Happy Gilmore 2

Grade: B+

In this Netflix sequel to the 90's comedy hit, Happy Gilmore (played by Adam Sandler), having retired from golf and lost his fortune, returns to the sport in order to pay for his daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler) to go to ballet school in Paris.

Sequels made a long time later than the original always have the risk of not working out, but I'm pleased to say that this was a pretty fun film. This has the strengths that some of the better Sandler films have by just going crazy with a lot of goofy, delightfully dumb, and nuts gags. 

I'm not loving that this went for the rather tired and disappointing trope of having the lead character's life go downhill after the original film (plus this has another overused, bummer trope that I won't spoil). However, I did think this movie did a better job with the trope than usual. Sandler's still funny in this, but he does a really solid job trying to overcome Gilmore's personal struggles, not to mention depicting the guy's relationship with his children. 

There are a buttload of guest star appearances in this that may surprise, and almost everyone who pops up delivers. HG@ also feels like it was trying to give a lot more time and spotlight to famous golfers. If you're a pro golf fan, you're going to love all the faces in this. (The golfer who appears the most in this gives one of his best performances and has some of the best bits.) Unfortunately, the movie does have way too many call backs to characters from the original, not to mention way too many offspring of dead characters or cast members. 

Pretty good cast for the most part. Gilmore's enemy Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) returns, and McDonald clearly seems charged to bring back the character he's arguably most famous for playing. McGavin has spent quite some time in a mental institution, and though he's still McGavin, he has a bit of a loopy side this time around that's pretty enjoyable. The best fresh face here is definitely rapper Bad Bunny as Gilmore's new late notice caddy Oscar Mejias. I've seen him do comedy on SNL in the past, and I honestly thought he was just okay, but here the guy proves he is a real master at physical comedy. The four actors playing Gilmore's stereotypically gonzo Bostonians are also really fun.

Recommended. This is one of those movies that are so ridiculous that you can't help laughing.

I Know What you did Last Summer (2025)

Grade: B

In this revival, a new group of people in the coastal town of Southport become involved in an accidental death and a secret to keep things quiet. A year later they find themselves hunted by a killer dressed up as a fisherman, much like the one from all those many years ago.

The kills in this lack a certain mood or scare factor to them, lacking the effectiveness of those from the original movie or even I Still Know What you did Last Summer. That having been said, there are a couple good camera shots and a fine use of set pieces (more on the setting a little later).

The psychological aspect of the characters dealing with their guilt also isn't as strong as in the first film. The characters just don't act as remorseful as perhaps they should. That having been said, what they did here isn't quite as awful as just dumping a body, so that is a decent reason as to why they're not struck quite as hard. Also, I felt that one of the weaknesses of the first movie was that it spent a lot of time on the personal suffering of characters who were going to be punished and die anyway. This movie never feels like its too slow. 

Credit should be given to the movie for doing the same but different. This movie starts off with another vehicular accident, but things transpire rather differently. Those whose lives are messed up the most are also handled differently. Plus, where the first movie was about a bunch of teens about to graduate, here we've got a group of young adults with mostly stable, successful lives.

There's a decent amount of comedy in this. More than previous films. I'm not hating it, say what you say about the rest of the movie, but most of the humorous lines work.

This reboot also manages to pay homage to the original film and even its sequel without mostly feeling like its forcing stuff.

I give the finale/killer reveal credit for going for broke. It's dynamic and I wasn't bored. However, they were parts that I (and a lot of other people) didn't think quite worked or elements of the killer's motivation that didn't quite track. Plus, from what I've read online, the ending was changed a little after test screenings, and I think it shows a little. However, I don't find the ending to be a dealbreaker.

Original leads Jennife Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return as original leads Julie James and Ray Bronson. This is one of those cases where it turns out years later that the main couple broke up. However, here the duo seem to really dislike each other instead of things simply not working out. Given how close they were in the first two movies, it's a little hard to fathom how they started hating each other so much, and one wished more info was provided.

The casting for the main group of victims was great, and they do manage to elevate simple characters through charisma. The Studio/Bodies Bodies Bodies' Chase Sui Wonders as lead character Ava Brucks is very watchable. Though, the standout here is Glass Onion/Outer Banks' Madelin Clyne as Ava's best friend. She's sort of the outgoing one, and there is sort of a silliness and a simplistic lack of emotional walls that makes the character entertaining.

