THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (2026, AMC DOLBY CINEMA) is so busy moving from one stunning-looking action set-piece (Peach and Toad's casino brawl) to another (Fox McCloud's space fight) it wastes the handful of great character moments that could have built a better narrative. Mario (Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joyce) have great chemistry the few times they're alone talking, but this ain't "Zootopia" so they spend most of the movie separated. Bowser (Jack Black) has a legit character arc and steals every scene he's in, but at the very end reverts back to one-dimensional foe to match Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). Not gonna lie, though, every time Yoshi (Donald Glover pulling a 'Groot') and Fox (Glen Powell in full 'Hangman' mode) are in a scene l giggled like a girl. Loved every second these two interacted with the unending parade of Nintendo IP's and callbacks to old/new games. Rosalina (Brie Larson) wasted and the rushed reveal of her relationship to Peach notwithstanding, "TSMGM" is a ton of empty calories fun.
Saw Robert Zemeckis' BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989) AND PART III (1990, BLU-RAY), the former on a Jury Room 4.0 Discord watchalong and the latter by myself afterwards. For as many times as l've seen the first "BTTF," this is only the 3rd or 4th time l've tackled the sequels. "Part ll" is ambitious as hell with its now-quaint depiction of "futuristic" 2015, but only the finale built around the goodwill toward the prequel's 1955 final act is actually entertaining. Tom Wilson gives a tour-de-force performance as half-a-dozen variations of Biff, but he and his goons (including Billy Zane) are such a-holes they bring down the fun factor. Elisabeth Shue manages to leave an impression despite being excluded from big scenes. An ambitious-as-hell mixed bag.
"Part III" benefits from a return to the first movie's lack of special effects ("Part ll" suffers because once-great SFX have aged badly) within its western setting. Though most of the OG cast returns as centuries-old versions of their ancestors, this is where the star power and quirky chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd carry the film through lots of dull, boring parts. More predictable and slow-paced than its manic predecessor but on par with the first "BTTF," "Part lll" concludes the trilogy on a satisfying note.
THE KING'S WARDEN ('26, SOUTH KOREA, THEATER) is a historical drama (set in the Joseon Dynasty period circa 1492 AC) about an exiled, aloof young king (Park Ji-hoon) and the buffoon elder leader (Yoo Hae-jin) of a poor rural village offering him sanctuary in anticipation of rich rewards. Instead an unlikely friendship develops between the poor villagers and the grateful-but-powerless monarch who can only share his knowledge as repayment. Starts very comedic and broad, but gradually the social commentary and palace intrigue take over. Solid, patient filmmaking.
REMINDERS OF HIM ('26, THEATER) is the latest in novel writer/producer Colleen Hoover's unending parade of rural American misery p@rn happening to good, hard-working (mostly) white folks. Kenna (Maika Monroe) is the just-released-from-prison mother of a little girl she's never seen, the result of a vehicular accident that killed Maika's boyfriend, trying to get the paternal grandparents (Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford) to let her see her daughter. The deceased dad's bestie (Tyrig Withers) who the little girl worships eventually falls in love with Kenna. Predictable drama, pathos, PG-13 sex and reconciliations ensue. 'It's fine' but predictably formulaic to a fault.
Last and certainly least, TOW ('26, THEATER) wastes Rose Byrn's talents playing an unemployed poor woman estranged from her fashion-obsessed daughter (Elsie Fisher) who spends a year trying to get her 1991 Toyota car back from an evil towing company. Domin Sessa ("The Holdovers"), Octavia Spencer and Demi Lovato have nice supporting roles, but the quirky tone undermines the inspired-by-real-people/events narrative. Pass. 🫤
Oh, hi April! 🥳
ReplyDeleteTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (2026, AMC DOLBY CINEMA) is so busy moving from one stunning-looking action set-piece (Peach and Toad's casino brawl) to another (Fox McCloud's space fight) it wastes the handful of great character moments that could have built a better narrative. Mario (Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joyce) have great chemistry the few times they're alone talking, but this ain't "Zootopia" so they spend most of the movie separated. Bowser (Jack Black) has a legit character arc and steals every scene he's in, but at the very end reverts back to one-dimensional foe to match Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). Not gonna lie, though, every time Yoshi (Donald Glover pulling a 'Groot') and Fox (Glen Powell in full 'Hangman' mode) are in a scene l giggled like a girl. Loved every second these two interacted with the unending parade of Nintendo IP's and callbacks to old/new games. Rosalina (Brie Larson) wasted and the rushed reveal of her relationship to Peach notwithstanding, "TSMGM" is a ton of empty calories fun.
Saw Robert Zemeckis' BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989) AND PART III (1990, BLU-RAY), the former on a Jury Room 4.0 Discord watchalong and the latter by myself afterwards. For as many times as l've seen the first "BTTF," this is only the 3rd or 4th time l've tackled the sequels. "Part ll" is ambitious as hell with its now-quaint depiction of "futuristic" 2015, but only the finale built around the goodwill toward the prequel's 1955 final act is actually entertaining. Tom Wilson gives a tour-de-force performance as half-a-dozen variations of Biff, but he and his goons (including Billy Zane) are such a-holes they bring down the fun factor. Elisabeth Shue manages to leave an impression despite being excluded from big scenes. An ambitious-as-hell mixed bag.
"Part III" benefits from a return to the first movie's lack of special effects ("Part ll" suffers because once-great SFX have aged badly) within its western setting. Though most of the OG cast returns as centuries-old versions of their ancestors, this is where the star power and quirky chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd carry the film through lots of dull, boring parts. More predictable and slow-paced than its manic predecessor but on par with the first "BTTF," "Part lll" concludes the trilogy on a satisfying note.
THE KING'S WARDEN ('26, SOUTH KOREA, THEATER) is a historical drama (set in the Joseon Dynasty period circa 1492 AC) about an exiled, aloof young king (Park Ji-hoon) and the buffoon elder leader (Yoo Hae-jin) of a poor rural village offering him sanctuary in anticipation of rich rewards. Instead an unlikely friendship develops between the poor villagers and the grateful-but-powerless monarch who can only share his knowledge as repayment. Starts very comedic and broad, but gradually the social commentary and palace intrigue take over. Solid, patient filmmaking.
REMINDERS OF HIM ('26, THEATER) is the latest in novel writer/producer Colleen Hoover's unending parade of rural American misery p@rn happening to good, hard-working (mostly) white folks. Kenna (Maika Monroe) is the just-released-from-prison mother of a little girl she's never seen, the result of a vehicular accident that killed Maika's boyfriend, trying to get the paternal grandparents (Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford) to let her see her daughter. The deceased dad's bestie (Tyrig Withers) who the little girl worships eventually falls in love with Kenna. Predictable drama, pathos, PG-13 sex and reconciliations ensue. 'It's fine' but predictably formulaic to a fault.
Last and certainly least, TOW ('26, THEATER) wastes Rose Byrn's talents playing an unemployed poor woman estranged from her fashion-obsessed daughter (Elsie Fisher) who spends a year trying to get her 1991 Toyota car back from an evil towing company. Domin Sessa ("The Holdovers"), Octavia Spencer and Demi Lovato have nice supporting roles, but the quirky tone undermines the inspired-by-real-people/events narrative. Pass. 🫤