28 Best Movies To Watch After Back to the Future Part II (1989)
If you have finished watching the film Back to the Future Part II (1989) and are looking for other movies like it, here is a list of options to consider.
Inside Out 2
SimilarA Bug's Life (1998), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Billy Elliot (2000), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006),
Boys Don't Cry (1999) Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Chicken Little (2005), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dirty Dancing (1987), Edward Scissorhands (1990), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Free Willy (1993), Frozen 3 (), Ghostbusters (1984), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), I ♥ Huckabees (2004), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Look Who's Talking (1989),
Lost in Translation (2003) Mamma Mia! (2008),
Mary Poppins (1964) Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Night at the Museum (2006), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Oldboy (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Superman Returns (2006), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),
StudioWalt Disney Pictures,
Save for that movie where Larry the Cable Guy supposedly urinated in public, Pixar sequels are rarely terrible. Finding Dory, Incredibles 2, and Monsters University are vastly preferable to the average Minions or Hotel Transylvania follow-up. Even Cars 3 wrung more pathos than expected out of its ill-conceived universe. The greatest problem with these sequels has been that they’re merely competent. They’re serviceable watches, but many are safe retreads of the familiar. Risks are minimal, idiosyncratic animation flourishes are scarce.
When absorbing these follow-ups, it's hard not to yearn for more challenging original Pixar titles like Turning Red, Ratatouille, or WALL-E. Still, details like the unexpected third-act detour of Monsters University or the charming new characters in Finding Dory are absent from your standard Ice Age or Illumination sequels. If we must live in this franchise-dominated pop culture landscape, Pixar has delivered more hits than most. Goodness knows the Toy Story sequels are outright masterpieces of long-form cinematic storytelling.
The newest example of the label’s pleasant, if far from groundbreaking, sequels, is Inside Out 2. Directed by Kelsey Mann (a new feature film helmer taking over for previous director Pete Docter), the sequel expands on the world of Riley’s mind established in 2015’s Inside Out. Continue Reading →
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Frozen 3 (), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), No Good Deed (2002), North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shooter (2007), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Superman Returns (2006), The 39 Steps (1935), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Toy Story 2 (1999), True Romance (1993),
StudioColumbia Pictures, TSG Entertainment,
Two questions face most rational people when confronting the existence of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. To the first, why did the filmmakers give it such an anonymous title? Especially while the previous installment had the seemingly more apt name Bad Boys For Life? For that, there is no answer. To the second? Yes, there is a joke involving Will Smith and someone getting slapped. And, yes, it is just as smug, stupid, and predictable as one would fear. The one compensating factor is one can describe the film as smug, stupid, and predictable too. That leaves hope most viewers will feel too numbed by the cacophony of crap to even register the slap gag.
The film begins inauspiciously with an extended and mostly pointless act in which Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) foil a convenience store robbery while on the way to Mike’s wedding to love Christine (Melanie Liburd). Shortly after that, Marcus upstages things by having a massive heart attack and near-death experience at the reception. Those beats out of the way, the cobbled-together plot finally kicks into gear. The local news fills with posthumous accusations that their beloved Capt. Howard (Joe Pantoliano) took bribes from cartels to allow drugs into the country. This cannot stand, of course. But when the two start an investigation to clear his name, everyone with information starts turning up dead. Continue Reading →
Unfrosted
SimilarApollo 13 (1995), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Basquiat (1996),
Ben-Hur (1959) Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Brazil (1985), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), D.E.B.S. (2005), Forrest Gump (1994), Garden State (2004), Ice Age (2002), JFK (1991), M*A*S*H (1970),
Manhattan (1979) Mars Attacks! (1996), Schindler's List (1993), Serial Mom (1994), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Sugar & Spice (2001), The Apartment (1960), The Avengers (1998), The Fisher King (1991), The King of Comedy (1982), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004),
The Party (1980) The Party 2 (1982) The Queen (2006), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Tin Drum (1979), To Die For (1995), Transamerica (2005),
StarringJon Hamm,
I will give Unfrosted, director/co-writer/star/breakfast aficionado Jerry Seinfeld's heavily fictionalized, would-be-gonzo take on the invention of the Pop-Tart, this: I did laugh, albeit mirthlessly. For one sequence, Seinfeld and his creative collaborators push past stale, semi-affectionate satire and into the rarefied realm of "Yes, we're going for it." It's a funeral. The deceased is laid to rest with the highest honors a breakfast food developer may be accorded. Why is he dead? An office culture that prioritized the appearance of safety (testing the revolutionary self-stable fruit pastry in a full space suit, complete with isolated oxygen supply) over actual safety (keeping said oxygen supply next to an overclocked toaster). After all, beating Post to market is far more important than protecting your staff from violent immolation.
