Tag: Movie Review

Godzilla Minus Zero “Review”

Release date: November 6, 2026 (USA)

November 6, 2026 (USA)

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Takashi Yamazaki

Prequel: Godzilla Minus One

Running time: 2h 15m

Languages: Japanese, English

Cinematography: Kôzô Shibasaki

Producers: Kazuaki Kishida, Minami Ichikawa, Keiichiro Moriya, Taichi Ueda, Go Abe

Got to remember to minus one to get zero… yeah, that’s silly – Let’s jump in, shall we 😀

2026 still has movies releasing to battle out my top 10 list – Watched Minus One? Then buckle in! Haven’t seen the prequel but interested in Minus Zero? – Go get yourself a bucket of popcorn and marathon this epic saga!

Minus Zero picks up 2 years after Minus One, reintroducing us to our monster-battling squad and family! This time, it cranks up the age rating to R-rated (A first for a Godzilla movie), depicting the darkness of post-war Japan for our characters.

The epic visuals and soundtrack are back. No spoilers here. You’ll be playing the tune in your head after leaving the theater, I’m sure :D. Highly recommend watching Minus One first. You’ll come to understand the importance of the choices being made and the impact throughout this struggle to maintain peace after Godzilla was defeated…

A new catastrophic threat has awakened! Buckle up and get locked in for a fight for your lives as the evolution of this franchise is about to get cracked wide open :D. Stick around after the crawl for some terrifying sounds, but only audible sounds, nothing visual like an end scene.

Will we get a third movie? A fifty-fifty coin toss; that’s the most recent statement from Yamazaki, the director.

Regardless, these movies are easily 9/10 and belong on a top 10 list!

Greater than Odyssey? Some may say – Moments certainly felt worthy of a statement. Looking forward to seeing my top 10 list unfold towards mid to end of December :D.

Appreciate you taking the time to come by Popped for your movie “reviews”. Tomorrow I’ll be checking out Ramayana in Hindi with English subtitles. Before locking myself away once more to conquer Hyrule and return to the lands of Fire Emblem :D.

Next week – Possible Cat in the Hat “Review” along with Ebenezer.

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

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Whalefall “Review”

Story by: Daniel Kraus

Producers: Brian Duffield, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody, Allan Mandelbaum

Adapted from: Whalefall

Running time: 1h 46m

Release date: October 16, 2026 (USA)

Director: Brian Duffield

Tore myself away from Fire Emblem / LoZ Ocarina of Time to watch monsters battle…. 😀

Watched this last week, but I was trying to beat FE Fortune’s Weave (almost done with Act 2, 130 hours played) before the remaster of the epic Legend of Zelda OOT is released. Well, we’re here on its release date with Godzilla Minus One, so let’s rapid-fire Whalefall and catch up :D.

I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t connect with this film like so many others have. I went in expecting a realer, more grounded version of Pinocchio when they’re stuck in the whale. I didn’t connect with the family or the story of his father. I hoped the whale scenes would be cool, but my expectations didn’t match what’s on screen, and it really pulled me out of the movie. Without spoilers, It’s pretty funny that I watched Godzilla just now and mention monster battles.

Either way, It’s an okay movie. Personally, a Popped score of 6/10

Appreciate you taking the time to come by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Stick around for the king of monsters – Godzilla – In my Minus One “Review”.

Happy movie-going, fellow movie-goers!

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Clayface ” Review”

Release date: October 23, 2026 (USA)

Director: James Watkins

James Watkins

Screenplay: Mike Flanagan, Hossein Amini

Producers: Matt Reeves, James Gunn, Peter Safran, Lynn Harris

MPAA rating: R

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

Excited to check out this R-rated version of Clayface, especially only knowing the character from the animated series!

I was so enamored with the character and his story that I had totally forgotten the ability that Clayface possesses. So that first time seeing it :O OMG I loved it haha. Honestly up there for top 5 DC Films in recent memory.

Meet Matt Hagen our origin story Clayface villain of the DC Universe, played by Tom Rhys Harries. I went into this movie rather tired, almost falling asleep during the trailers. It wasn’t even 5 minutes, and I had myself hooked on this character/actor already. No spoilers, but this R-rated universe of Gotham is a dream! I’d love to bring Harley Quinn and the gang from the animated series into this live-action universe and explore a villain-focused Gotham storyline. (I can’t make a comment because of spoilers, but reading between the lines. Villain storylines can be done, Sony)

After certain events that happened to Matt, he finds himself looking like that on the poster. Bringing his path to that of Dr Caitlin Bates (Played by Naomi Ackie), who’s been experimenting with certain AI Nano Technology that will change Matt’s life…for the better?

Creating this R-rated version and having the tagline, “look fear in the face,” was freaking awesome. They put the camera there and didn’t let go. You were along for the ride with body horror and all the R-rated extras. “I don’t need no towel”. You’re going to have yourself a good time with this one for sure. Low end of higher depends, but that last act got me into a solid 8/10 great movie!

The film had a score that played along with certain darker scenes that was captivating and totally unnerving… LOVED IT! I’d love to dive in and chat more, but let’s keep it there and let you experience this one. For those that don’t know Clayface, you’ll be in for a treat. For fans, especially the animated version. Enjoy a treat :D. I’d love more candy, but let’s not spoil the appetite :P. (Would love to see him in Batman 2….mebi).

Appreciate you taking the time to come by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. I’d love to chat more about this feature so if you’re interested in more. I’ll see you in the comments below.

Possibly Whalefall next up; otherwise, I’ll be locked in attempting to finish Fire Emblem prior to the Legend of Zelda remake releasing early next month. Which happens to be when Godzilla releases and WoW Forever! Going to get busy, but you know the saying :D.

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

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Wildwood “Review”

Release date: October 23, 2026 (USA)

Director: Travis Knight

Travis Knight

Production company: Laika, LLC

MPAA rating: PG-13

Running time: 2h 12m

Distributed by: Fathom Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment

Well, Awkwafina was an interesting choice for this masterpiece of a movie… Let’s discuss!

Non-Spoiler “Review”

Let’s keep this to the point and without stumbling onto any type of spoiler. Prue McKeel voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee has her Labyrinth moment while looking after her little brother. Along for the ride is Curtis Mehlberg voiced by the awesome Jacob Tremblay, as they go on an epic journey to get Prue’s brother back from the Wildwood.

9/10 awesome movie. Totally being nominated for Best Animated Picture. I loved this experience and will be pitting Toy Story 5 against Wildwood as my top 2. 3rd goes to Forgotten Island. The score in Wildwood was truly stunning, and the team behind making this feature will hopefully continue to get the backing and support for keeping this art of stop motion alive and thriving, given how incredible this movie turned out. Maybe my fave movie from Laika yet.

Potential Spoilers “Review”

Absolutely incredible! A masterpiece is truly not enough to state the case for this feature. All the parts that went into creating and building this world were so beautifully done that a glaring voice just stands out a little too much. Awkwafina. The character isn’t bad but the voice is so well known it does put you off a smidge while being immersed in this world. Not enough to fully take you out of the experience, but you’ll know instantly the character that she plays.

I mentioned the score before, but honestly, mash up Labyrinth with Lord of the Rings, and Wildwood could be their baby. It’s honestly a dark movie. From the get-go, you’re seeing a fully naked child at their lowest point before coming to their end. This movie isn’t going to be for little kids. Be prepared to chat with them afterward if you do end up taking them. Many thought Forgotten Island was scary. This isn’t necessarily scary. But very grown-up, with dark/mature material.

The last act has an incredible finale that pays off the buildup the movie built with its 2-hour, 11-minute runtime.

I hope this gets the support that Forgotten Island never quite rallied. They’re thinking $8 million opening weekend. I’d love a freaking 40-million opener! If Coraline could get $16 million, I believe Wildwood could get at least into the 20s! Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Appreciate you all coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. It’s been a long time coming for Wildwood, and we’re finally here. I’ll be watching it again for sure alongside Toy Story 5 – What comes out as my best animated feature of 2026. I’m thinking it’ll be Wildwood, honestly.

