GET READY FOR THE BADDEST COMEDY OF THE SUMMER! DREAMWORKS ANIMATION PRESENTS SAM ROCKWELL, MARC MARON, CRAIG ROBINSON, AWKWAFINA AND ANTHONY RAMOS IN THE BAD GUYS 2.
IN THEATERS AUGUST 1ST.
The special advance screening is at 11am on Saturday, July 26th @ Marcus Ronnie’s Cine (10am suggested arrival).
(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), Chief Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) n DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation
Everyone’s favorite felons are back, and this time, they’ve got company.
In the new action-packed chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed comedy smash about a crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, our now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
Based on the New York Times best-selling book series by Aaron Blabey, which has soared from 8 million to over 30 million copies sold since the first film’s release in 2022, The Bad Guys 2 stars the stellar original cast, led by Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf, SAG award nominee Marc Maron as safe-cracker Mr. Snake, SAG award nominee Craig Robinson as master-of disguise Mr. Shark, Grammy winner Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha and Emmy winner Awkwafina as hacker Ms. Tarantula, aka “Webs.”
The returning voice cast is joined by a new trio of comedic powerhouses as The Bad Girls: Oscar® nominee Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) as Bad Girls leader Kitty Kat, a dangerously clever snow leopard; Oscar® nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film) as Pigtail, a brilliant Bulgarian wild boar engineer; and Emmy nominee and comedy icon Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Poker Face) as Doom, a wry raven with a knack for deception.
From celebrated returning director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross, The Bad Guys 2 also features the alumni voice talents of Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz as Governor Diane Foxington, BAFTA winner Richard Ayoade as Professor Marmalade, Emmy winner Alex Borstein as Police Chief (now Commissioner) Misty Luggins and Lilly Singh as sensationalist reporter Tiffany Fluffit.
The Bad Guys 2 is co-directed by JP Sans, who served as head of character animation on the first film. The music is by Oscar®-nominated returning composer Daniel Pemberton.
Everyone’s favorite felons are back, and this time, they’ve got company.
In the new action-packed chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed comedy smash about a crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, our now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
THE BAD GUYS (review) grossed $97.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $153.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $250.4 million.
Based on the New York Times best-selling book series by Aaron Blabey, which has soared from 8 million to over 30 million copies sold since the first film’s release in 2022, The Bad Guys 2 stars the stellar original cast, led by Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf, SAG award nominee Marc Maron as safe-cracker Mr. Snake, SAG award nominee Craig Robinson as master-of disguise Mr. Shark, Grammy winner Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha and Emmy winner Awkwafina as hacker Ms. Tarantula, aka “Webs.”
The returning voice cast is joined by a new trio of comedic powerhouses as The Bad Girls: Oscar® nominee Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) as Bad Girls leader Kitty Kat, a dangerously clever snow leopard; Oscar® nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film) as Pigtail, a brilliant Bulgarian wild boar engineer; and Emmy nominee and comedy icon Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Poker Face) as Doom, a wry raven with a knack for deception.
From celebrated returning director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross, The Bad Guys 2 also features the alumni voice talents of Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz as Governor Diane Foxington, BAFTA winner Richard Ayoade as Professor Marmalade, Emmy winner Alex Borstein as Police Chief (now Commissioner) Misty Luggins and Lilly Singh as sensationalist reporter Tiffany Fluffit.
The Bad Guys 2 is co-directed by JP Sans, who served as head of character animation on the first film. The music is by Oscar®-nominated returning composer Daniel Pemberton.
THE BAD GUYS 2 is in theaters AUGUST 1.
(from left) Pigtail (Maria Bakalova), Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks) and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, directed by Pierre Perifel.(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron) and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, directed by Pierre Perifel.
Jeremy Strong, left, as Roy Cohn and Sebastian Stan as Donald J. Trump in THE APPRENTICE. Briarcliff Entertainment
It is not the old TV show but Donald Trump’s “apprenticeship” under his attorney and mentor Roy Cohn, the corrupt lawyer whose ruthless approach to the law did so much to make the young Trump who he became. Starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in powerhouse performances, THE APPRENTICE is a making-of-the-man drama that starts out with a darkly comic bent but then shifts subtly to a more serious one as the relationship between mentor and apprentice shifts.
