Episode 134
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/wrpSrjblcwb
Episode 135
Home to reviews of The Simpsons Shorts. New reviews on Tuesdays and YouTube videos I upload every Friday. Geeks and Jocks Podcast on Anchor at https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj
There aren't many holiday films out in theaters right now. It's very slim pickings compared to an article I saw about a combo of 60 plus films across two networks. Violent Night fills that void a bit and is surprisingly good. We do need more adult Christmas films. It's more humorous than you think and the action is given some thought. How you view the violent nature will vary.
David Harbour plays Santa. In this world, he loved doing his job of delivering gifts, but has become a drunk due to the amount of greed many adults and children have gotten. On his usual duties, he finds himself in Connecticut. A wealthy family is enjoying their festivities led by old matriarch Gertrude Lightstone (Beverly D'Angelo) when a group of mercenaries invade their home for 300 million dollars. The head man (John Leguizamo) will do whatever he can, but Santa is at the same house. With help from little girl Trudy, he preps for a battle he'll never forget.
It definitely is its own movie in some aspects. However, it feels as if it did its own take of Die Hard 1 and 2, along with Home Alone 1 and 2. The action aspect shows Santa kicking some serious ass in some scenes and getting beaten to a pulp in others. There is a human element to it and he makes a healthy John McClane look even healthier. Those scenes are choreographed well and the violence at points is goofy or pretty serious. The comedy is sprinkled all around. Santa's drunken attitude early on. Hearing Gertrude curse like a sailor and her family members trying to paint a good picture of the family.
It does get a bit sentimental with what Trudy wants and what Santa wants. With it being Christmas, they want things to be better from where they came from. Trudy has a bit of a Kevin McCallister vibe to her, which they do reference Home Alone a couple times. Traps do make Kevin seem a little more innocent compared to her. I expected violence, though it wasn't as dark as I thought. But you might. A couple cringe moments, but they may or may not for the viewer. The bad guys are a little over the top. You get a score that shows its Michael Kamen side, a bit of John Williams, and some of its own. The cinematography works well to its advantage and it's amazing how all this was done on a 20 million dollar budget.
The film does go at a decent pace. Like I said, the cringe aspects will vary on the viewer, which is the only major complaint I could see being a problem. But otherwise, Violent was surprisingly good. Get a chance to see it in theaters. We need more of these holiday movies that aren't strictly for kids.
Before I get into this review, if Spirited is in theaters, I'd check it out. Otherwise, this is available via Apple TV+. Anyway, this is something that caught my eye a little bit and is something that feels out of left field. Better than I thought it would be and it is well done with its choreography and attempt of a modern day version of A Christmas Carol.
Every year, there are ghosts that will try to change a person for better and redeem themselves. Led by Marley (Patrick Page), they go all out to scare the person straight and improve their life. His plan for the following Christmas is a hotel manager, but ghost of Christmas present (Will Ferrell) sees someone that is way worse. Reluctantly, Marley goes with the idea of redeeming Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), an A-grade piece of trash. What ensues is pure insanity.
The only other film that has a modern day take that I can think of with A Christmas Carol is Scrooged from 1988, and even that is referenced by Clint. This is a musical for the most part and it saves its moments for when to sing and when to be comedic. It is an interesting duo with Reynolds and Ferrell. Reynolds is great as that slimy deceitful manipulative person and it clashes with the other side of the comedy. It's nice to see Ferrell play the straight laced character a bit, which is refreshing though he is more than just that as Christmas present.
It's few other characters who are important play vital parts. Sunita Mani and the voice of Tracy Morgan are hilarious as the other two ghosts Past and Yet to Come and their attempts to scare Clint. Octavia Spencer serves as a love interest for Present and also is a moral ground type of person that doesn't like the antics of Clint. But all these characters get their chances to sing songs surrounding their situations and the musical score is beautiful with well done dance and choreography if it needs to. Of course, the holiday look to it. Nothing more special than going to see the lights and everything in New York.
This is a bit lengthy. However the balance of comedy and musical and the energy keeps it going without a stale moment. I'm not sure how some will view the ending and some of the more darker moments of the film. Some development of a couple characters could have been better. But otherwise, Spirited is a funny film to go see. Check it in theaters if it's playing near you. As said at the beginning of this review, this is also on Apple TV+
If it weren't for Jay Chandrasekhar directing this, I would have skipped out on Easter Sunday. Even though he didn't write the script for this film, his knack for finding good projects (Arrested Development, Community, Psych) is there. This one falls a little flat early and does recover to where it's above average. Not good, but there is much worse. One of the stranger comedies I have seen in theaters.
