Remember Patti Cake$? The hip-hop drama was a breakout film in 2017 for star Danielle Macdonald and director Geremy Jasper. I absolutely flipped out for it. While we’ve seen quite a lot of Macdonald over the years, Jasper has been quiet, and now we know why. He was developing O’Dessa, an original rock opera set in a dystopian future, starring The Whale and Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink. Hulu has now debuted the first trailer ahead of the film’s release next month.
In O’Dessa, Sink stars as the titular farm girl who goes on a dangerous quest to retrieve a family heirloom, only to meet her one true love and must risk all to save his soul. The film was directed by Jasper based on his own screenplay.
Sink is surrounded by a great cast that includes Kelvin Harrison Jr., Regina Hall, and Murray Bartlett.
Jasper looks to have created a visually stunning, unique world and it’ll be interesting to see the reaction following its premiere at SXSW. Admittedly, my expectations are pretty high for this one.
SYNOPSIS: Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa is an original rock opera about a farm girl on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love – but in order to save his soul, she must put the power of destiny and song to the ultimate test.
It’s been a long time coming for The Accountant 2‘s arrival. The original movie was a surprising $155M hit back in 2016, and director Gavin O’Connor struggled for years to get a sequel going. Amazon MGM coming aboard last year kicked things into overdrive, and now we’re only a month away from the film’s world premiere at SXSW. After some images debuted a few days ago, today brings the first trailer.
Affleck returns as autistic hitman Christian Wolff, who loves big numbers as much as he loves big guns. Bernthal is back as Christian’s mercenary brother, Brax, in a role that has been greatly expanded.
Also returning are Cynthia Addai-Robinson and JK Simmons, joined by Daniella Pineda and Allison Robertson.
Bill Dubuque is back as screenwriter, with Affleck and Matt Damon as producers.
SYNOPSIS: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) has a talent for solving complex problems. When an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to “find the accountant,” Wolff is compelled to solve the case. Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal), to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
Amazon MGM Studios will open The Accountant 2 in theaters on April 25th.
The two previous Paddington movies are pure confectionary perfection, bringing everyone’s favorite marmalade-obsessed bear to simple, joyful comedic heights. They are family friendly entertainment that anyone can enjoy and, genuinely, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. The third movie, Paddington in Peru, is also comforting and funny, but with its swashbuckling South American adventure plot it loses some of the homespun charm and heart that have been this franchise’s true treasure.
The story finds Paddington (voiced again by Ben Whishaw) lured back to the place of his birth to be reunited with his dear old Aunt (Imelda Staunton) at the Home for Retired Bears, a place run by singing nuns, including the guitar-strumming Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman). But when he and the Brown family (Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters) get there, Paddington is informed that she’s gone missing into the Amazon jungle. She had been acting sad and alarmed by something mysterious, perhaps lonely for the titular cub who has been living it up in London for so long?
What follows is a pleasurable, mildly exciting trek through the wilderness with raging waterfalls, dangerous jungle creatures, and a shady riverboat captain, Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), obsessed with finding El Dorado, the long-lost City of Gold. It turns out his path directly intersects with Paddington’s quest, but is the promise of riches more precious than family?
Bigger isn’t always better, in this case. I don’t think anyone was clamoring for the death-defying adventures of Paddington Bear, surviving crashing airplanes and exploring mysterious cities of legend. It all feels a bit out of Paddington’s depth, and the jokes suffer as a result. But there is still a lot to like. Paddington’s connection to the Brown family is as wonderful as ever. While each member is facing their own individual struggles, they set them aside to help Paddington. Banderas doesn’t have a prayer of matching the villainous peak of Hugh Grant’s arrogant actor Phoenix Buchanan from Paddington 2, but he’s still pretty funny when dressed up as Cabot ancestors, all perished due to their pursuit of El Dorado. Colman is having the best time in a truly bizarre role that has her rocking out with nuns and CGI bears alike.
With Paul King and co-writer Simon Farnaby gone except for a story credit, Paddington in Peru is put in the hands of first-time director Dougal Wilson and a trio of incoming writers. They’re solid, but the difference is noticeable. If there are more Paddington sequels, keeping him closer to home would be the smart move.
Paddington in Peru opens in theaters on February 14th.
Thanks to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, we’re happy to offer three of our lucky readers a digital copy of Sniper: The Last Stand! The eleventh film in the military action franchise that began in 1993, it stars Ryan Robbins (Passengers) reprising his role as “Zero,” Sharon Taylor (Bad Blood), and Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz (Apple TV+’s The Big Cigar).
SYNOPSIS: To stop an arms dealer from unleashing a deadly superweapon, Ace sniper Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) and Agent Zero (Ryan Robbins) are deployed to lead a group of elite soldiers in Costa Verde. Taking an untested sniper under his wing, Beckett faces his newest challenge: giving orders instead of receiving them. With time and ammo running low, they must overcome all odds just to survive.
