The Venture Brothers: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart

9/10

The Venture Brothers had a good run, going seven seasons from 2003 to 2018. However, they were originally slated for an eighth one, but then the powers that be (I don't think it was the head of Adult Swim's call) decided it made business sense to cancel. VB had a solid base, but the numbers were never huge. So, the show ended on a cliffhanger. Luckily, now the show's two creators get to tell their story, even if it is truncated.

In this movie now on DVD/Blu-ray and streaming, Dean Venture (voiced by Michael Sinterniklass) searches for his brother Hank (show co-creator Christopher McCulloch) who's gone AWOL after the events of series finale. Meanwhile, the O.S.I., this world's version of G.I. Joe, and the supervillain organization The Guild of Calamitous Intent find themselves with a common foe in the form of the new supervillain organization ARCH.

McCulloch and other showrunner Doc Hammer have not always been able to do their best properly getting across what they're trying to say to the audience. I was worried that what with this being only 83 minutes that they'd have issues squeezing in all the story they intended. I'm pleased to say this movie moves really smoothly especially for one that juggles a lot of story and characters. I'm actually proud of the filmmakers being able to squeeze in as many fan favorite characters as they could. The reveal of the main antagonist's motivations do feel a little rushed, but as a whole this film moves quite smoothly.

All these years later and VB hasn't lost any of its magic. The movie still has that unique retro-modern humor to it. The script is definitely not your typical adventure story as is the case for VB. The show differed from a lot of other animated adult comedies in that it doesn't stay stagnant in the same place; characters grow up a little and things change in an ongoing story. This movie keeps with that in a mythos-bound tale that finally reveals the answers for a few of the show's big mysteries. (The movie even brings back up a one sentence remark from several seasons ago. That's how big McCulloch and Hammer are on world building.) Make sure you stay after the credits.

This is definitely not for newcomers. There is just way too much reliance on existing plot and lore. 

Dr. Venture (James Urbaniak) as with the show can be funny (and Urbaniak always nails his delivery), but also as with the show, his selfishness can be draining. Also, it's hasn't been uncommon for Christopher McCulloch and Doc Hammer as funny as they are to do something messed up/in bad taste. (I love the show, but I'm not proud of it when these things happen.) This movie has one brief scene that may make you say "I don't think I'm cool with that." 

The character animation may not be for everyone (my mother once called it the show with the ugly animation), but VB definitely has a unique style, and it's not one of those shows that are common these days where the designs are very simplistic. Background animation remains slick with the unique retroesque look the VB has.

Recommended. Not for newcomers, but definitely prime VB for those who are already fans (credit should be given to the franchise for still feeling fresh after all these years.)  

Haunted Mansion (2023)

6/10

It's been twenty years since the first Haunted Mansion movie which didn't do that well. (Never understood the hate for it. I liked it. Can we at least agree that Terrence Stamp was great in that?) Now, Disney has made a second attempt at doing a film based on its theme park attraction. In this, Ben Matthias (played by Lakeith Stanfield), a down-on-his-luck former astrophysicist dealing with tragic events in his life, becomes involved, based on a previous interest in ghosts, with breaking the curse on Gracey Manor.

This is one of those movies that have some good ideas and moments but fail to reach a cohesive whole. The editing is rather circumspect.

There are many decent lines but not all of them land. 

I like that this movie was more faithful to showing actual elements from the attraction and when you see the ghosts they're definitely fun and one of the highlights of the movie. They can even be a little scary but not too much for kids. You also get them early enough, so that you don't have to wait for them. However, the emphasis is on the human characters more than the ghosts, and I think that was a mistake. The movie's always more entertaining when spooky things happen.

The mansion and and the main antagonist The Hat Box Ghost (voiced by Jared Leto) both have interesting backgrounds to them. Ben's past is pretty emotional and well written. However, all the current goings on just aren't as intriguing or cohesive. There's one subplot involving a ghost that you think would be resolved, but it isn't.

I think that a problem with this is that the movie has too many characters to focus on. Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson would be a dream team, but they're not. Part of it is the writing for their characters not being the best to work with, but also there just isn't as much personal interaction between the talented actors as you'd think. Sure they're in a lot of scenes together, but they don't do that much together if you get my drift. 

Lakeith does a great job as Ben who's one of the best written parts. He really is a tragic, three-dimensional character, and a fairly solid guy once his mettle is tested. Second best character is Tiffany Haddish's psychic Harriet. Her character has the second most going on next to Ben. Haddish may be the best actor in this as she really sells a someone who's often trying to put on a confident face. 

Wilson as Father Kent and DeVito as history professor Bruce Davis do their best, especially the latter who shines when given a chance, but they're given so little to work with. I honestly feel Devito got a lot of scenes edited or cut, and he probably had a backstory that didn't make it in.

Dawson as the mansion's owner Gabbie is wasted. She's just a nice mom/love interest who isn't given much to do and definitely not proactive enough. She also gets the worse dialogue. There's one delivery from her that's truly awful, and I hope it was due to direction/editing. Chase Dillon as Gabbie's son Travis is one of those child actors who deliver their lines too much like an adult. Something always feels off about him.

I genuinely liked the villain in this. The Hat Box Ghost is an old school genteel, loquacious baddie, and I liked his retro style. 

Visually, director Justin Simien (Dear White People) has a great sense of visuals for not just the mansion, but all buildings. Even Ben's small place has a distinct look to the exterior.

