Kung Fu Panda 4 March 10, 2024 By: Button Tyler Banark As time has proved, it’s a risky choice for a franchise to leap beyond a trilogy and into a fourth entry. For every John Wick: Chapter 4 , Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , there is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Bourne Ultimatum , and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides . DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 4 falls more into the latter bucket by providing the expected stunning visuals, yet also displaying an overfamiliar story that signals a franchise running out of steam and bound to implode. Kung Fu Panda 4 ’s biggest flaw is its script, penned by recurring writers Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, and newcomer Darren Lemke. While the three previous entries mixed plenty of laughs and memorable moments, there wasn’t a single laugh-out-loud moment here, not even for the younger members of the audience. It didn’t help that most of these attempted jokes are featured in a senseless plot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_inKs4eeHiI Po has taken the next step in his journey by fulfilling the position of spiritual leader for the Valley of Peace. Because of this, he must step down as the Dragon Warrior and look to find a successor. As he does this, yet another power-hungry villain in The Chameleon (Viola Davis) threatens China by harnessing the powers of all of Po’s past villains. Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and General Kai all return, with Tai Lung being the only one in the spotlight since Ian McShane was the only original voice actor of the trio to come back. Also missing are Furious Five, with their absence being attributed to “other duties.” Of course, Jack Black returns as Po, a character he never seems to take for granted. He’s up to his usual antics, which is enough since seeing Black do his thing is enough of an enjoyable time. Viola Davis’ inclusion in the franchise is great on paper, but it’s not as great in execution, considering her character’s copied and pasted motivations. Although he’s not given much screentime, Dustin Hoffman still phones it in as Shifu, which also marks his first appearance in a studio film since 2017’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) . Zimmer returns to the maestro’s corner, collaborating again with Steve Mazzaro. Although there are no outstanding pieces, the duo does provide an interestingly Eastern-sounding rendition of “Crazy Train” during a chase sequence. And that’s not the only cover song to be prominently featured, with Black and his band, Tenacious D, covering Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” during the end credits. It’s a better use of Black’s musical talent than “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros Movie . Kung Fu Panda 4 feels like an insult to the franchise, with almost every aspect being inferior to the previous entries. Even the DreamWorks opening credit logo lacked the personality it once had. From a franchise that has always been willing to take risks, this fourth outing is safe and forgettable. Audiences were wishing for more skadoosh, but they got more of a whimpering pow instead. Universal Pictures will release Kung Fu Panda 4 in theaters nationwide on March 8th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Ranking the Mad Max Franchise May 19, 2024 By: Tyler Banark In 1979, George Miller crafted a micro-budgeted action film that would eventually spur three more iterations, each evolving in terms of scale and iconism. Always leaving more to discover, even if some of the ideas on display can be absurd, the franchise refuses to back down on the chaos factor from technical and writing standpoints. With the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga , the franchise looks to shift gears by focusing on the titular origin of one of the best-written heroines. Here’s a look back on the previous four entries in this ever-changing franchise. 4. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) If there’s one thing viewers mustn't do when venturing through this franchise, it’s watching them on a screen smaller than a television. We all know the arguments for the “theatrical experience,” but there is a very palpable sense of loss regarding the sound design and cinematography when you’re not being engulfed by the darkness of the cinema. I digress, though, as Beyond Thunderdome turned out to be a misfire not for its technicals, but for its feelings of having too many cooks in the kitchen with Miller co-directing with George Ogilvie. The movie starts with Max coming face-to-face with another ragtag village led by Tina Turner’s Aunty Entity. Only this time, they have an extreme gladiator arena that acts as the primary source of entertainment, in which Max gets himself involved in its festivities. After the first act, the movie takes a 180-degree turn by incorporating a Lord of the Flies -esque plot that had no business happening. The idea of this second act felt like Miller and co-writer Terry Hayes going for broke at the end of their trilogy. Fortunately, the 25-minute chase climax recaptures the energy of the first two outings, so the franchise seemingly ended on a miniature high note. 3. Mad Max (1979) The fact that this franchise started so well is a minor miracle once you consider that it also served as Miller’s directorial debut and he had little money (AUD 400,000) at his disposal. Mel Gibson’s brooding performance as Max Rockatansky is what anchors the film. We watch him become a tormented lawman pushed to the edge as his new surroundings defy all the rules he’s accustomed to. He now seeks revenge against a gang of vicious outlaws who killed his family. Despite its modest production values, the film’s set pieces hold up considerably well thanks to the well-choreographed and shot car chases. The high-octane energy of the action is juxtaposed with the bleakness of the motivations, with Max perpetually torn between his desire for justice and the need to stay away from the madness. The film’s worldwide gross of over $100 million made it the most profitable independent film ever, a title it held until The Blair Witch Project . 2. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) Renamed The Road Warrior for its North American release, Mad Max 2 catapults viewers into an even more savage and lawless world than its predecessor. Miller elevates the post-apocalyptic saga to new heights of intensity and spectacle, delivering a relentless barrage of jaw-dropping action sequences and iconic imagery. There’s also a capitalization on the foundation of the original film, with more makeshift vehicles adding to the sense of a collapsed society. But still at the film's heart is Gibson’s Max, who only speaks a little more than a dozen lines. There’s also Emil Minty as Max’s mute boomerang-wielding child sidekick, a staple of the era alongside Ke Huy Quan in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom . It all comes together to show that bigger is sometimes better. 