“The First Omen” stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy. Released on April 5, 2024, the film has a woman uncovering a frightening conspiracy at a Roman Church. The film was directed by Arkasha Stevenson, a former journalist who directed episodes of “Legion” and Briarpatch” and helmed the third season of “Channel Zero”. It is a prequel to the 1976 horror classic “The Omen”. Many people born in the 1970s usually remember the decade when they first experienced the true terror of the horror genre. One of the movies that revitalized the genre during the 70s involved an exorcist that struck fear into the audience and even the people who worked on it. The other has a seemingly nice young boy hiding a sadistic secret that’ll make believers in faith wet their pants. The one I’m referring to is “The Omen”, a tension-filled supernatural classic by Richard Donner that warns viewers of the dangers of the Antichrist. Its cultural impact and religious themes resulted in “The Omen” becoming an iconic franchise consisting of three underwhelming sequels, a 2006 remake, and a 2016 television series titled “Damien” that was canceled after one season. The latter would’ve been the last time we see the Antichrist haunting our religious goodwill. That is until we heard that the greater evil has returned with a prequel that depicts its impending birth. Was it able to recapture the holy terror of the original, or should the Antichrist remain in Hell where it belongs? Let’s find out. The story follows Margaret Daino (Free), a young American woman sent to Rome to begin her life of service to the church. She works at the Vizzardeli Orphanage, run by its Abbess, Sister Silvia (Braga). As the days pass, Margaret eventually finds that her religious path isn’t as easygoing as she thought, as strange, questionable events occur around the Catholic Church when she meets an estranged young girl named Carlita (Nicole Sorace). She soon discovers that the church is plagued with a conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist. As a result, Margaret must find a way to expose the church’s unholy secret before the ritual is complete. Like my experiences with other horror classics like “The Exorcist”, my knowledge of “The Omen” is as minuscule as a fly. I rarely watched the 1976 classic and never watched any of the sequels. But I watched the 2006 remake once, so that should be enough to know what I’m getting myself into for the prequel. I didn’t have much faith in “The First Omen” for several reasons. One was that it looked like another basic supernatural horror film from the trailers, and the movie just seemingly appeared out of nowhere, at least from my perspective. Regardless, I was willing to judge this one fairly because I’m better than the demons who always judge things by their appearances. However, like my experiences with the other horror movies of the past year, I kept my expectations low for “The First Omen” despite the film receiving some surprisingly positive reviews. After viewing it myself, I actually found myself on the same page as those glowing reviews. “The First Omen” has the usual makings of a supernatural horror film, especially one involving religion. You have the unexplainable series of incidents plaguing the characters, the information exploring this phenomenon, and the mystery surrounding it that leads to the shocking truth. It’s what you would expect out of a film depicting unsettling terror in the religious realm or any other movie with a supernatural presence. While that may be the case at first glance, the film also offers a surprising amount of effort in its quality to avoid being condemned by the cinematic horror gods. This is another modern horror movie that took advantage of its tried-and-true narrative to deliver on its concept: a terrifying and often unsettling depiction of anti-religion. Admittedly, it doesn’t reinvent the genre wheel with its storytelling, but the prequel does breathe new life into a horror franchise possessed by low-quality sequels. One of the reasons for its success was its direction. Instead of following the basics of a Blumhouse horror movie, “The First Omen” goes for a more slow-burning and somewhat stylish approach to its mystery and frights while maintaining some of the genre’s traditional tricks. It’s like a mixture of A24 horror vibes with modern scares, meaning fewer jump scares and more of its unnerving imagery. Since it’s based on a popular IP like “The Omen”, I see this as a risky gamble that may not go over well with those hoping for another straightforward scary movie filled with annoying jump scares and gory kills. There’s also the matter of its runtime, which clocks in at exactly two hours long, explaining its slow pacing. “Halloween Ends” attempted to provide this mixture, but unfortunately, it didn’t bode very well for the hardcore fans. Fortunately, “The First Omen” avoided this similar fate by delivering jump-scare-less frights that were actually frightening. Despite resorting to the franchise’s playbook periodically and its unnecessary length, “The First Omen” works as another haunting gateway to slow-burn, stylized horror that’s also visually surreal and discomforting. The film marked the feature directorial debut of television director Arkasha Stevenson, which is usually one of the signs of a horror movie’s impending disaster. That’s not to say she’s a bad choice to direct the film as she seemingly has a healthy track record in her filmography, including her two short films “Vessels” and “Pineapple”. So, it made me curious about her approach to directing a movie and the “Omen” brand itself compared to her work on television. To my surprise, I thought Stevenson did very well with what she delivered. Regarding the atmospheric tension and nightmarish sceneries, Arkasha Stevenson provides a sense of dread and darkness that overshadows the genre’s usual setbacks, especially the scares. The movie also benefitted profoundly from Aaron Morton’s cinematography, visual effects, and Mark Korven’s creepily delightful score, emphasizing a religion’s dark side. Many people believe that horror movies must be full of jump scares and excessive gore to be truly terrifying. However, this is not always the case. Some of the most spine-chilling horror films rely on the fear of the unknown, such as the supernatural or the unexplained. Even seemingly holy entities, which are typically thought of as safe and protective, can become excellent sources of terror in the proper context. By playing on these primal fears, filmmakers like Stevenson can create a truly immersive and terrifying experience for their audiences, and "The First