The Union (2024) Film Review

Mike, a down-to-earth construction worker, is thrust into the world of super spies and secret agents when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne, recruits him on a high-stakes US intelligence mission.

The Union is directed by Julian Farino director of The Last Yellow (1999) and The Oranges (2011).

I’m not sure whether it was intentional or accidental but releasing three action comedy films that went on three different streaming services so closely together was an incredibly bad idea. The Instigators, Jackpot and now The Union, everything I said about the former two movies can be applied to The Union.

The only real positive here is Halle Berry who tries her absolute best with the script she’s given, but unfortunately her performance can only do so much as the rest of the movie is so incredibly dull that it makes watching grass grow look more investing. Mark Wahlberg has no chemistry with Halle Berry, the movie tried but completely fails due to just how dull Wahlberg’s performance is here. At this point in his career Wahlberg is turning in performances that are very identical to each other that you could be forgiven if you mixed up his roles and that’s very much the case here in this movie.

As far as the plot goes it’s a very typical spy action movie that is filled to the brim with cliches, it leans towards comedy for the first 20 minutes or so before giving up on that entirely and settling with a painfully cliched filled spy action movie. Everything that’s done here you have seen one hundred times elsewhere, none of the characters are interesting and the plot itself is lacking in so much substance.

I’m not entirely sure what else you say here except that The Union is this week’s “you will forget about it by Monday morning” type of movie.

The Union is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

Jackpot (2024) Film Review

In the near future, a ‘Grand Lottery’ has been newly established in California – the catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot.

Jackpot is directed by Paul Feig director of Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013), Spy (2015), Ghostbusters (2016), A Simple Favor (2018), Last Christmas (2019) and a few others.

Jackpot is basically a comedic version of The Purge franchise an interesting idea for sure and it’s executed fine enough but there’s really nothing incredibly strong going on here.

John Cena is the one who’s carrying this movie and manages to push it to the finish line, while not every joke lands a lot of the humor from him is quite decent. None of the jokes are anything you are going to be quoting with your friends but at the very least he manages to make it fun for the most part. Awkwafina is actually not bad here, this is the first time in awhile where I haven’t felt incredibly annoyed by her character or her playing herself. Granted at times she does slip and feels like she’s playing the same type of role again, but for the most part she does a decent job. She actually has solid chemistry with John Cena which is what I think really benefited her this time around.

The concept itself is pretty fun, there’s definitely some shining moments that show a lot of potential, but unfortunately the movie doesn’t really have the spark it needs to make this a really fun ride. The writing is what hurts this movie the most, the last half of the movie turns into your very typical action comedy that really does not do anything for the genre. It’s like they had a really good idea going with the first half of the movie and then did not know how to finish the movie so they threw anything at the wall to see what sticks.

Overall there really isn’t much more to be said, Jackpot isn’t a bad movie as it definitely has its moments and the acting is actually not bad here. The movie itself is just a very below average action comedy, that will entertain you for a little bit before being quickly forgotten about.

Jackpot is available on Amazon Prime Video.

5/10 C

Ghostlight (2024) Film Review

When a construction worker joins a local theatre’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.

Ghostlight is directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, the film being the O’Sullivan’s directorial debut and Thompsons third film. Thompson previously directed Saint Frances (2019) and Rounding (2022).

If there’s one film from this year thus far that should be talked about far more it would be Ghostlight, a story about healing through the power of art and theater.

To start out with the performances are some of the best of the year Dolly de Leon, Katherine Mallen Kupferer and Tara Mallen are absolutely incredible here, each of them bringing heart to the film in their own ways. But the one who absolutely steals the show is the film’s lead Keith Kupferer who plays Dan Mueller a man who is trying to heal after his son Brian died by suicide. Kupferer playing a grieving father who ends up joining an upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet is truly fascinating to watch. The way the film carefully writes Dan Mueller as a character and makes his pain as raw as natural quickly gets to the viewer, there’s love, passion and heart put into it all. Kupferer’s performance is so incredibly touching that brings so much beauty, honesty and brings this beautiful atmosphere to the film.

The film itself is of course very sad, but it also serves as a healing journey one that we often times make in situations such as the death of a loved one. It’s something that we as humans go through and it’s so perfectly portrayed here, that it almost feels like you are right there watching Mueller’s journey. There’s so many incredibly touching moments throughout that quickly grab at your heartstrings, as I said earlier the film uses art and theater as a way to show a path of healing. The film does this flawlessly, it shows how we can build a connection from art, how art can really help you move forward, how it can be so transformative and really help bring you on the path to healing.

