‘Black Phone 2’ Review: The Grabber Goes to Camp

October 16, 2025

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The lines are back open! (CREDIT: Robin Cymbaly/Universal Pictures and Blumhouse)

Starring: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Demián Bichir, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas, Anna Lore, Graham Abbey, Maev Beaty

Director: Scott Derrickson

Running Time: 114 Minutes

Rating: R for Creative Gore, Fascinatingly Disturbing Images, and Teenage Potty Mouths

Release Date: October 17, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: After defeating the serial killer known as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke), young Finney (Mason Thames) is adjusting to the new status quo in 1982 Colorado. But even with the Grabber in Hell, all is not so calm in the Centennial State, especially when his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) starts sleepwalking while having some gnarly nightmares. It turns out that her psychic powers are kicking into high gear as she has visions of burned and mutilated children while receiving out-of-time phone calls from someone very close to her. These foreboding messages lead the siblings to investigate a sleepaway camp to discover the truth, but alas, a certain handsy villain may have figured out how to reach out beyond the grave while laying in wait on their quest.

What Made an Impression?: Good Thing They Hit Record: You can always tell when we’re watching one of Gwen’s dreams based on the graininess of the picture. It’s like her subconscious is being recorded on an old Super 8 tape. I wish my dreams were retro-cool like that!
Snow Camp is Better Than No Camp?: One thing I didn’t mention in my little synopsis is that Finney and Gwen immediately become snowed in when they arrive at the camp, thanks to one of the biggest blizzards the area has ever seen. Which leads me to the question: aren’t most camps like this open in the summer? You know, when the weather is nice and kids are off from school. Maybe there are in fact getaways like this in the real world during winter breaks, despite the obvious weather-related risks. But even if this were a totally fictional creation, I could accept it, thanks to the feeling of otherworldliness that being snowed in can create.
Keepin’ It Rough and Latchkey: I didn’t re-watch the first Black Phone to prep for the sequel, but one thing that stuck with me that is still very much present in Number 2 is just how gritty life is for these young protagonists (even when a killer isn’t lurking nearby). This outing opens with Finney beating one of his classmates to a bloody pulp, for which he faces absolutely zero consequences. The adults are a little bit more present and helpful this time around, including Finney and Gwen’s father Terrence (Jeremy Davies) and a thoughtful Demián Bichir as the camp’s supervisor. But they also let them get away with a lot, despite some feints towards authority. Although considering everything that the kids have been through, that might actually be fair and sensible. Which brings me to my last point…
Chill Out!: Since surviving the Grabber’s clutches, Finney has developed a habit of indulging in the devil’s lettuce, and Gwen eventually calls him out for that as a way to avoid his pain. To which I have to say: come on, let him relax! Now, I know attitudes about marijuana weren’t exactly as progressive 40 years ago as they are now. But this movie is being released in 2025, so we can retroactively acknowledge that as long as you don’t overdo it, it’s a relatively safe way to deal with trauma, especially compared to Terrence’s habit of hitting the bottle since his wife died. In conclusion, Black Phone 2 is just as arrestingly grimy as the original, with the supernatural factor turned way up, while Ethan Hawke is enjoying a free rein to go as wild as usual.

Black Phone 2 is Recommended If You Like: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Camp-y 80s Slashers, The Shining and its descendants

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Bad Dreams

‘Roofman’ Brings the Energy to Blow the Top Off Multiplexes

October 10, 2025

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Is the Roofman on fire? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out! (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)

Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Lakeith Stanfield, Ben Mendelsohn, Uzo Aduba, Juno Temple, Emory Cohen, Melonie Diaz, Molly Price, Lily Collias, Kennedy Moyer, Tony Revolori, Jimmy O. Yang

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Running Time: 126 Minutes

Rating: R for A Brief Sex Scene and a Goofy Nude Scene (Not During the Sex)