Omen" is another solid example of this theory. Nell Tiger Free, recently known for her television works like “Servant” and “Game of Thrones”, leads a suitable cast whose talents are as holy as a Roman Church. Free’s performance as Margaret delivered an engaging mixture of innocence and fear that would make audiences feel they were in the same situation as her. This was my first exposure to the young actress, mainly because I don’t watch much television, and based on what I’ve seen from her, it surely won’t be my last. Ralph Ineson and Bill Nighy also made their presences work regarding their performances as Father Brennan and Cardinal Lawrence, respectively. Overall, “The First Omen” damns its naysayers by delivering a worthy and nightmarish prequel that’s more on style and discomfort than third-rate horror annoyance. Its genre formula is anything but holy, and its two-hour runtime can be bothersome for most horror fans regarding its pacing and risky approach. Regardless, it’s another occurrence where a seemingly basic horror movie, let alone a prequel, puts more effort into its concept and quality than most scary films involving the supernatural, resulting in a surprisingly decent addition to the genre. Don’t you love it when a film surpasses our low expectations? I sure do. More importantly, the film is a much-needed improvement for the middling franchise due to its cast, Stevenson’s direction, stylish presentation, and unnerving frights. If you’re looking for another scare-your-pants-off experience and are a fan of the “Omen” movies, this film may depend on how you feel about its slow pacing and lack of jump scares. But I can see it impressing those wanting a genuinely good religion-themed horror movie. B
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“Monkey Man” stars Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, and Makarand Deshpande. Released on April 5, 2024, the film has a young man seeking revenge against the corrupt leaders responsible for his mother’s death. The film features the directorial debut of Dev Patel. Many stories depict a nobody's journey that sparks a rebellion against corruption, violence, and discrimination. They encourage us to stand up to those in power and treat each other equally. This trend continues with a new action-packed thrill ride whose backstory is just as exciting as its straightforward concept. The film, which has Dev Patel in the director’s chair for the first time, was initially set to be released on Netflix. However, that was quickly changed when comedian/horror maestro Jordan Peele saw the movie himself and declared, “This has to be in theaters. Screw streaming!” and the rest is history. That guy sure knows how to exceed our expectations of him, especially during the current state of streaming we’re seeing now. Now that it has punched its way into cinemas, let’s see if Peele made the right choice regarding its execution. The story centers on Kid (Patel), an anonymous young man in Mumbai. He experienced a traumatic childhood involving his village being destroyed by the country’s corruption and his mother Neela’s (Kalkunte) death at the hands of police chief Rana Singh (Kher). Since then, Kid has spent years traversing through the city to face his murderers. As his journey for vengeance progresses, Kid discovers that his venture sparks a revolution for his people, tormented by the country's corrupt leaders, including guru Baba Shakti (Deshpande). Despite the odds stacked against him, Kid must fight tooth and nail to exact his revenge and save his people. When I saw Patel and Peele’s names on the film’s marketing, I knew it would be on my list of this year’s highly-anticipated movies. Patel has been on my radar since his debut in 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire”, with his role in “The Green Knight” being my favorite. As for Jordan Peele, if you’ve been following my reviews of his works, you’ll know exactly how I feel about him. His approach toward the horror genre has a healthy track record that’s impossible to ignore, and even his filmography as only a producer outside the genre has been pretty decent so far. With these two involved, along with its kick-ass marketing, this seemingly grim and ultra-violent movie had the opportunity to become another crowd-pleasing theatrical experience despite being another John Wick ripoff. The question is: was it a good crowd-pleasing experience? Well, it’ll depend on your expectations. When it comes to the story, “Monkey Man” has plenty of elements that we’ve seen before, mainly the protagonist seeking revenge on the murderers. In this case, Kid travels through a neo-noir city ruled by those claiming themselves as gods. Amid the journey, the film showcased brief flashbacks of his past that led him down this path of revenge, including his mother’s brutal murder by Rana and the legend of Hanuman. While it serves as a revenge thriller set in Mumbai, “Monkey Man” is also a grim and often discomforting portrayal of class exploitation through violence, corruption, and pessimism. The movie showcased its location as an absolute hellhole where the people’s obsession with power outweighs those below them. In short, it is one country you probably won’t spend your vacation in. Through Patel’s visual storytelling and direction, “Monkey Man” offered a gritty and immensely haunting depiction of the country that also isn’t without its brutalities. Patel also had an impressive passion for representing the Hindu culture and mythologies amid its sociopolitical commentary, evidently seen by its presentation. The movie is an old-fashioned yet entertaining revenge tale that has plenty to say about Indian society and the deception surrounding it. On the storytelling front, “Monkey Man” occasionally struggles to maintain this balance regarding its hit-and-miss execution. In the film's first act, Kid is portrayed in a more humanizing way rather than just being shown as a violent person. The screenplay handles the character well, so I didn't mind the slower pace with less action. This means that the movie is more equally focused on drama and action, which is different from what the marketing suggested. But once the first action scene hit, it immediately became a hard-hitting, brutal roller coaster that grabbed me tight until the end. While some of the narrative beats didn’t hit as hard as its punches on an emotional and thematic level, there’s plenty to enjoy from this violently fun and often bold take on the action thriller genre. Dev Patel has proven to be a solid filmmaker in terms of his vision and direction toward the action sequences. However, he has yet to match or outdo