Song Sung Blue

 

This review may contain spoilers!

This film is an adaptation of the documentary of the same name, which follows real-life musicians, Lightning and Thunder. This pair were an acclaimed Neil Diamond tribute band who found some very real small-time fame and success before tragedy struck them and their family.

I didn't really know much about Lightning and Thunder, nor have I listened to a whole lot of Neil Diamond going into this. I was initially captivated by the eccentric characters, the cover artist scene, but most significantly, by the chemistry between our two leads. This film sets up a love story between Lightning and Thunder that feels so relatable, as if it could happen to anyone. He is this cover musician who is a recovering alcoholic with a daughter living in a whole other city, while she's a single Mum raising two kids who finds joy in singing. They could be a collision or awful for one another. But they ignite something passionate together and craft a musical experience that pulls people in. It is an electric feeling watching this duo perform together, and it will leave you grinning and humming along in your seat. The flip side to this? Lightning and Thunder went through some trauma, which is difficult to see play out, but it makes for good drama. Watching Claire/Thunder lose her sense of purpose and self after losing her leg was gruelling, and the effect that event had on the family was difficult to watch played out as well. I liked the little difficulties too; Rachel having to lean on Lightning/Mike after she discovers she is pregnant while her Mum is in a psychiatric facility is a significant scene. I felt that whole final concert like a ghost hanging over my shoulder as we learn of Mike's fate; it was a very sobering conclusion to this narrative.

The soundtrack for this film is excellent and hits the right emotional beats all the way through. 'Song Sung Blue' is an obvious triumph that will probably have you tearing up at the end, but special mention to 'Cherry, Cherry', 'Crunchy Granola Suite' and 'Holly Holy'.

Kate Hudson, who played Claire/Thunder, is so passionate and enchanting when she's giddy over the music and her relationship with Lightning, but the moments in which Hudson had to present the horrors of losing a limb were a captivating moment within her performance. Ella Anderson, who played Rachel, is a really interesting young performer; I loved watching her character thaw towards Jackman's across this feature. Hudson Hensley, who played Dana, just feels like a kid living in the joy of being surrounded by family and music; Hensley makes the final scene of the film so powerful. King Princess, who played Angela, really feels quite close in mannerism to Jackman here, which makes her an awesome onscreen daughter; she has a tough know-it-all streak that makes her rather likable. Michael Imperioli, who played Mark Shurilla, feels quite unique as a sort of respected leader amongst the cover artist musicians; Imperioli also has a great rapport with Jackman here that marks a solid onscreen friendship. Jim Belushi, who played Tom D'Amato, is just a really loveable cast member; Belushi carries the comedic weight of this film very nicely. Jayson Warner Smith, who played Earl, is quite funny as the highly strung Elvis impersonator; I think he runs away with his scene and makes the film get off to a solid start. Shyaporn Theerakulstit, who played Somechai, is rather funny as the impassive restaurant owner who gives Jackman a job, but I loved the small connection they made with their characters over the handful of scenes they had going forward.

However, the best performance came from Hugh Jackman, who played Mike/Lightning. Mike is a character who is lost in chasing the thrill of the music. I loved watching Jackman play a character who is pretty self-aware of his emotions in some ways. Mike tends to be pretty reflective of his own behaviours as an alcoholic.  Yet, we also see Mike get lost in chasing after the style of performance he wants, to the point of downright aggression in one scene. The strength of this film is the steady chemistry between Jackman and Hudson, which is absolutely electric in their first few scenes together. It was torturous watching the scenes around hardship; Jackman really sells you in those moments and puts his character on the rack. The final concert scene was dazzling, but it also hurt. You could see Jackman playing it to the 9s, but it's those quieter moments of fear as he felt his life slipping away that really sold me on this performance.

This is a long film that pivots around a love story between Lightning and Thunder, Mike and Claire. Yet, after they get together and are quickly married, I couldn't help but feel like the film didn't have them acting together as often. They might be in the same scene, but they talked around one another or at one another; a lot of the deeper emotional moments were lost for lovey eyes being made at one another. I also felt like this film had a repetitive tonal whiplash problem. Song Sung Blue often introduced a terrifying moment of tragedy, a smash cut to the horrific aftermath, and then a few scenes later, we had Belushi making some good-natured quip about how much he loves Lightning. It's hard to really know if this movie wants to be one of those charming biopics or tearjerkers, and there probably needed to be a better way to move forward with these moments. The film isn't short by any means, and the heavy dramatic moments, followed by easy-going comedy or warm fuzzies, before going back to something grim, really impacted the pacing. I also found a point in the middle where I started to dislike both Lightning and Thunder; their relationship seemed toxic, and I didn't really buy Lightning being this noble rock to his broken family.

I didn't find the visuals of this movie very interesting until a musical number really started ramping up. For most of Song Sung Blue, the camera feels like it's doing a simple job, capturing all that has to be in front of it and dealing with the uninspired settings. The editing for the film felt sluggish as well. This is a movie that felt very formulaic in terms of visual design. No stops were pulled out to bleed some creativity into this.

Fisher Stevens, who played Dr. Dave Watson, is a very odd character that I struggled to believe in; the whole manager doctor shtick wasn't really played well for comedy or friendship. Mustafa Shakir, who played Sex Machine, hams up the cover musician thing a bit too much; Shakir always feels a bit on the fringes of the crowd. John Beckwith, who played Eddie Vedder, wasn't a particularly inspired choice to play the Pearl Jam singer; Beckwith has no screen presence beyond a good singing voice. Cecelia Riddett, who played Grandma Stengl, does the grouchy grandma stereotype to death; I don't know if we really needed such a played-out trope in the film.

It is often a melancholy watch because nothing really could go right for this pair, but it is a life immortalised in song if nothing else. I would give Song Sung Blue a 7/10.

The Best and Worst Films of 2025

 

In 2025, I watched 70 films I had never seen prior, according to my Letterboxd diary. This represents approximately 40 fewer films than last year, which suggests that I didn't watch many films outside of my weekly reviews. It's always a shame to miss movies others have recommended to me; this year, I only really covered a bit of horror in my spare time, with the V/H/S and Anaconda series being my main contenders. While I was often left feeling disappointed with some of the entries this year, I felt that overall, watching around 26 movies that I really loved and could recommend made for some worthy outings. It's also worth noting that there has been a steadier decline in streaming original movies worth watching, with only Netflix's Wake Up Dead Man making that aforementioned 26. I'm also quietly a bit sad that the animated film scene has been pretty unremarkable this year. Zootopia 2 made a strong impression, but it is also the only animated feature I felt was really worth reviewing. In total, across the 2025 new releases, I reviewed 62 feature films.

I have found 2025 to be a pretty draining year; there's always so much to do and so little time to achieve it in. I think when a movie lacks life, or when it feels made to generate money? That became extremely apparent very fast. There is a smattering of blockbusters in my 7.5/10s or higher, and that says a lot about what sort of story wound up being worth my time this year. I think features that really decided to lay out a story first approach won 2025, comedies weren't about the next big Adam Sandler thing on Netflix, but creative endeavours like The Roses or Eternity. Horror continued to dominate outside of franchise spaces. I was completely wrapped up in movies like Sinners and Weapons. I also think 2025 was draining because the world keeps feeling tough to live in; every other news broadcast is about the cost of living, political division, mass deportations, education reforms that make no sense, terrorist attacks and here in New Zealand, an effort to undermine our core commitments to the indigenous Māori people. I think those reasons are why I wound up falling for One Battle After Another so much, which understood those feelings of division. It's also why The Life of Chuck stands so high, because it is the sort of movie that helps you understand what life is about and where to find joy.

