I join CTV Atlantic’s Todd Battis to talk about the new “Scary Movie,” the live-action cartoon “Masters of the Universe” and the tuneful “Power Ballad.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 29:53)
I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Akshay Tandon to talk about the new releases in theatres, including the new “Scary Movie,” the live-action cartoon “Masters of the Universe” and the tuneful “Power Ballad.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to brush your teeth. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you wazzzzup with the new “Scary Movie,” the live-action cartoon “Masters of the Universe” and the tuneful “Power Ballad.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Scary Movie 6,” the Core Four—Cindy Campbell, Brenda Meeks, Shorty Meeks and Ray Wilkins—and some franchise newcomers are on the run from masked killer Ghostface.
CAST: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Jon Abrahams, Anthony Anderson. Directed by Michael Tiddes.
REVIEW: A non-stop stream of references, crude puns and goofy gags, “Scary Movie 6” makes other spoof flicks like “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun” seem sophisticated by comparison.
Twenty-six years after the first “Scary Movie” debuted in theatres, the original cast and Core Four—Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris), Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans), and Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans)—return to jab fun (and knives) at the slasher film genre.
The new parody updates the references from the standard slasher movies to recent trends like elevated horror, reboots, requels and “final chapters” to make politically incorrect fun of “Terrifier 3,” “Smile,” “M3GAN,” “Get Out,” “Longlegs,” “The Substance” and “Sinners.”
Returning to the franchise for the first time since 2002s “Scary Movie 2” the Wayans family (who wrote and star in this film) present a pop culture pastiche of spoofs in rapid fire.
From new refences like Teyana Taylor’s Oscar loss, the recent Michael Jackson biopic and Worldstar fight videos to old-ish references like Hawk tuah and the Manosphere to ancient gags about “Silence of the Lambs” and O.J. “If it doesn’t fit you must acquit.” Simpson, it’s a firehose of spoofery.
That furious gusher of gags sprays off in all directions, but you won’t get drenched. Most of the jokes evaporate as soon as they hit the air, leaving behind only a mist that actually connect. It’s silly and bound to offend sensitive viewers with edgy material that veers into mean spirited territory, consistently punching down instead of up. The Wayans say the humor “cancels cancel culture,” so judge yourself accordingly.
“Scary Movie” franchise fans, however, may get a kick out of this “resetquel.”
There’s the nostalgic blast of seeing the Core Four again. They’re game, there for a good, over-the-top time and provide a few (very few) genuine laughs. Mostly, however, the movie feels like scrolling through TikTok as disjointed scenes are banged together in search of a cohesive plot and consistent laughs.
Near the end of the film Jack, the “not-at-all-suspicious” love interest, says something you may find yourself wondering about on the way out of the theatre: “Hollywood is out of ideas,” he says. “Why else would they make a ‘Scary Movie 6’?”
I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Renee Rogers to talk about the new releases in theatres, including the bloody “Mortal Kombat II,” the family murder mystery “The Sheep Detectives” and the road trip “Omaha.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make your bed. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the bloody “Mortal Kombat II,” the family murder mystery “The Sheep Detectives” and the road trip “Omaha.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit with “The Sheep Detectives” star Nicholas Braun to talk about the family friendly film and whether or not any real sheep were used on the film.
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “The Sheep Detectives,” a new, all-star whodunnit comedy now playing in theatres, a flock of sheep attempt to solve a murder mystery.
CAST: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson with the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby. Directed by Kyle Balda.
REVIEW: “The Sheep Detectives” is a bizarre but crowd-pleasing murder mystery for the whole family that could have been titled “CSI: Livestock.” Murder, talking sheep and philosophy intertwine to create echoes of “Babe: A Pig in the City” and “Old Yeller.”
Hugh Jackman is George, a sheep herder with an uncommon connection to his flock. Called a “grouchy-pants” by the locals in the village of Denbrook, on the farm he’s all sweetness and light to his sheep. He gives them names, dotes on them and reads them detective novels as bedtime stories, even though they can’t understand him.
Except they can.
Among themselves they speak English and spend their late nights discussing George’s murder mysteries, trying to guess who the killer will be.
