Category Archives: Movies

Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sci Fi, Sword & Sorcery, teen, Teen Adventure

REVIEW: “HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON” (2025) Universal/Dreamworks

Leave a comment

Honestly… going into “HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON”, I didn’t expect to feel the same way I did back in 2010, but this film brought it all back and I mean ALL back. Well, I should say, Director Dean DeBlois, Writers Cressida Cowell & William Davies have brought it back here in this great animated film done in live-action remake. I mean you know the story, and if you don’t, a brief summary follows. But, you probably know the original one as it is the story of a friendship between a timid young Viking and a mysterious dragon. And not much has changed story-wide, or at least if it is, very little is to be spotted. And that’s what makes this wonderful live-action version so excellent, because it retains what made the original so charming and popular, while also standing on it’s own as possibly one of the best live action remakes we’ve ever had the pleasure to view.

For those who don’t know yet, ‘HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON’ is the story of Hiccup, the unpopular son of the Viking chieftain Stoick from he Viking village of Berk, which is home to dragon slayers only. Hiccup not only finds himself unable, but essientially also doesn’t want to slay dragons. Nevertheless, he submits himself to the ritual of dragon-slaying lessons in order to finally be accepted into the community and, above all, by his father. Hiccup has a little secret, though, and that’s Toothless, a Night Fury. Night Furies are the most feared dragons, but this one becomes friends with Hiccup.

Mason Thames (right) as Hiccup with his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, in Universal Pictures’ live-action How to Train Your Dragon, written and directed by Dean DeBlois.

The film is set what we can assume is the early medieval times. The village of Berk, inhabited by Vikings and a few other tribes, is constantly attacked by dragons. These dragons cause destruction and take away livestock. Hiccup (Mason Thames), the son of the village chieftain Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), wants to fight the dragons just like other warriors in his village. However, he’s deemed not suitable to do this and is instead asked to intern with Gobber (Nick Frost), the village blacksmith. The experience helps Hiccup to learn other facets of life and start to understand and create different machines. He invents and makes his very own ‘bolas launcher’, something completely created by his own mind & knowledge he has obtained from this internship, and he takes it out when the dragons attack one night. He also takes daytime jouneys on his own away from the village, and realizes one day that he is able to spot a Night Fury. It’s a dragon no one has ever seen and is considered to be the most dangerous of all. Hiccup launches a well, sort of attack in the way of mostly trying to trap the Night Fury, and ends up shooting it down. He cautiously informs his father and villagers about it but they don’t take him all too seriously. The next day, he goes back to the outskirts of the villlage to kinda tell himself he didn’t imagine all this and this is all real. He realizes that he is right and that he indeed attacked the creature, but again, not wanting to be a dragon slayer, instead of killing him, he sets the Night Fury free and furthermore names him Toothless. The dragon also doesn’t kill him but escapes. Toothless is now able to fly but only if Hiccup will ride him in another invention made of his own, a dragon-riding saddle. Meanwhile, Stoick and the rest of the warriors have ventured into the sea to find the nest of the dragons. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

With up-and-comer Mason Thames, they’ve found a really good Hicks, who bears a striking physical resemblance to his animated alter ego. Thames has a great sense of timing and finds subtle perfect nuances between comedy and drama. And his interactions with a non-existent dragon are simply flawless. The same can be said for newcomer Nico Parker’s performance as Astrid, as we see a little crush form over time of the film between the two of them, which was just sweetness personified.

The impressive images of many of the flying shots with Hiccup and Toothless are particularly breathtaking here. Virtually all of the dragons inserted with CGI are impressive in their realism. The visual effects and live-action footage are flawless, and both seem to be from the same world, the same place. Even the actual lead character, Nightshade Toothless, gains an unexpectedly realistic presence in realistic texture and movement – ​​and in cuteness factor. John Powell’s music is exemplary. Bill Pope’s cinematography is breathtaking. The locales of Ireland are well captured by the lensman. The VFX is top-class and the team especially did a great job with the dragon. It looks cute yet has the ability to terrify in its own sweet way of more tensenees vs. scary. The action is without any gore, but done to where you understand it, but it’s not mean, as say a machine gun battle form of violence. Lindsay Pugh’s costumes and Dominic Watkins’ production design are appropriate for the era depicted. Wyatt Smith’s editing is satisfactory, despite it being nearly 20 minutes longer than the 2010 animated film.

Stoick (Gerard Butler) in Universal Pictures’ live- action How to Train Your Dragon, written and directed by Dean DeBlois.

“How to Train Your Dragon” hasn’t refocused, really updated, or even expanded in any way here over the animated version. But it is still very much so it’s own film. Real images are fundamentally more appealing, even more so when a fantasy world becomes an almost visual, tangible reality. The images of the Viking village of Berk, or the Great Hall of the Council. The rocky landscapes and forests are impressive. Populated by real people of all kinds (again, great casting), and realistic dragons. It’s a beautiful and vibrant world, mystical yet inviting. DeBlois has increased the running time from the original 98 minutes to 125 titillating, pefectly done minutes. But the new “How to Train Your Dragon” justifies itself in every way possible. This isn’t just a children’s film, this is a film for all ages and I myself, was completely and thoroughly enthralled with it throughout the entire film. I lost myself in this world and I loved it.

