Review: ‘The Family Plan’
Mark Wahlberg Stays In His Comfort Zone As Suburban Dad And Elite Assassin In Apple's Forgettable Action-Comedy

By
Travis Hopson
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Mark Wahlberg continues to occupy just the weirdest space for middle-aged action stars. He could probably be commanding his own blockbuster franchise, like Tom Cruise does, but instead he’s given his career over to playing the hot dad with great biceps and ripped abs, domesticated dudes who used to have thrilling lives but have settled for changing diapers and meal prep. A big part of it is that he’s just such a natural comedian, and still gifted enough as an action star, that he’s indispensable to the action-comedy genre and movies like The Family Plan, which arrives today on Apple TV+ streaming and is destined to be forgotten by tomorrow.

Wahlberg plays Dan, who is in perfect wedded bliss to Jessica (the always-reliable Michelle Monaghan, also a victim of action-comedy pigeonholing). They have three kids total: college-aged feminist Nina (Zoe Colletti), amped-up gamer Kyle (Van Crosby), and the baby, who gets more screen time than anyone cooing gleefully everytime something goes off-the-rails. A used car salesman and overprotective patriarch, Dan nonetheless is hiding a secret: he used to be an elite government assassin in his former life but got out of it when the missions got sketchy. When his past catches up to him, Dan decides to take the family on a road trip to Las Vegas where they can start a new life.

Of course, they have to get there alive first. And Dan will have to break the news to everyone that dear ol’ Dad isn’t the man they think he is. Hey Dad, kinda hard to tell the kids to behave when you’ve been lying to them for eighteen years!

But that’s sorta the point of The Family Plan, as Dan navigates the dangerous, reckless life he used to have with the boring, but ultimately more rewarding one he built with Jessica. The film, penned by David Coggeshall and directed by British helmer Simon Cellan Jones, takes great pains to point out that all of us have different versions of ourselves out there. For Jessica, she was a world class athlete before she met Dan, but had to give it up due to injury. When the two got together, they had moved on from their previous lives and settled easily into starting a family.

There are spurts of action and a few chuckles as Dan engages in car chases while the family sleeps, only the baby seems to be up for all of it. As the walls start closing in the antics get more ridiculous; there’s a stop at a college so Nina can confront her boyfriend and Jessica can relive her drunken glory years. In keeping with the outdated freshness of the material, the whole gamer storyline culminates at a Valorant tourney as esports in general is facing a downturn in popularity. The Family Plan is well-executed content, good for a few laughs and some distracting violence but not much else. Its biggest crime might be wasting the talents of Maggie Q and Ciaran Hinds, both deserving of more than the meager moments they get saddled with as shady supporting players to Wahlberg.

The Family Plan is streaming now on Apple TV+.

‘He Went That Way’ Trailer: Jacob Elordi And Zachary Quinto Take A Deadly Road Trip In Chilling True Crime Thriller

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December 14, 2023

Jacob Elordi has been through some chilling films of late. We saw him play perhaps the coldest version of Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, while in Saltburn he was a handsome rich kid who became the obsession of a devious Barry Keoghan. But neither role has anything on what Elordi does in true crime thriller He Went That Way, a film that reminds you it’s always a bad idea to pick up hitchhikers. Those of us who listen to murder podcasts already know this.

As seen in the new trailer, Elordi plays Bobby, a 19-year-old hitchhiker who catches a ride with Jim, a celebrity animal trainer played by Zachary Quinto. The journey is fraught with tension as their personalities clash, making the trip even more dangerous. As they travel across Route 66, it becomes clear that Bobby is a serial killer, and Jim tries to strike a deal to get out of the situation safely.

We see Bobby talking to cops about his time spent with Jim before the footage flashes back to their car ride. It’s unclear how things play out, but if you know the story of serial killer Larry Lee Ranes, captured in Conrad Hilberry’s book Luke Karamazov, then you know why true crime podcasts eat that shit up.

The film is directed by Jeffrey Darling from a script by Evan M. Wiener. Also in the cast are Patrick J. Adams and Troy Evans.

