MOVIE REVIEW: THUNDERBOLTS*

 

Ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes -- Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker -- embarks on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Director: Jake Schreier

Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Harbour, Geraldine Viswanathan, Olga Kurylenko

Release Date: May 2, 2025

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, language, thematic elements, and some suggestive and drug references.

Runtime: 2h 6m

Review:

Marvel's Thunderbolts* proves to be a refreshing change of pace to the standard formula by focusing on the characters’ inner turmoil while still delivering the kind of superhero action you've come to expect.  There's an easy flow to Jake Schreier's film even as it explores various aspects of unresolved trauma and how it affects each of the characters.  There's a noticeable confidence on display behind the camera, proving more than capable of delivering impressive action set pieces and quieter emotionally centered moments.  Schreier maintains a fine balance between the two, which is impressive especially considering how formulaic these films can be.  There's a concerted effort on keeping the focus squarely on the characters as opposed to devolving into the usual CGI fight fest.  Schreier is blessed with an excellent ensemble cast led by the ever-impressive Florence Pugh.  It'd be an understatement to say that Pugh serves as the oil that drives the machine here since she brings so much depth and nuance to her performance that it just makes the entire film more effective.  This iteration of her character carries so much pain that's practically disassociated with life in general with Pugh being able to communicate that with ease.  She's given a wide emotional berth to work with which makes her character feel like the most three dimensional onscreen as we watch her suffer through her pain but support others through theirs.  Pugh and David Harbour share some fun father daughter chemistry together which delivers some of the film's more effective moments of levity.  Harbour slips back into his Red Guardian role and easily brings his outsized presence to the past, his prime superhero.  The rest of the supporting cast is solid across the board even if they don't get the sort of time or depth of Pugh's Yelena.  Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen and Sebastian Stan share fun chemistry together with the ensemble bouncing off each other easily.  Stan has been playing his character longer than anyone else onscreen which gives him the opportunity to give his performance more layers that have been earned over the years.  It finally allows the character to breathe a bit and have some fun onscreen as opposed to carrying a perpetual scowl.  Lewis Pullman Bob's is subdued and likable when he shows up onscreen with the script adding more to his character as the film moves along.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Geraldine Viswanathan are both clearly having fun onscreen, but their characters feel underserved leaving them little to do outside of moving the plot along.  There's a rather inventive final act that brings something different to screen as a climax which is a welcome change from the usual CGI beat em up, making Thunderbolts* more memorable than the recent string of forgettable Marvel entries.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade

 

Release date May 2, 2025 (United Kingdom)

My dear reader(s): Recently the documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade was brought to my attention, and my little Beatle brain couldn’t wait to have a look!

No real spoilers here, as pretty much every aspect of John Lennon’s life has long been part of public lore.

Borrowed Time looks at John’s sometimes tumultuous final decade, mostly through anecdotal accounts from Lennon-adjacent individuals. The documentary is loaded with new interviews, and 45 years after John’s untimely passing, any new material feels very much like bonus content.

 Unfortunately, there is a sensationalized quality to much of this footage, as if those interviewed share more to enhance their own profiles than out of any real desire to provide useful insights on John’s life. There’s also an undercurrent of the tired idea that Yoko Ono was somehow to blame for everything negative, a gross misconception that continues to rear its ugly head no matter how often it’s proved to be false.

Fifty-five years after the breakup of the Fab Four, we Beatlemaniacs find ourselves in the midst of an unlikely Beatles renaissance. A sanctioned John and Yoko film (“One to One”) was released not long ago. Four new Beatles biopics are in the works as I write this. Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney (84 and 82 years old, respectively) continue to tour and make new music, and Sean Lennon, Dhani Harrison, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison join them in keeping the Beatles’ legacy at the forefront of today’s cultural landscape. It’s hard to fault anyone for wanting to strike while that iron remains hot, but there’s a self-serving air to this content that makes me think of a great line from Jersey Boys, “Everybody remembers it how they need to.”

Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade runs 134 minutes and is unrated.

Borrowed Time is well paced, and the anecdotes are interesting, even if some – particularly those relating to the night of Lennon’s murder - are a bit distasteful. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade gets five.

Until next time…

MOVIE REVIEW: BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

 

Lily Trevino unexpectedly befriends an online stranger, sharing her self-centered father's name. This new Bob Trevino's support could transform her life.

Director: Tracie Laymon

Cast: Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart, Rachel Bay Jones, Lolo Spencer

Release Date: March 21, 2025 

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

Tracie Laymon's feature length debut is equal parts funny and moving as it explores the ability of human connections to heal deep rooted familial trauma powered by a pair transformative performance from Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo.  Laymon's film is disarmingly easy going even as we are introduced to Lily's tattered life as she struggles to find her way in the world and connect with her self-centered, mean spirted father.  Her naturalistic approach is well suited for the deeply personal, semi-autobiographical story being told.  There's an air of authenticity and refreshing lack of cynicism throughout as we watch these characters search for meaningful connections in their lives.  Barbie Ferreira delivers a raw and honest turn as Lily who has suffered a series of traumas by the time we meet her.  She is desperate to please her cruel and spiteful father played with a razor's edge of animosity by French Stewart.  They only share a handful of scenes during the film, but each one is so bitingly effective as their exchanges move from cordial, playful to vicious.  Ferreira pours every ounce of emotion onscreen as her character suffers through these moments before finding an earnest connection in the form of an accidental father figure played with impressive nuance by John Leguizamo.  Leguizamo's role isn't as showy as Ferreira's but it’s just as impressive as his character is equally broken, just more capable of compartmentalizing his pain.  His earnest, well-meaning Bob is a good man who has poured himself his work while his wife, played by Rachel Bay Jones, loses herself in her scrapbooking hobby to cope with their shared loss.  Their accidental connection turns into something deeper and more meaningful as they each heal long festering wounds.  Ferreira and Leguizamo make for an engaging pair on screen as their surrogate father-daughter relationship blossoms into a real connection that will have you fully invested by the time the final act rolls around.  Bob Trevino Likes It proves to be an inspiring, heartfelt testament to the power of real connections even if they aren't bound by blood.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE ACCOUNTANT 2

 

Forensic accountant Christian Wolff teams up with his estranged but highly lethal brother to track down mysterious assassins.