This remake went far beyond my expectations. The casting was spot on all the way down the line from the entire young group of Dragon Slayers: Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), Fishlegs (Julian Denison), Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn), to Flatula (Kate Kennedy) & Snorti (Marcus Onilude), all the way down and again, to the main cast who are just impecable. Too many to mention all, but they ALL mattered and added to the film. The performances as well, all felt genuine and convincing. Especially Hiccup and Astrid. I found myself reconnecting with them like it was the first time all over again. This film isn’t just a copy of its animated family-it’s a heartfelt experience that stands on its own and was nothing short of breathtaking. “How to Train Your Dragon” for me personally, completely exceeded my expectations – and then some. From the very first scene, I was drawn into its world, and I didn’t want to leave.

(from left) Astrid (Nico Parker), Ruffnut (Bronwyn James), Gobber (Nick Frost), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison) and Snotlout (Gabriel Howell) in Universal Pictures’ live-action How to Train Your Dragon, written and directed by Dean DeBlois.

What else can you ask for in a film except to escape for a short time. I think audiences will do just that this weekend and more.

Grade: A+

“HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON” IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025

Review Screening: Monday June 9, 2025 ~ Courtesey of Universal Pictures & Dreamworks

Fun HTTYD T-shirt given to us by Universal/Dreamworks Thank you!!

Drama, Fantasy, Independent Feature, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sci Fi

REVIEW: “THE LIFE OF CHUCK” (2025) NEON

1 Comment

Remembering only vaguely of the book that I probably read ages ago, Director Mike Flanagan and Writer extraordinaire’ Stephen King make a deep, beautifally layered film about the value of life here with “THE LIFE OF CHUCK”. It’s the kind of film that must be seen, not so much to be told about because it expresses so much in its 1 hour and 50 minutes of run time. It’s also really hard to explain, but Flanagan does not waste a single shot in this story told essentially backwards to forwards in different Acts.

The Third Act starts us off with Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a school teacher, and starts with chronicling the crumbling world from the perspective of a small American town he lives in. The internet has been down for months and is about to go dark, along with the television and cell phone service. Meanwhile, climate change has devastated almost every country with California practically submerged itself in the Pacific, the mid-west is on fire, the rest of the World, I have no words, and the local doctor Felicia (Karen Gillan), also Marty’s ex-girlfriend, try to stay afloat. 

With all this going on around them, oddly the most frequent topic of conversation besides the latest catastrophic news, is everyone wondering about the curious billboards they’ve seen thanking a nerdy, but professionally dressed man, named Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), congratulating him for his “39 ​​magnificent years.” But no one knows what he did for said 39 years. Is he a doctor? A radio host? A local TV personality? No one seems to know, but this is just one of the many questions that affect the film’s characters and, by now, undoubtable us, the audience, who are wondering how this apocalypse came about. However, “The Life of Chuck” doesn’t rush to provide linear answers, at least not at first. Instead, it features deep conversations between Felicia and Marty, who reflect not only on the state of the world, but on humanity’s very existence, now that society may be taking its last breath.

There is a narration, unfallably provided throughout the movie by the wonderful Nick Offerman, yet right from Act Three, everything seen and experienced unfolds perfectly all the way till the end, which is yes, Act One. But first, we have Act Two, where we finally meet “Chuck” and the focus immediately goes on Hiddleston and his character, but truly it’s a full team effort here and we watch as Janice (Annalise Basso), Hiddleston’s dance partner in this act, and Taylor Franck (The Pocket Queen), who is a drum busker, all combine their magnificent talent with moves from the amazing choreography of Mandy Moore & Stephanie Powell really make the dance scene sing. The Pocket Queen aka Franck, is a truly a magnificent talent in herself in her brief, but excellent role is a full standout of this Act Two and the movie as a whole. Hiddleston, while getting top billing, is really very much a smaller supporting role here in every sense of the word.

And then there is “Act One” and what an act it is. Pay attention here everyone as there is a young ‘Chuck Krantz’ here played by Benjamin Pajak that will blow you away. In fact, ALL the kids performances were just as brilliant as the adults, if not more so. Act One is beautifully done when young Chuck (Pajak), receives a very haunting monologue from his grandfather Albie Krantz (Mark Hamill), about certain choices in life. Act One really helps put the puzzle together that was Act Three, where the cosmic elements are more defined to you and it all comes together with a beautiful synergy. Act Two is the filler we needed to understand who older Chuck is and then as well, we have teenage Chuck (Jacob Tremblay), in a smaller, but poignent step in this story of ‘The Life of Chuck’.

The supporting cast brings warmth, depth, and surprise. Mia Sara, in a heartfelt return to the screen, shines as Chuck’s mother Sarah Krantz. Matthew Lillard’s brief appearance in Act One as Marty’s friend Gus, is both deeply touching. Mark Hamill lends weight and tenderness in his role as Chuck’s grandfather and is one of my three huge standouts here along with Pajak and The Pocket Queen. And again, Nick Offerman serves as the narrator, and his voice, calm, grounded, and thoughtful, beautifully anchors the film’s reflective tone.

Stephen King is right when he says The Life of Chuck is one of the good ones. The spirit and energy is felt from beginning to end, and with all on board performances giving their best, Flanagan is further establishing himself as a fine present-time director with this one as there is so much here to appreciate. As well, from the cosmic elements in ‘Act Three’ to the dancing scenes in ‘Acts Two & One,’ Flanagan did an exceptional job incorporating the sound throughout. The choreography is stunning and this film speaks to you. It just does. One thing I will say is The Life of Chuck is dedicated In Memory to Scott Wampler. And there are a few cameos in The Life of Chuck including Flanagan himself, but Scott’s inclusion just tugged me right at the heart.