himself as an actor. Patel continues to be an electrifying force of nature in front of the camera, thanks to his stupefying portrayal of Kid. The emotional range Kid possessed, whether rage or trauma, was effectively empowered by Patel’s performance, which is enough to keep him in the Hollywood spotlight for a while. The rest of the cast, mainly consisting of Indian actors, also did decently well with their performances, including Pitobash and Dhulipala as Alphonso and Sita, respectively. Along with its representation, I would also credit Patel and the crew for sticking with an Indian supporting cast to increase its authenticity instead of getting someone else famous to fill those roles. There’s also Sharlto Copley, who plays the role of Tiger, and it definitely looked like he was having fun with his performance, which is expected considering his filmography. But what about the action sequences, you ask? Well, it’s easy to admit that those who like “John Wick” will likely have a blast with “Monkey Man” regarding its brutal violence. From my perspective, “Monkey Man” fulfills its expectations of an often stylish and immersive display of authentic action choreography that’ll make genre fans go bananas. While most of its action scenes were shown in the trailers, that didn’t stop me from admiring the effort in making the R-rated violence fun and savage. Unfortunately, the only thing that brought this aspect down for me was its use of the shaky cam. On some occasions, this filmmaking trick makes the audience feel engrossed in the world through Kid’s perspective. But most of the time, it makes some sequences difficult to see what’s happening regarding its panning effects and close-up shots. Thankfully, it’s not as overused as most generic action movies, even if it somewhat hindered my experience. Overall, “Monkey Man” is an effortful display of authentic action and representation that’s as bananas as the protagonist’s killing spree. Regarding its storytelling, the movie is admirable in providing a soul in its tried-and-true formula and realistically grim themes amid its violence. However, it didn’t reach the heights it was going for emotionally to make it stand out from other movies with similar plots, including “John Wick”. Regardless, it’s another entertaining thrill ride that pounds its chest with pride due to Patel’s irresistible performance, decent direction, and brutal action sequences. So, was Peele right in putting this film in theaters instead of streaming? Well, the obvious answer is yes because who doesn’t love seeing an action movie on the big screen? As for Patel, I could see him tackling his directorial duties again if the opportunity comes knocking at his door. Based on what I saw from him, I think he has enough good merits to make it big as a filmmaker. If you’re looking for another adult-rated slugfest that isn’t “John Wick”, this movie may be for you. B-“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Released on March 29, 2024, the film has Godzilla teaming up with Kong to battle a monstrous threat. The film was directed by Adam Wingard, who also directed films such as “Home Sick”, “You’re Next”, “The Guest”, and “Godzilla vs. Kong”. It is the fifth film in the MonsterVerse. It’s still hard for us to believe that a franchise involving building-sized monsters battling each other would last this long, let alone a decade. There have been other movies with similar concepts, including one featuring kaiju monsters and giant human-controlled robots. However, none of them could compete against the surprising amount of success from the MonsterVerse, primarily due to the resurgence of two of America’s iconic movie monsters: Godzilla and King Kong. With the booming success of their solo movies, the two Titans faced each other for supremacy in “Godzilla vs. Kong”, which proved to be a smashing hit critically and financially despite debuting in theaters and on HBO Max during the pandemic. The fact that it was a must-see on the big screen even helped the monster-sized universe remain relevant. So now we have the latest installment that sees the two popular Titans joining forces to protect their home, whether they like it or not. Does it serve as another hit as massive as a Titan, or is it time for the franchise to go extinct? Let’s find out. Set after the events of “Godzilla vs. Kong”, the story focuses on Kong and his human companions: Dr. Ilene Andrews (Hall), podcaster Bernie Hayes (Henry), Titan veterinarian Trapper (Stevens), and Jia (Hottle). Together, they delve deep into Hollow Earth, a massive world underneath Earth consisting of other hidden Titans. Kong eventually discovers more of his species hiding in the far reaches of Hollow Earth. However, the giant apes are ruled by a tyrannical leader called the Skar King, who seeks dominance over the surface world, and a mighty frost Titan known as Shimo. Knowing that Kong couldn’t stop the two threats alone, Dr. Andrews and the others decide to seek Godzilla for help, which is easier said than done. Despite not seeing eye-to-eye, Kong and Godzilla must put aside their differences and make their stand against the two villainous Titans. The first movie I watched Godzilla and Kong share the screen was 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong”. However, I wound up watching it on HBO Max when it was first released during the pandemic because I wanted to keep myself safe from the virus. It’s far from a masterpiece in terms of its thin human characters and story, but I admired it for living up to its concept of two iconic Titans battling the stuffing out of each other. It was a consistently fun monster mash that benefited from its visual effects and scope-heavy action sequences. More importantly, it showed that Adam Wingard, the man behind some solid low-budget thrillers, can surprisingly carry a blockbuster with a Titan-sized budget. So, it’s no surprise that I was looking forward to its follow-up, which promised more monster mayhem and humans we don’t give an ape’s butt about. Of course, we shouldn’t expect anything more from this movie since…well, it has a giant monkey fighting alongside a massive, pink-scaled lizard. However, it did need to meet or exceed the expectations of being an entertaining action blockbuster to make it worth our time. The thing to know about “The New Empire” is that it takes several elements from “Godzilla vs. Kong”, applies them to this film, and enhances them. One of them is the focus on the titular Titans. While the movie is called “Godzilla x Kong”, it’s more focused on Kong’s arc than Godzilla’s, who spends a few minutes of screen time wrecking stuff up in the surface world, a