The Corn Flakes rooster, Toucan Sam (Cedric Yarbrough), Tony the Tiger (Thurl Ravenscroft, as played by Hugh Grant), and Snap, Crackle, and Pop (Kyle Mooney, Mikey Day, and Drew Tarver), among others, perform the rites. As the deceased's widow (Sarah Burns) looks on in increasingly horrified bafflement, these priests of the breakfast table lower the coffin into the ground and then dump cereal and milk into the grave, topped with fresh fruit laid by professional mourners. A cereal box prize is presented like the flags given to the family of slain soldiers.
It's an audacious, out-there scene, a moment of distinct, morbid silliness that reminds me of when Barry B. Benson had Winnie the Pooh sniped. In a world where rival cereal companies seek the aid of Kennedy (Bill Burr) and Kruschev (Dean Norris) and the head of Big Milk (Peter Dinklage) can have someone tortured for daring to suggest that breakfast might not always need cow juice, Full Cearal Honors feels like Seinfeld and company cranking up the dial to eleven and jamming while dancing around Stonehenge. What is there to do but laugh? Continue Reading →
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Deadpool 2 (2018), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Frozen 3 (), Ghostbusters (1984), Godzilla (1998), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), King Kong (1933), King Kong (2005), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Night at the Museum (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Superman Returns (2006), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Fountain (2006), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Twelve Monkeys (1995),
Watch afterDune: Part Two (2024),
The most frustrating thing about Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire isn't that it's stupid. It knows it's stupid; it's banking on that. It's not even that its luster has been eclipsed by Japan's most recent entry in the terrible lizard's decades-long rampage on the cinematic landscape, the now-Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One. It's that somehow, director Adam Wingard and the team behind the MonsterVerse have forgotten how to be the right kind of stupid, fumbling the formula that 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong captured with surprising charm. (Then again, our assessments of 2021's COVID-era output are innately suspect, considering most of us were just glad to be back at the movies at all.)
But the more you settle into the latest entry in Warner Bros. and Legendary's "MonsterVerse" -- the Americanized shared universe of Japanese-sourced kaiju movies that started with 2014's Godzilla -- the more confounding this exercise becomes. The end of the previous film in the series teased a kind of detente between Japan's favorite reptile and Skull Island's favored son, the two working together to take down MechaGodzilla after a movie's worth of preening spats on cargo ships and among the skyline of Hong Kong (no relation). You'd think screenwriters Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater would double down on the "what now?" of it all: how would these two reluctant allies share the Earth? That might be fun.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Review (Warner Bros./Legendary)
Instead, The New Empire feels like a semi-retread of Godzilla vs. Kong -- actually, scratch that, more like a King Kong movie with a few bits of Godzilla peppered in here and there. Like so many sitcom roommates before them, the pair have drawn a chalk line halfway down the planet and decided to each keep to their own territory. Godzilla protects humanity from rogue Titans on the surface, and in between bouts, he curls up in the Roman Colosseum like a cat bed, one of the film's more charming images. Meanwhile, Kong searches for other giant apes like him down in the Hollow Earth. (Yeah, that exists now.) Continue Reading →
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), A Bug's Life (1998), A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion (2013), A Christmas Carol (1938), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Annie Hall (1977), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000), Brother Bear (2003), Bugsy Malone (1976), Cars (2006), Chicken Little (2005), Constantine (2005), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dogma (1999), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), From Russia with Love (1963), Frozen 3 (), Ghost (1990), Ghostbusters (1984), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Hellboy (2004), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), King Kong (1933), King Kong (2005), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Look Who's Talking (1989), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Mamma Mia! (2008),
Manhattan (1979) Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Night at the Museum (2006), Night on Earth (1991), North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Party Monster (2003), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), Pocketful of Miracles (1961), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Scrooge (1951),
Shaft (2000) Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Superman Returns (2006), The Apartment (1960), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Fifth Element (1997), The Green Mile (1999), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The King of Comedy (1982), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), The Terminal (2004), Toy Story 2 (1999), Transamerica (2005), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Volver (2006), When Harry Met Sally... (1989),
Watch afterDune: Part Two (2024),
StudioColumbia Pictures,
There are few names as deeply ingrained in the fabric of American pop culture as Ghostbusters, the action-comedy franchise spawned by Ivan Reitman’s beloved 1984 film. Nonetheless, despite its staggering financial success (netting nearly 300 million against a 25 million dollar budget) and pop culture permeance, Sony has had trouble recapturing the magic in later entries. Neither 1989’s Ghostbusters II, 2016’s Ghostbusters, and 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife have neared the original’s success.
