At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

Strays

*checkmarks* Bird.

This was pretty much as advertised, it's Homeward Bound and other similar pet journey films if it was done as a Judd Apatow raunchy comedy from 10+ years ago. It's Will Ferrell doing Will Farrell as a dog and Jamie Foxx doing Jamie Foxx as a dog and their chemistry and comedy do blend well together. Also, I thought Randall Park was funny as well. It's got a ton of obvious surface level jokes about dogs and their owners and while not everything works, it does have enough hijinks throughout the movie. Overall, I had fun with it. It's a movie that will not work for everyone, but for those into stoner adjacent comedies that you watch late night on Comedy Central or Adult Swim, this is for you.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Blue Beetle

Jaime's grandmother can beat Batman, no question.

It's a great feeling when you have a superhero movie where you don't worry about a multiverse or an extended universe. This is a pretty fun and light superhero origin movie that put an emphasis on Mexican culture and family. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of Shazam, Spider-Man Homecoming, and Ms. Marvel especially when they try to drop in some distinct cultural references that only the target audience knows like El Chapulín Colorado. It's also got vibes of the 90s and early 00s Saturday morning cartoons like Static Shock and for obvious reasons, Big Bad Bettle Borgs. They do a pretty good job redoing the origins of Jaime Reyes and putting a different spin on the canon of Blue Beetle. Xolo Maridueña was pretty good but he really works well whenever he interacts with his family and George Lopez was a lot of fun in this. Bruna Marquezine and Raoul Max Trujillo were also really good. It's got a ton of heart and lots of great humor that also really worked and the synthwave score and theme song were fantastic. My only big issue with this movie is that it almost feels rushed in certain parts and I thought Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord was a pretty generic bad guy villain which I totally get in the context of the story but I wish she was given more depth. While I dug a lot of the world-building and subtext of it all about immigration, gentrification, and classism, I thought they could have done a little bit more on it. I also thought it was a bit rough around the edges filmming-wise even though it's shot beautifully, you totally see how it was shot for a streaming service before putting it on the big screen. Overall though there's way more I liked about this than I disliked for a mid-range superhero flick and it's great to see DC get another win.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

BS High

To quote Leonard Washington, "Boy you are the goddamn devil."

It's an insane doc about the Bishop Sycamore High School scandal and the fallout that happened and everyone that was involved in it. I gotta say, this does remind me of other trendy docs like Tiger King or Fyre Fest that feel more like you're watching a reality show than watching something of substance. That being said, it's centered around Roy Johnson, who's the guy behind this school, and his sociopathic behavior that allowed this to happen. They have him in the doc being interviewed while attempting to defend himself and he couldn't be more of a narcissist con man and he knows it. The doc is also a collection of horror stories from the players who were manipulated and sold a false promise while also being financially screwed. Overall, as a doc, it's hard to not be hooked even though it can be very superficial at times and feels very "news of the week".
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Elemental

Wade Ripple would make millions if he had a reaction channel on youtube.

This was surprisingly well made despite the lack of marketing this movie had on trying to sell you this movie. I will say on the surface as I was watching it, it does target the "white parents having a difficult time explaining to their children about race and other cultures" demo to a tee, but the movie itself is enjoyable for a PIXAR movie and it gives Peter Sohn some redemption after making The Good Dinosaur. The animation itself is really impressive and how they were able to craft a world where elements have human qualities. They were able to use the fire element as a gateway to the immigrant experience and xenophobia and I liked how they were able to use some inspirations from Asian and South Asian cultures. While I do think the movie follows a very typical and predictable romcom formula, the voice cast was able to be pretty memorable. I thought Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie were great and their chemistry does work as the center of the movie. Overall, definitely one of the better PIXAR movies but it's not reinventing the wheel like Turning Red did.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

When you buy Turning Red on Wish.

