April 22, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Antoine Fuqua, Colman Domingo, Jaafar Jackson, Jamal R. Henderson, Jessica Sula, Joseph David-Jones, Juliano Krue Valdi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Michael, Michael Jackson, Michael movie, Miles Teller, Nia Long, Rhyan Hill, Tre Horton
And Shamone to you too (PHOTO CREDIT: Glen Wilson)
Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Juliano Krue Valdi, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Jamal R. Henderson, Tre Horton, Rhyan Hill, Joseph David-Jones, Jessica Sula
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Running Time: 118 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Mild Language and A Troublesome Father-Son Relationship
Release Date: April 24, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: In the late 1960s, the Jackson 5 were on the verge of emerging from the supposed nowheresville Gary, Indiana into the most rarefied echelons of music superstardom. The biopic Michael starts at this inflection point, with youngest Jackson brother Michael (played as a boy by Juliano Krue Valdi) as the undeniable, precocious phenomenon. It then jumps ahead about ten years (with Jaafar Jackson taking over the title role), as Michael ventures forth into what would almost immediately prove to be one of the most successful solo musical careers of all time. Through it all, he attempts to escape the grasp of his overbearing father manager Joe (thoroughly embodied by Colman Domingo) and live to the fullest the eccentrically creative life that the rest of the world could never fully understand.
What Made an Impression?: What Do We Do with the Rest?: Michael keeps its focus limited to about a 20-year window, a style of compression that is generally a sensible idea for biopics. (Although an even shorter timeframe might have been advisable.) But in the case of Michael Jackson, this decision cannot help but amplify what is left out, namely: the bizarre lifestyle choices that made him the subject of ridicule, the allegations that he was a perpetrator of child sexual abuse, and the controversies surrounding his untimely death. The darkness isn’t completely hidden, but nothing ever emerges in this telling that would make Michael anything other than an angel on Earth. Now, is there even a way to make a movie about him that thoughtfully examines both the positives and negatives of his legacy? I’m not sure, and I don’t know if anyone is even asking for that anyway. But even if it makes sense from a storytelling perspective to leave off certain elements of a subject’s life, you can’t change what’s already come to light.
Moonwalking Down the Middle: If you can personally get past the most discomfiting aspects of Jackson’s legacy (or hold opposing viewpoints in your head simultaneously), does Michael offer significant enough entertainment value to be worthwhile? Well, Jaafar Jackson (one of Michael’s real-life nephews) does deliver a remarkable simulacrum of his uncle’s entire being. It’s impressive, and also a little uncanny. Besides that, though, there’s not a whole lot here that’ll likely blow anyone away. Screenwriter John Logan and director Antoine Fuqua pretty much deliver all the typical biopic beats that’ll make you go, “Yeah, I thought you’d do that.” MJ’s story is compelling enough that a few exciting sequences are inevitable, but overall this is nothing to shout “Shamone!” about.
Familiar Faces?: So my general reaction to Michael was pretty dang similar to that of the thoroughly whelming Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, all the way down to a cameo from a certain fellow that made me go, “Hey wait a minute, that’s … What’s he doing here?!” (I’ll protect the surprise, but you can easily look up who I’m referring to if you can’t wait to find out.) It’s a little slice of perfection in an otherwise mostly flavor-free concoction. There’s a similar moment when a certain comedian of note plays a certain sports promoter of note. I have no idea if the real versions of those moments actually played out like they do here, but I’m not demanding verisimilitude in those instances.
Michael is Recommended If You: Just want to see someone do a really good impression of his famous family member
Grade: 2 out of 5 Shamones
April 12, 2026
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
SNL, Saturday Night Live, Colman Domingo, SNL Season 51, Saturday Night Live Season 51, Anitta
That’s that episode, Domingo (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.
‘Sup, everybody? Today, we shall be covering the 17th episode of SNL Season 51, with host Colman Domingo and musical guest Anitta. How many times has it been in the history of this show that a host’s last name has also been the name of a popular recurring character? As for Anitta, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her music before this episode (maybe in passing), though I do recognize her name.
Last night, I was celebrating with friends, so for this review, my gimmick will be an old reliable standby of Transcribing the Notes I took while watching the episode.