Not recommended. It's not a hard no. It could be a decent watch for the kids, but there's no need to see this and definitely no reason to spend big bucks on it. I'd say the original Haunted Mansion was better. Yeah, Ben's conflict is definitely better than the "dad who's too busy working and has to learn to spend time with his family" conflict, but the original's overall plot was stronger.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

7/10

In Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, the titular Ruby (voiced by To all the Boys I've Loved's Lana Condor) is a Kraken, legendary creature of the deep, whose family have disguised themselves as humans and live in the coastal town of Seaside. Ruby's never been in the ocean and her mother forbids her from entering. However, soon an event will cause Ruby to get in touch with her Kraken heritage.

So, yes, it's the coming-of-age story that was Turning Red but told more simply and not as well. However, by itself RGTK ain't a half bad watch. 

Ruby's likable enough and though this is no Turning Red, her relationship with her mother Agatha (Toni Collette) works well enough. The humor is also decent and the writers were clearly having fun.

The best part is the look of Seaside. It's a very creative looking place that doesn't exist in the real world and is like an American Venice. The design and color for the settings all pop.

At first I didn't think I'd like the character animation. I'm not a big fan of simplistic looks, but I changed my mind on this. All the characters have a unique appearance with differing body and head shapes and the movement animation works gels with the simplicity. Also at first, it bugged me that the Gillmans are able to pass for human when they are blue and have fin ears. However, they explain it away in the movie in a manner that was amusing and worked for me.

Voice acting's alright. The standout here is Schitt's Creek's Annie Murphy as popular new girl Chelsea Van Der Zee. Her voice has this energy to it that jumps off the screen. On the other hand, SNL/Last Man on Eath's Will Forte voices sea captain Gordon Lighthouse, and he doesn't work. Forte's trying but it sounds like he's attempting to be a sea captain rather than actually being a sea captain.

Besides the simplicity of the story, the movie has two weak points that prevents it from being better.: 1) Though Agatha's reasons for not returning to the ocean are explained, it felt like the backstory should've had more detail and tried to hit harder emotionally. 2) The outcome of Chelsea's storyline just aren't as narratively interesting as possibilities you could've come up with in your head.

Kinda recommended. Yeah, it's not perfect and the story goes for basic children's film rather than try to be ambitious, but it's still a fun watch, and I definitely recommend checking out Seaside. This is Dreamworks' lowest grossing animated film at the box office, and it doesn't deserve that. It's much better than the likes of Shark Tale, Antz, Spirit, and Sinbad. Your kids will probably like it; my nieces and nephew had a fun time watching this.

Barbie

 

9.5/10

In this new film, Stereotypical Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) lives in the idyllic Barbieland where all the Barbie dolls live. One day, Barbie starts having dark thoughts and becoming more realistic. In order to go back to normal, she goes on a journey to the real world.

Barbie is one of the funniest movies this year. They're so many delightful lines in this. This is one of those movies like the original Enchanted or Return of the Killer Tomatoes that jumps straight into the deep end of the inherent silliness of the whole basic concept. 

Director-writer team Greta Gerwig (Ladybird/Little Women) and Noah Bambauch mine all the known details about Barbie they can, like Weird Barbie (SNL's Kate McKinnon), the Barbie that's damaged by having her owner play with her too much, or ractual ecalled/controversial Barbies (they have a lot of fun with this, and I won't spoil how misconceived some of these were), or lesser known Barbies like Ken's pal Allan (Michael Cera). There's an unexpected whole subplot about the Kens basically being considered Barbie's accessories and second-hand citizens in a world where women can and do all the jobs. 

When I heard Barbie was going to the real world, I was worried that this would be like the live-action Smurfs movies or the He-Man movie where the potential of the fantasy world is sacrificed for more mundane goings-ons. However, I'm pleased to say that this takes place more in Barbieland than the real world. The movie sort of has a magic realism feel to it, and I like that they treat Barbies coming to reality as something that's happened and is a secret kept by Mattel rather than something everyone has to wrap their heads around for the first time.

Despite the filmmakers clearly having fun with the whole concept, at times the movie can be surprisingly poignant. There's like four or so emotional moments that play off better than you expect. Besides being a movie that celebrates Barbie, the movie also analyzes the pros and cons of the character's influence, and compares the idealistic women-dominated world of Barbieland to reality. I was surprised with a couple scenes that though they don't go to the darkest places are completely candid with how men can treat women as objects. Be prepared that some of these moments could make certain people uncomfortable. I have to applaud Mattel for giving Gerwig sheer range and not shying away from some of the more regretful aspects of Barbie over the years.

Barbieland looks fantastic as it is the plastic world of Barbie brought to life and feels authentic.  Not to mention that Gerwig just generally has a great design sense. Really, I haven't seen such bright and simply fun visuals in a major motion picture in a while. Costumes also appear accurate to those actually worn by Barbie dolls. Also, we get a great soundtrack that perfectly accentuates what's going, including four new solid songs, including entries from Lizzo, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish.

Margot Robbie was the perfect choice for Barbie. She has such a wide range in this and nails all of the character's various emotions. Considering that Ryan isn't know for comedy, his casting as Ken was a surprise, but he gives the funniest performance in the entire film as kinda a big child. Unfortunately, there isn't enough time to list the entire great cast in this. (Gerwig really had the magic touch when it came to casting each Barbie). I will give a quick shout out to Ugly Betty/Superstore's America Ferrera who's likable as the human who aids Barbie and Michael Cera who's Allan is so darn watchable as the unpopular doll who can be equally awkward but is also one of the saner characters and an underdog you root for. 

