Tag: Universal Pictures

Wicked Part 1 “Review”

Release date: November 22, 2024 (USA)

Director: Jon M. Chu

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Adapted from: Wicked, The Wizard of OZ

Budget: $145–150 million

Cinematography: Alice Brooks

I enjoyed the play many moons ago pre-COVID. I’ve watched and enjoyed The Wizard of OZ several times. So it’s awesome to finally be in a timeline where Wicked has been created into a theatrical movie.

I’d like to start by reminding people that Wicked is a musical. I just didn’t want anyone to be surprised when going in to watch this movie. Although comparing the length of this movie to Joker, this felt to have the same or slightly less music. (I’d like to have had more music, which I’ll get into later.)

The Wicked movie is told from the perspective of our two witches, Elphaba (Played by Cynthia Erivo) & Galinda (Played by Ariana Grande). Setting up the movie we start with Galinda, Munchkin Land, and the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. The story begins by highlighting the fact that Dorothy has arrived in OZ. This story travels back to prior times introducing Elphaba from conception, her childhood including introducing her sister, and then how Elphaba & Galinda became friends with one another in school.

You’re watching a musical so let’s begin with that, shall we? It’s awesome! Countless good songs throughout this 2-hour and 31-minute spectacular (Skip the non-post-credit scene crawl unless you’re enjoying the music). My most remembered songs going into the film were fantastic and knocked each performance out of the park. I may even lock this title in for the Oscars for Best Production & Costume Design. Some of the music was elevated by these two categories making the scene/s stand out and worth re-watching.

As usual, I’ll keep story spoilers away and touch on brief topic matters despite being based on the Wicked Broadway play. This theatrical release incorporates a book that I never read.

I found it fascinating the history on animals and how much this played into the storyline of Wicked. Maybe I missed this while watching the play but it gave so much grounded development to Elphaba and strengthening her decisions and choices that leads her to become who she is later on.

I’m a real underdog supporter in movies so to incorporate this, I was totally enthralled. I have so many notes to discuss however I just want you to go out and experience this movie for yourself. (Caveat – You’re watching a musical remember. Don’t want any surprises like Joker now) If you’re not a fan of musicals this maybe a hard watch despite the incredible performances from the entire cast.

Something that stands out early is the chemistry felt between Elphaba & Galinda, something truly magical and that captivates throughout. I had a moment of emotional swirl get me during a scene, helping with the long run time. When you start to feel the movie length you’re heading into the final act which feels to go by in an instant due to how good it is. I’m ready to re-watch again and could have sat another 3 hours watching Part 2.

I’m not sure about movie of the year however do checkout my top 10 list which has shifted somewhat with this release. I may have to re-watch Dune 2 as it’ll be bumped off the list which doesn’t seem right but it’s a strong 8.5 almost 9 so we’ll see by year end.

With that giant hint, I’m giving Wicked Part 1 a Popped score of 9/10. Worthy of a Blu-ray purchase and definitely a multi-re-watch.

Out of the big 3 to end November I’d say this is the clear winner. (Despite not seeing Moana 2 yet so let’s see next week if that stance changes) – Thank you all for coming by Popped for your movie “review” and looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.

Did you check out Wicked yet? What’s your top 10 looking like in comparison? Let us know before the next popped batch of “Reviews”.

1

Speak No Evil “Review”

Release date: September 13, 2024 (USA)

Director: James Watkins

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Based on: Speak No Evil; by: Christian Tafdrup; Mads Tafdrup

Budget: $15 million

Music by: Danny Bensi; Saunder Jurriaans

The cast of the movie does an excellent job throughout this feature.

I honestly fell in love with these couples and the friendships created at the beginning of this film. Watched the trailer? Still plenty of surprises in store despite clueing you in to something going on. Haven’t seen the trailer? No worries, nothing will be spoiled here even from the previous line and the pictures used.

A similar pacing to that of blink twice which was a good film and worth checking out. I enjoyed the slower setup with Speak No Evil over Blink Twice as I loved the characters. James McAvoy is SOLID and brings out so much emotion from all the cast from the children Ant & Agnes played by Dan Hough & Alix West Lefler along with the Agnes’s parents played by Scoot McNairy & Mackenzie Davis. Last but not least the partner of McAvoy’s character (Paddy) Ciara played by Aisling Franciosi. Solid performances and without going into spoilers, had me experiencing many sets of emotions throughout.

Blum house & Universal have another solid good film on their hands and I’m excited as we step ever closer to Black Phone 2 coming next October to (Fingers Crossed) to see the world that their developing into a universe of Blum house horror. Universal Horror Nights will either have an amazing set of mazes next year or 2026 will be the reveal of what’s to come for Blum house Universe.

I’m so pumped and excited to hear what you all thought of this title. M3GAN 2.0 releases next year along with Black Phone 2 among a couple of other titles in 2025 which ends the year with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 in December.

I’d give Speak No Evil an 8/10 for doing such a great job. An American psychological thriller film that I’ll look forward to returning to one day. Maybe it’s time to checkout the original 2022 Danish Film that this remakes on.

Thank you all for your time coming by for another Popped “Review” and I’ll see you in the next batch with Transformers One which I’m very excited to Watch…..More on that during the “Review”.

0

Abigail “Review” “Rant”

Release date: April 19, 2024 (USA)

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Box office: $34.7 million

Cinematography: Aaron Morton

Edited by: Michael P. Shawver

Let’s begin shall we because I’m going to cook and I’ll let you know when to get off before the main course is in the oven.

Abigail is a perfect example of why I’ve had such contrasted reviews to others recently. Trailers are a great marketing tool. Get the message out and gather interest buzz for an upcoming title. However, to much material is being shown and it’s impacting the movie experience.

The first hour of this movie is a lengthy version of the trailer. – If you didn’t see the trailer then excellent enjoy that first hour because it’s a pretty cool mystery and exploration of the movie before the reveal which so far I’m being totally spoiler free unlike the trailer.

A universe of sorts is created and draws the viewer in for those that have and haven’t seen the trailer. – This is your starters. I hope you enjoyed because from here some enjoy steak medium rare, others rare, medium, burnt, well done ext.

I put up with the meal thus far at around a 6/10 balancing having saw the trailers and being recommended this title by a friend….. sadly I ended up coming out with a 4/10 hoping to have watched Madame Web again.

Okay, let’s start the oven if you want to jump off here to not ruin your dinner.

Note to studios. Please make a teaser trailer and MAYBE 1 trailer before the movies release. Especially for movies like this where you spend so much time keeping the reveal (THAT’S IN THE TRAILER) away from the audience that already knows what’s to come. Be smart with the trailer and be deceptive and add mystery within to avoid this. To many trailers and way to many reveals are being shown. Challengers was another great example.

People informed me based on the trailer they expected more of what was being shown. Along with thought the plot took to long to get to where they wanted it to get to based on already knowing the characters from the trailer. I got to enjoy the ride of each character and the plot reveal due to not watching the trailers.

Okay steaks going into the oven now. Let’s get to what brought my 6 down to a 4. The meat and potatoes of my “Rant”.

When so many vampire movies exist and so much lore and tropes have been used. There’s a common and never touched established use of vampires. When you first become a vampire (By the way they literally mention this at the end of the movie which dumb founds me how this occurred) you’re a weak ass vampire. You’re stronger, you’re better than your human self. But never has a new vampire been stronger, even when that vampire is a kid been stronger than an older pre existing vampire which we know from the movie has been AT LEAST 2 years based on another vampire telling us that. Mind you a 2 year old vampire that needs help to kill the child vampire. O.O WTF! Who f$%ked that one up?

Abigail even mentions it takes a long time to learn all the cool shit…. so why didn’t she use any of that when the quirk of her character was that she was a ballerina? Utilize that rather than pushing down on a steak with a human O.O. Whoever wrote the ending of this movie needs to watch some good examples of vampire movies. BLADE the original Blade series. Along with True Blood tv show.

Another reason I bring up this rant and Blade is due to Blade being rebooted by Disney. PLEASE DONT FUCK IT UP!

Lastly for the 4/10 is the movie didn’t even follow its own established lore and plot. When one character is bitten and controlled. (Which took awhile to occur mind you) Why does the other human for 1 instantly get turned and 2 is able to control the master O.o.

If it wasn’t for writing this review / rant I’d of walked out during the 5 different endings this movie could of had. Every time throwing up an over used trope or gimmick horror scene done to death.

If you haven’t watched the trailer then check this out on streaming. If you’re still interested after reading all this then good luck and love to hear your thoughts over this overly cooked meal I’ve prepared.

Thanks for coming to Popped for this burnt batch but look forward to what’s to come with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes later this week.

Check out better Vampire movies/shows mentioned before or if this is 2020’s version of a Vampire going forth I’m out for this section of the monster verse.

0

the Fall Guy “Review”

Release date: May 3, 2024 (USA)

Director: David Leitch

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Box office: $8.5 million

Music by: Dominic Lewis

Summer 2024 has officially kicked off with the Fall Guy releasing in theatres.

I loved the spotlight focus going into the movie on stunt workers and their craft, as this is greatly deserved but often missed in the movie industry. By highlighting the hard work and dedication of these unsung heroes, “the Fall Guy” brings a fresh perspective to the world of film making.