Jo Koy (Yes, that's his name, a stage name) plays Joe Valencia, A Filipino actor who is trying to find work beyond being a comedian. In the midst of finding that big break, he is also divorced, trying to be there for his son and attend his mother's home for Easter Sunday. What should be a normal gathering of family does not exist. Feuding sisters, scammers, anything you can think of derails what Joe wants to do and he has to keep his sanity in check while making sure things don't go wrong.
This falls into the realm of very dysfunctional family. Only with a Filipino family. It plays a little bit of factor in the plot with Joe not wanting to be a stereotype when going for his big break. I get it being natural has its perks. Doesn't work all the time in Hollywood though. The material is stuff some can relate to. Not every family is happily together. Bickering members and grudges against each other. It's something you can laugh at and have fun watching. Some of it is outlandish such as the character Eugene owing money to gangsters. Otherwise, the script here is something that you'll get a grasp of.
This doesn't have the most recognized cast, though some familiar faces will leave you wondering how they managed to "insert actor's name" in it. The cinematography was excellent and the lighting was done great. Music was hit or miss. This is not a gut busting type of movie and the first 20 minutes or so will feel a bit slow. Once it gets to where Joe and his son being around his family does it kick up a bit and be funny. Lots of chuckling. If Easter Sunday is right up your alley, go see it. Otherwise, watch at your risk. Your mileage may vary on if it interests you greatly.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
New episode
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-119-Soft-Roar-e1jv75n
Last episode of the season will be up next week.
Top Gun: Maverick has been a film that was on my radar for well over two years. With the amount of success it has had since it hit theaters, it's not a shock. This is one of the best movies of 2022 and it is amazing. From a technical and production standpoint, it's through the roof. The best part though is not being an 80s macho fest. It's a crafted drama that finds a way to be very fresh and know when to show its callbacks.
Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is still the same cocky guy as he was 30 plus years ago. Still angering top officials and using jet fighters in outrageous ways. The Navy has an important mission that has to be done within a few weeks. With special recommendation, he is teaching a new group of pilots to do the mission in the same Top Gun class. Through the ups and downs, he will make sure everyone comes back alive and also solve his personal demons from long ago when he was that young brash pilot.
By no means is the original film bad. It's a product of its era. This sequel gets the 80s treatment for the first couple minutes complete with some Kenny Loggins and the main theme to go with some tight editing of the jets. The writers made Maverick more of a human and less of a complete dickhead. Tom Cruise is top notch with reprising his character and you feel for what he is trying to do. He still has regrets and can't let go of what happened to Goose. Speaking of which, Miles Teller holds his own playing Goose's son, sign name Rooster and provides good chemistry with Cruise as their characters share moments of awkwardness and letting things.
You got pilots who are just like Maverick. Other pilots who struggle with preparing for the mission. There are a number of callbacks aren't there to simply reference the original film. It has an excellent cameo for one character and is one of the tender moments that shows how high of a bar the sequel leapt over its predecessor. A love interest does exist and that comes from a throwaway line in the first. One Admiral's daughter, Penny Benjamin and she gets a bit of time on screen. Kind of that pushing power to help Maverick and some motivation to get his pilots prepared.
From a cinematography perspective, some of the shots are wild. These actors were probably training so hard to do some of these things that were in script. Cruise has become better known for doing a number of his own stunts. You get that authenticity that is lacking in a number of big name movies. Granted, they're not risking their lives to film those scenes, but that sense of realism is crazy. Even the non-flying scenes are shot beautifully. There's also some of the effects that are brilliant. With sound, this is the type of movie that is made to be seen in a movie theater. That last half hour with the sounds gives it a more exciting experience. The music is mostly a score with hints of the main theme and it sprinkles some songs at points. It stays at being a score driven film
The film could have cut at least 5 minutes or so at points. Could be a little too long, but not too ridiculous. That doesn't deter the fact that Top Gun: Maverick is a movie you need to see. A must watch film for the summer season. An 80s sequel that can stand on its own ground and arguably better than its predecessor.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Yeah, this is a kids film. With that in mind, The Bad Guys does try something a bit different compared to most Dreamworks film and most animated films in general. It's a focus on a criminal group of animals and their trials and tribulations of trying to commit the perfect crime and changing how people view them. It's not the most clever movie or the funniest. However, I'd give it credit for not being generic either.
It all starts with the Big Bad Wolf. He's the ring leader of his group. Him, Tarantula, Shark, Snake, and Piranha commit unthinkable deeds, but get caught. A genius professor decides to rehabilitate them and make them become citizens that are welcomed, not feared. Wolf gets his crew to play along and what ensues is many moments to be good and bad at the same time.