I found this but to be highly enjoyable, but the ending has a few nitpicks for me. I thought the last scene of the Kens' storyline could've been cut down for time and could've been handled better. Also, they make you like Allan, but the character doesn't really have a final destination.

Though Barbie is a child's toy, this movie feels more written for teens and adults (it's PG-13). That having been said, I wouldn't say your kid can't watch it, I just can't guarantee if they'll keep up with the plot. (They'll probably like the visuals, though.) Barbie is a girl's toy, but I feel the jokes and messages in this can appeal to anyone.

Highly recommended. This is like The Lego Movie or the Paddington movies where they really manage to elevate and make a good film out of an existing IP.

Nimona

 

7.5/10

The new Netflix movie Nimona, based on the graphic novel by ND Stevenson (who also helmed the recent She-Ra reboot) takes place in a city-state that is partly medieval and partly futuristic. In it, Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Rix Ahmed) is on the run after being framed. He's surprised to find himself aided by the mysterious shapeshifter Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz) who wants to be Ballister's sidekick because he's the city's number one villain. 

This almost never got released. Nimona's previous studio was owned by 20th Century Fox and was acquired by Disney due to the purchase. Disney didn't see the need for another animation studio and shut it down (sorry kids, no more Ice Age movies.) The movie was 70-something% complete at the time. Luckily, Annapurna picked it up and completed it.  

Ballister and Nimona are both well-defined and likeable characters who work well together. It's especially fun seeing average guy Ballister reacting to the general chaos he keeps being thrown into.

The movie does a good job of teaching not to judge those who are different and being proud of who you are without feeling it's talking down to the audience. Props should be given to the movie for probably being the first feature-length major animated children's film to feature a gay character (Ballister) as the lead. Sure, we've seen gay characters in other films, but this is the first one where it's front and center.

Humor's pretty good here, and the writers do well in making it fit naturally.

Movie looks sleek, uses a 2D-image-made-3d effect like with the Spider-verse movies. The futuristic/medieval look is unique and it looked like thought was given to the design of the whole place.

You can predict a good portion of where the plot movie is going. The villain feels especially by-the-book. Also there is too much of recycling back-and-forth between the same two scenarios: Ballister and Nimona fighting the city's knights and them regrouping back at their hideout.

If you were a fan of the original graphic novel, which was more YA, you might be disappointed by the fact that the story was altered to make itself simpler and more family friendly.

Recommended. The general story is a little obvious but the world and characters are charming. It's not a perfect film, but it's pretty good. Your kids will probably like it. 

Joy Ride

8/10

In Joy Ride, Audrey (played by Emily in Paris' Regina Park), a Chinese American who was adopted by a white couple. goes on a business trip with her best friend Lolo (Good Trouble's Cherry Cola) to China which turns into a search for Audrey's birth mother. Coming along are Lolo's cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) and Audrey's friend from college Kat (Everything Everywhere all at Once's Stephanie Hsu).

This was a pretty funny film. (It may help not to watch the trailer. Some of the best jokes aren't in it, but a lot of the A-material is.) The screenwriters both wrote for Family Guy and Nora from Queens, which may give you a hint as to the type of humor. The movie earns its R rating and goes for broke with the raunchiness, including a couple bits that are definitely bold.

Though the advertising for this has definitely focused on the comedy, the dramatic underpinnings of Audrey's search for her identity work really well. The end destination of Audrey's journey is very satisfying.

It's nice to see this movie provide a spotlight for some talented actresses, who except for Academy Award nominee Hsu, naturally, whodr stock could still rise. This is practically Wu's first acting gig. All the actresses are talented and their characters well-defined. My favorite performance is from Hsu, who as the kinda fancy one who's an actress really nails her mannerisms and facial expressions all the time and never misses a beat.

There are a few weaknesses. Some of the plot points are very predictable and indicative of friendship-based movies. Wu is definitely funny as the socially awkward member of the group, but there is a little too much of the writers throwing in scenes where she does something random. There is part of the film where it definitely feels like a scene got cut and it feels a little awkward.

Recommended. Joy Ride's one of the better comedies this year and there will be moments that surprise you.

The Simpsons- Season 34

7/10

This is the thirty-fourth, 34th!, round of the misadventures of the Simpsons family and the other residents of Springfield.

This is another of the recent Simpsons quality revival seasons. (To lay out the timeline, there was the first two or three seasons where the show was finding itself, the next five or six seasons that was the golden age, the Jerka** Homer era where the show lost its magic and focused on celebrity appearances and shenanigans happening, plus Homer'd gotten too dislikable, then we got the reform seasons where Homer (voiced by Dan Castalenetta) was made nicer than he has ever been, and remains that to today, and focused more on character-based storylines which started strong but then felt at a loss for new emotional situations to put the characters in, and finally now.) No, this season isn't as good as the classic years, but it has better stories than it has had in a long time. There's a bigger emphasis on trying new stuff and not doing the same-old, same-old and giving other characters than the Simpsons more of the spotlight. There's also a lot more satirical episodes with solid targets. 

We even get one of the strongest Treehouse of Horror episodes in a long time (it's been a string of diminishing returns up until now), plus a bonus Halloween episode that's pretty good. I also highly recommend Lisa the Boy Scout, one of the funniest things they've done in a while. Even a lot of the less stand-out episodes aren't too shabby.

