Author: Caillou Pettis

Kung Fu Panda 4: The BRWC Review.

In the pantheon of animated franchises, Kung Fu Panda has carved out a niche that’s as delightful as it is deep, blending rib-tickling comedy with surprisingly profound philosophical musings. It’s a series that’s as much about martial arts excitement as it is about the journey of self-discovery. Now, with its fourth installment, Kung Fu Panda 4 helmed by director Mike Mitchell and co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, the franchise takes a daring leap, introducing new characters and a new challenge for our ever-lovable and eternally hungry hero, Po, voiced by the inimitable Jack Black.

Kung Fu Panda 4 resumes Po’s journey, this time setting him on a quest not for his own identity, but for the next bearer of the Dragon Warrior mantle. It’s a premise ripe with potential, echoing the first film’s themes of destiny and worthiness, yet it feels freshly invigorated here by its inventive narrative twists and the introduction of new characters. Among them, Zhen, a fox bandit voiced with mischievous charm by Awkwafina, proves to be a standout, offering a dynamic foil to Po’s buoyant optimism.

The plot centers on Po’s confrontation with a new villain, The Chameleon, masterfully voiced by Viola Davis. The Chameleon is a shapeshifter, a being who can become anyone, bringing a level of psychological intrigue to the fore that the franchise has only flirted with previously. This antagonist is not just another obstacle for Po to punch; she is a genuine existential threat, pushing Po and his friends to their limits, and challenging their understanding of identity and trust.

Returning cast members including Dustin Hoffman as the ever-wise Master Shifu, James Hong as Po’s doting father Mr. Ping, and Bryan Cranston and Ian McShane, further enrich the film with their well-established characters, creating a sense of continuity that fans of the series will appreciate. The new additions, such as Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, and Ke Huy Quan, infuse the film with fresh energy and humor, enhancing its vibrancy and expanding its world.

One of the film’s most commendable aspects is its animation. DreamWorks Animation once again pushes the envelope, blending a stunning palette of colors with fluid, dynamic action sequences that are both visually arresting and charged with emotion. The battle sequences, choreographed with a precision and creativity that would make real-life martial artists nod in approval, are thrilling without being overly frenetic, allowing viewers of all ages to follow and get invested in the outcome.

The humor, a hallmark of the series, remains ever-present and genuinely funny, ensuring that despite the high stakes and moments of genuine peril, the atmosphere never becomes too heavy for its younger audience. Yet, the script by Darren Lemke, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger, manages to weave in layers of introspection about leadership, legacy, and self-acceptance that will resonate with older viewers.

The direction by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine balances the action and the comedy deftly, with a particular flair for timing that amplifies both. They craft scenes that are visually dynamic and full of heart, ensuring that the emotional beats hit just as hard as the kung fu punches. Their handling of the narrative, however, does show occasional signs of struggle in the latter half where the pacing stumbles slightly, struggling to integrate the vast ensemble and their myriad character arcs into the main storyline. This is perhaps where Kung Fu Panda 4 falters slightly, its ambition stretching the film’s coherence a tad too thin in moments, though it never fully detracts from the overall enjoyment.

Another area where the film slightly misses the mark is in its resolution with The Chameleon. While Viola Davis delivers a performance that is nothing short of captivating, imbuing the villain with both menace and pathos, the climax feels somewhat rushed. The final confrontation, while visually spectacular, wraps up in a manner that seems a bit too neat, glossing over the complex emotional groundwork laid throughout the movie.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a robust and welcome addition to the franchise, balancing the comfort of familiar characters and themes with the excitement of new challenges and faces. It offers a compelling narrative, stunning animation, and the kind of heartwarming messages about friendship, identity, and courage that have made the series beloved by many. Despite minor pacing issues and a somewhat tidy conclusion, the film remains an engaging and enjoyable experience, standing as a testament to the enduring charm and depth of Po’s journey. With its mix of laugh-out-loud moments, awe-inspiring martial arts action, and genuine emotional depth, Kung Fu Panda 4 solidifies the franchise’s place not just in the annals of great animated films, but great films, period.

Imaginary: The BRWC Review.

When it comes to supernatural horror, the concept of childhood fears manifesting into tangible horrors in adulthood presents an avenue ripe for chilling narratives and intense psychological exploration. It’s a disappointment, then, that Jeff Wadlow‘s Imaginary fails to capitalize on its promising premise, delivering a film that feels underdeveloped and unsatisfying.

The film centers around Jessica (played by DeWanda Wise), who relocates to her childhood home with her stepdaughters, Alice (Pyper Braun) and Taylor (Taegen Burns), and her husband, Max (Tom Payne). Among the relics of her past, Jessica discovers Chauncey, a stuffed bear that was once her confidante. What starts as a nostalgic find quickly spirals into a nightmare as Chauncey is revealed to harbor a sinister connection to Jessica’s childhood and begins to terrorize the family.

On paper, the concept has the potential to delve into the psychological impacts of childhood traumas and the way they shape our realities as adults. Unfortunately, the execution lacks depth and coherence, rendering the film more frustrating than frightening.