The attention to detail in showcasing the artistry and risks involved in stunt work adds depth to the movie and sets it apart from typical action films. Kudos to the filmmakers for shedding light on this essential but often overlooked aspect of film-making.

I’ve personally not thought of this aspect sitting in the movies which was an eye opener going forward. They even included a nod to stunt workers not receiving Oscars themselves which should totally be looked into.

Now I’m not going to spoil over half of this movie so you’re in safe hands going forth. I will mention and compare this to a movie I never reviewed this year “Argylle”, the movie that had such an awesome first hour then rapidly fell off a cliff each 30 minutes to the end.

If Argylle was a parallel of the movie and real life writing a story and having writers block in finishing the 3rd act. the Fall Guy was its parallel in understanding the script and succeeding in the pay off of the 3rd act.

You’re going to want to stick around when the credits roll as they show a lot of behind the scenes of the stunts within the movie along with a fun mid credit scene.

The characters and supporting roles were excellently casted and written. My wife and I fell in love with them all and I appreciated how they genuinely made two kick ass woman rather than going the Disney route of late.

Emily Blunt is playing the director of this movie and Hannah Waddingham is her producer (Apologize if she’s not I didn’t quite get her title – She’s her boss of sorts). I loved them both and they have great scenes from start to end.

Just as Argylle had secrecy to how much is shown in the trailers. the Fall Guy was able to disguise a lot from the viewer in context of scenes shown to how they came across in the movie. I may honestly be done with watching trailers UNLESS they continue on this trend. I don’t want to see the movie before watching the movie. It may possibly be why I enjoyed Boy Kills World, Challengers & Sting so much this year.

The movie has so many fun meta moments and totally runs with it. The actors and stunt workers show their passion and look to be genuinely having fun creating this title. As a fan of Comic Con and love the fancy Hall H events. the Fall Guy manages to offer up a fun level of excitement not only in the movie but also in the industry of fans and their love for movies.

I gave points to this title for keeping me awake despite being rather tired. I never actually fell asleep as the sound track would kick in or a fun action scene would keep my attention glued. I loved the soundtrack used throughout this feature and the intro to introduce us to this universe.

the Fall Guy staring Ryan Gosling kicks off summer 2024 just as he ended summer 2023 as ken. Gosling has been hard at work performing his own stunts and grown into a fine man of action packed goodness. He has so much fun with this character like the energy ken had with barbie.

[ Prior to posting this “Review” I didn’t include a section on the actual stunt doubles and looked up this little tid bit – Logan Holladay performed the film’s driving stunts while Ben Jenkin was Gosling’s primary stunt double, taking numerous hits for the actor]

This movie centered around the stunts and action along with a romantic chemistry between Ryan and Emily’s characters. The parallel between their story along with the story being created within the film was well written that the second half of the movie really paid off unlike the title I mentioned at the beginning for failing on.

Imagine a movie concentrated on just the action scenes tied together with mystery, espionage, romance and a poetic symmetry between what the viewer is seeing and the film is creating. I thoroughly loved this movie and with a bow tie ending settled from a 8.5 to a 9/10. My wife had 2 critiques for this film which due to all the fun being had was able to turn away from to enjoy the movie. She also said a solid 9/10.

The summer is here and you can follow along my journey here at Popped! Check out my top 10 summer predictions and let me know what you thought of the Fall Guy in the comments.

0

Monkey Man “Review”

Release date: April 5, 2024 (USA)

Director: Dev Patel

Budget: 10 million USD

Producers: Dev Patel, Jordan Peele, Samarth Sahni, Erica Lee, MORE

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Music by: Jed Kurzel

Monkey Man was a rollercoaster on where to rate this feature. I had a personal journey ranging between a 7 and an 8 /10.

Monkey Man is an intriguing entry into the revenge-thriller genre that manages to differentiate itself enough to stand on its own. Many individuals prior to my performance compared this to the John Wick series. This film, while steeped in the same visceral action and relentless pursuit of justice, deviates by weaving a more spiritual tapestry around its narrative core.

I found Monkey Man had strength in it’s ability to oscillate between its action packed sequences and the more serene moments of philosophical contemplation.

Unlike John Wick’s more personal vendetta, the protagonist is driven by a broader mission to avenge not just his own losses but the sufferings of others who have been wronged by the same villains.

Hearing after my viewing that no one wanted to pick this title up I was rather happy and thankful that Jordan Peele came to Dev Patel’s aid in producing this feature.

It may bounce between a 7 and an 8 in various aspects. I felt a 7.5 feels right for a movie that offers a satisfying blend of action and a deeper spiritual quest. A journey well worth taking those seeking more than just bullets and bloodshed.