There are a few things I disagree with. I found Lisa's storyline in One Angy Lisa to be a terribly one-note to the extreme Lisa-can't-catch-a-break story. There are two Fat Tony (voice by Joe Mantegna) episodes that feel too similar to each other. Flanders is still too, well, "flanderised" with him being a religious conservative and less of the nice guy he'd been, and Skinner is too much of a mama's boy and the complete opposite of where the character started.

Animation remains strong. There's nothing complex about the look of the Simpsons, but I love the color usage in recent seasons. There's an anime style sequence in the Treehouse of Horror episode that is pretty sleek looking.

Recommended. Show's still no longer the king of comedy, but this is a solid and fairly entertaining season.

The Blackening

7.5

In this horror comedy based on a Comedy Central digital short, a bunch of African American friends from college are having a reunion at a nice cabin in the woods. Soon, a masked killer forces them into a deadly game that requires them to prove their blackness.

This was a pretty funny film. The trailers really don't do it justice. Sometimes with social issues comedies they can be like Velma in that they might go with the broadest, most obvious jokes. (And I stress sometimes. I'm not trying to be anti-woke. I just think there are writers out in there in the world that just don't do a great job of addressing the content in a humorous narrative.) I'm happy to say that the lines are often clever or silly and land.

Great cast in this all around. Apparently, a lot of this was adlibbed and everyone pulled it off. Standout is Jermaine Fowler (from Coming 2 America and Sorry to Bother You) as the nerdy and awkward Clifton. Admittedly, I felt his affectations, a twisted mouth and stereotypically nerdy voice, were trying a little too hard, but the guy has a way with his delivery. We also get the prolific Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show/American Housewife) as a park ranger and the guy's always funny and lively in whatever he does.

I liked the set/location they filmed at. It looks like a pretty sweet cabin.

Some may find the first act and the setup for the characters to be slow at points. There's nothing downright wrong with any of the dialogue, but parts could've been cut short or restructured. There is conflict between a trio of the friends that while providing personality and drama just isn't really that interesting.

Recommended, this is smartly written and adlibbed and makes for a good time.

Ted Lasso- Season 3 (Final)

8.5/10

Sadly after only three seasons, Ted Lasso is coming to an end. (I see the merit of quitting while you're ahead and not having a show run out of steam. I've also read that filming in England for a part of the year is naturally a big demand of the Americans involved.) This final season has positive coach Ted Lasso (played by SNL alumni Jason Sudeikis) and his football/soccer team AFC Richmond trying to win and dealing with life.

This season isn't quite as tightly thought out as the first two. Too many characters' plots happen separately from each other, and for the first half at least, we don't get as many of the great character reactions or see actors have time to shine. But, it's still Ted Lasso and remains a hilarious show with heart and a wonderful array of characters. 

There are some overall excellent episodes and moments in this. With the second season taking many people by surprise with a darker tone that dealt more with the characters' personal struggles, this season is about overcoming them and ultimately delivers the final part of the show's message about the importance of mental health and healthy relationships. (You know, this show has a mild similarity to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in that regards.) 

There is one plot element in this that is pretty frustrating and doesn't feel like something that would go down the way it would in real life. Yeah, it's just a show and there's suspension of belief, but it reeks of writers really wanting something to happen without caring about anything else.

A lot of people are complaining about Keely's subplot about her running her own PR firm. Admittedly it's really separate from the rest of the gang and perhaps it could've been told more precisely, but I liked it. Had some decent jokes and I liked the characters in that storyline. Nate's subplot on the other hand is the weak point. He's separated from everyone even more so and the writers didn't seem quite sure of how to handle it. Not a lot of jokes on that end. The story definitely has its reasons for being less humorous, but if you do skimp on the jokes in a comedy, you've got make sure the story is engrossing, which it isn't. Plus, antagonistic millionaire Rupert Mannion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Head) appears a lot. He can be delightfully awful, and Head does a great job at being slimy, but he becomes a bit much when he's overexposed and there's no one around to poke holes in his ego. (Plus, they're trying too hard to show him as the bad guy. The look of his clothes and office feel like overkill.)

Again, the entire cast is wonderful. There just isn't time to address all of them. MVP would probably be Phil Dunster as scampish player Jamie Tartt. It's impressive to see a character that started off as the team's jerk become one of it's funniest and most likable characters. 

Highly recommended. For a final season, structurally it could've been better organized, but it's still Ted Lasso and a better watch than most shows out right now. The finale is the ending the show deserves.

The Snoopy Show- Season 3

 

8/10

The third season brings more short adventures of Snoopy the dog (animal noises by Terry McGurrin), his best friend and bird Woodstock (animal noises by Rob Tinkler), his owner Charlie Brown (voiced this season by Ettienne Kellici), and the rest of the Peanuts gang.

Not much has changed from the previous seasons. This continues to be a funny show for kids. I'm again impressed with all the visual gags involving Snoopy and Woodstock. It can't be easy to write for characters who can't talk, but they pull it off really well. Snoopy's reactions are so enjoyable and the animators make it so you get so much from him without saying a word. 

Again, Snoopy and Woodstock remain one of the best duos in animation history. There is just something about the way the two fight a lot but are also so in sync that works. (Unfortunately, you don't get as much of Woodstock as previous seasons.) Again, although this is modern, watered-down Charlie Brown, he's still such a likable kid and brings a lot of heart to his relation with Snoopy.

I feel that the showrunners might have heard the complaints that the show is a diluted version of that ol' Peanuts feel. Although The Snoopy Show still plays it safer than the rougher original where the kids could be a lot meaner to each other and there was more depth, it felt like the writers were trying a little harder to evoke the ol' Peanuts feel.

Animation remains great. It's clean and colorful and really matches the design style of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.

Recommended. This does appear to be aimed toward younger children, but has a lot of clever humor and heart to it.

The Great North- Season 3

7.5/10

Season three brings more misadventures of the Tobins, an oddball and close-knit family of Alaskans.

The formula hasn't changed much here, the family keeps ending up in quirky misadventures, but the writers this time around seem to be trying to one-up themselves on how weird they can make the show. Personally, I'm all for it. I love how creative the episodes can get. (I personally recommend A Bear-tiful Friend Adventure, Rear Genius Adventure, and the finale.) Though I still like Bob's Burgers it has lost a little of it's magic (which is fair considering it's been on over a decade.) The Great North has assumed it's throne for offbeat humor with heart and well-defined characters.

The Tobins continue to entertain and be likable with a great voice cast. Probably the best two actors are Park and Recreation's Nick Offerman as patriarch Beef Tobin and SNL/Last Man on Earth's Will Forte. Sure Beef's voice is another one of the outdoors man personas Offerman has built, but I'm impressed with what he's able to do with just small little changes in his voice, making Beef both kinda deadpan but also one of the most lovable parents on TV. Forte's delivery is always pretty funny as the goofiest member of the bunch who's also just so darn positive.

The show has reached the point where it's also really developed the Tobins' hometown of Lone Moose and its inhabitants. I appreciate the world building.

Recommended. If you want something light, positive and just trying to have fun, this is for you.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom

7/10

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (original French title: Asterix & Obelix: L'Empire du Milieu), now on Netflix, is the fifth of the live-action films based on the popular and long-running Asterix the Gaul comics (known for their combination of slapstick and satirical humor) and the first of said films (not counting the animated ones) not based on one of the original stories. This stars Gauls (the ancestors of the French and Belgians) Asterix (played by Guillaume Canet) and his friend Obelix (Gilles Lellouche) who live in the only village that hasn't been occupied by the Roman Empire thanks to a magical potion the druid Getafix (English)/Panoramix (French) (Pierre Richard) brews that gives people super strength. In this installment, the friends travel to China in order to help Princess Fu Yi (Julie Chen) regain control of China from the forces of the prince Deng Tsin Qin (Bun Hay Mean) and Julius Cesar (Vincent Cassel).

It's nice to finally get an Asterix movie on Netflix in America, and one which is prominently displayed no less. There's a ton of these films but since Asterix isn't big the way he is in France and other countries he doesn't get much love stateside. Some of the movies are completely unavailable and the others often require Internet research to determine the various streaming platforms they're all on. 

'Course there's ultimately the question of whether this movie's good or not regardless of the fact that America's finally giving the franchise a chance. The Asterix films can be inconsistent. I've seen the first 3 live-action ones and the first is okay, the second is pretty good, and the third was a disappointment. My final verdict on this one: It's not perfect, but it's funny.

There are jokes in this that either don't work (there's a weird visual gag involving a box that the writers had an undeserved confidence in) or the French sensibility or topical humor doesn't cross the cultural divide, but a lot of the jokes do land, including one laugh-out-loud moment for me. A lot of the stuff in this film that works is based on the fact that it's an adaptation of a children's humorous comic. The whole thing is just plain silly humor and a lot of jokes juxtaposing modern cultural references with ancient times, and it sounds like the latter could get old but it never really does.

What helps make the comedy work is that the entire cast knows what kind of movie they're making and go all in on the silliness. The guys playing the villains especially seem to be having fun mugging for the camera. There's like six of them and yet their scenes never feel overstuffed, and each one has a distinct personality.

Surprisingly, one of the weaker parts of this are the two leads. The writing for Asterix and Obelix feels a little off. Asterix especially doesn't feel quite like himself. He's always been a a positive fellow who likes his lot in life. Here he comes off a little selfish and is questioning stuff that has been staples of his characters. The first ten minutes of the film don't make a great impression due to his personality alone. (The movie does take a little time to really get going. If you watch, I suggest you give this at least 30-45 min. before you decide to give up.)

The sets are all really nice and colorful. The movie's filmed in France, but the production crew seemed to be doing their best to make the setting is somewhere else.

Since this is French, expect this movie to be a bit more liberal with content. Parents should understand that though this is considered a family film, there are sexual references including a brief usage of the word "orgies." I can't quite put a finger on anything specific, but anyone who's actually Chinese or of Chinese ancestry may not be thrilled with how fast and loose the movie makers play with Chinese culture.

This is one of those movies that are hard to recommend or not. Some will find this definitely funny and a nice lighthearted affair. Others may be frustrated with the parts that don't work or just don't get the film as a whole. This is probably a better recommendation for kids (provided their parents are okay with the content) as I think they'll probably be less picky and like the goofiness of it all. If you're curious about the Asterix franchise, I don't know if I can say this is the perfect entry point. I'd recommend either Asterix and the Vikings, if it ever comes back to streaming in the U.S., which is the one that feels the most like a traditional American kids' film, and the animation is pretty good, too, or The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, the best in my opinion and currently for rent on a few streaming platforms, helmed by the original creators, and has this unique feel to it you could only get in the 70's. (Admittedly, there is one brief scene in the movie that is unarguably racist.)