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January 29, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Al Pacino, Bill Skarsgård, Cary Elwes, Colman Domingo, Dacre Montgomery, Dead Man's Wire, Gus van Sant, John Robinson, Kelly Lynch, Myha'la
You’re probably wondering how they got there… (CREDIT: Row K/Screenshot)
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, John Robinson, Kelly Lynch
Director: Gus Van Sant
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: January 16, 2026 (Theaters)
Dead Man’s Wire captures the real-life story of Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård), who in 1977 stuck a contraption onto his mortgage broker Richard Hall’s (Dacre Montgomery) neck that would set off a point-blank shotgun blast if Hall tried to escape. It’s one of the most exhilaratingly strange and disturbing kidnappings that I’ve ever witnessed, and now I can’t help but ask: what are our own dead man’s wires? If life is just one long march to death, then what are those seemingly ever-present albatrosses that will wipe everything away if we lean forward a little too much? Personally, I like to think that I’ve got enough equilibrium to not be dealing with anything like that right now. Maybe I’m not being reflective enough, or maybe that’s just a sign of healthy baseline security. Either way, I’m thankful. But to anyone out there who feels like sharing: did this movie metaphorically resonate with you in a way that was a little too close for comfort?
Grade: 0 Safeties out of 1 Mood Board
November 19, 2025
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Ariana Grande, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Jon M. Chu, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Sharon D. Clarke, Wicked, Wicked: For Good
To have and to Wicked, For Good and for worse (CREDIT: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Sharon D. Clarke, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Colman Domingo
Director: Jon M. Chu
Running Time: 137 Minutes
Rating: PG for Steamy Sensuality and Broom Fights
Release Date: November 21, 2025 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Oz is of course a wonderful and magical place, but it isn’t always filled with honesty. That is what Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is desperately trying to tell us at the beginning of Wicked: For Good. Now that she knows the dark truth about what the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are up to, she’s gone off into hiding into the woods as she plots to lift the curtain and free the animals. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is taking a much less revolutionary approach as an official representative of Oz, though she still holds out hope that she and Elphaba can reconcile. On top of all that, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is caught in the middle between these witchy ladies, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is now governor of Munchkinland, her Munchkin friend Boq (Ethan Slater) is bristling at his position working for her, and a certain visitor from the Midwestern United States is about to get dumped into the middle of all this finagling.
What Made an Impression?: Another Way of Looking at Things: It’s a simple realization, but worth drawing out: the whole endeavor of Wicked on the big screen is a matter of shifting perspectives. Indeed, that was already true about this franchise when it previously existed in just book form and then as a stage musical examining a decades-old and oft-revisited property from exciting new angles. As someone who’s never read Gregory Maguire’s novel (or any of its sequels) or ever seen the show, I’m only catching a whiff of the panorama expansion that these big screen adaptations have established. But even that lack of perspective is another perspective! So I understand your frustration, Elphaba, when everyone else is unable or unwilling to see the bigger picture. And you too can have that realization! All you have to do is open your eyes to how much your eyes remain closed.
We’ve Made Mistakes, Now What Do We Do?: Everything comes home to roost in this conclusive chapter, which is how things tend to go in conclusive chapters, after all. In this case that means we see a much more dour Wizard, a warier dynamic between friends and former friends, and a thoroughly less whimsical populace. That equals a significantly less fun outing compared to the first Wicked movie, though the upside is that the psychological depths are more acutely felt and impossible to miss. There’s a sense of inevitability that at times can come off as deflating but that also feels honest and necessary. Now’s not the time to soar but to carve out a compromise you can live with in an imperfect world. Is that a formula for keeping the fire of cinematic magic fully aflame? I have mixed thoughts on that matter, but the final warnings we’re left to reckon with nevertheless remain timeless.