1. Max Max: Fury Road (2015) Mad Max: Fury Road is a relentless symphony of chaos and adrenaline that grips you from the first frame and never lets go. Tom Hardy takes over the role of the titular hero, holding his own with the torch. However, it’s Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa who dominated the headlines as she crafted one of the most fascinating original characters of the genre. Both Furiosa and Max want to be in a better place both mentally and physically, but the land they inhabit prevents that from being a simple task. Of course, there was copious amounts of CGI used throughout the film, but John Seale’s crisp photography and Margaret Sixel’s visceral editing bathe everything in a sea of meticulous passion and analog craftsmanship. It’s Miller’s magnum opus as a filmmaker and one of the greatest action films of all time. You can follow Tyler and hear more of his thoughts on Twitter , Instagram , and Letterboxd . More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Black Adam October 21, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen What do you get when you take Dwayne Johnson, Hollywood’s most formulaic leading man, and a superhero movie, Hollywood’s most formulaic genre, and mix them? That’s right! You get one of the most formulaic, forgettable, ugly, unnecessary, unfunny, and tiring movies of the year. At this point, I have to give the DC Extended Universe some credit because it takes some true skill to be this consistently bad on such a large scale. Universal Studios at least had the humility to abandon its Dark Universe after the catastrophe that was The Mummy . But Warner Brothers has chugged along with the DCEU, hitting every obstacle on their way to the finish line, which they seem to be pushing further away with each new film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0tOpBuYasI Let’s get this over with, shall we? Our story opens in the exposition-filled land of ancient Kahndaq, a fictional Middle Eastern country where everything shines through an oppressive gray filter. The people are enslaved by their tyrannical king, who is hellbent on crafting the MacGuffin known as the Crown of Sabbac, which will give him the powers of the underworld. After a revolt is led against him, the mad ruler kills all that he deems a threat, which includes Teth-Adam (Johnson) and his family. We fast-forward 5,000 years and are introduced to Adrianna, an archaeologist trying to find the lost crown so that it won’t fall into the wrong hands. After her mission is ambushed, she awakens Teth-Adam, whose life was spared by the all-powerful wizards of Shazam! , who also bestowed upon him godlike powers. Disoriented after his slumber, Teth-Adam unleashes his revenge, which attracts the attention of The Justice Society, led by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan). Black Adam is the closest that a superhero movie has come to a Godzilla movie, as nearly 80% of the runtime is all-powerful beings beating the crap out of each other. But unlike Adam Wingard, who was able to bring some ingenuity to the guilty pleasure that was Godzilla vs. Kong , director Jaume Collet-Serra restricts the action to playing out the same way each time. Big hits are landed, and the theater shakes from the sound effects, but nothing is actually felt. And don’t get me started on the “humor.” On second thought, let’s get into it. Outside of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad , the DCEU is not known for having a funny bone. And even with that low bar, Black Adam sinks to the bottom with dozens of lame attempts to lighten the mood. Adrianna’s son, Amon (played by the way too eager Bodhi Sabongui), acts as the John Connor to Black Adam’s T-800, guiding him through this new age of heroes and villains. Two of those new heroes are Atom Smasher and Cyclone, whose personalities get brushed under the rug in favor of bad quips. To be honest, I’ve lost track of who’s in and who’s out, and what is actually going on in the DCEU. It’s just a bunch of noise, eroding my brain two hours at a time. Black Adam seems to have done the most damage because it’s going to take me a long time to recover from this dreck. For the love of god, burn it all down. Warner Bros. Pictures will release Black Adam in theaters nationwide on October 21st. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

How 'The Godfather' Signaled Hollywood Change 50 Years Ago March 15, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen The 1970s saw the birth of the film movement known as “New Hollywood” or the“American New Wave”. This movement emulated what had been going on in Europe for quite some time. The director (and sometimes writer) of the film was seen as the key authorial voice of a film, rather than the producing studio. For decades, moguls like David O. Selznick and Jack Warner loomed large over theindustry, deciding what made it to the screen. They often held the roles of judge, jury, and executioner, killing a career before it started. With these titans dying off near the beginning of the 1970s, new studio heads now had to rely on filmmakers to create products audiences craved. The world no longer begged for big musical productions or sappy romances. They wanted authentic stories that still offered gripping storytelling. A generation of filmmakers was up to this task. One of the most popular among this group was Francis Ford Coppola, a bright new talent fresh out of UCLA Film School. Like a rocket, his career took off with hits such as The Godfather , its sequel The Godfather Part II , and Apocalypse Now . Looking through the lens of “New Hollywood” and the argument of Old vs. New Sentimentality, we can see why and how Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather was a monumental work for film history. Adapted from the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, The Godfather tells the story of the Corleone crime family in 1945. Don Vito Corleone is getting up in years and must look to transfer control of his clan to one of his sons. His eldest son, Sonny, is the prime candidate to take over, but he is hot-headed and lacks the necessary nuance. The youngest son, Michael, is reluctant to work in the family business but is thrust into it after several deadly altercations. The Godfather does share many similar qualities with the films of Old Sentimentality. It’s a nearly three-hour epic adapted from a beloved novel that is filled with movie stars. Marlon Brando was one of the hottest actors on the planet, both in terms of looks and talent. Like many of the films in the studio era, the inclusion of Brando in the cast did a lot to sell the movie. But while the production values on the surface may connect The Godfather to the past, it’s what’s underneath that breaks it away from the