Southport has been renovated into a posh tourist destination in the interim between films. This results in some pretty fancy looking and eye-catching sets and locations. It may bother some that the lighting is pretty bright and clear without much atmosphere, but I'm not hating the glossy look (the movie really has a 90's/2000's throwback feel to it).

Kinda recommended. It is by no means a perfect movie, and maybe the least scary of the films (including the made-for-DVD one), but I wasn't bored. This movie felt like it was trying to have fun and entertains in a popcorn-style kind of way. To be honest, I'd rank this slightly higher than all previous sequels.

KPop Demon Hunters

Grade: A+

In KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix, the popular Korean pop group Huntrix are also demon hunters. In order to stop them, the demons send their own boy band Souji Boys to steal their fans' positivity and their power. 

The trailers made this look fun, but they did not prepare me for how good this was. KPDH is an energetic, fun affair featuring entertaining or amusing, quirky characters. Visual gags and silliness fly fast, and one immediately likes the main trio (the traditional trio of the quirky one, the tough one, and the leader). Also, every SINGLE character in this works, even silly bit players. (Adding to the Korean authenticity of this, the majority of the cast are Korean actors, many of which are making their English language film debut.)

But there is a surprising vein of seriousness under the bubblegum pop veneer of the movie. Though it's never shown on screen, the demons do kill people and present actual stakes. The message to this movie is a lot stronger than you'd expect (I know I'm being vague, but it's best you walk into this part blind.) There is actually  a lot of depth and backstory to Souji Boys' leader Jinu (voiced by Ahn Hyeo-seop, who's been in a lot of Korean shows including Happy Home and Father is Strange).

If I have any nitpicks about this, I honestly don't know how I feel about the design or voice decisions for the head demon Gwi-Ma (Squid Game's Lee Byung-hun). The look is interesting, but I don't know if it's threatening enough. I also really don't know how I feel about his voice. He's more understated and casual than the usual head monster, which makes for an interesting delivery, but he can also feel low energy.

Animation looks great. KPDH is really colorful with a lot of solid, expressive character designs. The music numbers are really dynamic, well choreographed and look great. 

Speaking of the music numbers, this movie also has an excellent song selection (only one didn't feel as strong as the others and that one was still perfectly fine). I'm not well versed in the K-Pop scene, but I had no problem enjoying any of these tunes.

Highly recommended. This is one of those movies where practically everything works and a good story and time is had.

Deep Cover

Grade: B+

In this new movie on Amazon Prime, improv teacher/failed actress Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard) and her improv students IT guy Hugh (Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed) and struggling actor Marlon (Pirates of the Caribbean/Lord of the Rings' Orlando Bloom) are recruited for a minor sting operation. Events don't go as planned and they find themselves forced to pretend to be professional criminals. 

The setup makes this feel like it might be a groaner. The introduction to all the characters isn't particularly entertaining, and Hugh's social awkwardness and Marlon's obsession with method acting as a tough criminal initially feels awkward and too much. 

However, once they get involved in the crime world, things really pick up. The jokes work. It also helps that the movie doesn't overplay the scenario. They could've had the characters go really over-the-top and silly with trying to cover for themselves, but the were smart enough to not play the characters too dumb. I was also afraid that Hugh's social awkwardness and Marlon's going too deep into his character would be overplayed, but the script never overdoes these elements. The movie's basically getting themselves in deeper and into crazier and crazier situations, and the situations don't disappoint. 

The one major complaint people may have with Deep Cover is that some of the resolutions to the perilous situations the characters find themselves in are just cleaned up with "it's a comedy don't worry about it" plot devices that don't always track. 

Pretty strong casting in this across the board. Howard's playing the straight man, but she honestly is the most watchable of the main trio. She's the most grounded, and it's fun to see her think on her feet. Bloom, it turns out has great comic timing. I do believe Mohammed is typecast, basically playing a variation of the same guy he played in Ted Lasso. (Guy does have range. Ever see Maggie Moore(s); solidly plays a confident guy in that.) He does more of the same, but he's good at it. 

Credit should also be given to Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen as a couple of detectives. They've got a good straight man/goofy guy dynamic going on.

Recommended. This was a pleasant experience with a good cast.

Titan: the Oceangate Disaster

Grade: A-

This new Netflix documentary looks at the inevitable in hindsight implosion of Oceangate's Titan submersible and the company's CEO Stockton Rush who ignored all criticism's of the ship's design and safety, did his best to avoid oversight, and died in his creation.