As one does, I too have pondered in my life why certain moments are impactful and have helped form me into the individual I am today. It feels like utter randomness, but that’s the point isn’t it. What matters to us..what gives us substance…is what makes me well, me and us the unique people wer are. It’s the good, the bad, the meager, and the reality all of it that comes together to form our universe and reality as we know it.

So I’ll leave you with this: In a world where things are changing by the minute, not always in the positive, try to remember to still be kind to yourself and others. Hug your loved ones, forgive those you can forgive, and when or if, things don’t go as planned, accept and trust that your life was exactly as it was meant to be.That’s what my mom used to tell me, keep doing what makes you happy no matter what others say. She told me that as she was passing. I’ve never forgotten it.

“The Life of Chuck” is more than just a film, it’s a love letter to life, memory, connection, and the meaning we create in our short time here. Flanagan’s masterful direction, paired with a stellar cast and emotionally intelligent storytelling, makes this one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking films of the year.

I do highly recommend “The Life of Chuck” as it’s the film we all need right now.

Grade: A

“THE LIFE OF CHUCK” IS OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025 IN LIMITED RELEASE. WORLDWIDE RELEASE – FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025

Review Screening: Thursday, May 29, 2025 ~ Courtesey of Ginsberg/Libby PR

Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Independent Feature, Movie Reviews, Movies

REVIEW: “I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU” (2025) Vertical Entertainment

Leave a comment

Going into “I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU”, my initial thoughts were ‘comedy’. So I wasn’t prepared for a bit of emotion in the opening third of film.

The film opens with Writer/Directors Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig’s twisted comedy about two gay dad trying to make a video to be qualified as adopters for a child. The is the process, and it’s rather grueling to be honest. What do you say to have the mother, in this case – Amanda Seyfried (Candace), pick you to be her baby’s parents. It’s an emotional watch. It’s made more emotional by the fact that we find out, they have done this process before and been scammed.

But here is also where the movie just took a ball and pitched it into left field. We are in this completely poignent moment in time with these two men and what is clearly a big emotional moment in their lives – and then, we suddenly find outselves wandering through Italy with our wealthy gay couple Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells), as somewhere in all this, they have decided the world is against them. Remember, as of right now, and as Americans, they live in a time and in a country where they can legally marry, adopt, and do virtually everything straight people do; but this isn’t the case everywhere and Italy is a country that does not allow this. They’re also old enough to remember when all these freedoms weren’t available to them as well, so they anticipate rejection and homophobia at every turn. They’re prepared for the worst, and somehow they attract it.

But it’s also during this trip to Italy, which by the way was foreplanned as they are celebrating their anniversary, that they receives the news that the baby they’ve tried so hard to be elgible for, is going to be their’s and is about to be born. An old family friend of Dom’s Father organizes an exclusive dinner for them at a secluded restaurant. And so on.

And then it goes even wilder and weirder as the holidays unfold, what began as a simple anniverary vacation story takes weird, grim turns. Dom and Cole are immediately captivated by rustic restaurateur Francesca (Eleonora Romandini), though their imaginations begin to get the better of them, they misconstrue their knife-holding hostess (she’s a cook after all), and her macho son Massimo (Morgan Spector), as potential threats. Suddenly, the bodies are piling up, and the couple doesn’t know if they’ve dodged a hate crime or if they’ve perpetrated one against their hosts, who could hardly be kinder. And yet, they stab the air with knives and say things like, “You’re going to be a dey-ud.” If you’ve been watched your whole life (as Dom and Cole feel), it’s easy to misinterpret those signals. And because they’re unfamiliar with the local culture and language, (everything Italian is in sub-titles btw), things often escalate at breakneck speed.

I know this might seem strange, but there comes a point in this film where, objectively speaking, we begin to realize that Dom and Cole aren’t really great people (revealing the why/how here would ruin the film). In any case, “I Don’t Understand You” isn’t concerned with how these two might fare in a court of law in any world that I know of. Kroll and Rannells play the couple with a kind of “us against the world” conviction that draws the audience to their side, even when it’s not always clear whether their panic attacks and small displays of public affection are meant to seem cute or embarrassing, as it’s a hard read between the two here on them. It’s clear they like attention though.

Like their characters in “I Don’t Understand You”, the writer and director are also married in real life, which means that some of the tone of this film are presumably autobiographical, and probably exaggerated in an over-the-top manner. That’s what makes this kinda confusing to me, as this seems like it’s two totally different films shoved into one film. The first film is about the two men trying to adopt a child, the second film is about the same two men having all sorts of crazy happen on an anniversary trip to Italy together. Separately, these would’ve been two probably really good films, together, it just didn’t make sense. It ended sweetly though, with a throw-back to “film one” and happily ever after.

Grade: D+

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU” IS OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025

Review Screener: Courtesy of Ginsberg/Libby PR

Australian Films, Independent Feature, Movie Reviews, Movies, Psychological Thriller, Thriller

Review: “The Surfer” (2025) Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions

3 Comments

There is no doubt in my mind that Nicolas Cage is an incredible actor. His body of work speaks for itself. There are many of his films that are on my favourites list and my ‘highly recommend’ lists. That being said, just when you think you have him pegged in a category, he goes and throws you a hard curve ball. That curve ball here is “THE SURFER”, an Australian Independent Film directed by Lorcan Finnegan and written by Thomas Martin.