usual crowd. The Production Code of the 40s and 50s restricted what could and could not be displayed on the screen. The good guys must win and the bad guys must lose was one of the prevailing rules. Fortunately, the code was stopped in 1968, allowing Coppola and Puzo to dig deeper into the criminal world. Coppola steeps his film into the rich Italian immigrant culture, one filled with hardships and that stresses the importance of family. Vito Corleone is a character that is given immense psychological development. Many of his actions are done to protect his family and strengthen his relationships with the other crime families. He still can be considered a villain, as he orders men to be killed and works in illegal enterprises. With Brando’s method acting, Vito Corleone was an unprecedented authentic depiction of Italian-Americans, distancing the image away from the Tommy Gun swinging depictions in earlier films such as The Public Enemy and Scarface . There could also be an argument made that Coppola’s new image became a harmful stereotype, as The Godfather became immensely influential in how Italian-Americans were portrayed in future films. What also makes The Godfather a part of the New Hollywood movement is itsunflinching violence. Around this time, auteurs were experimenting with the relationship both Hollywood and audiences had with violence, which, because of the Production Code, had been severely limited for decades. Bonnie and Clyde, The French Connection , and Straw Dogs broke into the mainstream, with their heavy use of screen violence being one of the central elements of their success. The violence within The Godfather does not sensationalize the crime lifestyle. Each death is stripped of stylization, often being shown in gruesome fashion. For example, the garrote scene has Luca Brasi’s eyes popping out of his head, and Sonny’s ambush leaves him in a bloody mess. The ending follows the massacre of several high-ranking mob bosses, including on being shot in the eye and another being gunned down in bed. None of this violence is played to be heroic or produce good consequences, similar to the films mentioned before. From the outside, The Godfather may seem to be a product of Old Sentimentality with its rich production values and starry leads. But underneath the surface, the film is a beacon of New Sentimentality with its radical new depiction of Italian-American life and its treatment of on-screen violence. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey September 16, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen True to its title, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is big and bold. Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie embark on a journey through space and time, weaving in and out of their respective past and present lives, looking back on successes and failures with the gift of hindsight. Farrell gets to perform again in his high school musical, trying to win the heart of his crush. Robbie has to rekindle her relationship with her mother just before and after she dies alone in the hospital. That doesn’t exactly sound like a fair deal… But this film is not beautiful. In fact, it’s quite ugly. Not from a visual standpoint, as DP Benjamin Loeb effectively employs all the colors of the rainbow for the eye-popping production design by Katie Byron (she worked on the equally vibrant Don’t Worry Darling ). A bright red door beckons our leads down their first whimsical wormhole, blue and yellow umbrellas protect the soaked attendees of a wedding, and Farrell’s dark green cardigan blends well with the lush fields and trees. The only complaint I had was the sight of Burger King being used as the meet-cute launch pad for this adventure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t9cPtA9St0 However, my opinion about how nothing good ever comes from a Burger King remains true, as this treacly story makes a case for why we shouldn’t treat everyone’s life story as something special. I can only assume that writer Seth Reiss picked up one of those sappy self-help inspirational quote books and challenged himself to place each one into a script. It worked for him, pulling in two A-listers and a major studio to fork over tens of millions of dollars to make those pieces of paper into a visual reality. But we’re the ones who have to pay a higher price, and I’m not just talking about the $10 ticket price. Despite their insanely good looks, David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie) have been single almost their entire lives. He’s too afraid of being heartbroken, a nearly fifty-year-old man still being called by his parents about getting out there and meeting the right person. She’s afraid to break other people’s hearts, a serial cheater who would rather pull the ripcord than plunge deeper into commitment. Both of them rent a car from the aptly titled “Car Rental Agency” run by a German-accented Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline. The GPS has a mind of its own, taking them on a detour towards a series of mysterious doors that serve as a portal into their memories. You know the old saying: Once you’ve gone through one time-traveling door, you’ve been through them all. That’s certainly true here, with each of Farrell and Robbie’s stops offering the same sentimental lessons on life, death, and the opportunities that can only be seized by opening ourselves to risk. Director Kogonada supplies a deft touch, but his humanistic instincts that were wonderfully displayed in his first features of Columbus and After Yang have been buried under the implicit studio requirement that everything stays neat. Seeing his name along with Joe Hisaishi as the credited composer made me even more depressed, as a more personal collaboration would likely yield amazing results. My main takeaway from A Big Bold Beautiful Journey was that the screening room in the new Bill Pohlad Cinema at the FilmNorth building more than lived up to its touted status as the most high-tech and pristine screening room in Minnesota. The images were sharp, the sound design was precise, and the 50-person seating capacity positively lent to an intimate atmosphere. It was unfortunate every time I refocused myself to watch the film projected in front of me, a reminder that not all movies enhance the theatrical experience. Sony Pictures Releasing will release A Big Bold Beautiful Journey in theaters nationwide on September 19th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