Frankly, the most striking thing about this year in terms of films I watched was seeing the short film Homecoming on a cinema screen. Homecoming is a wonderful exploration of returning home as a transgender woman and being forced to face internal and external anxieties head-on. It is directed and written by a close friend of mine, Grae Meek, and watching it was one of the fulfilling experiences of the year. It is a story steered with a lot of care and a very personal hand, but it will also leave you entirely fraught in places. The cast and crew behind this put their all in, and it shows. Homecoming has already screened at the Top of the South film festival, where it won Best Film, Best Script, Best Director and Best Actress for lead, Awa Puna. It has also screened at the British Urban Film Fest, the Canterbury Short Film Spotlight and will be at the Capricorn Film Festival in 2026!

There has been such a wide variety on offer throughout this year. I sometimes have to remind myself that the same year I watched the 28 zombie series make a comeback is the same year The Minecraft Movie became a viral craze. There have been some true peculiarities, only one 9/10 and a plethora of Stephen King adaptations. The highs are a bit of a strange mix, but rather suit my temperament for this year, and the lows should be cast into the fires of Mount Doom. Without further ado, beginning with my Top 5, the films of 2025:

The Best:

5. The Roses - 8.5/10

This is just an ironclad black comedy, a loving relationship that sours and turns toxic. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman leading a comedy is not really what I expected to be their powerhouse feature film of the year, but this had me and the audience in stitches. The Roses takes a rather complicated deconstruction of a marriage and laces it with witty dialogue, brilliant scenarios and oddball side characters. Sometimes a relationship is bad, and a break-up or a divorce is a fireball. The Roses very deliberately lights the match, lets chaos reign and invites you to roast marshmallows over whatever is left.

Check out my The Roses review!

4. Zootopia 2 - 8.5/10

There wasn't a lot going on this year with animation, but Disney showed up hugely with Zootopia 2. It's a major player and has already broken major box office records worldwide. The Zootopia films really have some interesting narratives around unpacking prejudice. In this feature, not only were the origins of Zootopia, the city, presented to us, but we learned that the animal species that designed it were pushed out by a greedier animal. I think stories like these help us grow, and the morals in them are worth imparting to children. The lead fox/rabbit duo of Judy and Nick is exceptional; Bateman and Goodwin have built an absolute rapport there. And if nothing else, it has Ke Huy Quan as the most charming, friendly animated snake I have ever seen.

Check out my Zootopia 2 review!

3. Eternity - 8.5/10

I have really developed an appreciation for a solid, creative romantic comedy over the years. There was an awful period of time recently where Hollywood tried action romantic comedies. I'm glad that dark chapter is behind us now (yes, I'm talking to you, Ghosted). This little A24 film at the tail end of the year was pretty unassuming. It was a unique idea to set everything in the afterlife. But this film sat comfortably in all the fun antics that emerge from a romantic comedy love triangle; it knows how to be playful. It doesn't always take every scene seriously, but it is undeniably sincere. We learn this beautiful message about constant love versus first love throughout the feature, with an ending that really works hard to warm your heart. I adored Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner and Da'Vine Joy Randolph in this. They had an ensemble approach that really meant every scene was either hilarious or left you feeling a bit emotional.

Check out my Eternity review!

2. The Life of Chuck - 8.5/10

The power of Walt Whitman in this... "I am large, I contain multitudes." What is a human life? What is the end of the world? Are they the same thing? Possibly, The Life of Chuck posits. Our lives can feel plain or ordinary, but we carry with us hopes and dreams and connections that make us so vast. This film has a non-linear approach to storytelling that can really turn you on your heels at times, but it serves a great purpose. We see a fictitious world ending, a place where people still radiate hope in their final moments. Where a hand is held for comfort. This world is Chuck, and Chuck is a man who has endured his own type of hardship in life. But the movie isn't about the hardship; it's about the joy we can discover. Dancing with someone else in the middle of the street. Feeling alive. I loved The Life of Chuck; it made me feel like myself in a rather unexpected way. Thanks, Chuck.

Check out my The Life of Chuck review!

1. One Battle After Another - 9/10

My only 9/10 this year and majorly deserved. One Battle After Another is about revolution and control; it is about the fight between those who hate one another. In this film, we watch a far-left revolutionary group commit acts of violence in the service of the disenfranchised; those who are quashed by the system of power around them. We also watch the far-right militant figure Lockjaw, and his buddies in the Christmas Adventurers Club (Ku Klux Klan, anyone?) attempt to bring the boot down hard against those who do not share in their views. The world is the this great struggle, but the one who suffers ultimately is Willa, the daughter of two French 75 revolutionaries. Hounded by Lockjaw with her father nowhere in sight, Willa must take up a fight she was born into and never asked for; she carves her own path and has to be her own hero. The film points at this heightened conflict that bears a striking semblance to the political environment of today and then turns back to us, knowingly, to declare: "Guess your kids are going to have to fix this shit too."

Check out my One Battle After Another review!

This was a real medley of content sitting across my top films of the year. I definitely felt a lean towards levity, love, being kind to yourself and really prevalent themes to the current state of the world had a strong guiding hand in these pieces of cinema. The bottom five definitely have a lean towards genres with more action, violence and adventure. Jumping into my Bottom Five...

5. Hedda - 3.5/10

I have often found myself pretty entertained by Nia DaCosta's work with well-known IP. The Marvels was a pretty fun time, and her work on bringing Candyman back to the big screen was commendable. Does it feel a bit hollow that her first solo expression of self lands as a streaming original film? Absolutely. Is there not much to this adaptation of 'Hedda Gabler'? Well, not really. In truth, this is a film that wants to be that large, whirling period piece, biting a chunk off Luhrmann's Gatsby. But in truth, the film comes off as trying a bit too hard to land an aesthetic, while dragging a disinterested plot to some kind of conclusion. The branching character interactions here have little bearing, as the ensemble cast leaves much to be desired. Tessa Thompson tries to hold it all together, but sometimes a poorly realised period drama is quite simply that.

Check out my Hedda review!

4. Fountain of Youth - 3.5/10

What a surprise, another streaming original film. In saying that, Apple has been delivering some quality productions, just look at F1 this year. However, I think there's a reason Guy Ritchie's latest stumbled straight to streaming without a theatrical release. In a world brimming with Indiana Jones, Lara Croft and Nathan Drake all performing badly on the big screen, it is perhaps no surprise that this very dull, aimless adventure original film struggled to hit the mark. John Krasinski tried to find a hero worth rooting for, but when nothing else in the movie has much going for it, it becomes an impossible task. From scenes in which a child solves an ancient puzzle by playing the drums to watching the worst CGI imaginable lift a twitching Domhnall Gleeson into the air, this film has a little bit of nothing for everyone. Guy Ritchie used to be a directing hero of mine; it's sad to see him bringing out films like this.

Check out my Fountain of Youth review!

3. The Monkey - 3/10

In my review, I called this film little more than a montage of death scenes, and I think that is the main driving problem behind The Monkey. Within this film, the main story is quite absurd and revolves around characters so dislikeable that it becomes hard to find an in at any point in the story. I think there are cool deaths visually, but they are scattered throughout to keep it all going; it feels like the kill sequences here are like watching a Jackass montage of gory death. The performances don't really have much chance to shine, as all the characters either die rapidly or have no depth to them as people. Osgood Perkins has been propped up as this new force to be reckoned with in horror cinema, but between this and Longlegs, I think I have lost my faith in this entirely. But hey, at least there's an entirely hilarious scene with Elijah Wood playing a celebrity parenting coach.

Check out my The Monkey review!

