“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-
0 Comments
“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.
“Late Night with the Devil” stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart. Released at the SXSW festival on March 10, 2023, followed by a worldwide release on March 22, 2024, the film has a talk show host experiencing a chaotic interview during a live broadcast. The film was written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, who also directed “100 Bloody Acres” and “Scare Campaign”. When you’re doing a live broadcast, knowing that anything could go wrong during recording is important. The same goes for late-night talk shows. While it’s fun to watch interviews way past our curfew, there can be instances where specific mistakes or “incidents” can interrupt our good time. This talk show is no exception, although this particular incident is something that people will remember for a very long time…if they survive long enough to tell the tale. This weekend brought us two low-budget horror films hoping to put audiences in a frightening mood amid the modern blockbusters like Ghostbusters and “Godzilla x Kong”. One of those movies I’m talking about today is a low-budget, 1970s-style outlook of televised success gone awry that premiered in last year’s South by Southwest Film Festival to rave reviews. Even horror author Stephen King adored it, indicating we might be in for a nightmarish treat. With this chilling broadcast finally reaching theaters worldwide, does it live up to its shockingly frightening expectations? Let’s find out. The story centers on Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), the host of a successful 1970s variety and late-night talk show, Night Owls with Jack Delroy. However, Jack’s show has recently experienced low ratings due to the passing of his beloved wife, Madeleine (Haig). Determined to turn his career around, Jack plans a Halloween special during the show’s sixth season by hosting an interview with Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Gordon), a parapsychologist and author. Accompanying June are former magician turned skeptic Carmichael the Conjurer (Bliss), psychic Christou (Bazzi), and sole survivor Lilly (Torelli), the subject of June’s book. When he discovers that Lilly houses a supernatural being inside her, Jack decides to make contact with it live on camera to boost his show’s ratings. Unfortunately, his stunt instead unleashes chaotic consequences that put everything and everyone at risk of permanent cancellation. Shudder has an impressive track record of delivering plenty of compelling horror films that dare viewers to watch them late at night. In fact, some of them were more unsettling than the ones from Blumhouse. Unfortunately, I hadn’t gotten around to watching any of the films from Shudder, mainly because they’re only available on its streaming service. Fortunately, with my schedule cleared up, I finally found the time to expose myself to Shudder’s creepy collection, starting with the one that managed to play at my go-to cinema. I know there were other great movies from the streaming service for me to start with, but I thought it would be even better to watch “Late Night with the Devil” in the theater with an audience. Unsurprisingly, I made the right choice. Regarding its 70s-style concept and possession horror aspect, I knew I would be in for a horrifically insane treat, but I was genuinely shocked to see how much of an impact it left on me as a horror watcher. With its combination of transmission and behind-the-scenes footage, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a terrifyingly dark and authentic experience involving Jack’s quest to regain his show’s popularity. It resembles what we see on late-night television in the 1970s, mixed with its documentary-like editing by the Cairnes brothers, adding to the presentation’s authenticity. So, you can say that it’s another found-footage horror movie that relies on its buildup to create an unnerving sense of discomfort until it hits hard with its finale. Found footage has been getting a bad rep recently because it is seen as a cheap gimmick to earn an easy paycheck, but some movies use it to enhance the narrative and even the terror they provide to substantial effect. I’m happy to say that “Late Night with the Devil” is another superb example of this exercise, which is enough to keep the filmmaking gimmick and the demon possession element on the air. Colin and Cameron Cairnes have continued to prove themselves as another face of horror filmmaking, not just through their screenplay, which impressively utilizes its genre tropes and themes, but also their vision. With their vintage-like editing skills on display and the production designs matching the corny period energy, the Cairnes brothers flawlessly crafted the authenticity of showbiz cheesiness that they committed to 100%. More importantly, it’s balanced tremendously with its unnerving imagery brought to discomforting life by its amazing effects, both practical and digital, especially its finale. I also heard that the movie used AI to create three still images, which has caused plenty of controversy. From my perspective, it doesn’t bother me that much since it’s just those three images. If it were used for a scene or an entire movie, then I would be concerned. Besides that, the Cairnes brothers have crafted a near-perfect blend of corny humor and terror that succeeds on both fronts. Of course, the filmmakers weren’t