Yep, it's definitely the same ol Dreamworks where they do the bare minimum on the story and try to get by on generic pop song montages and lame jokes that appeal to kids. I will say there is a section of the movie where they do kinda try and flesh out the main character of Ruby Gillman but it immediately gets cut off by this derivative superhero-esque plotting and some dumb action. Overall, while not the worst thing ever, it's a nothingburger of a movie.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Vacation Friends 2

Mind numbingly unfunny. While the first one was actually somewhat funny because they had the same writers from Game Night, here, the director Clay Tarver wrote it all himself and you can tell because the humor was missing. Lil Rel Howery, John Cena, Meredith Hagner, and Yvonne Orji tried to salvage whatever the script was but none of them really did anything above the ordinary. What really hurts is seeing Steve Buscemi and Ronny Chieng struggling to give some comedy and some life to this movie. The only actor who was actually funny and was doing something was Carlos Santos but he's bearly in it. The worst movie this movie did was try to put some crime/drug subplot with Steve Buscemi's character that ultimately doesn't mean anything or do anything interesting. Overall, it's a shame it went downhill so fast.
1.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Bottoms

Marshawn Lynch when he showed up to set: "I'm just here so I don't get fined."

It's an interesting high school sex comedy that kinda goes into that weird/awkward territory where it feels like you've entered in another alternate universe similar to Jawbreaker, Heathers, and Not Another Teen Movie only not as well written as it should be. It's still got a ton of funny moments and gags that kept me interested and Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri were pretty good together. It's also good performances by Havana Rose Liu, who's fantastic in No Exit, and Kaia Gerber who looks just like her mom. It was interesting to see how the movie doesn't really go all in on the Fight Club for girls premise but uses it as a device for the romcom aspect of the movie. For the director Emma Seligman, while I think Shiva Baby is a far better movie in quality and execution, Bottoms was a more broad scope crowd pleaser. Overall, I dug it a lot, but I wish it was a little better.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Equalizer 3

*sees Denzel take out 10 guys while acting like Michael Myers as he does it* Yeah sorry John Wick, Robert McCall is actually Baba Yaga.

This was super surprising with how they approached this last movie. I really didn't expect the plot to be basically Seven Samurai with just Denzel set in Sicily. Antoine Fuqua managed to set this movie apart from the other two with its methodical pacing but give you some good old-fashioned revenge that doesn't feel as flashy as some other movies despite how cliche it might look on the surface. Denzel does what Denzel does best and brings in some much-needed gravitas to make you give a s**t with what's going on in the mafia story. They also do a good job focusing on the town where McCall is staying and building up a lot of those side characters. This is probably the goriest one of the series and they do such a great job showing the carnage without the camera looking away. My only complaint is while I do appreciate seeing the Man on Fire reunion, I didn't really buy Dakota Fanning playing a CIA agent and the stuff that was written for her wasn't all that good or interesting. I feel like they could have given her a better role within the context of the plot or just not have her there. But overall, I dug it a lot. This was pretty much as satisfying to watch as the first Equalizer.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Sympathy for the Devil

Yeah, that's exactly what goes down at every IHOP at 3am.

I really dug it even though it didn't completely work as well as they wanted it to. It's another unhinged Nic Cage performance where he seemingly plays the devil but there's much more than that which I really appreciate. The film is really inspired by Michael Mann's Collateral and you can tell just by the situation in the plot and how they shot this at night with the synthy score and the Vegas cityscape. Nic Cage and Joel Kinnaman do really work well together and the main crux of the plot was interesting even though the writing at times felt flat. The diner scene was a lot of fun and it's where Cage does his thing but I really liked everything that happens after it with the ending. Overall, it's a shame this didn't have a Michael Mann-level script but this was pretty enjoyable.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Nun II

Something something Conjuring Universe doing a Iron Man/Nick Fury post-credit scene.

