Multiplex Madness
Despicable Me 4
⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Director: Chris Renaud
Starring: Steve Carrell, Kristen Wigg, Pierre Coffin, Will Farrell, Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Joey King, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Madison Polan, Chris Renaud
Fly Me to the Moon
We've got a pre-release review in the tank! Early screenings of Fly Me to the Moon were at my cinema, and I was game to check it out. This movie tells a fictionalized take of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, where NASA hires PR expert Scarlett Johansson to help make the idea of landing on the moon exciting for a disillusioned American public and distract them from the Vietnam War, while also getting under the skin (read: getting flirtatious with) NASA Director Channing Tatum. The situation grows rocky when government agent Woody Harrelson requests that Johansson help create a fake moon landing as a contingency, in case the mission goes south. The movie is directed with spring in its step by Greg Berlanti, who most might know from Love, Simon and many, many shows on the CW, including Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Riverdale. Berlanti keeps the playful 60's vibes jamming with a groovy jukebox soundtrack and a swaggy presentation of its cast. The movie's flamboyance is a sugar-coated flavor of delicious, largely thanks to Johansson's overwhelming charisma. I have less to say about Tatum, because his role is more disposable, only acting as a straight man to Johansson and also a required love interest. But Johansson's excellent spotlight-hogging ensures that all eyes are on her at all times. It's a quirky movie that keeps itself constantly on the move. Sometimes it feels like it's juggling too much, but its busy hustle helps endear it.
MaXXXine
MaXXXine is the third installment of a trilogy of spirited genre homages by director Ti West which started in 2022 with X, a grindhouse callback slasher movie that invaded the world of independent pornography, and continued several months later with prequel Pearl, which infused psychological horror into bright-eyed Judy Garland-style classical showmanship. MaXXXine sees series star Mia Goth return as the heroine of X, Maxine Minx, who graduates from porn star to full actress, finally ready to make a name for herself in Hollywood by making her debut in a horror movie. Soon after landing the role, Maxine begins receiving messages that link her to the massacre from the previous film, which may also be linked to real life serial killer the Night Stalker.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
It's time for Minion merch to conquer the world while critics and film snobs pull their hair out. Welcome back, Despicable Me! This fourth installment sees reformed villain Gru and his ever growing family go into witness protection after a supervillain Gru has put behind bars breaks out and vows revenge. The villain's name is Maxime, which I initially misheard as "Maxine," and, after the screenings I've had this week, I was really hoping it would be Mia Goth walking up to Gru and saying "Maxine FUCKING Minx," but it's just Will Farrell with a bad French accent. A Despicable Me movie can ride or die based on how entertaining its villain is, so that's kind of a wash. The witness protection premise is cute, which brings about suitably awkward scenarios for these characters to get into. Gru sells solar panels in this one. Rod from Birdemic would be proud. Little Agnes has trouble working with her new alternate name, because she sees it as a lie and lying is bad. That's adorable. Stephen Colbert plays a snobby neighbor with a aspiring villain for a daughter, and that's quirky. These are all neat ideas, though they never add up to a complete story. The movie is not much on plot, opting instead for segmented silliness. A lot of what's going on feels like chaotic short films that branch out from the idea of the family in witness protection. Even the Minions subplot of gaining superpowers feels oddly irrelevant, but provides adequate slapstick entertainment. That slapstick entertainment was enough to keep the kids in my theater giggling throughout, which tells me that even if the Despicable Me franchise might be struggling with a direction, its target audience is still in the bag.