Release Date: October 10, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Roofman presents Channing Tatum embodying the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, whose nom de criminality serves as the title of this film. We meet Jeffrey as a restless Army veteran who wants to be a better provider for his kids. So he resorts to robbing a series of McDonald’s in the Charlotte, North Carolina area by cutting through their roofs during their unoccupied hours. Eventually he’s caught and charged for his spree, but soon enough he escapes prison and hides out in a local Toys “R” Us store to plan his next big move. He somehow manages to evade capture long enough to assume a new identity and start dating a single mother named Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) that he meets after wandering into a church one day. As his wild story presses on apace, we’re left to wonder: maybe he’ll decide to settle down and live an honest life. Or perhaps instead, all his misdeeds will actually finally catch up to him.

What Made an Impression?: I’m going to do this review a little differently than my usual style by starting off with the question: Should YOU want to be the Roofman? I won’t keep you in suspense, though. The answer is: no, you should not.

So is that the end of the review? Well, let’s get a little more nuanced. By most accounts that I’ve come across, the real Jeffrey Manchester is fantastically charming, and Tatum certainly plays him that way. I found myself instinctively rooting for everything to work out in his favor, but then I caught myself enough to recognize that that’s not exactly the most defensible position. Jeffrey doesn’t just break the letter of the law, he also breaks the spirit. And while he does his best to eschew violence in the course of his misdeeds, some people do get hurt. Plus, he’s not exactly a Robin Hood where only Billionaire Big Business is getting hurt. So if you do find yourself rooting for him, I’d recommend redirecting that energy towards hoping that he’s given the opportunity to atone for his schemes and put his talents to better use.

And the Roofman does indeed have some considerable talents. He’s observant, thoughtful, and fun to be around. The trouble is, of course, that he too often utilizes those qualities in service of some very combustible misconduct. This is a tricky movie to watch, partly because it’s also a very easy movie to watch. On the surface level, it’s charming and exciting, which could lure you into a trap of glamorizing some bad behavior. Now, it’s not terribly difficult to avoid that trap, but what’s perhaps a little more challenging is finding the right balance when sorting out the admirable and the heinous within someone like Jeffrey Manchester. It makes sense that he found his way to a house of worship, because he’s clearly a sinner who also has some amount of desire to be better. You don’t have to be religious yourself to be inspired by this movie, but whatever your preferred belief system (or lack thereof), I think one of the biggest takeaways from this story is the eternal power of grace, even when (or perhaps especially when) things get out of hand.

Grade: 4 out of 5 Peanut M&Ms

Just How Smashing is ‘The Smashing Machine’?, is What We Wonder in This Day and Age

October 3, 2025

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Kerr Smash! (CREDIT: A24)

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten

Director: Benny Safdie

Running Time: 123 Minutes

Rating: R for Combat and Addiction

Release Date: October 3, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: What we’ve got here is a biopic about retired mixed martial artist Mark Kerr, played by Dwayne Johnson, a veteran of athletic combat himself. Kerr was active in the ring before MMA became one of the most popular sports in the world, so if you’re an obsessive UFC historian, perhaps you’re already familiar with his story. But on the other hand, if you’ve only become a fan within the past ten years or so, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of him before. The Smashing Machine focuses on a few of Kerr’s fights in Japan during the end of the last century, and otherwise we get a close view at Mark’s chaotic home life in Arizona with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt). And it must be mentioned that we also get to spend plenty of time with Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), Mark’s fellow grappler and close confidant.

