 It's difficult for me to really gauge how I feel about the 'Avatar' saga so far. While I do find these films entertaining in their own right, I still believe that had James Cameron managed his time a bit better, this could have been the new 'Star Wars,' at least as far as sci-fi films go. The sad fact is, however, it just took too damn long for 'The Way of Water' to finally release, and by then the heat from 2009's 'Avatar' had become lukewarm at best, as it often does with many delayed productions.
Don't get the wrong idea here. I vastly admire the guts of James Cameron and his work in undersea exploration, going to the deepest depths to make discoveries perhaps hitherto unknown to science, and that probably does more for humanity than a movie. I'm not here to complain about him spending too much time exploring the ocean and living his life his way. As a movie-going fan of Cameron's, though, I still think he could have cranked out something to keep us excited for the future 'Avatar' titles he promised would one day arrive. Once 'The Way of Water' was finally released, it did extremely well at the box office and carried on the series' legacy of raking in the dough, so evidently, people were ready to see if 12-plus years of waiting had paid off. Luckily, it was still quite enjoyable, and manages to establish more of the world of Pandora in a big way, and introduces us to a whole new family of Na'vi, headed by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and if you need to know more, refer to the review, because there's a LOT to cover. Following the events of 'The Way of Water,' Neytiri has understandably developed a deep scorn for humankind and its destructive ways. It is decided that one such human who has lived among them, Spider (Jack Champion), the rebellious son of series "baddie" Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), should be returned to the human scientist camp, which may alleviate the tension between the human marines and their Na'vi tribe, the Metkayina. He'd also be safer there with the appropriate resources for humans, namely breathing apparatuses that the Sully family can't keep providing. As the human merchant ship convoy awaits, however, they are ambushed by the Mangkwan, a Na'vi tribe led by matriarch Varang (Oona Chaplin) that denounces the Na'vi goddess, Eywa. The Mangkwan dwell in volcanic landscapes and are altogether aggressive, believing that Eywa destroyed their families after a violent volcanic eruption. Capturing Spider and naturally luring Quaritch to them, the tribe soon finds themselves aligned with the humans, who teach them how to use more powerful weaponry, and Quaritch naturally uses his newfound friends in his revenge tactics against the Sully family, as he's still out for Jake's blood. While a lot of this feels like more of the same, it should be noted that the magic that we've come to expect from these films is still very much present, and generally revolves around Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), who, much like with 'The Way of Water,' keeps discovering talents and abilities that seem to be beyond the comprehention of other Na'vi, as though she can fully commuicate with the planet of Pandora, itself, but she does have a hell of a time trying to get in touch with Eywa, as she searches for answers as to what makes her so special. I have become altogether lukewarm to this series, at best. For as impressive as these films are visually, the storytelling and characters don't seem to be enough to make me want to run back and watch them again. They all seem to imply the necessity of seeing them on the big screen to get the full effect, which, again, mostly lies in visual stimulation. I'll certainly keep watching them as they continue from this point, as they do still provide a fun time at the theatre, but it's not a series I feel I will continue to follow with any sort of real awe. 3/5
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 Much like it was with the first film, I still haven't dabbled in the 'Five Nights at Freddy's' game franchise in the slightest. For one, I feel like the idea has been played out, going from fun, creepy, suspenseful mystery horror to a pop culture icon. That may be the kind of thing that, by definition, drags most people in, but the idea of it being something mysterious, as it was upon its release, was far more intriguing. I'd argue the same sort of thing happened with 'Slenderman,' and it all just causes any initial intrigue I have to promptly vanish.
