it to embrace everything unique about it. It did something not many short-lived shows manage to do: It ended the show but kept the door open for something more in the future. If we never get any more of "Evil," I am satisfied with how the show ended, but I would jump right back in for another season or some spinoff.

4) Agatha All Along Season 1

As someone who has watched every Marvel TV show on Disney+, I have grown accustomed to disappointment. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this show. It is a spinoff of WandaVison, following Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) as she attempts to regain her power. Hahn is one of those actresses who improves everything she is in and does a great job as the show's lead. Not every episode was great, but when this show was at its best, it was one of the best things on TV.

3) X-Men '97 Season 1

I grew up in the 90s, and one of the seminal TV shows was "X-Men: The Animated Series." This past year, we got a direct sequel to that show, which was spectacular. It was a show made for adults who grew up in the animated series. The animation is astonishing, and the storylines are compelling. I was happy that Disney wants as many seasons of this as possible. As long as the quality stays this high, I am all in.

2) Interview With A Vampire Season 2

One of the reasons I initially subscribed to AMC+ was to watch the first season of "Interview With a Vampire." I will say this: I have never seen the movie version (I plan to now that the show has reached the end of the first book). The first season was great, but the second was something special. Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) travel to Paris after the events of season one and get caught up with a troupe of vampire actors, and it becomes one of the most compelling stories on television. The show is right up my alley. It mixes elements of horror with interesting world-building and incredible characters. Season three will be based on the second book in the Anne Rice series, and I cannot wait.

1) Shogun Season 1

This should not be a shock to anyone. I raved about this show to anyone who would listen. It was far and away the best thing on television this year; I'd go as far as to say it is the best show in the last decade. I have been chasing the feeling of watching this show since it ended. Honestly, some shows I should have loved took me a while to get into because they didn't hook me as quickly as this show. Every aspect of this show is brilliant: the acting, the writing, the storytelling. Set in 17th century Japan, it does a great job of building the without getting dragged down by exposition. "Shogun" is a show I can easily recommend to everyone. It is the show that is most worth your time.

“Moana 2” can’t recapture the magic of the original

It has been an excellent year for Disney sequels. "Inside Out 2" made over $1.6 billion and is currently the most successful animated movie ever. "Moana 2" had the most successful Thanksgiving release ever. 2024 has been a good year for the House of Mouse.

In "Moana 2," our titular hero (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) explores nearby islands in search of other people. One day, she gets a vision of a way to reconnect the ocean's people.

I am going to cut to the chase. I enjoyed this, but it is not even in the same league as the original. The story was not as interesting, and the songs were not as good. Lin Manuel Maranda did not write the music for this one, and while I enjoyed them, they did not leave an impression. I am still singing "You're Welcome," but I doubt that any of the songs from "Moana 2" will be hits years later.

Less than a year ago, "Moana 2" was not going to be a movie. It was going to be a Disney+ show. You read that right, A SHOW. This was a planned series based on the successful 2016 movie. There are times when you can feel that. Early on, I thought, "ok, so this is where an episode of the show would end." I am happy that this became a movie, but if this was meant to be a show, it needed more time to cook to make it a movie.

I feel like I have been harsh on "Moana 2." It is not a bad movie, and I enjoyed much of it. If you have kids, they will enjoy this one, and you might too. I would, and probably will, watch it again. I wouldn't put it on a list of my favorite Disney movies.

6/10

Rated PG for action/peril

1h 4om

“Wicked” is awe-inspiring on all levels

I have spoken before about how Hollywood is reluctant to advertise that a movie is a musical. What I find absolutely insane is that "Wicked" was not advertised as a musical when it was based on the most popular (no pun intended) of the last 20 years.

For those living under a rock, "Wicked" is the story of Oz before Dorothy showed up. The future "Wicked Witch of the West," Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), meets Galinda (Ariana Grande), and the two form a friendship that gets challenged when the truth about the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is revealed.

Let's start here: the length. This movie, which is part one, even though you will not see it in the marketing, is longer than the entire musical. I was most curious about what was added to make it so long. It has been a while since I have seen the musical, but a lot of what I picked up on was added character moments that further deepened the Elphaba and Galinda relationship. There were also multiple songs that were extended. "Dancing Through Life" is the first one that comes to mind. It is about eight minutes long in the musical, but with all the added dancing and dialogue, it takes closer to 15 minutes to finish the song, which allows for more character moments.

