Categories: Movie and Series Reviews, Comedy

Novocaine (2025) 3/5

Categories 3/5, Action, Comedy, Movie and Series Reviews, Thriller

Jack Quaid is Nate, who finds himself chasing down the sudden love of his life (Amber Midthunder as Sherry). There are twists along the journey, but none that are handled very well. Then there is Ray Nicholson as Simon, the supposedly menacing villain of the movie, who feels as though he is constantly holding back and playing into the writers’ room.

There are undoubtedly funny moments, and it is probably the strongest area of the film, but some deliveries could be punched up, and some payoffs could happen that never do. I found myself thinking about how the movie could benefit from a partial injection from the movie Crank. Novocaine certainly doesn’t need everything Crank was, but it could use a bit more energy and self-awareness. As is, it gets a bit lost in monologues and a bit of a middling tone.

This is where I get a little into spoiler territory. I think the pie thing should have looped around with him accidentally biting himself and bleeding a little, with that same big smile on his face. Some more characterization would have helped to explain why this guy goes as far as he does for Sherry and why he is so quick to okay her criminal ways—having been involved in this situation and past ones that got people killed. It was probably okay that Sherry was two-dimensional, but I don’t think the protagonist should be so close on the line. The last act is a bit too long, and I was tired at seeing Simon’s inevitable demise being dragged out.

I think people who are looking for a dumb-fun type of time will get a lot more than me out of this. I like to backseat my brain sometimes, but I am also the wrong person to ask to get excited about car chases or to overlook people acting in nonsense ways.

A Minecraft Movie (2025) 2/5

Categories 2/5, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Movie and Series Reviews

I have probably spent upward of a thousand hours goofing off in Minecraft Java Edition. I accomplish very little, but I always have a good time each time I jump back in since launch. That being said, I know the target audience is probably younger and so I went into watching A Minecraft Movie ready to embrace that it was for a younger audience. Even having done that, I just don’t think the movie is very good. Spoilers ahead.

Visuals

Visually, the movie is charming at times. In the real world, there is an aesthetic to the locations and even more so to the characters. However, I think quite a few scenes in the Overworld are jarring as real people stand on animated terrain. At times, the green screens feel present even when completely unseen. That isn’t to say that there is not some cool imagery here. The Nether looks especially neat and is an area that is mostly kept for just the piglins, and so it works very well.

Characters

Jack Black doesn’t slouch in his efforts as Steve, and fully tries to sell each scene regardless of whether they work or not and that is to be commended. Most of the other characters don’t really get fleshed out. Danielle Brooks is almost insultingly treated, as she plays Dawn, who gets to serve up almost nothing to the story and her character is little more than just a face to react to things. Trailing behind is Emma Myers as Natalie, with some initial development that doesn’t ever go anywhere or circle back meaningfully. Jason Momoa as Garret “Garbage Man” Garrison gets some fun moments and serves as comedic relief and a very mild foil to others’ good intent. He has some legitimately funny personality and that was cool to see when I was assuming he would grate my nerves based off the poster. Henry, played by Sebastian Eugene Hansen, doesn’t change throughout the flick and his growth is not succeeding (through no fault of his own) and then succeeding.

So characters? Very mishandled, with some comedic moments that land. Just don’t expect any sort of growth or depth beyond a 1 block pond.

Story

The movie feels like “behind the scenes”, there was a lot of committee in its making. Without a cohesive vision to make the entire project unified, it feels exactly like a corporate cash grab with interference. A lot of the IP itself is handled well, with nods to Minecraft culture. Some not so much, like the most polite creepers ever. The movie also doesn’t really do a good job of explaining why its characters would ever choose to leave the Overworld for the real world. You have two lonely kids, one in a bad job and the other in a bad school. A woman who seems to be hustling at multiple jobs that are tiring her out. A guy who is stuck in the past and would kill for a chance at some forward measure of success. Also, what happened to the diamonds they went out of their way for him to pocket? Steve also has no real reason to leave, as he seems to love where he is and has not tired of it. The only thing that made me see the sense in their choices was that the world didn’t inspire the level of joy that the game does and that is a shame.

Oh, and the post-credits sequel setup was weirdly done. It is clearly one person acting and another person speaking as Alex.

Silent Night (2021) 2.5/5

Categories 2.5/5, Comedy, Movie and Series Reviews, Thriller

Silent Night is a dark holiday drama that throws comedy, apocalyptic tones, and moral themes into a blender. The idea of the movie is interesting, and the cast is here for it, but the inconsistencies in how it is all dealt out—like how some characters get so little development—are what hold the movie back from being any sort of Christmas contender.

Some more commitment to being darkly humored, or to the melodrama it wants to be, would go a long way toward fully appreciating this English countryside slow-caper. The cast is not slouching, as I genuinely wanted to see more from some, but they never quite go far enough.