No post-credit scene, but stick around for a behind-the-scenes making-of prior to the crawl. – Be sure to come back tomorrow night / Friday evening for Clay face “Review” 😀 let us know what you thought of Wildwood in the comments.

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

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Street Fighter “Review”

Release date: October 16, 2026 (USA)

Director: Kitao Sakurai

Producers: Jason Momoa, Takayuki Nakayama, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Stefan Makhoul

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Can Street Fighter compete with Mortal Kombat? Let’s Discuss :D!

By the end of the movie, I felt like it was nearer to MK2 than the first. Great Job building your foundation for the hopeful sequel! But there’s a lot to “fix” to make this the movie I had hoped for. But I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

First of all, Capcom or whoever was involved with the animated portions. Please make the animated movie of Street Fighter. I’d love to test it for a potential opportunity for Smash Brothers :D. Those animated scenes were incredible!

My fave characters were Dhalsim, played by Vidyut Jammwal & Vega, played by Orville Peck. Bonus fave: Cody Rhodes as Guile; his lines/scenes were hilarious.

Overall, a solid cast playing solid tier characters from Street Fighter. Which makes it disappointing that you hardly get to see some of them actually fighting. I was excited for the tournament, but I can’t get into that without spoilers, so I’ll leave that there. There’s a lot of Ken & Ryu in this first movie. An origin, if you will, of their characters/friendship. I’d have preferred that movie be told via the animated movie and then the live action kicks in for the tournament. You’ll see what I mean if you check the movie out :D.

Speaking of solid tier characters, shout-out to the three main ladies of this movie that had awesome performances. Chun-Li played by Callina Liang, Cammy played by Mel Jarnson & Juli played by Rayna Vallandingham, (Would have loved to see more of her in action).

Loved the movie when the characters were interacting with one another (the bar scene comes to mind), along with the movie having fun with itself, which is what I wanted from the very start :D. Before we get to the score, let’s talk about music. Because there’s a packed playlist of songs in this feature, get ready for an audible experience to go alongside your action/drama movie :P.

I gave MK2 a 6.5, a vast improvement from the first title. It had a lot of goodness in it. Same goes for Street Fighter. Though the Ken Ryu drama dragged it slightly below, giving this a Popped score of an okay 6/10. I’ll watch it again for sure for certain scenes in preparation for the sequel….which we’ll hopefully get….right?

Thanks for coming by Popped for your movie “reviews”. Appreciate you waiting also on this one. I had intended to write this yesterday, but getting back from the movie and being up 3 hours later for work, I was beat haha.

Join us next week for my most anticipated best animated feature of the year – Wildwood 😀 Along with Clayface in a much darker style than the version I know from Harley Quinn :D.

Until then, Happy movie-going fellow movie-goers.

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Other Mommy “Review”

Release date: October 9, 2026 (USA)

Director: Rob Savage

Story by: Josh Malerman

Producer: James Wan

MPAA rating: R

Running time: 1h 34m

Finding myself with the critics on this one – My wife enjoyed it, which maybe balances my 6.5/10 Fine Rating :S

Other Mommy does it’s job of being a horror movie. There were plenty of scenes I felt tension and unease. For me personally, this felt like two different edited cuts thrown together and called a day. When the movie felt more grounded in supernatural I was enjoying the scares. Once experimental supernatural became a thing I was rather put off and over this very short horror film. To short to be feeling like there was bloatware added on to pad the clock.

Just leading up to the title screen had me feeling like I just watched the trailer. The jawing edits, entering the rollercoaster half way down the buildup left me wanting more substance. Some better ground work would have been appreciated. I get the story tells it by the end but other than the scares. I really didn’t care to learn by the time reveals occured.

If Resident Evil didn’t just recently release I’d of liked some demon designs but it felt like a copy cat rip off. Honestly the movie felt like Backrooms / Resident Evil with a sprinkle of Paranormal Activity. I enjoyed aspects but I was totally over the movie by the ending scenes wrapped up. Critics hit it with a 20% RT Score. My wife enjoyed it for reasons I can’t discuss without spoiling.