Nic plays The Surfer, who is sort of a investor/realtor as well, an American, born and raised in Australia, who is attempting to take his son, The Kid (Finn Little), surfing out on an Australian beach at the same Australian beaches he used to in his childhood. However, he is prevented from doing so by a local gang of local, sunburnt surfers who humiliate him in front of his son. The ‘surprise’ for his son was to show him the beach with the hopes of buying up his father’s old property nearby for them to live in from of course, The Estate Agent (Rahel Romahn). As they enter the beach area from the parking lot, they run into none other than the Locals. Yes, this is a “Locals Only” beach ran by Scally (Julian McMahon), and his gang of merry surfers consisting of Blondie (Rory O’Keeffe), Pitbull (Alexander Bertrand), Runt 1 (James Bingham), Runt 2 (Austen Wilmot), and Runt 3 (Talon Hopper). These are just a few of what we referred to when I was a kid in Huntington Beach, CA as “Surf Nazi’s.” You only need to watch “American History X” to fully understand the true scale of these people as yes, they did exist, and yes, they do still exist.

From here on, “The Surfer” takes us on a wild ride through various time slips, with Cage’s character making increasingly desperate calls to his broker friend, and encounters with local bullying kids I mentioned, Add in an ominous, Reaper-esque like character named The Bum (Nicholas Cassim), an elder who brings up grim facts of his past, we watch as not only he, but Cage’s character The Surfer as well, slowly lose their moorings to real life. The Surfer becomes a stranded, demented wanderer of the area, insisting on some version of life that doesn’t jive with reality.

I can’t remember the last time I saw someone suffer – on screen – this much. The amount of punishment, deprivation and gaslighting that Nic Cage’s character suffered throughout the film is only matched by the sheer perseverance and desire he had to ride those waves with his son. Proving that parental ties can sometimes top anything and everything and nothing else matters but that one goal.

Despite the constant abuse being shown on screen, the film sustains a weird comedic and almost dreamy quality throughout. The soundtrack with its use of chimes and the camera with its play on focus helped elevate those scenes with a dehydrated Cage to a place straddling between a delirious dream and a nightmare. Sometimes the film crosses into a point of hilarious ridiculousness; there is one scene where a dead rat comes out of someone’s pocket and is used as a weapon.

I was also a bit surprised by just how gorgeous of a film The Surfer actually is. The cinematography and editing are quite over the top, but never overdone. It’s clear he filmmaker’s are having fun shooting the film as they clearly respect the power of the ocean and the beauty of the waves and surfing experience itself.. It’s also impressive how much dynamic they manage to get out of a movie that literally takes place entirely between one beach and the parking lot next to it.

Summing it up, there were points at the beginning where I thought, “this can’t be real”, but then I only had to remember writing “Locals Only” in surf wax at age 15 on the 9th street beach apartment walls to remember, “Oh “yeah it is real”. I mean we never went to this extent, but some did.

All in all, “The Surfer” keeps your brain going and I came to respect the film. As well, a great supporting cast including Julian McMahon whom has a fully riveting presence as the film’s co-star, as well.

While the final act of the film is certainly the most loose and lawless part of the experience, and is sure to be the killer of joy for some, again, it had me respecting the film in a particular way in the end.

Grade: C+

“THE SURFER” IS OUT NOW WORLDWIDE

Review Screener: Courtesy of Ginsberg/Libby PR

Action, Crime, Crime Thriller, Movie Reviews, Movies, Thriller

REVIEW: “EQUALIZER 3” (2023) Sony Pictures

6 Comments

Who doesn’t love Denzel Washington right. We all do and here he teams up again with director Antoine Fuqua once again as Robert McCall in the third film of this series.

This time they head to Italy where McCall goes to “find peace”. It isn’t long till the mafia shows up with one of the best looking mafiaoso’s I’ve ever seen in Marco (Andrea Dodero), & his brother Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio), but they are there to make life messy for this little Italian town.

Robert McCall (DENZEL WASHINGTON) takes out Marco (ANDREA DODERO) in Columbia Pictures THE EQUALIZER 3. Photo by: Stefano Montesi

Equalizer 3 isn’t an overly original story and while Denzel tries his best to keep this formulaic film from completely failing..he succeeds at that, but not much more. Dakota Fanning is thrown in as Emma Collins a CIA agent – but her story thread is barely noticed.

Mind you the violence is high so be prepared for that. I wanted so much more than what I got, but it wasn’t terrible as is sure to entertain some.

Grade: C-

Follow me on twitter: @pegsatthemovies or Instagram: Peggyatthemovies

“EQUALIZER 3” FROM SONY PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Review Screening: Monday, August 25,2023 ~ Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, CGI, Drama, Movie Reviews, Movies

REVIEW: “GRAN TURISMO” (2023) SONY PICTURES

4 Comments

Unfortunately, if you’re a fan of racing “GRAN TURISMO” from director Neill Blomkamp will probably not be your film as you can see the glaring holes in this too-good-to-be-true story of a gamer who becomes a race car driver overnight by winning a contest. Now I don’t mind liberties taken with films, but outright untruths are ridiculous. Things like no practice, no qualifying, how many clutch gear-changes were shown when these haven’t been used in race cars for decades! Again, don’t try to fool real race fans this badly.

The real Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), wasn’t from the first class of GT Academy SIM winners to have gone from gamer to actual racing and he was not part of the Nissan team to get a podium win. Lucas Ordóñez from Spain was – and he raced for Nissan in 2009, as well as secured a podium win on his first ever event competition. In reality – Mardenborough was one of the winners of the GT Academy competition in 2011 and that same year, became eligible to race on actual cars. He had already competed in seven professional events so by that time, so he joined the Nissan team in 2013. Essentially, the entire movie’s emphasis on raw talent making it big overnight makes you feel like some random kid can win a game and become a pro-race driver – something that takes years of hard work and yes, loads of time and money. But those are the pesky facts and the issue for me personally as a Formula 1 racing fan with the taking of such dramatic license is that the viewer shouldn’t be this mislead that a video game simulator player can just transition so quickly to real life racing when in factual life, it would be completely unsafe and unrealistic.