Ghostlight is an incredibly likable film which is what it uses to connect to the viewer almost immediately, the film makes the story as grounded as possible with so much love put into the story. The characters are incredibly well written and have their own stories to tell, the film’s heartwarming messaging is something that really resonates with so many people and the overall film is just absolutely stunning in every single way possible.

Overall Ghostlight is one of the best films of the year, it’s incredibly touching and a powerful film that I really hope more people check out.

Ghostlight is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

The People’s Joker (2024) Film Reviews

A law-breaking comedian who is grappling with her gender identity forms a new anti-comedy troupe with a friend and finds herself battling a fascistic caped crusader.

The People’s Joker is directed by Vera Drew which is her directorial debut.

The People’s Joker has been on my radar for awhile, ever since the planned screenings at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival were cancelled due to “rights issues.” Luckily the film got officially released this year and it’s quite a fun ride! While yes The People’s Joker is a parody of Joker (2019) and other DC films such as Suicide Squad (2016) it’s much more than that it’s a personal coming out and coming of age story that quite clearly is personal to Vera Drew.

The performances are so much fun, everyone involved just seems like they are having a blast and that really reflects with the film’s charm. Vera Drew in particular who plays Joker the Harlequin is such a blast to watch, she absolutely knows how to quickly draw the viewer’s attention and has some really strong screen presence. The conversations she has with the rest of the cast throughout the film are incredibly entertaining and filled with all sorts of hilarious jokes that make this film’s comedic moments standout that much more.

The film is low budget but has this style to it that absolutely works, it’s like if you took the energy and atmosphere of an Adult Swim (a late night block on Cartoon Network) commercial or even show and mixed it with a bit of Sin City (2005). You get some quite out there results which is so much fun and the entertainment is through the roof, the look of the film will not be for everyone and I can completely see why. But there’s this certain level of charm that really works here that I really just can’t help but love.

As I said earlier Vera Drew is also a coming out and coming of age story that’s very personal to her, she does an incredibly job of fitting her story into the plot of Joker (2019) we get bits a pieces about her discovering who she is throughout the film and it’s quite touching, Drew also does a really great job of moving the story along at a nice and steady pace. She focuses on bringing the viewer along for the ride while also throwing in some bizarre moments that are the definition of fun.

Overall The People’s Joker is absolutely going to go on to be a midnight film. It’s a super entertaining ride that I’m really happy Vera Drew took everyone on.

The People’s Joker is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

The Instigators (2024) Film Review

Rory and Cobby are unlikely partners thrown together for a heist. However, when it goes awry, they team up to outrun police, backward bureaucrats, and a vengeful crime boss.

The Instigators is directed by Doug Liman who directed Edge Of Tomorrow (2014), American Made (2017), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), The Bourne Identity (2002), The Wall (2017), Chaos Walking (2021), Road House (2024) and a few others.

Going to try and keep this short because I quite honestly have no idea what to exactly say here. While The Instigators isn’t as bad as some people make it out to be, the movie itself is devoid of any originality and really struggles to make itself stand out from the other films in the heist movie genre.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck are fine enough here, they manage to crack a few jokes that are chuckle worthy and at times they do work well together. The rest of the cast such as Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman and a few others are fine. Some are given much more to do than others, but they do their part fine. If anything this really comes off as showcase of someone saying “how many recognizable names can we fit into a very forgettable movie?”

The plot is about what you expect, what you see is what you get and there really isn’t anything shocking, interesting or investing going on here. Every once and awhile there’s a few moments of entertainment but those are almost immediately followed by dull scene after dull scene. The movie itself lacks identity and charm, actors who are usually exciting to see such as Matt Damon really don’t have a whole lot to their character.

The Instigators is a prime example of a streaming movie that you are going to forget almost immediately when it’s over. The movie isn’t necessarily horrendous as the writing has it’s moments, the acting is okay at best and there’s fun to be had. But that all doesn’t add up into something worth watching.

The Instigators is available on Apple TV+

4/10 D+

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (2024) Film Review

When their late police captain gets linked to drug cartels, wisecracking Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett embark on a dangerous mission to clear his name.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah who previously directed Bad Boys For Life (2020), Gangsta (2018), Black (2015) and Image (2014). Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is the fourth installment in the Bad Boys series and is a sequel to Bad Boys For Life (2020).

