Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

 

5/10

Starring          

Will Smith

Martin Lawrence

 

Directed by Adil & Bilall

 

I know Will Smith is on a redemption run, and this movie is a good start. It is not as bad as you might expect, but it is also not as great or cool as I thought it would be. My main issue is that modern movies lack the grit of the era when the first Bad Boys was made.

Now every movie seems to include some computer genius hacking accounts, sending cryptic messages, and bad guys with unrealistic connections. For example, in this film, someone sends a cryptic message that leads to another person, who has hidden a link within a flashing screen. This link can only be found by analyzing the screen frame by frame. How did they discover this? An officer, with no apparent reason or prompt, decides to review the flashing screen frame by frame. How could she possibly know to do that?

The lazy writing in this movie is so obvious it’s annoying. The plot makes no sense, and that is even more frustrating. I watched it to the end, thinking there would be a reason why the bad guys, who got away with killing the captain, would revisit the matter years later. But it seems the writers couldn’t find a better way to provoke the two leads.

That said, I did enjoy the action, references to the earlier movies, and some comedic moments. However, the movie leaves no lasting impression. Unlike the first Bad Boys, which is unforgettable, this one is easily forgettable.

The story revolves around Captain Howard, who, as we know, is dead. The rest of the Bad Boys franchise (aside from the first movie) is so forgettable that I struggled to recall much of it. Now, in the present, Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) are at a wedding when Marcus suffers a heart attack and nearly dies. His survival prompts him to reevaluate his life. Meanwhile, Captain Howard is implicated in a crime when millions are found in his account, allegedly linking him to the cartel.

Even this setup feels contrived. You can backdate payments and forge documents to make it appear as though transactions occurred over time, but such falsifications are easily traceable. Hollywood writers must assume audiences lack understanding of how computers work.

Mike and Marcus are determined to clear their captain’s name but aren’t portrayed as angry enough about the situation. Captain Howard sends them a cryptic message, which leads them to someone who is killed while directing them to a flashing screen. From there, they are shot at and nearly killed while chasing the bad guys.

In short, the movie is about these two trying to clear their captain’s name and uncover corrupt cops in their station. As far as lazy writing goes, this film is full of it and is such a forgettable movie.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

 

7/10

Starring          

Ryan Reynolds

Hugh Jackman

Emma Corrin

Matthew Macfadyen

 

Directed by Shawn Levy

 

The best way to watch this movie, and my advice for others, is to avoid previews and spoilers if possible. It’s a fun movie, and while it’s not the best superhero film out there, it’s enjoyable enough to recommend.

If you haven’t been following superhero movies since the late 90s, this film might be a bit hard to follow. It’s clearly made for viewers in their 30s and older, and the creators don’t seem apologetic about it. The movie is filled with cameos and jokes tailored for long-time superhero fans.

You can tell the cast and crew had fun making this movie. While some critics' complaints are valid such as the overuse of CGI and certain missed opportunities in the plot it didn’t ruin the experience for me. I also felt the story could have taken a more enjoyable direction.

This is the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and serves as a sequel to Fox’s Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018). It’s the first cinematic release involving the X-Men characters since Disney acquired Fox, and it retains its R rating.

The plot is straightforward: Deadpool/Wade (Ryan Reynolds) wants to matter after being dumped by his girlfriend. Using Cable’s time-travel device introduced in Deadpool 2, he jumps from his timeline, Earth-10005, to the MCU timeline, Earth-616, hoping to join the Avengers. When he fails, he decides to return to his timeline and retire from being Deadpool.

During his birthday, the TVA (Time Variance Authority) captures him and introduces him to Mr. Paradox. He’s offered a chance to join the Avengers on Earth-616 but can’t return to Earth-10005 because Logan (Wolverine), the anchor of his timeline  (from the Fox Movie Logan), is dead, and his death threatens to collapse the entire timeline.

Unwilling to accept this, Wade starts searching for a version of Logan (Wolverine) to bring back to his timeline. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go as planned. Paradox sends Wade and the Logan he finds, which happens to be a hilariously awful version of Logan, into the void. With his timeline at risk, Wade must escape the void, stop Paradox, and save his world. How he was able to achieve this, is so amazing to watch.

You should see this movie—it’s worth it.

Boy Kills World (2023)

Boy Kills World (2023)

7/10

Starring          

Bill Skarsgård

Jessica Rothe

Michelle Dockery

Brett Gelman

Isaiah Mustafa

 

Directed by Moritz Mohr

 

Boy Kills World is a funny action-comedy film about a boy who goes against the city leaders where he lives. Boy (the main character, referred to throughout the movie as Boy) is deaf and mute in this dystopian city. The city is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, and Boy's mother was a rebel. His little sister, Mina, was also a rebel and a hero to him. The head of the Van Der Koy family is Hilda, who selects twelve people yearly for "the culling," where they are killed on live TV. Boy, Mina, and his mother were selected. Boy witnessed his mother and sister being killed, but somehow survived, though left deaf and mute. He was saved by a Shaman, who trained Boy in martial arts, using hallucinogens to strengthen his mind and erase his past, making him strong enough to avenge his mother and sister.

The appeal of this movie isn’t just the premise but how it is executed. The comedy emerges in unexpected places. Boy communicates with viewers through the voice in his head, narrating the movie. Mina, his sister, appears in his hallucinations, talking to him and complicating his journey.

The acting, as expected from Bill Skarsgård (Boy), is top-notch. However, the dystopian setting lacks detail, which is not a major plot point in the movie. It can be understandable as the movie’s budget likely didn’t prioritize the scenery over the story. Because when watching, the movie’s backdrop resembles what you will see in our present world.

With that said, this plays into Boy’s engagement with his surroundings during fights and chases. The "one man against an army" trope recalls ’90s action films, where the hero never misses, but the villains always do.

The standout moment is a twist that shifts everything we know about Boy, his identity, and his origins. Like every revenge film, there’s a twist but this one caught me off guard, making me love the movie even more.

This is one of those movies that nobody has heard of made only 3.3 million in the box office and tells me many have missed out on this masterpiece. So, if you have not seen this movie, you should take the time to see it, you will love it. It is not a big studio project, so as I said, in the above review, do not expect much when it comes to the scenery or backdrop.

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

5/10

 

Starring the voices of

Steve Carell

Kristen Wiig

Pierre Coffin

Joey King

Miranda Cosgrove

Sofía Vergara

Steve Coogan

 

Directed by Chris Renaud

 

It felt so much like I was watching a rip-off of Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004). The story was not as good as the first two Despicable Me animations from 2010 and 2013. It felt a lot like the third—a movie that didn’t need to be made but was done anyway.

This is the fourth animated movie in the Despicable Me series following Gru, and it serves as a sequel to Despicable Me 3 (2017). However, it is the sixth movie in the Despicable Me franchise, following the prequel Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).

The problem with this animation was how much time was wasted in the second act—when Gru needed to be taken into protective custody and his new hiding place was discovered. The first act was also underdeveloped, leaving the antagonist Maxime without enough time to evolve. In fact, none of the new characters introduced received any meaningful development. With good writing, one hour and thirty minutes can be used effectively, but this movie felt rushed and overcrowded with characters, focusing too heavily on the second act.

The plot is as follows: Gru, working undercover with the AVL (Anti-Villain League), attends his high school reunion to capture a villain named Maxime. Maxime has a personal feud with Gru, which you’ll need to watch the movie to understand. Maxime developed a syndrome that enhanced his strength, allowing him to pursue world domination. Gru, with the help of AVL agents, manages to capture Maxime.

Maxime later escapes from prison and vows revenge on Gru. To protect Gru and his family, the AVL places them in protective custody, relocating them to a safe house with new names and jobs.

Meanwhile, Maxime schemes to find Gru and kidnap his baby, intending to raise the child as his own to exact revenge. Gru and his family struggle to adapt to their new life and roles. To make matters worse, someone in their new town discovers Gru’s true identity and blackmails him into helping with a heist.

Everything this movie could have learned from Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004) which it was obviously copying, it did not. It copied the whole idea and failed in the execution or didn’t even care. It seemed more like, they wanted to milk the IP than they wanted to entertain the viewer.

If you’re looking to entertain children with an animated movie, this one might suffice. However, as an adult and a fan of the franchise, I felt this installment wasn’t well thought through.

 

The Bachelor (1999)

The Bachelor (1999)

 

3/10

Starring

Chris O’Donnell

Renée Zellweger

Hal Holbrook

James Cromwell

 

Directed by Gary Sinyor

 

You get to see a man willing to do anything to claim the inheritance his grandfather left for him. The condition? He must get married and stay married for a decade to secure the $100 million estate. Nothing screams cliché like this 90s movie, and honestly, how is this even meant to be romantic?

Jimmie (Chris O'Donnell), the man set to inherit the fortune, is willing to marry anyone to keep the money, except commit to Annie (Renée Zellweger), the one person he truly loves. It’s baffling how this movie attempts to position itself as romantic. Cameos from various female actresses, comedians, and musicians follow, as Jimmie scrambles to find a bride, only for all of them to turn him down.

No wonder this movie has a terrible Rotten Tomatoes rating. The writing is awful, the premise is unrealistic, and Jimmie’s choices border on outright stupidity.

The movie revolves around Jimmie and his love for Annie. He craves bachelorhood and never wants to settle down. His determination grows stronger when his friends get married, leaving him single and isolated. Eventually, he proposes to Annie in the most romantic spot in town—but with a botched, thoughtless proposal, Annie says no and begins reconsidering their relationship. Soon after, Jimmie’s grandfather dies, leaving him the estate, contingent on the marriage condition.

From there, Jimmie races against time to find a bride. With a looming deadline, the woman he loves rejecting him, and his inheritance and business at stake, he reaches out to women from his past, hoping one will say yes.

The movie's ending only worsens the absurdity: Jimmie runs through the streets, chased by hundreds of women in wedding dresses, all eager to marry him for his money. Yet, as romantic comedies go, the writers find a way to spin this chaos into a happy ending. Annie returns, delivering one of the most ridiculous speeches to claim her man.

I saw this movie back in the 90s and always wondered why I never revisited it or why I couldn’t remember much about it. Watching it again now, I understand. Some movies are best left as memories. Trying to uncover why my brain blocked out so much of this film has officially ruined my morning and the idea that I had of this movie. It was a waste of time to see it again, and I beg anyone who thinks this is a good movie to see, should find something else to do.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

 

5/10

Starring

Eddie Murphy

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Taylour Paige

Judge Reinhold

John Ashton

Kevin Bacon

Directed by Mark Molloy

 

Contains Spoilers

It was nice seeing the character Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) again, to see what he has been up to, since it has been thirty years since the last film in the franchise. This fourth Beverly Cop film, well, it is boring at times, but I can tell you it is better than the sequel Beverly Hills Cop two and three, and that is not saying much.

It is on Netflix, and I had to take a break to finish watching it, because I did not want to sleep off before seeing it through.

I think the main problem of the film for me is that the story seemed to be underdeveloped. I had issues with when Foley found out that Grant (Kevin Bacon) was the film’s main antagonist. He found this out when he went to an exclusive club and saw Grant with the people who he met in Billy’s flat and attacked him. Now, I do not expect him to do something at that moment, but this is Beverly Hills Cop, nothing ever goes according to common sense. As long as it makes sense for Axel Foley to do it, then it is ok in the Beverly Hills cop world.

The action in the film was welcoming, but they were too far apart, and we had to deal with too much talk. The trying to create a bond back that was broken between Foley and his daughter reminded me so much of Die Hard 4.

As you know if you have seen the older Beverly Hills cop movies, Axel always finds a way to get himself back to Beverly Hills to cause havoc. This time it was because his daughter’s life was being threatened. She took on a case and was threatened to drop the case. So, Axel jumped on a plane to Beverly Hills to help. The problem is, he and his daughter are estranged, and he was informed of the threat to her life, by his friend Billy, who asked him to come assist. Billy put her life in danger by asking her to represent a criminal who has been framed for murder.

Axel gets to Beverly Hills, and then we discover that Billy has been missing for some days. He meets up with his daughter and tries to rekindle their relationship, as they dig into this case to see how deep it goes, and to try and find Billy as it seems he knows more about this case than anyone else.

For me, the film lacked the needed spice to make it a film I will want to see again, but what I can tell you is, it stands better than the two previous sequels before it. Still, I can’t help but feel the movie missed a golden opportunity to bring the franchise back to life.