structure similar to its predecessor. The movie showcases more of Kong’s journey in Hollow Earth, which led him to confront his own species and challenge the Skar King for supremacy while forming a bond with a young juvenile ape named Suko. So, you can say there were plenty of big things for a bigger ape to handle in the film, not just Godzilla. As for the humans, they’re pretty much along for the monster-sized ride as usual while providing color commentary on what’s happening with the Titans. However, the movie did have moments where it attempted to make the humans as interesting as Kong, mainly the relationship between Andrews and her adoptive daughter Jia, the last survivor of the Iwi tribe. This bond served as the movie’s heart amid the destruction from the Titans' rampage, with Jia searching for a sense of belonging. Some of these moments struggled to reach the emotional heights they were going for due to its formulaic screenplay and execution. But the others were sweet and even tolerable enough to keep me distracted until the next monster mash. When it comes to the MonsterVerse as a whole, it has a rough track record in providing captivating human stories amid the visual eye candy and mindless monster battles. The only projects that happened to deliver the best of both worlds were 2014’s “Godzilla” and the Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”, mainly due to its grandeur scale, character arcs, and grim tone. With this film and “Godzilla vs. Kong”, both of which were directed by Adam Wingard, the franchise seems to be going for a more light-hearted and retro presentation to attract a wider audience, including kids. But, of course, this change does result in the franchise spending less time developing the human characters and scope and more on the Titans wrecking cities and each other willy-nilly. This is far from an issue as long as they provide enough good merits to warrant this change and excuse their flawed narratives. “Godzilla vs. Kong” managed to accomplish that while being a fun and visually astonishing monster-sized ride. After watching “The New Empire”, I can say it accomplished that, too. Like “Godzilla vs. Kong”, “Godzilla x Kong” offers a satisfying round of crowd-pleasing action and mindless Titan mayhem to rule over most of its shortcomings. Its screenplay and direction may have taken more shortcuts than it should in terms of its characters, and the pacing near the end felt as fast as traveling through a portal to Hollow Earth. But Adam Wingard’s vision continued to delight with its rocking soundtrack and enjoyable monster-sized battles suitable for the biggest screen. Despite the humans being pawns of information dumping, the cast was acceptable for delivering humor and heart into the characters, even if some of their moments may not work well for others. The only actors I think were the best were Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens as Bernie and Trapper, respectively. These two actors act as the movie’s comic relief amid the dramas with the monsters and human characters. While their straightforward personalities were middling at best, Henry and Stevens proved to have enough charm and humor to keep the human aspect close to being as engaging as Kong’s journey. Along with Hall and Henry, deaf actress Kaylee Hottle reprised her role from “Godzilla vs. Kong”. Her role as Jia in “The New Empire” remains a likable presence in the franchise in terms of its representation and her performance. Another element that I credit the film for is its visual effects. Admittedly, the visuals in “Godzilla x Kong" don’t rival what we got from “Godzilla Minus One”, but without comparing the two, the effects in this movie succeed on multiple occasions. In addition to the scope of the Titan fights, the visuals represented the beauty and dangers surrounding Hollow Earth and its retro-like lighting. They also provided some solid Titan designs, including the Skar King and a radiation-powered Godzilla with pink scales. I wouldn’t make fun of Godzilla’s scales if I were you. They may not match the earlier installments in the MonsterVerse regarding the cinematic scopes, but that doesn’t mean there’s not much to admire from the visual effects that powered the movie’s CGI-filled sequences. Overall, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is another Titan-sized blockbuster that favors delightfully dumb popcorn entertainment in its monster spectacle over soulful storytelling. Regarding its by-the-numbers narrative, pacing, and human characters, the film is a small step backward from “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which may spell trouble for the MonsterVerse. However, it still contains enough fun and thrilling aspects to deliver another decently passable expansion of the monster-sized franchise, including its cast, visual effects, and entertaining fight sequences. More importantly, it also serves as a reminder that the two different Godzilla franchises, one from Toho and one from Legendary, can coexist to please their various audiences. I don’t mind a Godzilla movie full of spectacle and destruction as long as it’s enjoyable, but I also admire one that’s layered with interesting human characters and themes, mainly “Minus One”. These two parts of the Godzilla brand are different beasts regarding the directions they took, and I think they should be acknowledged for impressing both sides of the fanbase. It shows how welcoming a fanbase can become when they’re free to like different aspects of the same franchise without bullying each other on social media. Hopefully, this will inspire many other fanbases to stop being so toxic all the time. As for “The New Empire”, I will recommend this film to those who enjoyed “Godzilla vs. Kong” or want to have fun at the movies. However, if you’re more into monster movies with award-worthy storytelling and thematic depth like “Minus One”, this one won’t win you over. B-“Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2” stars Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Eddy MacKenzie, Lewis Santer, Marcus Massey, and Simon Callow. Released on March 26, 2024, the film has Pooh and his gang exacting revenge on Christopher Robin. The film was directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who is known for creating low-budget movies like “The Area 51 Incident” and “Firenado”. It is a sequel to Frake-Waterfield’s 2023 independent slasher film “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey”. Winnie-the-Pooh has been an icon in our childhoods since his creation by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard, with his charming innocence and