the only people who fully committed to its tone, as the cast delivered one heck of a show with their performances. David Dastmalchian took center stage as the TV host eager to get back on top, and the result is an absolute showstopper. Dastmalchian strongly portrays a character who’s charming and entertaining when he’s on the air but also intimidating when he’s not, mainly due to his overwhelming desperation for success. With a personality as attention-grabbing as Jack’s, it’s no wonder Dastmalchian continues to surprise me in his filmography. Laura Gordon and Ian Bliss also did incredibly well in their roles of June Ross-Mitchell and Carmichael, respectively. I would also credit Ingrid Torelli for upping the creepiness meter regarding her spooky performance as Lilly, especially the scenes involving the devil inside her. Overall, “Late Night with the Devil” televised the horror revolution with its delightfully creepy vibes and sublime display of talent and vintage frights. It’s far from a perfect ratings hit regarding its genre elements, but the movie utilized them to the best of its ability to create a uniquely immersive experience that balances authenticity with terror. It also serves as another forewarning examination of how far someone would go to gain success in the industry that benefited from the Cairnes brothers’s superb direction and screenplay. Combine them with its strong cast, including Dastmalchian’s show-stopping performance, and riveting visual effects, and you get a shocking television event that truly earned its title. I would even say it’s the best horror film I’ve seen so far this year. It’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of demon-possession movies or found-footage films in the theater or on the Shudder streaming service. But be warned that the footage you plan to watch isn’t for the faint of heart. A-“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton. Released on March 22, 2024, the film has the Ghostbusters team confronting a spirit capable of bringing a second Ice Age. The film is directed by Gil Kenan, who also directed films such as “Monster House”, “City of Ember”, and “A Boy Called Christmas”. He’s also responsible for co-writing the screenplay for “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”. It is the fifth film in the Ghostbusters franchise. We all discover spooky stuff that makes us feel like we’re frozen in fear, especially the spectral phantoms roaming around when we aren’t looking. However, one specific ghost takes the phrase “frozen in fear” a bit too literally. Luckily, this job is made specifically for the world’s favorite spirit-catching team, but they won’t be alone. Three years ago, the “Ghostbusters” franchise revitalized from the dead with “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, a legacy sequel to “Ghostbusters II” that introduced us to Egon Spengler’s grandkids becoming the new Ghostbusters and reunited the original team…at the last minute, of course. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, “Afterlife” managed to cater to the original’s fans through its refreshing tone and nostalgia, resulting in it becoming a mild box office success. So now we have a new ghost-busting adventure that continues the legacy and goes back to the formula that made the 1984 original a comedy classic: catching ghosts in New York City. Does it further prove that busting ghosts makes us feel good, or is it time for the franchise to hang up its proton pack? Let’s find out. The story once again centers on the Spengler family consisting of mother Callie (Coon) and her two kids, Trevor (Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Grace). Along with the children's teacher, Gary Grooberson (Rudd), they left their lives in Summerville and moved to New York City. There, they volunteer to help the original Ghostbusters team, Peter Venkman (Murry), Raymond Stantz (Aykroyd), and Winston Zeddemore (Hudson), restart the business they left behind years ago. Their ghost-hunting shenanigans were then interrupted by the discovery of an ancient artifact that houses a deadly death-chilling spirit capable of freezing the entire world. When the ghost threatens to bring about a second Ice Age, the Ghostbusters, new and old, join forces to save the world and regain people’s faith in the team. While I’ve been an admirable fan of the franchise for a long time, my experience with its recent installments has been pretty complicated since the 2016 reboot. I considered “Afterlife” a breath of fresh air for the IP regarding its Amblim-inspired tone and young cast. However, its attempt at nostalgia baiting and underwhelming humor made it clear to me that they’re desperately catering to the toxic fans who despised Paul Feig’s all-female Ghostbusters team. Maybe I’m still sore at what these disgusting “fans” did to the actresses when the reboot came out. Regardless, I was okay with what it’s supposed to be and how it would carry over to its potential follow-ups, which brings us to “Frozen Empire”. “Frozen Empire” certainly has promise regarding its plot and marketing. The film seemed to be returning to the basics of the franchise’s formula by having the action occur in New York City. The movie also introduced us to a brand new ghostly villain that would’ve given Queen Elsa a run for its money instead of bringing back the antagonists from the first two installments, which plagued “Afterlife” for its lack of creativity. So, it’s clear that the filmmakers are trying to