0

Kung Fu Panda 4 “Review”

Release date: March 8, 2024 (USA)

Director: Mike Mitchell

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Budget: $85 million

Music by: Hans Zimmer; Steve Mazzaro

Produced by: Rebecca Huntley

Kung Fu Panda 4 has returned since it’s last feature length film back in 2016. To my surprise there’s been a tv show spin off for Kung Fu Panda between 2016 and now 2024 which is probably why I was disconnected from the character after all these years.

I did have some fun for about half the movie however that start and ending was a slog to get through. If you want any surprise to the story or what’s going to unfold in this feature then I’d recommend skipping the trailer. It shows the whole plot….which you could probably peace together by the time the adventure gets going.

If you’re finding it hard to get through you wont have to wait to long as about 25 minutes in Po and our newly added character Zhen come across the Happy Rabbit Tavern while looking for passage to the main city. This was when surprise laughs and a spark of fun ignited the film and kept me going until the final few acts.

Happy Rabbit Tavern & The City for me personally was so much fun and kept me in the film. Outside of that I’m reminded this series has defiantly out lived my younger years and stayed with the youth with few jokes for the adults to get.

I probably wont be back for a fifth Kung Fu Panda unless something drastic happens like a cross over with Shrek or Puss & Boots… ? Possible? Na I doubt it but that would totally be fun.

I’d give Kung Fu Panda 4 a 6/10 some fun acts to help with the predictable and sloggy destiny of this movie coming and going in a eh batch of popped reviews.

0

Drive Away Dolls “Review”

Release date: February 23, 2024 (USA)

Director: Ethan Coen

Distributed by: Universal Pictures, Focus Features

Box office: $3.2 million

Cinematography: Ari Wegner

Music by: Carter Burwell

Drive Away Dolls was an over the top fun road trip with a highly sought after brief case. When Jamie, our overly sex positive lead has been caught sleeping around by her partner. Jamie finds herself getting kicked out and joining her friend Marian on a road trip of random sexual events to their destination Tallahassee, Fla.

For such a short movie it’d be hard not to cover a lot of what the trailer attempts to avoid showing. The main focus is on these two best friends on a sexual journey of self discovery and finding a lot of heart through the endless bouts of raw sexual need.

On the other hand, with such an epic intro to this film before the very R rated sexual nature of Jamie kicks in. We find ourselves on a search for a briefcase at the pivotal point of this film with our (The audience’s) friend Curlie whom gives away the car stowing away said briefcase to the wrong party (Our 2 lady friends) rather than these “mafia” style men.

They to had grown very much on me over this hour and 20 minute film as the writing and development of each of the characters was such a delight to follow and be apart of this long journey.

If a solid R rated sexual, bloody, and raunchy title is suited to you packed with sex and violence then this title is a fun watch. For the length invested I’d suggest this movie if you’re looking to discover yourself, wanting to watch something with a lot of heart or a crazy over the top road trip packed with shock after shock moments. The trailer does keep things well under wraps to leave room for surprise if you’d like to check it out first or go in blind.

A solid 7/10 would be my rating for this fun feature that I could find myself watching again down the road. (Just maybe avoid watching with family members unless this content doesn’t make that awkward).

The only thing I still don’t understand is the trippy psychedelic expositions between scenes that randomly occurred. I’ll let you explore that for yourselves.

0

Night Swim “Review”

Release date: January 5, 2024

Director: Bryce McGuire

Story by: Bryce McGuire; Rod Blackhurst

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Budget: $15 million

Music by: Mark Korven

Kicking off 2024 with this movie wasn’t very exciting or interesting.

In short this movie felt very mid and average you honestly aren’t missing much by skipping or seeing this one.

What I had hoped for was, “IT” in a pool was very much not the movie I ended up watching. My hope is that this is part of the Universal horror universe that’s speculated to come after the black phone sequel.

I’d give Night Swim a very mid Popped score of 5/10

Honestly I don’t want to keep you here longer and have better films to watch coming up later in 2024 but alas I want to “Review” / Discuss all the movies I watch in the year to document and track my top 10 list.

Stick around as Popped improves in each batch as I add to 2024. Look back at 2021,2 & 3 and track my movies of each year post pandemic.

Watch this movie if you’re interested in killing an evening or have an hour and half free to add another movie under your belt. Night Swim will constantly remind you that this family has a swimming pool.

I’m not going to spoil what little this film can offer so I’ll leave it here and let me know what you thought when seeing this film. Hey if this ends up being apart of that horror universe then I’ll revisit and develop this dicussion.

Thank you all for reading this and let me know what you thought on this entry “horror” film into the year 2024.

0

A WordPress.com Website.

Up ↑