2. A Working Man - 2.5/10

Three years Jason Statham has ambled his dreary looking mug to my Bottom 5 films of the year. Probably because Statham will attach himself to any action project in which he gets to play a gruff sounding hero. Watching a Statahm movie is about watching a blunt instrument being hammered into a bunch of goons over and over again these days. A Working Man is the most everyday hero of them all, he a construction worker, a veteran, a single Dad, beloved by diverse bosses - I mean who could hate this hero? He's the sort of character made for any audience member, which is probably why his character is quite difficult to get a bead on throughout all this. David Ayer is a director who did brilliant work once with Fury, but he keeps making average action schlock like this that feels mind-numbing. David Harbour plays a former soldier who is blind, a conspiracy theorist and declares himself a "weapons sommelier" in this. If that doesn't tell you what sort of forgettable punch-em-up this is, I don't know what will.

Check out my A Working Man review!

1. Tron: Ares - 2/10

Tron: Legacy was one of the movies that first made me such a passionate film watcher. I think I watched that wild sci-fi adventure six times in the theatres, and then bought the Daft Punk film score. Tron as a film series made a decent impression upon me growing up. Then Ares was announced, and I was excited but nervous about Leto like everyone else. But Jared Leto? He's surprisingly not what's wrong with this film. Tron: Ares is the sort of blockbuster I worry more and more film studios are getting comfortable with making; a CGI flashy piece that is riddled with simple camerawork and a cast of characters devoid of personality. Greta Lee leads this movie and she doesn't show star quality when she isn't in some sort of awards season flick. The struggle here is between two companies and their employees, but where's the humanity in that story? Do we really care about two organisations wrestling over a piece of code as it darts between two corporate headquarters. And you know what else? For all the publicity it got, the Nine Inch Nails score kinda sucks. And as Jeff Bridges would say, that's just like, my opinion man.

Check out my Tron: Ares review!

And so another year of film comes to an end! 2026 will certainly be interesting, January is already tempting me with Marty Supreme and Hamnet on the horizon for New Zealand release. To see where all the films I watched placed this year, I have them ranked below: 

1. One Battle After Another – 9/10
2. The Life of Chuck – 8.5/10
3. Eternity – 8.5/10
4. Zootopia 2 – 8.5/10
5. The Roses – 8.5/10
6. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – 8.5/10
7. Tinā – 8.5/10
8. How To Train Your Dragon – 8.5/10
9. Conclave – 8/10
10. Nosferatu – 8/10
11. We Live In Time – 8/10
12. F1: The Movie – 8/10
13. The Long Walk – 8/10
14. The Accountant 2 – 8/10
15. 28 Years Later – 7.5/10
16. Mickey 17 – 7.5/10
17. Warfare – 7.5/10
18. The Smashing Machine – 7.5/10
19. Sinners – 7.5/10
20. Avatar: Fire and Ash – 7.5/10
21. Wake Up Dead Man – 7.5/10
22. Wicked: For Good – 7.5/10
23. Weapons – 7.5/10
24. Ballerina – 7.5/10
25. Thunderbolts* - 7.5/10
26. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – 7.5/10
27. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – 7/10
28. Captain America: Brave New World – 7/10
29. Predator: Badlands – 7/10
30. The Wedding Banquet – 6.5/10
31. Caught Stealing – 6.5/10
32. Materialists – 6.5/10
33. Ballad of a Small Player – 6.5/10
34. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – 6.5/10
35. Nobody 2 – 6/10
36. Jurassic World: Rebirth – 6/10
37. Snow White – 6/10
38. Black Bag – 6/10
39. Mountainhead – 6/10
40. September 5 – 6/10
41. Companion – 5.5/10
42. Eddington – 5.5/10
43. Death of a Unicorn – 5.5/10
44. Friendship – 4.5/10
45. The Running Man – 4.5/10
46. The Amateur – 4.5/10
47. A Minecraft Movie – 4.5/10
48. M3GAN 2.0 – 4.5/10
49. Good Fortune – 4.5/10
50. Freakier Friday – 4.5/10
51. Roofman – 4.5/10
52. Swiped – 4.5/10
53. Wolf Man – 4.5/10
54. Superman – 4/10
55. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – 4/10
56. Anaconda – 3.5/10
57. Novocaine – 3.5/10
58. Hedda – 3.5/10
59. Fountain of Youth – 3.5/10
60. The Monkey – 3/10
61. A Working Man – 2.5/10
62. Tron: Ares – 2/10

Anaconda

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Anaconda is a parody/spiritual successor to Anaconda (1997). In this feature, a band of filmmaking hopefuls make an unprecedented bid to reboot the cult classic Anaconda film franchise. Unfortunately, after an on-set accident with the trained snake, they must venture into the Amazon jungle to find a substitute.

I must admit that, despite a story that makes no sense, this film is absolutely hysterical in places. I found myself often laughing at the strangely specific material surrounding Hollywood, as well as the bizarre references and Easter eggs that called back to the original Anaconda. This is a film that is at its strongest when it plays to absurdity; that's why Steve Zahn is here.

The special effects for the feature actually hold up rather well; I found the ridiculousness of the giant CGI anaconda to be effective due to the effort given to the design. The post-production for this movie must have been an absolute blast, or this is an editing team with a wicked sense of humour. Each scene feels well and truly cut with a strong punchline in mind, not to mention the many scattered, hilariously dramatic transitions throughout.

Jack Black, who played Doug McCallister, is really the glue of this film; Black understands the comedic intent of this movie the most and does a lot to push this story along. Paul Rudd, who played Ronald Griffin Jr., hasn't found his strongest role here, but is having fun in it; Rudd and Black have some undeniable charm when paired with one another. Steve Zahn, who played Kenny Trent, is an absolute scene-stealer in this; Zahn's unpredictable and chaotic brand of comedy really stands out. Ice Cube, who played himself, really has some fun hamming up the gangsta archetype; Cube is here to look tough and draw laughs doing it.

However, the best performance came from Selton Mello, who played Santiago Braga. I have to believe that Mello studied the famously bad performance Jon Voight gave for the original Anaconda to give us Santiago. This snake tamer feels entirely too wild, too unlikely to be true. Mello is hamming up every scene with a strange lilt to his voice and musings that wander nowhere at all. He feels so deeply immersed in the fictional snake world of the Amazon that you almost want to believe in his eccentricity. I loved the wild bursts of emotion; his scenes around grief were particularly brilliant and really cemented Mello as the funniest amongst a strong comedic cast. Mello constructs a real parody character of Voight, a true snake man to the end.

This film is about amateurs remaking a cult classic film franchise, and the art is imitating the process a bit. A lot of this movie feels very half-baked; the ideas only loosely connect with one another. There are whole story moments that only happen because the writers want us to go that way, not always because the moment has been well set up or because it makes sense for the characters. The characters themselves aren't always 'in the room', sometimes a moment of adlib will remind you the scene is being steered by the performer and not the script. There is a subplot weaving through this comedy that is an attempt to lend something serious to the film. This storyline revolves around illegal gold miners in the Amazon; it's a distracting script element and doesn't really advance the story along. This is a film that is hard to believe in the moment you think about it for too long. The characters couldn't achieve the sort of expedition they set out on, and they certainly couldn't function in the moments following. This film mainly wants to have a conflicted comedy bromance between Black and Rudd with an Anaconda movie sort of around that premise. As a whole, the premise for this movie alone is so specific that it becomes hard to imagine who is out there clamouring for the parody reboot of Anaconda that is also a meta-commentary on Hollywood. This is the sort of movie that looks like it was probably fun to make, but it never really had the vision to be a major comedy player.

This movie has a few good visual gags here and there, but for the most part, this film is shot with a simplistic vision. Everything that needs to be held onscreen is done so, but there are very few moments of inspiration or playfulness with the camera. Beyond a comedic rendition of the original Anaconda theme by Jack Black, the score for this film is a bit of a basic horror lean. The soundtrack is a really scattered use of music in a hopeful effort to find that funny musical moment that will stick.