When murder comes to the farm, there are suspects galore, but it is up to the sheep to become little wooly Columbos and crack the case.
Paced and performed like a family flick,” The Sheep Detectives” certainly has appeal for the whole clan. The cute CGI talking sheep and gentle humor should be appropriate for ages seven and up. Some of it is dark, like the story of a sheep who was raised on the carnival and there are some “Old Yeller” style realities that may be upsetting to very young children.
Still, despite the Ovine Agatha Christie elements, director Kyle Balda, best known for co-directing the Illumination films “The Lorax,” “Minions,” “Despicable Me 3” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” keeps the tone light and breezy, peppering the story with humor to offset any intensity the story offers up.
Populated with standard issue murder mystery characters, like “Successions” Nicholas Braun as bumbling cop Tim Derry, Nicholas Galitzine as cub reporter Elliot Matthews and Molly Gordon as a long lost relative, it’s the sheep who sell the story. Sure, Hugh Jackman brings warmth and a steely gentleness to the role of George, but it is the nimble voice work of Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lily, the smartest sheep in the world, Bryan Cranston as a sheep with a tortured past and Chris O’Dowd as the curious Mopple, that add a human touch as they grapple with understanding he changing nature of their world, loyalty and take chances to find answers. These sheeple break away from the herd, bringing surprising commentary on the idea of “dumb animals” and the people who care for them.
“The Sheep Detectives” is a charming and clever film that adds layers to what could have been a simple story for kids.
SYNOPSIS: In “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” the new animated comedy based on the popular kid’s show, and now playing in theatres, SpongeBob tries to prove his bravery by embarking on a perilous marine journey. “The Dutchman’s taken SpongeBob to the deepest, most dangerous part of the sea…” says Mr. Krabs (voiced by Clancy Brown), “the Underworld.”
CAST: Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, George Lopez, Isis “Ice Spice” Gaston, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola, Regina Hall, Mark Hamill. Directed by Derek Drymon.
REVIEW: Packed to the gills with silly visual gags and absurdist wordplay, “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” is aimed at kids and stoned adults.
The movie starts as many good stories do. “Once Upon a time,” says The Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), “the most pants wettingly pirate to ever roam the seven seas, “a long, long time ago…” With that the tale of how a curse doomed him to 500 years in an oceanic nightmare realm called The Underworld. The only way he can beat the curse, and return to his dry land home of Santa Monica, is to transfer the hex to someone pure of heart and innocent in mind. “Does such a soul even exist?” he asks.
Meanwhile, in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob (voice of Tom Kenny) has grown half a barnacle taller, and now thinks he’s a “big guy.”
“I’ve never felt so respected before,” he says.
That feeling quickly fades when his boss, Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) tells him he’s not ready to be a Swashbuckler. To prove he’s not SpongeBob ScaredyPants, the innocent, kind-hearted SpongeBob embarks on a quest that puts him directly in The Flying Dutchman’s territory. But is SpongeBob brave enough to accept the Dutchman’s Deal?
Set at breakneck speed, “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” wastes no time in unfurling its hero’s surreal journey.
It’s whiplash fast and frenetic but never loses the underlying theme that has made the Nickelodeon show such a favorite for a quarter of a century, and that’s SpongeBob’s optimism, kindness and joyfulness.
The odd little character, originally designed as a tool to teach marine biology at California’s Ocean Institute, has the playful whimsey of Pee Wee Jerman, the energy of Jerry Lewis and naïveté of Stan Laurel, all wrapped up in a spongey, kid-friendly package. That’s been the bedrock of the television series and the other half dozen theatrical and streaming movies in the franchise, and that sweetness and comedic unpredictability remain at the core of “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.”
So don’t expect the new movie to break new ground. Like The Three Stooges, SpongeBob and Company deliver an easily identifiable brand of silliness all their own. From visual gags—like Mr. Krabs entering the Dutchman’s undersea world through Davey Jones’s Gym Locker or a literal showing of intestinal fortitude—to the dense ratio of jokes—it seems like every line is a laugh line—and hidden references to older movies—including a splendid tribute to Ray Harryhausen—it doesn’t feel new exactly, but is a welcome return to SpongeBob’s strange world.
