Month: July 2025

The Bad Guys 2

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The Bad Guys are back and they are set on turning over a new leaf. Life on the other side of crime isn’t easy as Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) struggle to find new jobs. When they are forced out of retirement, they need to decide if being good is what they really want.

I enjoyed the first Bad Guys film. The story was interesting and the animation had a modernized twist to it. I had no idea Dreamworks were making a sequel until recently. It would be fun to be reunited with this colorful cast of characters. It did end up being a bit of a mixed bag for me.

One of the ways in which the film excels is in its voice talents. Everyone is back for this adventure and this time they are joined by some new faces. Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks), Doom (Natasha Lyonne) and Pigtail (Maria Bakalova) are The Bad Girls. They were welcome additions to the cast and I liked their various interactions with the gang.

Once again, the animation is vibrant and stylish with some new locations featured throughout. It also has a fabulous soundtrack that had me dancing in my seat. The theme of acceptance was heavily featured and I appreciated how it focused on who these characters really were as opposed to the choices they might have made.

Aside from that, the plot was a bit too convoluted. There was a lot going on and at times I struggled to keep track of it all. The actual job that The Bad Guys were roped into doing was too random for me to believe and it seemed like it had all this build up to just end in an anti-climatic way. I’m sure a younger audience wouldn’t have minded, but I couldn’t help but wish for more.

I do believe that The Bad Guys is one of Dreamworks better projects, but this sequel wasn’t necessary. From what I can remember the original was wrapped up nicely though in today’s day and age, I guess another instalment was inevitable. I guess after I was so pleasantly surprised by the first one, I had higher expectations this time around.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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With its third outing this year alone, Marvel is officially kicking off Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the first Marvel family, returned from a space mission with superhuman powers. Now they about to face their biggest test yet when a god named Galactus (Ralph Ineson) threatens more than just Earth.

There have been a couple iterations of Fantastic Four before. I’ve not seen them, but I heard that they left a lot to be desired. Since I cannot make a comparison, I am only able to go off this one. Overall there was much to like. However I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

Casting always has a huge impact and this time around was no exception. The core four perfectly embodied their characters. Not only that, they really did feel like a family. The simple scenes of them at the dinner table or when they discovered that Sue was pregnant really helped ground them and made them more authentic. I also appreciated how we didn’t have a full on backstory and instead were brought up to speed in a way that felt fresh.

The look and feel of the film was such a vibe. Set in the future, but with a sixties flair, it definitely set itself apart from other installments we have seen. From the color palette and fashion, to the robot sidekick and the flying car, I felt like I was watching an episode of The Jetsons.

Unfortunately the pacing seems off to me. Some scenes felt disjointed and this resulted in some slower moments that took me out of the story. I also wasn’t particularly sold on the villains. Galactus was threatening enough though I felt like he just came out of nowhere all of a sudden. Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), on the other hand, had more promise, but again we weren’t given too much information about her until almost the end of the film.

Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a solid entry for the MCU. I’m glad that they seem to be finding their footing once again. Something was just missing for me and I’m not entirely sure what. Maybe my expectations were too high. I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love it like I was hoping to.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

I Know What You Did Last Summer

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Thirty years after the original, I Know What You Did Last Summer has been given the legacy sequel treatment. When a group of friends inadvertently cause a car accident, they make a pact that they will never discuss the events of that night. One year later they discover that someone knows what they did and this person is hellbent on revenge.

I only got around to seeing the first two films about a month ago. My first foray into this franchise was with the 2021 television series. When I heard that a sequel was being made and that it featured a bunch of actors that I like, I decided to finally do my homework. These films were right up my alley which I guess is no surprise considering the creator, Kevin Williamson, was also behind Scream.

This new version was a total blast. Right from the beginning we are brought into the lives of this new group of friends: Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), Danica (Madelyn Cline), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), Teddy (Tyriq Withers) and Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon) and the night that changes their lives forever. Though the acting chops weren’t the best, I absolutely loved every moment that Cline was on screen. Danica had so many fabulous one liners that were delivered flawlessly. I also thought Wonders did a decent job as our leading lady.

With any legacy sequel there needs to be plenty of callbacks to the original. The major one here was the return of Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Ray Bronson. This was the series that catapulted them to stardom and seeing them back in these iconic roles was truly brilliant. My crush on Prinze Jr. was also reignited throughout the almost two hour runtime.

It was obvious pretty early on that the stakes were so much higher. There were so many jump scares and the kills themselves were way more gory and surprising. I can’t lie and say that I wasn’t closing my eyes during many of them. Where the film dwindles is in its final act when one of the twists comes so out of left field it will certainly leave viewers divided. I was completely shocked, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I do think it could have been explained better though.

Overall I Know What You Did Last Summer may not have been necessary, but I had a great time with it. I felt like it did a great job encapsulating that nineties feeling and went full force on the slasher front. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it didn’t have to be.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Superman

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The newly reinvented DC Universe is here and with it a brand new Superman adventure. This time around it’s no origin story – instead it picks up in the middle of a war between two neighbouring countries. As an alien himself, Superman (David Corenswet) is forced to face his roots with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

With James Gunn at the helm, I was cautiously optimistic. Having enjoyed both Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, I was looking forward to seeing his take on the iconic comic book character. Mixing his signature blend of comedy and heart, we have the most human version of Superman there’s ever been and that was quite refreshing.

It is no doubt that Corenswet looks the part of our hero. I didn’t know what to expect though I think he did a good job. Superman isn’t supposed to be full of depth, but having this version of him show a more caring side worked. Rachel Brosnahan’s version of Lois Lane was spot on. I like how she had her own stuff going on alongside her relationship with Clark. That being said, the chemistry Lois shared with Clark was sweet and believable; it was probably my favorite of the recent versions we’ve had. Nicholas Holt is a menacing Lex Luthor. At times I really wanted to punch him because he was so annoying, but I was equally as charmed by him because he was doing it so well. Special shout outs go to Skylar Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawgirl and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher. I’m already looking forward to hopefully seeing much more of them as this universe expands.

While the film boasted a vibrant color palette, some beautifully shot moments and mostly convincing CGI, it wasn’t without its faults. There was a lot going on storyline wise and I’m not sure they were all completely necessary. This meant that there was also an abundance of characters and at times it was hard to keep up with them. And although I liked how it picked up right in the middle of a battle, I did find that choice a bit disorienting and it took me a minute to get situated.

It’s no secret that superhero movies have been on a downward spiral over the last few years. DC, in particular, has put out some subpar films that never fully captured the hearts of its audiences. I always tried to defend them, but I knew they could be better. While this was not a full return to form for the franchise, I definitely think Superman was a step in the right direction.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5