The Bad Boys series has always been incredibly fun, you know what you are getting into when you go into one of these films and they always leave you with satisfaction. That’s just as much as the case with Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, a film that oozes with summer blockbuster charm but also adds a bit more to the mix to make this one memorable.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are both excellent here, they are the best they have ever been here. Whats very interesting about this film is despite the previous film coming out only 4 years ago you still feel like this is a reunion not the characters feeling that way but the audiences. Maybe it’s the energy the film itself gives off or maybe it’s just me, but this is felt during the first moments of the film and it’s quite pleasing. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence once again work incredibly well together and really just nail down why this series works so well. It’s the classic action filled moments with humorous ones that the script offers, Smith and Lawerence effortlessly deliver their lines and make this into such a fun ride.

The action scenes continue to get bigger in these films along with the variety of different shots. You have your usual fun action scenes you would expect in a summer blockbuster, you have drone shots that are incredibly neat as well as filmed beautifully and you have your crazy stunts that are quite impressive that bring you to the edge of your seat. It’s very reminiscent of the energy that Bad Boys II (2003) had which is very welcoming and chaotic in the best ways possible.

The plot is honestly nothing to write home about it’s a story of being framed and probably goes about how you expect it to. But the film makes up for that with incredibly fun action scenes, strong performances from Will Smith and Martin Lawerence and just overall being a very likable film that knows what it is.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Thelma (2024) Film Review!

Thelma Post is a 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she soon embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her.

Thelma is directed by Josh Margolin which is his directorial debut.

Thelma just might be one of the sweetest and endearing films of 2024, what seems like a silly revenge story on the surface actually ends up being a film that actually has a few themes here that work incredibly well.

Before we get to that let’s talk about the performances all of which are fantastic but the one who makes the film is June Squibb. Her performance as Thelma is so endearing, easily connects with the viewer and honestly an excellent portrayal of a grandmother. The chemistry she has with the cast feels incredibly natural and really does give off this cozy feel almost like you are listening to someone’s grandmother speak. It’s impossible to walk out of this film without a smile on your face and that’s mainly due to Squibb’s performance. Fred Hechinger’s performance as Daniel who plays Thelma’s grandson is also really excellent. A lot of the film’s best moments is with Thelma and Daniel just speaking to one another, catching up on each other or Daniel making sure Thelma is okay. It all feels very natural. Richard Roundtree is also quite great here, he has excellent chemistry with June Squibb that are easily some of the films best moments.

Which also lead into the film’s main theme…getting old. Hearing Thelma talk about being old with most of her friends who are either dead or have moved on with their lives is honestly some soul crushing stuff. I mean sure getting old is a part of life it’s going to happen to everyone, but when you hear this come from Thelma a character who is shown to be kind, doing anything she can to protect her family and tries to remain positive throughout the film. It really starts to get to you as a viewer, perhaps it’s because of the very well written script from Josh Margolin but this is actually very beautifully executed.

The humor combined with the film’s revenge story (which starts due to a scam) is quite excellent, I do love that the film makes sure to balance humor and the many touching moments. It helps the film be more natural in its execution and just results in a blast of fun. There’s a little bit here for everyone which is the best move this film could have possibly done.

Overall Thelma is excellent, it takes a regular revenge story and flips it on its head by including so many touching moments that really dive into getting old. Very endearing film be sure to give this one a watch!

Thelma is available on all VOD Platforms.

8/10 B+

My Spy: The Eternal City (2024) Film Review.

JJ, a veteran CIA agent, reunites with his protégé Sophie, in order to prevent a catastrophic nuclear scheme aimed at the Vatican, which disrupts a high school choir trip to Italy.

My Spy: The Eternal City is directed by Peter Seagal director of Anger Management (2003), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), 50 First Dates (2004), My Spy (2020), Grudge Match (2013) and a few others.

Out of any movie to get a sequel I’m willing to put good money down that My Spy wasn’t one that people were demanding. The first My Spy was a fun little action comedy that went to VOD platforms during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a fine enough movie that while forgettable got the job done. So it’s very interesting to me that Peter Seagal who directed the previous movie returns and does a worse job than before.

Dave Bautista is once again pretty okay here, he’s by far the best part of the movie much like he was in the previous movie. The rest of the cast are fine enough they just don’t bring anything exciting to the table, the jokes this time around are slightly worse than the last movie. Very forgettable and at most result in a chuckle, granted none of the jokes are painful just very cobbled together.