These moments, longer songs, and added dialogue allow the movie to build characters in a way the musical couldn't. On the stage, performers have to act for the cheap seats, but they can be more subtle in the movie. In the movie's opening, the Munchkins celebrate the death of "The Wicked Witch of the West," but you can see that Glinda isn't totally on board with how they characterize Elphaba. You can hear what she says/sings on the stage, but here, you can see it on her face. She clearly does not feel the joy the rest of them are experiencing.

Idina Manzel and Kristen Chenoweth have embodied Elphaba and Glinda for 20 years. Erivo and Grande take these two characters and make them their own. Both of them are fantastic. Galinda is the movie's comic relief, and Grande knocks it out of the park. I don't know her music, and I have only seen her on the TV show "Scream Queens," where she is killed off pretty quickly, so I was impressed with her performance. She has an incredible sense of comedic timing but could also handle the dramatic elements. She embodies this character in the same way Chenoweth did for so long.

If you have seen the show, you know the song that ends Act One (and this movie) is "Defying Gravity." It has become the bar by which all Elphabas are judged, and Erivo clears that very high bar. Elphaba is a character who projects confidence but is incredibly insecure. She has been scorned and made fun of for her green skin all her life and doesn't want others to see how they made her feel. You see this most clearly at the end of "Dancing Through Life." She shows up with the iconic hat at this party, and everyone makes fun of her. Refusing to let them see her pain, she dances anyway. This is another moment that benefits from not being on stage. You see the determination on her face, and when Galinda comes to dance with her, we see her break and tears in her eyes. This is the greatest act of kindness she has ever received.

This movie is incredible. It does a great job bringing the musical to life while incorporating more of the book. I love this movie for the reasons above and so many more (the sets, the costumes, Jeff Freakin' Goldblum!). If my movie dance card were not so full, I would easily see it again (Hey, Levy fam, I don't know who is back home over break, but I vote we see it). My one nitpick is that this should have been titled "Wicked: Act One."

Ok. I'll shut up now because I have prattled on long enough, and there is a one-year intermission until part 2.

8/10

Rated PG for some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material.

2h 40m

“Gladiator 2” is a HUGE fan of “Gladiator”

The night before I went to see "Gladiator 2," my friend and I watched the original "Gladiator." When it was over, I turned to him and said, "That was probably a mistake." There was no way that the new one would live up to what we had watched. Spoiler for the review: while it had some things to enjoy, it did not come close to its predecessor.

Set 16 years after the first movie, "Gladiator 2" shows Rome still conquering countries. When Rome attacks his (adopted) home and kills his wife, Hanno (Paul Mescal) becomes a gladiator for Macrinus (Denzel Washington). He ends up in Rome, fighting in the Colosseum, where he must face his past and finds himself in the middle of a chaotic plan to overthrow the emperors. 

The past week, I saw an article that boiled sequels down to this: Does it make the events of the original mean something? This one fails at that. When the original ends, we are given the idea that the Roman Senate gains more power and Rome is "given back to the people." In the 16 years since Maximus died, Rome has Looked at it through that lens; he failed to do anything except kill the evil emperor. Luckily, this movie is so forgettable that it doesn’t ruin the original. 

This movie is so enamored with "Gladiator" that the plots are basically the same (a general becomes a slave, becomes a gladiator, and challenges the emperor). It doesn't do anything interesting with it. One of the most memorable scenes in the original was when Maximus fights another gladiator while surrounded by four tigers. They take that concept and have two fight sequences with animals, neither of which is as interesting as the tigers from the first movie. The ghost of Maximus looms large over this movie. Hanno has a connection to him (I won’t spoil that like the trailers did), and Lucila (Connie Nielson), who was in the original, also plays a significant role in this one. I wish this had been entirely separate from “Gladiator,” with brand-new characters and an original story.  That would have made for a much more interesting story and, ultimately, a better movie. 

I will give the movie this: the action sequences are good. At one point, they depict a naval battle in a flooded Colusuium. There is evidence that the Romans actually did this, and it's cool to see that shown on screen. I do wish the battle was longer and more impressive. The initial attack in which Hanno is captured is fantastic. The Roman navy attacked with overwhelming numbers, and it was over as soon as their ships made a landing. This is one of the few sequences where “Gladiator 2” separates itself from the original. The rest of the action scenes are lesser versions of what the first one gave us.  I won't say that "Gladiator 2" is a bad movie. There are some things to enjoy, but it will never become the cultural touchstone that "Gladiator" was.