Thandiwe Newton, who played Claire Simons, seems to struggle in the setting of a comedy film; Newton seems out of her element in the environment of a comedy feature. Daniela Melchior, who played Ana Almeida, is a performance that feels entirely on the periphery of the actual film; Melchior's antagonist role is entirely forgettable and unnecessary. Jennifer Lopez, who played herself, is one cameo too many; where Ice Cube's felt functional, Lopez's cameo comes off as being tacked on.

Weirdly niché, awkwardly slapped together and probably more worthy of being in the 'so bad, it's good' pile than the original Anaconda. I would give Anaconda a 3.5/10.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Avatar: Fire and Ash marks the third instalment in the Avatar series and serves as a direct sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). In this feature, the Sully family must once again face the threat of humanity, as well as Quaritch and a new enemy, Varang, and the Ash People.

I remember watching the first Avatar with my family in the cinema, 3D glasses on and looking up at that screen with awe. James Cameron had crafted a visual landscape that was entirely unlike anything done before. The story held a central protagonist in an alien world with a military antagonist; it wasn't perfect, but it did enough. Then 2022 came along, and we got The Way of Water, a film that also significantly raised the bar visually but entirely dropped the ball narratively. That feature expanded the world of Pandora, but didn't do anything very different with the central character's story. My biggest surprise with Fire and Ash is that the narrative finally finds some focus. This is a film that has a few moving pieces, but it knows exactly the story it wishes to tell. The Sully family is still on the run from the Sky People (humans) and is also grieving Neteyam at the same time. Yet, there is a new threat - the Ash People led by Varang. This is a group of Na'vi who have chosen to reject Eywa and instead use more ritualistic 'magicks' linked to destruction and fire. Quaritch becomes entangled in this struggle, and within this conflict, Spider gains the ability to breathe the air of Pandora, making him significantly more valuable to humankind. The rest of the film becomes quite interesting, with a central struggle around Spider and how desired he is by the Sky People and whether that means the Sullys should kill him to protect the Na'vi. We also watch as Quaritch introduces advanced military technology to Varang's people, while becoming enthralled himself. There's an interesting commentary here around colonialism and the manipulation of native people by the colonising force, which I found quite interesting to see play out in a blockbuster feature. Watching Varang become coerced into aiding Quaritch due to the destructive power he had to offer became a dark reflection of moments that have happened throughout centuries, as Quaritch guides a Na'vi tribe to work against the rest of the Na'vi people. I also found the whale-like creatures being attacked to be a much tighter story this time, and alarmingly more visceral too. All of these weaving threads culminated well in what can only be described as a climactic war-like battle. That final act battle was a conflict that had been extremely well built towards and a very worthy conflict to end the film on. This movie is over three hours long, but I was surprised by how well the entire package held my attention.

The strongest component of the Avatar films has always been how stunning they are visually, and Fire and Ash is no exception. The camera work is fluid and often in motion alongside entirely CGI characters and through CGI environments. Yet, despite the visual artifice all around, it looks immersive and real. The visual effects are some of the highest quality to grace screens this year. Many frames are pure art in their design from beginning to end.

Sigourney Weaver, who played Kiri, is quite a curious and spiritual character brimming with mystery; I like how Weaver brings forth a younger character who is trying to understand her own identity. Stephen Lang, who played Quaritch, gets his teeth back a bit in this film; Lang starts holding a few more cards and playing the game, showing what made him such a good antagonist in the first film. Oona Chaplin, who played Varang, has a lot of this film built around her character and for good reason; Chaplin crafts an antagonist who is always sinister and often cruel. Kate Winslet, who played Ronal, has a little less to do this time around, but has such great onscreen chemistry with Saldaña; these two actresses challenge one another, and it is interesting to see how their characters grow as a result. Brendan Cowell, who played Scoresby, is a surprisingly engaging antagonist in this sequel; Cowell's character is really callous and out for blood. Jemaine Clement, who played Dr. Garvin, is a fun addition to this cast; Clement's little act of rebellion is quite a fine small moment of heroism in this film. Giovanni Ribisi, who played Selfridge, is a decent minor antagonist to have back; his self-entitled grandstanding never misses. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who played Tuk, is easily one of the most likable young performances; I liked watching Bliss act out and make Tuk a bit more daring this time out. 

However, the best performance came from Zoe Saldaña, who played Neytiri. This is a performer who I think best understands what Cameron wants to achieve with these films. Saldaña is so immersed in Neytiri that she understands the character on a rather deep level. At the beginning of Fire and Ash, Neytiri is grief-stricken over her son's death; she is angry and lashes out at others. Across the film, she also faces tremendous physical hardship, and we have to watch her struggle with healing, too. Neytiri is an interesting character; she's probably the toughest fighter in these films and will do anything to protect her family. I like the conflict that she carries with Champion's character, Spider. Watching her try to ostracise him from the family before later realising her error is quite a journey of growth for Neytiri. There's also some brilliant character work between Saldaña and Winslet around what their roles face as mothers. The birth scene that takes place during the final conflict is quite an intense moment, played extremely well by both parties. I think Saldaña really is a major component of Avatar, and these films just don't work without Neytiri.

I think the largest glaring problem this movie has is how absolutely foul the dialogue is. The script for this film is riddled with some of the worst lines I have ever heard. Listening to a group of blue cat aliens bicker and argue using the language a 2025 American household family would use is jarring and lazy writing. This is an issue throughout the feature, and I think these movies don't get taken as seriously because the characters never really have too much to say. More than this, there are a few narrative beats across the feature that feel tired. Repetition is a tough concept to sell your audience on when the film is this long; staying original and inventive needed to be a priority.

The score for the film probably should have impressed me; it is meant to be this grandiose piece interwoven with choral numbers. However, I felt pretty bored by the music in the film and didn't really think anything new was achieved in this space. I also felt the ending bleeding into the awful credits song by Miley Cyrus took a decent bit of weight out of the ending.

Sam Worthington, who played Jake, has never been much of a leading performer in Hollywood; it is almost a shame that the Avatar franchise is stuck with such a weak leading performer. Cliff Curtis, who played Tonowari, is pretty listless as the most dull Na'vi of the film; Curtis has no deeper emotion to give and struggles to make an impact. Joel David Moore and Dileep Rao, who played Norm and Max Patel respectively, feel like unneeded holdovers at this point; the science exposition duo are really just here to continue to dump info on the audience. Edie Falco, who played General Ardmore, has to be one of the performers who struggles the most in these films; Falco's bland and dispassionate line delivery completely undercuts the gravitas of her character. Britain Dalton, who played Lo'ak, is quite similar to Worthington in that he is positioned as a major leading performer but struggles with the responsibility; Dalton just doesn't have the range to make his character interesting. Jack Champion, who played Spider, is one of the most annoying characters of the past two films; Champion is a goofball and seems directionless in his character work. Jamie Flatters, who played Neteyam, is rather unimpressionable as a performer, so it was dull watching him come back; Flatters had no extra emotional edge to lend this film. Bailey Bass, who played Tsireya, is quite underwhelming as Dalton's love interest; her character is never really offered the opportunity to show substance. Filip Geljo and Duane Evans Jr., who played Aonung and Rotxo respectively, are essentially window dressing in this film; even Evans' big final scene left no real impact on the story.

Mix an advance with the visuals to a closer return to narrative form, and this might be my favourite Avatar film yet. I would give Avatar: Fire and Ash a 7.5/10.

Wake Up Dead Man

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Wake Up Dead Man is the third film in Rian Johnson's Knives Out franchise. In this feature, a small-town parish comes under scrutiny after a leading member of the church is killed on the premises.

Something I always find really sharp about Rian Johnson's Knives Out scripts is that they hold a really clear mirror up to current society. Knives Out spoke to the class system and the all-consuming power of greed for wealth. Glass Onion has some interesting observations about society during lockdown, and more significantly, the deification of billionaires. Wake Up Dead Man uses a small town parish setting to highlight something happening on a much larger scale. The people within this parish are quite vulnerable, insecure and easy to manipulate and are steered by a figure in power to look down on others and turn against certain ideas and values. I like that this movie wasn't inherently blaming religion for this (though it did note institutional churches had a heavy hand to play), but speaks more that powerful figures prey upon the vulnerable and turn them against others. It gets right to the heart of why we have people screaming the word 'woke' in Facebook comments or a sharper push in right-wing ideology that has taken on a new, meaner edge to those who don't share their views. It's a complex theme to navigate objectively, and I found this feature does a really great job of presenting its case in the first act. The lead of this film, being a priest, Father Jud, who has done wrong in his life but found redemption through faith, is a very inspired choice. He has a decent chemistry with Blanc that is rather refreshing and a moral centre that will actually have you rooting for him while also leaving you guessing.

I absolutely adore how Rian Johnson finds an aesthetic within these films; each one has its own art style, and none have felt unsteady. This feature is quite gothic in some ways, with harsh shadows and the cold stone edges of an older church facade. This is a feature that plays with lighting creatively, be it capturing a figure by candlelight to the intense red of the flashback scenes. The editing is really tight, often feeling orchestrated with care. I also loved the score, how sinister and intriguing it can be while completely getting comedically obliterated by the soundtrack. 'Shimbleshanks, the Railway Cat' from the musical Cats gets a deserved honourable mention.

Daniel Craig, who played Benoit Blanc, is such a pivotal and iconic performance in these films; I love how he dashes about across this feature like a hound after a bone. Glenn Close, who played Martha Delacroix, is an absolutely inspired bit of casting; there is a scene Close delivers right near the end of the film that is one of the best scenes in the film. Josh Brolin, who played Mons. Jefferson Wicks, is an absolutely despicable and cruel figure here; Brolin is having a phenomenal run in 2025, and Wicks is just another top-level performance. Andrew Scott, who played Lee Ross, is a relatively interesting parasite of a character; Scott finds the simpering demeanour needed to find his character's place under the boot of Wicks. Daryl McCormack, who played Cy Draven, is that toxic need for attention and validation personified; McCormack is a sincerely wicked player bent on greed and power by the end of the film. Jeffrey Wright, who played Bp. Langstrom, is quite a nice subversion of a church leader; Wright has a sharp tongue and a quick wit in this.

However, the best performance came from Josh O'Connor, who played Fr. Jud Duplenticy. This is our guiding central protagonist for the film, and I found it very hard not to like him. O'Connor has a very easy charisma that feels sincere. Jud is a character with a very strong moral compass; he can get downright black and white at times and pretty righteous in his beliefs. O'Connor plays this figure well against the wilting and unusual personalities of the parish. I also found the way he grows excited and barrels into the case work to be quite intoxicating; O'Connor and Craig are dynamite together onscreen. Yet, he's not just this excitable young figure; there's an absolutely gorgeous scene where he supports someone over the phone through prayer that I think anyone would find quite moving. O'Connor is also really playing to the confusing, whirling conflict that is going on here; his character is set up and disputed as the killer multiple times. This is a character who finds himself very lost, so it is almost a breath of fresh air watching him grow so centred at the end.

This is a Knives Out universe film where the mystery sometimes feels a bit too convoluted for its own good. There are fake outs, resurrections, hallucinations, framed killers and a mysterious history to the setting, all flitting in and out of the central plot. This actually doesn't make the mystery very confusing; the killer is frankly quite an obvious suspect. It does, however, make the plot feel quite scattered at times. Wake Up Dead Man sometimes moves in a direction and then zags sharply in a whole other direction in a way that doesn't feel well-considered. The script for this feels like it needed to be tightened down further; the pacing also comes across as very scattered. The first act holds some of the most interesting content, but is also very slow in its delivery. I also felt that the wider ensemble cast just didn't impact the story in the same way other Knives Out franchise films did. Some of these roles were actually very boring and had nothing to add to the story at all, really. I also didn't feel Benoit was used especially well this time. In Wake Up Dead Man, we hear a lot about what Benoit doesn't know and why a thing is impossible, almost to defy our expectations artificially. It's a strange problem for a whodunnit film, but Benoit's ineptitude is almost a fabrication. The latter themes around religion and the truth behind it are about as deep as a couple of uni bros doing a philosophy paper, having a debate. I understand there had to be some deeper commentary around religion due to the setting, but I don't think any interesting material was actually struck.

Mila Kunis, who played Chief Geraldine Scott, is one of the more jarring performances in this film; Kunis feels entirely wrong for the role and style of film she is in. Jeremy Renner, who played Dr. Nat Sharp, gives quite a bland return to the screen; Renner is present in this film, but he gives absolutely nothing to this character. Kerry Washington, who played Vera Draven, is a character who is weirdly pushed to the background a lot; Washington masters self-righteous anger but is limited in her ability to seize the screen for herself. Cailee Spaeny, who played Simone Vivane, isn't even really much of a character performance at all; Spaeny is barely here, and you could've put anyone in that wheelchair and got the same effect. Thomas Haden Church, who played Samson Holt, is a bit too mundane and lacking in presence here; Church doesn't connect well with the rest of the cast and seems mainly positioned in this to die. Annie Hamilton, who played Grace Wicks, is the weakest part of a nice looking flashback scene; Hamilton is just two-dimensional, raving psychosis.

While not quite as mind-blowing as previous entries, Wake Up Dead Man is still one of the better films to grace our screens this year. I would give Wake Up Dead Man a 7.5/10.

Eternity

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Eternity follows Joan, an elderly woman who recently died of cancer and finds herself in the afterlife with her recently deceased husband of 65 years, Larry. The only catch? Her first husband, Luke (who died in the Korean war), has spent 67 years waiting for her to spend the rest of their afterlife together...

I really loved the creativity within this feature; it just felt fun and playful at every turn. Eternity is a truly unconventional take on the romantic-comedy genre, presenting a love triangle between an elderly couple who have recently passed away, and the first husband who died 67 years ago is a very fresh concept. I was really intrigued by how the afterlife was going to be presented here. I was quite pulled in by the comedy and critique of a very commercial beyond; a vast hotel lobby filled with vendors trying to sell you a holiday plan that will be the rest of your life. This leads to some really fun visual gags, with characters walking past eternities that promise "an eternity without men" or a starter kit brochure package with all the worldly religious eternities there to choose from. But it's the relationships at the core of this that I quite enjoyed. Watching the dream of a relationship that could have been perfect versus one that was steady and challenged is fascinating. It became a real moment of thinking about what is love really? It's not this golden thing that never bears imperfection; love is weathered and steady and constant. Love is knowing your partner and doing what it takes to care for their happiness. That is a love worth eternity. I also enjoyed the sort of agency and fight paired with Joan's decision; it's a classic love story routine, but within that, she gets to learn about herself and the sort of love she wants to be a part of. This movie is unique and hilarious, and entirely unexpected.

This is a film with a clear sense of wit to it. I loved watching humour paired with the visual landscape of Eternity, from the skyline curtains to the sunset advertisements, right through to the staged memory scenes. I think this movie evokes the rich beauty and landscape of a drama while capitalising on the unlikely setting of a commercial-style afterlife. The editing for this is also really tight; it takes a real moment to consider how a gag will land and paces the scene accordingly. David Fleming does the music for this, and it will take you on this wonderfully unlikely journey; it's a quirky series of tracks with lingering moments of raw emotional connection in there to surprise you. The Dean Martin gag is a fun point in the soundtrack as well.

