Review – Page 10 – We Are Movie Geeks

M3GAN 2.0 – Review

If there’s one thing we’ve learned after more than a hundred years of horror movies, it’s this: you just can’t keep a good “monster” down. That’s certainly true of the “Golden Age” icons, whether it was Frankenstein’s monster or Count Dracula (even in the “Silver Age,” it was a given that Christopher Lee would be back for blood). It may be more certain now in the age of “spin-offs”, prequels, and countless sequel. Plus it also extends to those fiends without flesh, like Chucky of CHILD’S PLAY. And now there’s a “gender flip” on that. Back in 2023 the January film “doldrems”, when often the thriller “dregs” would be dumped into the hungry multiplex, a chiller with a satiric “bite” brought us a new horror “heroine”. Well, she’s baaack! Finally, leaping off the toy shelf and into our nightmares comes M3GAN 2.0.

This one begins far away from the sunny California suburbs of the original. In the Middle East a super secret agent is on a rescue mission, which goes sideways. She’s ignoring all the orders from the US command center, as we learn that the agent is a robot. The story then shifts to an update on the main characters from the first flick. Gemma (Allison Williams) is part of media crusade warning parents about the dangers to their kids in the online world. But she has her own tech company with her loyal staff Tess (Jen Van Epps) and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez). Gemma’s still the legal guardian to her niece Cady (Violet McGraw), who channels her trauma into her Aikido lessons. Oh, and Gemma’s in a thriving relationship with a former cyber-security expert, Christian (Aristotle Athari). But what she’s focused on right now is the powerful exo-skeleton they’re trying to sell to the tech billionaire mogul, Alton Appleton (Jemaine Clement). That day doesn’t go well, but the night is even worse, when Gemma and Cady are awakened by home intruders. They’re not burglars, but rather, agents of the FBI. Their commander (Timm Sharp) tells Gemma that they want information about M3gan, whose designs were the basis for their now missing rogue spy assassin Amelia (Ivana Sakhno). After the “guests” leave empty-handed, Gemma is startled when the old M3gan program announces her return via the big screen TV (and other devices). Soon it becomes obvious that the only way to stop Amelia’s path of destruction that leads to a sentient “doomsday” device from the 1980s, is for Gemma and her gang to team up with M3gan. But can the devilish doll ever be trusted despite all the “fail-safe” software that Gemma installs? Will Cady be put in danger once more as they’re drawn into a vast conspiracy that could end the planet? These toys aren’t playin’ around!

Yes, the “old gang” is back together again. And their comic timing is just as sharp two years later. The leader of “the pack” is probably Williams, as the frazzled, but full of steely determination, Gemma. She’s still the protective “mama bear” even as she’s rattling off endless bits of “techno-jargon” while making us root for her as she is often needed to be the “voice of reason” or a real “wet blanket”. Her family “jewel’ is the nearly teenaged McGraw as the sassy and very “pro-active” ( a certain martial arts movie star is her “role model”) Cady. Epps and Jordan are quite the effective loyal but bumbling comedy team as “sidekicks” Tess and Cole. The big comedy MVP might just be Clement as the arrogant, abusive snob Alton, who could perhaps be a satiric riff on a real-life odd uber “tech-bro”. We’re just waiting and yearning for his sneer to be “deleted’ ASAP. Other comic standouts are Sharp as the gung-ho mucho macho spy chef and Athari as the too, too sensitive and empathetic nurturing BF Christian. As for the “big baddie”, Sakhno is the face of pure banal evil, with big expressive but vacant “peepers” as Amelia, the Terminator packaged as a waif-like supermodel. And though she’s a mix of stunt folks, puppetry, and CGi, special kudos should go to M3gan’s main body double Amie Donald and the supplier of her snarky quips, vocalist Jenna Davis.

And this veteran cast is guided by OG director Gerald Johnstone, who also collaborated on the script with Akela Cooper (who created the characters with James Wan). They’ve decided to opt for a completely different tone with this outing, skirting around much of the first one’s horror “vibe” and making a scathing parody of cyber “chaos” and firing lots of parody “salvos’ at the modern action “high concept” blockbusters. While some of the set pieces and sequences take on THE MATRIX, Johnstone and company have some fun with the worlds (and imitators) of JOHN WICK and James Bond (I’m surprised the big secret villain HQ wasn’t inside a dormant volcano). Like ALIENS, it takes on new targets, though the hardcore fans will enjoy a riff on the “meme-fodder” murder-dance of M3gan and her aggressive, snarky “attitude”, guaranteeing that she’ll be a popular costume for the next Halloween and beyond. The doll doesn’t get all the best gags as the evil ‘mastermind’ has a casual “sing song” delivery as he tries to be a “Michael Scott” style cool, friendly boss. Now, as with most of the “straight” action-thrillers it piles on the endings along with the henchmen bodies literally exhausting us with “overkill”. But it’s easy to forgive its over-indulgences when we get a truly uproarious song scene and a “bizarro” AI convention. Sure, the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE epics need a good drubbing and this demonic doll can certainly dish out the “burns” and cyber “side eye”. If you can handle sharp satire and even sharper weaponry, then you may want to “click”on the upgrade that is M3GAN 2.0. Powering down…

3 out of 4

M3GAN 2.0 is now playing in theatres everywhere

28 YEARS LATER – Review

28 DAYS LATER was a terrifying horror hit about an viral infection that ripped through Britain, rapidly killing its victims and turning them into angry zombies that spread the infection. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland followed that up with 28 WEEKS LATER, with the Rage virus morphing and spreading to Europe. Now Boyle and Garland are back for a third round, but this time set farther into the future, with 28 YEARS LATER.

Set much farther in the future from 28 WEEKS LATER, 28 YEARS LATER is not a true sequel that continues the story line of 28 WEEKS LATER, but a new full-on post-apocalyptic story set in the same world. After a prologue that loosely ties this new film to the previous one, in which a boy evades to zombies who kill his parents, the film updates us on the situation 28 years later. The Rage virus has been fought back on the European continent but Britain has been declared a quarantine zone, with the remaining people abandoned to their fate and the waters around Britain patrolled by NATO to contain the virus.

Cillian Murphy was the star of the first two horror films, doesn’t appear in this one (although he is one of the film’s producers). Instead, the main character is a 12-year-old boy named Spike (Alfie Williams), who lives in a colony of survivors on an island off the northeast coast of England.

The people on the island are pretty self-sufficient, growing food and raising domesticated animals, with a structured society with assigned jobs and a store of scavenged items for things they can’t or don’t produce themselves in a pseudo pre-industrial life. Being an island helps keep them safe but they also guard against intruding zombie with a force armed with bows and arrows. The island does have an access to the mainland, a causeway that is accessible only at low tide. which they guard with a gate and sentries. The villagers seem to have created a pretty comfortable life but the one thing they lack is a doctor.