When I saw that Denzel Washington was in this, I thought, "Well, clearly, there has to be something to this movie if he is in it." Still, I don't think even he could make this movie more than a forgettable sequel to an Academy Award winner. I wanted this to be a good movie. I am a fan of the original and, given his age, this is very possibly the last time director Ridley Scott will be behind the camera. He deserves to go out on a higher note than this. 

6/10

Rated R for strong, bloody violence

2h. 28m.

Random Rambling #57

Why, yes, I did go through every post I have ever made to figure out how many Random Ramblings I have written. It was still easier than coming up with a title for this one. I will be sticking with the number system from here on out.

Netflix with Ads

It has been about a month since I was put on the Netflix plan with ads, and it has been an interesting experience. My biggest worry was terrible ad placement. I have been watching YouTube videos, and an ad pops up mid-sentence, but thankfully, Netflix seems to have its act together. I got through two seasons of "The Diplomat" and never had to wait for a character to finish a sentence while getting an ad for some online betting platform. I have been watching season two of "Arcane," the ads haven't been perfect, but I think that comes down to the show's pacing.

The only movies I have watched are Netflix movies, and there were no commercials (it's been a while, so I don't remember if there were ads before). The only downside is that only some things are available on that plan. I was searching for something else, but I saw that "Wicked Little Letters" (a great movie) could not be watched with this plan. I'm sure it's a licensing issue, but it's not enough to get me to pay way more to get no ads.

Live Action Remakes

We are in the age of the live-action remake, and I hate it. So few of these (mostly Disney) movies add something to the animated original. I enjoyed "The Jungle Book" remake, and I think "The Little Mermaid" is mostly good. This past week, we got the first look at two more: "Moana" and "How To Train Your Dragon." There was an unofficial set photo of Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui, and he's less impressive than his animated counterpart. That's not my issue. "Moana" came out less than a decade ago, so it feels way too soon for a remake; plus, "Moana 2" comes out next week." So, what is the point of this besides a soulless cash grab?

When I first heard about the "How to Train Your Dragon" remake, I was against it. I loved that first movie; it was the first Blu-ray I bought. Here is what this remake has going for it: it's been 14 years since the original, and the original director is back for the remake. That is the only reason why I am not as negative on this one as I am on the myriad of other live-action remakes.

Heretic

I saw Heretic last weekend and loved it. The movie follows two Morman missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Choe East). They go to the house of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), which turns into a twisted game. Grant is incredible. The movie takes advantage of Grant's charming, bumbling persona and lays something sinister underneath every line he says. East and Thatcher are also fantastic. There is an absolutely brilliant scene where the three are debating religion. This will probably be on my top 10 list of the year--which I have already started working on.

“Anora” is wildly entertaining

"Anora" is not a movie for everyone. It very much earns its R-rating. Feel free to jump off this review now if that is not your thing. Go watch "The Flordia Project," the movie that put director Sean Baker on my radar. It is a fantastic movie, and while there is still a ton of cursing, it is easier to recommend than this one.

Ani (Mikey Madison) is a sex worker in New York City. One night, she meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch, at the club where she works. He offers to pay her to play the part of his girlfriend for a week. At the end of the week, the two impulsively get married while in Vegas. When his parents learn this, their whirlwind romance becomes threatened.

I am not that familiar with Madison's work. She was in the recent Scream" reboot/sequel and "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood," which I did not remember until looking at her IMDb page. I will have to revisit those two after this because she is fantastic. Once Ivan's parents get involved, we see how much of a fighter she is- sometimes literally. She wants to keep this marriage going, either because of the lifestyle it affords her or because she cares for Ivan; she will not give all that up easily.

It becomes a comedy once the henchmen show up to get the marriage annulled. They come into the situation expecting this "prostitute" to give up. They don't come looking for a fight; they just some light intimidation, and it will all be over. What they get is someone who is strong-willed. When we left the theater, my friend mentioned seeing some bumbling henchmen was great. Everything goes wrong for these two; most of the time, it goes hilariously wrong. They rush into every situation, thinking they have the upper hand because of their status and are constantly failing.