2025 Golden Globe Awards Nomination Predictions December 7, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Buoyed by interesting nominees and big-name winners, last year's Golden Globe Awards was a major success in the rebirth process for the once-disgraced awards body. The group formerly known as the HFPA will be looking to keep that ball rolling this year, although they'll have a tougher time finding the same level of notoriety amongst the contenders. This year's crop is much more independent-focused than in years past, which could lend the Globes more influence in this chaotic Oscar race. With nominations set to be announced on Monday morning, here are my predictions on what names will be called in each category, complete with a full breakdown detailing the seemingly endless combinations. Best Motion Picture - Drama Conclave The Brutalist Dune: Part Two Nickel Boys Sing Sing A Complete Unknown Last year's nomination in this category for The Zone of Interest lends strength to the equally challenging and universally acclaimed Nickel Boys . Something like A Complete Unknown would have been a slam dunk under the previous Globes regime, which makes it a little vulnerable to being subbed out for more esoteric titles like Queer and Babygirl . Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Anora Emilia Pérez Wicked A Real Pain Challengers The Substance The top three films are virtually guaranteed to receive Best Picture nominations at the Oscars, and A Real Pain has continually risen in its stock. That leaves Challengers , The Substance , Saturday Night , and Hit Man as the four likeliest titles jockeying for the final two slots. Challengers and The Substance have been two of the buzziest and most acclaimed films of the year, so it would be surprising for them to be left out. Best Director Sean Baker (Anora) Jaques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) Edward Berger (Conclave) Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two) Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) The Directors branch at the Academy tends to favor more arthouse sensibilities as opposed to the Globes, which is why it wouldn't be a surprise for an Oscar contender such as RaMell Ross ( Nickel Boys ) snubbed for someone like Ridley Scott ( Gladiator II ). The Globes have also been kinder to female contenders, giving nominations to Maggie Gyllenhaal ( The Lost Daughter ) and Celine Song ( Past Lives ) when the Oscars didn't. Coralie Fargeat will be that nominee this year, with Denis Villeneuve representing the blockbusters. Best Screenplay Conclave Anora A Real Pain The Brutalist Sing Sing Emilia Pérez The funneling of both original and adapted screenplays into one category makes it impossible to have confident predictions. Deserving contenders will be left off this list come nomination morning, and there's rarely a correlating factor that gives us a clue about what this group likes. The best strategy is to replicate the nominees from the Best Director category, and then swap out 1-2 based on how writerly they are. The narratives behind Dune: Part Two and The Substance have been very director-focused, which is why bigger writing contenders like A Real Pain and Sing Sing will likely slide in. Best Lead Actor - Drama Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) Daniel Craig (Queer) Jharrel Jerome (Unstoppable) It's pretty much all chalk within this category, with my currently predicted five for Best Lead Actor at the Oscars being represented here. It's already hard enough to fill out five slots, so adding another one doesn't help the guessing game. Sebastian Stan is hurt by the poison that surrounds The Apprentice , and Paul Mescal didn't have that many positive notices for Gladiator II . I'm going to reach a little bit and give the edge to Jharrel Jerome for Unstoppable , a very physical performance from a crowd-pleasing film that has been campaigning nonstop since its TIFF premiere. Best Lead Actress - Drama Nicole Kidman (Babygirl) Angelina Jolie (Maria) Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun) Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here) Kate Winslet (Lee) This category is surprisingly thinner among Oscar contenders than in most years, which is a testament to the increased competition within the Comedy/Musical category. Last year's nomination for Alma Pöysti showed that the Globes will consider a foreign-language performance that isn't firmly in the Oscar race like Sandra Hüller was, which bodes well for Fernanda Torres in I'm Still Here . I can't decide between Tilda Swinton or Julianne Moore for The Room Next Door , so I'll leave both of them out. Kate Winslet in Lee would have been a lock years ago, and I think there's still enough of that voting body left for her to nab the final slot. Best Lead Actor - Musical or Comedy Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) Glen Powell (Hit Man) Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) Sebastian Stan (A Different Man) Hugh Grant (Heretic) Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness) Jesse Eisenberg and Glen Powell sit comfortably at the top competing to win the trophy. Michael Keaton as the uber-successful and iconic character in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels like a safe bet, as does Hugh Grant in Heretic and Sebastian Stan in A Different Man after idiosyncratic nominees like Joaquin Phoenix ( Beau Is Afraid ) and Nicolas Cage ( Dream Scenario ) last year. That vibe leads me to pick Cannes Best Actor winner Jesse Plemons ( Kinds of Kindness ) for the final slot over more conventional contenders like Gabriel LaBelle ( Saturday Night ) and Ryan Reynolds ( Deadpool & Wolverine ). Best Lead Actress - Musical or Comedy Mikey Madison (Anora) Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Demi Moore (The Substance) Zendaya (Challengers) June Squibb (Thelma) This is pretty much a repeat of the Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical category, sans A Real Pain for obvious reasons. I've got June Squibb nabbing that last slot in a surprise upset over eight-time nominee (and two-time winner) Amy Adams. It's not the smartest move on paper, but the buzz for Nightbitch and Adams' performance has been nonexistent, at least in comparison to her previous work. That might not matter for someone so beloved as her, but I think Squibb is much more deserved and makes for a better narrative. Best Supporting Actor Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing) Stanley Tucci (Conclave) Yura Borisov (Anora) Two of the best narratives this year have been the rise of previously unknown performers Clarence Maclin and Yura Borisov. Maclin has been firmly in the Oscar conversation for months, while Borisov has seen a quick rise over the past few weeks. That might be too short of a window to get him in here, especially with an established player like Edward Norton ( A Complete Unknown ) right on his tail. Best Supporting Actress Zoë Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) Ariana Grande (Wicked) Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson) Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) Margaret Qualley (The Substance) Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys) I'm feeling pretty confident in the first five slots. The final slot could easily go to Selena Gomez for Emilia Pérez . She's been