Author: Prowen

Love Movies and have people ask my thoughts on them. So decided to cook up a fresh batch of popcorn and thus Popped was born.

Idiots “Review”

Release date: August 28, 2026 (USA)

Director: Macon Blair

Casting directors: Chase Paris, Tara Feldstein, Mark Bennett

Cinematography: Guillermo Garza

Distributed by: Independent Film Company

Editor: Dane McMaster

I’m excited for Dave Franco in Forgotten Island, but let’s not be harsh in the opener…

Idiots focuses on 2 adults who, due to their idiot decisions, are let go of their jobs and find themselves working together transporting a delinquent kid to a behavioral school. Dave Franco plays Mark, a character quite similar to that of the kid being transported, Sheridan (Played by Mason Thames). Davis (Played by O’Shea Jackson Jr.) having been let go by the church for taking kids to an NR (Not Rated) movie finds himself being partnered with Mark on this transport gig.

There were moments/scenes I got legitimately into and had a great time. Sadly, they were long-lived and felt extremely long in between. Get yourself a good drink from your theatre’s bar and enjoy an okay-to-fine movie with Idiots playing this weekend at your local theatre. Popped score of 6/10.

You know what else arrives this weekend? A mega release of movies! Coyote vs ACME, The Dog Stars, Buddy, Finding Emily, It Ends & The Legend of the White Dragon. It’s going to be an insane wide release of movies, and I’m excited to experience the majority of these and come back and share my thoughts :D.

Planning on seeing any of these at your local theatre? Seeing Idiots? – Let me know in the comments below. Appreciate you coming by Popped, for your movie “Reviews”.

Until next time, fellow movie-goers, happy movie-going!

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Coyote vs. Acme “Review”

Release date: August 28, 2026 (USA)

Director: Dave Green

Story by: James Gunn, Samy Burch, Ian Frazier, Jeremy Slater

Producers: James Gunn, Christopher DeFaria

Screenplay: Samy Burch

Running time: 1h 43m

Thank you, Ketchup Entertainment, for saving yet another Looney Tunes movie! Take that ACME 😉

ACME is going to be kicking itself for benching this feature for a tax write-off. Seriously! Thank you, Ketchup, for saving this film. As a huge fan of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Coyote vs. Acme felt so good to watch. Whenever our favorite Looney Tunes characters were on screen, I was having such a blast!

No hate to the film’s cast. They did a good job. I just wasn’t feeling the scenes without Coyote when watching Will Forte. Luckily, his supporting cast were a lot of fun, with Lana Condor & Martha Kelly working at his law firm in the Coyote vs Acme suite. 😀 OMFG I just looked up why Martha Kelly sounded so familiar – She voices a character in the epic show Common Side Effects 😀 My fave show of 2025…. any who. Let’s continue haha.

On the other side of the lawsuit, I absolutely loved John Cena & Jeff Bergman. Although John Cena’s name is on the poster. I didn’t see him in the movie ;). This movie was so much fun, ramping up the laughs and character reveals as it progresses. No spoilers here, so you’re safe. Coyote VS ACME releases this coming weekend, so turn up and support this feature and prove to ACME why shelving this title was a bad mistake. Shoutout to Ketchup Entertainment for saving this feature. Go have a blast this coming weekend; I’ll be watching it again for sure. More of this, please! Love this world and thoroughly enjoy the live-action blend with Looney Tunes goodness :D. (Miss you, Roger Rabbit!)

Popped score of 8.5/10 – This was a great watch and looking forward to revisiting and finding more easter eggs :D.

Appreciate you coming by Popped, for your movie “Reviews”.

Come back tomorrow all going well for my “Review” on Idiots!

Until then, fellow movie-goers, happy movie-going! 😀

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The Magic Faraway Tree “Review”

Release date: August 21, 2026 (USA)

Director: Ben Gregor

Producers: Pippa Harris, Jane Hooks, Danny Perkins, Nicolas Brown

Running time: 1h 50m

Distributed by: Entertainment Film Distributors, Vertical

Almost skipped this but the 83% critic score got me in the seat….glad it did 😀

Depending on the connection you build with this family, I was between a 7.5 and 8. Honestly, the touching and emotional story with its beautiful whimsical vibes got this to an 8 without spoilers.

The worlds and set designs- I can see why they chose the creation team behind Wonka. There’s a specific scene in the trees that created a ha moment 😀 I’d love to have seen more worlds, but maybe that’s for a potential sequel? The story being told was perfect with all that they used.

The land of goodies had my childhood candy store memories hitting hard when penny sweets were a thing :D. Loved that world, remember not to be greedy ;). Either way, the two / three stories being told I loved. For the parents, their children, and for those living in the Magical Faraway Tree.

I could get lost in these worlds and be totally fine with it (Minus 1 :P). There’s a small scene before the crawl, but otherwise, unless you’d like more wine. You don’t need to stick around. Unless it’s to continue being immersed in this feature’s beautiful music. Have fun dancing and jigging along after this beautiful story :D.

Appreciate you all coming by. Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Possibly more to come throughout the week but stay tuned for next week as so many movies drop next weekend!

Until next time though, happy movie-going fellow movie-goers :D.

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Insidious: Out of the Further “Review”

Release date: August 21, 2026 (USA)

Director: Jacob Chase

Running time: 1h 46m

MPAA rating: PG-13

Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

2026 is jam packed with horror so let’s keep it going in August with Insidious (6?)..

Horror rarely scares these days anymore. But this entry’s intro has some solid tension and a scene that got me :P. Sadly, the remainder of the movie doesn’t keep that same energy. But there are moments for sure :D.

Out of the further felt like a second phase or saga of the Insidious franchise. Going from the established traveler to now introducing carriers, individuals who were able to bring things to and from the material plane from the further.

The story focuses on a family over a 20-year generational timeline. The intro sets up some rewarding scenes that I appreciated in this latest installment. Some old favorites return; however, it mostly felt like filler.

That’s all dependent on the franchise’s next direction, based on the ending without spoilers. Popped score of 6.5/10. It’s almost good, but that ending could have been epic. Discuss that further in the comments after you’ve experienced this latest edition.

Appreciate you coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”.

Stick around for the “Review” on The Magical Faraway Tree.

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All Wishes Come True! “Review”

Release date: August 14, 2026 (USA)

Director: Zhengyang Mu

Running time: 2h 24m

Production Companies:

Pearl Studio & CMC Pictures

Poster caught my eye, then I heard it’s for those that enjoyed Ne Zha… well enough said, I had to check it out 😀

I need to learn my lore because I felt like we visited areas that were in Ne Zha 2, but this is taking place in its own space. For those that enjoy the Monkey King & Ne Zha, there’s lots of fun easter eggs in this title for you.

That being said, these 8 immortals were so fun to be around and explore throughout this 2-hour 24-minute movie. The main brothers have such a rich history and character plot that I’d love to see more. There’s less action than Ne Zha, but there are some incredible action scenes. Chase scene early on and the most fantastic heist that’s going to make this long movie well worth checking out.

I mention the length as it does feel long. The first hour felt long (Not boring, just jam-packed with goodness that I felt the movie had played longer than it had.) Then some slowdowns draw out the run time but pick momentum up towards that last 30/40 minutes, making such a fun movie. Totally worth the watch to be surrounded by this beautiful movie.

8.5/10 for Popped score – All Wishes Come True! Playing in theatres right now. Stick around for a mid-credit scene. Nothing at the end of the credit crawl. Plan to check out All Wishes Come True? – Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Come back tomorrow for our Insidious “Review” and potentially – The Magic Faraway Tree. Anything else releasing this weekend I should be checking out? Let me know in the comments.

Until then, fellow movie-goers, happy movie-going 😀

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The End of Oak Street “Review”

Release date: August 14, 2026 (USA)

Director: David Robert Mitchell

Producers: David Robert Mitchell, J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Matt Jackson, Jon Cohen, Tommy Harper

Cinematography: Mike Gioulakis

MPAA rating: PG-13

Genres: Science fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Mystery

I wasn’t prepared for how good this movie was going to be!

Ever wondered how life would be, transported millions of years to the past, surrounded by Dinosaurs and having to survive alongside your family which has cracks and fractures but now you’re banding together to survive or die?

Yea, The End of Oak Street is going to setup and explore this family amongst the first 30 minutes. Setting up our characters, their dynamic and side characters that we’ll experience along this hour and 40 minute movie. No need to stick around until the end of the credits but you may find yourself doing so. Either in aww of how good this movie was or finally being able to relax after this actually pretty intense movie that for me personally, has come out of no where.