So with that in mind. What are your thoughts on Other Mommy? Watched it and loved/hated it ? On the fence or waiting to check it out. Let me know in the comments below.

Appreciate you taking the time to come by Popped for your movie “Reviews”.

Coming up next Thursday is Street Fighter :D.

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

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Forgotten Island “Review”

Release date: September 25, 2026 (USA)

Directors: Januel Mercado, Joel Crawford

Producer: Mark Swift

Running time: 1h 49m

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

LPM = Laughs Per Minute – How many? OFF THE CHARTS! BRB. Let’s get into it!

We’ve got ourselves a new golden soundtrack and the newest catchy song – “A Parallel World”.

It’s still playing in my head as I sit down to write this “Review”. Welcome back, fellow movie-goers 😀 I have to be up in 4 hours, but I had to get this out there because I’m totally hyped from seeing this movie and want as many people as possible to check it out at the theatre this weekend!

Is it a contender for Best Animated Picture? TOTALLY! Does it knock Toy Story 5 off the podium for me personally? Sadly not. If TS5 didn’t pull on the series ‘heartstrings’, playing off my childhood and build-up with these fantastic characters, then Forgotten Island would have totally taken the crown. It’s a 9/10. The final act solidly locks that in!

The majority of the trailer comes from the first 30 minutes, which is awesome! There’s so much to explore and discover. Creating memories alongside our Wild Pack!…. Does that thing look infected? O.o! I’m sure it’s fine 😛 Any who, we’re set up within the intro, exploring the first memories of Jo & Raissa meeting one another for the first time. Creating an everlasting friendship that can withstand the test of time…but maybe not distance!?!

During their final party with one another, they stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to Nakali (A fantastical island – The Forgotten Island!). Awakening with a 12-hour missing time gap in their memory, it’s up to Raww, their Island Guide, to assist with filling in the blanks and getting them back home in time for Raissa’s flight to America.

This movie has so many laughs; I brought back LPM, and the score was off the charts! I went from laughing to tearing up to epicness to more laughing. The experience I had watching Forgotten Island will stay with me among my movie memories.

I won’t spoil anything but the cast ensemble – Freaking hilariously insane!

No need to stick around for a post-credit scene, but if you’re digging the awesome soundtrack, continue creating memories with your friends and family as you reflect on the adventure you’ve just partaken in :D.

Appreciate you coming by Popped for your movie “reviews”. Super excited to hear your thoughts on this one.

Until next time though fellow movie-goers… BRB ;P

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Resident Evil “Review”

Release date: September 18, 2026 (USA)

Director: Zach Cregger

Budget: 80 million USD

Running time: 1h 37m

Executive producers: Victor Hadida, Robert Bernacchi

Producers: Zach Cregger, Miri Yoon, Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan

Welcome to Racoon City, where padlocks are the real enemy!

Zach Cregger has done something truly amazing with Resident Evil. He didn’t just make a horror movie within the franchise. Cregger recreated that feeling of the video games through the medium of movies. Peering around corners was the greatest moment of this. Having to go upstairs, unknown to what’s up there. The worst part of Resident Evil games is continuing forward (For me (I’m terrified) :P). Here we get to see what’s next through our main character, which I absolutely loved!

The pacing and world-building were such a joy to behold. Starting your quest in a regular hospital to drop off a package at Raccoon General was a genius way to introduce Resident Evil newcomers to Raccoon City while still packing fun surprises for fans!

Fans of Weapons are going to love this movie. It pulls on all the suspense and horror, creating truly hold-your-breath moments while having comedy moments executed perfectly to ease tension or set up mechanics later on. The amount of setup for jokes, mechanics, or throwbacks was handled so well that I looked forward to watching this movie again for sure!

My wife was jumping so much and called this title her favorite Resident Evil movie yet!

I loved the first title in the original movie series, but honestly I would have to agree that this new edition to the movie franchise may possibly the best yet with plenty of avenues to explore if this becomes a multi part series.