Digman- Season 1

 

8/10

In this new animated comedy on Comedy Central, once famous but now disgraced archaeologist Rip Digman (voiced by SNL/Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg, who's also the co-creator) tries to revive his career with his new assistant Saltine (Three Busy Debra's Mitra Jouhari).

Andy Samberg doing a boisterous impersonation of Nicholas Cage's voice is something I never knew I needed; I never get tired of it. Samberg brings such an enthusiasm to the character. Rip can be stubborn and at times a little selfish, but it's not like he's full Archer or Dr. Venture. The character is more like a big kid than a jerk. 

Credit should also be given to Jouhari who is also pretty good at the optimistic Saltine's delivery. Though I think he has the least entertaining character, I liked SNL veteran Tim Meadows' delivery as mysterious billionaire Quail Eegan. The guy is often cast as people who are ineffectual or in ineffectual positions. Here he's sort of an antagonist and a powerful and very confident guy. It's nice seeing him showing his range.

As a whole, Digman is very funny. It has that silly, gonzo go-for-broke style Samberg is known for. When the writers go in on a joke, they all go all in. If one line doesn't work for you, don't worry, they're rapid fire here.

It's another adult cartoon that goes for a simplified look, but the character designs have this specific sketchbook-style looseness to them that works. Given that a lot of these shows go for a compact look, it's nice seeing longer-looking characters.

Highly recommended. This is one of the funniest shows I've seen this year. Unfortunately, like most animated shows following South Park, it'll probably suffer the short run curse (at least a second season is already confirmed). I hope for at least three seasons.

Muppets Mayhem

9/10

This Muppets limited series(?) on Disney+, has aspiring music executive Nora Singh (played by Youtube personality Lilly Singh) overseeing Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem recording their first album.  

I have to admit that I was surprised that they were creating a show specifically about the band from The Muppets Show and other projects (without even other Muppets characters like Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, etc.) Don't get me wrong, we all like Animal (performed by Eric Jacobson), but the band as a whole were mostly background characters that were good for a few jokes but never had strong characterization. (Quick, how many of you remember what Lips (Peter Linz) the guy who plays the trumpet looks like. How many of you even remember there was a guy who plays the trumpet?) Plus, it doesn't help that their groovy rocker attitudes make most of them, except again for Animal, too similar. It's like if you made a Peanuts show that only featured Franklin, Pigpen, and Frieda, the girl who boasted about her naturally curly hair, had their own show. There just isn't enough about their personalities to make one feel confident they could flourish on their own.

I was so pleased to see how wrong I was. First of all, the creators were smart enough to put all the weight on the Mayhem. Like The Muppets Christmal Carol was really Michael Caine's Scrooge's story with the Muppets, this show makes the wise choice to make this Nora's story with the Mayhem. She brings the story and they bring the comedy.

This is weirdly like Ted Lasso. Having possibly learned from the recent The Muppets and Muppets Now which felt more mean-spirited and jaded than classic Muppets (it's like they asked themselves, "Hey, what if we made Miss Piggy more toxic?! Surely there can never be a cap on that?!) this one is fully positive with supporting messages for the children. The humans are surprisingly fleshed out by Muppets standards. The band members are more simple, naturally but more characterization have been given to the them than ever. They may've made Sgt. Floyd Pepper (Matt Vogel), the one with the big red moustache, become a contender for Fozzie and Beaker's positions as the Muppet most likely to evoke an empathetic response.

Doesn't hurt that the show is pretty funny. It kinda feels like earlier Muppets films where some of the jokes did feel they were aimed at both adults and children in what is a family friendly affair. The show manages to make drug jokes and jabs at similar content without ever being specifically about drugs and such. (However, there are two movie references that I'm surprised Disney+ plus greenlighted. Parents, be prepared for your kids asking what that R-rated movie the Muppets mentioned was.) It is possible adults may get more out of this than children. Some kids, especially younger could get bored by the more dialogue-heavy pacing.

Though I'm mostly unfamiliar with Lilly Singh, I thought she was pretty good for someone without a lot of acting experience. She makes for a fine straight man having to deal with the unintentional antics caused by the band. Saara Chaudrey also entertains as Hannah, Lilly's social media influencer sister. There are also a lot of celebrity cameos, some of which you may be pleasantly surprised by.

Props should be given to the Muppets performers. Dr. Teeth (Bill Barretta) and Lips particularly have this liveliness to them. Needless to say, Animal, oh he of simple words, is the most entertaining of the characters. All the band members are entertaining, but there is one flaw to Janice's voice. As the hippiesh one, she's always been fun, but her voice has always been a man trying to sound like a hippie or valley girl, which works fine but when there's a lot more of it, the voice kinda ingratiates. We also get a new Muppet in this (there are surprisingly few Muppets other than The Mayhem; maybe it was to keep the focus on the band or maybe they were trying to save money) that I won't spoil, but is a fun design and character.

Highly recommended. This is honestly one of the strongest Muppets products out there.

Ghosts- Season 2

8/10

In season 2 of this comedy, Samantha Arondekar (played by iZombie's Rose McIver), who can see ghosts after she hit her head, and her husband Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) finally open up the country house Samantha inherited as a bread and breakfast.