Spike lives with his parents Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Isla (Jodie Comer), and his grandfather. Isla is sick with a mysterious illness that comes and goes, leaving her with terrible headaches and confused when she is in the grip of a bout, but a lively, fun-loving person when she’s feeling well. With mom not feeling well, Spike’s dad Jamie decides his son is ready for the colony’s coming-of-age ritual, at trip to the mainland with his father, to kill his first zombie. Although as the other villagers remind Jamie the usual age for this ritual is 14 or 15, he insists his son is ready, although Spike seems less certain about this, and mostly trying to please his father. Leaving his ailing mother Isla in the care of Spike’s grandfather, father and son load up their arrows, grab their bows and make the trek across the causeway at low tide to the mainland, with a four hour window before the tide covers the causeway blocks retreat.

You know something has to go awry but at first all goes well. Weirdly, while they are on the mainland, Jamie and Spike do not forage for supplies to supplement their meagre ones at the store, but instead mostly stick to the forest, hunting slow-moving zombies.

They come across some, pitiful fat slug-like zombies who crawl slowly across the ground but are still capable of infecting people if they manage to sneak up on one. Spike does make his first kill – shoot them in the neck, dad says – but a few more almost sneak up on dad while he is focused on coaching his young son. The pair encounter some faster-moving zombies and even spot a dreaded Alpha, a large fast zombie with more of a brain than the rest. There are harrowing moments and frightening mad dashes, and they are even forced to hide out in a structure, something they had avoided, and while hiding in an attic, catch sight of a puzzling huge bonfire in the distance, not something likely created by the zombies.

Eventually they do make it back to the causeway. Back on the island, the villagers have planned a celebration for Spike but the boy is both rattled by his experiences and his father’s bragging and exaggerating about his prowess as a zombie-killer, and sneaks off to see his mother, accidentally glimpsing something that rattles him even more. Back home with his grandfather, Spike learns something his father concealed from him, that the bonfire they saw was probably built by a doctor. When Spike, concerned about his sick mother, asks his father about it, the father insists that the doctor has gone mad and isn’t really a doctor anymore

Spike, unsettled by his experience on the mainland and even more by his father’s behavior goes on a quest to the mainland with his sick mother, hoping to find the doctor to cure her.

The doctor is played by Ralph Fiennes, in an excellent performance, although we have to wait quite a while for his appearance which is too brief overall. The rest of the cast is good too, especially young as Spike and the wonderful Jodie Comer, as the sick mother who is charmingly funny, strong-willed and capable in her moments of lucidity. Aaron Taylor-Johnson does a fine job as the father, trying to project an bravura image but revealing a selfishness underneath. A surprise character who makes a brief appearance is a Swedish sailor who was stranded on the mainland by a shipwreck and runs into Spike and Isla on their quest. Coming from Europe, where cell phones and other benefits of modern life still exist, he has strange conversations with young Spike who has known only the medieval-ish world he was born into, making for an interesting bit of post-apocalyptic commentary.

28 YEARS LATER has its moments, with high tension moments and scary zombie attacks and chases. but there is more that is unsettling and even disturbing in the non-zombie human story that unfolds in this post-apocalyptic world. However, the script has its problems, and not everything that happens really makes sense. For example, why would the villagers risk a trip to the mainland only to shoot zombies, and not forage for supplies, which a high-risk for low-yield decision. There are other odd missteps in logic (a pregnant zombie?), while other details are carefully thought-out. It gives the story an unevenness, which is exacerbated by it’s bit episodic nature, with different sections that seem rather disconnected, and finishing with a last scene that mostly just sets up for a sequel (who knows what they would call that one).

On the plus side, along with its fine cast, the film has beautiful, even haunting locations shots, as it was largely shot where it is set, with wonderful north and northeastern locations, although weirdly, they filmmakers chose to shoot on cell phones. The island of Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast of England and connected to the mainland by a low-tide causeway, stands in for the villagers’ island. The setting is lush, green and dotted with ruined castles, abbys and cottages, as well as more modern derelict buildings

28 YEARS LATER is mixed bag, likely to divide audiences, satisfying those who can’t get enough of its zombies more than some others. Still, there are fewer zombie scenes and less pure horror of that type, while it focuses more on the subtler horror of post-apocalyptic life. While it does feature a strong cast and lovely locations, it also has an unsettling, uncomfortable and disturbing non-zombie human story. Add to that, the film’s final sequence is pure set-up for yet another sequel, which also tends to undermine it, although that might be welcome news to those who crave more Rage virus zombies.

28 YEARS LATER opens in theaters on Friday, June 20, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

ELIO – Review

They’ve had their time in the sun (the multiplex, actually), so move over live-action adaptations, and make room for a fully animated feature film (so the humans are behind the microphones). After scoring lasr Summer with the box office juggernaut INSIDE OUT 2, the artists of Emoryville, California, are back. But, hold on to your computer monitors, this weekend’s new release is indeed “new”, as in not a sequel (or prequel or “spin-off”. This is the first flick without a number in the title in over two years, when we entered the world of ELEMENTAL, which didn’t have a spectacular opening weekend, but stayed in the B.O. top ten for many weeks. Now this world is a tad familiar, as Pixar returns to space again, after the iconic WALL-E and the misguided LIGHTYEAR (oh well, he’ll always be integral to the TOY STORY series). Really, this is a bit of both, or all, worlds as much of this adventure begins on Earth, birthplace of the story’s focus, ELIO.

When we first meet the title character, a pre-teen lad called Elio (voice of Yonas Kibreab), he’s having a tough time adjusting to life without his recently departed mother and father. But luckily, he’s been taken in by his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), an Air Force major stationed at a base that tracks space debris. And that’s where sad little Elio really wants to relocate, outer space. Or any other planet than his home world. In the opening scene, he sneaks away from his “tia” to view a special museum exhibit all about the 1977 Voyager space probe. He soon becomes obsessed with tracking it and using the device to contact alien life. And when one of Olga’s equally fervent co-workers, Gunther Melmac (Brendan Hunt) thinks he’s picked up an alien transmission, Elio sneaks to his computer and sends out his own message to “anyone out there”. Which causes a big power outage and nearly gets Olga dismissed (she’s already given up on becoming an astronaut). This, and a recent “dust-up” with two other kids over a “ham” radio, prompts Olga to send her nephew off to a military camp. Another altercation with the same kids is interrupted by a beam of light that freezes his tormentors and sends Elio floating into a spaceship. There , he is greeted by a diverse group of aliens known as the “Communiverse”, who believe that Elio is the leader of Earth, which they’re considering admitting into the group. Ah, but there’s also another candidate. It’s the angry, armored warrior king from the planet Hylurg, Grigon (Brad Garrett). When he’s rejected, Grigon returns to his battle cruiser in order to organize his troops and return to conquer. Since the Communiverse would rather flee than fight, they prepare to send Elio back home. Thinking quickly, he convinces them that he can negotiate with Grigon. So they make an Earth-bound clone of Elio (using a gross source for DNA) and put him into a ship and send him back to the Hylurg star cruiser. When things go sideways, Elio is thrown into the “brig”, escapes, and meets Grigon’s timid young son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), which leads to an unlikely friendship. Can the two new BFFS broker a truce? And will the clone somehow fool Aunt Olga back on Earth?