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Didn’t The Woman King teach Hollywood anything? Viola Davis is more than just an Oscar-worthy dramatic actress, she can kick ass, too! It’s taken too long, but we get to see her do it again in the action flick, G20, in which she plays the most badass POTUS the White House has ever seen.
Directed by Patricia Riggen, G20 stars Viola Davis as President of the United States Danielle Sutton, who must fight to protect her family and the world’s leaders when terrorists attack the G20 summit in South Africa.
Can she be our President now, please?
Davis is surrounded by a great cast that includes Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Christopher Farrar, and Homelander himself, Antony Starr.
Riggen is a Mexican filmmaker with a lot of acclaimed credits to her name, including Under the Same Moon, Girl in Progress, The 33, and Miracles from Heaven. This is her first action movie, though, and it’ll be interesting to see if it leads to more.
SYNOPSIS: When the G20 summit comes under siege, U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Academy Award winner Viola Davis) becomes the number one target. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country and safeguard world leaders in this action-packed thrill ride.
Seriously, this looks like a great part for Davis. She gets to fight terrorists and discipline an unruly child at the same time. It’s silly, but also sort of perfect for streaming from home on Prime Video. On the one hand, it’s a shame that a movie like this won’t be on the big screen, but I’m glad they’re still making stuff like this at all.
French director Luc Besson is mainly known for his iconic films The Professional, La Femme Nikita, and The Fifth Element. He’s also a personal favorite of mine, even though his work lately has been spotty. Following his most recent film, Dogman, Besson is back with an L.A. rom-com, June & John, which was shot on an IPhone in secret during the 2020 pandemic.
Starring newcomers Matilda Price and Luke Stanton Eddy, the story follows an aimless man whose world is turned upside down when he meets the fearless woman of his dreams.
“The pic follows John, a young man stuck in a monotonous routine, whose life is transformed when he meets June, a vibrant and fearless woman. Together, they embark on a whirlwind adventure filled with passion, risk, and self-discovery — a race against the clock (and the law) that injects color, magic, and love into their lives.”
This is an unusual move for Besson, whose films tend to be bigger, action-packed spectacles. However, he’s been known to occasionally veer in the opposite direction, such as with The Big Blue and Angel-A.
Coming up next for Besson is his Dracula movie with Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz.
June & John doesn’t have a release yet but a spring debut is possible.
I’ve watched all five seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale, and yet I forgot the show wasn’t already over. That’s how long it’s been away. After nearly three years, Hulu’s hit series returns for the sixth and final season, probably good timing since the dystopian male-dominated society is starting to resemble real life a little too closely.
Elisabeth Moss returns as June, who is still fighting the good fight to bring Gilead down once and for all. She’s joined in the cast by Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Max Minghella, Ann Dowd, O.T. Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Sam Jaeger, Ever Carradine, and Josh Charles.
SYNOPSIS: “In the final season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ June’s unyielding spirit and determination pull her back into the fight to take down Gilead. Luke and Moira join the resistance. Serena tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick faces challenging tests of character. This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom”
The Handmaid’s Tale’s final season hits Hulu on April 8th.
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise is one of the most successful in all of Dreamworks Animation, earning Oscar nominations and big box office since 2010. With the animated movies wrapped up, Dreamworks and Universal Pictures have found a new way to keep it alive with a live-action remake they hope will introduce Hiccup and Toothless to a new generation.
Behind this new take is longtime franchise writer/director Dean DeBlois, and it’s basically a shot-for-shot remake done in live-action. I would’ve chosen a different director to at least give it a different look and energy, but what do I know?
Based on the books by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon follows Hiccup, son of a Viking chief, who befriends the lost dragon Toothless at at time when Vikings and dragons are bitter enemies.
Starring in the film are Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, and Gerard Butler who now gets to fully embody his voice role of Stoick the Vast. Also in the cast are Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, and Murray McArthur.
SYNOPSIS: “On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding. As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.”
How to Train Your Dragon hits theaters on June 13th.
“You may be Captain America, but you’re not Steve Rogers.”
President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross scorns Sam Wilson at a pivotal moment early in Captain America: Brave New World. Of course, that’s obvious on its face, but the rest of the movie goes to exciting lengths to prove why being a different Captain is exactly what the world needs right now in Marvel’s reboot of the character and the first with Anthony Mackie behind the shield. The mantle was passed to him way back in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and the ramifications of having a Black man as Captain America were explored in miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, in which Wilson begins to accept the responsibility. Many of those themes are retreaded upon, for understandable reasons, wrapped around a propulsive political thriller that will have deep ramifications for the MCU.
The story revolves around two major events to impact the MCU. The first is General “Thunderbolt” Ross (played by Harrison Ford, taking over for the late William Hurt) becoming President of the United States. He’s basically President Thunderbolt Trump, in attitude and deed. The infamous Hulk-hater and foil of the superhero community who locked up Wilson and other Avengers during the whole Civil War event, Ross now wants to work with Cap in the spirit of patriotism. Ross is trying to broker a treaty with world leaders that will fairly distribute resources from the dead Celestial being (last seen in Eternals four years ago) resting in the ocean. That resource is the indestructible metal, adamantium, that X-Men fans know about quite as its what Wolverine’s bones are laced with. If you don’t know that going in, the movie doesn’t do the best job of explaining it.
Of course, when dealing with a finite natural resource, shit becomes an international incident real quick. Some adamantium gets stolen, the O.G. Captain America Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, great to see him back), who rightfully hates the U.S. government, gets set up for an assassination attempt, a bunch of Secret Service get brainwashed, and Wilson must put his feud with Ross aside to expose a conspiracy inside the White House, joined by his right-hand-man Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez, another welcome return) who is settling in nicely as the new Falcon.
What will come as a surprise to many is how much Captain America: Brave New World is a Hulk movie, picking up on plot threads and characters from the 2008 film starring Edward Norton. That includes the return of Tim Blake Nelson as the gamma-powered Samuel Sterns aka Leader, who uses his big brain to cause maximum trouble for Wilson and Ross. There’s a lot of Hulk stuff here and at times it feels like Captain America is an extra in his own movie. Also, because so much relies on you remembering what happened sixteen years ago there are quite a few exposition dumps that can be a drag on the movie’s momentum.
But the drag isn’t long, and there is some really cool action. The vibe is closer to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, rooted in the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970s rather than the massive superhero spectacles of the Avengers movies. Giancarlo Esposito brings gravitas to the role of mercenary Sidewinder, who engages Wilson in a couple of nice shootouts. An aerial dogfight that finds Wilson and Torres engaging fighter jets from multiple nations features the undeniably slick moment of the hero surfing atop missiles like an extra from Blue Crush. The hand-to-hand isn’t as jaw-dropping impactful as the Russos but director Julius Onah is no slouch, either. He gives Wilson his own unique style of combat that combines his jet-powered mobility with hard hitting power.
And then there’s the moment that has been splashed in trailers and posters for months: the arrival of the Red Hulk. For those who might be unaware, I won’t spoil who is the Red Hulk, but his slow transformation is like the Marvel version of a Cronenberg body horror. The moment is built to with tension right from the beginning until we’re hotly anticipating the emergence of the Big Red Hulk Machine. Brave New World treats this moment like the epic it deserves to be, signalling the debut of a character fans have wanted for so long. The wait is worth it, as the ensuing battle that follows kicks ass, too.
Mackie fully settles into the role of Captain America here, and while there’s quite a bit of sermonizing from Wilson it’s for a reason. He’s a different guy than Steve Rogers, who is more likely to punch his way out of a predicament. Wilson is a counselor first and he always tries the path of non-violence before engaging. The character has also made peace with his decision to be Captain America, so we don’t have to deal with him agonizing over it as he did in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Mackie is as charismatic and suave as ever, but he gets to show his physicality here, too. The script could’ve done more to show his funny side, but most of the jokes are instead given to Ramirez, who pairs up with Mackie incredibly well.
Ford is great, too, but you knew that was going to be the case. His version of Ross has a lot more “get off my lawn” grumpy old man energy and it’s perfect. Also, I think Marvel has a real find on their hands with Shira Haas, who plays Ruth Bat-Seraph, an Israeli agent and former Black Widow now the head of Ross’ security. Bat-Seraph is the mutant character Sabra from the Marvel Comics, and a frequent ally of the X-Men. The MCU version is considerably different (no mutant powers…yet), but she immediately makes an impression and steals virtually every scene she’s in.
Captain America: Brave New World arrives at a politically divisive moment, and I have no doubt that the film will also prove polarizing. While some of what it introduces will prove relevant for a long time to come, the story itself feels small compared to the overlong Multiverse Saga fans have been complaining about for years. Marvel actually needs more character-focused stories like this because they make the massive team-ups special when they finally come back around. The closing credits hit us with a familiar promise: “Captain America Will Return”. It doesn’t say when or how, but Mackie has made Captain America his own with this movie, and the MCU is a more interesting place with him leading the charge.
Captain America: Brave New World opens on February 14th.
Sony Pictures Classics has debuted the new trailer for The Penguin Lessons, and if you think that sounds like a feel-good dramedy with a lovable bird, you’d be right. Penguins are big money at the box office, in case you haven’t noticed. The film is based on a true story, and stars Steve Coogan as a British schoolteacher in 1976 whose life is turned around when he rescues an orphaned penguin. Penguins are much easier to teach than unruly schoolkids.
The film is directed by Peter Cattaneo, best known for directing one of the most successful international comedies ever, The Full Monty. He most recently directed Military Wives in 2019. The script is by Philomena writer Jeff Pope, adapting Tom Michell’s 2016 memoir.
Joining Coogan in the cast are Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson, and Alfonsina Carrocio.
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down.
The Penguins Lessons opens in theaters on March 28th.