What Made an Impression?: What’s It All About, Smashy?: The Smashing Machine is not exactly your typical sports biopic. I don’t say that as praise, nor criticism, but merely observation. Oh sure, it’s got training sequences and behind-the-scenes struggles, but it doesn’t exactly build to the sort of climax you’re probably expecting. Occasionally, it feels like its reason for existing is to unveil the untold truth of MMA. Elsewhere, it’s something else entirely: a stark portrait of addiction, as Mark becomes dangerously hooked on painkillers and Dawn’s alcoholism brings her to the edge of utter destruction. Of course, there’s no reason it can’t be both of those things, but this particular case is an oddly shaped assemblage that I’ve never quite encountered before.
Letting Us In: This movie raises the question: why Mark Kerr in particular? He doesn’t seem like the most influential or most successful figure in his sport’s history, though he certainly made a noticeable impact. As far as I can tell, The Smashing Machine happened because Johnson and writer/director Benny Safdie were fans, and they had the pull to make it happen. And on top of that, the real Kerr was remarkably willing to let his unvarnished story go on the screen. That vulnerability certainly comes through via the unflinching portrayal of Mark and Dawn’s chaotic relationship, as well as the remarkably supportive friendship between the two Marks.
This Would Have Played Out Very Differently with Instant Replay: One more observation before I wrap things up: this movie contains a lot of nitpicking, mostly in terms of Mark and Dawn getting on each other’s nerves. But a very different type of pedantry really stood out as something unusual. Early on, Mark loses a fight, but he’s convinced that his opponent has used an illegal move on him. So he marches right out of the stadium to immediately plead his case to the guy in charge of everything while he’s still a sweaty mess in his grappling skivvies. What struck me most about this scene was how much it was devoted to a procedural matter. It also serves a thematic purpose regarding Mark’s journey, but from my vantage point, it mainly underscored how much rules and their interpretation matter in sports, which can be both kind of fun and also kind of infuriating.

The Smashing Machine is Recommended If You Like: It When a Really Gritty Movie Also Features a Trip to the Local Fair for Some Reason

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Martial Artists

‘Eleanor the Great’ and ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Face Off in the Ultimate Challenge!

October 2, 2025

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People are Strangers, when Eleanor is Great (CREDIT: Sony Pictures Classics/Screenshot; Lionsgate)

Eleanor the Great

Starring: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Hecht, Rita Zohar, Will Price

Director: Scarlett Johansson

Running Time: 98 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: September 26, 2025 (Theaters)

The Strangers – Chapter 2

Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Rachel Shenton

Director: Renny Harlin

Running Time: 98 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: September 26, 2025 (Theaters)

Sometimes when I watch two very different movies in quick succession, I like to ask which one of them feels more like home. First up we have Eleanor the Great, in which June Squibb plays a woman who moves in with her daughter and grandson and then befriends a young journalism student in the course of pretending that her recently deceased friend’s experience of surviving the Holocaust is her own story. Meanwhile, The Strangers – Chapter 2 (which is of course the fourth film in the Strangers franchise) is just the latest misadventure of masked killers delivering their lethal blows to ostensibly random targets.

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This Is How I Grappled with ‘One Battle After Another’

September 30, 2025

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Pictured: a moment from One of the Battles (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Tony Goldwyn, James Downey, Alana Haim, Wood Harris, Shayna McHayle, Paul Grimstad, Dijon Duenas, John Hoogenakker, Eric Schweig

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Running Time: 162 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: September 26, 2025 (Theaters)

Could One Battle for Another be the funniest movie I’ve ever seen that I didn’t laugh once during? Before I ventured out to the multiplex, I’d been seeing a lot of raves calling it pretty dang hilarious in the midst of a wild and high-wire tonal mix. And I can now intellectually confirm what everyone was talking about. Leo D. rolling around on the floor, Benicio del T. doing a little dance on the side of the road – that’s some goofy physicality for ya! Trouble is, these moments are also really TENSE. The whole movie is so goshdang tense! Yeah, these characters do plenty of silly things, but always in situations where getting shot in the head is a real possibility. So keep your head on straight, and you’ll probably enjoy this movie. Maybe not in the exact same way as I did (re: chuckling), but that should still work out okay.

Grade: 5 Christmases out of 1 Moment of Zen

‘Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie’ Will Probably Appease Fans of the Show While Making Everyone Else Wonder What the Hell is Going On

September 25, 2025

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Meow? (CREDIT: DreamWorks Animation)

Starring: Laila Lockhart Kraner, Gloria Estefan, Kristen Wiig, Jason Mantzoukas, Logan Bailey, Fortune Feimster, Thomas Lennon, Melissa Villaseñor, Ego Nwodim, Matty Matheson, Juliet Donenfeld, Eduardo Franco, Maggie Lowe, Sainty Nelsen, Donovan Patton, Tara Strong, Carla Tassara, Secunda Wood, Kyle Mooney

Director: Ryan Crego

Running Time: 98 Minutes

Rating: G (Although Some of the Jokes Are Cheekily Off-Color in a Kid-Friendly Way)

Release Date: September 26, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Based on the Netflix series of the same name, Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie introduces the multiplex-frequenting public to the titular young woman (Laila Lockhart Kraner) and her titular feline-filled toy abode. She and her grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan) make their way to “Cat Francisco,” which is just one part of a cat-tacularly pun-filled alterna-USA wherein Gabby has the power to shrink down into a cartoon version of herself to truly hang out in the dollhouse. But disaster strikes when her Gabby Cats end up in the villainous claws of Vera (Kristen Wiig), a cat lady who’s forgotten how to play with her toys in favor of just collecting them. So Gabby and Gigi set out on a rescue mission to retrieve her best friends. But meanwhile, she’ll have to watch out for the seen-it-all kitty Chumsley (Jason Mantzoukas), who suspects that Gabby might have outgrown the wonders of the dollhouse.

What Made an Impression?: Virginia Horsen Energy: GD: The Movie is obviously not made for adult film critics. It looks like the show is basically the Blue’s Clues of its time, which is to say it’s primarily for the preschool set. Maybe the big screen version is aiming a few ages higher, while parents can theoretically keep their sanity by focusing on Kristen Wiig as the femme fatale. To her credit, she does indeed give a much stranger performance than you would expect to find in a G-rated flick for tykes. Vera legitimately could’ve been a beloved recurring character on SNL back during An Golden Era.
What’s Up, Jerks?: Even more bizarre than Wiig’s presence is the top billing of Jason Mantzoukas in an all-ages affair. Maybe my sense or reality has been warped by all my years of listening to How Did This Get Made?, but it really did feel like Chumsley might just shout “What’s up, jerks?!” at any point. And I really did think while watching, “Is this a Jacob’s Ladder Scenario?” If Gabby’s Dollhouse has all along been a sneaky operation to get the next generation hooked on deranged comedy, then I gotta say that the kids’ll be all right.
The Rest is Cacophony: If it sounds like I’ve become a low-key Gabby’s Dollhouse superfan, well, that’s because I only focused on the few parts that I enjoyed in spite of everything else. The rest of it was just a big blur of candy colors and chaotic cupcake explosions that subtly declared, “You can just let your mind wander and think about whatever.” I was somewhat intrigued by the messy assemblage of the soundtrack, which included the likes of a recent chart-topper by Bruno Mars, the All-4-One ballad “I Swear,” the worldbeat hit “Makeba” by French singer Jain, and something that I’m pretty sure is entitled “Skibidi Meow.” So in conclusion: this movie has several bizarre beats that might just stick with me, but otherwise it’ s a low-rent Toy Story 2.

Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie is Recommended If You Like: Cats that can cry sprinkles

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Cat Franciscos

Is ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ The Sort of Movie That Makes You Say ‘Wherever You Go, There You Are?’