Elizabeth Olsen, who played Joan, is a nice central figure grappling with the core conflict of choice here; Olsen has these lingering scenes of memory where her character weighs up her life that felt pretty moving. Callum Turner, who played Luke, is a very suave gentleman type; I like that Turner showed the moments of frustration his character had built up over the life he had lost. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who played Anna, does her level best to steal the show at every turn; this is a performer who is exceptional at comedy and has some of the best comedic delivery in the film. Barry Primus and Betty Buckley, who played Older Larry and Older Joan respectively, are the perfect performers to kickstart this movie off; I could have sat in that car with those two for another ten minutes.

However, the best performance came from Miles Teller, who played Larry. Larry is your everyday older fella; he grumbles and complains, but he's also got a good nature. It's a lot of fun watching Teller play to the older mannerisms of his character; he and Olsen have a lot of fun playing 70-80-year-olds who find themselves in 30-year-old bodies. I also liked that Teller's take on Larry is that he's a bit aloof, misses the mark and stumbles in his good intentions. Larry is a very sincere character who could do better, but he does okay. Teller and Olsen have a chemistry that feels lived in; it feels like it has lasted a long time and becomes familiar to us all. I loved watching Teller play the more self-sacrificing aspect of his character in that lead-up to the ending; it was a pretty genuine moment of good-natured love and a big sign of why Teller is such a charismatic performer.

Eternity is a comedy, ultimately, and with any comedy, there is often the potential of jokes falling flat. The supporting cast of this feature wasn't always the strongest players, which meant some of the material struggled to land or draw laughter. When Eternity strays from the core cast or this fascinating premise, it does struggle to pack a funny punch. I also felt there were several moments in which the film felt safe hiding within cliché. It would've been nice for the love triangle element to be a bit more daring in some scenes rather than doing some classic elements strongly.

John Early, who played Ryan, just plays his comedy a bit obviously; there are a lot of scenes that lose their motion because of how Early plays them. Olga Merediz, who played Karen, is a bit of a simple joke character; Merediz is a gruff figure and a tough one to pair against Olsen. Ryan Bell, who played Fenwick, is an odd side character with more time than you might expect; his disgruntled employee shtick feels a little lost in everything else going on.

This is the sort of free-for-all creativity that makes me fall in love with genres like romantic comedy. I would give Eternity an 8.5/10.

Zootopia 2

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Zootopia 2 is the sequel to Zootopia (2016) and continues the adventures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. This unlikely crime-solving duo's partnership is tested when a snake's return to Zootopia upsets the entire city. It will take our heroes to crack the mystery of this case and to find out why those in charge of Zootopia want to keep him quiet.

Something that I really admire about both Zootopia films is that they have some really relevant messages to deliver to a modern audience. We can get delighted by the visual interpretations of what an animal city might look like, how everyday tasks have been developed to work for a sheep, giraffe or bison all living in the same block as one another. But within all this inventive worldbuilding, the film draws our eye to those foundational moments of thinking: how do different creatures living together actually make it work? We got to see prejudices between carnivores and herbivores challenged in Zootopia. This time, our story presents us with reptiles and the origins of the city itself. We are presented with a powerful narrative about an idea to bring all animals together in one place that was stolen by a greedy, rich mogul, who used the concept to push out an entire species from their home. It's a movie about colonisation and paying attention to those who have been removed from their home. I also think the film has a wonderful core story around Judy and Nick. This duo has their ability to stay together as a cohesive partnership really tested, and I liked watching them rise to the challenge for one another. There is a twist around the true antagonist for this film, which really impressed me and lifted the quality of the plot up quite a bit.

The animation here is really vibrant, toting a range of colours and character models that make no one panel alike from the others. This is a very action-heavy film, and the fast-paced style of animation doesn't compromise on clarity. There are also so many well-considered visual gags scattered throughout this feature. The score for Zootopia 2 is a real invitation for adventure, transporting the audience right into the thrill of a moment. I also loved the headliner song for the film, 'Zoo' by Shakira, which is definitely a worthy successor to 'Try Everything'.

Ginnifer Goodwin, who voiced Judy Hopps, is a solid protagonist as the duty-first hero we came to love the first time around; Goodwin really captures Judy's mission at all costs outlook nicely here. Jason Bateman, who voiced Nick Wilde, really gets to stand out and lead more in this one; Bateman's dry, casual wit is perfectly paired with this charismatic fox. Andy Samberg, who voiced Pawbert Lynxley, is a loveable dork for a lot of the film; Samberg also pulls off the big heel turn moment phenomenally. David Strathairn, who voiced Milton Lynxley, is an extremely cold-hearted antagonist; Strathairn has a real hard edge to his voice that makes for a good bad guy. Idris Elba, who voiced Chief Bogo, doesn't have as much to do this time around, but still plays his part well; the no-nonsense police captain bit still works well in Elba's hands. Patrick Warburton, who voiced Mayor Winddancer, is a nice gag at the actor turned political figure; Warburton leans in with an overly dramatic angle to great effect. Quinta Brunson, who voiced Dr Fuzzby, has a calming voice that suits her therapist character; this even tone contrasts nicely with the absurdity of the scene she's working within. Danny Trejo, who voiced Jesús, is quite the mysterious figure at first; Trejo also delivers quite a bit of important exposition in a way that really grabs your attention. Maurice LaMarche, who voiced Mr Big, is a Godfather parody gag that I absolutely adore; LaMarche hits all the right notes of this perfectly. Robert Irwin, who voiced Robert Furwin, is a nice, charismatic beat to end the film on; if you're going to go Australian celebrity for the koala, an Irwin feels remarkably fitting.

However, the best performance came from Ke Huy Quan, who voiced Gary De'Snake. This role is what this movie hinges on in a lot of ways. Gary might not have as many scenes as our two leads, but his very existence is what sets this movie into motion. However, his place as a kind, determined and empathetic creature is what makes you care for him immediately. There is no voice better for this than Quan's. This is a voice performance that captures gentleness and compassion; you truly believe in Gary's goodness from his first scene, and it helps guide the movie forward. Quan crafts a bright, optimistic spark at the heart of this story, which will win audiences of all ages.

I found that Zootopia 2 had a lot it wanted to achieve, be that the visual gags or the worldbuilding elements or quite simply the story itself. Yet, with so much ambition, the film never really seemed to drop anything; there was just a lot there. The pacing for Zootopia 2 could certainly have been sharper and less long in the tooth. There were many moments in which we didn't need to stay sitting within an environment, but could have just moved forward. I also felt that the way the partnership was tested and the greater message about how Zootopians viewed reptiles held a very similar place to story elements from the first feature. This did tend to work, but I hope the pattern of familiarity is challenged a bit if they keep going forward.

Fortune Feimster, who voiced Nibbles Maplestick, is without a doubt the most annoying addition to the main cast; Feimster's voice is painful and the vocal equivalent of easy-going slapstick. Shakira, who voiced Gazelle, sings 'Zoo' well but adds nothing as a character; the film goes out of its way to shoehorn her in this time around. Nate Torrence, who voiced Clawhauser, is a comedic bit role that probably didn't need to come back so predominantly; within a much bigger cast of characters, Clawhauser falls into the background. Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake, who voiced Bonnie Hopps and Stu Hopps respectively, don't serve their purpose so much in the sequel; the overly concerned parents gag falls flat. Leah Latham, who voiced Fru Fru, is an unfortunate consequence of having LaMarche back; Latham's voice is grating and kills the comedy of the scene. Jenny Slate, who voiced Bellwether, really didn't need to be carted back into the sequel; Slate feels quite overused here and entirely superfluous to the plot. 