Now that that my pesky facts are out of the way, let’s get into the film itself. A lot of the action sequences in the first half were disappointingly brief. The entirety of the first act and parts of the second seemed somewhat disorganized, transitioning quickly from scene to scene, giving the impression that they were rushing through story elements, almost as if they were trying to quickly check off various plot points to hurry towards the uplifting part of the narrative. The racing was a mixed bag, at times absorbing you in how intense it was but often it felt like some races ended too abruptly. Of course, it’s impossible to show an entire race within a movie’s scope, yet for the pivotal races, the execution was still fairly good and it got better by the end. Once the movie finds its heart and essence, you’re drawn in more, not just the thrill of the action but also the emotional resonance. As for the CGI, the intention is clearly behind giving it a gaming vibe, but still a little unsure about it for the racing as other films have done it better.

David Harbour as Jack Salter brings to the table his best Christian Horner (Red Bull) & Toto Wolff (Mercedes Benz), impersonations here and delivers a fairly strong performance, with the interactions between him and Jann standing out more than the racing scenes in some parts. Although David’s acting was good throughout, Madewake was his best when they were sharing the screen at the middle point of the film – in the beginning, his gaming acting was on the cheesy, annoying side, but he picked it up as the character became more rounded out. Djimon Hounsou as Jann’s dad Steve Mardenborough is sadly lackluster throughout, but to be honest, he wasn’t given the proper material. The character of Danny Moore – team executive/recruiter is played by Orlando Bloom – and while Bloom has never been Oscar worthy, this performance is a new low and brings the film down another grade notch to film adding to a few other lackluster performances within it.  A few of highlights were none other than Ginger Spice herself, Geri Halliwell aka Geri Horner – yes, that Christian Horner’s real-life wife and here she plays wife/mother Lesley Mardenborough. A few other notables supporting roles are Takehiro Hira, Darren Barnet, and Daniel Puig as Jann’s brother Colby.

Josha Stradowski as racing rival Nicholas Capa, was decent enough, seemingly tailor-made for the role of an egotistic douchebag. Apart from David Harbour, much of the cast seemed to be underused, particularly Bloom and Hounsou. Djimon, a good actor, could have been better utilized if the father character had been more effectively written, allowing for a deeper dive of the family dynamic. The film touches on a few things but only scratches the surface; like the beef with the rich guys portrayed as the story’s antagonists, although the film really wasn’t the kind of film that truly needed an outright villain so another failed dramatic license taken. Without all this, it could have freed up more time to concentrate on aspects like the father-son relationship, which had a pivotal moment that didn’t have the desired impact due to insufficient emotional buildup.

The movie as well, does take a while to establish its rhythm and pacing but once it finds its footing, it can be enjoyable at moments. Despite solid performances, the movie lacks conviction and feels like an overblown ad for PlayStation and/or Gran Turismo games It’s a shame the producers decided to also mish mash the true events and true racing talents to give us this composite. And yes, the film does feel a bit like a ‘Rocky-on-the-racetrack kinda movie – only ‘Rocky’ was Oscar worthy.

Grade: C-

Follow me on twitter: @pegsatthemovies or Instagram: Peggyatthemovies

“GRAN TURISO” FROM SONY PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2023

Review Screening: Monday, August 7,2023 ~ Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Comedy, Drama, Family, Movie Reviews, Movies

REVIEW: “HAUNTED MANSION” (2023) Walt Disney Pictures

4 Comments

The plot of Disney’s latest foray into a ride re-do is “HAUNTED MANSION” featuring a single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), and her young son Travis (Chase Dillon), who move into a new ‘old’ house in New Orleans. Once there, they hire grieving tour guide Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), a dubious psychic Harriet (Tiffany Hadish), a shady priest Father Kent (Owen Wilson), and an unhinged historian Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito), to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts.


(L-R): Chase Dillon as Travis, Rosario Dawson as Gabbie, LaKeith Stanfield as Ben, Owen Wilson as Father Kent, and Tiffany Haddish as Harriet in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo by Jalen Marlowe. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

So, it goes with this new attempt at a movie based on a popular Disney ride.  It’s chock-a-block full of inside jokes and references to the ride, some in plain sight, some tucked away in the corners of the screen.  As a big fan of the ride, one can only enjoy the little Easter eggs presented throughout and enjoy them a lot. Big fun highlights were the chair shaped like a Doom Buggy; and the room that stretches; and the hitchhiking ghosts, and on and on. If you’ve been on it, you get it. While the film tries to utilize the setting of New Orleans in some decently authentic ways, the rest of the plot and character development is so generic that they fail to make viewers more engaged in the setting. The film’s attempts at both humor and scares fall flat, as the jokes are formulaic and corny while the attempts at more frightening moments fail to elicit any tension or suspense, and are quite repetitive and CGI-heavy.