Here’s the synopsis: Set in 1964, He Went That Way is a taut thriller based on a true crime story that puts a wicked spin on the buddy road trip film. The film follows 19-year-old serial killer Bobby (Jacob Elordi) as he is picked up by a celebrity animal handler, Jim (Zachary Quinto), on a desolate stretch of Route 66 with priceless cargo in tow: Jim’s chimpanzee, Spanky, an American TV darling. As stress between Bobby and Jim rises and their fiery personalities combust, the road only becomes more treacherous the farther they go.

He Went That Way opens in select theaters January 5th 2024, VOD on January 12th.

‘The Promised Land’ Trailer: Mads Mikkelsen Is A War Hero Out To Conquer Denmark

By

Travis Hopson

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December 14, 2023

While Mads Mikkelsen has been part of his share of blockbusters, such as Rogue One, Fantastic Beasts, and the most recent Indiana Jones, he’s got a long history of Danish dramas, too. One of those, 2012’s A Royal Affair, was a breakthrough and paired him for the first time with director Nikolaj Arcel, known for the original Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. Well, now Mikkelsen and Arcel are together again for The Promised Land, which had its world premiere at Venice, and is Denmark’s entry for the Best International Feature award at the Oscars.

Mikkelsen is so good at playing men driven with a singular, passionate goal, and this is no different. He plays the real-life Ludvig Kahlen, a soldier whose lifelong dream is to cultivate the barren Jutland heath, please the King, and achieve honor and wealth. This nearly impossible task is further complicated by a vengeful landowner.

The cast includes Simon Bennebjerg, Melina Hagberg, and Amanda Collin.

Here’s the synopsis: In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen – a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero — sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.

Arcel most recently directed the 2017 disaster, The Dark Tower, quite possibly the worst recent Stephen King adaptation. It just goes to show that one high-profile dud doesn’t always short circuit a career.

The Promised Land opens in theaters on February 2nd 2024.

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Adds ‘Moon Knight’ Writer Ahead Of Next Year’s Reshoots

By

Travis Hopson

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December 14, 2023

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World

You know by now that Deadpool 3 is the only Marvel Studios movie coming in 2024, on July 26th. That wasn’t always the case. In fact, that date had previously belonged to Captain America: Brave New World which, despite having completed principal photography, was pushed to February 14th 2025. Meanwhile, the Deadpool film is still shooting. Unsurprisingly, rumors began to swirl that there were problems with Anthony Mackie’s first solo outing as Cap.

Those rumors may have just been confirmed. Deadline reports that Matthew Orton, a consulting producer on Moon Knight, has been hired to write additional Captain America: Brave New World scenes ahead of reshoots to take place next spring-summer.

This could be taken a few different ways. Reshoots are a normal thing, especially with huge productions like the ones Marvel do on a regular basis. These could be normal reshoots and Marvel just wants to make sure director Julius Onah has enough time to fully realize his vision. Okay, cool.

Or, the whole production was a disaster, Onah was a disaster, the film is a disaster, and Orton is part of fixing the problem. Let’s hope this isn’t the case.

Then again, with all of the shuffling Marvel Studios has done lately, including a possible change in creative direction, these reshoots could be so the film fits better within the MCU.

Orton comes in to pick up from earlier drafts penned by Dalan Musson and Falcon and the Winter Soldier writer Malcolm Spellman. Others in the cast include Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson from the 2008 Incredible Hulk movie, with Harrison Ford taking over as General Thunderbolt Ross. Shira Haas, Rosa Salazar, Danny Ramirez, and Carl Lumbly co-star.

For now, this doesn’t look like a Rogue One scenario where Tony Gilroy took over during reshoots to rescue that film. But it’s clear big changes are happening for Brave New World, and given the terrible 2023 that Marvel’s had, perhaps that’s a good thing.