Zootopia 2 is quite comfortably the best animated feature of 2025. I would give Zootopia 2 an 8.5/10

Wicked: For Good

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Wicked: For Good is the sequel to Wicked (2024) and an adaptation of the final act of the Broadway musical of the same name. This feature is set years after Elphaba spirited away with the Grimmerie, and she is still fighting for the rights of the animals of Oz. Glinda has become a voice and puppet of the Wizard and Morrible's propaganda machine. There is considerable discord in Oz, and tensions are poised to boil over...

The second act of Wicked delves deeper into the themes of this take on the world of Oz. One of the big ones is how Elphaba is a force for good and justice. Within the very opening minutes of the film, we see our protagonist witch comes to the defence of some of the animals of Oz. Elphaba has been ostracised from her homeland in her efforts to do the right thing, and it's a very isolating struggle. Yet, across the film, she strives to do the right thing by Oz, making efforts to see it change for the better. At the same time, it's interesting to see this take on the Wizard and his main supporter, Madame Morrible, and how they govern Oz. It is a world where those in charge maintain control thinly, through lies and turning people against one another. Watching Glinda be placed as a puppet for this purpose is interesting, and the effect it has on the friendship between Glinda and Elphaba is quite tragic as well. Watching this strong bond from the first film be tested and strained is what I found most compelling in this sequel. The culmination in our leading protagonists eventually having to diverge from one another as they sing 'For Good' is quite a decent emotional beat.

Jon M. Chu is a director whom I often enjoy; one key reason being that the man knows how to capture a vivid colour palette. This film can pop with colour in one scene, swirl with firelight in another and dance in the shadows at other times. Chu showcases the point of musical film adaptation and takes the show to a new visual frontier with confidence. The special effects we see don't feel misused (except for that de-aged Goldblum shot). I loved the flight sequences with Elphaba, Glinda's bubble and the CGI animal creatures. While I don't think this film held songs that will stay with me afterwards, they carried strong weight for the moments they were performed. I also loved 'For Good' as I previously mentioned, but 'No Good Deed' is an easy crowd favourite.

Cynthia Erivo, who played Elphaba, is an incredible lead who plays the struggle of a land against her well; Erivo is so righteous and hurt across For Good which is a darker edge that serves well. Jeff Goldblum, who played The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is a bit more whimsical and comedic in this one; I think you get a good chance to see how he schemes and tries to manipulate others here. Michelle Yeoh, who played Madame Morrible, might struggle with the singing, but she dominates with her performance; Yeoh is a fearsome antagonist. Jonathan Bailey, who played Fiyero, is rather conflicted and brooding here; I enjoyed seeing Bailey choose to fight for his values over his status. Bowen Yang, who played Pfannee, clearly gets to adlib in his short time a bit more; Yang being allowed to flex his comedy makes an impact this time around.

However, the best performance came from Ariana Grande, who played Glinda. I feel like watching the Wicked films is like watching a surprising transformation when it comes to Grande. Already in the first film, I found she challenged my expectations quite a bit. But in the sequel, I would say she commands the screen for most of the feature. Here, Glinda plays to the crowd; she is a bright, charismatic force used to keep the Wizard in power. I often found myself impressed with the little breaks in the facade that Grande delivered, those vulnerable moments of regret Glinda carried with her. It has to be said that Grande and Erivo together are wonderful; the dynamic they share only serves to lift this movie up at every turn. I also loved the moments of heartbreak for Glinda, Grande plays Fiyero abandoning her and parting ways with Elphaba forever in such a tragic way. I found some serious satisfaction and elation at the ending. Grande's Glinda becomes a sort of symbol for hope and change for the better. This role has been phenomenal for Ariana Grande, and I don't think I could possibly underestimate her as an actress going forward.

This film never really stops feeling quite busy, and even downright scattered at times. In all honesty, a lot of the issues in the second act of the show are blown up larger than ever here. The way this story tries to dart around The Wizard of Oz and weave it all together actually serves to make the whole thing confusing. There are whole scenes that just don't really work because of this. Time jumps around in this movie quite a bit, between the two films and across this movie too. The result is a film that just doesn't always have pacing working for it. I really struggled with some of the major romance storylines in this feature; putting Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero into a love triangle just infantilised the quality of the story. I also think the Boq, Nessarose and Glinda thing got a bit long in the tooth and is a subplot that struggles at the best of times.

The music as a whole works, as I mentioned previously, but the songs won't stay with you for long after the film, beyond a couple of major players. What I really couldn't stand were the two new original songs developed for this film. Both come off as quite out of place and only serve to push out the film longer than it needs to be.

Ethan Slater, who played Boq, is a performer who just feels like an afterthought; I didn't much care for Slater's transition into the Tin Man at all. Marissa Bode, who played Nessarose, really lets herself down in this sequel; Bode's role had no harder edge to it, which is the one thing that really feels lacking. Colman Domingo, who voiced The Cowardly Lion, isn't really a role we needed to serve time as a character; Domingo is entirely unimpressionable as the Lion. Bronwyn James, who played Shenshen, is still stuck in the background; the need for her to play entourage has been and gone by this point. Scarlett Spears, who played Young Galinda, just doesn't quite have the range to land an emotional beat yet; Spears' younger take is a pretty shallow take on our leading role.

It might not be as strong as the first film, but it is an ending that hits most of the right notes. I would give Wicked: For Good a 7.5/10.

The Running Man

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Running Man is an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name, set in a world where the only way to escape the slum is to win big on a corporate TV game show. When Ben Richards' daughter falls ill, he takes a payout and joins 'The Running Man' in a desperate bid to save her and fight for his family.

The big thing this film has peppered throughout that I quite enjoyed is how media is used by corporations, and how we consume it in this day and age. The idea of watching 'The Running Man' is a thrill for the audience, but it's a bit of a cheap illusion ultimately. As we learn across the feature, the runners are picked based on their character and the outcomes are often scripted. Even the self-recorded videos the Runners make are doctored using A.I. or deepfake technology, which is a commentary that doesn't seem so entirely sci-fi nor outlandish. At the start of the film, we watch our protagonist Ben and his infant daughter watch a show where a man answers trivia while running on a hamster wheel. He either gets the answer right and wins money or he dies, which is ultimately what happens. Ben tries to distract his daughter by pointing out the cute hamster mascot. I think that scene alone says a lot about media consumption and how it can be presented. There's even a brilliant Kardashians parody in this, which draws a line around vapid consumption of media and how easy it is to be drawn into a binge cycle of consuming what is presented before you digitally.

I find Edgar Wright to be an extremely dependable director when it comes to capturing his project visually. The Running Man can get a little ham-fisted with the story at times, but the presentation rarely feels this way. Shots throughout show the disparity of this dystopian world, the hard-edged difference between the haves and the have-nots. The soundtrack for this feature is excellent, with some very fitting and fun tracks from the likes of Tom Jones and The Rolling Stones.

Glen Powell, who played Ben Richards, is a pretty decent lead for this dystopian thriller; Powell's moments where he feels most human are where his character work really shines. Lee Pace, who played Evan McCone, is a good rival for Powell across this; Pace has a hulking presence and really lashes out nicely in the final act. Colman Domingo, who played Bobby T, is a charismatic host who works every scene for all its worth; Domingo really knows how to dress up and inflate certain moments. Michael Cera, who played Elton Perrakis, was an absolute delight in this; Cera brought forward a character with a lot of conviction and a strong sense of justice.

