Author Archives: tldrmoviereviews

The Bad Guys 2 – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A film full of energetic characters, stunning animation, and a wonderful, uplifting vibe that permeated every part of the story.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

The Bad Guys driving a car out of a building.

The Bad Guys 2 Review Introduction –

Back in 2022, Dreamworks Animation was in a bit of a creative quandary. It had just finished up its Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon series, but then it kind of just floundered for a while. But then The Bad Guys happened. It was an explosion of energy in a way the studio hadn’t found in the past years. But it was also stepping into a brand-new animation style that blended 2D and 3D styles into something that perfectly understood the medium they were adapting. We dipped back into this world with The Bad Guys: Little Lies and Alibis earlier in the year, but I am glad to say that it is time to dive into the sequel I have been waiting for.


So, to set the scene, ever since the events of The Bad Guys where the team of Mr Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr Snake (Marc Maron), Mr Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Mr Shark (Craig Robinson), and Ms Tarantula (Awkwafina) turned good to stop the master villain Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade). They have been serving their time and trying to reemerge in society. But they can’t find a job, because everyone thinks that they are just undercover waiting to rob everyone. This is made more complicated when the Phantom Bandit starts robbing the city of all its MacGuffinite in the style of The Bad Guys. What’s worse: being blamed for a crime you didn’t commit, or knowing someone’s out there copying your old moves? Well, The Bad Guys need to get to the bottom of this before Governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) and police commissioner Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein) must act.

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The Roses – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A film built entirely on the chemistry of Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, which is a fundamentally good idea. But then the film makes several choices that make you pause.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

The Roses Review Introduction –

Unfortunately, 2025 has not been kind to the satirical Dark Comedy, with many noted filmmakers falling in the attempt to capture that vibe. With film after film falling in its wake. However, can a remake of a classic from 1989 find its footing? Well, to pull that off, you would need to cast two leads with impeccable chemistry and bring it into the 21st century, but there is a chance you can pull it off.    

So, to set the scene, Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Olivia Colman) are both professionals working in London and being held back by their respective bosses. However, fate brought them together one day, and the chemistry was instant, so instant that they took a gamble to fly off to California after one meeting. Ten years later, they are married with twins, and Ivy has put her career on hold to raise the family. But when a calamity strikes and Theo is fired, Ivy steps up to take the slack, working in her new restaurant. It is a complete 180° shift in their marriage dynamic, which I am sure will have no lasting repercussions.   

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Twisted Metal: Season 2 – TV Review

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TL;DR – The mayhem was increased, but I am not sure it had the same impact as the first season.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series.

End Credit Scene – NUY3ARZ has a mid and end credit scene.

Calypso.

Twisted Metal Review Introduction –

I was intrigued when they first announced they were doing an adaptation of Twisted Metal. Its chaotic nature seemed tailor-made for television, provided the adaptation didn’t dilute its core. Also, there was just enough of a narrative framework lurking in the background to give you something to hang your story on, but not enough that you are stuck telling someone else’s vision. The First Season had its flaws, but it sold a world. Now I am looking to see if Season Two can build on that.

So, to set the scene, 20 years ago, the world fell apart as a virus destroyed the world’s computers. This apocalyptic event split the world in two. Some walled themselves up inside cities, and for those who got booted outside, a lawless void awaited. But there is intrigue on the horizon, because the enigmatic Calypso (Anthony Carrigan) has called a tournament. Anyone with a car can enter, but the last one standing will get any wish they desire. It is a possibility that no one can turn down. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Honey Don’t! – Movie Review

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Honey Don’t! – No matter how much style, Honey Don’t! has, and it has a lot, none of that makes up for the hollow narrative that meanders around before realising it needs to finish at some point.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is an audio sting at the end of the credits, but it’s not something you need to stay for.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress

HNYDONT number plate on a car.

Honey Don’t! Introduction –

Today, we are looking at a film that is confounding. Honey Don’t! has style, is filled with a strong cast, and an interesting setting. Throw in one of the Coen brothers, and this should have been absolute gold. But no matter what they threw at the screen, none of it stuck. To the point where it is almost interesting just how much it misses the mark
 
So, to set the scene, we arrive at a car crash, a lady drove over an embankment and ended up at the bottom of a canyon. Oddly, police detective Marty Metakawich (Charlie Day) from homicide is there, but why is Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley), a private investigator, on the scene? Well, for you see Mia (Kara Petersen), who is now dead, we assume, was a potential client of Honey’s, and the question remains: was she killed before she could talk?   

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Peacemaker: The Ties That Grind [S2E1]– TV Review

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TL;DR: A wild and weird welcome back to one of the oddest entries into the superhero genre.  

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure: I paid for the HBO Max subscription that viewed this series

Post-Credit Scene: There is an end-credit scene.

Peacemaker Title Card.

Peacemaker Introduction:

Back in 2022, one of the oddest moments in the modern comic era happened: in the midst of all of its serious problems, as the DC Studio was falling apart, film after film, they decided to put out a TV series around one of the less-liked characters from the Suicide Squad films. What made it even odder is that it kind of worked, with a level of charm that managed to undercut its many issues. Well, it may have helped get James Gunn the job in the big chair and changed the direction of a multi-billion-dollar media empire, but after a cameo in Superman, it is time to dive back into Peacemaker.  

So, to set the scene, in the time since the end of the first season of Peacemaker, things have not quite worked out for many of our characters. Many of them had been blacklisted and can’t get work anymore, and Chris Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) is still working through the trauma of having to kill his very racist and unpleasant father, Auggie (Robert Patrick). But what happens when you are at your lowest and temptation strikes? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – What is Starfleet? [S3E7] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An experiment that has its frustrating points but is made better with one of the best performances in Star Trek history.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ streaming service that viewed this episode. 

In Accordance with the United Federation of Planets " Freedom of Information Act" This documentary includes security footage that has been declassified by Starfleet Command in the spirt of Transparency"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Introduction –

One of the lingering plot points that has been bubbling away since Wedding Bell Blues is that Beto Ortegas (Mynor Luken) is going to film a documentary. What kind of documentary he’d make has been debated. In a world where ‘following orders’ faces growing scrutiny, it feels like a timely reminder.    

So, to set the scene, the USS Enterprise has been tasked by Starfleet to lend aid to the Lutani, a people that had been previously hostile-adjacent to the Federation, but who are now under attack from the nearby Kasar people trying to lay claim to their home system and all its resources. Millions have died. However, there is a quandary with The Enterprise’s orders; they have to deliver ‘supplies’, obviously weapons, but also help escort the Jikaru, which is an ethical time bomb waiting to go off. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Primitive War – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Few films can sell me on a premise alone, but what if Dinosaurs were in the Vietnam War is 100% the way to go about it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There are mid-credit scenes.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Warning – Contains scenes with flashing lights.

A boat glides up a Vietnamese river.

Primitive War Introduction –

Every now and again, you find a film that has been laser-focused on your interests. For me, you must work to make me not interested once you have mentioned the word dinosaurs. Start with the premise ‘what if dinosaurs suddenly showed up in the middle of the Vietnam War’, now you don’t just have my interest, you have my full attention

So, to set the scene, it is 1968, and the Vietnam War is in full swing. In the middle of the war, a Green Beret platoon was sent into a jungle valley to find out what the Russians were doing there, only for none of them to return, and a final radio call was cut off halfway through. General Amadeus Jericho (Jeremy Piven) needs the information the recon team collected. Still, he can’t have it known, so he sends in the Vulture Squad led by Ryan Baker (Ryan Kwanten), as they are a bunch of misfits. They find the remains of the Green Berets, but also an unusually large feather. It is clear that the Green Berets were not able to finish their recon before they were taken out, so the Vulture Squad trek into the jungle to find the Russian base, not realising what might be waiting, hiding, stalking in the bushes.  

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Nobody 2 – Movie Review

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TL;DR – While it does not hit as hard as the first Nobody, Home Alone in an amusement park, when you can kill those after you, is a solid hook.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There are photos in the credits.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Hutch waits for the kill.

Nobody 2 Introduction –

Back in 2021, we saw a genre being born, where we discovered that if you wanted to ace the John Wick action style and transport it into different franchises, then you got the people who made John Wick to do it. Thus, Nobody smashed its way through many competitors and solidified Derek Kolstad and 87North Productions as one of the kings of modern action films. Now, the question is whether that can strike lightning twice with an old, grumpy man trying to live his life.

So, to set the scene, ever since the events in the first film, Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) has had to keep working for the Barber (Colin Salmon) to pay off his debt. While he is working to help his family, it takes him away from them most of the time, as shown in the carefully crafted montage at the start of the film. Things are getting to the breaking point with the family when Hutch decides that he needs to have a vacation, to reconnect with his family, and to take them to somewhere that is special to him, Plummerville. Nostalgia might have been doing a lot of the heavy work. Still, the family make the most of the odd amusement park and tourist town, until a confrontation in an arcade sees someone hit Hutch’s daughter Sammy (Paisley Cadorath). It does not matter if his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), wants him to de-escalate, or if he is being a bad role model for his son Brady (Gage Munroe); you don’t hit one of his children. I sure hope this guy is not connected to corrupt cops (Colin Hanks), a corrupt mayor (John Ortiz), and a ruthless smuggler (Sharon Stone), because things could escalate quickly if that were the case.

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Outbreak – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Outbreak shows early promise, but weak character work and mounting frustrations prevent its ending from landing as intended.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I sent a screener of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Outbreak Introduction –

2025 continues to be a standout year for the old Zombie romp. We have old franchises return with 28 Years Later, The Last of Us came out swinging with its second season, and even Star Trek has had a try. – Despite the crowded field, there’s always room for a surprise and Outbreak came close.  

So, to set the scene, Neil Morris (Billy Burke) is a local ranger at Mourning Rock State Park, going on what they thought was a routine callout to a dog with rabies. But Neil is not at ease with what is going on, as this is the third dog in weeks to become infected, which is made worse by the fact that Chief Mike Cortez (Raoul Max Trujillo) got bitten by the dog in the scuffle and Neil is still dealing with the death/disappearance of his son Ben (Kylr Coffman). But as Neil was out walking in the state park, he was attacked by a woman in partial decomposition, and she was not alone, as screams of others puncture the day.

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Foundation: The Shape of Time [S3E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A calamity of events comes crashing together like a wave hitting a cliff wall.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that used to view this episode.

Hari's shrine opens again.

Foundation Introduction –

When I first started watching the third season of Foundation with A Song for the End of Everything, I was concerned they would be trying to force all of The Mule’s story into this one season. I still have those concerns, but as the season leans into a more schlocky vibe, I have been more intrigued to see where they go.  

So, to set the scene, calamity is erupting across the galaxy, much stemming from the work of The Mule (Pilou Asbæk). He has put the plans of the Foundation, Second Foundation, Traders, and Empire into chaos, and could have put the human race on the path to its extinction. But the one person that The Mule is obsessed with is now in sight, which is not good news for that person, Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell). Even worse news for Gaal is that she has picked up an unwanted visitor on her ship, Demerzel (Laura Birn), the last robot left in the galaxy, and she is not happy. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

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