But aside from all the cool references, there is not much else to recommend, especially not for those few poor souls who are not as thoroughly familiar with the Disney ride as I and many others are.  There’s a heart-tugging sub-plot about the grieving tour guide, Ben and while it’s not meant to be comical, Stanfield’s wooden straight face playing the absurd material, trying to pull out the emotional stops for a touching moment as he describes his late wife, is almost painful to watch. It’s also one that pushes an absolute scene-stealing button from Danny DeVito. Then there is Travis, son of single mom Gabbie, who has problems with bullies at school, even when he isn’t troubled by the ghosts who have latched onto him like lice. Another is the issue of who all the resident ghosts are REALLY afraid of a big-bad ghost entity known only as the Hatbox ghost (Jared Leto). But we the audience are not. Jamie Lee Curtis steps in for a bit as Madame Leota, and she brings some decent comedic timing to this sorely lacking comedic film. Dan Levy is Vic – the new owner of the house and then there is a super surprise from Winona Ryder in a flash part as ghostly Pat. And one of my favourite little guest appearances is at the very beginning where Marilu Henner is part of a tour group. She is a wonderful flashback to the old Taxi days with DeVito.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Acting ranges from good all the way down to…well…lackluster. Most of the cast does an okay job with what they were given. The high-end example is Danny DeVito. The man never seems to put less than 110% into whatever he does. At the lows is Rosario Dawson, an otherwise fine actress who looks like she just doesn’t want to be in this particular film. She shows little to no emotion even as her world is falling apart. Who knows, maybe that’s a directorial decision. LaKeith is a wonderful drama actor, but is sorely mis-cast here as he lacks the most basic of comedic timing. Dawson saves a few of scenes with the two of them, even though you know where they are headed together as character. Haddish, well she does Haddish. Nothing more, nothing less…

The movie has all the requisite creepy hallways and creaking doors and one or two iffy jump-scares, but everything is done so tongue-and-cheek that it’s never truly horrifying…which is what can be confusing. Is this meant to be scary, funny or what was the aim of the filmmakers.  Certainly, you don’t want to make a film, based on a jaunty fun theme park ride, as scary as The Exorcist.  So, to that end, the filmmakers succeeded.  The movie is harmless, even a little fun at times, Owen Wilson gets to deliver some of his trademark dry observations, and DeVito gets to play some notes that I haven’t seen him play in a very long time.  If pressed, I would be forced to conclude that, for non-fans of the ride, this movie would most likely be a bit of a slog. At over two hours long, the film also runs for too long, especially given the plot has limited resolution or payoff – but again, it has it’s ‘cute moments,’ despite missing that one leg so to speak.

Grade: C-

Follow me on twitter: @pegsatthemovies or Instagram: Peggyatthemovies

“HAUNTED MANSION” FROM WALT DISNEY PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023

Review Screening: Monday, July 24, 2023 ~ Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies

REVIEW: “THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH (2023) Warner Bros.

6 Comments

So it was actually Tuesday night when I saw #JasonStatham be completely ridiculous in #TheMeg2 but honestly it is so bad..it might be good.

There is no acting here by anyone from #JingWu #CliffCurtis #SiennaGuillory and even the villain #SergioPerisMencheta is hilariously bad.. #ShuyaSophiaCai is the young teen star and it was a toss up between her and #PageKennedy – who thought he was in his own Fast n Furious sideshow film here (thx Kolby Mac for that comment), of whom annoyed me more and I wanted to see eaten first. And what is he doing back in a film..honestly. no.

This whole movie was a mess from start to finish and yet..I laughed and so did my theater..throughout it all. You can’t help yourself. Plus it was #indictmenttuesday so we all probably needed a break from the papa orange sideshow. So we laughed.

There are a lot creatures being thrown in besides the Megalodon or Megs as they are called, which was strange.and the complete rip-off #JAWS scenes were a bit much..but if you’re looking for something really dumb to just blow by two hours with and have seen everything else..have at it.

Grade: D+

Follow me on twitter: @pegsatthemovies or Instagram: Peggyatthemovies

“THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH” FROM WARNER BROS. PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023

Review Screening: Tueday, August 1, 2023 ~ Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

A.I., Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Movie Reviews, Movies, Spy Thriller, Thriller

REVIEW: “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE (2023) Paramount Pictures

6 Comments

Having watched one of the greatest car-chase in the history of cinema… and it still wasn’t even the best scene in the movie gives you just a small idea of how good “MISSON: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE” is.  From the pre-opening credits scene to the final act, if you’re like me, you will be on the edge of your seat for almost the entirety of the film – most especially during any of the truly defying fight scenes – and while there are a few moments that the tempo of the film slows down to enough to let you catch your breath and let the story advance, it is still always completely captivating.

The challenge in continuing the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is that fans expect each entry to be “bigger” and more awe-inspiring than the last. With the seventh film in the series, and the third straight he has directed, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and actor/stuntman (honestly credit here for where it’s due), Tom Cruise have managed to accomplish what seemed unlikely … they have delivered another fantastic Ethan Hunt mission. Prepare to be awed.

But he doesn’t do it alone as his supporting cast here is once again, incredible, and charismatic to boot.

You should also be aware that this is just “Part One” and yes, it runs a lengthy 163 minutes, which is a full hour longer than most movies and that’s saying a lot considering movies are getting longer and longer – and exponentially more expensive to produce. But as good as this one is – time passes without you even realizing it has been that long. And think about it, all this during an age when ultra-high-budget blockbusters are being rumored to be fading from public interest. Of course, we are only one year removed from Cruise’s TOP GUN: MAVERICK being hailed as ‘saving cinema’ – so this just might be coming at the perfect moment and bring people back to the box office. As well, with all of us supporting the WGA/SAG/AFTRA strike, production has stopped on Part Two and while we all hope it will be rectified soon – if it’s one person that can bring cinema back – it is Tom Cruise standing in solidarity with his fellow actors. In the meantime, with McQuarrie co-writing the script with Erik Jendresen, they remain faithful to the characters and storylines established by the TV series creator, Bruce Geller.