Wicked: For Good is Recommended If You Like: Filling in the edges
Grade: 3 out of 5 Bubbles
November 12, 2025
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Colman Domingo, Daniel Ezra, David Zayas, Edgar Wright, Emilia Jones, Glen Powell, Jayme Lawson, Josh Brolin, Karl Glusman, Katy O'Brian, Lee Pace, Martin Herlihy, Michael Cera, Sean Hayes, The Running Man, The Running Man 2025, William H Macy
What if his name were Rudolph, though? (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, David Zayas, Katy O’Brian, Martin Herlihy, Karl Glusman
Director: Edgar Wright
Running Time: 133 Minutes
Rating: R for Officially Sanctioned Hardcore Violence and the Profanity That Tends to Accompany It
Release Date: November 14, 2025 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: It’s time for one of those dystopian futures where a select few are fabulously rich while everyone else scrapes and scrounges through daily desperation. Society is pretty much completely controlled by a TV network known simply as “The Network,” whose slate mostly consists of dangerous and demeaning game shows. The crown jewel of their lineup is The Running Man, in which a trio of contestants try to avoid being killed by either a group of professional hunters or ordinary citizens for 30 days in the hopes of winning a billion “New Dollars.” Nobody’s ever made it all the way to the very end, though Killian (Josh Brolin), the show’s producer, believes he may have just found a legitimate contender in the form of Ben Richards (Glen Powell). Ben initially insists that he would rather just make some quick bucks and then get home safely to his wife and sick young daughter. But fae is asking him to not only emerge victorious, but also spark a revolution. That is, unless of course The Network just fully manipulates the narrative to its own specifications.
What Made an Impression?: I’d Buy That for a New Dollar!: This Running Man is the second adaptation of the 1982 novel of the same name by Stephen King (under his pen name Richard Bachman), following the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Interestingly enough, I wasn’t picking any of the typical King vibes (Save for a reference to Derry, Maine). Instead, this update directed by Edgar Wright feels more like a spiritual sequel to another 1987 movie: i.e., RoboCop. No wonder, as the dystopian-but-cool energy was strong in that era. And now I shall wrap up my initial point, as this paragraph has been a setup for me to say: I don’t want to live in a world in which The Running Man game show actually exists, though I do kind of want to live in the world where the MrBeast version exists.
That’s Ice Cold, Man: The official story propagated by The Network would have us believe that the Running Man contestants are unapologetically violent, depraved criminals, while their executors are true American criminals. But of course that’s a bunch of b.s., as Wright makes sure to show us the stark differences between Ben’s actual behavior and the Network’s fakery. I would like to tell you that the shameless lengths they go to are totally unrealistic, except that I’ve seen some of the propaganda perpetuated on my own TV by my own government. So I’ll instead say that these moments are occasionally a little too blunt for my taste, though I nevertheless appreciated the message.
Capitalism is Unavoidable: Occasionally The Running Man pulled me out of its invented reality with incursions by real life brands and stores. Yes indeed, there’s a lot of product placement in this movie, including a trip to a Shake Shack and a few other examples that I don’t remember specifically, but I can promise you that they were there. These moments are especially striking when juxtaposed with the fake products on display (like “Fun Twinks Cereal”) that feel more fitting in a fictional dystopia. I don’t know if this placement was a way to secure full financing for a perhaps risky blockbuster movie release, or if it was somehow part of the satire, or an attempted combination thereof. This is far from the most egregious example ever of this consumerist practice, but it did make me go “Hmm” much more than it made me go “You got ’em!”
One Last Hurrah: Before I conclude this review, I want to quickly say that overall, the cast is pretty commendable, especially Michael Cera, whose introduction is likely to catch you delightfully off-guard!
The Running Man is Recommended If You Lust For: The Golden Age of Dystopia
Grade: 3.5 Billion out of 5 Billion New Dollars
February 19, 2025
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Adrien Brody, Alessandro Nivola, Antonio Saboia, Barbara Luz, Brady Corbet, Clarence Maclin, Colman Domingo, Cora Mora, Emma Laird, Felicity Jones, Fernanda Montenegro, Fernanda Torres, Flow, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, Gints Zilbalodis, Greg Kwedar, Guilherme Silveira, Guy Pearce, I'm Still Here, Isaach de Bankolé, Joe Alwyn, Luiza Kosovski, Maria Manoella, Marjorie Estiano, Michael Epp, Olívia Torres, Paul Raci, Raffey Cassidy, Sean San José, Selton Mello, Sing Sing, Stacy Martin, The Brutalist, Valentina Herszage, Walter Salles
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): A24; Janus Films/Screenshot; Sony Pictures Classics/Screenshot; A24)
I did some awards season catch-up at the cinema in the past few weeks, and I’m going to digest all of that right now. Each of the movies in this roundup is nominated for multiple Oscars; a couple of them are even up for Best Picture. So here are some quick-hit reactions in which I answer the question: Am I glad I watched this movie during awards season?