Fly Me to the Moon
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Comedy
Director: Greg Berlanti
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash, Anna Garcia, Donald Elise Watkins, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Nick Dillenberg
We've got a pre-release review in the tank! Early screenings of Fly Me to the Moon were at my cinema, and I was game to check it out. This movie tells a fictionalized take of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, where NASA hires PR expert Scarlett Johansson to help make the idea of landing on the moon exciting for a disillusioned American public and distract them from the Vietnam War, while also getting under the skin (read: getting flirtatious with) NASA Director Channing Tatum. The situation grows rocky when government agent Woody Harrelson requests that Johansson help create a fake moon landing as a contingency, in case the mission goes south. The movie is directed with spring in its step by Greg Berlanti, who most might know from Love, Simon and many, many shows on the CW, including Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Riverdale. Berlanti keeps the playful 60's vibes jamming with a groovy jukebox soundtrack and a swaggy presentation of its cast. The movie's flamboyance is a sugar-coated flavor of delicious, largely thanks to Johansson's overwhelming charisma. I have less to say about Tatum, because his role is more disposable, only acting as a straight man to Johansson and also a required love interest. But Johansson's excellent spotlight-hogging ensures that all eyes are on her at all times. It's a quirky movie that keeps itself constantly on the move. Sometimes it feels like it's juggling too much, but its busy hustle helps endear it.
MaXXXine
⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Thriller
Director: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monagham, Bobby Cannivale, Halsey, Lily Collins
MaXXXine is the third installment of a trilogy of spirited genre homages by director Ti West which started in 2022 with X, a grindhouse callback slasher movie that invaded the world of independent pornography, and continued several months later with prequel Pearl, which infused psychological horror into bright-eyed Judy Garland-style classical showmanship. MaXXXine sees series star Mia Goth return as the heroine of X, Maxine Minx, who graduates from porn star to full actress, finally ready to make a name for herself in Hollywood by making her debut in a horror movie. Soon after landing the role, Maxine begins receiving messages that link her to the massacre from the previous film, which may also be linked to real life serial killer the Night Stalker.
West has more of his genre cross polination secret sauce in store for his audience, this time working with vintage sex noir and combining it with a Michael Mann influenced homicide thriller, like watching a crossbreed between Angel and Manhunter. Those who like their movies to coast on vibes will find more than enough in MaXXXine to feast upon. Like previous entries, the movie does also feel like it has more at stake in nailing it vibe than its full experience. In MaXXXine's case, the movie is content on having Mia Goth strut around to a techno beat and lay a pretty straightforward mystery in front of her before tossing a chaotic conclusion at the audience. It's a movie that chills for two acts before having a cocaine fueled meltdown for its climax. Its violence isn't as exciting as X and Goth isn't given any career-defining highlights like in Pearl, but its tonal endearment makes it enticing.
This is the first movie of the series that doesn't end with a teaser/title reveal for a follow-up that is already in development. However, horror fans probably shouldn't fret about it, as West has already gone on record saying that a fourth film is in the cards. I would be game for it. While imperfect, the X trilogy has been a fairly unique experience in the genre, and if West can continue being this playful with it, another would be more than welcome.
Netflix & Chill
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Streaming On: Netflix
Genre: Comedy, Action
Director: Mark Molloy
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot
The original Beverly Hills Cop is probably the greatest cop comedy of all time. I've only seen the sequels once each and don't recall being particular endeared by either of them. The second one seemed more stylized than funny (directed by Tony Scott hot off of Top Gun), while the third one didn't seem all too concerned about being anything. Five minutes into Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, I found myself laughing and enjoying the action. Because of that, it was already the best sequel in the bunch.
Thirty years after the last entry in the series, Detroit cop Axel Foley once again returns to Beverly Hills after his attorney daughter gets involved in a criminal conspiracy that threatens her life. Everything that follows is hardly a surprise, as we get corrupt cops, romantic tension between Axel's partner and his daughter, and a string of nostalgia cameos and needle drops. I wouldn't expect anybody is watching Beverly Hills Cop 4 for originality, though. After the tough break this franchise has had, simple competence will do. Axel F is competent in the same way the later Bad Boys movies are competent, in that it wears its formula with pride and shoots only to be a solid representation of it. Action and laughs are had, and I certainly enjoyed my time with it.
Movies Still Playing At My Theater
Bad Boys: Ride or Die ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Bikeriders ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Fall Guy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Garfield Movie ⭐️⭐️1/2
Inside Out 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kinds of Kindness ⭐️⭐️1/2
Thelma ⭐️⭐️⭐️
New To Digital
Babes ⭐️⭐️1/2
IF ⭐️1/2
New To Physical
Housekeeping for Beginners ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Coming Soon!
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