While the filmmakers are clearly not pro-Trump, the tone of THE APPRENTICE has a surprisingly neutral tone towards the people in the film, treating them as just people and letting events unfold without commentary. It even seems a bit sympathetic towards the young, almost naive Donald Trump as he encounters the legal pit bull that is Roy Cohn, someone often described as evil, then at the top of his powers as a New York fixer. But even Cohn is treated as a human being, just one with a very different view of ethics.
Early on, attorney Roy Cohn teaches his young apprentice his three rules, the ones he follows in his legal business. Number one: Attack, attack, attack, in every case. Two: Deny, deny, deny, no matter what the facts. And three: No matter what the outcome, always declare victory. Roy Cohn built that ruthless reputation in the Cold War “Red Scare.” Roy Cohn first made a name for himself as a relentless commie hunter for his role in prosecuting the Rosenbergs, and pressing for Ethel’s execution despite her being the mother of young children. He continued the hunt for suspected communists with a young Richard Nixon, and then Sen. Joe McCarthy. When McCarthy’s unethical methods fell out of favor, Cohn moved on to became a powerful “fixer” for corporate interests.
When the two first meet, Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong of “Sucession”) is at his height as a powerful, crooked New York lawyer who was a mover-and-shaker in New York City, while young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is a small-time real estate businessman with bigger ambitions. Young Trump and his father Fred are facing federal charges for racial discrimination in renting apartments when the young Donald caught Cohn’s eye at a posh restaurant frequented by the notable and notorious, inviting the tall, blonde young businessman to join him and his party for dinner in a private room.
The meeting was an eye-opener for Donald, and he immediately sought out Cohn, despite his real estate dealer father Fred’s opposition to Cohn as a crooked lawyer. Young Trump chased Roy Cohn until the attorney reluctantly took the Trumps’ case, which he got dismissed through a combination of delaying tactics and a little blackmail, using Cohn’s extensive of “dirt” he continually collected on any and all public figures. Trump is hooked, although at first, young Trump is a bit shocked and taken aback by Cohn’s lack of ethics.
Sebastian Stan is having a heck of a year, starring in this film as well as the thought-provoking A DIFFERENT MAN, but it is “Succession’s” Jeremy Strong who steals this show. His Roy Cohn is perfectly sleazy but also hypnotic. Strong takes his Cohn from scary beyond words at the start but with a sharp intelligence and magnetic personality, to a sadder, eventually even pitiful as the power shifts and Cohn’s health declines, as he suffers from AIDS, which he always denied having, even suing anyone who said he was gay.
Roy Cohn makes a deal with Trump to aid each other and be friends, rather than having a paid attorney-client relationship, clearly seeing a useful potential in the tall, blonde, handsome young man to gain entry to spheres of power less open to the short, less attractive, closeted-gay lawyer.
Roy Cohn imparts to his apprentice his three rules – always attack when confronted with an adversary or obstacle, always deny no matter what the facts, and always declare yourself the winner not matter the outcome. Cohn follows this rule in his legal work but not her personal life, but his apprentice takes a different path. In the first part of the film, the mentor is in charge but tables turn in the latter part.
At first, Trump is Cohn’s faithful accollite, and Cohn even becomes like a second father to him, a more supportive one than his own criticizing father. The film delves into the Trumps’ family dynamics, including his father Fred’s harsh treatment of Donald’s older brother, Fred Jr. It also shows us Trump meeting and wooing Ivana (an excellent Maria Bakalova), following their romance and marriage, and it’s final souring, including a controversial rape scene.
The film keeps us grounded in historical events by giving us markers with little news video snippets, starting with Nixon and his “I am not a crook” speech, then Reagan footage and references.
Scriptwriter Gabriel Sherman and director Ali Abbasi strike a perfect neutral tone that lets the actors work their characters and events unfold without commentary, making the film more powerful.
