2023

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem' (2023) Review: Ninjas With Attitudes For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The four reptilian rapscallions have been a presence in film and television for decades, and have collected their fair share of tropes along the way. With such history it would be easy for a modern adaptation to phone things in, falling back on the tried and true tricks of the characters. Instead, Mutant Mayhem offers up a fresh take on classic characters.They are still the turtles you know and love, but with some simple effective adjustments. Mutant Mayhem makes a point of hiring teenagers to play teenagers. As obvious a move as that may be, the results are undeniable. Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon, bring a camaraderie and a chemistry to Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael.While all relative newcomers, the cast is rounded out by some heavy hitters. Ice Cube’s menacing Superfly, and Ayo Edebiri’s passionate April O’Neil being standouts as well as Jackie Chan’s overprotective Master Splinter. The performances are top notch, and humour in the script is grounded and relatable. Several characters are mutants with grotesque and eccentric designs, but they couldn’t feel more human.When it comes to the design, the animation in Mutant Mayhem is a triumph. It’s yet another portrayal of 3D animation with a hand drawn aesthetic. It further builds on the style with…

'They Cloned Tyrone' (2023) Review: Netflix’s Modern Classic Black escalades in a dimly lit street. An elevator that only goes underground. A fried chicken obsessed community. These are just a few of the strange happenings plaguing The Glen in Juel Taylor’s ‘They Cloned Tyrone’, available on Netflix. Being that they’re happening in a place no one cares about, there’s no investigation to speak of. Except for John Boyega’s Fontaine, Jamie Foxx’s Slick Charles, and Teyonah Parris’ Yo Yo.The mysterious plot unearthed in ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ is surreal and hilarious. The movie is a dark comedy that’s steeped in the absurd while still maintaining a grip on reality. By not leaning too far afield, ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ manages to keep its humour constant, while never losing its dramatic impact.The draw is with the film’s main trio. The weird and whimsical things they come across are punctuated by them taking it all in. John Boyega plays the rugged stoic with understated pathos. Teyonah Parris has the radical indignation as the world is falling apart. Jamie Foxx reminds the world why he’s the ultimate performer.As a cast, they’re well balanced and it takes true skill to pull off dialogue like this. ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ has a way with words that makes almost every scene a brain busting laugh riot. In a way, being engaged with the film’s humour is essential, just to follow along as the movie throws sci-fi concepts at you with little regard…

'Barbie' (2023) Review: Bravely Brilliant The Barbie movie is not what you think it is. Droves of audience members may be familiar with the iconic doll, but the film adaptation is an unexpected adventure. As stereotypical Barbie, Margot Robbie brings the blonde beauty to life living in the paradise that is Barbie Land. Every day is perfect, as was the day before, and all the days to come. The only problem is Barbie's sudden and inexplicable feeling of anxiety, and thoughts of her impending doom.It’s a high concept for a movie about a doll, and it’s only the film’s basic premise. Several times in the movie you’re faced with ideas that feel like the kind of thing that wouldn’t make it past an initial pitch. As Barbie ventures into the real world, she’s faced with misogynistic comments, and a lack of agency. An opposite to the reality she’s known where she and her Barbie counterparts make up the Supreme Court and the Presidency of Barbie Land.Barbie may have centre stage, but Ken has plenty of material himself. Ryan Gosling commits to playing the ultimate himbo. His worship of Barbie is boundless, and is more like a satellite in her orbit than a planet to himself. The film deals with the psyche of a walking talking accessory, brashly taking on ideas he was never meant to encounter.With Barbie and Ken suffering existential crises, the film’s subject matter seems at odds with Barbie’s signature…

'Oppenheimer' (2023) Review: A Triumph of Terror As a young man with visions of a hidden universe, J Robert Oppenheimer lays in his Cambridge university dorm, beset by an inability to rest. He’s instantly portrayed as brilliant, yet carries with him a darkness. His mind may be unmatched, but his humanity screams louder than any theory he could present. At times he is cruel, other times cold and unfeeling, and then overwhelmingly ridden with guilt. The most important man who ever lived, creating a weapon without an equal. ‘Oppenheimer’ takes such a complicated figure and fastens you in to his unique perspective. As you watch the development of the atomic bomb, you’re infinitely intrigued by its herald. Cillian Murphy’s performance of the legendary scientist is multifaceted, seeming vulnerable and exposed in one frame, yet operatic and enigmatic in the next.The invention itself has a devastating effect, but the film’s warning goes beyond the terror of dropped of the bomb. The sequence in which the bomb is first tested is nothing short of an audio-visual marvel, but the true danger of the film lies in the protagonist’s presence. As he corrals the world’s scientists to follow behind him Robert Oppenheimer is magnetic, more akin to a cult leader than a lowly whitecoat. His followers express their qualms, but with one impassioned speech he rallys the troops towards a terrible victory.Despite this statement on statesmen, ‘Oppenheimer’ is non committal in its portrayal of its subject.…

'Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' (2023) Review: Terrifically Tense The daring crew of highly skilled agents known as the Impossible Missions Force once again are called to save the world. This time facing off against an artificial intelligence called ‘The Entity’ that takes the very tools the team has come to rely on, and turns them into liabilities. The characters are isolated, the threat is prescient, and the stakes have never been higher. An outlandish story that feels ripped from the headlines, ‘Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ arrives amidst strikes from actors and writers in the American film industry, focused in part on the use of Artificial Intelligence to create works of fiction. In a similar fashion Ethan Hunt and his team rebel against the supercomputer that holds the world hostage. For a franchise that’s been largely focused on chemical warfare, information exposure, or a good old fashioned nuclear bomb, the pervasive threat of predictive AI is unique. Some viewers may find the obstacle difficult to swallow, but the film creates a personal connection utilising faces from Ethan’s past. Even if you don’t buy into the science of this fiction, ‘Dead Reckoning’ ensures emotion is at the centre of its story.As the man who can do it all, Ethan Hunt is faced with the limits of his abilities, but it’s a limit that gets pushed repeatedly. Once more Tom Cruise devotes his time in front of the camera to performing the kind…

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (2023) Review: A Send Off Fit for A Legend With as many iconic characters as he’s played, Harrison Ford could very well have hung up his blasters, hat, and trenchcoat a long time ago. Instead, he’s maintained a firm grip on his legacy, thus far giving each of his legendary roles a proper goodbye. Now with ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ the hope is Dr. Jones can receive the same treatment, for one last grand adventure.In terms of his performance, ‘Dial of Destiny’ definitively cements Ford as the only suitable choice to play the character. Indiana Jones may be known for death defying stunts, but as an older more seasoned explorer, he’s unable to pull off the impossible like he once could. The film takes place at the time of the moon landing, putting Dr. Jones in a time and place that’s swiftly moving on without him. Ford leans into the character’s isolation, giving the swashbuckling adventurer more pathos and solace than ever before.It’s an intimate portrayal, that’s not without history. After a lifetime of near death experiences, Indy has suffered more than most. The weight of loss is heavy, but the rest of the characters are there to lighten the load. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Helena, Indiana’s goddaughter. She’s capable, cunning, and charismatic like any good companion should be, and the two have great chemistry on screen.The character work is grand, but for…