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February 21, 2024
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Beanie Feldstein, Bill Camp, C.J. Wilson, Colman Domingo, Drive-Away Dolls, Ethan Coen, Geraldine Viswanathan, Joey Slotnick, Margaret Qualley, Matt Damon, Miley Cyrus, Pedro Pascal, Tricia Cooke
What’s in the box?! (CREDIT: Wilson Webb/Working Title/Focus Features)
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Colman Domingo, Beanie Feldstein, Bill Camp, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, Miley Cyrus
Director: Ethan Coen
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Rating: R for Unabashed Sexuality and Sucker Punch-Style Violence
Release Date: February 23, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: It’s 1999, and good friends Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) decide to take an impromptu road trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee, Florida. Jamie is slipping out of yet another messy relationship, while Marian is too buttoned-up to have ever made a move on anybody. They’re both gay, but they’ve never considered each other as serious prospects. But perhaps that could change over the course of the next few days, as vacationing and stress both tend to make people closer. And this is certainly going to be a stressful ride, as a couple of criminal goons (Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson) are hot on their tails when the car rental joint mistakenly loans them a vehicle with a very valuable piece of luggage in its trunk.
What Made an Impression?: Those Old Reliable Yuks: After making some of the most beloved movies of the past few decades, brotherly filmmaking duo Joel and Ethan Coen have taken a creative break from each other. If their first solo directorial efforts are any indication, then it was Joel who specialized in the dark and probing drama, and Ethan who drifted towards their unique brand of wacky yet droll comedy. With Drive-Away Dolls, Ethan has teamed up with his wife Tricia Cooke for screenwriting duties, and the result very much sits on a continuum of Raising Arizona, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski, with a series of Jenga-like misunderstandings leading to comically violent escalation.
Out and Loud: Speaking of continuums, Jamie and Marian are part of the Coen-esque tradition of protagonists who don’t quite realize what type of movie they’re in before it’s too late to do anything about it. That’s mainly because they’re too busy being their unapologetically gay selves. Marian is certainly a lot more reserved than Jamie, but that doesn’t mean she’s ashamed in any way about her sexual orientation. Interestingly enough, though, they never really encounter any homophobia. That’s partly because they spend most of their time in defiantly gay spaces, but also because the straight people they stumble across just couldn’t be bothered to be bigoted. (Will & Grace did premiere in 1998, after all, so maybe those folks have been watching it.)
Secrets But No Shame: I don’t want to give away the truth about the package, partly because it would be rude to be a spoiler, but also because I want my review to be as family-friendly as possible. Let’s just say then that it involves a politician and a very personal form of pleasure. And when you have public ambitions bumping up against private escapades like that, it often leads to over-the-top shenanigans. That’s certainly the case in Drive-Away Dolls, much to our demented delight.
Drive-Away Dolls is Recommended If You Like: The comedy half of the Coens
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Makeout Sessions
December 19, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Aunjanue Ellis, Blitz Bazawule, Ciara, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, David Alan Grier, Deon Cole, Elizabeth Marvel, Fantasia Barrino, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Jon Batiste, Louis Gossett Jr., Phylicia Pearl Mapasi, Stephen Hill, Tamela J. Mann, Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple, The Color Purple 2023
Look at all that purple in their souls! (CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures/Screenshot)
Starring: Fantasia Barrino, Phylicia Pearl Mapasi, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Ciara, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Batiste, Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, Deon Cole, Tamela J. Mann, Stephen Hill, Elizabeth Marvel
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Running Time: 140 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Slaps, Threats of Gunfire, and References to Even Worse Abuse
Release Date: December 25, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Near the Georgia coast in the early 20th century, Harris sisters Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mapasi and Fantasia Barrino) and Nettie (Halle Bailey and Ciara) are each other’s best friends and dearest protectors. Love and support are valuable attributes for anyone, especially when you’re young, Black, and poor in the early 1900s. And they certainly need that connection when Celie is sold into an abusive marriage with Albert “Mister” Johnson (Colman Domingo), who is about as mean as they come. Nettie tries to move in with her sister to escape their abusive father, but Mister kicks her out, leaving Celie profoundly alone. But she gradually finds community in the colorful cast of characters who weave in and out of her small town, and she even eventually grasps a fair amount of independence for herself. All the while, she keeps Nettie in her heart despite all the forces trying to keep them apart.
What Made an Impression?: A Unlikely Dose of Fanservice: I must admit that I’m a bit of a Color Purple novice. I’ve never read Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, nor have I seen the Steven Spielberg-directed 1985 film. And I’ve never seen the musical production that premiered on Broadway back in 2005, which this film is most directly based upon. But I’m aware that it’s a deeply felt cultural touchstone for a lot of people. And that was abundantly clear at my screening, which featured one of the most receptive audiences I’ve been part of in quite a while. Seriously, the vibe was like the latest superhero movie on opening night, with the whoops and cheers crying out at every name in the credits, at the end of every musical number, and especially during a cameo appearance from one of the original film’s stars. While the crowd response made the power of this movie unmistakably clear, I like to think that I would have recognized it even if I’d been watching alone. After all, what we’ve got here is a simple formula, but an effective one: remain earnest and open-hearted in the face of the darkness, and your time will come.
Making a Meal Out of Their Characters: The current Color Purple cast has the benefit of audience members like me who are coming in fresh. But of course, they also have the disadvantage of everyone else who’s familiar with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg in the original movie, or the likes of Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson in the stage version. Or in the case of Danielle Brooks, there’s the challenge of reprising a part she’s already played on the stage. Luckily, the biggest compliment I can deliver is that none of them are afraid to take on their assignments. The aforementioned Brooks and Taraji P. Henson both especially go for broke as the two biggest personalities in the ensemble, while Domingo finds shades of vulnerability in a monster. Meanwhile, David Alan Grier is predictably a wise old hoot as a local reverend. And as for Barrino, she capably handles the weight of a whirlwind of emotions on her shoulders and in the depths of her diaphragm. It all adds up to a balm for the soul.
The Color Purple is Recommended If You Like: Spiritual healing
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Pants
June 29, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Annie Murphy, Blue Chapman, Colman Domingo, Eduardo Franco, Jaboukie Young-White, Jane Fonda, Kirk DeMicco, Lana Condor, Liza Koshy, Ramona Young, Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken, Sam Richardson, Toni Collette
What’s Kraken? (CREDIT: DreamWorks)
Starring: Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Jane Fonda, Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson, Colman Domingo, Jaboukie Young-White, Liza Koshy, Blue Chapman, Eduardo Franco, Ramona Young
Director: Kirk DeMicco
Running Time: 91 Minutes
Rating: PG for Colorful, Town-Upending Sea Creature Battles
Release Date: June 30, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: 15-year-old Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor) lives with her parents and younger brother in the oceanside town of Oceanside, but she’s not allowed to ever go in the water. She soon discovers why, as an impromptu attempt to save her crush from drowning results in her blowing up into a certain gigantic legendary sea creature. As it turns out, her mom Agatha (Toni Collette) chose to raise her kids on dry land to escape the eternal underwater struggle for power. But once Ruby discovers that her grandmother (Jane Fonda), who insists on being called “Grandmamah,” emphasis on the last syllable, is the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas, she happily embraces her royal heritage. On top of all that, Ruby becomes fast friends with a new girl in town who’s also a mermaid (Annie Murphy), whose eagerness to please might just merit a little skepticism.
What Made an Impression?: Oh, Canada, That Explains Everything: One gag that I wish Ruby Gillman had leaned on a little harder is the Gillman family cover story. They’re non-human creatures living amongst humans, so they explain away their cerulean hue and swishy physicality by insisting that they’re from Canada. It’s like the Coneheads saying that they’re from France: there was nothing particularly French about those SNL aliens, just as there’s nothing particularly maple-filled aboot these krakens. But it’s delightful to witness their neighbors accept that claim at face value. Instead of serving as a running gag, though, it’s just an appetizer to the fantastical adventure.
It Runs in the Family: With its transformational premise, you’d think that Ruby Gillman is primarily a metaphor about adolescence, and I suppose it is. But what struck me more was the focus on conflicting parenting philosophies. Or rather, accidentally similar mothering despite a concerted effort to avoid the previous generation’s mistakes. Agatha appears to be much more sensitive to Ruby’s predicament than Grandmamah ever was to her, but she’s also just as insistent that her kids must live a particular way. In a key scene, Fonda and Collette throw down in a tête-à-tête that illuminates the importance of granting grace to our family members, especially in the face of a wider threat.
Where There’s a Will: Ruby Gillman brings the comic relief in the form of some reliable yukmeisters. First, there’s Sam Richardson as Agatha’s eternally positive brother Brill, and then especially, the good humor cranks up when Will Forte makes waves as the wary but determined old sailor Gordon Lighthouse. This is the sort of character whose maiden is the sea, as he devotes himself to hunting down underwater creatures with Ahab-like devotion. Forte excels at these types who exist on the fringes of society, and he’s a welcome joy to leaven the scary-by-PG-standards action.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is Recommended If You: Suspect that mermaids are hiding something
Grade: 3 out of 5 Tentacles
June 8, 2023
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Anthony Ramos, Colman Domingo, Cristo Fernández, David Sobolov, Dean Scott Vazquez, Dominique Fishback, John DiMaggio, Liza Koshy, Luna Lauren Velez, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Peter Cullen, Peter Dinklage, Ron Perlman, Steven Caple Jr., Tobe Nwigwe, Tongayi Chirisa, Transformers, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Beast Mode (CREDIT: Skydance/Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe, Dean Scott Vazquez, Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Cristo Fernández, John DiMaggio, Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, David Sobolov, Tongayi Chirisa, Peter Dinklage, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Colman Domingo
Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Running Time: 127 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Metal Injuries
Release Date: June 9, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Hey, remember the 90s? The makers of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts sure do, because they went ahead and set the latest adventure of these extraterrestrial morphing robots in the era of g-funk and baggy jorts. But besides the occasional Wu-Tang or LL Cool J needle drop, that setting is mostly besides the point, as Rise of the Beasts is primarily concerned about the quest for a MacGuffin. That would be the Transwarp Key, a device with the power to allow Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots to return to their home planet of Cybertron after years in exile on Earth. Of course, if it instead falls into the wrong hands, it means that their enemies could destroy even more worlds. In their efforts to secure it, they recruit some human allies in the form of struggling family man Noah (Anthony Ramos) and museum intern Elena (Dominique Fishback). When they touch down in Peru, things get especially hairy, as they meet up with the breed of animalistic Transformers known as the Maximals.
What Made an Impression?: I know I’m not the only one who abandoned the Michael Bay-directed Transformers at a certain point. And with that in mind, the highest compliment I can pay Rise of the Beasts is that it continues the trend that began a few years ago with Bumblebee in which these movies’ climaxes are no longer incomprehensible onslaughts of metal clanking against metal. You can actually tell who’s talking! Distinct personalities can be detected! And some of those personalities are decently entertaining! Director Steven Caple Jr. and his screenwriting team don’t reinvent the mold at all, but you could imagine this movie actually coming out in 1994, when clarity and an adventurous spirit were valued as a matter of course.
While I appreciate that the Rise of the Beasts crew focused on the fundamentals, they didn’t exactly inspire me to become a diehard Transformers devotee. I’m about ten years too young for their original heyday, but anyone who’s more steeped in the lore than I am will probably find plenty to appreciate. And it certainly helps that you’ve got dignified actors like Michelle Yeoh and Peter Dinklage bringing their voices to life. But I’m mostly focused on Pete Davidson’s lil-stinker performance as the hologram-projecting Mirage. It’s the sort of comic relief that on paper seems like it would be a step too far for the Transformers status quo, but instead it’s just the hit of mustard needed to make the whole course palatable.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is Recommended If You Like: Some Transformers, but not too many Transformers
Grade: 3 out of 5 Maximals
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