The characters all interact fairly well and the performances are above average given the talent used for it. There are some surprises that will catch a few off guard. As far as humor goes, it's not deliberately in your face, but you'll get some chuckling out of it. It's scripted out and doesn't come off as low brow for the most part. I find it hard to explain since it is for kids. Yet there are moments that make it feel as if this was written for adults to an extent. That feeling of being given a second chance or having redemption, though that's not the main focus.
There is a definite style to the CGI. Well done visuals and some attempt at some hand drawn like effects for scenes. It doesn't look like the typical mold of a Dreamworks animated film. You'll see some of it, though. Nothing against the score or the songs, but it seemed about average. Nothing that wows me, but not dreadful. I would try to see The Bad Guys in the theater if its still around. It's a bit better than what I was expecting. Not perfect, but nothing offensive either.
Score: 7 out of 10
Simply put, I'd figure The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent would be an outlandish way to poke fun of Nicolas Cage. Him playing himself seems like something that should have been done five or ten years ago due to the films he did. From what I've watched, it's not hearty laughs, but there can be far worse comedies out there.
Nic is a washed out has been who finds ways to embarrass himself and his family. He also knows he has to clean up his act to do better for his daughter. That might include retiring from acting until being told about attending a fan's birthday party. The fan, Javi (Pedro Pascal), is more than just a normal fan. And that also involves CIA agents (Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish) and ridiculous situations and scenarios that require Nic to be the hero.
It is very obvious to be meant as a parody. Nicolas Cage himself is one of those guys with a resume that speaks for itself in terms of making it over the top. You add in the type of superfan that Javi is, and it comes off as that fantasy that is propped up in most people's heads of hanging out with a movie celebrity. The redemption and hero aspects are a little cliched, but in good taste. You got characters who are mostly down to earth dealing with Nic's mind and trying to get him back into reality with the exception of Javi and the CIA people.
Some of the cinematography is well done with the location they were in and the score is all over the place. The editing is pieced together with thought. I kind of was expecting some more humor, so Massive Talent was kind of a let down. It's still a watchable film though. If you're a big fan of Cage, try to find it in the theater. Otherwise, I'd probably wait until it hits video and streaming.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
Last week's episode 111:
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-111-Even-Rough-Spring-e1hgg6i
And this week's episode 112:
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-112-We--the-Podcast-e1hng7f
I'm not an overly religious person. That said, Father Stu seemed like an interesting film. A guy who wants to find his true calling and tries several things before deciding to go into priesthood. There's probably better films of this type of genre, but this isn't too bad.
Mark Wahlberg plays Stuart Long in this true story of what Long did at points in his life. A local boxer who is forced to retire because of health issues, he wants to make a name for himself and Hollywood is where he believes he can do well for him and his mother. He tries his luck and finds himself in bad situations until catching the eye of a young lady named Carmen who goes to church every Sunday. Long decides to clean up his act and do better and believes in joining the priesthood with ups and downs along the way.
The real Stuart Long passed away back in 2014, so this is a film that knows there will not be any sort of happy ending. I don't know how to explain the movie. No matter what throughout it, Long is determined to get what he wants. Even if it sounds crazy, he knows he has a true calling. It's also redemption, especially with the rocky relationship of his father, played by Mel Gibson. So many things you can describe. And it's a passion project that Wahlberg wanted to work on, hence helping finance it according to multiple websites. Redemption and also tragedy with Long's health and past wounds that don't heal.
Outside of some pacing issues, the cinematography had a bit of a grittiness and some excellent lighting usage at points. That was used with big effort in the later part of the film. There was a little bit more of a movie score along with a few songs here and there. The only other problems would be the subject matter. It was a decent enough film. Definitely an on the fence type of choice. If you're interested, see it before it gets pulled out of theaters within a few weeks. There's far worse true story movies.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
Sonic the Hedgehog made for a good movie two years ago. It did a strong job with its CGI. Dr. Robotnik was a crazy character done well. When I reviewed it, I said it was surprisingly good. With the sequel now, it has a lot going and the expectations are very high. For the most part, it lands on its feet with ease. You're on a roller coaster ride of many things.
Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is enjoying life in Green Hills with Tom and Maddie Wachowski (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter). He does try to do good, but not to the best results. On his own for a weekend, His nemesis, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns from another dimension with a sidekick, Knuckles (Idris Elba). The two are on the search for the Master Emerald and Sonic must be taken care of. But the blue blur has his adopted human parents and new sidekick Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) that can help him in a pinch and learn what it means to be a hero.