The first film was already kind of rough, suggesting it had no idea what it was supposed to be. It felt like it should have been a horror flick that played with suspense and tension more than anything else, but what you really got was what could be considered a mere toe-dip into the horror genre, where it's creepy, but not necessarily scary, and even somewhat caters to the kids who may be watching. While it certainly suggests gory things happening to people, we never really see any of it and just get a rough idea of what's happening. Still, I felt like I could be an odd man out on my opinion, with my unfamiliarity with the property working against me. Regardless of the mixed bag the first film may have been, however, I can say with all sincerity that this chapter managed to shake any remaining intrigue I may have had in the franchise. I may not know its parallels to the games it's based on, but it was enough of a speedbump in this day and age, when horror films have been undergoing a resurrection. Once again, this feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be, and once again, it seems to cater more to the youth watching. I'm okay with that idea, but it should come with something of substance. All this film really said to me was "look how much our animatronics look like the game!" Set in 2002, a couple of years after the events of the first film, the previous film's lead, Mike (Josh Hutcherson), is constantly reminding his young sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), that the former friends she made at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza who inhabited the animatronics there have since moved on. Abby is of the belief that if Mike repairs the animatronics, her old friends may come back, and she may be able to spend time with her, but Mike, believing them to be dangerous, keeps insisting things are over and she should move on, which leads her to return to the Freddy Fazbear's of the last film to wallow in self-pity. Finding Abby at Freddy's, he has a moment of pity for her and promises to take something home with them to make up for the way she feels. That "something" turns out to be a talking toy called the "FazTalker," which she desperately tries to use to talk to the Fazbear crew, to no avail. Abby is obsessed enough with trying to communicate with her old ghost friends that the viewer might have a hard time sympathizing with her, as she seemingly makes no attempts at gaining real, human friendships and keeps to herself enough that even the deepest introvert would look at her and suggest she might need some kind of help. Meanwhile, at the first Freddy Fazbear's Pizza restaurant, which has been shut down following a fatal incident in 1982, involving a girl named Charlotte (Audrey Lynn-Marie), possessive evil begins to stir, claiming three exploring ghost hunters. One, a girl named Lisa (McKenna Grace), becomes possessed by the spirit of Charlotte, manages to connect to Abby through her FazTalker, and soon enough, the vengeful spirit of Charlotte uses Abby as a pawn in order to release the animatronics from Freddy's and attack parental units, whom she understandably considers ignorant, following the way they acted before she was murdered. Between Abby's somewhat troubling character and just a fair share of bad writing, this is yet another video game-based movie I find ultimately skippable, and I might add, even moreso than the first. A main character from the first film, Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), even returns here to unfold her story a bit further, but there's sincerely nothing here that anyone will be surprised by about her. At best, this ends up being a one-time carnival ride, just for giggles, as the thrills are so few, and it almost leans on comedy a bit more, but not in a fun, farcical way so much as just trying a little too hard. 1/5  A surprise to no one, this title captivated me when I first saw a trailer, and I could tell it would be one of my favourites of 2025. This came from the combination of 1: someone taking another stab at the original source material for 'The Running Man' and having it make a little more sense than the Schwarzenegger film as far as an adaptation goes; 2: Glen Powell, who makes for a more unassuming action hero, and 3: my personal hero, Edgar Wright was behind the wheel on this project, and he's never made anything I haven't liked.