This is an impressive film, one that treats the people in this historical drama as human, and even sympathetic at times, while being clear-eyed about the facts. That is no small feat, and boosted by riveting performances, especially by Jeremy Strong, this is a must-see for anyone to understand the man running for president, Donald Trump.
THE APPRENTICE opens Friday, Oct. 11, in theaters.
The seven-episode Max Original adult animated series CREATURE COMMANDOS, written and executive produced by James Gunn, debuts THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5 on Max followed by one episode weekly until January 16.
CREATURE COMMANDOS tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans. When all else fails… they’re your last, worst option.
The cast includes Steve Agee as Economos, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana, Anya Chalotra as Circe, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Sean Gunn as GI Robot & Weasel, David Harbour as Frankenstein, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, Indira Varma as The Bride, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.
CREATURE COMMANDOS is written and executive produced by James Gunn. Based on DC characters and produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation; additional executive producers include Peter Safran, Dean Lorey, and Sam Register; Rick Morales serves as a supervising producer.
So, it’s one of the last Summer weekends as the time for vacation getaways dwindles down to less than a month. And the same goes for the virtual trips at your local multiplex, where we get to look in on a group of old friends who have gathered at a lush spot to chat about the past, plan for the future, eat, drink and be merry thanks to some “substances” and some “party games”. So, could this be a modern-day spin on THE BIG CHILL (minus the opening funeral) with scandals and secret “hook-ups”? Or does it take a dark turn into AND THEN THERE WERE NONE territory with an Agatha Christie-style “whodunit” and,more importantly, “who’s next”? That’s just what the characters in this week’s ensemble thriller have to ponder while having to step around and try not to join the BODIES BODIES BODIES.
But things start off sweetly as Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) professes her love for new girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova), as they park their vehicle outside the family estate (deep in the woods) of her old pal David (Pete Davidson). They bypass the front door to join the party in the backyard pool. Bee is a bit nervous as Sophie introduces her to the surprised revelers (they assumed Sophie wouldn’t show as she never responded to their online “group chats”). David is the host along with his aspiring actress girlfriend Emma (Chase Sui Wonders). Giving the ‘stinkeye” is the stoic Jordan (Myha’la Herrold) while giggly podcaster Alice (Rachel Sennott) flirts with her new beau, the slightly older “laid-back” Greg (Lee Pace). Before the talk can get too “deep” the rain starts really coming down. It’s the start of the forecasted hurricane, which will keep everyone inside as they “ride it out”. As the liquor and “herbs” flow, the flashlights, batteries, and “glostick” jewelry are passed out. When the sun goes down, Emma suggests they play the “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies”, a variation of the “murder in the Dark” party game in which the participants must guess who drew the murderer “card” before the killer taps them as their next victim when the lights are turned out. Ah, but soon after the first “corpse” is “found’ the lights go out “for real” as the raging storm takes out the power lines. Things go from bad to much, much worse as the party “crew” discovers a real corpse just outside the patio doors, blood gushing from a fatal wound. What to do? Of course, cell phone reception is nil. The only “escape vehicle”, Sophie’s “wheels” has a dead battery. If they can hold out till morning, there’s hope that another friend, Max (who left after a “dust-up” with David) will be back. Or has he already returned to stalk them?Pitch black paranoia, mixed with a brutal blinding rain amplifies the terror as the long-time friends try to become sleuths in order to survive the long, long night.
The best-known of this young cast is probably Davidson of SNL and tabloid fame (or infamy). Unlike his title role as THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND, he can dart in and score some big laughs in a few sequences without doing all that”heavy lifting”. He’s assuredly the film’s MVP leaving us wanting more more of his wry often caustic wit. Speaking of comic actors, I was delighted to see Ms. Bakalova relishing her wonderful work as Borat’s daughter in that improv comic gem a few years ago, She shows us her “dramatic chops’ as the timid Bee who is thrown right into a well of hungry, very rich sharks. Sophie’s there to shield her, but Stenberg makes her a bit of an enigma as she appears to have a cloaked agenda. Much the same can be said of Gerrold’s Jordan, whose barely repressed anger and disgust form an invisible barrier. This doesn’t affect Pace’s amiable Greg who may have studied with “The Dude” to hone his “chill” vibe and free spirit. And that’s a big contrast to his paramour Alice played with a manic high-maintenance energy as she tries to ‘jump-start’ the fun and hi-jinks. While she’s fairly eager to join in, Wonders as Emma has a deep need to indulge into heavy dramatics in order to grab some of the “spotlight”.
