Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) - Movie Review

In the wake of Justin Roiland being brought in on felonycharges, and the widespread sharing of some… worrying interactions with underage fans, there have been concerns about what this will mean for the future of Rick & Morty (We’ll ignore the fact that the status of fiction in the wake of potential real-world shittiness shouldn’t be the main concern). After the news that he had been let go from the show where he voices the two main characters, and has had a major role in shaping what the show is and has become, I have seen worry that his booting will end up kneecapping the show. That his brand of thoroughly abrasive meme humour is what makes the show worth watching (I’d argue that it’s the writing that does that, but we’ll get to that), and that without him, the show would be muted and gutless. I have no real stake in this fight, even as someone who is still a fan of Rick & Morty, but judging by how this film turned out, I’m starting to realise that worries of a PG-13 Rick & Morty not working have some validity to them.

Mute (2018) - Movie Review

 

The only thing worse than a bad idea is a good idea used badly. And in the realms of science fiction, the inherent freedom of the genre allows for a wealth of possibilities for stories to tell. However, as I have unfortunately gotten into before like with Self/Less and Downsizing, there’s a difference between having possibilities and actually making them pay off. With writer/director Duncan Jones’ latest, we see one of the more bewildering examples of this in action.

Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018) - Movie Review

The plot: Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), while under house arrest after his actions in Captain America: Civil War, gets a mysterious vision connected to his mentors Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). As he risks further imprisonment to see them, he discovers that this vision may be the key Pym and Van Dyne need to rescue Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Pym's wife, Hope's mother and the original Wasp. As Scott once again prepares to enter the Quantum Realm, new villains lay in wait to take Pym's technology for their own purposes.

Ideal Home (2018) - Movie Review

The plot: Celebrity chef Erasmus (Steve Coogan) and his producer and partner Paul (Paul Rudd) have their lives interrupted when a child (Jack Gore) arrives at their front door claiming to be Erasmus' grandson. As they struggle to accommodate the new arrival, and each other, Erasmus and Paul find themselves in a reluctant but eventually warming position of being the two dads of the child. Whether they want to stay this way remains to be seen.

Nerdland (2017) - Movie Review

Already this year, I have gone into detail on my favourite director and my favourite actor. Well, considering how I exist as a series of words on a page, it only fits to reason that I would eventually get to my favourite screenwriter. And chances are, even if you don’t know the specific name, you have seen his work before. Ladies and gentlemen and others, may I present the one, the only, Andrew Kevin Walker.

 

As a writer, the man doesn’t just create stories; he creates breathing universes for them to inhabit. His best-known work as the writer of David Fincher’s Se7en had him give so much detail to an unnamed city that it became a character in its own right, one whose soul had to be fought for by the characters. No other writer that I have come across has shown such prowess at world-building and story detail, always being able to scratch that particular itch for me.

 

Naturally, with all this in mind, I’ve been keeping an ear out for when his latest film would become available over here in Australia; dude’s been quiet for a few years now and, even though films like John Wick have served well along the same lines of narrative dimension, I need my AKW fix. So, how does his latest venture turn out?

Sausage Party (2016) - Movie Review

I once again find myself in a position similar to that when I reviewed Vacation, where I am under the impression that I could watch virtually anything as a follow-up and it’s bound to be a step-up from what I saw previously. While my opinion on Lights Out has been softened slightly in light of its rewrite, make no mistake, I still hate that piece of trash. So, I figured I’d actively go out and find a film I was really looking forward to, and this was certainly it. I’ve made my point about how much I’ve come to appreciate the films produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, but this might have one of the most striking trailers I’ve seen all year. Like, on par if not better than the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane, which turned out to be one of the best films of the year so far. Now, with how family-friendly animated films have really taken on board the idea of appealing everyone in said family with more mature story-telling and a basic level of respect for its audiences, I would normally question if making an R-rated animated film is even necessary in today’s day and age. As I’m about to get into, that question got answered in the best way possible.

Ant-Man (2015) - Movie Review

As my review for Magic Mike XXL demonstrated, knowledge about a film’s production history can create an unfortunate preconception about said film. However, unlike that instance, there is legitimate reason for concern this time around. Edgar Wright, AKA the guy behind the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy and easily one of the best filmmakers working today, was originally slated to direct and co-write this film. Then, word hit that he was leaving the project due to ‘creative differences’ and the script he and Joe Cornish had put together was re-worked by Paul Rudd and the guy who wrote Talladega Nights. This is like being offered a gourmet pizza and ending up with a hot dog-stuffed crust. Still, between Marvel’s relatively high standards and the fact that Wright’s fingerprints are apparently still on the script, there's still a chance that this could all work out for the best.