Now, before you go thinking that I'm casting shade at the 1987 Arnold classic action thriller that is 'The Running Man,' know that I love that movie just as much, but in its own way. Historically, it's one of the epitomized titles of Schwarzenegger's filmography, complete with high-octane action, a retro-futuristic style that gives off a lot of 80s charm, and a slew of one-liners from Arnold, like "I hope you leave enough room for my fist, because I'm going to ram it into your stomach and break your goddamn spine!" It's an undeniable classic in its own right, to be sure. Unfortunately, however, the '87 film lands in that Stephen King category of film that a few other classics (like 'The Shining') do, where King looks at it and asks, "What the hell did you do to my story?" Although films like these go down in cinematic history as classics, it doesn't change the fact that they mess with the original source material. In many ways, I tend to be in King's corner on this. For as much as I love 'The Shining,' after I finally read the book, which ends far, far differently, I got where he was really coming from. It's a love of other people's work combined with an understanding of how King might feel about excessive tampering. In the '25 version here, a futuristic United States has been taken over by The Network, a tyrannic television network that specializes in "get-rich-quick" reality TV and game shows, in which poverty-stricken citizens often volunteer themselves to star on in order to make ends meet, get their hands on some medicine, or whatever personal problem is plaguing them. This story focuses on a tough, "sick-of-it-all" man named Ben Richards (Powell) who needs money to help his loving wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), and his ill-stricken baby girl, Cathy (Alyssa/Sienna Benn). Like many others, Richards decides to try out for these shows. When trying out for these shows, one must run a gauntlet that tests both physical and mental prowess, and if one survives, they are selected for the show that best suits them. Richards does his best, but ends up on 'The Running Man,' which is hands-down the most dreaded show to end up on, as you're essentially doomed to death from the beginning. It involves survival from not only soldiers that the network deploys to hunt you down, but society itself, which can turn you in dead or alive for prizes, be it money or a lifetime supply of something. In a society where everyone is desperate to survive, people are bound to be a little more rabid. The nice thing about 'The Running Man' show, however, is that the longer you survive, the richer you get, and with his wife and sick daughter back home, Richards is determined to do what it takes to survive as long as he can, and hopefully make it through. While the plot is very similar to the '87 version, I can say with all honesty that this is by far the better adaptation, if you're looking for something that leans towards the book a little more. It's still not spot on, but that's also part of its beauty - Wright provides us with the necessary action fans of the '87 film will want in Schwarzenegger's wake. Again, I am essentially biased when it comes to my opinion on just about anything Edgar Wright has his name on, but speaking for myself, this is easily one of the most fun times I've had at the theatre this year. If it's not showing us some action, it's showing us some fun or humour, and the fast pace and slick editing make for a great roller-coaster ride. Some will no doubt stick to the '87 classic, and that's fine, but I still highly recommend giving this version a shot, if only because it's much, much closer to the story Stephen King originally intended. 5/5  While the 'Predator' movies have existed for quite some time now, it wasn't until I checked out 'Badlands' that I gave any real thought to any sort of background to the Predator species. I just lumped them in with the Xenomorphs of the 'Alien' series as another alien species without questions like "where do they come from?," "what makes a Predator a Predator?" or "what is the Predator species called?" Bearing in mind that this is the first of three Dan Trachtenberg 'Predator' titles I saw, it was all new to me with 'Badlands'.
Truth be told, I wasn't sure what to expect with this, considering its Canadian PG rating. To me, this was kind of like what it would have meant for 'Deadpool' if it ended up being rated PG, considering the Predator I'm used to is a horrific icon who skins his victims and hangs them from trees. Luckily, however, that baddassery of the Predator is surprisingly still alive and well here, and its lore is expanded upon, complete with the Predator's species name: the Yautja, which writers Patrick Aison and the aforementioned Trachtenberg clearly did some homework on, considering the term comes from 1994 expanded universe lore. This particular story focuses on a Yautja named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), who is considered weak and seemingly unworthy to take his place among his clan. In order for a Yautja to prove their worth, they must go on a hunt, claim a trophy, and bring it back. Dek, knowing how he's seen by others, decides to go after an apex predator located on planet Genna (known as the "death planet") called the Kalisk, which is a creature feared even by Dek's father, Njohrr (Reuben de Jong, but voiced by Schuster-Koloamatangi), guaranteeing him a high rank among his clan. When Dek arrives on Genna, he finds himself faced with a living planet where everything is out to kill him, from creeping vines to razor grass to giant creatures, but he remains determined to find his trophy. Although the Yautja are meant to hunt alone, he stumbles upon a Weyland-Yutani android (hello 'Alien' tie-in) whom he reluctantly teams up with, named Thia (Elle Fanning), whose entire crew was wiped out by the Kalisk while on a mission to study the flora and fauna of the planet; androids being necessary to face the dangers of the planet. As the film unfolds, Dek and Thia teach each other about deeper aspects of their lives, and it often results in some pretty humorous material, with