This was an improvement over the first Nun but not by much. They do a better job developing the characters and making you care even though they're pretty cliche and simple. Taissa Farmiga was far more interesting in this one than the last one and it's crazy how she looks exactly like her sister with that haircut. As for the scares, they're pretty pedestrian with the jump scares aside from a few moments, but I thought they did push the kills more in this which was cool. Even though this is a sequel to a prequel, it seems obvious they're setting up things for an "Avengers-level Conjuring movie and Valak seems to be the big bad. Overall, this was mediocre but more enjoyable than the last Nun movie.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

A Haunting in Venice

Ironically disappointed that they didn't continue the adventures of young Hercule Poirot and his mustache origins in the last movie.

Enjoyed it, it's a far better movie than Death on the Nile even though it's still got a few pacing issues. This goes back to a more classic gothic horror murder mystery that feels familiar and conventional. From the get-go, it's shot beautifully. Kenneth Branagh definitely got the note about the terrible green screen in the last movie so they did a great job shooting on location and shooting in Venice as much as possible. He also got the note about the terrible performances in the last film so, I felt like the performances and the cast they got here are really good. Tina Fey, Kyle Allen, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, and Kelly Reilly in particular were really good. The story and plot can get a little silly at times and it doesn't feel as interesting as it should be. Because of the Agatha Christie of it all, it doesn't feel as fresh and new as the Knives Out movies. Overall, it's good but could have been better.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

It Lives Inside

Her friend probably thought it was bring your demon to school day.

This was pretty procedural for a modern horror film despite the above-average cinematography and the cultural representation of Desis in America. This definitely felt like something you've seen before whether it is from It Follows, The Babadook, or Lights Out, and the Hindu demon itself reminded me of the new Boogeyman movie only not as creatively scary. It's almost as if the director didn't know how to direct horror so he borrowed from all sorts of sources and slapped together so it feels repetitive at times. When the story focuses on Megan Suri's character and her relationship with her former best friend and her mother, it doesn't feel as developed as it should be. The cultural assimilation subplot and themes almost feel like an afterthought. The major thing holding this movie back is its PG-13 rating and it shows. This could have been more interesting if they allowed the horror to be more menacing but it ends up being more for the younger "CW" crowd. Overall, while not bad, I wished this was better. It ends up being another basic horror film that is just playing the tropes.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Dumb Money

America Ferrera is apparently in her mom era dropping truth bombs about society.

This was a lot of fun. It's Craig Gillespie trying to be a true life dramady like Adam Mckay's movies but with the GameStop stock situation from a couple of years ago. While it's got a large cast, it mainly focuses on Keith Gill played really well by Paul Dano who was the guy behind the stock short squeeze. The Big Short is obviously the big comparison and I thought this movie does a better job of focusing on the bigger picture and the little people who benefited from it and the hedge fund managers who were somewhat screwed billions out of it. It's also a movie that is deeply interested in the time when this happened like COVID and the music. I also like how the comedy worked in tandem with the financial drama that went on and I really enjoyed seeing Pete Davidson, Anthony Ramos, Seth Rogen, Vincent D'Onofrio, and the rest of the cast here. The only thing that kind of brings the movie down is how neat and tightly they used the biopic format. I feel like Craig Gillespie was more original with the biopic genre when he worked on I, Tonya. Overall, it's a great fun movie that does a good job painting that moment in history during the pandemic and the financial woes everyone (who's not rich) was and still is in.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Expend4bles

I would make a joke about the movie title but I was too distraught when they had 50 Cent play his own music in this damn movie. Fred Durst would be proud.

Jesus Hoobastank Christ, they managed to make not only the worst action movie of the year but the movie with the worst CGI in years (you're off the hook Flash). This is clearly a studio decision to get this movie made in the first place and it shows. It's cheap and cobbled together with a mindless plot with performances that probably only used one take. And you really know nobody wanted to be in this when your main star Sylvester Stallone decides to not be in it for 90% of the movie and uses one of the oldest tricks in the book that soap operas use. The movie mainly centers around whoever's left in the previous movies like Statham with a new crew of actors like 50 Cent, Megan Fox, and sadly Tony Jaa. Speaking of sad, they got my man Iko Uwais in yet another garbage Hollywood role where he plays a one-note villain and they don't really showcase his abilities. At times the movie is actually so bad it is entertaining in a How Did This Get Made? level (which I hope they dedicate an episode to) and the rest of the time it's mind-numbingly boring. Overall, it's horrendously terrible with some "so bad it's good" moments.
1.5/5

 

[NDX]

Expend4bles

I would make a joke about the movie title but I was too distraught when they had 50 Cent play his own music in this damn movie. Fred Durst would be proud.

Jesus Hoobastank Christ, they managed to make not only the worst action movie of the year but the movie with the worst CGI in years (you're off the hook Flash). This is clearly a studio decision to get this movie made in the first place and it shows. It's cheap and cobbled together with a mindless plot with performances that probably only used one take. And you really know nobody wanted to be in this when your main star Sylvester Stallone decides to not be in it for 90% of the movie and uses one of the oldest tricks in the book that soap operas use. The movie mainly centers around whoever's left in the previous movies like Statham with a new crew of actors like 50 Cent, Megan Fox, and sadly Tony Jaa. Speaking of sad, they got my man Iko Uwais in yet another garbage Hollywood role where he plays a one-note villain and they don't really showcase his abilities. At times the movie is actually so bad it is entertaining in a How Did This Get Made? level (which I hope they dedicate an episode to) and the rest of the time it's mind-numbingly boring. Overall, it's horrendously terrible with some "so bad it's good" moments.
1.5/5

5 years ago, I really wanted this movie.
4 years ago, I would have been fine with this movie.
3 years ago, I stopped caring about this movie.
Now, I want nothing to do with this movie.

I'll stick with the first 2 and occasionally the 3rd.

I have low standards but they're not this low right now.

 

[Kane52630]

It's really on the level of those straight-to-video action movies that Stone Cold and John Cena would have made 10+ years ago

 

[Kane52630]

Theater Camp

I don't care who you are... that was a perfectly valid reaction to Better Now by Post Malone.

This movie was such a delight and charming all the way through. They do such a great job using the mockumentary format for a theater camp that's trying to get it together after the director falls into a coma. It's almost as if someone combined Be Kind Rewind or Don't Think Twice with the comedy format of Parks and Rec and The Office. The movie flows really well and the pace is clever enough to where something is always happening in every scene and showcases what it is like in a theater camp full of theater kids. Molly Gordon is pretty much the main component of this movie where she's the star, co-director, and co-writer and she's excellent in it. I also really dug Jimmy Tatro, Noah Galvin, all the main kids who got speaking lines, and Ayo Edebiri who's not in this enough. They even made Ben Platt a tolerable actor which seemed impossible and he was actually good too. I will say I thought 90% of the movie worked really well especially when the comedy is front in center, but this movie does a lot of other movies when they have a "save the rec center" plot, it ends too sentential for it's own good. Outside of that, it's a really solid movie. Overall, one of the better comedies of the year by far.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

What Comes Around

You know, Kyle Gallner has come a long way from playing every emo kid in... oh wait, nvm, there it is.

They almost had me. This movie had the potential of being something more like a dope thriller or maybe a horror flick, but it ended up being a generic Lifetime movie with some crappy acting. I will say I thought everything leading up to the reveal was pretty interesting, it's shot really well for an indie film, and I thought the performances by Grace Van Dien and Kyle Gallner were pretty good but that was about it. The actual reveal could have been dealt with better care but they took it to some questionable and super sentimental route and there's some awful acting by the two parents, especially the mom (played by Summer Phoenix) who kind of ruined the film for me and her role hinges on the story a lot. Overall, this was a dud.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Landscape with Invisible Hand

I'm pretty sure the sound of those damn aliens rubbing their paddles will never leave my head.

This was surprisingly great and I really shouldn't be that surprised since it's directed really well by Cory Finley. It's a movie based on a YA novel that combines coming-of-age messiness with a deep and weird critique of capitalism, classism, race, and the commodification of art. On top of that, it's set in a futuristic sci-fi dystopian world where aliens invaded Earth and are fascinated by traditional human households so they watch actual reality shows. It's a movie with a lot of stuff going on and it's doing a lot of juggling its themes but I thought they were really well done. The movie hinges on the relationship between Asante Blackk and Kylie Rogers and I thought that's where the movie was at its strongest. It's got solid performances by everyone including Tiffany Haddish, who I've seen do a more serious role before in The Oath, and here she's actually really good. The effects look really good for an indie film and I thought the comedy stuff worked when those aliens started showing up. Overall, I really loved it. It's one of those weird and bizarre movies that has a lot to say about society and relationships but they do it in a super imaginative way.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Saw X

Hey, don't we all fantasize about putting potentially terrible people into unescapable eye-popping death traps?

This was actually not bad despite plenty of nitpicky problems I had with it. Like with many horror franchises (Halloween and Scream), they pulled a requel/retcon and set the film in between 1 and 2. Storywise, the movie itself kind of expands on what was the only interesting part of 6 with the insurance industry and sets it towards medical scammers. The movie also gives Tobin Bell more screen time than he's ever had in a Saw movie as John Kramer and what they do with his character stays in line with what the first couple of Saw movies were originally about. Shawnee Smith was not bad but I feel like they could have done a little bit more with her dynamic with Jigsaw. Because it's set after the first film, the movie doesn't really have to juggle all the bad continuity and even when it does, it's not the main focus of the movie, unlike those later sequels. As for the traps and scares, they have a couple of good ones but they don't feel as important as before which was interesting. They don't even mask the horror-ness of it all because the mystery isn't there anymore, for example, Billy the puppet was actually played for laughs this time. They also do a good job of almost making you forget there's supposed to be a twist like with every Saw movie and I thought the twist they got here was actually good and kept in line with the theme of the movie. All that being said, I did have problems with some of it and a lot of it is just anachronistic choices they either made or forgot they made and it's nowhere as shocking as the first three movies. Overall, it's a movie that almost feels like a proper send-off and endnote to the Saw franchise... which means they'll discard that idea and make more of them... sadly.
3.5/5

31 Days of Horror Marathon
Day 1: Saw X (3.5/5)​

 

[Kane52630]

The Creator

It's crazy to think Neill Blomkamp made a movie this year and it wasn't this.

Loved it even with its flaws. Despite how I or anyone else feels about the story, this was a visual masterpiece that deserves recognition considering how cheap it was to make. Gareth Edwards did a great job creating this alternative world and the world-building that comes through the narrative which all feels real and tangible. The obvious allegory it makes about the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and American Imperialism is pretty apparent and it uses the AI plot as the cover. With how it's shot and the themes it explores, it's as if someone combined District 9 or Rogue One with Apocalypse Now or Platoon. The movie really works when the smaller moments are slowed down or when the action hits where it feels like you're watching a war documentary. There are some awe-inspiring shots in here that I would love to have hanging on my wall. They really do make the robots with the typical robot heads feel as real as the people they interact with. I enjoyed the scenes with John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, and Ken Watanabe, and their performances were well done for the most part. I just wish they gave Gemma Chan and Allison Janney more time to develop their characters. Regarding the flaws, I think the movie is way too dependent on sci-fi cliches and Lone Wolf and Cub and the story goes exactly the way you think it does. Also, with how they use the AI plot, I was fine with it, but I totally get the divisive reactions to it. I also think they kind of rushed the ending. Overall, I really dug it. I think it's a movie that I will probably end up enjoying more as time goes on.
4/5

 

[Gothamsknight]

The Creator

It's crazy to think Neill Blomkamp made a movie this year and it wasn't this.

