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Reviews
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Turtle Time
The turtles are back with a new take once again. Some of it I dug and some, not as much.
For starters, the characters are great. The individual turtles are nailed perfectly. We get a new take on both Splinter and April. Both are a fun. Seeing the backstory of Splinter and the turtles was a blast. April as a teenager is a great choice and partner to the turtles.
The first half of this is much stronger than the second. The story aspect when focusing on the brothers, their relationship, and humor is great. The low-key moments really shine.
Once we're introduced to the mutants of mayhem, it loses focus. It's the curse of too many characters and none are allowed to truly shine. I really wish this was more slowly rolled out. The way it all plays out takes away from the turtles. I was looking forward to BeBop and Rocksteady but was disappointed with their involvement. That said, Ice Cube as Super Fly was fantastic and gives some adult edge to the offerings, that is until things get a little sloppy with his character in the end.
We get a great versions of the turtles and their humor. The mutant mayhem was overload and left more to be desired.
Also, no theme song? It hurts.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Check in to the El Royale!
I had the opportunity to see a sneak preview of 'Bad Times at the El Royale' thanks to the Alamo Drafthouse.
If you've seen 'Cabin in the Woods' then you have a good idea of what director Drew Goddard brings to the table. He brings that same sense of style and flare to the El Royale. The film looks great and hooks you in from the start. If I had to describe the feel, I'd say it's Tarantino meets Hitchcock. It takes its time introducing and fleshing out the characters while unfolding the plot in a way that's always interesting. The revelations are put together with a ton of craft and it has a great mix of dark comedy. A little long towards the end but the pay off is worth it.
Speaking of characters, the cast is fantastic. Jon Hamm brings his 'Mad Men' charm along with a dash of great comedic timing. Jeff Bridges gives one of his best roles since 'True Grit' and he has great chemistry with Cynthia Erivo. Their scenes together are some of the best and this is sure to be a breakout role for her. Same goes for Lewis Pullman who plays the Hotel everything(you'll get the joke when you see it) as he delivers a purposefully awkward but strong character. Chris Hemsworth gives us something that we haven't seen from him before but the less said about that, the better. Dakota Johnson and Cailee Spaeny were a mixed bag for me. They had some great scenes but the characters were my least favorite.
Another star in the film is the perfect soundtrack. Not only because of the song choices themselves but also how they are intertwined with the flow and action of the scenes.
If you're looking for something fresh and different, this is one to check out as soon as possible. One of my favorites of the year. Its one that is difficult to review without giving away too much, so I'll just wrap this up. I look forward to watching it again.
8 out of 10.