I had heard the hype about this movie after it won the Pom d'Or at Cannes and was a darling on the festival circuit. I was not prepared for how fun it was. The subject matter is not for everyone, and I get that, hence the warning at the beginning of the review. If you can get past the graphic nudity and the liberal use of the f-word (well over 400, from what I can tell), then the last 90 minutes of this movie are going to be a blast.

8/10

Rated R for strong sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, pervasive language, and drug use.

2h 19m

"The Diplomat" is a compelling political drama

Most streaming services have moved away from the binge-watching model. One that has not been is Netflix, the originator of binge-watching. One downside is that your show doesn't get to build word of mouth as each episode is released. A case in point is "The Diplomat." I heard great things when it was released, but nothing after a week or two. I saw that season two was released last Friday and remembered, "Oh, yeah. That is supposed to be good."

In "The Diplomat," Keri Russell plays Kate Wyler, the new ambassador to England. She was given the post because she is on the shortlist to replace the current Vice President, who will resign when the story of a scandal breaks.

I am in awe of "The Diplomat." The story is excellent, and the actors are fantastic. I came home from work and got through half the season that afternoon and was finished with the season the next day. It has been a while since I was so compelled by a show that I binge-watched it. The show's main story is about the British and the American governments working together to uncover what happened when a British ship was attacked. There are so many twists and turns along the eight-episode season that it flew by.

As intriguing as the plot is, the characters make this show what it is. Russell's Kate is used to working in war zones (she worked in the Middle East before taking the ambassador job), so she is a little out of her element in the United Kingdom. Her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) is a former ambassador and is more familiar with the job. The two are on the verge of divorce but keep things cordial. Kate turns to Hal to get his opinion or find out how he would approach a situation. Hal is used to being in charge; he is not used to being the one in the background. Russell and Sewell are fantastic. Their dynamic is very complicated, but they play the balance perfectly. Kate doesn't trust Hal but knows when he can be an asset and when to rely on him. Hal tries to get Kate to reconsider their divorce, even if his instincts keep getting in the way.

I am sure many of you are sick of politics right now; I know I am. That could make the thought of watching this show exhausting. However, if you want to see competent people fighting for what is right, this show might give you the hope many of us are missing right now. The show has already been renewed for season three, and considering how season two ends, I cannot wait.

Tom Hardy’s Venom bows out with “The Last Dance.”

Here is the thing: 99 percent of the people who read this are in the weekly e-mail. I see the analytics, and most of my views come from places where I know people (that's right; I'm keeping my eye on all of you). Occasionally, I get some from somewhere else, which is pretty cool. Anyway, I know my audience; this movie is not one they are gonna see. Moviewise, it was either this or "Smile 2," a horror movie I know no one on the e-mail list will watch.

"Venom: The Last Dance" concludes the story of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the alien symbiote that bonds with him, Venom. This time, Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, has sent creatures after Eddie and Venom to get...you know what? It really doesn't matter.

If you think about this plot for more than half a second, it makes almost no sense. The truth is that none of these movies have been good. They are all pretty bad from a plot/story perspective. So, why do I enjoy them so much? It comes down to one thing, Hardy's performance as Eddie/Venom. In the first movie, Hardy climbs into a lobster tank, which the actor improvised. The guy is clearly having fun.

"The Last Dance" is clearly marketed as Hardy's last time as the character, and even the trailers highlight the ending of the Eddie/Venom relationship. Many scenes in this movie involve Eddie talking to Venom and further exploring this relationship. That is when this movie is at its best. The audience is given no reason to care about other characters than Eddie and Venom, so it's easy to check out when the other characters are the focus. Over the three movies, Eddie and Vemon have learned to work together and become quite the team. I will admit that I got teary-eyed a few times as the two talked about ordinary stuff; Venom wants to go see The Statue of Liberty, and Eddie reflects on what everyday life would have been like. That is when the movie was at its best.

5/10

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, and strong language.

1h 49mi

Random Rambling: Creative Struggles

I have started and abandoned three different posts. If there comes a point when I am writing and I am just not feeling it anymore, I find it best to cut my losses and delete it rather than try to find some way to salvage it.

This happens for many reasons; writer's block is the main culprit. This past week, though, I have been creatively drained, and even if I had written the most incredible piece of fiction since "The Great Gatsby," I would have thought it sucked and deleted it.