loved by the television side of this group, being nominated for the previous two seasons of Only Murders In The Building , which will likely continue with the fourth season. There's the possibility of Saoirse Ronan fulfilling the promise of a double nomination morning with Blitz , although that film has faltered at every step so far. I have confidence behind my choice for Nickel Boys in Best Motion Picture - Drama, so I'll reverse engineer my way into predicting Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Best Foreign Language Film Emilia Pérez (France) All We Imagine as Light (India) The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Iran) I'm Still Here (Brazil) The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) The Count of Monte Cristo (France) The Globes have far fewer restrictions on this category as opposed to the Oscars, which is why we could get two nominees from France despite Emilia Pérez being the official submission. There's bound to be an outlier choice within the final two slots, so I'm hoping my roll of the dice will generate at least one correct guess. Best Animated Feature Film The Wild Robot Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Flow Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Moana 2 I'm going with the currently predicted lineup at the Oscars, with Moana 2 following the same trajectory as Wish last year of being a namecheck nominee. The former has slightly better reviews and a vastly better box performance than the latter, so that's a good enough reason to crawl in. Best Original Score Conclave The Brutalist Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez Challengers The Wild Robot This category is stacked with heavy hitters across the Drama and Comedy/Musical categories. The outlier amongst the group is The Wild Robot , which shouldn't have any problems considering the Globes nominated two animated films ( Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Boy and the Heron ) in this category last year. Best Original Song El Mal (Emilia Pérez) Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez) Kiss the Sky (The Wild Robot) I Always Wanted a Brother (Mufasa: The Lion King) Piece by Piece (Piece by Piece) Never Too Late (Elton John) I'd consider it a success if I get 3/6 correct in this category. Some wild picks were made last year with "Peaches" and “Addicted to Romance," both of which featured big stars behind their campaigns. I'm going to run with that theme in my nominees this year, predicting people such as Elton John, Pharrell, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. They'll be joined by two of the popular numbers from Emilia Pérez . Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Inside Out 2 Deadpool & Wolverine Wicked Dune: Part Two Moana 2 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Despicable Me 4 It Ends with Us Introduced as the "Barbenheimer" last year, this category serves as a last resort for the Globes to feature movies that the casual audience will recognize. That means I'm working my way down the domestic box office charts, including the films that got at least decent reviews. I don't have much respect for this category, so I won't have any pride in how many I get right or wrong. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen

Jojo Rabbit November 14, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen If you’re going to make a movie about the Nazis, you'd better make sure it’s going to be good. Multiply that rule by infinity if you’re going to make it a comedy. Because of this strict rule, only a select few have been able to take the greatest human atrocity of the modern era and turn it into a joke. Charlie Chaplin did it in 1940 with The Great Dictator (although he wasn’t fully aware of the horrors), followed by Roberto Benigni with Life is Beautiful in 1998. Now in 2019, Taika Waititi has added his name to that illustrious list with his newest film, Jojo Rabbit . Set in the waning months of World War II, this “anti-hate satire” follows the life of Jojo Betzler, a young boy growing up in the Hitler Youth. His patriotism runs so high that Adolf Hitler himself acts as his imaginary friend. One day, Jojo discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa in their walls. This bewilders the boy, putting him in a quandary over what to do with his foreign guest. With an enemy in his home, Jojo must confront his nationalistic ideals and learn for himself what truly lies within the people he was born to hate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4McUzXfFI Apart from a few problems structurally and tonally, Jojo Rabbit is near faultlessly helmed by New Zealand native and Thor: Ragnarok director, Taika Waititi. From the often symmetric shot composition to the sumptuous production design, Jojo Rabbit is the most Wes Anderson-esque film that Wes Anderson didn’t direct. It does feel like Waititi is copying a little too hard from time to time, but the distinct whimsical style he employs effortlessly immerses the audience into the satirical world. Aiding this immersion, Waititi does what he knows best and interweaves comedy with drama as he pokes fun at the Nazis while also using them as a smaller target for his much grander message. That message is of peace and love, which can be authentically found within this story, especially in the interactions between Jojo and Elsa. A negative side effect of Waititi’s fluent directing is that it makes his middling writing stick out like a sore thumb. His risque plot eventually gets boiled down to a slightly over-simplistic message that isn’t able to land its punches as hard as it should. Weirdly, it all feels a little too safe for this kind of setting with these types of characters. The film also starts to lose its way around the middle third as a few of its many ideas and characters get lost in the shuffle. A few reveals are shocking, but only because not enough time was put into them to make us believe they were important enough in the first place. Even with these problems looming throughout the runtime, the script does have its shining individual moments. The slapstick one-liners mostly all land, and the heart-tugging dramatic lines do hit close to home. With an assembled all-star cast, Jojo Rabbit is filled with great performances from A-list stars and fresh discoveries. The biggest hidden treasure that has been unearthed is the talent of Roman Griffin Davis. In his first-ever role, Davis perfectly translates his precocious character from the page to the screen. The future will be deservedly bright for him. Young star Thomasin McKenzie also does excellent work as Elsa. She already made a name for herself with last year’s Leave No Trace, and her role here further solidifies her strong track record. Scarlett Johansson plays Rosie, Jojo’s sympathetic mother, who takes in Elsa for hiding. Away from her usual Marvel role, this may be Johansson’s best work in years as