Once again, the braintrust at Pixar hasn’t embraced the notion of the current “hot celeb” casting for their vocal talent. Sure, there’s a recent Oscar winner, but this is a fairly unknown, though very talented, ensemble. In the lead role, Kibreab is a true ball of youthful energy threatening to explode as the boy embarking on his dream adventure, and possibly a new life. Sure, Elio has his moments of doubt, but Kibreab conveys his endearing optimism and his ability to “go with the flow”. He’s got great rapport with Saldana (in her first feature follow-up to taking the gold for EMILIA PEREZ), who is a warm, nurturing caregiver, also given to doubt in her choices as a suddenly new parent. And Kibreab has a great comedic “back and forth” with Edgerly as the adorable, sweet Glordon who blossoms with his new friendship even as he balks at his family’s plans. That future is spearheaded (ah, weaponry) by Garrett, who provides the gravelly threats as Glordon’s rage-fueled daddy, invoking memories of Buzz Lightyear’s nemesis, Emperor Zurg. But he’s still funny, especially as he mulls over his own parental concerns and decisions. Hunt is all manic frenzy as the conspiracy-crazed Melmac (perhaps a shout-out to 1980s TV icon “Alf”), a character who seems to have sprinted in from THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES. Plus, there’s terrific support from the vocalists behind the Communiverse, particularly Jameela Jamil and Shirley Henderson (a floating computer aide called OOOO).

This galaxy-spanning adventure apparently required a solid directing team to pilot its course. But it’s not a duo, but rather a trio of filmmakers, Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi, who guide Elio’s journey, from the map/screenplay of eight (!) authors. The Pixar artisans have again crafted a visual marvel, full of eye-popping landscapes, imaginative props (love the beverage cups and the living encyclopedia), and delightful designs of the alien races. The Communiverse delegates have distinctive looks (I was drawn to one that resembled a shifting smooth “paperweight” that Don Draper might have used at his desk) and Glordon who looked like one of those magnified “dust mites” crossed with a bald mole rat (a challenge for the animators since he had no eyes and his emotions are all conveyed form the mouth shapes and body language). The film is pushing its 3D version (unlike most other recent flicks), and I’m sorely tempted to check out the “up-convert” for the many scenes of floating and flying past the great backdrops. The human characters are also well done, though they seem to harken back to the “rounded” facial features seen in TURNING RED and especially LUCA, but just as expressive (yes, the “acting” is superb all around). The movie’s look often “makes up” for the screenplay’s wobbly structure. Yes, there are several terrific scenes inspired by sci-fi classics (E.T. is obvious at the camp’s forest, while the clone recalls the many “Body Snatchers” adaptations). Perhaps the script needed a couple more “passes” to flesh out the lead as he’s often too “single focused” and doesn’t evoke enough empathy, although he does reference his “lost” parents. They may have thought that this would add more dramatic weight to his third act “decision” that also builds on the finale of Spielberg’s 77 alien epic. The marketing folks are making many comparisons to COCO, but this doesn’t come close to that film’s emotional wallop (which packs a punch many years later). Still, it’s great to see that the studio isn’t putting all of its energy into sequels (mind you, they’re on the way), and they can still produce worlds that are so immersive and dazzling. So, for a fun, family trip away from the remakes, moviegoers will have a blast blasting off into the cosmos with ELIO.

3 out of 4

ELIO is now playing in theatres everywhere

MATERIALISTS – Review

*Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal in Celine Song’s MATERIALISTS. Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Courtesy of A24*

Does money matter in matters of love? Well, historically it has but if that is all that matters, then there is a problem. Dakota Johnson plays a modern matchmaker in New York City, working for a company that caters to affluent clients, in director/writer Celine Song’s in the romantic comedy MATERIALISTS. But MATERIALISTS is no typical rom-com but a smart, thought-provoking social commentary on love and materialism. Celine Song’s previous film, PAST LIVES, was a drama that thoughtfully and realistically explored how cultural differences and time impact romance, and the director turns that same insightful, honest style to a look at love and money through a more humorous but still thinking lens.

MATERIALISTS actually opens with a Stone Age man bringing flowers and useful tools to woo the cave woman of his dreams, an early materialist, but quickly flashes forward to present-day New York City, where matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is strolling down the street when she spots a nice-looking, prosperous looking young man. She asks if he is single, and then gives him her business card, just in case he’s looking for the services of a high-end matchmaker.

He takes the card. This direct approach tactic works in part because Lucy is herself young and beautiful, but Lucy in not looking for love herself. In fact, she tells a co-worker that she is planning to stay single and “die alone” (a phrase we hear frequently throughout this film, and only an extremely rich man might tempt her to change her mind, revealing a hard-eyed materialist bent.

There is a lot of this materialist bent among her clients, who turn to this service to find candidates who match their criteria before taking a chance on falling in love. Lucy is successful at her job in part because she understands this and gently guides them to potential matches. Her job involves recruiting new clients like in that first scene, matching client’s backgrounds and interests, but also serving as a kind of therapist guiding them towards marriage. When a matchmaker at her firm, Adore, makes a match that results in marriage, the whole office celebrates the win.

Lucy has just made such as match, and of course she’s invited to the wedding. While she is pleased with the success and takes care of all her clients, some clients touch her more than others. Her current favorite client is Sophie (Zoe Winters), a sweet woman in her late 30s who has not yet found her perfect match. One thing Lucy likes about Sophie that she is realistic about potential matches, something not true for all her clients, some of whom have extensive wish-lists like they are ordering a custom-designed car instead of hoping to meet a romantic match.

Sophie has just come off a date the night before, and all sounds good from her end, but when Lucy calls the man she went out with declines a second date based on superficial things. Lucy has to both gently break this disappointing news to Sophie and find another date for her, which Lucy does with both skill and compassion, letting us see her warm heart and why she is so good at this job.

At the wedding of her successfully matched client, Lucy meets a man, Harry (Pedro Pascal), the brother of the groom, who is impressed with her success. Lucy offers her card and matchmaking services, but the brother already has a date already in mind – the matchmaker herself. Lucy tells her she ‘s not in the market, but agrees to see him, hoping to gain him as a client by convincing him she is not the match her needs.

While Lucy and Harry chat at the wedding, a server with the catering company walks up – her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans). She warmly embraces him and they agree to meet after the wedding to catch-up, before John goes back to work. Harry is taken aback a bit by the exchange but he doesn’t leave, and sets up a meeting with Lucy at a restaurant. A meeting to her, a date to Harry.

A flashback scene gives us the story of Lucy and John’s break-up, in which we learn he is a struggling actor, taking catering jobs between acting ones, and that his perpetually broke-ness is a big reason for their break-up.