It could have been that I had an emotionally challenging week at work or that Rory was in Rochester with my parents. It could have been a combination of both or a billion other reasons, but I wasn't feeling the least bit creative. And I hate that. I am not getting paid to write every week; I do this for fun. This is my way to destress. When I started "Escape" all those years ago, it was my way of dealing with being fired from a job. Pouring all I felt into those characters, that story, and those words was a cathartic experience. It helped me deal with an extremely low point in my life.

That is why I do this. During the hard weeks, it's critical for me to open up that blank document and start writing. I have said it before, and I'll say it again: my best pieces of writing come from a place of pain. Or at least start there. "Escape" is the perfect example. I loved what I wrote when I was at my lowest, but I have added to it over the years from highs as much as lows and am proud of what it has turned into (so much so that I keep trying my damndest to find the time to add to it).

Well, that was kind of a downer, so I will leave you with this.

This past weekend, my parents came up, and we went to "Hamilton." During the performance, I remembered something. Years ago, I was walking to the bus after work and listening to music. The song "It's Quiet Up Town" from "Hamilton" came on, and that was followed by "Everything Comes Down to Poo" from the musical episode of "Scrubs." For those unfamiliar, I went from a song about dealing with the grief of losing a child to a song about checking..well, you know, to get a medical diagnosis.

The Chaotic Birth of “Saturday Night”

How have I made it this far without knowing that the original name for "Saturday Night Live" was simply "Saturday Night?" I enjoy the occasional clip of "SNL" on YouTube, but I don't watch the show. I used to watch reruns on Comedy Central growing up, but nowadays, the show can't compete with those from the 90s.

"Saturday Night" accounts for the 90 minutes before the first broadcast on October 11, 1975.

That might have been the most straightforward plot synopsis I have ever had to write.

The show's making it to air, with all the chaos behind the scenes in the last hour and a half, is nothing short of a miracle. John Belushi (Matt Wood) had yet to sign his contract, the show's segments were not locked yet (they have enough to fill a three-hour show), and no one seemed to believe the show would succeed.

That might be my one complaint. There was no drama as to whether the show would make it. The show just started airing its 50th season, so you aren't sitting in the theater going, "Oh, man. I hope everything works out and the show gets to air!" It doesn't matter if there was a chance they would have run a Carson rerun because we know they didn't. It doesn't matter if the network executives wanted the show to fail because it didn't. "SNL" has aired 975 episodes, so the stakes don't matter because there are none.

I had a blast with "Saturday Night." It captured the frantic, drug-fueled energy of the show's early days. It takes place in real-time, and as there is a literal ticking clock, the time will appear on the screen every so often, counting down to 11:30 p.m. This adds to the chaotic, stressed feeling this movie marinates in.

8/10

Rated R for language throughout, sexual references, some drug use and brief graphic nudity.

1h 49min

Not A Review of “Megalopolis”

I want to make this clear: This is not a review of Francis Ford Coppla's new movie, “Megalopolis”. I don't think I could review it even if I wanted to. More than anything I have written, this will live up to this website's name; Matt keeps rambling. I have a lot of thoughts, and they are about as coherent as the movie they are about.

Here is the thing: I could not give a synopsis because I have no clue what I watched. The movie is set in new Rome and involves a brilliant architect and a power struggle between him, the mayor, and the guy who owns the biggest bank.

Oh, and Adam Driver’s character can stop time- this is never explained or is much of a plot point.

My main thought during the two-hour and 17-minute runtime of this movie was, "What the fudge is happening?" ("Only I didn't say fudge"). I was lost for vast chunks of "Megalopolis." Things would happen out of nowhere. Characters make inexplicable decisions and say confounding things. Things happen, the scene changes, and we move forward in time without explaining what happened between the two scenes.

The other thought I had was that these actors must have really wanted to work with Francis Ford Coopla. Some of the dialogue they are asked to say is total gibberish. I get it. This is one of the greatest living directors making what is most likely his last film. What actor wouldn't jump at that chance? Sure, the script is a mess, the story doesn't make sense, and the lines they are asked to say are bizarre. This guy directed "The Godfather and "Apocalypse Now," you have to say "yes" to it.

My choices last weekend were a movie I knew I would hate and make me furious or a movie I knew would be bad but would at least be interesting to watch. I went with the latter. "Megalopolis" might be a bad movie, but it was fascinating to watch.