And with that, it must be said, there may never have been an actor more suited to this role than Tom Cruise is as Ethan Hunt. He truly embodies this character, and makes it his all his own. The story itself is fairly straightforward even though you might be questioning of how a ‘simple’ spy-thriller can be effective is understandable. Yet it’s completely fascinating to watch as Ethan Hunt’s mission in life as an agent is evaluated, as is the cost he’s paid as a man. Providing a more modern theme here, the obscure object of desire is an all-powerful key which comes in two parts and is based on controlling an all-encompassing Artificial Intelligence (AI), that of course, if it falls into the wrong hands… well we know how that would go.  Once the movie begins, you are strapped in with these characters, and it’s impossible not to be invested in the mission. The action set pieces swiftly move from one to the other, and it is non-stop action. Rather than explaining a lot of what’s happening with the AI, it’s clever and subtle in its execution so the audience can form the story. The beauty of this franchise is that the audience is always in with Hunt and his team, and there is no way of being confused with the mission. Visual storytelling is the driving force here because AI challenges each character. The computer becomes the enemy, which affects the communication between Benji, Luther, and Ethan. It’s heartbreaking to see moments of helplessness between them because it is a much darker storyline than others. You feel the love and respect they have for each other in this film which grounds the madness of the AI. 


In a twist on a familiar theme (and a certain classic Thanksgiving comedy film), we have Airports, Trains, and EVs, the latter being one of the funnier sides of the film featuring tiny Fiat with handcuffs. Still, the car chase is everything we might hope, while the high-tech facial tech search in the airport sequence delivers the thrills for viewers and sadly also gives us a peek into how dangerous AI can truly be. The train sequence of sparring all happens inside as well as on top of an actual moving train. And lest you be worried, there are enough Cruise sprint scenes here that it feels like he might just be giving Carl Lewis a run for his money.

Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

The now familiar faces include Ethan Hunt’s team of Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). It’s nice to again see Henry Czerny as Kittridge, and Vanessa Kirby back as European arms dealer Alanna Mitsopolis aka The White Widow. Esai Morales steps in as Gabriel, the shadowy villain in search of the same key as Hunt’s team is. New faces include Grace (Hayley Atwell), a master pickpocket, whose soul may or may not be beyond salvation; Denlinger (Cary Elwes), the agency director; Briggs (Shea Whigham), and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis), are fellow agents who just can’t seem to get their hands on the slippery Hunt and last but not least, Paris (Pom Klementieff), who is a silent but deadly, hired assassin.

The stunt work here is outstanding, and of course, Tom Cruise is renowned for personally handling many of the most breathtaking acts himself, which just make them all the more mind-blowing. As I’ve noted before, who needs CGI when you have Tom Cruise – and that statement could not be more true here. Probably the piece-de-resistance is the motorbike off the cliff into a base jump is something else. The fact Cruise did it for real, multiple times, is crazy and inspiring but I will not spoil this majestic scene for you completely as it must be seen. And yes, the stunt is so truly mind-blowing that it has a ‘making of’ video that has been available for a while. As movie goers, we’ve never seen anything like it.

Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

As well, Part One was originally scheduled for release in 2021 (thanks a lot, COVID), and now Part Two is set for 2024. It’s also wild to think it has been 27 years since the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996), and that Cruise was mere 34 years old in that one, and yet here he is and it seems like time just hasn’t passed for him. Lucky! But this mission is clearly the biggest yet, and it’s a mission that will be closed out in Part Two, and possibly simultaneously bring an end to Cruise’s amazing run as Ethan Hunt.

Putting forth a story line that is oh-so-very good. The film was very cleverly written in a way that it is a very complex plot device they’ve chosen to use, however they found a way to keep it extremely simple and easy for the audience to follow with the two keys concept. After the fantastic underwater opening, and introduction of what the next Impossible Mission will be – the rest of the film is essentially just four huge action set-pieces. Except these set-pieces are like nothing you have ever experienced on screen before. The pacing is quite unique – it almost feel like four short thrilling films, while still working as a whole narrative. And more to come in Part Two leaves us all waiting with baited breaths even as we now know Production has shut down for the time being.

Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

And yes, we do have to talk about the performances. Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg were like a family already and i’m pretty sure they did not need any rehearsal as their chemistry was already there since the fifth one. Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby returning performances were shorter here, but as always, wonderful, Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis get more than expected and their buddy cop antics are a lot of fun. Pom Klementieff gave a very interesting performance as a character and she was amazing in terms of action sequences – there is an alleyway fight that is nothing short of a masterpiece of work between her and Cruise. Esai Morales was a good intense villain, and last but not least Hayley Atwell at possibly her best performance she’s ever in and I think she might get to the top of a lot of lists a favorite Ethan Hunt’s sidekicks besides his own team. She was incredible and her presence was lovely every single second of her performance. Her character and dynamic with Cruise were fresh in comparison to everyone who has come before and their chemistry is magnetic.

Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

Lorne Balfe does the music once again and yet again it’s a highlight of the film, he knows how to elevate everything so well and really hammers home the emotional beats.

If I were looking for faults, and they are so nominal to be frank, but the second act drags a little to the extent that it felt like they were repeating themselves. Although even then they are stylishly filmed – the Dutch-angles never got old. The single, solitary, disappointment comes as the credits roll, and you remember you’re going to have to wait until next year to see how it all end.

‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I is another strong entry in the action/spy series, with Cruise looking slightly older, but not less determined to save the world. Will the sequel to this film will be his last outing – who knows but I do know we will all be there for Part Two..and after that…well we’ll see.