Loved Anne Hathaway (Playing the mother Denise) & Ewan McGregor (Playing the father Greg). They had great chemistry and the dynamic between Greg and his children really hit hard with the dynamic of their mother during the movie. Maisy Stella plays Audrey Platt while Christian Convery play the son Brian. Loved this family along with Starbuck their loyal companion dog. (I’m not saying nothing about Starbuck, you’ll have to watch the movie to find out).

Pretty quickly I locked this feature into an 8. I didn’t expect the movie to have my mouth wide open with such intensity. I even jumped at a scene which horror movies barely are able to do these days. This aspect totally caught me off guard and wow did I have a great time. If it wasn’t for a couple of details I’ll leave out for spoiler reasons I’d have given this movie a 9/10. Alas, due to that with some insane scenes in the second half of the movie. The End of Oak Street Popped “Review” score is an 8.5/10.

Also bumping up Spider-Man Brand New Day to a 9 as I shouldn’t have compared it to No Way Home while giving it it’s score. Either way I’ll update that on my second viewing and focus on Oak Street’s 8.5 for now. I had a blast and excited to hear your thoughts over this weekend in the comment below.

Thank you for coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. What surprise hits await us for August/September? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Until next time though fellow movie-goers. Happy movie-going 😀

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Ice Cream Man “Review”

Release date: August 7, 2026 (USA)

Director: Eli Roth

Language: English

Running time: 1h 27m

Producers: Eli Roth, Christopher Woodrow, Kate Harrison

Distributed by: Iconic Events

Wish they didn’t reveal AI was used in the making of this film. Saw no hate before that announcement. Then I see 31% on RT. I’ve got a different score for Popped. Let’s dive into the scoop …unless the prior comment puts you off. For everyone else – Let’s discuss… 😀

Eli Roth & Snoop Dogg have the makings to entertain a small niche audience, and I’m here for it. Between this and what I saw during the trailers for “Don’t go in that house, Bitch!”. I honestly enjoyed their humor. This isn’t a great movie by any means. Yeah, some effects were weak, and the story wasn’t the best. But that’s okay when it comes to horror, especially on a small budget or horror like this, where you may have seen it on Shudder before but fits well in theatres with an audience ready to be entertained…. even if the audience doesn’t show up :(. Think it was me and 2 others in there.

There are moments I thought were honestly great. Scenes where I felt like I was watching an awesome zombie movie but with kids being kids while the gore was turned up to an 11. Playing jump rope with intestines. Massing up children to kill their parents in brutal ways. The humor was spot on, and I loved it.

[*Small Spoiler* – The kids believe they’re watching cartoons and the horrific scenes the audience is watching are a part of the show.]

This fits on the B horror shelf, and I’d honestly not be mad watching it again if someone asked me to come check it out or watch it later at home with a group. You’re not going to praise it for an Oscar nomination. I couldn’t imagine the creators thought it was when revealing the use of AI.

About the use of AI. I’m not trained to see when AI is, or isn’t, used. But, honestly, if anyone watched this movie without knowing that prior. What are you complaining about to give it a 30%? A critic on RT said it’s the worst movie of the year…. Gosh darn, I wish it was because I was hoping that to be true with the hate on AI….but alas for Popped, I’m giving Ice Cream Man a 7/10. Very curious to see the audience score on this one.

Do you plan to, or have you watched, Ice Cream Man yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you for coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Also releasing this weekend is One Night Only, which I “Reviewed” last week. Go check it out if you’re lactose intolerant for this title. Next week I’ll be getting my implant, so we’ll see if anything releases that brings me back to the theatre. Maybe a second round of Spider-Man BND? I do need to re-review it for that potential 9….hmmmm let’s see shall we.

Until next time though fellow movie-goers, happy movie-going! 😀 Be careful not to get brain freeze…

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day “Review”

Release date: July 31, 2026 (USA)

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Running time: 2h 25m

Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

Let’s break this down 😀 Non-spoiler – Partial Spoiler – Go Watch It 😀

Non-Spoiler “Review”

Enjoy Spider-Man movies? Love the MCU? Then what are you reading this for? Go to your nearest theatre and enjoy this latest edition of Spider-Man :D. He’s devoted himself to protecting New York in a timeline that’s forgotten him. The least you can do is support him! :D. Honestly, a great movie – Need another watch to see if this gets a 9. – Popped score of 8.5/10 – It’s 4am, and I’m awake, so could very well get the 9 for keeping me entertained 😀 But it could also be the factor why I’m feeling the .5.

Thanks for coming by, Popped, for your movie “Reviews” – Appreciate you taking the time, and I’m excited to hear from you all in the comments below. With that said, go check out Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Or continue reading for more spoiler-ish “Review points” :D.

Partial-Spoiler “Review”

Through all the trailers and build-up press on this latest edition – I thought we were getting another Captain America: Brave New World repeat…. If you don’t know, then good for you. Interested in what I mean? Go read my review.

That being said, even with a cast spoiler. I had plenty of surprises in this movie. I didn’t know who the cast member was playing, nor did I until the reveal, so props to Sony for handling the movie and marketing better than Marvel does with their property.

Loved the dynamic and exploration of the reset to Peter’s relationship/friendship. The chemistry between Peter, MJ & Ned was perfect, and I’d love to experience it all over again in all 4 movies.

Another dynamic I loved was between Spider-Man & Frank (The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal). I need to catch up with Daredevil: Born Again to see if I missed anything between them before Brand New Day.

Stick around until the very end for something small….. may get your Spidey senses tingling for what’s to come in December – It’s small, mind you, but I’m excited for either this Christmas or next Christmas depending on how long they’ll keep us waiting for what’s to come next. 8.5/10 Popped score. – Need another viewing when I’m more awake to see if the 9 is claimed :D.

Spoilerish Town?

I’m going to re-watch No Way Home to compare with this one. I feel the reveals in the previous installment were personally way grander and epic than in Brand New Day. While NWH had impact built up from what came before. This one comes from what awaits ahead. So the impact will honestly hit differently depending on what hypes you more. The grand work created from all the epic moments of the past – relived and meme-ed on in epic movie fashion. Or are you hyped for the potential storylines and nods to comic/animated stories that we’ll finally get to experience on the big screen in epic MCU live-action awesomeness? Only you can really tell with this.

Until next time, fellow movie-goers – Happy Movie-Going! 😀

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One Night Only “Review”

Initial release: August 7, 2026

Director: Will Gluck

Running time: 1h 42m

Producers: Will Gluck, Jacqueline Monetta

Screenplay: Travis Braun

Cinematography: Yaron Orbach

Got to check this out early, thanks to Harkins Secret Movie 😀 What a nice surprise!

Honestly thought the trailer gave a lot away, but after watching it. I had a blast! One Night Only was super funny. Totally raunchy, and I loved the chemistry between Allie (Played by Monica Barbaro) & Owen (Played by Callum Turner).

The government imposes a mandate that once a year, they allow sex to be legal outside of marriage. It’s this night we get to follow Allie & Owen through their journeys and exploration; however, their paths continuously cross time and time again. Maybe destiny or fate is calling?

This movie had so many laugh-out-loud moments and emotional attachment that I’d honestly love to watch it again.

Popped score of 8/10 – Coming out next week on August 7th – Stick around next for this week’s juggernaut – Spider-Man! Brand New Day :D.

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The Odyssey

Release date: July 17, 2026 (USA)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Producers: Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas

Music composed by: Ludwig Göransson

Adapted from: Odyssey

Story by: Homer

I’d love to chat more, but have ants to deal with… blasted!

No spoilers but what an epic of a film. From the incredible cast. Sound design. Scale / Scope of the story. This 3 hour movie despite feeling a little long at moments. Kept you engaged and entertained throughout.

With a serious bow tie ending. The Odyssey is a must-watch. I’m excited to jump back in again. Moments of exploration had me wanting to replay Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. By the end, I was banging my foot along. My audience was locked in and silent the entire ride.

Some story of what this epic tale is all about? A son’s search for his father. A father & husband embarking on a perilous journey home, returning from the Trojan War. Obstacles to be faced are an understatement. Such deadly circumstances await our characters that need to be seen on the biggest screen!

Easily a 9/10 – My joint first place #1 movie of 2026 thus far!

Thanks for coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews” – I’ve got to dash but excited to return for Spiderman….hopefully with the ants dealt with :S.

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