This season's much like the last: a good mix of solid jokes and distinct, enjoyable characters. The majority of the cast remains great. I don't have time to go into them all, but I think the one who shines the most is Jay. Ambudkar has such great comic delivery, and his character steals the show with his nerdy enthusiasm toward the ghost world and the way he reacts to all the chaos around him.

There are a couple things that are wearing a bit thin: 1) Jay and Samantha doing a poor job of covering for themselves when Samantha is hearing the ghosts or the ghosts have put the two into a situation is repeated way too often. You'd think the couple would've learned to how to do a better job of posturing. 2) The ghosts being selfish and constantly pushing Samantha into doing stuff. Sure, they usually feel bad or see the consequences of their actions when things go too far, but it's so repetitive. You want Samantha to just say no once or a while (admittedly we wouldn't have much of a story there).

Overall, the show's still pretty funny. Recommended.

American Auto- Season 2

8.5/10

In season 2 of this NBC comedy about a bunch of dysfunctional higher ups at Payne Motors, CEO Katherine Hastings (played by SNL alumni Ana Gasteyer) and her team must get the stock up to a certain number within the year or they'll all lose their jobs. 

If you're familiar with the show, this is from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer, and American Auto is sort of its opposite. Whereas Superstore was a positive ode to the people working at the bottom, this is a cynical, but silly critique of those at the top, looking at how people don't intend to be unethical or uncaring and such but how it just happens. And man does the show do it so well. This is one of the two funniest series I'm watching right now (the other being Rick and Morty). It's such a delightfully pointed jab at the corporate world, and the jokes work so well. I highly recommend the episode The Letter, funniest and best written one of the season, a savage take on outrage culture. 

Though most of the cast is self-serving, this season does makes more of an effort have the characters be three-dimensional. You may not sympathize with their choices, but you get where they're coming from and see them as actual people. I especially appreciate that the show cut down a bit on Katherine messing up public interviews and announcements. Given that she was a CEO of a pharmaceutical company for a while, it's a little hard to swallow that she has absolutely no experience handling these things.

Cast remains great. Wesley Payne (Superstore's Jon Barinholtz), the last remaining member of the Payne family working at the company, is definitely the MVP. He's kinda the most likeable because he's kinda the most honest in his goals in that he truly wants his family legacy to survive. He's like a big child that wants approval. Gasteyer, Michael Benjamin Washington as snarky and completely pragmatic and self-serving Chief Product Designer Cyrus Knight, and Harriet Dyer as CCO Katherine Hastings, one of the saner voices that has to deal with everyone else, all give excellent performances. (Gasteyer, I apologize for thinking back in the day that Cheri Oteri would be the one that would go on to other stuff and that you'd be the one who'd vanish. I've shamed myself.)

Highly recommended. The show is hilarious. Unfortunately this may be the last season as its viewership numbers are even less than last season's which wasn't great. Too bad, I really felt this was one of the best comedies out right now.

Ghosted

7.5/10

In this new Apple+ movie, Cole Turner (played by Chris Evans) falls in love with one Sadie Rhodes (Ana de Armas) after going on one wonderful date with her. He leaves her his number but doesn't get a reply. Finding out she's in London, he decides to surprise her with an ill-advised visit. He quickly finds out she's a spy and gets embroiled in one of her missions.

This is a lighthearted and fun enough work. (The movie has one scene in it that's super amusing.) The spy plot is predictable, but Evans and de Armas both are likable performers and work well off of each other. It's their love-hate chemistry that makes this work.

Admittedly, this movie is based on a guy making unhealthy decisions. To the movie's credit, more than one person calls him out on it, and he's punished for his bad decisions. However, this is still a movie making light of and showing positive benefits from what would be considered creepy behavior in real life.

Also, Burn Gorman from Torchwood among other stuff has a small role as a stereotypically lower-class British cabby, and I felt his talents were squandered. Anyone could've played that role.

For a movie that's a comedy, it takes the action seriously. There were a couple shots that seemed off (I think the greenscreen work might be the movie's weakest point), but as a whole the stunts and choreography are well-executed. The action has a couple moments of sheer creativity, including the memorable last fight, that you wouldn't expect.

The movie does have a bit of an odd grey tint to it. (Though, this may be an Apple+ issue. I noticed that Central Park's look a bit muted as well.)

Recommended, the movie works as a good time to sit back and relax.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

8/10

In this movie based on the popular tabletop game (the second attempt at doing so after the failed 2000 one), a group of thieves plot to steal from their enemies.

This was definitely a satisfying film (actually a more solid popcorn film than either the recent Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Shazam: Fury of the Gods). This all comes together with solid plotting, three-dimensional characters across the board, a fleshed out world, and some decent humor. The movie actually manages to throw in a narrated flashback beginning without feeling too weak.  

This is directed/co-written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who directed the comedy Game Night. I wouldn't say this is as funny as that movie, but it's definitely having fun. Given that fantasy stories can all run together after a while, the duo definitely felt like they were trying to make sure there were some distinct moments in this which pay off. There's one of the most memorable chase scenes I've seen in a while. Plus, the dragon you may've seen in the trailer is a solid design. There's plenty of dragons in film and television, but you don't see a lot of plump ones.