However, the best performance came from Josh Brolin, who played Dan Killian. Brolin is having such a good run with his acting performances this year, even if this isn't quite as big a swing as Weapons. Here we see Brolin as a conniving producer for the Network. A man who doesn't mind trading in lives if the propaganda machine keeps on churning. Killian is an arrogant man; he sees himself and his work as untouchable by those below him. You get a sense of power from Brolin across this; he enters every scene holding the cards and expecting to play those across from him. I also liked the way Brolin portrayed the more manipulative side of his character, posing as a decent guy with a word of advice that would never actually help anyone. That final shot, where Brolin is caught up in fear but also a bit of excitement at the prospect of this being a 'good finale', is one of the more nuanced and well-portrayed character beats of the film.

I spent a lot of this movie trying to understand if it believed in the message it was trying to sell. At its core, The Running Man is about how we consume media, how media is manipulated, and most significantly, it is about corporate control and social inequality. However, the latter part of this rarely feels authentic across the film. Let's take the protagonist, for instance, Ben Richards is presented to us as a bleeding heart very early on; he's an everyday schmuck and yet the guy rarely seems like he is struggling. He almost seems like an archetype of himself most of the film, a man who is angry at the way the world works quite blindly. There's a younger character introduced in the final act who is there for Richards to shout out and point at the disparity of the class gap between them. This movie is obvious at every turn, and it loudly shouts its theme in a very dense, blunt manner. The entire film builds up to the protagonist awkwardly being worked out of a near-death situation (we don't see how) and then being propped up as a martyr without ever truly earning it. This is a film that knows what it wants to deliver, but perhaps the creative team behind it doesn't understand how to do a good poor versus the elite narrative. This is a showy action film with some decent stunts, but when it tries to make a point, you find yourself wishing it would find some substance to those ideas. The film also moves too quickly throughout; we barely learn about Ben's home life before he throws it away for the show, there are several side characters who we barely come to understand before they're shuffled on, and the final act moves extremely awkwardly in terms of pacing. This is a film with oodles of potential, but it needed to really be done at a more even pace, with a more dynamic approach to the themes and characters.

The special effects across this are mostly explosion-laden bores, but the glaringly bad one is the plane and the crash at the end of the film. It's an eyesore that pushes us into a rather shaky conclusion. The score for the film is rarely very present, and it certainly doesn't uplift the feature in any way.

Jayme Lawson, who played Sheila Richards, is a long way from Sinners here; Lawson's pining wife role doesn't offer much agency. Katy O'Brian, who played Jenni Laughlin, just feels a bit rudderless in this; beyond partying up and oogling other women, there isn't much to O'Brian's character. Martin Herlihy, who played Tim Jansky, is a weak effort at early comedic relief; Herlihy is an obvious push for a laugh, and this falls on its face pretty soon. William H. Macy, who played Molie, is a bit tired as the paranoid old ally; Macy's character barely has time to connect with Powell's, so it's no surprise there's nothing genuine there. Angelo Gray and Daniel Ezra, who played Stacey and Bradley respectively, were some of the more annoying ally roles across this film; Ezra, in particular, had this online persona that did not support the film at all. Emilia Jones, who played Amelia Williams, was in the unfortunate position of playing a character who felt like an afterthought; she and Powell really struggled to define how they wanted to play across from one another.

In a world riddled with films about corporate control and societal injustice, this adaptation of The Running Man comes off as insincere. I would give The Running Man a 4.5/10.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Now You See Me: Now You Don't is the third film in the Now You See Me series, and this time sees our magical Horsemen take on the mogul of an African diamond mine. All of our classic horsemen are back, with some copycat younger recruits in tow, looking to bring justice via an illusion and a trick.

Maybe I like the camp quality of the stage magic and illusions being woven into the plot. Or perhaps I'm a sucker for a heist movie. Whatever it may be, I really enjoy the Now You See Me movies; they have an easy charm to them that I find a lot of major blockbusters struggle to attain these days. A lot of this comes from the chemistry between the cast that emerges through their characters. This cast just bounces and quips off one another so effortlessly, they look like they are having fun with the film, which makes it so easy to have fun with the film as an audience member. Character dynamics being poked and prodded here, new interactions in any given scene made this a movie I found really easy to just sit back and journey with. The heist moments are always quite fun; there's a bit more of a simple twist in the final act that I appreciated. The third Now You See Me might be stuffed with characters, but I think it also chose to go back to basics, and for the most part, that worked for it.

The soundtrack for this movie is a bit more deliberate and has a pop twist that really leans into the performance element of the movie. I think Brian Tyler always shows up to a Now You See Me score; the music in this is dazzling, brimming with adventure and full of showmanship.

Woody Harrelson, who played Merritt McKinney, is one of the funniest performances in this easily; Harrelson's interrogation room scene with Pike is a real high point of the feature. Dave Franco, who played Jack Wilder, is effortlessly charismatic; he's the more outgoing Horseman and puts himself squarely in the face of risk. Isla Fisher, who played Henley Reeves, is a joy to have back; Fisher's character really shows off and gets back to the performance aspect of the magic. Justice Smith, who played Charlie, gives a surprisingly subversive performance; Smith usually plays a more reserved character who finds his strength in a story, and this film has fun twisting that expectation here. Dominic Sessa, who played Bosco, is a new brand of cocky magician that works well for the sequel; Sessa and Eisenberg were such good foils for one another. Morgan Freeman, who played Thaddeus Bradley, really evokes a sense of wonder and mystery in a manner that is classic to him; his death scene was a nice sombre beat to the film. Mark Ruffalo, who played Dylan Rhodes, has one CGI cameo, but it's a great touch; Ruffalo's earnest nature shines through and is as much a part of the magic as anything else. Lizzy Caplan, who played Lula May, steals the show entirely upon her surprise return; her brand of comedy works so well in these films, and she's an easy favourite.

However, the best performance came from Jesse Eisenberg, who played J. Daniel Atlas. These movies and, indeed, the very character of Atlas, feel extremely well-suited to Eisenberg. Atlas is an arrogant illusionist who can live up to his own boastful claims. Eisenberg commands a scene quite naturally and clearly enjoys playing to a crowd. I like that this character is hellbent on a mission, but still struggles with playing well with others. His moments of conflict across the cast are quite fun. I especially enjoyed the back and forth between him and newcomer, Sessa. Eisenberg's reaction to Thaddeus' death is a quiet emotional beat in this that lands quite well. Overall, Eisenberg plays a magician who can feel larger than life, and that suits this series very well.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't can't really escape what it is, the third film in a franchise. At this point, there's a bit of a formula, and it's all on show for us here. Our heroes unite, they find some initial success, then the antagonist starts winning, and then we get the big trick. It's exactly like the past two films. I guess you could apply some "if it ain't broke" thinking to all this, but I feel these movies need to do something fresh to keep themselves going. The dialogue is also a little clunkier, the jokes feel simple, and there is a staggering amount of exposition in the first half of this feature. I also really felt that the new antagonist, Veronika, really didn't live up to the bar set by Caine and Radcliffe. In fact, while the heist itself was fun, the actual initial motive behind the caper isn't a strong hook.

I'm really used to the Now You See Me movies being quite showy, even through the work of the camera. This is a missing element this time around. The camera work is here to frame the characters and steadily capture the scene, but nothing is exciting through the lens. I was likewise quite disappointed with how this movie had some poor cuts and rather average special effects that constantly descended into vanishing smoke bombs.

Ariana Greenblatt, who played June, has been in a lot of major blockbusters now, and it's starting to count against her; it's becoming increasingly clear her range is not so great. Rosamund Pike, who played Veronika Vanderberg, is a surprisingly dull antagonist; it feels like Pike's main motive for being in this film was to give a South African accent a go.

The Now You See Me series has always been a delight to me; that cast has more chemistry than they know what to do with. I would give Now You See Me: Now You Don't a 7.5/10.