Despite that, it seems the Ghostbusters franchise has finally found a sequel concept it’s willing to forge ahead with. The franchise’s latest installment, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, is a direct sequel to Afterlife. It once more reunites Egon Spengler’s (Harold Ramis) children with the three living original Ghostbusters— Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray. Despite an intriguing subplot for Phoebe, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an incohesive, unoriginal entry. It coasts on fan service to carry a paper-thin plot and a lukewarm crop of characters, new and old.
Bill Murray and Paul Rudd discuss their love of fog machines. (Sony Pictures)
Picking up two years after the events of Afterlife, Frozen Empire follows the Spengler family (Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard) to New York City. After the previous film's tradition-breaking decision to unfold in rural Oklahoma, this returns the franchise to its true home. Bankrolled by the uber-wealthy Winston (Hudson) they're back operating out of the old Ghostbusters firehouse. There the Spenglers struggle to juggle ghost-hunting with their interpersonal dynamics. That's all while working to keep the mayor (William Atherton) from shutting the family business. Continue Reading →
Dune: Part Two
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 2046 (2004), A Bug's Life (1998), A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion (2013), A Clockwork Orange (1971), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Ben-Hur (1959) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987),
Blade Runner (1982) Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Children of Men (2006), Dances with Wolves (1990), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dr. No (1962), Dune (1984), F9 (2021), Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), From Russia with Love (1963), Frozen 3 (), Gladiator (2000), Godzilla (1998), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Goldfinger (1964), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Help! (1965), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), King Kong (2005), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Metropolis (1927), Momo (1986), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), North by Northwest (1959), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Predator (1987), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Ronia the Robber's Daughter (1984),
Shaft (2000) Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Solaris (1972), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Stalker (1979), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Starship Troopers (1997), Superman Returns (2006), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Fifth Element (1997), The Fountain (2006), The Great Escape (1963), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Road (2009), The Thing (1982), The Thirteenth Floor (1999), War of the Worlds (2005), You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterAmerican Fiction (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Dune (2021), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Poor Things (2023),
StarringBabs Olusanmokun, Stellan Skarsgård,
Denis Villeneuve finishes his epic two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel with sprawling scope and thorny politics.
It's really a miracle that the first of Denis Villeneuve's Dune films penetrated the public consciousness as well as it did. It was released amid a worldwide pandemic; it was an IMAX-ready blockbuster that was simultaneously dropped onto people's streaming subscriptions same-day; it's based on a dense, impenetrable sci-fi novel Villeneuve patiently chose not to wholly adapt in one film. The results, blessedly, were commercial and critical success and a host of technical Oscars the following year.
That success was enough to secure Dune: Part Two, a chance for Villeneuve to complete his vision of Frank Herbert's seminal work of political science fiction. Where Part One worldbuilds, Part Two barrels down the road of its inevitable conclusion in satisfying style, even as it makes some noted changes from the novel or any previous adaptations -- some for the better, some for the worse. Continue Reading →
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Batman (1989), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992),
Ben-Hur (1959) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Blown Away (1994), Catwoman (2004), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Code of Silence (1985), Constantine (2005), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Deadpool 2 (2018), Death Sentence (2007), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Face/Off (1997), Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Four Brothers (2005), Frozen 3 (), Ghost Rider (2007), Gladiator (2000), Hitman (2007), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Inspector Gadget (1999), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Just Cause (1995), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Léon: The Professional (1994), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Man on Fire (2004), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Oldboy (2003), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985),
Shaft (2000) Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Avengers (1998), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), The Fifth Element (1997), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Zatoichi (2003),
Watch afterNapoleon (2023), Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Marvels (2023), Wonka (2023),
StarringTemuera Morrison,
A decade's worth of superhero movies goes out with a big, stupid grin on its face.
One would hope that a film franchise with as much money poured into it as the DC Cinematic Universe would rage, rage against the dying of the light. Yet here we are, limping towards the end of a slate of superhero flicks marred by terrible reviews (Shazam! 2), controversy (The Flash), or sheer too-little-too-late-ness (Blue Beetle). As the superhero genre continues to flag in a year of duds, DC's set for a reinvention, a clean slate courtesy of former Marvel it-boy James Gunn and co-head Peter Safran. Before they can wipe the board and start all over with the label's slate of classic capes, though, there's a few rounds left in the last guy's chamber to fire off. That's what Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom feels like, easily the least objectionable of the DC films to come out in 2023. Problem is, that's not saying much.
A sequel to Aquaman should have been a slam dunk: Director James Wan's 2018 take on the King of Atlantis was a welcome breath of neon-soaked pop art in a franchise studded with Snyderesque dourness, leaning into the innate silliness of an underwater take on Flash Gordon. Jason Momoa is as effortless a casting as you could imagine for DC's hardest-to-pin-down superhero, brimming with giddy frat-boy energy. At its best moments, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom leans into its star's goofiness and even lets it infect some of the rest of the cast. But there's no escaping the feeling of weariness, both for a cast and crew who are just repeating the novel beats of the first and an audience that's just plain starved for something new. Continue Reading →
The Marvels
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), A Bug's Life (1998), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Batman (1989), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Catwoman (2004), Cellular (2004), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Constantine (2005), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Deadpool 2 (2018), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) Dogma (1999), Dune (1984), F9 (2021), Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Four Brothers (2005), Free Willy (1993), From Russia with Love (1963), Frozen 3 (), Ghost Rider (2007), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Goldfinger (1964), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Hellboy (2004), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Inspector Gadget (1999), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Sin City (2005), Snakes on a Plane (2006), Solaris (1972), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Superman Returns (2006), The Avengers (1998), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), The Fifth Element (1997), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Road (2009), The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),
Watch afterAquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), Napoleon (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Killer (2023), Wonka (2023),
StarringSamuel L. Jackson,
Most films don’t come with homework. The same cannot be said of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new movie, The Marvels. Unless you’re a devoted MCU fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of both the movies and the Disney+ TV originals, it’s difficult to understand the mechanics of this disastrously convoluted entry in the floundering franchise. It feels like being dropped headfirst into a crossover episode based on three shows you’ve never seen -- mostly because it is. The Marvels kicks off with a bit of genuine visual interest (that never appears again) in the form of hand-drawn comics created by teenage superhero-slash-Captain Marvel fangirl Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel. Vellani, who previously appeared as Kamala on the little-seen Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, is a spunky, hilarious teenage heroine whose impressive comedic timing buoys the leaden, disjointed script. She so thoroughly steals the show that it’s disappointing this movie wasn’t just about her; instead, it's a confused mix of storylines involving Kamala, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and astronaut Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris, Candyman). It feels like the powers that be made a huge mistake in consigning her story to a poorly publicized streaming original, instead of letting her headline a film on her own. Continue Reading →
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 28 Days Later (2002), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Antonia's Line (1995), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Batman Begins (2005), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994),
Blade Runner (1982) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Cellular (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Code of Silence (1985), Con Air (1997), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dogma (1999), Dr. No (1962), Dune (1984), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fargo (1996), Forrest Gump (1994), Four Brothers (2005), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), In China They Eat Dogs (1999), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Momo (1986), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Eleven (1960), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Party Monster (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Point Break (1991), Scarface (1932), Shrek (2001),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Starship Troopers (1997), Superman Returns (2006), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator Salvation (2009), The Avengers (1998), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Departed (2006), The Fifth Element (1997), The Godfather Part III (1990), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Road (2009), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), The Thing (1982), The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008), Toy Story 2 (1999), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), We Own the Night (2007), Wild at Heart (1990), You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterAvatar (2009),
StarringRebecca Romijn,
StudioNew Line Cinema,
An overview of the diverse features selected to screen at this year's Austin Film Festival.
This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn't exist.
A cycle rickshaw, adorned with a Texas flag billowing in the wind, whizzes by while blaring a Luke Combs tune. Massive murals of Willie Nelson and Post Malone gaze down on passersby like the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. A man in a Blue Lives Matter shirt waltzes past a "PROTECT TRANS KIDS" sign planted on the lawn of a Catholic Church. Welcome to Austin, Texas, a Southern hotspot that, for the final weekend of October 2023, wasn't just home to these and other oddball sights, but also the backdrop for the 30th edition of the Austin Film Festival. Though not as world-famous as the Toronto International Film Festival or Cannes, Austin's annual ode to cinema is still a much-ballyhooed event attended by freelance journalists, aspiring screenwriters, iconic filmmakers, and everyone in between. Continue Reading →
Saltburn
SimilarAmerican Psycho (2000), Antonia's Line (1995), Apt Pupil (1998), Arlington Road (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Ben-Hur (1959) Bend It Like Beckham (2002) Billy Elliot (2000), Brazil (1985), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), City of God (2002), Copying Beethoven (2006), Crash (1996), D.E.B.S. (2005), Desert Hearts (1985), Election (1999), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Fargo (1996), Frida (2002), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Go (1999), Heavenly Creatures (1994), In China They Eat Dogs (1999),
Jackie Brown (1997) Klute (1971), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Lolita (1997), Look Who's Talking Too (1990), Lords of Dogtown (2005),
Lost in Translation (2003) M*A*S*H (1970), Mamma Mia! (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), My Life Without Me (2003), My Own Private Idaho (1991), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Oldboy (2003), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Orlando (1992), Paris Can Wait (2016), Point Break (1991),
Primal Fear (1996) Prozac Nation (2001), Pulp Fiction (1994), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Rope (1948), Serial Mom (1994), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Shrek (2001), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Stolen (2024),
Strange Days (1995) Sugar & Spice (2001), Swimming Pool (2003), Talk to Her (2002), The Big Blue (1988), The Butcher Boy (1998), The Fisher King (1991), The Holiday (2006), The Hours (2002), The Hustler (1961), The Last Emperor (1987), The Piano (1993), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Tin Drum (1979), To Die For (1995), Transamerica (2005), Valley Girl (1983), Vertigo (1958), Werckmeister Harmonies (2001), You've Got Mail (1998),
Watch afterAnatomy of a Fall (2023), Leave the World Behind (2023), Maestro (2023), Poor Things (2023), Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), Society of the Snow (2023), Thanksgiving (2023), Wonka (2023),
StudioMRC,
With her first film, Promising Young Woman, writer-director Emerald Fennell took a storyline that was essentially a cloddish-but-glossy retread of such female-driven revenge sagas as Ms .45 and I Spit on Your Grave, infused it with insights regarding gender issues that would barely have passed muster in a 100-level college class and somehow rode it to inexplicable praise and an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Continue Reading →
Totally Killer
SimilarA Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Antonia's Line (1995), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Bend It Like Beckham (2002) Billy Elliot (2000), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), D.E.B.S. (2005), Freaks (1932), Frenzy (1972), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), Inside (2007), Italian for Beginners (2000), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Look Who's Talking (1989), Look Who's Talking Too (1990), Mamma Mia! (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Momo (1986), Monsoon Wedding (2001), Saw II (2005), Serial Mom (1994), Shrek (2001), Silent Hill (2006), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Star Trek: First Contact (1996),
Strange Days (1995) Sugar & Spice (2001), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Devil's Rejects (2005), The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003),
The Party (1980) The Party 2 (1982) Twelve Monkeys (1995), Valley Girl (1983), You've Got Mail (1998),
Watch afterSaw X (2023), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Talk to Me (2023), The Equalizer 3 (2023),
The low-budget confines of Blumhouse movies mean that any idea can become a movie, including bold original visions like Whiplash or Get Out. Unfortunately, it also means a lot of subpar stuff can easily get the green light. The latest example is the new Amazon/Blumhouse collaboration, Totally Killer. Hailing from director Nahnatchka Khan, Totally Killer dares to ask a question no reasonable soul was pondering. “What if Happy Death Day and Hot Tub Time Machine had a tedious baby?” Buckle up, horror devotees. Here comes yet another dose of 1980s nostalgia and some frighteningly lousy editing. Continue Reading →
Meg 2: The Trench
Ever since James Cameron boldly wrote “S” after ALIEN on a chalkboard and then changed it to a dollar sign, the quickest way to sequel-ize your killer extraterrestrial/reptile/mammal/whatever has been to add more of it. You scored a hit with people fighting one giant mosquito? Great, here’s a sequel with six of them. Continue Reading →
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Despite their hue, not all TMNT films deserved to be greenlit.
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back in 1984. Now almost 40 years later, what started as a comic book has inspired seven movies, five television series, and countless amounts of merchandise. This week the four ninja tortoises return in a new animated incarnation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Considering I’ve been a fan of the Turtles since six years old, this seems like the perfect time to put an official rating on four decades of movies. Some are gnarly, some tubular, and there’s always a whole lot of cowabunga.
Writers Note: This list doesn’t include the recent Netflix installment Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, a TV-movie crossover Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or the live recording of the 1990 Coming Out of Their Shells stage show. That one you can catch on YouTube, although I don’t know why you would. Continue Reading →
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Watch afterEvil Dead Rise (2023), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023),
StarringOwen Wilson, Tom Hiddleston,
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe got bigger and bigger and bigger, it was downright refreshing to see something as fittingly small and low-stakes as the Ant-Man films break up all the universe-ending tension. It was nice; after watching the Avengers punch through an exhausting sea of robotic baddies and set up a bunch of Infinity Stone dross, along came Paul Rudd as a smirking, kinda-dumb thief who lucked his way into a shrinking suit he used on a tech heist. After Thanos snapped half the universe away, we flashed back to good ol' Scott Lang on a caper to bring his mentor Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) wife Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) back from the Quantum Realm. They were lighter, more carefree, a much-needed sitcom wing of the MCU. Continue Reading →
Magic Mike's Last Dance
In the climactic monologue of the original Magic Mike, Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) says, “I don’t want to be a forty-year-old stripper.” It’s an affecting scene that shows that Mike understands the dead-end nature of his current lifestyle and his desire to escape, and it makes the ending where he gives stripping up a satisfying one. Continue Reading →
Disenchanted
SimilarBack to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Edward Scissorhands (1990), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971),
Watch afterBlack Adam (2022), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022),
StudioWalt Disney Pictures,
“Not great, not terrible.” Continue Reading →
Black Adam
SimilarAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Back to the Future Part II (1989), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964),
Shrek the Third (2007) Sin City (2005), The Dark Knight (2008),
StudioDC Films, New Line Cinema,
We’re officially in the third decade of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being a movie star. The former WWE legend made his cinema debut in the forgettable sequel to The Mummy, where he’s introduced as the dreaded Scorpion King, one of the most infamous early CGI debacles. Special effects have since improved, along with Johnson’s abilities as an actor and charismatic leading man. However, it feels like now we’ve come full circle with DC’s Black Adam. Continue Reading →
Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle
SimilarAmélie (2001), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Twelve (2004), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977),
James Nguyen hammers down the end of his bad-movie trilogy with a true stinker of birdemic proportions... and not in a fun way.
(This review is part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest 2022.)
With its stilted acting, incompetent screenplay and direction, and special effects that looked like someone puttering around with After Effects for the very first time, James Nguyen’s "ecological horror" film Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010) became a cult favorite among bad film fanatics, especially latecomers to the hoopla surrounding The Room looking for something they could claim as their own. Continue Reading →
Clerks III
SimilarAs It Is in Heaven (2004), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Happy Death Day 2U (2019), Night on Earth (1991),
StarringRosario Dawson,
Considering Kevin Smith's career from a 2022 perspective is a fascinating exercise. His early output, from 1994's Clerks to 2001's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, were once quintessential texts for Gen X / film nerds, treated with the same reverence as the films of Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez. But that isn’t the case anymore, and hasn’t been for over a decade. Continue Reading →
ドラゴンボール超 スーパーヒーロー
Watch afterThor: Love and Thunder (2022),
StudioToei Animation, Toei Company,
Alright, there's only one way to start this off, so best to do it well. Continue Reading →