There are so many cool designs, monsters, surprises, and creative story elements that the hour and 40-minute run time went by in a blink of an eye. Get yourself to your local movie theatre this weekend to watch this on the big screen. Popped score well deserved of a 9/10 :D. Going into my top 10 thus far for 2026.

Thank you all for coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Watched or thinking of watching Resident Evil this weekend? Let us know in the comments below. With this feature in my top 10, we are at the point where movies get bumped off going forward. I’ll review my top 10 and start placing them in some order, ready for the final 3 months of 2026!

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

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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom “Review”

Release date: September 18, 2026 (USA)

Directors: Steve Cox, Matthew Walker

Running time: 1h 31m

Language: English

Executive producers: Carla Shelley, Sarah Cox, Peter Lord, Nick Park

Producer: Richard Beek

Knocked Tom & Jerry down after watching Shaun the Sheep – Love the nod to Michael Jackson’s Thriller 😀

Have two negative drawbacks and a whole lot of laugh-out-loud goodness – Let’s dig in, shall we!

The intro to the movie was fire. Loved the music and the thriller reference with Shaun and his sheep friends. Sadly, after that, we needed to build up the plot. With that, we come to find out (Or at least, I come to find out) that the humans don’t talk. Wish they got this runtime down closer to an hour. When the humans take the stage, this movie runs long. I totally warmed up to them, but initially I had a hard time getting into the two main human characters. That said, the remaining cast is hilarious. Like, laugh-out-loud, totally hilarious. So good!

Plot of the film without spoilers – Shaun is a bit of a mad scientist 😉 He uses his creative mind and a science book. He cooks up a special potion to rapidly grow the pumpkin patch back, just in time for Halloween. Using a bottle of regrowth hair formula to store said potion. Shaun’s farmer uses it to gain confidence in asking his lady vet friend to a Halloween showdown event. This is where things get a little hairy and a whole lot of fun :D.

A total hoot and holla! If it’s a weakish 8 / 7.5 I had to knock Tom & Jerry down. Cutting a storyline out and reducing the runtime to 1 hour would have been solidly 8s, but running a little long and the fact that initially the humans don’t talk (Expected something more in line with Wallace & Gromit) means this is going in at a weak 8 Popped score.

Stay tuned for tomorrow night when I return with my Resident Evil “Review”! Very excited!

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Hope “Review”

Release date: September 9, 2026 (USA)

Director: Na Hong-jin

Producers: Na Hong-jin, Saerom Kim, Son Seung-hyun, Kim Saemi

Cinematography: Hong Kyung-pyo

Don’t let that 2 Hr. 40Min run time put you off – I was locked in!

Try to avoid the trailer if possible. I honestly forgot a few scenes from the trailer, but it’s crazy how much of the end they show in it. Regardless, the journey through is honestly so insane! My friend and I were locked in. She even mentioned being scared :p.

What’s this movie even about? Imagine Attack on Titan before the safety of the walls went up. A small harbor town has something insane going on when individuals unite to combat the unknown. Following two storylines, one follows the police chief while the other follows a group of hunters. They’ve found cattle that’s been mauled by something…a tiger maybe?

Lock in and enjoy some insane action as the story unfolds. Super epic suspense and all-out WHO’S GOING TO MAKE IT! Unless you have plot armor….. Yea two glaring items kept this in the 8’s rather than a 9. The CGI on the monsters along with Plot Armor.

Alas, it’s an awesome watch and totally recommend with a Popped score of 8.5/10 – Stay watching for the extra scene prior to the credit crawl. What could it mean O.o???

With that, fellow movie-goers, we’ve caught up on this week’s batch of “reviews”. Next week I’ll have Shaun the Sheep & Resident Evil. Possibly, depending on time: The Weight & Bad Apples. Closing out the month with Forgotten Island and Avengers Endgame: Encore.

As we head fully into the fall season with October, what horror movies are you excited for? What movies yet to come in September are you excited to catch up on / see? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time, happy movie- going!

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