Dek being the stubborn, blood-lusting Yautja he is. Still, in a bit where Thia teaches Dek about the nature of wolves, I have to say, it felt pretty fitting. Meanwhile, a real threat looms over them in the form of Weyland-Yutani, which recovers and repairs another android named Tessa (also Fanning), who will stop at nothing to retrieve her sister and complete the unfinished mission, ultimately seeing Dek as a threat and something new for them to study. Although I feel like some of the more old-school 'Predator' fans, such as myself, might find this a little jarring compared to what they're used to, I still saw a lot of quality in this movie. I enjoyed seeing the Yautja develop here, as the film provides a bit of background without being the whole movie. At its core, it is still a 'Predator' movie set on another planet, involving a great hunt. To those wondering about that PG rating, it still has its fair share of blood and gore, but when the violence doesn't spill red, human blood, one can get away with a lighter rating. Everything that gets wounded here is either an android or some sort of creature. What makes me appreciate the film even further is the complete lack of the human element. Although the androids still convey human emotion, the fact that this takes place in a world where the Predator we all know and love can take on bigger, badder things than human beings is a sigh of relief, considering they're supposed to represent the ultimate hunters. With a strong imagination behind much of the flora and fauna of planet Genna, I really have to credit this for much of its creativity. I wasn't sure how I felt at first, but the more I think about it, the more it grows on me as I realize the Predator's universe tends to be pretty unexplored. 4/5  Another title from a real prince of strangeness, Yorgos Lanthimos, who also gave us oddities like 'The Lobster' and 'Poor Things', 'Bugonia' goes more into a sci-fi realm while remaining simple yet poignant. With his collaborations with Emma Stone, whom I've always held in high regard, and the film's ideas, I was definitely on board for the ride. Especially if it was gonna be as weird and original-feeling as 'Poor Things' ended up being. What can I say? I love the strange and unusual in filmmaking.
The strange and unusual in filmmaking offers us a chance to exercise our imaginations and find some deeper meaning behind it all. I also stick to my guns on the idea that my enjoyment of the strange and unusual is likely original, and while others may turn their noses up at these films because they're "too weird." I mentioned this in my review of 'Poor Things'; the fact remains that these are the original ideas audiences keep asking for, while "everything in Hollywood seems to repeat itself all the time." And while the messages behind 'Bugonia' aren't necessarily original, the execution is something I haven't seen before. As the film opens, a conspiracy theorist by the name of Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his autistic cousin, Don (Aidan Delbis), discuss the nature of bees while beekeeping, and the concept of "Colony Collapse Disorder," in which most of the worker bees will spontaneously leave the hive for unknown reasons. Teddy is convinced that humanity is experiencing this process through a race of aliens known as "Andromedans," and one of these Aliens happens to be Michelle (Stone), the CEO of the pharmaceutical company he does packing and shipping for. Teddy further believes that the Andomedans mean to force the human race into servitude, destroy communities, and that Michelle is explicitly responsible for putting his mother, Sandy (Alicia Silverstone), in a seemingly inescapable coma after she took part in a clinical drug trial. With the help of Don, Teddy plans to kidnap her, interrogate her, and force her to heal Sandy and snap her out of her coma. While the pair get more than they bargained for in their kidnapping attempt, they are ultimately successful. Holding Michelle in their basement, Teddy, with Don on standby, interrogates her after doing strange, conspiracy-nut-related things like shaving her head and covering her body in antihistamine cream so that she can't signal her mothership, and tells her she has four days to negotiate a meeting with the Emperor of the Andromedans, lest a lunar eclipse occur that will allow the mothership to enter Earth's atmosphere and his whole train of conspiracy thought becomes a reality. On the whole, Yorgos Lanthimos did a great job with this film, reflecting a lot of the human condition we've been seeing over the past several years or more; the performances are well executed; it's an interesting idea; and, again, it's just plain weird, with a poignant message under its strange exterior. With all that said, this is one of those films I called part of the ending straight from the trailer, so for some, it may be predictable. Still, the film attempts to hold a mirror up to society, and I believe it ultimately succeeds. Truth be told, I totally get why Lanthimos' projects aren't necessarily for everyone. There's definitely an artsiness to them, and one will often have to wrap one's head around what's going on. But again, this title is more straightforward, if odd, than something like 'Poor Things'. I also have to credit the film for its ending, which, while I may have partly predicted, could still serve as a decent wake-up call for humanity. For as weird as this movie is, it still managed to leave me in awe, and I'd say it's another strong hit for Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, who seem to work together just about as well as PB&J. 4/5  Upon reviewing 'The Black Phone,' I think it's safe to say it's one of the better horror films in recent history. It truly impressed me with its unusual take on what would otherwise be a typical kidnapping film with a touch of torture. It introduced a supernatural element that blended a kidnapping movie with something that goes deeper than the real world. It held an eerie atmosphere, the performances were great, and every time things seemed predictable, something else would come along that I didn't see coming.