On the note of dialogue, abundance of expletives do little to fill the rooms here and it doesn’t really convey what I think was intended — a world that is ending, with societal shackles dropped. Especially when the movie flip-flops between the humor of maintaining a clean household and being nonchalant because, well, end of the world.

The staging, the aforementioned English countryside, holds a lot of opportunity but is little more than a place where the movie happens to occur. Silent Night never feels like it takes full advantage of what it has. The initial reveals of the where, who, and what are legitimately interest! This makes it all the more unfortunate that, in the end, the movie feels wasteful. So much promise meets an unfortunate ending that, in the final act, feels forced and sadly unsurprising.

 

Red One (2024) 2.5/5

Categories 2.5/5, Action, Comedy, Movie and Series Reviews

Shining brightest when leaning into unique ideas on mythology, Red One also does little with what it makes. That being said, Kristofer Hivju’s portrayal of Krampus is kind of awesome beyond the rest of the film. Unfortunately, Christmas magic seems to be missing from Red One. Visual effects, while serviceable, drain a lot of the movies energy with their overly abundant presence. You can feel the green screen imposing upon cheer, lurking. Like the sweet-sapping presentation of a “where it all began” sign, hanging off of a CGI creation of Santa’s original workshop.

Dwayne Johnson is Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans is Chris Evans with a little bit of Ryan Reynolds in spirit. Both of the leads are likable, but they do not leave such a mark as to feel attached to the movie in any irreproachable union. Watching Evans get rag-doll thrown around in action sequences feels awkward at times, lacking any special powers, and left me wondering if the film forgot he is not playing Captain America.

The movie is not a pure misfire like the poster would leave you to expect and I would never say it is a lump of coal, but it could be a padding gift at the bottom of a stocking. The originality is mishandled, but somehow the film still sneaks in as average. I credit Krampus and his large hands. If you are into action flicks and mindless holiday viewings, then maybe consider Red One. Just be prepared, because the movie runs about half an hour longer than it deserves.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) 4/5

Categories 4/5, Comedy, Family, Movie and Series Reviews, Musical

Brian Henson, the son of famed Muppets creator Jim Henson, has created one of the best renditions of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. It is played for all audiences, but this approach never holds back the movie and it certainly never feels like a movie that is talking down to its audience.

I reviewed another one of Brian Henson’s creations last year for Halloween. Battleground, an episode of the anthology Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, featured a hitman (William Hurt) locked in an exciting battle with toys. The best episode of the collection by far, it does not surprise me then that The Muppet Christmas Carol is also such a standout. The attention to detail is as rich with the Muppets, as actors and puppet-actors mix effortlessly and with joy.

Michael Caine’s role as Ebenezer Scrooge is also timeless. Caine is just purely delightful to watch, as his eyes and subtleties give life to the well worn shoes. Scrooge grabs onto the characters and world around him and it is sincere and elevates the movie. The face certainly is not the whole movie, but if you are going to be one of the few people-people in front of the camera then it is what you would hope for.

Oh and the sets. They are absolutely charming. The Henson name comes with an expectation, at least in my eyes, to be captivated in a kind of magic for the worlds involved. The Muppet Christmas Carol is no slouch either in this regard as the puppets you expect to see are all standouts. What is even better are the newer characters, creations to fill the three ghosts, as they are striking and fantastic camera tricks make them all the better.

Finally, as a light musical, what would it be if I did not touch on the songs. Paul Williams composed a wonderful assortment of songs that mostly plays well to its setting and feels ripped straight from Dickens pages. In fact, a quick scouring of the internet reveals that this was in fact how Williams went about it, turning the pages and finding the words. Just listen as the song Scrooge opens the film and hear the affection or enjoy the Marley brothers in one of my favorite scenes. I can see some people not connecting with everything, I didn’t, but buying into the intent means a lot here.

If you find yourself watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, you will feel the magic or you should be checked for a pulse.

Deadpool 2 (2018) 3.5/5

Categories 3.5/5, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Movie and Series Reviews, Sci-Fi

Deadpool 2 executes better than its predecessor, but it doesn’t really go far enough. The bond style intro with the Celine Dion original is fantastic and having a bit more of story this time went a long way. The gags are all a bit better and it feels more like a superhero movie with some teeth than the first flick did.

On its own it works well, but is also referential in mostly non-obstructive ways to the first flick.

Deadpool (2016) 3/5

Categories 3/5, Action, Comedy, Movie and Series Reviews

Deadpool coasts on the goodwill it gets from a few really funny scenes, but large parts of the movie are below average. Even a fourth wall breaking comic book character should have a solid story and interesting bad guys.

Dave (1993) 3/5

Categories 3/5, Comedy, Movie and Series Reviews, Romance

Everything is stretched a bit and nothing from beginning to end is a surprise, but it is very cute and sometimes you just want an easy movie. Frank Langella has a scene that takes the cake and is legitimately memorable.