And lastly, it is truly a cinematic experience that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Grade: A

Follow me on twitter: @pegsatthemovies or Instagram: Peggyatthemovies

“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE” FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2023

Review Screening: Tueday, June 27, 2023 ~ Courtesy of Paramount Picture

Adult, Comedy, Female Director, FEMALE WRITER, Movie Reviews, Movies, Woman Director

REVIEW: “JOY RIDE” (2023) LIONSGATE

1 Comment

Okay everyone – time to buckle up, stay alert, and try not to spit out your cocktails while watching because writer/director Adele Lim is bringing ‘it’ to you with “JOY RIDE.” The film is packed with raunchy jokes and more than one decadent conversation about intimate body parts, felines, substances, Cardi B, and even exploring the distinctions among various Asian ethnicities. I mean who says a buncha guys can be the only ones with the corner market on this genre as ‘Joy Ride’ is sprinkled with some spicy moments and includes some great incorporation of Chinese and Korean elements, which adds a cool touch to it all. This raunchy comedy follows the standard 2010’s raunch-com template, with four big glaring differences – it brings four bad-ass female Asian-American leads to the table bringing East Asian female representation to the comedy world first and foremost.

The tone of ‘JOY RIDE,’ is set within the first 15 minutes as we watch as a young white couple Joe (David Denman), and Mary Sullivan (Annie Mumolo), approach a perplexed-looking Asian family on the playground. The couple awkwardly ask the painfully out of place parents Wey (Kenneth Liu), and Jenny Chen (Debbie Fan), if they’re Chinese, to which Jenny defensively affirms the assumption, adding with distinction that they are American and have moved to White Hills from California. In a sweet moment, their child peeks from behind and reveals that the white couple have an adopted daughter from China, and the two young daughters go off to play as their parents look on in relief that they found each other. When a naughty little boy launches a racist insult their way, he’s met with a vulgarity and punch to the face from Lolo. ‘Best friends forever’ is sealed right then and there. As they get older, Audrey becomes a lawyer and Lolo an artist-with eccentric tastes in art. Audrey must travel to China for a business deal and Lolo tags along as her translator because Audrey speaks very little Chinese. While in China, they decide to look up Audrey’s birth mother and hook up with Kai, an old college friend that is now an actress, and Deadeye, a friend of Lolo’s. Hi-jinks ensue on their road trip like meeting a drug dealer on a train, a meet up with a basketball team, and impersonating a K-pop band (think BlackPink), being just some of their adventures. It is very graphic humour, but it IS funny-and there are lessons to be learned concerning friendships along the way.

Each of the wonderful Asian-American leads here is a fairly-typical character model for this brand of comedy – but it’s all in how it is done and here it is done right. There is Audrey (Ashley Park), who plays the straight, professional girl of the group; Lolo (Sherry Cola), is the best friend – laid back, no shame, free spirited artist not afraid to show her nasty side. They are joined by Kai (Stephanie Tsu), who is a celebrity actress and just might be the real breakout character of the film. And lastly, Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), another contender for best breakout character, who is the weird, socially awkward, but the endearing and sympathetic cousin to Lolo, who manages to bring some of the biggest heart and laughs to the film. And you’ll have to wait to watch it to find out her real name and why she is called Deadeye. Every single cast member is fantastic and manages to bring their own emotional weight to the movie that makes you genuinely feel for them, while also providing laugh out loud moments. The movie is brimming with personality because of them and their personal cultural/identity battles that are sympathetic and make for the both the best jokes and the most heartfelt moments of the film. There is a mom moment that got me hard as they always do – but it’s also a beautiful moment and probably the most touching moment of the film of which there are some doozies in there.  

Stephanie Hsu as Kat, Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey, and Sherry Cola as Lolo in Joy Ride. Photo Credit: Ed Araquel

Befittingly so, this is a strong R rated comedy (so take note – no kids) starring Asian-American actors-kind in the vein of Bridesmaids, Neighbors or The Hangover was so it should come as no surprise that Seth Rogan, Annie Mumolo, Evan Goldberg JamesWeaver, and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong are attached as producers with Cherry being part of the writing team as well along with Teresa Hsiao.

And I would be completely remiss to not talk about the guys here. And I mean wowsa. So yes guys, please forgive this paragraph and just scroll by because I can factually say that as this one is for the ladies. You won’t want to miss out on the eye candy here and that might sound so…déclassé’ – but it’s worth it to talk about as we rarely get this so let me have this one, will you? Desmond Chiam comes in playing Clarence in a role so against type, you can’t help but laugh. Chris Wong as a villain in the TV show that Tsu’s character stars in. And the basketball team of Alexander Hodge as Todd, Chris Pang as Kenny, Rohain Arora as Arvind, Victor Lau as Jiaying and Baron Davis as…Baron Davis. And that’s just naming a few. Trust me – it’s all worth it.

So again, get ready to experience a wild and comedic journey of self-discovery, filled with explicit sexual and racial jokes as this hilarious ride does not hold back. However, it’s not just about the laughs; it also delves into personal growth, intersecting identities, and the power of friendship. It doesn’t achieve perfection or greatness, but it wasn’t reaching for that either. If this genre is your thing, you’ll have a wonderful time.

Grade: B+

Follow me on twitter: @pegsatthemovies or Instagram: Peggyatthemovies

“JOY RIDE” FROM LIONSGATE IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2023

Review Screening: Friday, June 30, 2023 ~ Courtesy of Lionsgate