regain the franchise’s spiritual essence while keeping it relevant enough to impress the new generation of fans. But the actual test is whether these nostalgic factors equate to a fun ghost-hunting experience. After watching it myself, it’s hard to say that the franchise might need another new set of ghost-busting gear. One thing I can credit “Frozen Empire” for is that it felt more like a “Ghostbusters” movie compared to “Afterlife”, especially in its first few minutes. Considering that it drew inspiration from “The Real Ghostbusters”, this isn’t that surprising. One of the major elements that made “Ghostbusters” what it was is the charm and fun of catching ghosts in New York City and the cast cracking jokes while performing their job. With an entertaining beginning that’s suitably handled by director Gil Kenan, “Frozen Empire” had the opportunity to be a solid installment that rivals the first two movies. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie struggled to maintain its spirit with its proton pack long enough to reach that height. I also remembered it’s a follow-up to “Afterlife”, so it had to retain its predecessor’s serious tone amid its humor. While I still admire “Afterlife” for making itself unique in its quality, it came with the cost of its humor becoming dry and charmless, spoiling the fun of busting ghosts. Luckily, “Frozen Empire” proved to be a more enjoyable experience compared to “Afterlife” despite carrying over what was lacking in its predecessor. Of course, the reasons are that it follows a similar world-saving plot from the first two films, for better or worse, and a shorter runtime. However, it still felt like it ran a bit too long regarding the pacing. Another reason was the ideas it introduced for the Ghostbusters lore, mainly the new ghost-catching tech, the new ghostly antagonist, and Phoebe’s arc. The movie continues Phoebe’s journey by having her prove her worth as a Ghostbuster despite her young age, but she eventually winds up way over her head after befriending a ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind). This direction proved promising regarding the messages it hoped to provide, such as the importance of family and learning from one’s mistakes. However, its screenplay lacked a few sparks in its system to make these ideas rewarding because it had familiar and predictable elements seen in other movies. It also doesn’t help that most of its jokes fail to make much of an impression on me, although I did laugh at one scene involving Bill Murray, so I’m counting that as a win. While the narrative might not function as well as a ghost trapper, “Frozen Empire” managed to find ways of making itself feel good enough to withstand its chill. One of them is the cast, specifically the new and classic Ghostbusters, who made an acceptable effort to carry the film’s flawed script with their performances. Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon offer some suitable moments as Gary and Callie, respectively, despite not being as memorable as the original cast like Murray and Aykroyd. Mckenna Grace continues to shine as Phoebe, emphasizing her irresistible presence as a young actor. Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt were the only members who seemed to put in more effort to provide levity regarding their performances as Nadeem Razmaadi and Hubert Wartzki, respectively. Another thing worth mentioning is Gil Kenan, who, as stated before, did a decent job making the beginning section entertaining while maintaining the tone from “Afterlife”. Kenan is no stranger to supernatural horror since he’s done “Monster House” and the 2015 remake of “Poltergeist”. Plus, he co-wrote “Afterlife” with Jason Reitman, so it makes sense why he’s chosen to direct “Frozen Empire”. However, despite his good intentions, he doesn’t hold a candle to what Ivan Reitman did with the first two movies regarding the balance of humor and seriousness. The movie also did pretty well with its visual effects, mainly for the ghosts. With its combination of CGI and some practical effects, “Frozen Empire” continues the franchise’s legacy of delivering ghostly designs that are both fun and scary, including its death-chilling adversary and Slimer. Overall, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” shows that busting ghosts makes us feel good, but its middling plot and execution of its tone prove that the franchise is losing its spiritual spark. Regarding its formula, I would consider the film a bit more entertaining than “Afterlife” because it felt more like a “Ghostbusters” movie. Its new ghostly antagonist also helped seal the deal to prevent its derivativeness. However, I also find it a bit frustrating that the charm and lighthearted humor the franchise is known for were still stuck underneath its newfound tone despite its attempts at providing some. The cast, Kenan’s direction, and visual effects made it a bit more enjoyable than it had any right to be. Sadly, its average script, predictable elements, and dull humor couldn’t prevent it from freezing in fear. If they want to continue this ghostly series, I’m afraid they will have to change things up to make this ghost-hunting business fun again. Until then, it might be best for it to hang up their proton packs for now. If you like the previous “Ghostbusters” movies, you might enjoy this chilling entry, although not as much as the first two installments. C |
Home of the most friendly movie reviews on the planet.
Categories
All
Follow Me |