Review: ‘The End We Start From’
Jodie Comer Mesmerizes As A Mother Fleeing A Climate Catastrophe

By
Travis Hopson
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The End We Start From is a post-apocalyptic survival thriller…but then it’s also not. There are no large-scale, massive displays of cataclysmic damage. No meteors hurling towards Earth, or other acts of destruction. Roland Emmerich wouldn’t know what to do with a small-scale, intimate story as this, which centers on a woman, a new mother, as she attempts to flee the aftermath of a flooded London. Fortunately, director Mahalia Belo knows what to do with this story. And most certainly, star Jodie Comer knows what to do with such thoughtful, urgent material as this.

The film begins cleverly with an image that mirrors the fate of the world; as a bathtub occupied by a very pregnant Mother (Comer’s character goes unnamed) fills with water. Outside, torrential rains begin to dominate London, leaking into the home under the front door and every other possible opening. She is almost immediately hit with another problem. As if things weren’t soaked enough, her water’s broken and the baby is coming. Calls to her husband (Joel Fry) go unanswered and she has to do it on her own. Belo, in keeping with the tone of the entire film, doesn’t exaggerate the birthing process. It’s difficult, and painful, especially in such water-logged conditions, but one that shows Mother’s strength, resolve, and protective nature.

Playing out like a domestic drama, you could almost forget that The End We Start From is about a world that finds humanity on the brink. The new parents journey to the home of some friends, but when resources grow scarce, we see the full crushing weight of the despair some are coping with. That forces them to journey forth once more, only to face starvation, parental anxiety, and the ongoing threat of other desperate humans. Along the way, others in similar predicaments are encountered. Katherine Waterston plays a mother journeying alone, who becomes a close confidante in trying times. Benedict Cumberbatch also has a small but surprisingly joyful role as a man who allows the women a brief opportunity to cut loose and have some fun. Moments of true happiness are few and far between, washed away in the rushing flood waters.

The film is penned by Alice Birch, based on Megan Hunter’s novel. Birch has penned other female-centric dramas before, such as Lady Macbeth, Mothering Sunday, and The Wonder. She has this way of showing how women navigate their way through a world that is largely out of their control. That idea is taken to extremes here, but it also pushes mother’s survival instinct, her maternal nature, and more to extreme levels. Comer has pretty much proven that she can play any kind of role and do it masterfully, carrying this film almost entirely on her sturdy shoulders. Whether engaging in a romantic tumble with her husband, nursing a starving child, or scrambling away from certain death, Comer delivers an expressive, physically challenging performance that demands she shift gears at a moment’s notice.

The End We Start From isn’t for those looking for rapid action with people fleeing from one natural disaster after another. It moves slowly, and deliberately, and captures with realism the way society breaks down, leaving the people behind to swim against the tide. There isn’t a ton of story here, though, and could probably have been accomplished in half of the time. But then, we’d also get half as much of Comer, who continues to mesmerize no matter the role.

The End We Start From is in select theaters now, expanding nationwide on January 19th 2024.

A24 Teaming With Hideo Kojima To Adapt ‘Death Stranding’ Video Game

By

Travis Hopson

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December 14, 2023

It was almost exactly one year ago that famed video game creator Hideo Kojima revealed plans to turn his latest “game”, Death Stranding, into a feature film. Well, that project just took a big, and surprising, step forward as A24 has joined Kojima in making the adaptation a reality.

The thing about Kojima is that he’s a true innovator, having built the very cinematic Metal Gear franchise. Kojima’s games are basically movies that you can play, and often feature A-list stars. In Death Stranding, you control Sam Porter Bridges, a character portrayed by Norman Reedus, while the cast includes Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Nicolas Winding Refn, Guillermo del Toro, Troy Baker, Tommie Earl Jenkins, and Lindsay Wagner.

The plot of Death Stranding finds you as a courier in a post-apocalyptic America besieged by invisible creatures with a link to the afterlife.

At last week’s Game Awards, Kojima revealed that he is working with Jordan Peele on a horror game/movie, OD, featuring Udo Kier, Sophia Lillis, and Hunter Schafer.

While none of this news about Kojima gets me personally excited since I think his games are artsy junk lacking in fun, maybe that’ll change in the movie realm. It’s clear that Kojima really wants to be a filmmaker, so let’s see him finally do it.

The partnership with A24 can only help Kojima as he moves to become a major Hollywood player.

“A24 was born into this world about 10 years ago, their presence is singular within the industry, they are like no other,” Kojima said in a press statement. “The films they are delivering to the world are high in quality and very innovative. I have been attracted to their creations and they have even inspired my own work. Their innovative approach to storytelling aligns with what Kojima Productions has been doing for the last 8 years. Now, we are making a Death Stranding movie together.”

Kojima also said not to expect the film to be a straight adaptation of the game.

“There are a lot of ‘game adaptation films’ out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game. The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games, but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema. We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born.” [Deadline]

‘IF’ Teaser Trailer: John Krasinski Takes Us Into The World Of Imaginary Friends With Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, & More

By

Travis Hopson

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December 14, 2023

John Krasinski already has the blockbuster A Quiet Place franchise running at full steam, but even so, he decided to set it aside to work on something completely different. That film would be IF, a family-friendly fantasy film with a powerhouse ensemble that includes Ryan Reynolds, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, and more. Not only that, but Paramount is jumping in on this one with both feet, giving the film a plum summer 2024 release date.

So what’s IF about, anyway? Well, the title is short for “imaginary friend”, and centers on a young girl who can see the invisible friends left behind by their kids. Awwww, that’s sad. It’s sorta like Toy Story, in a way.

Also in the cast is The Walking Dead star Cailey Fleming, along with Louis Gossett Jr., Alan Kim, Fiona Shaw, and Bobby Moynihan. Joining Carell and Waller-Bridge as voice stars are Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Vince Vaughn, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Awkwafina, Jon Stewart, and Richard Jenkins. They’ll be voicing the imaginary creatures, which come in all shapes, sizes, colors, amounts of fur, etc. They kinda look like refugees from Monsters, Inc. Some of them do, anyway.

So get ready for a film that’s all about reconnecting with your inner child. This looks really good, honestly, and I can’t wait to see it.

Here’s the synopsis: From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. IF stars Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.

IF was written and directed by Krasinski, and hits theaters on May 17th 2024.

Netflix Wins Ryan Reynolds’ Global Heist Comedy; Amazon Scores Spy Film ‘Best Of Enemies’ With Bradley Cooper & Christian Bale

By

Travis Hopson

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December 14, 2023

Following the strike, it’s like the floodgates have been opened and cash is flowing like water. In more evidence that studios are willing to drop some major coin right now, two major projects with big stars have landed in the hands of Netflix and Amazon Studios, and spending big money means launching big plans.

The first is Netflix, which sealed a 7-figure deal for a Ryan Reynolds’ untitled global heist comedy, said to be an ensemble in the vein of Ocean’s Eleven. The film will have a script by Dana Fox (The Lost City) and reunite Reynolds with producer Simon Kinberg. Reynolds and Kinberg are working together right now to complete Deadpool 3, and have been working together on that X-franchise since the beginning. Details on the story are slim, but it’s said to have an international, globe-hopping element, and was cooked up by Fox and Kinberg then pitched to Reynolds. This also cements Reynolds’ relationship with Netflix. They’ve found success together already on Red Notice and The Adam Project.

On the other hand, Amazon is plotting a theatrical release for Best of Enemies, a spy package that will star Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale. Amazon MGM Studios won high-stakes bidding war with eight studios vying for the project, just as with the Reynolds film won by Netflix. This one is basically an American Hustle reunion, with Cooper and Bale joined by that political film’s writer, Eric Warren Singer. Singer adapts Best of Enemies: The Last Great Spy Story of the Cold War by Eric Dezenhall and Gus Russo. The story centers on a CIA agent and KGB operative who became close friends during the Cold War, even as they are tasked with seducing the other into betraying their country.

It’s possible that Cooper, following A Star is Born and Maestro, could direct Best of Enemies as his next project. But that has yet to be decided.

‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Trailer Has Eddie Murphy Turning Up The Heat One More Time

By

Travis Hopson

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December 14, 2023

Eddie Murphy in BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F

Eddie Murphy’s career has found a new lease on life in the world of streaming. Not only is he doing new things, like his first-ever holiday comedy with Candy Cane Lane, but returning to some of his most iconic roles for Coming 2 America, and now Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. The latter sees him back on the beat as Axel Foley for Netflix,with a pair of new partners helping him crack a case.

Nearly 30 years after the last Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy stars once again as Axel Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills when his daughter, a criminal defense attorney played by Taylour Paige, has her life threatened.

Murphy is joined in the cast by other new additions to the franchise, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon, while old favorites Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot return.

The film is directed by Mark Molloy, with a script co-written by Gangster Squad writer Will Beall.

Here’s the synopsis: Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.

Netflix has yet to set a date for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F but expect it to arrive in 2024.

2023 Streaming Roundup
With Strikes And Crackdowns On Password Sharing, Here's What You Watched This Year.

By
PunchDrunkCritics
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December 14, 2023

2023 is coming to a close, and with it, one of the rockiest times in streaming. Crackdowns on password sharing, platform buyouts, and industry halting strikes colored this year’s entertainment.

Netflix tried to cut down its password-sharing by adding measures like account verification. Users had 15 minutes to enter a code, otherwise, the streaming service recognized the device as new and could boot it from the account. It also offered a password-sharing plan for an additional $7.99 a month.

Some streaming services were combined through buyouts and acquisitions. HBO Max merged with Discovery+ before changing its name to Max in May. Disney+ took control of Hulu, which ten years ago streamed shows across competitor networks. You can now access the premium channel, Showtime, through the Paramount+ app. Even so, you can find many of these apps in one place on Amazon Prime for an add-on fee.

This year’s most extensive hurdle streaming services faced was the SAG-AFTRA and Writer’s Guild of America strikes. Union members from both groups were striking for more competitive wages, higher residuals, and industry protections from AI-made work.

During the strikes, all production halted. By the time the SAG-AFTRA one was lifted, many fans were already experiencing a lack of content. This meant that older shows that had been on streaming for a while were given a second life. Suits was one of those shows.

Even with all the tumult, certain shows stood out to viewers. Here are five popular favorites, according to ExpressVPN’s research.

Jury Duty

The unexpected Freevee hit had everyone rooting for Ronald, an average guy who had no idea he was part of a fake trial. Created by producers from The Office, the show followed a regular man as he served on the jury for a criminal trial. He didn’t know, however, that everyone else in the courtroom, including the judge, were actors. James Marsden pops up as an inflated version of himself, but Ronald is the true star as we see him make choices that better his fellow jurors.

The Last of Us

The earliest months of streaming in 2023 were marked by The Last of Us. Starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, the show focused on what life would be like if fungi developed the ability to take over human bodies, thus creating a zombie apocalypse. The key to salvation might be Ramsey’s Ellie who must trek across the United States with Pascal’s reluctant and surly Joel.

Ted Lasso

The beloved Apple TV+ show returned for a third and final season this year. In it Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) faced a choice to stay and coach his beloved Richmond Grayhounds or return to the US to be with his son. The season polarized fans who felt that, because of production delays and issues, the show lost direction in the second half.

Loki

Following up its first season in 2021, Loki returned to Disney+ this year. This time Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan joined the mix as TVA agent Ouroboros. This new season found everyone’s favorite reformed Trickster dealing with the fallout of destroying He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). The second installment ended with great fanfare from fans, who pointed out this may be the last time we see Tom Hiddleston as Loki.

Suits

The Suits viewing surge made waves on social media as fans returned to the show and new ones watched for the first time. Being on both Peacock and Netflix made the show more accessible to viewers.

Starring Patrick J. Adams, Gabriel Macht, Sarah Rafferty, Meghan Markle, and Rick Hoffman the show followed a genius who scored a job at a prestigious law firm despite lying about his degree.

What Did You Watch Last Year?

Though the above five are just a few of our favorites, many more shows captivated audiences. ExpressVPN found that Ginny and Georgia, You, New Amsterdam, Ahsoka, and One Piece all made waves in the streaming world. Those last two make perfect sense as streaming adaptations were a major trend in 2024. Hopefully, the industry-defining shift that happened this year can blossom and prosper in the new year.