curiosity toward the world capturing the hearts of children and adults. However, it wasn’t until Disney iterated the character that Pooh soared even further into popularity, making him one of the most significant parts of everyone’s childhood, including mine. That is until last year when the poor old bear became a victim of the "public domain", resulting in several people making their own versions of the character with horrific results. The worst offender that caught everyone’s attention was British independent filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who thought it was a fantastic idea to turn an innocent symbol of pleasant childhood memories into a bloodthirsty psychopath. That idea was formed into “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey”, a small-budget slasher film involving Pooh and his best friend Piglet slaughtering innocent teens and making Christopher Robin’s adult life a living hell…and have some honey too. Despite being universally panned for its deranged concept and poor execution, the movie was successful enough to spawn a sequel, earning over $5 million worldwide on a budget of a small house, much to our disbelief. This shouldn’t be surprising since most small-budget horror movies have followed this trend for years, but the fact that one involving a cuddly Pooh bear reverting to his feral instincts is a different story altogether. With more of the Hundred-Acre-Wood members joining in on the massacre, was the movie able to correct its predecessor's mistakes, or does it further prove that a murderous Pooh shouldn’t have existed? Let’s find out. The story once again centers on Christopher Robin (Chambers), a young man who barely escaped from the ravenous Winnie-the-Pooh (Oliva), who turned savage when Christopher abandoned him for college. Christopher Robin now resides in his childhood town of Ashdown, where he reveals the existence of his former animal friends and the 100 Acre Wood. However, he is also branded an outcast when he’s framed for the murders. With their home and lives endangered, Pooh and Piglet (MacKenzie) recruit their remaining allies, Tigger (Santer) and Owl (Massey), to embark on a bloodthirsty rampage to get their revenge on Christopher. With his hometown in danger, Christopher must find a way to end Pooh’s reign of terror for good. Believe it or not, I was one of the many unlucky souls who watched “Blood and Honey” out of curiosity. However, I didn’t see it in the theater due to my schedule. Instead, I rented it at home at a cheap price, which was still too much for a childhood-killing idea like that. All I could say about it was that it was one of the experiences of all time. Regarding its low-budget quality, execution, and corny elements, “Blood and Honey” definitely deserved to be covered in honey for all the wrong reasons. However, I did have a decent time making fun of it, so that’s one nice thing I can say about that blood-covered abomination. When I first heard they’re making a sequel to it along with a cinematic universe, I understandably became concerned that they’ll wind up being another series of cheap horror cash grabs favoring gory kills over substance. However, I instead became genuinely surprised when I saw that “Blood and Honey 2” had been received more fondly than its predecessor, meaning that they must have learned from their mistakes from the first go-round. But does that also mean it’s more tolerable or fun than the first film? Surprisingly, yes. Now, that’s not to say that “Blood and Honey 2” is equivalent to “Empire Strikes Back” or “Dune Part Two” regarding the sequel lineup. It offers the usual low-budget splatterfest elements that populated the schlocky horror trend of the past few decades, mainly the ones you see at a drive-in theater. However, when it comes to the enjoyability of its bloody concept and lore, it was a mild improvement over its troubling predecessor, but not by much. Clearly, Frake-Waterfield and his crew attempted to correct most of their predecessor’s mistakes from minute one, mainly because of its budget. With the budget being bigger than the first film, “Blood and Honey 2” had the opportunity to up the ante in its presentation, gore, and even the costumes for the savage Hundred Acre Wood gang. The result is far from perfect, but it definitely felt like the attempt was made to make its questionable concept fun, cheesy, and mildly frightening, more so than its predecessor. No, this is not an April Fool’s joke, though I wish it were. But what about its story? Did it serve as another reason for its “bearable” existence? Well, yes and no. Unlike its predecessor, which focused on a group of one-dimensional teens, “Blood and Honey 2” focuses on Christopher Robin confronting his traumatic past while being ridiculed by his hometown’s residents. Upon doing so, he discovers more terrifying secrets that make him rethink his childhood and relationship with the “silly old bear”. This direction provided more interest in the narrative due to its focus on Chris and darkly grim twist on the lore that made me see the first film differently. Unfortunately, that doesn’t excuse its average screenplay by Matt Leslie, which favors basic horror cliches over thematic storytelling, and the editing. While the quality did seem a bit better than its predecessor, it still has plenty of issues that made it sit between “mockbuster” and “made for streaming”. There were a few occasions where the lighting and quick cuts made it difficult for me to see what was happening, especially in scenes that took place at night. Additionally, the editing made the pacing seem a bit inconsistent as if the film left a few sequences on the cutting room floor between its transitions. So, it’s easy to admit that the filmmakers still had a few more tweaks to fix to increase the franchise’s momentum. But, of course, we’re not expecting anything masterful out of a small independent slasher film about a bear with little brain slaughtering people with a bear trap. We watched it to see the bloody mayhem and poke fun at its cheesiness, which the film delivered in various parts. It periodically compensates for its scares by delivering the amusement of its frights and gleefully cheap acts of brutality. But that’s not the only reason for my enjoyment. The other reason was its cast, with most actors being passable despite their forced dialogue delivery. Scott Chambers takes over the role of Christopher Robin from Nikolai Leon in the first film, and I thought he did pretty well. His performance as a distraught Chris won’t get him any awards, but at least his effort was more noticeable than Leon’s. Another reason was the film’s practical effects, which added to its exploitation-like presentation. They represented the essence of an old-school, cheap exploitation horror film that mainstream CGI tried to recreate and occasionally failed. The gory scenes were pretty twisted despite being second-rate, but I should give the most credit to the costume designs for the Hundred Acre Wood gang. The filmmakers upgraded the prosthetics for the creatures to make them look more realistic and unsettling, whereas the first film’s prosthetics made it look like they got the costumes from Amazon for a cheaper price. It’s impressive how much freedom they got from raising the budget. Overall, “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2” offers more schlocky and gleefully violent vibes that are as sweet as honey, but it’s still covered in some similar flaws that plagued its predecessor. It’s rare to see a horror sequel that improves on the first film, let alone an independent slasher movie that’s considered the bane of our existence. But, for some strange reason, this film happened to beat those odds, or in this case, slash them in half with a flaming chainsaw, and I can’t help but be impressed with how much the people behind it went through to do it. While its script and editing struggled to change the naysayers’ minds on Pooh Bear being a sadistic monster, the enjoyment of seeing him slaughter innocents was powered by its passable cast and practical effects. It’s enough for me to be convinced that Rhys Frake-Waterfield could deliver something worth talking about regarding his “Twisted Childhood Universe”, assuming that his future installments were as amusingly dark and corny as this. If that’s not your thing, then you’re better off watching the Disney version of Winnie-the-Pooh instead. CHello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of moviemanMDG's "Movie Talk", where I talk about everything film-related. The 2020s started the new decade on the wrong foot with the COVID-19 pandemic and the despicable actions of the former president, who shall not be named. In fact, the current events made me hearken back to when the start of a new decade resulted in some fond memories, mainly in 2010. 2010 was the beginning of the decade that gave rise to new cinematic technologies, primarily 3D, due to the popularity of James Cameron's "Avatar", and gave us some of the year's most memorable movies. Not to mention the ones we love to forget about. However, the one thing that made 2010 special was the battle between two cartoon bald supervillains seeking world domination. Universal gave us Gru from "Despicable Me", which transformed Illumination into the money-making animation studio we know today, while DreamWorks Animation gave us the blue-skinned, big-brained "Megamind". While "Despicable Me" won the battle from the critical and financial standpoints, DreamWorks's superhero comedy won audiences's hearts despite being one of the studio's lowest-grossing films of that year. "Megamind" wasn't considered one of the studio's strongest movies, but it eventually gained a cult following as the years passed, mainly due to the power of internet memes. It was also popular enough to kickstart a franchise consisting of video games and the short film "The Button of Doom". Unfortunately, it had yet to provide an actual sequel to satisfy the blue-skinned supervillain-turned-hero's fans. That is until now. Fourteen years after the release of "Megamind", DreamWorks finally answered the fans' demands with a long-awaited continuation of Megamind's rise to heroism, but not in the way we expected. In 2022, the streaming service Peacock announced it ordered a CG animated sequel series to "Megamind" with the film's original writers, Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, returning and a scheduled 2024 release. We didn't hear that much about the "Megamind" series since then until last month when its trailer revealed that we're not only getting the series on Peacock but also a sequel film titled "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate", which would tie directly to the show. Unfortunately, the trailer was met with a lot of disdain instead of joy for multiple reasons, including the absence of the original cast and the lackluster made-for-television quality. Considering that it's made by DreamWorks Animation Television, the expectations weren't exactly high to begin with, but then again, it's also responsible for creating a few good shows like "Trollhunters" and "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power". But, of course, that doesn't stop the fans from already claiming "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" as the worst film of the year, with or without seeing the film. I'm sorry, but have they seen "The Underdoggs"? That alone begs me to question whether this long-awaited follow-up to "Megamind" really is as bad as people said it was, or it's just another case of people being immature babies over a harmless product. Since I enjoyed the first film when it first came out, I decided to find out for myself...a few weeks after its debut. In this episode of Movie Talk, I'll be sharing my thoughts on Peacock's animated double feature that's as big as Megamind's blue cranium. I'll be reviewing not only the sequel film but also the series packaged with it titled "Megamind Rules!" meaning you'll be getting two reviews for the price of one. Plus, it'll be my first time sharing my thoughts on a television series since the "Inhumans" IMAX event. But before I get to it, I should talk about who or what "Megamind" is as a film to refresh our memories and introduce the newcomers. "Megamind" was released in theaters on November 5, 2010, and was directed by Tom McGrath, known for directing the "Madagascar" trilogy and the "Boss Baby" films. It tells the story of Megamind, voiced by Will Ferrell, a brilliant alien supervillain who, along with his best friend, Minion (David Cross), battles his long-time nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt) for control over Metro City. He eventually succeeds when his latest plan results in Metro Man's defeat. However, Megamind is also left without a purpose and no superhero to fight. Hence, he decides to create a new one from Hal Stewart (Jonah Hill), the cameraman to reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey). But when Hal becomes an even worse villain than he was, Megamind must rise to become Metro City's newest hero. I remember when I first watched "Megamind" in the theater. My go-to cinema was in the middle of upgrading its interior design when it first came out, but it managed to stay open despite that. It further shows