she is both hilarious and endearing. In more purely comedic roles, Taikia Waittiti and Sam Rockwell are a blast as Adolf Hitler and Captain Kenzendorf, respectively. Taking the horrors of humanity and turning them into a comedic moral lesson is no small feat, especially when you target the worst of the worst. So, even with his struggles here and there, immense credit should go to Waititi as he has crafted one of the better films of the year and made something that will be timeless in its message and morals. Searchlight Pictures will release Jojo Rabbit in select theaters on October 18th, followed by a nationwide expansion on November 08th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Gladiator II November 11, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen One of the hottest TikTok trends of the year centered around raising the question of how often men think about the Roman Empire. Answers ranged from "a few times a month," "at least once a week," and "almost every day." As is usually the case with social media, everything surrounding this viral moment was performative. But if you were to glance at this year's crop of movies, there is evidence to support the modern popularity of Rome. Francis Ford Coppola's long-gestating Megalopolis found Rome in the new world, with Madison Square Garden transformed into a coliseum and everyone flashing their favorite togas and olive branch crowns. And now, Ridley Scott returns us to the epic world of his Best Picture-winning film. Similar to Coppola, Scott finds his version of Rome in an anarchic state. The legend of Marcus Aurelius has become all but forgotten by the commoners, replaced by the tyrannical rule of brothers Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). "They can eat war!" is their response to General Acacius' (Pedro Pascal) subtle plea that their bloodlust is starving the empire. He's just returned from conquering Numidia (modern-day Algeria), although there weren't many spoils to be had in the victory, as the bodies of the slain men and women were burned right in front of their families. One of those victims was Arishat, the wife of Lucius (Paul Mescal), who only spoke in sentences that characters say before they die. Rage and bloodlust are the only currencies that Lucius possesses while he's enslaved as a gladiator, two skills that make him worthy of the sponsorship of Macrinus (Denzel Washington). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rgYUipGJNo In the gladiator pits, Lucius faces off against some of the nastiest animals on the planet, including rabid baboons, sharks, and a man tall enough to be in the NBA riding an armored rhinoceros. It is entirely forgivable for anachronistic creatures to appear upon the sands of The Colosseum. Like the spectators lining the rows, we're sitting in the theater for thrills, and the sight of Paul Mescal taking a bite out of a howling monkey and a shark jumping out of the water to snatch a random gladiator off a boat is something to behold. What's less forgivable is the CGI used to render these creatures to life, specifically the primates. Quite a few snickers emerged from the rows behind me as the image of Mescal flailing on the ground pretending to fight a monkey formed in their heads. For Scott, age is still just a number, a fact that he can flaunt with even more swagger as he continuously eclipses the technical prowess of almost all his peers. While Gladiator II doesn't contain the unparalleled scale of Napoleon or the unforgettably brutal hand-to-hand combat of The Last Duel , it executes itself well enough to avoid faltering under the threat of comparison. The opening siege of Numidia follows a D-Day pattern as the Romans crash their vessels on the jagged shores. Arrows and catapults are exchanged at will, and bodies are returned to the sea in droves. Things never get much bigger than that, with subsequent violence being reserved for the circular walls of The Colosseum. Fueling the background for those skirmishes is backdoor politics between various parties looking to ascend to the throne. Lucius is Macrinus' instrument for gaining favor from the current emperors, while Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) tries to rally the old guard of senators and generals. Writer David Scarpa returns to Scott's side after collaborations on All the Money in the World and Napoleon . The sweep and authentic drama from the original isn't to be found here, with a majority of the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime spent wading through water. It's Denzel Washington that breaks the movie out of that funk. He turns in a true movie star performance, twirling in his fine robes and chewing on every syllable. Nothing is more amusing than being in his presence, a feeling that will surely net him his tenth career Oscar nomination. While not necessarily miscast, Mescal never reaches the heights expected of him. The same goes for Pascal, who was caught in a functionary role. "Indulgent" wouldn't be a word I'd use to describe Ridley Scott, but that's just what Gladiator II is. It's the sequences and performances that lean into the schlock that fare the best, although that's what disassociates it from the superior original and will likely hinder its memorability. To answer Maximus’ famous question: I was entertained… kind of. Paramount Pictures will release Gladiator II in theaters nationwide on November 22nd. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse May 31, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen We all know Hollywood has had an aversion to using numbers within their titles due to the implication that you must have watched the previous entries to comprehend the upcoming one. Instead of just Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3 , etc. we got Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Afterlife , etc. Sure, using subtitles may have lessened the audience’s weariness for a sequel, but it also makes it impossible to sort franchises in the correct chronological order. And as a further act of the snake eating its tail, we now have the beginning halves of multi-part stories not containing the title of “Part One,” à la Dune , Fast X, and now Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse . Yes, for all of you who weren’t already in the loop, this sequel to the 2018 surprise critical and commercial success is only the first half of a two-part story, with the concluding chapter to come in only nine months. And in keeping with that Harry Potter/The Hunger Games/Avengers-inspired trend, we leave off here with a cliffhanger, which of course I won’t spoil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqGjhVJWtEg With a 140-minute runtime (making it one of the longest wide-release animated movies of all time) and IMAX engagement, Sony is truly treating this like an event picture. In terms of production qualities, the movie more than lives up to its ambitions. Similar to Denis Villeneuve and Greig Fraser’s work within Dune , Across the Spider-Verse contains mountains upon mountains of beautiful sequences that require the largest screen possible to appreciate. It can become a little too chaotic at times, such as the backgrounds shifting entire color palettes just between shot/reverse shot moments, but it’s all in service of something more creative than almost any other animated movie. Between Loki, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania , and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , comic-book fans (or MCU fans to be more precise) are well accustomed to the concept of the multiverse. Thankfully, Spider-Verse leaps over that slowly tiring concept and delivers on its true potential of having access to a limitless version of Spider-Men. Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson revealed that the film contains nearly 250 characters, which happens to include a car and a dinosaur version of Spider-Man. I guess that doesn’t sound that far-fetched, considering John Mulaney’s Spider-Ham stole the show in Into the Spider-Verse . Miles’ introduction into the multiverse comes from a new villain on the scene named The Spot, whose Rorschach-esque body allows him to shoot teleportation spots. His quest to become Spider-Man’s nemesis leads him to open up portals into other dimensions, all of which contain their version of Spider-Man. But shifting between dimensions isn’t exactly a natural process, nor a safe one, as bridging them together leads to catastrophic consequences. Miguel O’Hara leads the unofficial Spider-Man version of the Justice League that seeks to retain order, sometimes achieved “by any means necessary.” Between Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, and Shameik Moore, we’ve had our fair share of stories about the web-slinging superhero. For all its visual inventiveness, Across the Spider-Verse struggles to break the mold (or should I say web?) when it comes to delivering a unique story. We’ve still got the radioactive spider, the inability to share his secret identity, and the struggles of balancing responsibilities. At this point, it’s a little tiring, especially in a movie like this that kicks all the resolutions down the road. Still, those weary concepts are given a lot of mileage out of the extremely talented voice cast. Jason Schwartzman, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, and Daniel Kaluuya round out the newest additions that join the returning core. Through the expressive animation, they’re all allowed to run the gamut of emotions. Providing background to their one-liners and dramatic moments is a bevy of hits on the soundtrack by the likes of Metro Boomin and Future. The world may not need more Spider-Man stories, but Across the Spider-Verse makes enough of a case for its existence thanks to its breathless animation and fun ideas. With 140 minutes spent on developing just the beginning of this story, I’m intrigued to see all that the finale has to offer. Sony Pictures Releasing will release Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in theaters nationwide on June 02nd. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves March 26, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Bringing games (both video games and board games) to the silver screen has been one of the most challenging things to do within Hollywood. It takes real creativity to adapt the sprawling interactiveness of a gaming story and mold it into something that is to be solely watched. And you also have to show reverence for the material and its fans, while also making it palatable for anyone who is totally unfamiliar with it. There have been too many bad adaptations to count, with HBO’s The Last of Us potentially signaling that long-form television is the way to go. And if those challenges weren’t already hard enough, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves must do all of that without the structural support of an identifiable narrative, as the biggest reason for the game’s massive popularity and long-lasting appeal is the total freedom for players to shape their own stories. And yet, directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, as well as their writing partner Michael Gilio, have crafted a highly entertaining movie with several in-jokes towards hardcore fans, while also not bewildering those only familiar with the property by name (such as myself). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiMinixSXII We open with Edgin (Chris Pine), the brains, and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), the muscle, imprisoned on an icy tundra. As the title suggests, they are thieves who have plundered along with their merry band of misfits. But, again, as the title suggests, they do have honor, as they take the Robin Hood approach of only stealing from the rich and never intentionally causing physical harm. Their capture comes after being betrayed by the evil Red Wizard Sofina, who has a grand plan that means doom for all of Neverwinter. Edgin and Holga recruit some new compatriots - Simon the sorcerer (Justice Smith), Doric the druid (Sophia Lillis), and Xenk the paladin (Regé-Jean Page) - as they hatch a plan to retrieve a valuable artifact that was stolen from them and put a stop to this evil threat. Don’t fret if you have no idea what the terms “druid” and “paladin” mean, as the well-filmed introductions to these characters do much of the heavy lifting. Just as they did with Game Night , Daley and Goldstein choreograph everything above and beyond the simple job description, with another signature long take adding a healthy dose of fuel to this fire of fun. There are still a few too many hearty helpings of flashbacks and exposition dumps, but it’s not anything out of the ordinary since there’s a lot for newcomers to catch up on. But there’s more than just technical wizardry that makes this tale of witches and wizards as entertaining as it is. The leads aren’t acting as if they’re too cool to play dress up, or that this is all for a quick buck. They all forge a camaraderie, emulating that same aura of kinetic fun in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy. Page is the scene-stealer as a mix between Ted Lasso and Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy , an altruistic and powerful warrior who doesn’t understand ironic humor. Comparing this film to Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films would be an easy knock against it, as the shared DNA is quite evident (a few helicopter landscape shots seem almost copied and pasted). But no one has been able to live up to that trilogy ever since, not even Jackson himself, with his misbegotten Hobbit films. Dungeons & Dragons may be similar, but it’s not a carbon copy. It’s a fastball down the middle, offending neither party through its fun antics and breezy atmosphere. Paramount Pictures will release Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves in theaters nationwide on March 31st. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Sundance 2023 Recap February 10, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen The Sundance Film Festival has officially come to a close, with several films and filmmakers making their impact both in-person and online. I've compiled a ranking of all the films I watched as part of the virtual portion. You can go more in-depth about each film by reading my review for it on the page. And you can also look forward to several of them this year as many have been picked up for distribution by major companies. 6. Bad Behaviour Bad Behaviour would at least be tolerable if the problems it had were interesting. But mostly it comes across as tedious and frustrating, making it far worse than it has any right to be on paper. Full Review Run Rabbit Run It's almost a surface-level cliché at this point to compare this film to The Babadook , but the parallels are so on-the-nose that I feel like I wouldn't be fulfilling my professional duties if I didn't. Plenty of good horror movies have been copies of those that came before them, but they had to earn their keep through inventive ideas surrounding well-worn topics. Run Rabbit Run doesn't do any of that, pedaling the same "elevated" scares that we've partially become numb to at this point. Full Review 4. The Starling Girl If not for Scanlen’s performance, The Starling Girl would fall much further into the realm of obscurity its middling writing and direction had it heading for. If not for anything else, Parmet’s film has given one of our brightest young talents room to shine. Those with a deeply religious background may find more depth to it, but they may also find it dryly conventional. Full Review 3. Theater Camp Theater Camp is by theater kids for theater kids. Those that have never found themselves stung by the acting bug may not come away with a huge smile on their face, but they will be given an enjoyable peek into this world of make-believe and harsh reality. Full Review 2. Fair Play The carnal influence of Adrian Lyne is apparent, with Domont blending the dower and gleeful to semi-positive results. There's a hearty (and unhealthy) amount of excitement you get out of people taking down one another, even if the reasoning behind all of it is morally corrupt. Things do come off the rails alarmingly quickly during the climax when the theatricality of the situation greatly overpowers the reality. The messaging is obvious in volume, but a bit murky in tone, leaving things not as nicely wrapped as the presentation would signal. Full Review 1. Sometimes I Think About Dying Sometimes I Think About Dying is a small movie with a small scope, buoyed by some intriguing visuals and a standout performance from an actress who looks ready to take on this new side of her career. As a twelve-minute short film, it’s a bit too short. And as a ninety-minute feature film, it's a bit too long. Somewhere out there is a perfect 45-60 minute version of this story. Full Review More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F July 2, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen With Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F , Eddie Murphy has joined Adam Sandler and Millie Bobby Brown in Netflix’s flock of golden geese. This marks his third film with the streamer in the last five years, the previous two being career-revitalizer Dolemite Is My Name and the worst film of last year, You People . Also mixed in are two Prime Video exclusives ( Coming 2 America and Candy Cane Lane ), with another one titled The Pickup currently in post-production. If you take a gander at Murphy’s IMDb page, you can see that he hasn’t been in a theatrically released film since 2016’s Mr. Church , which almost doesn’t count since it never got above a couple of hundred theaters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoxhkE_U3Ww Of course, there’s nothing wrong with starring in streaming movies, especially when someone like Netflix is seemingly the only one willing to greenlight Dolemite Is My Name after years of development hell and throw $150 million at a Beverly Hills Cop film after a thirty-year break. But for how smart they are as business decisions in this modern film industry, the creative output that comes from them is sorely lacking. “Good enough” feels like the mantra, something I mentioned in last week’s review of Netflix’s A Family Affair . It seems that Netflix and others have taken the lower barrier of entry for audiences as an excuse not to try as hard. How much would you really care about the experience of watching a film if it didn’t make you leave the couch? Certainly less than if you had to drive to the theater and fork over $10. Everything and everyone just feels like they’re just going through the motions in Axel F . Axel once again has to leave Detroit, a place he destroys more than the criminals he chases, and go to Beverly Hills. This time, he’s flying west to save his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige) after she defends a wrongfully convicted cop killer and is threatened by those actually responsible for the murder. Also returning are old costars Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot; each of them inadvertently being an advertisement for whatever products Murphy uses to defy aging (seriously, he looks phenomenal for 62). Joining the mix is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a fellow cop and Kevin Bacon as the chief of a new, shady task force. “The world has changed” and “in today’s climate” are phrases used a couple of times to try to push the theme of Axel being lost in time just as much as he is often lost in his surroundings. The attempts are heavy-handed, yet never effective, as Axel hardly seems to change as a person throughout the film. His relationship with his daughter stems wholly from everything that happened offscreen between Beverly Hills Cop III and now. There’s also the theme of mortality in the line of duty, something that’s already been done in the other Jerry Bruckheimer-produced cop-based sequels, Bad Boys For Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die . Being that this is a Bruckheimer production, the action is bombastic. First-time director Mark Molloy is often hampered by bad special effects and drab photography. The extended opening chase scene involving a snow plow in Detroit is quite fun, but a later one with a helicopter is garish. Murphy is always having fun with the material, throwing out the same level of one-liners and energy he’s had for decades. There’s never a movie where his presence isn’t welcome; it’s just that most of them (this one included) don’t have any other reasons to care. Netflix will release Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on its streaming service on July 03rd. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen