'Creature Commandos' is an Animated Hit

        On December 5, 2024, Max released 'Creature Commandos', which has earned rave reviews from critics and a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "A black ops team is formulated out of prisoners, laying the foundatoin for the Suicide Squad." The ensemble cast includes Viola Davis, Zoe Chao, Sean Gunn, Indira Varma, Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Maria Bakalova, and Alan Tudyk. Read the full review round-up below. 

Photograph by Courtesy of Max

        Tyler Robertson of IGN Movies says, "James Gunn’s classic recipe of lovable weirdos, great music, and lots of jokes and violence is on full display, but in a new, fresh way that’s presented well in animation." Adding, "The performances are an across-the-board highlight here, even those from actors more accustomed to live-action projects. Grillo and Varma are the deep-in-character standouts, but Zoë Chao and Viola Davis do great work as Nina Mazursky and Amanda Waller, respectively, and Alan Tudyk and Sean Gunn are well suited for their various roles. David Harbour doesn’t always hit the sweet spot as the curt and aloof yet irrationally immature Eric Frankenstein, but that might be more about the writing for the lovestruck monster. But when it works, it works, and it’ll be interesting to see how these characters are translated to live-action – according to Gunn, the actors will reprise their roles in other corners of the DCU."

       Jarrod Jones of AV Club notes, "Even with all these messy feelings and messier body parts flying around, Gunn’s monster mash achieves the level of gravitas it so often seeks. Even when he’s running in circles, the guy still knows how to deliver cheap thrills." Continuing, "Gunn, ever adept at pulling compelling beats from the most absurd characters, made the Guardians of the Galaxy a household name simply by giving space aliens motivations we understood, which is also why Creature Commandos works as well as it does. What motivates a supervillain is only a cliché if the writer lets it be, and Gunn is too canny a storyteller, too fascinated by the make and psychology of these esoteric freaks and geeks to let their stories be generic. So, Gunn takes detours from the series’ pandemonium to explore the Commandos’ origins, painting a vivid picture of who these oddballs are and why they’re so willing to march to Waller’s drum. (For most, it’s redemption by hellfire.) Even Tudyk’s cackling radioactive man gets a tragic backstory that explains why he’s so picky about when, where, and how he uses those melting powers of his. He may have a permanent rictus grin, but he ain’t smiling."

       Reuben Baron of Looper.com writes, "Gunn knows how to keep this material entertainingly twisted while still treating his silly characters with emotional sincerity. The only major downside is that the show is doing almost nothing new." Concluding, "Fans looking for clues as to the future of the DCU will find some potential Easter eggs relating to bigger-name superheroes, but will leave with many more questions about what the rest of the cinematic universe will look and feel like. "Creature Commandos" feels like a solid preview of the tone of the TV-MA "Peacemaker" Season 2-slash-"Waller" segment of the DCU, largely because it's completely in line with "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker" Season 1 segment of the DCEU. But there's no way Gunn's "Superman" movie will be a tonal match for "Creature Commandos" — not when some uncomfortable scenes here border on the edge of Gunn's "Super."

'Teddy's Christmas' is a Holiday Delight

         On December 1, 2024, with a streaming release two days later, Capelight Pictures and Blue Fox Entertainment released 'Teddy's Christmas', which proved to be an unexpected holiday delight. In the film, "While visiting a Christmas market in her Norwegian town, eight-year-old Mariann suddenly sees an unbelievable sight: on the top shelf of a carnival game booth, the most adorable stuffed teddy bear has just moved his head and sneezed. Feeling an instant connection with the living stuffed-animal, Mariann can't think of any better Christmas wish than to win him as a prize. But when someone else wins Teddy, it's up to him and his new hedgehog friend, Bolla, to reconnect with Mariann and discover the true importance of family and friendship." The ensemble cast includes Zachary Levi, Marte Klerck-Nilssen, and Jan Gunnar Røise. But what did the critics say?

        Leslie Felperin of Guardian says, "Teddy has a “B” plot adventure as he is bought by an international man of mystery and meets a chatty plush hedgehog, while Mariann learns why breaking and entering is wrong, a life lesson surely all parents will get behind. Grandparents come to visit, little brother has an existential crisis over whether Santa is really his father, his actual dad (Jan Gunnar Røise) takes a bravura pratfall over the newly decorated Christmas tree, and mum (Mariann Hole, sporting a truly gorgeous teased-up tousled blond bob) manages not to burn the rice pudding. This one has all the Norwegian drama of Yuletide in one tidy package, yes sir. If you are not a child under the age of eight or nine, you may find yourself distracted by scrutinising how the film-makers have tried to disguise the disconnect between the actors speaking their original Norwegian and the requirement to dub into other languages. This means no one’s mouth is visible for too long, and if possible moustaches are deployed to disguise lip movements. Obviously, that doesn’t work so well between children and women, so they mug a lot for the camera in order to distract attention from their mouths. The animation, incidentally, is seamlessly executed and quite charming."

Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash

       Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru notes, "Co-screenwriters Lars Gudmestad and Harald Rosenløw-Eeg keep the plot simple, easy-to-follow and lighthearted. Young children will be enchanted and amused. However, older audiences looking for something as witty and entertaining for the whole family along the lines of Paddington won't find much to hold their interest. What makes the teddy bear so magical, you ask? It's alive and can speak. Beyond that and how cute it looks, there's nothing really that special about it. Marianne spots it at the Christmas market and instantly forms a bond with it which fuels her desire to have it all for herself. The teddy bear goes on a bit of an adventure as well as it meets a hedgehog named Bolla. His adventures aren't very exciting, though. That said Teddy's Christmas does have some uplifting messages about the importance of family, friendship, the spirit of Christmas, joy and the power of one's imagination. Teddy's Christmas is presented in a version that's dubbed in English; the original is in Hungarian. That's a double-edged sword because, on the one hand, it makes the film accessible to children who wouldn't be able to read English subtitles. On the other hand, though, the dubbing is very subpar and clunky except for the voice of Zachary Levi. The pace moves briskly, there's some lively music and the decent CGI effects, but in terms of production values there's nothing exceptional that stands out. Perhaps Teddy's Christmas would've worked better as an entirely animated film like the recent Glisten and the Merry Mission which would pair well with it in a double feature. At a running time of just 1 hour and 20 minutes, Teddy's Christmas is a wholesome, harmless and enchanting adventure that will delight and amuse young audiences."

'Beatles '64' Revisits an Iconic Time

         On November 29, 2024, Disney+ released 'Beatles '64', which has earned rave reviews from critics, earning a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the documentary, "On February 7, 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. Beatles '64 presents the spectacle, but also tells a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame." But what did the critics say?

       Owen Gleiberman of Variety says, "The powerful pull of Beatles 64... is that it takes this fabled, high-swoon moment of pop-music history, almost all of which we now view through a mythological lens, and humanizes it in an exhilarating way." Adding, "Another thing that sets “Beatles ’64” apart is that the film is full of incisive commentary: latter-day reminiscences by several of those fans, as well as meditations on the meaning of it all by figures like David Lynch, Joe Queenan, Jamie Bernstein, and Smokey Robinson, who speaks with fierce perception about the nature of women’s unguarded emotionalism in dictating the shape of pop-music culture. Whether it’s Jamie Bernstein (Leonard’s daughter) talking about how she dragged the family TV into the dining room to watch the Sullivan show, or David Lynch evoking what it is that music like that of the early Beatles does to you, or Betty Friedan, in an old TV clip, speaking with daunting eloquence about how the Beatles incarnated a new vision of masculinity that threw over the old clenched model, these testimonials color in the consuming quality of our collective passion for the Fab Four."

       David Ehrlich of indieWire notes, "Though it’s much shorter than [The Beatles: Get Back], Tedeschi’s 106-minute film operates on much the same principle: It never feels the least bit new or necessary, and yet almost every second of it sparks the joy of a genuine revelation."

Photo by Minha Baek on Unsplash

        Pat Mullen of POV Magazine praises the film, stating, Tedeschi and Scorsese, a regular presence in the contemporary footage, underscore the positive impact of the Beatles through concerts. Shows in Washington D.C. and Miami Beach that followed the Ed Sullivan appearance offer more screaming fans wailing in ecstasy at the sight of four dapper dudes bopping on stage. Sound engineer Giles Martin mixes and restores this material especially well. The high-pitched frequency of fans’ delight benefits from contemporary remastering. Moreover, the consideration of fandom resonates especially as Taylor Swift winds down her Eras tour, evoking memories of Beatlemania wherever she goes. This doc’s a reward for all the parents who braved The Eras Tour in person or on film. Both docs could bridge generational divides and inspire parents and their kids to be more forgiving of musical tastes. Call 1964 “The Beatles Era.” Where Beatles ’64 proves most interesting, though, is in its look outside Beatlemania. An interview with Ronnie Spector early in the film sees the Ronettes’ singer remember the event. She tells how the Ronettes visited the Beatles’ hotel and helped them escape the throngs of fans. Spector says she brought them to Harlem where they could chow down on ribs and barbeque without worry. Nobody in Harlem, Spector says, recognized the Beatles or cared if they did. It’s a nice humanising story about these young celebrities. But it’s also a telling account of the racial divides in cultural consciousness. Like many music docs, Beatles ’64 considers how music bridges races and cultures. Interviewees like Smokey Robinson, for example, talk about shared influences and visibility. But especially humorous is 16mm footage of interviews on the streets of Harlem being asked about the Beatles. Some of the girls love them, but most of the passersby say they don’t give a toot about the Beatles. They prefer Coltrane." Adding, "Lennon grasps this complexity of Beatlemania in an archival interview that closes the film. No one band defines a generation. He says the Beatles were on the same ship as the Rolling Stones and company—they just spotted America first. The rest is history—toe-tapping, ageless history." 

'Dear Santa' Deserves a Lump of Coal

         On November 25, 2024, Paramount+ released 'Dear Santa', which quickly established itself as one of the biggest disappointments of the year with a score of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays. From the hilarious minds behind DUMB & DUMBER, Christmas is about to go up in flames." The ensemble cast includes Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Post Malone, Hayes MacArthur, and Brianne Howey. But what did the critics say? 

        Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter says, "It should hardly come as a revelation that Black’s hardworking comedic efforts are the film’s saving grace." Adding, "Adopting a deep growl that makes him sound like late-period Jack Nicholson, the actor is clearly having a ball with his colorful role, and the fun proves infectious. He makes the many bad jokes bearable and the decent ones even funnier with his typically manic, perfectly timed delivery. And to be fair, there are a few decent ones in the screenplay co-written by Peter Farrelly and Ricky Blitt (Family Guy, Loudermilk), even if it inevitably includes bathroom humor in the form of Satan casting a gastrointestinal distress spell on Liam’s obnoxious English teacher (P.J. Byrne). “Every time a grown man sharts himself, a demon earns its horns,” a smug Satan informs Liam. There are several funny pop culture references that should please adults while befuddling the target audience, including a reference to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Satan announcing that he’s staying at the “Redrum Motor Lodge.”

        Matthew Jackson of AV Club notes, "If Christmas movies can’t be good, they can usually at least be pleasant distractions. Dear Santa is neither. It’s a regrettable film, one that wasn’t ever worth the wordplay that started it." Continuing, "Farrelly and Blitt’s script, which feels like someone chopped it up and remixed it at least once somewhere along the way, meanders between wild adventure (like a drawn-out concert sequence that lets Liam shine in front of his crush) and utter, unspeakable darkness (like the tragedy that recently befell Liam’s family). It pushes into edgier, more traditional Farrelly brothers territory just for a moment, then pulls back into cutesy, stilted family fun the next. One moment encapsulates that seesaw tone perfectly: Satan offers a substitute for a swear word because, for some reason, he decides he shouldn’t cuss around a kid, then just a few sentences later decides to swear anyway. Dear Santa is a movie at war with itself, constantly pushing and pulling between two or more contrasting vibes, never finding a balance and, worse, never feeling like it ever cared about a balance."

Photo by Brian Suh on Unsplash

        Jesse Hassenger of IGN Movies writes, "It’s a surefire premise perhaps best-suited to a Tales from the Crypt holiday special: A sweet-natured sixth-grader named Liam (Robert Timothy Smith) writes a letter to Santa, only he accidentally addresses it to “Satan” – and thus dutifully materializes a genuine demon, ready to get Liam whatever he wants for the low, low cost of his soul. Maybe this idea could’ve worked as a Tenacious D music video, especially with master showman Jack Black playing the Devil himself. But Black also has a lucrative side hustle in kid-friendly entertainment (or is it his main deal, these days?), so Dear Santa is, in fact, a family movie – albeit one salty enough to be made by the Farrelly brothers. Their trademark mix of the juvenile and the good-hearted should’ve made them well-suited to crafting a kiddie crowd pleaser, but while their trademark crude-and-sweet mixture remains, Dear Santa falls well short of their own comedy high-watermarks, and can’t even muster the kiddie crowd-pleaser that might have been." Adding, "Dear Santa takes its seemingly irresistible premise – a sweetly earnest middle-schooler asking for Santa Claus but getting a resplendent demon played by Jack Black – and never does better than toy with it. Rather than follow in the vein of classic Farrelly Brothers comic showcases like Harry and Lloyd getting dressed up fancy in Dumb & Dumber or a tiny dog attacking Ben Stiller in There’s Something About Mary, the movie settles for some incidental chuckles based largely on Black’s charismatic enthusiasm. When the filmmakers decide to tug more insistently at the heartstrings, this would-be holiday classic goes from middling to deeply misguided."

Networks Offer a Stocking of Holiday Delights

         Given the season, many networks are offering holiday treats for viewers, many of which I have already covered, but just in case you want some more...well tis the season! As there were many new releases this week that I could address, picking the most memorable was the chosen path.

        On November 28, 2024, BET+ released 'The Day Before Christmas', which has earned positive reviews from critics. Mandi Bierly of TVLine says, "This set-up is reminiscent of 1996’s One Fine Day: Two single parents, super-organized widow/caterer Nia (Candace Maxwell) and separated dad/photographer Rashaad (Tristan Mack Wilds), have to help each other through a chaotic Christmas Eve work day after their kids miss a field trip and they accidentally swap cell phones and backpacks. Because of traffic, Rashaad must cater the event meant to help Nia secure the loan that will save her from eviction, and Nia must impress the mayor when she takes his family Christmas photo. It all wraps up too easily, but hey, we love a Christmas miracle!"

        On December 1, 2024, Lifetime and a star-studded cast leads 'Make or Bake Christmas', which is my personal favorite holiday film this season. Bierly writes, "Vivica A. Fox plays ruthless lifestyle maven Leslie, who threatens to fire her operations manager, Emma (Jasmine Aivaliotis), unless she goes undercover as a seasonal floater at a family bakery that Leslie hopes to acquire and take national. Emma’s loyalty is tested once she sees how well boss Denise Sugarbaker (Jackée Harry) treats her staffs; how handsome Denise’s son, David (Landon Moss). is; and how easily she can get her hands on the bakery’s top-secret recipes (perhaps don’t hand them to a seasonal employee or keep a book titled RECIPES!)."

Photo by Hert Niks on Unsplash

        On December 1, 2024, UPtv released 'A Bluegrass Christmas', which is as of now...with many holiday films to see...my least favorite of the season. Bierly was more impressed, stating, "After the biggest bastard of the holiday movie season pulls his funding for her family’s horse sanctuary, horse vet Katie (Amanda Jordan) and the bastard’s apologetic son, Grant (David Pinard), try to convince her Bluegrass legend grandpa Ben (Heartland’s Shaun Johnston) to come out of retirement for a benefit concert. Will reclusive widower Ben’s heart grow three sizes (or at least two, so he’ll agree to let Katie front his old band)? Musical high notes include performances of “Wayfaring Stranger” and a poignant duet of “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”"

        Last, but certainly not least, out of the holiday films that caught my attention was 'A Cinderella Christmas Ball' on Great American Family, which in my opinion took all of the best aspects of holiday favorites past from all the networks to create a film so cheesy and mockable that it is impossible to not enjoy. Bierly once more was more impressed than I, stating, "Chicago-based dance instructor Chelsea (Danica McKellar) travels abroad to Havenshire, hoping to learn more about her birth mother and, more importantly, the identity of a man in a recently uncovered wedding photo who could be her lost father. Through a twist of fate, she gets hired to teach the Prince (Oliver Rice) the waltz he’s expected to perform with whomever he chooses to be his bride at a Christmas Eve ball, and he becomes invested in her search. Prepare for multiple romantic dances to Christmas carols (Dancing With the Stars vet McKellar is actually quite good)."

'Nutcrackers' Reviews: "Nutcrackers sticks to the basics, and with a story like this, it's hard to mind that too much."

         On November 29, 2024, Hulu released 'Nutcrackers', which failed to unite critics, becoming a not only a critical miss but one of the worst films of 2024 in my personal opinion. In the film, which has received a score of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, "A strait-laced man finds his life suddenly upended when he becomes the caregiver for his rambunctious, orphaned nephews." The ensemble cast includes Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Toby Huss, and Tim Heidecker. Read the full review round-up below.

        Ross Bonaime of Collider notes, "Nutcrackers sticks to the basics, and with a story like this, it's hard to mind that too much." Adding, "Nutcrackers' tried-and-true story works because of the dynamic between Stiller and the Janson family. At first, as one would expect, this starts as a them vs. him dynamic, but as they start to warm up to each other, their awkward bond works. For example, Mike attempts to tell these kids a bedtime story, and when they demand gore and violence, he adapts and tells them the story of First Blood, which expectedly ends with nightmares. When the kids hang out on the roof of their ramshackle house, or eat nutritious meals of cheese balls and ketchup, Mike holds back, allowing these kids to do their thing, a temporary observer of the insanity that won't be his problem for much longer. Stiller's deadpan reaction is perfect for this type of situation, mixed with the Janson kids and their unhinged behavior is an ideal yin and yang to each other."

       Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says, "There's a certain degree of casting luck that barely holds some of David Gordon Green's "Nutcrackers" together at times too, but this one falls apart the most of the three. The director of the recent "Halloween" and "The Exorcist" reboots introduced his film on Opening Night by name-dropping "Uncle Buck" and "Bad News Bears," and one can easily see the DNA of both films in here. But it's a deeply frustrating film, constantly pushing away what it does well to hit sitcom road markers along the way. It should have trusted its very simple, effective premise instead."

Photo by Kevin Fitzgerald on Unsplash

       Benjamin Lee of Guardian writes, "It’s do-it-in-your-sleep territory for Stiller and to his credit, he does more than just sleepwalk through it, but his character is hazy and underwritten and the script so utterly, shamefully devoid of humour that he’s reduced to regressive pratfalls." Continuing, "It’s the kind of hackneyed setup that would typically have attracted Christina Milian or Lacey Chabert and there is perhaps something more interesting, and less uneasily gendered, about a male lead turning his back on work-centric big city life for the comforts of the farmhouse. But it’s still reliant on the same rusty stereotypes about work (bad) and family (good) and Douglas’s script isn’t funny or affecting enough to distract us from the lazy formula of it. Green’s attempts to elevate it are briefly effective – it’s at times like a more commercial version of his earliest movies – but they only serve to confuse. What is it we’re watching here and who is it for? The more accomplished the film-making becomes, the more we then expect the script to level up too."

'September 5' Reviews: Film "will pin you to your seat"

         On December 13, 2024, Paramount Pictures releases 'September 5', which has received rave reviews from critics, earning a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. In the film, which is generating Oscar buzz, "During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes." The ensemble cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, and Zinedine Soualem. But what did the critics say?

        Peter Travers of ABC News says, "The massacre of the Israel team at the 1972 Munich Olympics becomes a riveting docudrama on journalism under fire as seen through the contro lroom of ABC Sports doing live coverage. Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and Leonie Benesch will pin you to your seat" Adding, "Scaling this testosterone wall is "The Teachers' Lounge" breakout Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt, the only German-speaking member of a boys club unashamed of underestimating women. Start an Oscar campaign pronto for the brilliant Benesch, who is so good you want to cheer. All the actors could not be better or more fully committed."

       Lucia Ahrensdorf of The Film Stage writes, "September 5 may aim to represent the uncomfortable ethics of media, but this is no Ace in the Hole. About the final shootout that results in hostage deaths, Marianne (Benesch) tearfully says, “I stood with hundreds of people, waiting for something to happen so we could take a picture of it.” This line is meant to implicate our protagonists as voyeurs, media vultures. Yet this moment doesn’t resonate deeply when the film goes out of its way to cast these characters as blameless. (What can they do? It’s their job!) With a matter-of-fact, procedural tone, September 5 treats journalism as a sport––not one of blood and sweat, but something more like ping-pong. The plot builds up to the infamous moment when the journalists misreport the escape of the hostages, only to then have to backtrack and report that, actually, they’ve died. The mistake evokes an emotional reaction from the staff, but the show must go on: they quickly pivot to working on tomorrow’s broadcast of the memorial service. The theatergoers around me exclaimed variations of “wow!” and “phew!” after the film had ended––as if they had just gotten off a roller-coaster ride. I wondered what value there is in these straight re-tellings of the reporting of historical events. It’s true to the characters’ experience to design the film as 90 minutes of adrenaline, but shouldn’t we ask more of films than simple recreation? Watching September 5, it’s hard not to miss the messy agony of Steven Spielberg’s Munich. Here, humanity is condensed and trapped in professional gestures––a bloodless upholding of American corporate-media machinations. Such moments of humanity among the bloodless professionalism are the point, the filmmakers might say. Some may feel a thrill, but I left feeling cold and blank, the buzz quickly worn off."

Photo by Josh Chiodo on Unsplash

        Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist notes, "A breezy 91 minutes, “September 5” is captivating on multiple levels and, frankly, a surprising success considering Fehlabum‘s previous work. Even though the fate of these hostages was determined over five decades ago and you witness the events from a distance, Fehlabum and his editor Hansjörg Weißbrich will keep you in suspense as the drama plays out. The filmmakers’ decision to use real broadcast footage could have easily backfired, but intertwining just McKay with Walker’s portrayal of Jennings strikes the perfect balance (it also helps they have the larger-than-life Howard Cosell call into the control room rather than have him appear on screen). It only reinforces the sense that you are part of a live news story and the genuine tension that accompanies it. Oh, and as a lesson in the craftsmanship that went into what is now “old school” analog television coverage, the movie will be eye-opening for many." Adding, "Quizically, the only aspect of the story “September 5” fumbles is the political ramifications of Black September’s actions. It gives the innocent Israeli victims their due but simply leaves it at that. This is not a movie that wants to seriously dive into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The terrorists are largely lifeless which, granted, was what was known during the actual broadcast. It’s mostly captivated by the inherent drama capturing the event. The balance of brilliant decisions and unfortunate mistakes that plague coverage of an event like this. And it’s smart enough to recognize that for these television creators, this isn’t something they will shake off in a day or two. But they did their job and like no one before them. You just wish what happened next was explored beyond the requisite title card before the credits roll."