Director Helena Reijn deftly turns many of the old “trapped in a murder house by a storm” into original explorations of the “group dynamics” of familiar friends with more than a bit of friction. That’s aided by the often very witty script by Sarah DeLappe and Kristen Roupenian, which takes mush-deserved digs at the ‘social class” system. modern tech, and the “sense of entitlement” that pervades society. But then the horror elements take over, with so many scenes of the principals stumbling in the dark, screaming while being lit only by the bright glowing sticks and tubes ( a hip twist on those BLAIR WITCH imitators). Then the satire is smothered by “finger-pointing’ and stilted confessionals along with the big reveals that are never explored. Finally, the characters are so shrill and irritating I was somewhat rooting for the storm to really strike (perhaps an impaling tree would shatter a window) in order to silence the caterwauling that quickly became “fingernails on a chalkboard”. The final denouncement is fairly clever, but the long slog to reach it is so draining and makes for a near interminable 95 minutes. Teen viewers may get a charge out of a variation of a blood-soaked party mystery, but the talented cast and the few smart zingers can’t soften the histrionics and hysterics of BODIES BODIES BODIES.
One and a Half Out of Four
BODIES BODIES BODIES is now playing in theatres everywhere
Ugh, will those eleven days never end? I’m talking about the big upcoming national elections. And they include the “big one”, the “main event”, namely the presidency. So is it too late for a film to change anybody’s mind? Well, we shall see, though this time, because of certain circumstances, it’s bypassing the slowly growing list of theatres to stream on one of the more popular platforms (like that river, it starts with an “A”). Could people be “burnt out” by the avalanche of political news, debates. and those annoying negative campaign ads? That’s a real possibility, except that this is a sequel to one of the biggest comedies of the last fifteen years. To save us from our current doldrums that frizzy-haired man from the East (not NYC, much farther east) returns to wreak havoc on many of this country’s most sacred institutions, basically tossing a satiric “stinkbomb” into the recent headlines. And boy, we really could use his inane antics right now. This very minute. Is it a “mockumentary” or a real documentary? Let the debates (and probable lawsuits) begin with the arrival of BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM.
Hard to believe, but it’s been fourteen years since the last mission of Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen). Sadly those years have not been kind to him as he’s been slaving away at a prison camp. He’s despised in his homeland because his last “moviefilm” brought ridicule to Kazakhstan. But on this glorious day he’s taken away from the “rock pits’ and brought to the office of the country’s leader, President Nazarbayev (Dani Popescu) who gives him a new mission to redeem himself and wipe his slate clean. Seems the “big man” is miffed that the US President “McDonald” Trump likes to “hang” with so many of the world’s “strong-arm” dictators, but not him. Maybe that can be rectified if Borat presents him with a “gift” since the ex-reporter is still well-known in the states. Ah, but Borat recalls a previous Trump encounter and suggests he “gift’ the number two man, Mike Pence. The Prez heartily agrees, so Borat is showered, shaved, and given his old “TV suit”. But before the journey begins, Borat returns home only to see that another man has taken over as head of his family, while his sons have changed their names. A broken-hearted Borat wonders through the back yard and reunites with his forgotten daughter, the now fifteen-year-old Tutar (Maria Bakalova), who sleeps outside in a straw-filled metal cage. She’s thrilled to see her papa and begs to join him. Rebuffing her, Borat leaves for America where everyone unfortunately still remembers him (he’s chased down the street, like the Beatles). After getting some disguises from a Halloween shop, he sets up camp and awaits the delivery of the “gift”. The huge crate finally arrives with a big surprise inside: Tutar! A change of plans is needed. She will be the Vice Prez’s gift. But can the dirty, unmannered Tutar be “transformed” into a beauty worthy of the VP? Thus becomes a new “shared” odyssey as father and daughter embark on a series of misadventures with many mainly-clueless Americans to restore honor to their country of Kazakhstan.