September 23, 2025

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Please clap (CREDIT: Rory Mulvey/Focus Features)

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Paul Copley, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Paul Giamatti, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Douglas Reith, Dominic West, Penelope Wilton, Simon Russell Beale, Alessandro Nivola, Arty Froushan, Joely Richardson

Director: Simon Curtis

Running Time: 124 Minutes

Rating: PG

Release Date: September 12, 2025 (Theaters)

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale very much feels like it’s about the end of an era. Much the same way that the first Downton Abbey movie and Downton Abbey: A New Era felt like they were about the end of an era. I’ve never seen a single episode of the same-named TV show that these films are based on, but I’m going to guess that it also had something to do with reckoning with the end of an era. Anyway, in this latest edition, that reckoning mostly consists of the Crawleys dealing with the possibility that they might have to live somewhere else, maybe even an apartment*! (*-Aka a “flat” in Britspeak.) Of course, in that scenario Robert must first learn what a flat even is. Lol. In the midst of all that, some unsavory character tries to pull a big con on the Grantham crew, which sure seems like a looming disaster. But then they get rid of him by basically just saying “You get outta here” a la Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig. And then it’s time to go home, I guess.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 New Eras

‘Him’ Attempts to Turn Football Into a Waking Nightmare

September 18, 2025

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HIM… and Him, too (CREDIT: Universal Pictures)

Starring: Tyriq Withers, Marlon Wayans, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, Naomi Grossman, GiGi Erneta, Norman Towns, Maurice Greene, Guapdad 4000, Tierra Whack, Don Benjamin

Director: Justin Tipping

Running Time: 96 Minutes

Rating: R for Odd and Grotesque Behavior, Athletic Nudity, and Questionable Performance Enhancement

Release Date: September 19, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) is indisputably the greatest quarterback of his generation and possibly all time. But rumor has it that he’s retiring soon. That’s where Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers) comes in: he’s been worshipping Isaiah his entire life, and everyone around has been pretty much grooming him to be the next GOAT. He lives up to that promise in college, and he’s all set to fulfill his destiny in the pros, but then a mysterious masked figure whacks him on the head. His draft stuck plummets as he recovers from this traumatic injury, but then he’s given a second chance when he’s invited to train at Isaiah’s private desert facility. However, that’s when it becomes inescapably clear that football stardom is a lot weirder, freakier, and more cultish than he bargained for.

What Made an Impression?: Would Roger Goodell Like This?: I’m pretty sure the National Football League wants absolutely nothing to do with Him. Or at the very least, they want it to be clear that this is NOT set in the NFL. Or the makers of Him assumed that’s how they would feel. Which means that instead of playing for the Patriots or the Cowboys or the Chiefs, Isaiah White is instead the QB for the San Antonio Saviors of the (kind of hilariously) fictional United States Football Federation. Ergo, we’ve got an alternate universe where the NFL is replaced by the USFF, but just as obsessively beloved. So if you follow the gridiron religiously in real life, you’ll find Him to be an uncanny mix of deeply familiar and outright foreign.
That’s the Way It Goes…Or Is It?: Let’s go ahead and identify the central metaphor: it’s all about how becoming the Football GOAT (or a sports superstar in general) is about fully sacrificing your sense of self. You may seem like one of the most powerful people on the planet, but truthfully it’s the hangers-on and team ownership and all of society that have a piece of you and won’t let go. But director Justin Tipping doesn’t always emphasize this point as clearly as he could. He’s made the sort of movie that’s more likely to make you go “What the hell’s going on?” rather than “Oh, I get it.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you’re working in the horror milieu, but I would’ve recommended a more cohesive vision.
Never a Boring Day: But let’s talk about some of those more bizarre flourishes. A man decked out in body paint screams “Baa!” A superfan of Isaiah’s spits in Cam’s general direction. Major collisions give way to X-ray style views of the player’s skeletons. Plus, the supporting cast is delightfully demented, especially Tim Heidecker as Cam’s deceptively presentable agent and Julia Fox as Isaiah’s erotic stone-hawking influencer wife. The point is, Him doesn’t lack for memorable details or visual flourishes. It probably won’t make you re-evaluate everything about a particular sports league, but it could stick with you here and there.