Loved it even with its flaws. Despite how I or anyone else feels about the story, this was a visual masterpiece that deserves recognition considering how cheap it was to make. Gareth Edwards did a great job creating this alternative world and the world-building that comes through the narrative which all feels real and tangible. The obvious allegory it makes about the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and American Imperialism is pretty apparent and it uses the AI plot as the cover. With how it's shot and the themes it explores, it's as if someone combined District 9 or Rogue One with Apocalypse Now or Platoon. The movie really works when the smaller moments are slowed down or when the action hits where it feels like you're watching a war documentary. There are some awe-inspiring shots in here that I would love to have hanging on my wall. They really do make the robots with the typical robot heads feel as real as the people they interact with. I enjoyed the scenes with John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, and Ken Watanabe, and their performances were well done for the most part. I just wish they gave Gemma Chan and Allison Janney more time to develop their characters. Regarding the flaws, I think the movie is way too dependent on sci-fi cliches and Lone Wolf and Cub and the story goes exactly the way you think it does. Also, with how they use the AI plot, I was fine with it, but I totally get the divisive reactions to it. I also think they kind of rushed the ending. Overall, I really dug it. I think it's a movie that I will probably end up enjoying more as time goes on.
4/5

I definitely want to give this a second watch. I don't know why, I find myself getting distracted at the theater lately and cant focus, but man the visuals in this movie were astounding! It's gonna make a great 4k UHD rewatch.

 

[Kane52630]

No One Will Save You

The guy who's in charge of the quotes page on IMDB totally had a free day.


This was a great sci-fi horror thriller that takes you on a ride while not uttering a single word. This movie is obviously inspired by A Quiet Place and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but it also reminded me of other similar movies like Signs, The Vast of Night, and even Hush. The director does a great job delivering on atmosphere and the constant feeling of dread. Because this movie deliberately doesn't give you any dialogue, even when they had the chance, they do the most with the "show, don't tell" method which is perfect for this kind of thriller. The movie does give you your traditional survival horror alien movie, but then it becomes more integrated with the subplot it establishes earlier and it makes for a richer story overall. Kaitlyn Dever has always been super talented and here it's no different even with the minimal dialogue. She was able to express so many different emotions throughout the movie and I really liked how they ended the movie. Overall, I loved it. It's a great little horror flick that probably will test those second-screen people to pay attention.
4/5

31 Days of Horror Marathon
Day 1: Saw X (3.5/5)
Day 2: No One Will Save You (4/5)​

 

[Kane52630]

Cobweb

All my substitute teachers would have just rolled in the TV and played a movie instead.

This was another fun horror flick that will definitely get you in the Halloween mood. It's essentially as if Are You Afraid of the Dark? or Goosebumps made their version of Barbarian or The Black Phone but still made it bloody. It's got some great cinematography and atmosphere that almost takes a page from Trick 'r Treat and even some John Carpenter. I love how this movie knows why they cast Antony Starr as a dad and I thought Lizzy Caplan was great playing the mom in an overdramatic kind of way. Woody Norman, who I thought was great in C'Mon C'Mon, is just as talented here and he pretty much carries the movie. I did like how they sort of mashed two types of horror genres and it really worked well together. Overall, this was great if you just want scares and mood.
3.5/5

31 Days of Horror Marathon
Day 1: Saw X (3.5/5)
Day 2: No One Will Save You (4/5)
Day 3: Cobweb (3.5/5)
​

 

[Kane52630]

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

I have to say I was surprised when this said it was filmed in North Carolina because this could have very well been another episode of Atlanta.

This was a fantastic contemporary take on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein" where it's set in a black neighborhood and it's centered around a young girl named Vicaria who's been through some trauma. It's a movie that is way more focused on the social commentary and the messaging about gang violence and socio-economic struggle than it does trying to be a dumb-down monster flick/slasher. Similar to They Cloned Tyrone, it's shot and directed extremely well by Bomani J. Story who does a great job making it kinda feel like a lost movie from the 70s or 80s. I thought the performances were solid and Laya DeLeon Hayes does a great job carrying this movie. I also thought the practical effects at times were really well done. Overall, I really loved it. This was a surprise that does more than your average B-horror film.
4/5

31 Days of Horror Marathon
Day 1: Saw X (3.5/5)
Day 2: No One Will Save You (4/5)
Day 3: Cobweb (3.5/5)
Day 4: The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (4/5)
​