This one is more a race against the clock type of film. White knuckle (no pun intended) frantic adventure to save the world. It's a little more serious with a bit more banterish and pun type humor in the mix. Sonic is given all sorts of emotions of doing the best and struggling at keeping up with being ahead of Robotnik. While not as wacky like in the first, Carrey continues to shine as the mad scientist. Not as humorous, but he still has his times to shine with intellect. Knuckles has the warrior treatment with Elba playing him as though he came out of a comic book or fantasy world. They put in some nice insight of his story to get the Emerald. Speaking of that, they put in a fair share of references to various forms of media of Sonic throughout the 90s and 2000s.
The CGI is unbelievable along with creating amazing special effects. Some of it on Sonic and Knuckles is crazy excellent. A little more emphasis on songs, but there's still a focus on a movie score. It's got a wonderful cinematography and the lighting is magnificent. It's human scenes can be a little undercooked in a couple of scenes. Being a little longer than the first isn't necessarily bad. For a kids film, it might drag for some parents. However, the pacing is good. If you want a family flick, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a good choice. This should have a strong run for a good couple of months.
Score: 7 out of 10
The Lost City is one of those films that caught my interest a little bit. I was a little hesitant to see it in theaters and waited on reviews. I would rate it right around where the critics would place it. It's a fun little film that has its share of adventure and some humor mixed into it. Not a straight up action. As much as I liked Uncharted, I would put Lost City over it, but not by far.
This is centered around Loretta, played by Sandra Bullock. She writes adventure novels and is part of a book tour that begins in New York. Along with that first promotional of the book is her cover model, Alan, played by Channing Tatum. Loretta is frustrated at having to do book touring. In the midst of it, she is kidnapped by a billionaire. Abigail, performed by Daniel Radcliffe, wants her to find the real treasure as done in the books. It ultimately become a rescue mission and a treasure hunt with a real sense of adventure.
The film takes its moments to be light hearted. Have some humor in it here and there. And then hit a serious moment. It finds a good balance on continuing the story. They develop the characters as it goes on. You get to understand the feelings of what Loretta and Alan are going through. The fact they open up more of Alan says a bit about wanting to be more than a book cover model. And Abigail is an eccentric bad guy. The performances altogether are well thought out. The action is not overdone and contribute to the story. Like I said, it finds good balance.
I like that there is more of a movie score with some songs put into it. The cinematography is excellent and the production design is well thought out for being a treasure hunt type of film. It can drag in a couple spots, though, and a couple characters do get somewhat annoying in some scenes. But otherwise, check out The Lost City. It's a fun popcorn film that isn't as ridiculous compared to other films.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
I've only gotten familiar with Uncharted in the last five or so years. Enjoyed the original PlayStation 3 trilogy and heard stuff about a movie being made. It was in development hell for many years and it finally made its way to theaters this year. If you're a fan of the games, you'll get some good enjoyment out of it. Others, your mileage may vary. But a lighter action film that isn't a comic book adaptation feels necessary to have.
Tom Holland steps into the lead role of Nathan Drake, a young man who gets the opportunity of a lifetime. He meets Victor "Sully" Sullivan, played by Mark Wahlberg. Sully tells him about the treasure of Magellan and the adventure takes the duo to several parts of the world, trying to avoid a pair of bad guys, with Tati Gabrielle and Antonio Banderas filling in villain roles. This also has Sophia Ali playing Chloe Frazer, as this is more of an introduction to the characters without taking it too far.
This film tries to piece together elements from the games. For the most part, it succeeds. Moments with Nate and his brother Sam. Twists in the story with double crosses and betrayals. Death defying moments such as flying out of a plane and getting back into it. Traps and humor. Without spoiling it too much, it feels very much in tune with the games. But it also does give out a vibe of Indiana Jones and a little bit of Tomb Raider and The Goonies.
I like that it stuck to a musical score that works with the scenes with a minimal amount of songs. The cinematography was through the roof. Some of the effects look very real. That said, it can be a little ridiculous. I like the performances of Holland and Wahlberg, but I kind of wish Wahlberg would have had a little more gruffer voice similar to Richard McGonagle. The mileage will also vary on your experience of the series and if they got it down the first try. I'd like to see how Holland does if a sequel does get greenlit. Ali was magnificent as Chloe and I would like to see if she is implemented more if brought back.
I would try to see this in the theater. Gamers should have blast with this. Definitely room for improvement, but it captures the essence of Naughty Dog's vision, only in movie form.
Score: 7 out of 10
New episode. Made it to 100 in just over three years.
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-100-The-100th-e1dq00d
Bonus episode https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Bonus-Episode-7-e27h1a2