Him is Recommended If You Like: Comedians Going Dramatic in a Cuckoo Way, Bloody Smiles, Pagan-Style Cosplay

Grade: 3 out of 5 Head Injuries

Colin F. and Margot R. Go on ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ – Shall We Join Them?

September 16, 2025

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The colors are Bold, that’s for sure (CREDIT: Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Starring: Colin Farrell, Margot Robbie, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Kevin Kline, Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Hamish Linklater, Chloe East, Yuvi Hecht

Director: Kogonada

Running Time: 109 Minutes

Rating: R for Some Naughty Words Here and There (Though It’s Giving PG Energy Otherwise)

Release Date: September 19, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: On his way to a wedding, a man named David (Colin Farrell) picks up a vehicle from a car rental agency operated by a couple of oddballs (Phoebe Waller-Bridge and an unrecognizable Kevin Kline). At the ceremony, he’s introduced to Sarah (Margot Robbie), who lives in the same city as him. They have a meet-sorta-cute, but they’re ready to head straight home afterwards, that is, until his car’s GPS (voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith) promises to take them on – as the title specifies – A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. This adventure consists of walking through a series of freestanding doors that allow them re-experience key moments from their pasts. Is this the universe – or that car rental place – going out of its way to bring these two together? If that is indeed what is fated to happen, then they’ll have to learn to let go of all their baggage along the way.

What Made an Impression?: All the Typical Doors: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey offers the sort of nakedly magical realist premise that you just have to buy into if you want to derive any sort of enjoyment out of it. If you’re into that thing in general, you’ll be happy; if you’re not, you won’t be convinced otherwise. If you’re somewhere in the middle, you might feel flashes of inspiration, but probably not much more. It would help if there were more depth to David and Sarah’s characterizations, but alas, their motivations don’t amount to much beyond “they can’t get over their heartbreaks.” Farrell and Robbie are charming enough guides through this fantasy, but if it’s transcendence you’re after, ABBBJ doesn’t quite deliver.
On the Other Side: So yeah, I didn’t exactly love A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, but I did come away with it thinking that you could probably make a decent TV spinoff out of it … if it were focused on the car rental duo, that is. Waller-Bridge and Kline give the sort of lightly mysterious, slightly demented performances that are perfect in a small batch, but would derail the whole proceedings if they were in more than two scenes. Or, they could work in a bigger dose, it would just completely alter the overall tone. Ergo, my desire to see what these two are up to when not interacting with David and Sarah.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: One last fair warning: this movie is filled with so many on-the-nose touches that its septum might completely buckle from all the weight. Someone literally tells David to “be open,” a hotel is called the “Timely Inn,” a cover of Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door” plays towards the end. I would assume these were all meant to be jokes if everything else weren’t so earnest. But feel free to assume that someone did a dad joke-focused revision on the script and laugh as much as you want to.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is Recommended If You Like: Theater kid energy, Curling up on the couch with your parents, The music and whole vibe of Laufey

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Doors

Here’s What Happens When ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’

September 13, 2025

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Still Tapping (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Valerie Franco, Kerry Godliman, Chris Addison

Director: Rob Reiner

Running Time: 84 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: September 12, 2025 (Theaters)

Sometimes I like to be deep and profound when reviewing a movie, and sometimes I like to review it according to a big ol’ goofy gimmick. But then other times, as in the case of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, I just want to say: this is a really funny movie! And we don’t even have to judge it on a curve of “Sequel to One of the Most Beloved Comedies of All Time.” It’s built on a clever new foundation: instead of being the biggest joke in rock ‘n’ roll, these metal gods are now pretty much universally beloved, but that doesn’t mean everything is working out perfectly. The comedy style is the same, but the jokes are fresh, and they made me laugh oh so much. Nigel, David, Derek, and Marty haven’t missed a beat! If you’re the type of person who suspects you might enjoy this, then I heartily recommend you do indeed go check it out.

Grade: The Tap Has Not Run Dry

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