Having set up this uneven romantic triangle, MATERIALISTS follows that romantic tale, as well as Lucy’s work with her clients and particularly that favorite client Sophie, and plot line that illustrates some of the downside and risks in this kind of arranged dating.

One of the strengths of MATERIALISTS is excellent dialog, which is remarkably insightful and realistic, as it was in Song’s previous film PAST LIVES. The well-written dialog helps lifts this film far above the usual romantic comedy, making it intelligent, honest and thought-provoking in a way you don’t expect in this genre. Not that MATERIALIST isn’t funny – it definitely is – but the humor is more sly, more satiric, and filled with social commentary on a society obsessed with the surface of things and people more that what is underneath.

A lot of the humor comes out how transactional everyone, or nearly everyone, is in their pursuit of the perfect love match. Some of this is both laugh-out-loud funny, and a bit chilling underneath, or even sad. Some clients try to game the system, with plastic surgery and other interventions, fudging facts, or comically ridiculous assessments of one’s own value in the dating “marketplace.” These things range from the silly to the sad, as the clients compete, as if love is a game where keeping score matters.

Dakota Johnson turns in what may be her best performance so far, as a woman who seems coolly in control of her own romantic life – mostly – yet is warm, human and soothing with her clients. She maintains this smooth, comforting surface most of the time, but dies eventually becoming exasperated with a few of clients with unrealistic expectations, reminding them they are looking for a human being, not ordering a custom car. Likewise, Pedro Pascal does well as the wealthy man who strews material temptations in the matchmaker’s path, while we remain unsure of the depth of his feelings, even if marriage is his stated goal. As John, Chris Evans continues to prove his skill as an actor, following up his amazing performance in A DIFFERENT MAN, with this thoughtful one, a man whose feelings aren’t in doubt but whose life seems a mess that he may not be able to fix.

The film does not directly mention traditional matchmaking, which many cultures have followed for generation, versus falling in love with someone unaided, and hopefully sharing values and dreams with them. But MATERIALISTS does explore some pitfalls of this modern form of matchmaking, where only a certain amount of information can be known about the character and background of potential matches, unlike the traditional form where, ideally, both parties are part of a community of which the matchmaker is also a part, and the depth of knowledge of each individual is much greater.

MATERIALISTS is a smart, pointedly-funny romantic comedy, with terrific dialog and a non-traditional plot, that offers a frank yet fascinating look at the ways of love, from a perspective where the practical and the magical need to be a certain balance to find true love and then true happiness.

MATERIALISTS opens in theaters on Friday, June 13, 2025.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2025) – Review

Some may find it hard to believe, but most critics try to go into a film with no “pre-conceived” notions and expectations. Well, that noble goal is often tested. That was my feeling as I prepared to see yet another “live-action” adaptation of a beloved classic animated feature film. Yes, “another” as this is the third such project to be released this year. Ah, but this does set itself apart from the other 2025 films. The previous two, from March and May, were both from the “Mouse House”, as Disney returned to their “OG” animated icon SNOW WHITE and followed it with a more recent, but adored, property, LILO & STITCH. The latter is still packing the multiplex, while the other…just started streaming on Disney+. Now, this weekend’s release isn’t from them, it’s from a big rival of nearly thirty years, Dreamworks Animation, their very first “re-imagining”. Additionally, it’s helmed by one of the co-directors of the original film, who has brought back one of the voice actors. So do these “upstarts” concoct a “magic movie formula” when they take us back to the world of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON? Let’s saddle up those scaly “beasties” once more…

In the opening moments. we’re taken back to that land of “long ago”, the island of Berk. Explaining their current “infestation” is the teenage son of the Viking warrior ruler, weapons apprentice Hiccup (Mason Thames). It’s nighttime and they’re under siege by a fierce flying squad of fire-breathing dragons who carry off the livestock. The adults, led by Hiccup’s burly papa Stoick (Gerard Butler), try to stop the swarm with little success. Hiccup is eager to join, but is held back by Stoick’s best pal, the “single-limbed”, having lost an arm and a leg, Gobber (Nick Frost). But Hiccup sneaks out with a device he has invented, a spring-loaded “bolas-launcher”, which he fires at what he thinks is the most savage and deadly dragon, the rarely-seen “Night Fury”. He’s not sure, but it appears something went down in the forest just over the hill. But Stoick will hear none of it as he whisks him back to their home. The next day, Hiccup ventures into the woods and finds the dragon, tied up in the bolas. Unable to strike a fatal blow with his knife, Hiccup frees him, dubbing him “Toothless”. However, he can’t fly away as part of his tail has broken off. Meanwhile, Gobber convinces Stoick to allow Hiccup to be part of his “dragon-fighting” classes. After much pleading, Hiccup agrees and joins a group of trainees., comprised of cocky, brash Snotlout (Gabrielle Howeell), excited “dragon expert/savant” Fishlegs (Julian Dennisen), bickering twins Ruffnut (Bronwyn James) and Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn) and Hiccup’s “secert crush” the gifted fighter Astrid (Nico Parker), who wants to rule Berk someday. Hiccup flounders at class as he continues to visit Toothless, somehow forming a bond, and eventually fashioning a new “tail-piece” that allows the dragon to fly once more…with Hiccup as his rider/pilot. But can he keep his forbidden “friendship” a secret from his class and especially his father? Could this be the start of a new “era” or ignite a bigger war as Hiccup discovers the real agenda of the dragons?

I don’t wish to disparage the original voice cast, but these young, fairly unknown actors really help bring new energy to the familiar property, allowing it to soar to new heights. First, there are the two young, eventually, romantic leads. Thames, so good in BLACK PHONE, gives Hiccup an extra layer of vulnerability while still being a sweet klutz. With his superb body language and facial expressions, he conveys the hero’s journey of the lad, who somehow finds his humanity by helping his sworn enemy. Parker, who was in the disastrous DUMBO remake, strikes the right balance between tough and tender, as the determined and ambitious “no-nonsense” warrior princess (sans crown). She puts up a hard barrier to Hiccup, but Parker, through her gradually relaxed manner, slowly dissolves away. Perhaps the biggest surprise here is the spirited, bombastic work by the story’s “OG”, Butler, who has really grown into the role of bellowing and often clueless papa Stoick. He brings an electric charge to every scene, reminding us that his considerable gifts have been squandered on far too many mediocre action scripts. He’s great with Thames and hilarious with the very funny Frost as the mentor/coach, whose big heart almost makes up for the missing limbs. Also achingly amusing are the terrific young actors who are his “pupils”. Howell is a swaggering, obnoxious hoot, while Dennison is an endearing charmer as the sweet, zaftig motor-mouth vault of dragon trivia. And anyone with siblings can relate to the constant rivalry and insults (tinged with a tiny bit of affection) of the twins, played with furious zest by James and Trevaldwyn.