Over the last few years, however, I never ended up returning to 'The Black Phone' until I refreshed my memory of it before the sequel. I felt like I honestly had to, because the trailers were blowing my mind, and somehow I didn't remember the dream element of the story - you know, half the plot. However, in my defence, it had been a few years. Anyway, upon seeing the trailers, I, like anyone else, figured this could be the answer to reviving 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' without entirely remaking or recasting it. I'm pleased to find out that, at least for me, we were right. Four years have passed since Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) Blake outsmarted and outwitted a creepy neighbourhood stalker known as "The Grabber" (Ethan Hawke). Slight spoiler alert (because it's clear in the trailer), in this process, Finney manages to kill the Grabber, earning him respect at school that he didn't have before, a lot more self-confidence, and, as a bonus, his father (Jeremy Davies) decided to quit drinking and being a source of pain for the siblings. Now, he goes by Finn, and he's no one to mess with, as he gets a big head about his big escape. In the meantime, Gwen is starting to have those pesky precognitive dreams again, which last time involved the Grabber's victims, including Finn. This time, they're a little more otherworldly and involve the Alpine Lake murders of 1957, which her Mother, Hope (Anna Lore), also had precognitive dreams about at the time. Through one such dream, Gwen learns this through a phone call her mother makes to her—like some psychic connection across time. These dreams have Gwen trying to convince Finn to take a trip to Alpine Lake in an attempt to find answers about what her dreams mean this time. Finn agrees to take the trip, knowing firsthand that when Gwen dreams of something, it's crucial. Together, they head to Alpine Lake, along with a young man named Ernesto (Miguel Mora), the brother of Robin (also Miguel Mora) from the last movie, who taught Finn everything he knows about standing up for himself. Upon their arrival, Gwen's nightmares get far more intense and seem to have real-world consequences, much like with an 'Elm Street' movie. Meanwhile, Finn finds himself on a payphone, once again communicating with the dead. This time, it's the vengeful spirit of The Grabber out for revenge against his killer. I get the feeling that several viewers are going to point out that this is simply "ripping off" 'Elm Street', and to some degree, I get where they're coming from, but even speaking as a diehard "Fred-Head," I'd sooner say that this was probably inspired by 'Elm Street,' giving the concept a unique twist instead of just doing a remake of some sort. For that, I give it credit, and can say in all honesty that I'd take these 'Black Phone' movies back-to-back over the 2010 'Elm Street' remake any day. The similarities are abundant, but there was something about this that really hit the spot for me. Despite hearing a few negative reviews on it already (and I mean few), I don't have much to criticize here. Maybe I have a bias towards this film, as it pretty much checks off what I look for, including a truly frightening villain, a wonderfully dark atmosphere, expansion on the story and the rules of this particular world, and, once again, solid performances by all involved. I want to see more of this world, but I also hope it doesn't get run into the ground through repetition and that they keep expanding on things. But as far as mainstream horror goes, with the potential for a new horror icon in The Grabber, this is something I really enjoy. 4/5 |
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