The viewer is thrown into the world. There isn't real effort given into explaining the various races, organizations, etc. (I did a lot of Googling after this.) However, it works. It makes the world feel lived in by not overexplaining (the characters know the environment they live in, why would they state the obvious.) You're never thrown too much at once, and you get the gist of everything. The movie focuses on basic concepts people can understand, thieves steal, evil magic people do evil magic stuff, etc., etc.

Solid casting in this. Chris Pine as lead thief Edgin manages to show off more of his comic side. In what is probably her biggest starring role in a big movie, Michelle Rodriguez as thief Holga doesn't do anything much out of her wheelhouse but manages to keep being charming and badass. Pine and Rodriguez have excellent chemistry together and really sell themselves as old friends and partners. Rege-Jean Page as Paladin Xenk doesn't appear in the movie as much as the trailer makes it out, but when he does appear, he's definitely the funniest character, someone who's super nice and benevolent, but also super literal and straight-laced to the point it can bug others. 

This looks swell with some fine creature and costume design. Some computer graphic effects are more obvious than others. Fans of D&D may be frustrated that all the leads are human or humanoid with minimal aesthetics and the same applies to the majority of background characters. (You see only one dwarf in this.) In fairness, by not spending a lot of money on CGI or prosthetics for the main characters this probably made it easier for the filmmakers to financially justify the big special effects moments in this.

Highly recommended, this is just one of those adventure movies where everything works and comes together.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre

6/10 

In this new Guy Ritchie spy/action/comedy mix, secret agent Orson Fortune (played by Jason Statham) and his team blackmail actor Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) into helping them gain access to arms dealer Greg Simmons (Hugh Grant) in order to stop him from acquiring a mysterious device known as “the Handle.”

I'm guessing that after The Wrath of Man, which might be Ritchie's darkest work, he wanted to do something fun and just lighthearted. (This also kinda has Man from Uncle vibes; Ritchie stated he liked that one and due to its poor box office, this is probably the closest he can get to doing a sequel.)

Unfortunately, this is the weakest of the several films of his I've seen (no, I haven't watched Swept Away yet). The worst part is that this the has bones of a good film in it. If parts had just been tweaked and some jokes cut, this might've worked. To be clear, this isn't straight up bad, just lackluster.

On the plus side, the movie looks great. It's very colorful, echoing the look of the Sixties' Bond films. Though this is a more tongue-in-cheek spy film, the action can be surprisingly intense at points. Also, it's got a strong cast (more on them later).

I know the part about Danny getting into the good graces of Simmons (who's a fan) sounds very similar to that film Nicholas Cage made recently, and yeah, it does a little, but much not as much as you think. The trailer makes it look the whole movie is focused on that, but it's only a subplot. (Danny's really just a supporting character not a main player.) I'm glad that section didn't wear out it's welcome, because some of the most enjoyable moments come from the actor and arms dealer interacting. (I won't spoil how it plays it out.)

On the negative side, the tone is all over the place and the movie gets too complicated for it's own good. There's a repeated bit about how Orson has expensive tastes and constantly tries to finagle extravagant benefits from his employer. It's not funny or done well, and the writers really go all in on it. It is clear that this had parts cut and reshoots. The problem is that they don't cut the parts setting up later scenes. There are three plot points that are never followed up on.

As I said, good cast. Statham and Cary Elwes as Orson's boss both play the roles they usually play, tough guy and stereotypically British person, but to be fair, they do it well. Hartnett is amusing, and Grant does an admirable job of continuing to prove in his recent years that he's a character actor. Aubrey Plaza is Orson's team's computer person. Yeah, this isn't her best work and is given dialogue beneath her, but she is still AUBREY PLAZA and brings her trademark energy.

Not a must see. It can make for a nice timewaster/background film. There are good parts. Just don't make this a film you're spending too much on.

Cocaine Bear

8/10

In this movie based on a true story, a bear in the 1980's eats cocaine that was airdropped from a plane and goes on a rampage across its national park. (This is loosely based on the true story. The actual bear just died of a heart attack. However, what happened to the person who dropped the cocaine appears to be fairly accurate.)

Cocaine Bear is one of those rare theatrical films these days that are intentionally campy. Writer Jimmy Warden (of the movie The Babysitter: Killer Queen) and director Elizabeth Banks (yes, THE Elizabeth Banks) decided to see how nuts they can go with this.  The kills can be delightfully over-the-top and you're kept guessing as to what'll happen next (especially since it's hard to predict how the drug-addled bear will react) and who'll survive. This has the goofiest Mexican stand-off scene you'll ever see.

Great cast in this, especially considering how silly the subject is, including Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Ray Liotta in what was the last role he filmed before he passed. The majority of characters are surprisingly fleshed out. The stand-outs are definitely Solo's Alden Ehrenreich and Outta Compton's O'Shea Jackson Jr. as two drug dealers, the former of which being retired and reluctantly dragged back into the business, who've been sent to retrieve the cocaine. They have this real every guy reaction to the insanity they find themselves in.

Admittedly, some of the bits and exposition scenes that don't feature the bear could've been edited down in order to make them stronger. Some of you may get bored with the people characters. A subplot about Whitlock's detective and his pet dog feels half-baked. Also, the clothing and personalities of a group of punk teens roaming the woods doesn't feel that Eighties.  

The computer generated bear doesn't look too bad. You can tell it isn't real, but it works, and I was impressed that the effects guys put more effort into its anatomy than you'd think.

Recommended unless you're not big on R-rated violence. This is an enjoyable brains-off, sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride situation.