Guiding this exceptional cast is the co-director of the original film, Dean Delbois, in his live-action narrative feature debut (he made the doc feature TEN in 2022), and he does a superb job of revisiting his earlier triumph. As many lovers of that will attest, he doesn’t veer far from the script adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s beloved book that he co-wrote with co-director Chris Sanders and Will Davies, which some may find fault with, although fans of the other two live-action redos from 2025 have thrown fits over omitted and added characters and subplots. However this coming of age tale is so strong, that it’s not needed since enough time has passed (15 years) to make this fresh for the children who saw the orignal in theatres (some of you may recall that in those prehistoric “pre-home video” days, Disney would send his animated classics out of the vault and back on to big screens at seven-year-intervals). Well, Deblois did add an excellent subplot about Snotlout’s strained relationship with his blasé pop Spitelout, played with a disinterested scowl by Peter Serafinowicz. And yes, the dragons are still CGI creations, though they have more detailed textures, especially Toothless, and have a more realistic tone resembling the recent Godzilla reboots rather than the bulging eyes and rubbery limbs similar to Mad Magazine’s series of “Horrifying Cliches” drawn by the great Paul Coker, Jr. Another big plus is the use of several practical sets (with some CGI “tweaks”, no doubt) in the village along with the imaginative costuming (imagine the fur and horn budget). Happily, John Powell also returns with thrilling variations on his familiar themes. Yes, it’s like picking up a treasured childhood tome off of the bookshelf that’s given a fresh spin by the talented cast of young actors paired with an invigorated vet. Oh, if all the remakes and “re-workings” were as entrancing and endearing as HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON…

3.5 Out of 4

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2025) is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE PHOENCIAN SCHEME – Review

(L to R) Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda, Michael Cera as Bjorn and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson’s THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

For any new Wes Anderson film, some things are certain: the art direction is going to be gorgeous, scenes will have central framing, and every little detail will be carefully thought out. That distinctive visual style is one of the things fans love about Wes Anderson’s work and that distinct visual aesthetic is on full display in THE PHOENCIAN SCHEME, which explores the vast moral emptiness of the lives of the ultra rich, through a tale of a sort-of Howard Hughes-ish/tech billionaire-type character in the same 1950s-ish world as ASTEROID CITY. The dark comedy, written by Anderson from a story by him and Roman Coppola, is a tale of international business and personal intrigue with commentary on the wealthy, as one of the world’s richest men tries to put together financing for one last big project before the next assassination attempt gets him, with the reluctant help of his daughter and sole heir, a nun, and a tutor-turned-assistant.

We meet wealthy businessman Anatole “Zsa Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro), one of the richest men in Europe, as he has just survived another assassination attempt. which forced him to crash-land his private plane in a cornfield. Korda treats the repeated attempts as routine, the cost of doing business, but this time, he thinks he might take steps in case one of them actually succeeds.

He decides to make his only daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a nun, the sole heir to his estate. The two do not really know each other, as she was taken to the convent and raised by Mother Superior (Hope Davis) after her mother’s death. And she actually isn’t a nun yet, as she still has to take final vows, but as she was raised in the convent, it seems to be a sure thing. And she isn’t Zsa Zsa’s only child – he has nine younger sons too, who he leaves in charge of a tutor and never sees, although they live in his mansion. There are no mothers, and there seems to be questions about what happened to them.

The daughter resists the idea of being his sole heir and especially his plan that she needs to come along on his latest enterprise, a big infrastructure building project in a country called Greater New Phoenicia, to learn the business, which requires trips to visit various potential investors around the world, including his half-brother, Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch). When a new Swedish tutor, Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera) who turns up to teach the sons, he gets pressed into service as ZsaZsa’s new assistant. He also becomes smitten with the nun-to-be.

Eventually, she does agree (else, there is no movie), and del Toro’s ultra rich businessman ZsaZsa, Threapleton’s nun Liesl and Cera’s tutor-turned-assistant Bjorn embark on an international adventure involving scheming business rivals, recalcitrant tycoons, potential terrorists, dangers, and ever-growing number of assassins. At the same time, a group of American business interests, led by Excalibur (Rupert Friend) secretly both engage in espionage and sabotage of Zsa Zsa Korda’s plan.

All this takes place in a beautifully theatrical-looking Wes Anderson world, those special self-contained spheres that Anderson creates so well. Nothing looks real but all looks colorful, fascinating and perfect, thanks to Director of Photography Bruno Delbonnel, productions design by Adam Stockhausen, and costume design by Milena Canonero. A bold classical music score, supplemented by original music by Alexandre Desplat, forms a perfect musical backdrop.

The cast is very good but Michael Cera is a standout. Cera is so perfect for the Wes Anderson world, it is surprising he hasn’t been in one of these films before this. Also very good is Mia Threapleton, who is saintly but stubborn, quick of wit and of action, with unexpected skills for a nun. Liesl may be a nun-in-training but, oddly, she does some very un-nun-like things, like wear bright red lipstick (real nuns don’t wear make-up). Benicio del Toro is deadpan as cigar-chomping millionaire nearly throughout, a studied unflappable demeanor but with a hint of sadness, maybe a lurking conscience.

The film features a small army of stars in minor, even cameo, roles, and some larger ones too. Among the potential investors in the Phoenician Scheme are Riz Ahmed as Prince Farouk of Greater Phoenicia, Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston as American businessmen Leland and Reagan (respectively), Mathieu Amalric as nightclub owner Marseilles Bob, Jeffrey Wright as ocean-going ship’s captain Marty, and Scarlett Johansson as ZsaZsa’s second cousin. Richard Ayoade appears as a idealistic “radical freedom fighter” called Sergio, who turns up at a couple important moments.

The extensive cast makes it seem like everyone is in this film. And, yes, that includes Wes Anderson favorite Bill Murray, in intermittent black-and-white fantasy sequences in Heaven. Oh yeah, on top of all that is goings-on on earth, Zsa Zsa periodically ends up in the afterlife, either dreaming or in near death, where he sees his grandmother (Carmen Maja Antonie), meets God (Bill Murray) and faces some questions from various characters, such as Willem Dafoe as Knave and F. Murray Abraham as Prophet, doubtless a reference to those movies of the ’30s-’40s where characters question or defend their life choices in similiar supernatural interludes.

Unlike THE FRENCH DISPATCH, this isn’t an anthology film and it isn’t a tale with multiple layers of story-telling like ASTEROID CITY and GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. However, like those later two it feels like an homage to classic film genres, in this case, a globe-trotting adventure/action/intrigue one, but there clearly is something more going on here.

There is a lot of busy-ness (and characters) in this plot. While the plot doesn’t make all that much sense, Wes Anderson does seem to be saying something about the very wealthy, those whose wealth is so great, they hardly notice the other human beings who occupy the planet as they go about their schemes and grand plans, suggested by Zsa Zsa’s slogan on the poster: “If something gets in your way, FLATTEN IT.

As one small example, in the assassination attempt in the film’s opening sequence, Zsa Zsa sits in the middle of his luxurious circa-1950s private plane, while his assistant sits at the back. When a bomb goes off at the back of the plane, killing the assistant and blowing a hole in the plane, Korda races to the cockpit and sits in the co-pilot seat, calmly rattling off orders to the pilot. The panicked pilot (Stephen Park) argues back and complains, resulting in Korda telling him he’s fired and then hitting the seat eject button. The pilot is luckier: he as a parachute, but it illustrates the point. Zsa Zsa’s rich buddies – investors, really – are similarly clueless and callous as they engage in their own wheeling and dealing. The only normal-seeming people in the whole whirl are the various minor characters who drift in and out, and the convent-raised daughter and the shy, accented tutor

The story becomes one of reconciliation between father and daughter, something that feels very Wes Anderson as well. This all takes place in a fantasy world where plenty of more-than-unlikely things take place, but Anderson has human truths underneath as well, along with commentary on extreme wealth.

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME opens Friday, June 6, in theaters.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

BALLERINA (2025) – Review

With another post-Memorial Day weekend, yet another franchise arrives with a new entry at the multiplex. It feels like a week ago (and it was) that I wrote about the return of THE KARATE KID, which was a sequel/reboot that dealt with the loss of a major supporting character, Mr. Miyagi. This new film takes on the challenge of continuing a series when the major “title” character met his end (yeah, probably…) in the last installment. Well, you bring in another, similar “principal” and set the story during the “in-between” time of previous entries. This way, that beloved figure can be “ret-conned” using old footage and new scenes, as a supporting player “passing the torch”. Or in this case, “tossing a huge freakin’ gun with an endless clip”. And so, here’s the new “super action” diva known as BALLERINA, though many sites list it with the “play it safe” “intro tile” of IN THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK, since they want all to know that this “aint’ no” frilly ballet flick (but it does briefly concern that).

And it’s the first image we see, namely, an amusic-box style toy with a twirling tutu-wearing dancer in a glass bubble. It’s the prized possession of eight-year-old Eve, who is living a peaceful life with her widowed young father in a blissful beach estate. He mentions a lost older daughter before the tranquility is shattered by a force of heavily armed men. Eve hides behind a wall, but through a row of books she watches her battered papa get questioned by the group’s leader, a dark, brooding man known as the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Before he expires, Daddy leads Eve away, after she spots an odd “X” marking on the wrists of the killers, to a safe spot where she is eventually taken in by Winston (Ian McShane), who puts her under the protection of the New York Continental. As the years pass, Eve (Ana de Armas) travels to the theatre location of the fearsome Ruska Roma to begin training as a classical dancer under the strict guidance of the “Director” (Angelica Huston). Actually, Eve divides her time between the ballet and bullets, as she also learns to become an elite assassin, and gets a bit of advice from a sullen visitor, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), himself. On her first big assignment, Eve encounters one of the “X-marked” men, which leads her to the Prague Continental, where another widowed father, Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus), is trying to break away from the “X cult” and the Chancellor. This sends Eve, despite stern orders from the Director to stay away, to a snowy, quiet Alpine village for a final “revenge quest” against the Chancellor, who brings in the “biggest gun” (you-know-who) to end the deadly dance of the blood-soaked ballerina.

As one of many who groused that her appearance in the last James Bond flick was far too brief (really one of that lackluster flick’s best sequences), I was pleased that we get to see the captivating Ms. de Armas in full “action queen” mode as the revenge-obsessed Eve. Her “hyper-focused” stare and superb physical combat skills really carry the simple story across the globe. We get to see a touch of Eve’s emotional anguish, often as she strives to be a “killer dancer” rather than the former, but the filmmakers want to firmly establish a new “force,” and Ms. de Armas is more than up to the often exhausting task. Plus, she has an excellent rapport with Reeves (actually their third film together), who slips right back into the stoic, sullen Wick as though he were donning one of his indestructible jackets. His time in her tale is brief, but Reeves brings the gravitas as he gently nudges Eve into the spotlight. Byrne is effective as the calm, cool mastermind, balancing a soft, gentle tone ( a mask, really) with the malignant, murdering tyrant interior. Also, as another tough crime veteran, Houston still captures us with her piercing glare as another major “player” in the global underground. Bringing a lot more warmth is the suave McShane, as the mentor/uncle to the emotionally scared little Eve. Another great father figure is Reedus as the dad “on the lam” who points Eve, like a weapon, toward her goal/target. Big kudos for the producers for giving us one last visit from the taken-too-soon Lance Reddick as Winston’s firm but friendly “right hand”, Charon.

Director Len Wiseman, perhaps best known for the first two UNDERWORLD action/horror flicks, gets the best from his impressive stunt team along with his f/x artists, to expand on the “Wick world”, as they travel the planet and leave countless corpses in their wake. Yes, action “adrelaine junkies” will get a strong “fix” here as Eve piles ups the baddies in loads of new creative waves. One sequence has her “making do” with boxes of old hand grenades, turning much of a massive basement into a “Pollack painting” of destruction. It’s all nasty R-rated splattered fun, up until a point (perhaps the 90-minute mark). Ultimately, the new “spin-off” suffers the excesses of the last Wick epics as the “first-person-shooter” video game-style mayhem becomes a tad tiresome past the two “full of fatalities” hours. Yes, some of the dance/fights are engaging and creative, but it all hinges on the flimsiest and cliched vengeance plots. The locations are pretty nice, particularly a massive indoor “meat locker” frigid dance hall. Ms. de Armas is a charismatic and stunning action heroine who deserves a bolder sequel script that will build on the stunt-heavy, “drama-lite” BALLERINA.

2.5 Out of 4

BALLERINA is now playing in theatres everywhere

PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS – Review

It’s always great as a reviewer when you can alert folks to a film that’s truly worth their time, a real engaging story full of twists, turns, and often very pleasant surprises. An even greater “stunner” is the fact that it’s the sixth (though some may argue it’s the eighth) installment of a nearly forty-year-old film franchise. Normally, I’d suggest that you would be wise to order tickets early to see it at your favorite multiplex, but I can’t really do that. So, here’s the perplexing and frustrating part: it premieres on a streaming app. However, it’s more than worthy of an IMAX-sized screen. The last time I felt like this was three years ago, with the action/SF/thriller PREY. And, wouldn’t you know it, this is from the very same “shared universe”. By the way, did I mention that it’s an animated anthology? Just another element in the countless delights of PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS. Let the “hunt” begin!