One of the primary issues with Imaginary lies in its character development, or rather the lack thereof. Jessica, intended as the protagonist, is surprisingly flat and unengaging. DeWanda Wise, despite her talents, is given little material to work with, resulting in a performance that feels disconnected from the high stakes purported by the narrative. This emotional detachment pervades the entire cast, with none of the relationships or interactions feeling genuinely impactful or believable.

Alice and Taylor, the children caught in the crossfire of Chauncey’s wrath, are particularly underserved by the script. Rather than offering a nuanced look at their terror or their bond in the face of adversity, the film opts for shallow depictions that leave the audience indifferent to their fate. This is a grave misstep for a genre that often relies on strong character engagement to amplify its scares.

Tom Payne’s portrayal of Max is equally forgettable, with the character’s background as a musician adding little to the story or the family dynamic. This is symptomatic of the film’s broader issue with details – there are many, yet few seem to matter or contribute to the overall narrative or atmosphere.

Perhaps most disappointing is the handling of the film’s antagonist, Chauncey. The idea of a childhood toy turned malevolent could have provided a unique and deeply unsettling antagonist. Instead, the film falls into the trap of relying on cliched horror tropes and predictable jump scares that fail to elicit genuine terror or intrigue. The backstory of Chauncey and its connection to Jessica’s past is muddled and unconvincing, lacking the clarity and emotional resonance needed to elevate the premise beyond its surface level.

The production elements of Imaginary do little to salvage the experience. The cinematography and production design, while competent, do nothing to enhance the mood or tension of the film. They feel remarkably generic, failing to utilize the visual medium to delve deeper into the psychological horror or the internal worlds of the characters. This is a significant missed opportunity, given the potentially rich thematic material provided by the premise.

Moreover, the film suffers from pacing issues, with a narrative structure that feels disjointed and aimless at times. Key plot points are rushed or inadequately explored, leading to a climax that feels both predictable and unearned. This lack of narrative cohesion makes the viewing experience not only underwhelming but, at times, laborious.

Director Jeff Wadlow, despite his ambition, seems unable to marry the film’s conceptual potential with its execution. Co-written by Wadlow, Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland, the screenplay needed a more rigorous development phase to refine its characters, clarify its themes, and build a more compelling narrative arc. The involvement of Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, known for revitalizing the horror genre with innovative and critically acclaimed films, makes the shortcomings of Imaginary all the more baffling.

Imaginary is a supernatural horror film that squanders its intriguing premise on lackluster execution and shallow character development. Rather than offering a nuanced exploration of childhood fears and their lasting impacts, the film opts for generic scares and narrative shortcuts that leave it feeling hollow and uninspired. Despite a talented cast and the backing of a respected production house, Imaginary fails to make a meaningful impact, ultimately serving as a forgettable entry in the horror genre. For audiences seeking a genuinely chilling and thought-provoking cinematic experience, Imaginary is unlikely to satisfy.

Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

Steven Spielberg‘s iconic, beloved masterpiece Jurassic Park was released in 1993 and was an instant hit. There was just something so intriguing about the story of one man’s crazy idea for a theme park gone terribly wrong that resonated with millions of audiences from all around the world. Even still, to this day, that original film is being talked about and is still highly regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

It managed to spawn several sequels, and even a sequel trilogy of its own beginning with 2015’s Jurassic World, directed by Colin Trevorrow. But despite the original being so flawless, somehow, Hollywood finds a way to make each new Jurassic film worse than the last. Jurassic World Dominion – the supposed final installment of the “Jurassic era” – had an absolutely incredible premise that was legitimately appetizing.

At the end of 2018’s Fallen Kingdom, the dinosaurs are let free to roam around the world however they wish. The film’s final few shots show the dinosaurs running around, with an eerie final line coming from Jeff Goldblum‘s Dr. Ian Malcolm, stating “Welcome to Jurassic World.”

Naturally, we all thought Dominion was going to be all about how human beings must now have to learn to adapt to life living with dinosaurs. What will these repercussions be? Just how deadly is this going to be? Is it even possible?

Unfortunately, quite literally zero of these questions are answered in this brand new film. Instead, Dominion is all about a deadly locust infestation, and along the way, we learn more details about Maisie Lockwood, the unbearably annoying kid from the last movie. Who seriously thought that this was the best possible plot for a Jurassic movie in which dinosaurs are quite literally roaming the Earth?

It could have been the most exciting, creepy, and unsettling movie in the franchise yet, as we would have seen how we human beings are having to learn to adapt to these animals living among us. Sadly, we are shown a film that barely has any focus on the dinosaurs at all which is strange because, after all, this is a Jurassic movie. It’s not as if the locust plot is interesting either. It’s way too convoluted, and it takes until the third act for things to get even remotely interesting.

A lot of children love to watch the first Jurassic Park and it’s not hard to see why. Not only are there amazing dinosaur sequences, but there’s also a great story to get wrapped up in, as well as some truly memorable characters along the way. Dominion has none of these things. The dinosaur sequences are bland and boring, the story is terrible, and the characters are all the same people that they were in the previous two.

The character work in this new World trilogy is some of the worst I’ve seen in a mainstream, blockbuster franchise. Owen Grady barely even feels like a character in this film. He doesn’t change whatsoever. It’s nearly impossible to watch his performance in this film and not see simply Chris Pratt. Of course, we know it is Chris Pratt, but he never once disappears into the role, which is such a shame.

Easily the best performance from the new cast of characters this time around has to be from Bryce Dallas Howard, who once again is terrific as Claire Dearing. She’s always been my favorite new addition to the franchise, and here, it’s no different. She actually has some genuine development in this film, and she is not the same person she is at the beginning of the movie as she is at the end. This should have happened to every single character but, for whatever reason, it didn’t.

My favorite performance overall in the film, though, has to be from Jeff Goldblum, who reprises his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm. It was such an amazing delight to see one of my all-time favorite actors stepping back into one of his most iconic roles. He usually has the best lines in the film as well, including an incredible moment where a character brings up the theme park Jurassic World. Malcolm’s response? “Jurassic World? Not a fan.”

Unfortunately, we don’t get as much of the original trio as you probably would like. The trailers and posters market them as if they’re in the movie for almost the entire thing, but that’s simply not the case. Yes, they are in it for a decent amount, but it still would have been nice if they actually had bigger things to do, because a lot of Sam Neill and Laura Dern‘s scenes just kind of had them moseying around for half of the film.

The final act is where things finally start to pick up more and the film is instantly more of a Jurassic movie. This is where we get the best action scenes in the movie, and it’s also where every character has to put their head together in order to solve things and actually survive the terrors of the outside world. Is it overloaded with tons of CGI and green screen effects?

Absolutely. But, hey, at least we actually get to see some dinosaurs trying to eat humans and wreak havoc on the world. Even still, I can’t help but feel as if all of us Jurassic fans got tricked. Fallen Kingdom blatantly set up Dominion as being a film that would focus on the world being overrun by dinosaurs. The only time that’s ever really shown is in the very first scene, while the rest of the film that follows is all about a terribly boring locust infestation plot that not a single soul is going to care about.

Nope, not even youngsters.

One last thing that truly bothered me about Dominion is the fact that the opening prologue that showed a dinosaur causing chaos at a drive-in movie is not even in the film. It’s legitimately sad when the prologue that was released and isn’t in the film, is better than the entirety of the film.

Jurassic World Dominion serves as a genuinely awful conclusion to a franchise that started off masterful. Not even Jeff Goldblum and some occasionally fun action can save this film from being a colossal failure.

In a state-of-the-art penitentiary run by brilliant visionary Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth), inmates wear a surgically attached device that administers dosages of mind-altering drugs in exchange for commuted sentences. There are no bars, no cells, or orange jumpsuits. In Spiderhead, incarcerated volunteers are free to be themselves. Until they’re not. At times, they’re a better version.

Need to lighten up? There’s a drug for that. At a loss for words? There’s a drug for that, too. But when two subjects, Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett), form a connection, their path to redemption take a twistier turn, as Abnesti’s experiments start to push the limits of free will altogether.

Up to this point, Joseph Kosinski has been on fire, making a handful of incredible films and serving as a beacon of hope within the industry. Most recently, the Tron: Legacy director helmed Top Gun: Maverick, one of the best movies in years which also just so happened to make a ton of box office revenue. It’s inevitable that one day, Kosinski will become a household name, but unfortunately, his latest film Spiderhead doesn’t do him any favors.

It’s genuinely not difficult to understand what drew his attention to this story. The film is based on a short story called “Escape from Spiderhead,” which essentially has the exact same premise. Surely, Kosinski read this story and became immediately intrigued and perhaps even hoped that he would be able to do something with it someday. However, anybody that knows the source material will tell you that it’s quite a complex story. Not any random director could simply adapt it and make it good for the big screen.

Kosinski seemed like the perfect choice. Not only has he directed a handful of beloved films in the past, he’s also directed a science-fiction film previously. So much of this film seemed right up his alley, but unfortunately, he fumbles the ball here. Spiderhead is not an awful movie by any means, but it’s also definitely not a good movie. It’s a mind-bending tale and one that can be a little disturbing and similar to Black Mirror at times, but it can also be way too much to unpack.

Just when we think we understand what’s going on in one scene, screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick come in and make things even more complicated. Complex stories are ones that need to be embraced more by general audiences, but there’s a difference between being complex and downright confusing.

Spiderhead is confusing. It’s also just an extremely muddled and messy story that goes in several different directions and feels as if it has six different tones. Easily the best aspect of Spiderhead are the two lead performances from Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller. Hemsworth is obviously recognizable worldwide for his performance as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In that franchise, he is fun and charismatic, but oftentimes people forget that, with the right material, Hemsworth can be legitimately creepy and unsettling.

That’s exactly how he is in Spiderhead in the role of Steve Abnesti. Teller, on the other hand, portrays Jeff, a man who desperately wants to decode all the secrets of Spiderhead so he can outmaneuver the tests that await him. Both actors give staggering performances in a film that’s simply not worthy of their talents.

With Spiderhead, Joseph Kosinski has finally made a bad movie. It’s a muddled, tonally confused mess that goes off the rails of believability, despite featuring strong performances from Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller.