'Carry-On' Reviews: Film Truly Take Flight

         On December 13, 2024, Netflix released 'Carry-On', which has earned predominantly positive reviews and a score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "A young TSA agent fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight." The ensemble cast includes Sofia Carson, Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, and Danielle Deadwyler. But what did the critics say?

        Nick Schager of The Daily Beast says, "The ’80s and ’90s were a golden age of high-octane action-thrillers, and that tradition is continued with exciting aplomb by Carry-On. Following two misguided forays into tentpole extravaganzas (Jungle Cruise, Black Adam), director Jaume Collet-Serra returns to the sort of terrain he successfully tilled with Liam Neeson in Unknown and Non-Stop via this fleet and clever tale of a TSA agent who finds himself blackmailed by a mysterious villain into letting a carry-on bag pass through security. A clockwork genre contraption that consistently devises new ways to keep its protagonist in do-or-die crisis, this breakneck Netflix offering confirms the enduring vitality of its chosen formula—and, in the process, proves an unexpected and welcome Yuletide streaming gift." Adding, "Bateman, meanwhile, channels his Ozark protagonist’s amorality for the cool, calm, and ruthlessly sociopathic Traveler, whose flat, business-like demeanor is reflected in his nondescript clothing and baseball cap. They make for a fine cat-and-mouse pair, and Deadwyler, Norris, and Logan Marshall-Green (as a Department of Homeland Security official assigned to assist Elena with her investigation) provide colorful, convincing support."

        Jim Vorel of Paste Magazine notes, "The result is a hamstrung thriller that feels cheaper than it should, like a feature-length episode of FOX’s 9-1-1, bogged down by a sense of malaise radiating outward from its protagonist in waves." Concluding, "Taron Egerton would no doubt very much appreciate it if you would take the bait and compare his new, holiday-adjacent Netflix action thriller Carry-On to Die Hard … or perhaps Die Hard 2, actually. And indeed, this is absolutely a vintage thriller in its DNA, perhaps more of a ‘90s homage than an ‘80s one; the kind of flick where a workaday white male schmuck has to rise to the occasion to thwart some seemingly omniscient bad guys while rediscovering the true meaning of … I don’t know, family? Christmas? Unpaid overtime? The point is, our protagonist learns a lesson, shoots some guys and emerges with his life and priorities newly sorted out. The only problem, of course, is that this vanishing breed of modestly budgeted thriller typically revolves almost entirely around the magnetic draw of a star whose easy confidence and charisma can make you fond of the character, even against your own will. And for whatever reason, Egerton is not that star for Carry-On, a film whose protagonist remains an awkward, unreadable cipher from start to finish, dragging down the stronger supporting work surrounding him. His “Ethan Kopek” feels like he should be a minor character in someone else’s film, rather than the star of his own."

        Mitchell Beaupre of The Film Stage praises the film, stating, "Carry-On keeps you on the edge of your seat with its myriad turns, always being sure to ground itself in realistic characters who offer the opportunity to question what we would do if presented with a similar scenario."

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        Matt Lynch of In Review Online was less impressed, stating, "Even lay viewers have seen this movie a dozen times, but there are still some cheap pleasures to be had with the back and forth between the mastermind and the hostage as Ethan continues desperate but clever attempts to either get someone’s attention and help or to foil the Traveler’s plans altogether. Those attempts almost unfailingly get somebody killed in addition to being increasingly implausible, but Collet-Serra at least keeps things mostly moving at a good clip. The film’s major problem, then, isn’t its familiarity, but its other parallel half, which features a police detective (Danielle Deadwyler) who finds herself investigating the Traveler and his goons, and whose exploits outside the airport grind the film’s momentum to a full stop. Forcing these twin storylines to inevitably intersect at Carry-On‘s end utterly destroys the pace of these crushingly overlong two hours. Collet-Serra clearly understands the assignment and delivers sturdy work, but any time the movie steps away from its core premise and contained setting, it crashes."

Do Not Sleep on 'Dream Productions'

         On December 11, 2024, Disney+ premiered 'Dream Productions', which quickly earned a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. In the series, "Riley's growing up and her Core Emotions are on the job helping her navigate, but now Paula faces a nightmare of her own; her signature combination of dreams featuring Rainbow Unicorn and copious amounts of glitter just isn't working anymore." The ensemble cast includes Paula Pell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Richard Ayoade, and Kensington Tallman. But what did the critics say?

        Nick Schager of The Daily Beast says, "A clever and compassionate look at another corner of its protagonist’s mind—as well as a playful critique of the filmmaking process." Adding, "It’s nice that Poehler, Black, Smith and Lapira participate in Dream Productions, although Joy and company’s roles in this adventure are peripheral. That’s ultimately no huge loss, as Pell and Ayoade’s winning vocal performances are lively and their characters’ saga is fleet and funny, wasting little time on superfluous asides or running bits into the ground."

       Grant Hermanns of Screen Rant praises the series, stating, "Pixar's Dream Productions is a very inventive twist on the Inside Out formula, though it does somewhat suffer from feeling a bit rushed for a TV show." Concluding, "Ultimately, one of the few things the show does have working against it is the pacing of its story, which feels rushed in its latter half. Not counting credits, Dream Productions hardly clocks in at a 100-minute runtime, about the same length as both Inside Out movies. While a TV show may not need to have a 20-plus-episode run, a lengthier runtime would've benefited the full arc of its story, which the Disney+ spinoff really needed, as Paula and Xeni's storylines race to their finish lines."

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       Tara Bennett of AV Club was less impressed, stating, "Let it be known that if a third Inside Out feature gets made and it’s revealed that franchise heroine Riley Andersen’s (Kensington Tallman) anxiety has gotten worse, pointing the blame at her messed-up dream world is going to be expected, if not required. In fact, Dream Productions might be the first Disney-produced title to establish as canon that Hollywood studio culture is an ouroboros of dysfunction that originates from a toxic mini studio existing in all of our heads.  Pixar’s Dream Productions is a bridging mockumentary miniseries set between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2. Developed alongside the recent sequel, this series benefits from the animators getting full access to these updated characters and environments to make a really attractive streaming series that doesn’t look like it was made on the cheap. Unfolding like a side mission in the overall story of Riley’s young life, Dream Productions gives audiences a little more time with her as she’s growing up and trying to figure it all out. However, as a concept, its overall thesis that our dreams are produced by a brain-based “studio” that’s just as capricious and soul-crushingly focused on results as the real Hollywood is too meta for most kids to understand. Worse, it goes too far afield from the franchise’s mandate that Riley’s Emotions are always her biggest cheerleaders." Concluding, "That said, there are a couple of really well-executed musical numbers that elicit the exhilaration of a truly memorable dream. Also, the show’s construct of how a dream translates into Riley’s awareness—the camera is Riley—gets points for originality. The more comedic dreams (there’s an ’80s-inspired, David-Lynch-meets-The-Cure one, as well as a crush-focused sequence that unfolds like a Canadian rom-com) land nicely too. Character-wise, Ayoade’s signature style of line reading mixed with Xeni’s design and eccentric look make him a standout amongst a rather tepid ensemble that never reaches the success of the Core Emotions’ chemistry.  On the whole, Dream Productions is a fun idea that gets a bit derailed by its Hollywood setting and mockumentary format. And the meta playground of a studio backlot devolves too much into the negative with personal politicking and self-serving career ambitions. The Riley of it all is supposed to be the whole point of this wing of her subconscious. But that often gets subsumed when the series veers into a tame version of Robert Altman’s The Player."  

Sixth Season of 'What We Do in the Shadows' Divides Critics

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         On October 21, 2024, the sixth season of 'What We Do in the Shadows' premiered on FX, earning a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. For those who have yet to see the show, it "is a documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of four vampires who've "lived" together for hundreds of years in Staten Island.The self-appointed leader of the group is Nandor the Relentless, a great warrior and conqueror from the Ottoman Empire. Then there's the British vampire Laszlo -- a bit of a rogue and a dandy and a fop, he might say. He's a lover of mischief and a great soirée, but not as much as he loves seeing Nandor fail miserably in every attempt. And then there's Nadja: the seductress, the temptress, the vampiric Bonnie to Laszlo's Clyde. Also cohabiting in the vampire household is Guillermo, Nandor's familiar; and Colin Robinson, an energy vampire and day-walker of sorts -- he feasts on humans, but not on their blood." The ensemble cast includes Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Kristen Schaal, and Mark Proksch. But what did the critics say?

        BJ Colangelo of Slashfilm says, "Nandor is forced to be a bit more independent, Guillermo isn't enabling those around him, and without a human to boss around, Laszlo has to find something else to do to fill his time when he's not hunting or being horny. On that note, if Matt Berry isn't rightfully awarded an Emmy for the final season of "What We Do In the Shadows," I will personally do a s*** on all of the graves of those who failed to recognize his brilliance. No disrespect to Jeremy Allen White who has been dominating in the Lead Actor in a Comedy category for "The Bear," but Matt Berry is legitimately the funniest actor currently on TV, and the lack of acknowledgment feels downright criminal. He's already firing on all cylinders for season 6, and Laszlo's antics are some of the best they've been in the entire series. He and Colin Robinson spend much more time together than usual, and I now need someone to greenlight a new series inspired by "The Odd Couple" starring Berry and Proksch."

        Brennan Klein of Screen Rant notes, "What We Do in the Shadows season 6 features a sharp-as-ever cast, but the humor and plotting don't rise to their level as frequently as in the past."

        Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com was less impressed, stating, "In its sixth season, the existence of “What We Do in the Shadows” still feels like something we’ve taken for granted. The FX mockumentary had much to prove when it premiered in 2019, coming off the cult following of the 2014 film of the same name. Despite the time between the two, the series quickly found its footing, cultivating a dedicated fanbase and 29 Emmy nominations. Year after year, the series evolved beyond its predecessor through characters whose identities shaped the show and an ensemble cast who continue to give fantastic comedic performances throughout the show’s six seasons.In an age where shows are canceled before they can garner an audience, a show like “What We Do in the Shadows” being able to exist for six seasons feels like a miracle. The blending of comedy and horror is nearly absent in modern television, and with each season, it feels like this may be the only series that has truly mastered it. But now, the critically acclaimed series is ending, and as FX prepares for a bittersweet sendoff, it has unfortunately run into some glaring problems that cannot go unchecked." Concluding, "The splintering off of these characters and their ideals feels like it should have happened two seasons ago. With the knowledge that this is the show’s final season, it feels as if none of this burgeoning change truly matters, as these characters will cease to exist before the year is over. While only three episodes were shown to critics, the ones viewed exhibit that this is a show that no longer knows who it‘s catering to. It’s nice to get a conclusion in which storylines can be assumed to be wrapped up neatly, but in the meantime, it feels like “What We Do in the Shadows” should have ended while it was still going strong. A dynamic cast can only carry a series for so long, and unfortunately, that ship has long sailed with this one."

'The Penguin' Reviews: "A must-watch! A thrilling expansion & exploration of Oswald Cobblepot & Matt Reeves' corrupt & violent Gotham City"

         On September 19, 2024, Max premiered 'The Penguin', which has earned rave reviews and currently holds at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. "The next chapter in The Batman saga, this crime drama follows Oz Cobb’s quest for power and control in Gotham City." The Critics Consensus reads, "Depicting Gotham through bone-breaking punches rather than popping onomatopoeia, The Penguin is a grounded crime saga given gravitas by Colin Farrell and a scene-stealing Cristin Milioti." The ensemble cast includes Berto Colon, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Myles Humphus. But what did the critics say?

        Daniel Fienberg of Hollywood Reporter was less impressed, stating, "I’m not saying HBO’s The Penguin is derivative, but it’s the second TV show in less than six months in which Colin Farrell plays a character obsessed with the glamour of black-and-white Old Hollywood movies — specifically using clips from Gilda to evoke nostalgia for a period that our hero is too young to have experienced firsthand, a poignant yearning for a world with mystique and morality that no longer exist."

        Christian Holub of Entertainment Weekly notes, "It manages to tell an entertaining crime saga without leaning too much on the absent Dark Knight -- although it still ends up falling prey to some of the weaknesses inherent in Batman adaptations."    

        Fico Cangiano of CineXpress praises the limited series, stating, "A must-watch! A thrilling expansion & exploration of Oswald Cobblepot & Matt Reeves' corrupt & violent Gotham City. A highly entertaining street-level gangster drama that delivers. Colin Farrell is phenomenal. Perfect before TB2."

       Aramide Tinubu of Variety writes, “The Penguin” is set one week after the events of Matt Reeves’ 2022 movie “The Batman,” but it would be too simplistic to call it a villain origin story. Instead, HBO’s limited series — created by Lauren LeFranc — revolves around the rise of Oz “the Penguin” Cobb (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell), whose fixation on power blossoms into something so grotesque it becomes uncontainable. A masterful examination of criminality, the show is twisted, disturbing and deeply enthralling. LeFranc’s robust narrative picks up after the Riddler’s attack on Gotham in the film. With the most vulnerable and underprivileged neighborhoods in the city decimated, and Oz’s boss Carmine Falcone dead, Oz decides this is the perfect time to strike. Quickly piecing together a risky, poorly thought-out plan, he begins seizing control of the underworld while the Falcones scramble to restructure and maintain their decades-long hold on Gotham. Though sinister in his thinking and boasting a gift for gab, Oz fails to anticipate two things as he works feverishly to propel himself to the top. The first is an encounter with Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a teenager displaced by the floods, whom Oz initially intends to scare but instead takes under his wing. The second is the return of Sofia Falcone (a mesmerizing Cristin Milioti), whom Oz used to drive when he worked for Carmine. Sofia’s release from Arkham Asylum on the eve of her father’s murder isn’t something that even Oz could have prepared for." Adding, "Despite losing so much in the Riddler’s attack, Vic is gentle-hearted and fearful, and has a stutter. Yet Oz senses something in his new protégé that once brewed inside him — a desire to fit in somewhere. Oz uses Vic’s vulnerability to build a bond with him. Across eight episodes, their father-son relationship showcases glimmers of who Oz could have been if Gotham and his mother, Francis (a fantastic performance by Tony winner Deirdre O’Connell), hadn’t hardened him long before he reached manhood. Feliz brings such tenderness to Vic that in spite of the heinous activities he participates in, the viewer can readily forget how diabolical Oz’s plans are."

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