Cohen jumps into his old role with unbridled glee, as though he wore that “mankini” just yesterday rather than over a decade ago. He deftly executes incredible feats as he generates huge laughs by treading a comic tightrope without a net…or a solid script (though I’m sure that the basic “outline” including many lines he could “drop-in” when needed). It’s really a marvel to behold, leaving us aghast at his verbal dexterity while holding our breath for a big “payoff”. We can only imagine his brain creating and rejecting responses to the “regular folks” who just don’t pick up the absurd scenarios. And Cohen is going beyond the first film in that Borat is (for much of the encounters) using a vocal disguise with his costumes, wigs, and phony features. I was reminded of a similar feat that the great Mel Blanc pulled off in the classic 1951 short “Rabbit Fire” where he acted the voice of Bugs Bunny as he mimics Daffy Duck and vice versa. Plus there are Cohen’s deft skills at physical comedy as Borat, his long limbs flailing, appearing to ricochet and bounce from one setting to another. But he’s not the film’s only comedy MVP. Cohen has an even better partner (though Ken Davitan was a superior stooge in the first flick as Azamat) in the mostly unknown (outside of Bulgaria) comic actress Bakalova, who is an impressive, completely fearless, partner for Cohen (it’s almost a comic version of a WWF “tag-team”). She builds on Tutar’s character, from a “Lolita” parody crossed with one of Al Capp’s dirty Dogpatch divas to a misguided innocent unknowingly shocking those she meets (usually leaving them with their jaws dropped to the floor). And though she’s part of a stunning comedy “dynamic duo” with Cohen, they somehow bring a real tenderness to their roles as Borat begins to think of his daughter as an actual “person” rather than property. . I was reminded of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in the recent A STAR IS BORN in that Cooper guided the screen newcomer while letting her sparle (though Lady G was a big music star already). Cohen never regulated Bakalova to the background but lets her shine in grabbing the big hilarious final moments of a sequence. What a terrific twosome.
TV comedy director (in his feature debut) Jason Woliner ably handles the directing chores, taking over from the first film’s Larry Charles (who also helmed Cohen’s BRUNO and THE DICTATOR). He keeps the action rolling at a brisk pace, despite the “cut and paste” story structure, making the best of Borat’s narration to establish time and settings. And that “loose” format works despite the ten-person (including Cohen) writing team, who “crib”, or is it more of an “homage”, elements of “Pygmalion” and countless “rom-com” “make-over’ movies for Tutar’s “blossoming”. Yes, there are more than a few “blurred faces” (from folks who wouldn’t sign a “release”), but so many “civilians’ say so many outlandish (and repugnant) things knowing they’re on camera. This is especially true in the big stunning finale involving a “news name” that is now grabbing lots of internet buzz (not really buying his “statement”). Yet somehow there are several sweet moments as when Tutar’s “babysitter” tries to instill a sense of self-worth in her. Or the really touching encounter between Borat (in his vulgar “jew” uniform) and an incredibly kind and forgiving Holocaust survivor Judith Dim Evans (such dignity). Sure many of the “reg’ lar folks” only need light and a mirror to reveal their foolishness, both actors gently guide them so it’s not as though it’s “shooting fish in a barrel” to wring the laughs out of the scary people of a scary time. When last we meet Borat he was tweaking the “Dubya” era with expert wit, but there seems to be more at stake here as they even delve into the pandemic complete with masks and lock-downs. It’s interesting that Cohen is just coming off great reviews for his role in THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 as the original “merry prankster” Abbie Hoffman. With Bakalova’s Tutar, Borat is the new century political “prankster” who gleefully revels in the emperor’s “nudity”. Let’s hope that his services won’t be needed for a few more years. But for now, this father-daughter duo deserves…
3 and a Half Out of 4
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM begins streaming on Amazon Prime on Friday, October 23, and is showing in select theatres.