that cinemas always find a way to remain open despite the changes, except for COVID-19. That was one of those rare occasions when the cinemas actually shut down. Fortunately, the construction didn't get in the way of me experiencing Will Ferrell being a supervillain. It's been a while since I watched the film, but I remember liking it upon my first watch. Was it as fantastic as "How to Train Your Dragon"? No. But it's also one of the movies from DreamWorks Animation that compensates for their flawed and formulaic storytelling with a talented voice cast, solid animation, and fun humor. It made me wish I could watch it again for free on a streaming service before watching its sequels, but it looked like that wouldn't happen for a while. Now that we know who Megamind is, it's time for the moment we've all been waiting for. Let's find out if the follow-ups on Peacock deserve to be supervillains themselves for the wrong reasons. Let's start things off with the straight-to-streaming sequel that's as long as an Illumination film: "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate". The movie serves as a sequel to "Megamind" and the pilot for the series "Megamind Rules!" but doesn't include the original cast. Instead, the movie has the likes of Keith Ferguson, Laura Post, Josh Brener, Scott Adsit, Tony Hale, and Adam Lambert. It was directed by Eric Fogel, who was best known for creating "Celebrity Deathmatch". He's also known for directing the direct-to-DVD movies "My Scene Goes Hollywood" and "The Barbie Diaries" and several television shows such as "The Head", "Daria", and "Starveillance". The film occurs two days after the events of the first film, which sees Megamind (Ferguson) assuming the role of Metro City's newest hero. Unfortunately, Megamind would later find his new role challenged by the sudden return of the Doom Syndicate, his former supervillain team who believes Megamind is still evil. When the Doom Syndicate plans to use one of Megamind's earlier plans to launch Metro City to the moon, the blue hero must team up with Roxanne (Post), Ol' Chum (Brener), formerly Minion, and social media influencer/super fan Keiko (Maya Aoki Tuttle) to defeat the supervillain team and put his criminal past behind for good. The Doom Syndicate was originally formed as part of the first film's early draft, but it was scrapped and later reused for the tie-in game "Megamind: Ultimate Showdown". The sequel allowed the filmmakers the opportunity to use this concept once more, with Behemoth (Chris Sullivan) and Lady Doppler (Emily Tunon) being the only members returning from the scrapped version. So, I'm guessing that this team wasn't "doomed" after all. I haven't played "Ultimate Showdown", so the sequel is actually my first encounter with these characters. However, I did play "Megamind: Mega Team Unite" more than a decade ago, and you can find those videos on my YouTube channel…or don't. My older videos aged like expired milk. But with these new antagonists comes the challenge of crafting a story that earns their presence and expands its predecessor's world-building. More importantly, it has to have a reason for its justified existence other than a distraction for younger viewers, similar to most animated sequels. DreamWorks Animation has succeeded with "Shrek", "How to Train Your Dragon", "Kung Fu Panda", and even "Madagascar". Unfortunately, with DreamWorks Animation Television taking over the development of a "Megamind" sequel, it's easy to admit that their objective seemed to be a lot tougher regarding the limitations of the quality and narrative. After watching the film, it's becoming evident that the concerns for it are indeed real. Regarding its story, characters, and quality, "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" is nothing more than a throwaway piece of animation content designed to please the lowest demographic: kids. The first "Megamind" movie was an amusingly entertaining parody of the superhero tropes we've been familiar with for years. Despite taking several cues from other animated movies, its greatest strength was the execution of its twists on the genre template, giving it enough of a boost to be its own hero. On the other hand, "Doom Syndicate" seemed to be more interested in covering every superhero cliche in the book instead of using them to write a better story and memorable gags. As a result, it became an inert and less-entertaining carbon copy of the genre its predecessor made fun of fourteen years ago. The movie did have a heartwarming message about teamwork, with Megamind learning to accept help from others instead of looking out for himself. However, since its script offered one-dimensional characters, mundane humor, and predictable story beats, the message felt less rewarding than being promoted to hero or even sidekick. That's not to say a story like this can't work since it has some interesting ideas like Megamind facing his villainous past. It's the execution of its narrative beats that matter, and from the looks of it, the filmmakers did seem lost in what made the first movie good in the first place, especially its writers Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. It's also tough to say that the animation didn't fare any better. Unlike the first film, "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" was animated by 88 Pictures, with production services by Doberman Pictures. You haven't heard of these animation companies? Neither have I, and it's understandable why. Despite maintaining the same designs and style as its predecessor, the movie's presentation is where it immediately soared into lackluster territory from minute one. Regarding its cheap quality and dull camera movements, the film is more equivalent to the DreamWorks television shows on Nickelodeon than the likes of "Trollhunters" and "She-Ra". It's fine if it's crafted as a 25-minute episode, but an 85-minute movie made for streaming? That's overreaching it. If there's one thing I can credit "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" for, it's that the voice cast was passable for the most part. They're nowhere near as charismatic and entertaining as Will Ferrell, David Cross, and Tina Fey, but when they're not attempting to match the original actors' appeal, they are not that bad. Keith Ferguson previously voiced Megamind in the video games, so his return to the role seemed like a no-brainer given how well he worked together on the games with DreamWorks. Despite not being as flattering as Ferrell, Ferguson did all right in portraying Megamind's intelligent yet buffoonery personality, even though he's more of the latter occasionally. Laura Post and Josh Brener were also acceptable as Roxanne and Ol' Chum, respectively. Overall, "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" is admittedly a doomed piece of streaming animation that lacks the charm, wit, and heart of its heroic predecessor. While its voice cast made a tiny effort in their performances, they're sadly not enough to save the day from the clutches of its cheap television quality, poor storytelling, and lackluster animation. It doesn't take a genius to realize its expendability made by DreamWorks. I might have been more forgiving if it was framed as episodes of a television show like "Megamind Rules!". However, since it's designed as a movie for streaming, I have to acknowledge the studio's lack of passion and effort to meet its fans' demands. If I were to grade the film, I would, unfortunately, give it an F. It's an effortless cash-in, more so than the other sequels from DreamWorks Animation like "Boss Baby", but it's not something I lose sleep over. Okay! Now that we got that piece of animation trash out of the way, it's time for me to look at its series counterpart: "Megamind Rules!" Yeah, he rules all right. He rules with a lackluster blue fist. If you're lucky enough to survive 85 minutes of charmless fluff, you'll be fortunate with a mid-credit scene that offers a few teases leading to the series. Of course, the big one is the reveal of the evilest brain in town, Machiavillain, voiced by none other than the recent lead vocalist for Queen, Adam Lambert. And I thought Tony Hale as the donut shop owner was a bizarre casting choice. This brings us to "Megamind Rules!", an eight-episode series depicting Megamind's attempt to be Metro City's new superhero and viral sensation. If you've been spending countless hours watching television shows, mainly ones from streaming, you'll know that "Megamind Rules!" follows the formula of stitching together formulaic episodes to form a massive seasonal plot. Some episodes include Megamind competing against the new hero, Dude Monkey, for internet stardom and Ol' Chum cloning himself while caring for an insomniac Megamind. Amid these episodes, the return of the Doom Syndicate played a role in forming a regeneration machine to revive the body of their leader, Machiavillain, who was Megamind's former mentor before Megamind accidentally killed him. His plan is fully realized in the final two episodes, where Machiavillain replaces Megamind as the city's hero by framing him for his actions. I wasn't expecting much from the series following my experience with the movie, which is typical for my experience watching shows based on DreamWorks's catalogue. Most of the time, the strategy makes my viewing pleasure more tolerable, but sometimes it doesn't. However, after watching "Megamind Rules", I realized that it winds up being the former. Does that make it a good show? Not really, but I wasn't bored out of my mind since it actually made an effort in its humor and plots, unlike its 85-minute pilot. With each episode being 23 minutes long, it makes the animation style and seasonal narrative more forgiving due to it being framed as…well, a streaming series. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to make up for the episodes's formulaic structures we've seen in other children's shows before despite their kid-friendly messages. One such example is its fourth episode, "MegaMayor", which involves a Freaky Friday-style plot with Megamind and Roxanne switching bodies with his disguise watch. Fortunately, I found a couple of episodes that I enjoyed a bit more than others. One of them is the second episode, "The Villainous Origin of Mr. Donut", where Megamind accidentally creates a new villain out of Mr. Donut, voiced by Hale. That episode offered an amusing jab at the "hero creating a villain" trope we've seen in countless superhero movies, hearkening back to the first film parodying the superhero genre. It may not have the strongest dialogue to provide the biggest laughs, but the second episode somehow understood the first film's parodic appeal a tad more than the remaining ones. I also liked the final two episodes, mainly because the previous episodes come full circle regarding their characters, including Keiko, who realizes that being a hero isn't as easy as it appears. Overall, "Megamind Rules!" was tolerable enough to sit alongside DreamWorks's other movie-based shows. That doesn't make it a great show, though, as it's still beyond its reach of matching the heights of the 2010 film. Despite a few enjoyable episodes, the series lacked anything else to justify its existence regarding its formulaic plots and hit-and-miss humor. But, on the bright side, I didn't find myself bored while watching it, which is enough for me to see what direction it'll go for its future episodes. We have no idea when it'll release the next set of episodes as of this writing, but I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to cancel it altogether. In conclusion, the "Megamind" follow-ups on Peacock are another example of a studio providing quantity over quality regarding its televised content. This shouldn't come as a surprise to me, considering that DreamWorks Animation Television is known for delivering such content in its lifetime. I should know because I have grown up watching some of them on television. "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" was admittedly a low-brow and soulless attempt at catering to those wanting a sequel to "Megamind". On the other hand, "Megamind Rules!" was a more tolerable experience to sit through since some of the episodes put a small effort at being enjoyable despite their formulaic plots and low-quality animation. It reminded me of how "Monsters vs. Aliens" went through. "Monsters vs. Aliens" was another somewhat enjoyable movie-genre parody from DreamWorks that spawned a less-than-stellar television show that only exists to cater to younger fans of the source material. I watched the show, unfortunately, and I forgot about it afterward, which explains its cancellation after just one season. The "Megamind" sequels would likely perform a similar task to some children, but I don't see them being fondly remembered after a few weeks. Despite the success of "Kung Fu Panda 4" and "Orion and the Dark" drying the studio's tears, this isn't a good start to the new year for the booming animation company. Hopefully, it can pick itself up with its next feature, "The Wild Robot", which already looks promising from the trailer and concept. Until then, this is moviemanMDG advising you to keep calm and watch "Orion and the Dark" instead.
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