Yes, I did say “anthology”. At least for most of the movie. Each section has its own time period and title. First is “The Shield”, set in the early ninth century. This is a Viking revenge fable focusing on the angry warrior queen Ursa (voice of Lindsay LaVanchy), who is leading a crew of killers, including her own teenage son Anders (Damian C. Haas), on a quest to take King Zoran out, the man who murdered her father. But when they breach his sanctuary, Ursa and her compatriots are not alone. It turns out that the hunters are being hunted by an otherworldly demon, a Predator. We zip ahead about 800 years for “The Sword”, set in feudal Japan. This one’s a tale of family rivalry as a grim shogun pits his two pre-teen sons against each other over the ownership of his estate. One brother triumphs as the other is banished. The years go by, and the father passes on. Before son Kiyoshi claims his inheritance, his prodigal brother Kenji (Louis Ozawa) returns. Ah, but a different Predator silently observes, waiting for his time to strike. Finally, we’re in the 20th century, though at the start of WWII. In “The Bullet”, we meet newly drafted Latino-American (I’m guessing Cuban) John Torres (Rick Gonzales) is a gifted mechanic stationed on an aircraft carrier near Vichy France. He yearns to fly, but his supervisor, Captain Vandy (Michael Biehn), just wants him to make sure the planes are ready for combat, including John’s rickety fighter he’s dubbed “the Bullet”. Several pilots land in damaged planes, telling of a weird, almost invisible “enemy”. Vandy takes his squad into the “danger zone” as John finds something odd embedded in one of the engines. It’s a metal spearhead, unlike anything on this Earth. He then disobeys Vandy’s orders and takes Bullet into the battle. He arrives in time to see several squad members get taken down by a “bogey,” which becomes visible when struck. It’s an attack spaceship piloted by another Predator. When the fight ends, John’s saga is far from over as he finds himself in a locked cell on a vessel along with Ursa and Kenji. The trio, who are unable to communicate, have odd metal collars snapped around their necks and are eventually led off the ship and into an arena filled with the Predator beings. The warlord/MC informs them that they must fight to the death or their collars will explode. But John tries to inspire them to work together. But can this mismatched team survive a giant, savage alien beast and attempt to somehow find a way home?

Speaking of PREY, the same talented director is behind this. Dan Trachtenberg works with co-director Joshau Wassung to create this compelling, original exploration into the mythos of these iconic movie alien a*#kickers. They’ve even taken animation feature storytelling to a new level, expanding on the dramatic possibilities opened up by the “Spider-Verse” films. Yes, there have been many dramatic/ action animated features before (BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM immediately springs to mind), but this tackles the brutal intensity of any live “R-rated” horror/action epic. While most of the straight-to-home-video films feel close to the “four-color” comic books, this is more akin to the darker balck and white “graphic” magazines from the Warren company (“Creepy”, “Eerie” and “Vampirella”, the “unholy trinity”), though Marvel would “dip their toe” with “Savage Tales” and its ilk. Basically, the carnage is more straightforward, as the Predators chop and dismember with ghoulish glee. Oh, and the creature design is inspired. Yes, each has that “crab-pincer” mouth, but each segment has wild variants with weird weapons. Fighting the Vikings is a Hulk-like, near seven-foot-tall alien (one of the crew calls it “Grendel”), sporting a “repulsor/sonic blaster” for a right claw. In Japan, we get a leaner. graceful sword-wielding hunter with a spear on a whip-like chain. The “battle ace” beast has a smooth dome as it propels all manner of devices (constricting nets, grappling hooks, etc..) from its armored hull. And the animation is superb, though it appeared a bit stiff in the early scenes. Perhaps this was to make the battle energy more impactful (it does). And each “chapter” has a distict tone, with “The Shield” looking dark and chilly”, “The Sword” giving a Springtime feel with the forest landscapes, as opposed to the 1940s early “recruitment poster color” of “The Bullet”. It’s all paced perfectly with an “Easter egg” final shot that will have fans jumping from their couches. And that’s my only real complaint. In a “just world” I’d have been swept up in these sprawling stories by being engulfed in the biggest screens, with booming Dolby-type audio. Nope, this is only streaming, and its quality is on par with any of the other recent franchise entries. Bravo to Trachtenberg and company. Those “trilling/growling” hunters are in great hands. And I anxiously await your next live-action installment in November, PREDATOR: BADLANDS. But for the next few months, fans will be delighted, becoming eager “trophies” for the animated epic PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS.

3.5 out of 4

PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS streams exclusively on Hulu beginning on Friday, June 6, 2025

JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE – Review

A French film about English author Jane Austen? No, a delightful contemporary French comedy, partly in English, about a young French would-be author who admires Jane Austen but who can’t seem to finish any of the novels she herself starts writing. However, an invitation to a writers’ retreat at the Austen family home in England raises hopes that her writer’s block situation could change, as well as the possibility of bigger changes in her quiet life.

With far more emphasis on the comedy side, writer/director Laura Piani has concocted a clever, contemporary, bi-lingual comedy romance centered on Agathe Robinson (a wonderful Camille Rutherford), a young half-French, half-English woman who works in Parisian bookstore that specializes in English literature, where her ease in both French and English a plus. Agathe loves her job at the bookstore but she is stuck in a rut, as an author and in life. The aspiring writer, who adores Jane Austen and wants to emulate her, long ago gave up on love, seeing herself as being like the lead character in “Persuasion,” a “faded flower” and “old maid.”

There is no need to love Jane Austen, or even know much about her, to enjoy this treat, although it is a bit more fun if you do. JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is a comedy rather than a romantic comedy, because it is actually funny, and smartly, cleverly so, unlike the typical formulaic rom com, more in the vein of great classic comedies like “THE AWFUL TRUTH and PHILADELPHIA STORY, from an era when the best comedies were romantic comedies instead of the reverse.

Agathe lives with her beloved sister Cheryl (Annabelle Lengronne) and six-year-old nephew. Her sister is supportive and encouraging, if teasingly so, to Agathe, who is still traumatized after surviving the car accident that killed their parents. Generally, Agathe has a happy, if limited life, with her sister and nephew, although she is frustrated that she can’t seem to finish any of those novels she starts.

Her best friend, and co-worker the bookstore, is Felix (Pablo Pauly), a playful kidder who frequently hangs out at Agathe’s house with her sister and nephew. Felix has no girlfriend but has a string of romances where he strings women along – “bread-crumbing” them with texts – while seems unable to commit to just one. After sneaking a peek at her latest unfinished novel, Felix secretly signs up best friend Agathe for a writer’s retreat at the family home of Jane Austen in England.

When that surprise invitation arrives, Agathe is reluctant to go but is persuaded by her sister. She begins to hope the two-week retreat will help her break her writer’s block with her latest book. Felix drives her to the boat, even though Agathe is nervous to even be in a car again after the accident, having avoided them ever since. Felix playfully teases her on the way, then impulsively kisses her before sending her off to the ferry.

Arriving on the other side, Agathe is greeted by her driver, Oliver (Charlie Anson), who turns out to be the great-great-great-great-great grandnephew of Jane Austen, and the son of the couple who run the writers’ retreat. Oliver is an unfriendly, unpleasant, brooding Darcy type who, unfortunately for Agathe, drives a sports car. He is a teacher of contemporary literature and actually doesn’t care for the novels of his famous relative. Arriving, after some car trouble, at the Austen mansion, Agathe is charmed by her hostess Beth, who speaks French as well as English too, and her quirky host Todd () who might be in the early stages of dementia, and meets the other resident authors. She is told that the retreat will end with a ball in period costume, and a reading of each author’s writing during the retreat, a daunting prospect for Agathe.