The Titan has been a morbidly fascinating story as it a tale of man's hubris mirroring that of the original Titanic disaster, which was the source of the sub's creation as it was created to perform tours to its wreckage. This movie follows the many issues with the sub's design, which used carbon fiber, which doesn't do great under extreme pressure. The documentary chronologically goes over the various people who raised issues and either left or were fired as it becomes clear that this was always going to fail and how sketchy Rush's entire operation was.

The movie really focuses on him. Rush comes clear as a stereotypical psychopathic rich guy who sounds very confident but will say and do anything to get what he wants rather than admit he failed.

The pacing, editing, interviews, and music all work smoothly. My only major complaint is that not a lot of time is spent looking at the victims.

If you've heard, another Titan documentary also came out (Implosion on Max). If you're wondering which one's stronger, I'd say they're both equal in quality (they have very similar direction, music, and tone, including no narrator). They actually compliment each other as Titan focuses more on Rush and has more audio/video from the inside goings of Oceangate, while Implosion focuses more on bigger picture info. and the design of the Titan.

Recommended. 

Predator: Killer of Killers

Grade: A-

This new predator film on Hulu/Disney+ is an animated anthology film in which we see different Predators hunting different human warriors throughout history.

This is helmed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), who directed the previous Predator installment Prey, and the guy's still got it. What with Prey taking place in the past, this movie whets our appetite for more of this by seeing Predator action in other parts of history. This results in innovative new set pieces. Plus, all the Predators have very different looks and techniques. 

As for tone, it probably comes the closest to going with the more serious one that Predators had, however I honestly thought this did a better job with story and drama. 

The animation is like that of Arcane, having a painterly look to it. Animation isn't as detailed as Arcane, but more fluid. The whole thing is really gorgeous to look at with some impressively choreographed action moments (you even have a tracking shot; rare in animation). KoK is able to pull stuff off that you just couldn't in live-action.

Sections-

The Shield- A

A viking warrior and her group go searching for their enemy and encounter a Predator.

Probably my favorite one. Has the best story, script and characterization and efficiently manages to set everything up in a short amount of time.

The Sword- B+

In feudal Japan, a Predator becomes involved in a fight between two men.

Has the best fight scenes out of the entire film. The Japanese setting makes for a distinct look and fighting techniques. However, you get the basic gist of the story, but there are a lot of follow-up questions that aren't answered.

The Bullett- B+

A WII aerial squadron fights... you guessed it... a Predator and its space ship.

This is really ingenious: the idea of a Predator aerial fight. This segment, though still full of death, also feels a little less earnest than the previous ones. However, the fight scenes are too rapid fire; and there are too many close-ups.

Final section- A-

Not spoiling this point. This is like The Sword in that the story has a lot of follow-up questions,  but it has the second best action and finishes off everything with a bang.

Recommended. There are a few plot nitpicks, but this is a real action-packed tour-de-force for the eyes and definitely something to see for Predator fans. I'd say this is my fourth favorite film behind P1+2 and Prey.

Doctor Who (2023)- Season 2

Grade: A

In the newest season of Doctor Who, available in the US on Disney+, the Doctor (played by Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) meets nurse Belindra Chandra (Andor's Varada Sethu), who becomes his companion by accident as after their first adventure, getting her back home turns out to be more trouble than expected as a mysterious occurrence forces them to take the long way back.

This season is stronger than the last one. Whereas that one made the mistake of putting the heavy episodes all in the middle without any lighter fare between them and had one very polarizing episode and a finale that couldn't stand up to its setup, I'm pleased to say that this season is far more consistent. Standout episodes include The Well, a trademark DW scary episode, and The Story & the Engine, which is a more unique DW story. 

Like the last season, the show makes the wiser choice to focus on newer or lesser known DW villains, avoiding over saturated antagonists like the Daleks or the Cybermen. 

If there are any nitpicks, the villains' plan in the episode Lucky Day has some holes in it, and the finale, while entertaining does try to do a lot at once (which admittedly is a common critique of showrunner Russell T. Davis' writing.)

I felt that last season's companion Ruby Sunday (Coronation Street's Millie Gibson) was stronger  in terms of personality (she does get some guest appearances this season), but Sethu ain't too shabby an actress and she works well off of Gatwa.

Gatwa remains the driving force of the show. I think he may be my favorite Doctor. He plays one of the most open, emotional and life loving Doctors. Man can the guy hit the emotional beats, mastering happy, sad, afraid, and angry.

 Highly recommended. This is a fun and imaginative season.