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, J. K. Simmons, Daniella Pineda

Release Date: April 25, 2025

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

The Accountant 2 loosens up the reins on the original's formula which gives this entry a bit more room to breathe and take full advantage of Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal onscreen chemistry.  The central mystery here is more outlandish and unbelievable than the original film but Gavin O'Connor guides the film with a steady hand by keeping things moving at a steady pace, avoiding some of the original film's dead spots.  The story is far more convoluted than necessary especially once the main reveal occurs which requires more than a few logical leaps.  It’s a testament to cast and crew that the film doesn't fall apart once this happens as they manage to deliver a thrilling finale that makes it easier to overlook some of the story's more glaring issues.  Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal deserve a lion's share of the credit for carrying the film as their onscreen back and forth give the film a hefty bit of humor and heart.  Affleck slips back into the role of Christian Wolff with general ease by giving the character a bit more subtle depth especially when it comes to his relationship with his younger brother played by Jon Bernthal.  Bernthal is given much more time to shine in this entry which works in the film's favor as his chaotic onscreen charisma works as an excellent counter point to Wolff's persona.  There's an authenticity to their interchanges with each bouncing off each other like long lost brothers who have long simmering issues bubbling underneath paired with a believable sense of brotherly love.  Their performances make the film work far better than it should as they carry the film from start to finish.  The supporting cast is sparse with Cynthia Addai-Robinson and J. K. Simmons returning from the first film but are ultimately given very little to do outside of moving the plot forward as needed.  Daniella Pineda's mysterious assassin should be far more engaging than she ultimately is with the script, giving her very little to work with to flesh out the character.  Ultimately, they're minor issues since The Accountant 2 proves to be a more complete package than the original.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: UNTIL DAWN

 

One year after her sister disappeared, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they soon encounter a masked killer who murders them one by one. However, when they mysteriously wake up at the beginning of the same night, they're forced to relive the terror over and over again.

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Peter Stormare

Release Date: April 25, 2025

Genre: Drama, Horror

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, gore and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

Until Dawn is a fun horror mashup of countless 80's slasher tropes paired with a gorier version of Edge of Tomorrow's rinse and repeat conceit.  Since I'm not personally familiar with the game this film is based on, I can't speak to how this works as an adaptation but as a horror film it has a wickedly fun tone that embraces the bloody carnage on display.  Once the film sets up the general premise, director David F. Sandberg moves the action along at a steady pace by delivering a string of effective jump scares and inventive kills.  A handful of those moments are truly inspired and sure to make old school gore hounds grin with glee as the splatter hits the screen.  There are a few that don't work quite as well but the film moves by them so quickly that it doesn't negatively impact on the overall experience too badly.  The cast of fresh-faced actors is well aware of the kind of film they’re in and lean into their roles with a knowing wink and just have fun with it.  The script is a bit clunky in spots with cast doing their best to deliver convincing reads of slow rolled realizations and revelations.  Ella Rubin makes for a fine lead while the supporting cast is capable even if the script doesn't give them a ton of depth. There isn't much to them and if any of the characters annoy you too much there's the fallback of watching them die multiple times. Odessa A'zion with her raspy voice, green eyes and messy hair leaves the most noticeable impression of ensemble that feels vaguely reminiscent of late 90's slashers like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend.  Long-time character actor, Peter Stormare feels terribly underutilized here, which feels like a misstep since he could have brought so much more to his role.  Missteps aside, Until Dawn is like cinematic fast food that makes for a bit of a mindless treat for horror fans. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: SINNERS

 

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo

Release Date: April 18, 2025

Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, sexual content and language.

Runtime: 2h 17m

Review:

Sinners echoes more than a few beats from 1997's From Dusk Till Dawn but Ryan Coogler elevates the pulpy material with his lush visuals, a multilayered script and stellar cast.  Coogler's trek through the Jim Crow era south instantly pops off the screen with its distinctive look and feel as we follow identical twins, Smoke and Stack, return to Mississippi.  He slowly weaves musical elements into the narrative to create something truly special exemplified by a time blending set piece that marks one of the film's highlights.  It’s a slow burn early on, as he gives his characters and actors time to breathe before moving into the film's gleefully gory final act. Coogler takes full advantage of the collection of immensely talented cast led by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles.  Jordan is pitch perfect in both roles, giving each of the twin’s distinctive personalities paired with a believable sense of fraternal affection for each other.  Each character carries so much subtext intertwined with each interaction that is makes for another fascinating performance from Jordan proving again that Coogler knows how to bring out the best in him.  Miles Caton making his screen debut as Sammie Moore, the twins’ younger cousin, leaves an impression throughout thanks to his baritone voice and musical talents which are on full display.  Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo both make the most of their screentime with memorable supporting turns that leave you wishing the film had used them more.  Wunmi Mosaku and Jayme Lawson are both solid but their character's feel like they needed a tad bit more fleshing out to really leave a more substantial impact.  Jack O'Connell makes for an intriguing villain as the Irish vampire who unleashes the vampiric plague on the unsuspecting town.  O'Connell gives the character an unpredictable feeling with him being able to turn from understated to menacing in an instant.  There's plenty packed into his backstory much like the Sinner's story overall which leaves you with plenty to chew on even after the credits roll.   

A-