Speaking of cobbled together what really kills this movie is the plot and the many plot lines that follow, for some reason they decided to take a simple bonding story from the first movie and turn it into a whole plot heavy movie with an espionage action plot that oddly gets very convoluted. It’s the type of movie where you really scratch your head and say “who was this for?” It wants to go for the same family type feel the first movie did. But every now and then you get jokes here that aren’t exactly family friendly. It’s a very confused mess that never really figures itself out.

Finally the characters especially the new ones don’t really add much, Craig Robinson and Anna Faris are trying their best but with such a limited script that gives very little to work with they sort of have no choice but to be sitting ducks.

Overall My Spy: The Eternal City is very typical streaming movie shovelware, it exists solely on the chance that some people who liked My Spy (2020) may watch it, definitely not one of the worst movies of the year but it’s one you are going to forget almost immediately after watching.

My Spy: The Eternal City is available on Amazon Prime Video.

3/10 D-

Despicable Me 4 (2024) Film Review

Gru welcomes a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who’s intent on tormenting his dad. However, their peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when criminal mastermind Maxime Le Mal escapes from prison and vows revenge against Gru.

Despicable Me 4 is directed by Chris Renaud director of Despicable Me (2010), The Lorax (2012), Despicable Me 2 (2013), The Secret Life Of Pets (2016) and The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (2019). This film serves as the fourth installment of the main series (sixth overall film in the franchise and serves as a sequel to Despicable Me 3 (2017).

By this point everyone and their dog knows what the Despicable Me franchise is, it’s arguably at least in the top 10 moneymaking modern franchises. The films range from being pretty cute to bad. Despicable Me 4 is quite honestly more of the same thing from other entries, which might not be bad for fans of the series but will quickly become tiring for everyone else.

I really have to give Steve Carell so much credit for sticking with this series for so long, because he is once again one of the best parts about it. Some lines in this movie that would be otherwise terrible end up being somewhat funny due to Carell’s delivery. The rest of the voice cast are solid although do not have anything really special about them.

One thing I will say this movie does a pretty good job with is Gru’s character, we get to learn even more about his past and old rivals as well. Even if this has been done before in earlier entries and spinoffs, they still manage to come up with at least something somewhat interesting. The subplot about the minions becoming superheroes is forgettable, sure there’s a few funny moments but it’s not anything that’s going to be fondly remembered.

Honestly the best way I could describe Despicable Me 4 is a kid on a sugar rush, it’s very fast paced and could be enjoyable largely depending on the viewer. It could be a fun sugar rush for some people or it can be a very dull one to get through.

Overall there really is not a whole to say about Despicable Me 4 it’s a below average sequel that’s completely harmless for kids. It gets the job done for the most part but at the end of the day is just another Despicable Me movie.

Despicable Me 4 is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Saving The Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024) Film Review

When Bikini Bottom is scooped out of the ocean, Sandy and SpongeBob head to Sandy’s home state of Texas and enlist her family to help save Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and the rest of the gang.

Saving The Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie is directed by Liza Johnson director of Return (2011), Hateship Loveship (2013) and Elvis & Nixon (2016)

Look I’m not the target audience for this movie and I haven’t really cared about SpongeBob for awhile now, but I really have to ask what exactly happened here? For all of Sponge On The Run (2020) faults at the very least it had some fun moments and the characters were fun as well. This movie does not do any of that and instead makes baffling decision after baffling decision.

For starters for a movie that has Sandy Cheeks in the title it really is not about her, yes she is the main character but we only get a brief backstory and the movie itself really does not do all that much with her family. Who seem like fun characters but we are given very little information about them or spend any time developing them into fully fleshed out characters. I’m not expecting a character piece written about each of the members of the family but at least let the viewer spend a lot more time with them.

The movie itself is very ugly, I’m willing to put good money down that the 85% of the budget went into getting celebrities such as Wanda Sykes to be in this movie. The animation isn’t even the worst part…it’s when the movie attempts to combine live action and animation together you get some of the most horrifying results you will see in a movie this year, it’s so ugly and horrifying that it makes any of the Spy Kids movies look like Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) in comparison I really wish I was kidding.

The writing is abysmal and quite honestly some of the worst I’ve heard in a movie so far this year. Any charm that Spongebob as a series had in the past is nowhere to be found in this movie, I have heard modern SpongeBob has been a decline in quality for awhile now but I have to imagine it’s far better than whatever this was.

Overall Saving The Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie is hands down the worst Spongebob movie and it’s not even close. Abysmal, ugly, annoying and downright horrendous this makes it an easy contender for worst movie of the year.

Saving The Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie is available on Netflix.

Disgrace To Cinema F