Camille Rutherford is completely charming as Agathe. The cast is marvelous in fact, but Rutherford is particularly excellent, exuding both an appealing charm and an underlying depth and sadness linked to the traumatic deaths of her parents and her frustrations in life. Her Agathe is afraid of change yet on one level, she knows she must change, in order to become the writer she hopes to be. Pablo Pauly is silly, funny, sometimes goofy as Felix, who teases Agathe relentlessly while still projecting how much he cares about her. As Oliver, Charlie Anson is prickly and difficult at first, with an air of arrogance, but he softens as we learn more about his situation with his parents and his own romantic history. The rest of the cast are all very good, and director Laura Piani has no problem putting them into comically dignity-dinging situations.

The smart script, the wonderful performances, and Piani’s smooth direction are all supported by the beautiful sets and locations, dreamy photography, and a score that skillfully mixes modern tunes and classical selections for the perfect musical accompaniment.

Smart, clever, literary and sometimes a bit bawdy, JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is just fun for readers of all stripes. The Jane Austen parallels are plentiful, like the author who lives with a beloved sister and has little interest in romance for herself, but subtle, as are the references to Austen novels. Those references keep us guessing as to which Austen novel this contemporary author might be in, while director Laura Piani keeps us laughing and charmed with the whole idea. While the romantic comedy genre has a dismal reputation for being dull and formulaic, JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE’s delightful burst of fresh air and literary fun is the entertaining exception.

With 2025 being the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, films and other productions referencing Austen seems to be increasingly everywhere in recent years. Some of them are swooningly romantic or tiresome in their humorless adoration of the author, in a kind of idol worship that appeals only to the most devoted fans, ironically the opposite of Austen’s own brilliantly funny, even biting social commentary. JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is far different, one that discusses literary concepts and reflects on the life of writers generally, and built around a contemporary author, captures much more of the real feel of Austen’s writing. Any book lover is sure to enjoy this clever, playful comedy.

JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE opens in theaters on Friday, May 30, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

BRING HER BACK – Review

Just because the Summer movie season is officially in full swing (Memorial Day was last Monday, already), it doesn’t mean that there isn’t room at the multiplex for a daring original (and often brutal) horror flick amongst the family-friendly fantasies and the action “tentpoles”. Well that was the thought three years ago when a spooky Australian chunk of “nightmare fuel’ opened (some might say that it crawled out of the “bad place”) and alerted genre fans to a new pair of suspense cinema siblings, Danny and Michael Philippou. It’s title was really a “command”, TALK TO ME. And now the brothers have another adamant ‘request” for their sophomore effort, which veers a bit away from the supernatural to explore the real horror and caranage (lots of it) that human beings inflict when they pull out “all the stops” to BRING HER BACK.

The directing duo throws moviegoers “off balance” with the film’s monochrome opening images, as though we’ve popped in an old VHS tape that we shouldn’t attempt to view (shades of THE RING). After a few unnerving minutes, we’re back in the present day as a visually impaired teenager, Piper (Sora Wong) tries to interact with her school’s “popular girls”. Thankfully, her seventeen-year-old big brother Andy (Billy Barratt) shows up to take her home before the moment gets too awkward (the girls silently mock Piper). He scolds her for not using her cane, but Piper pleads that it’s too embarrassing to use. Home should be a safe refuge for both, but tragedy awaits when they find their father lifeless on the bathroom floor, having crashed through the shower door. After Dad is taken away by the authorities, the siblings have a meeting with the brusque Wendy (Sally Anne-Upton), the child services supervisor. Andy wants to be Piper’s legal guardian, but he’s months from eighteen and will have to provide a stable home. Luckily, Wendy’s got the perfect foster parent lined up. She takes them to the off-the-beaten-path house of former social worker Laura (Sally Hawkins), who has recently lost her own sightless daughter. It’s a big sprawling place that they’ll share with another orphan, pre-teen Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), a mute who silently wanders the yard. Laura seems to be kind and caring, but Andy soon becomes aware of her intrusive and nearly smothering behavior, leading to some tense confrontations. Yet Piper adores her, which puts Andy between a rock and a hard place. Can he get someone, perhaps Wendy, to believe his concerns over Laura’s “quirks” before his sister becomes too attached? Andy wants to leave with Piper, but what bizarre scheme is Laura planning for them?

For this follow-up flick, the Philippou brothers have scored a gifted veteran actress to anchor this twisted tale. And Laura might be the most twisted role of all, perhaps due to the powerful and completely unpredictable performance from Hawkins (hey, she starred in the Oscar-winning horror/fantasy THE SHAPE OF WATER). This “queen mother” appears to be a perfect fit for the just-orphaned duo, though some of her choices are far from the “foster parent manual”, especially has she shares a bottle of booze with her new charges. But that’s the least of her questionable “parenting” decisions. Hawkins commands our attention through the most vile and cruel acts, and keeps us “strapped in’ for the wild “ride”, if only to learn of her final destination. Barrat is the closest character to the horror “hero” as his Andy deals with his regrets over past violent acts, while trying to “sound the alarm” when nothing seems to make sense, especially in protecting his adored sister. But Wong as Piper is no mere “damsel-in-distress” as she tosses off some epic “burns” ( her “favorite activity” answer is hilarious), and pushes back on anyone, even Andy, who tries to pity her. But that fierce independent spirit may place her in greater danger. She erects a tough outer shell to contain her sadness. Also impressive is Phillips as the hovering, staring wanderer. His quiet, sullen stare reminded me of Karloff in THE OLD DARK HOUSE as we wonder if he’s a real threat or yet another potential victim of this haunted, decaying house.

The Philippous built upon the promise of their first flick, giving us a modern fear fable full of shocks and surprises, courtesy of the original story from Danny and co-writer Bill Hinzman. Some might post “trigger warnings” or other cautionary advice. I’ll just say that the scares and sights of TALK TO ME seem very tame to many of the brutal sequences that have been created to make the most jaded “gorehounds” squirm in their seats. This is some rough s…stuff concocted by an expert makeup team, enhanced by some inspired editing choices from Geoff Lamb, punctuated by effective music bursts from Cornel Wilczek. By the harrowing final act showdown, most of our questions are answered in an exhausting crescendo of chaotic carnage. It’s one well-made “thrill ride” that many may never wish to endure again, unless they bring a friend to another screening to revel in their reactions. Aside from the searing set pieces, the Philippou brothers give the entire story a feeling of menace and a sense of moral and physical “rot” while illustrating the devastating after-effects of grief (maybe the story’s true “monster”). For those cinephiles with a strong heart (and stomach), BRING HER BACK is a true nightmare-inducing “chiller thriller”. Consider yourself warned (or perhaps encouraged)…

3 Out of 4

BRING HER BACK is now playing in select theatres

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