Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader
Directed by: Benny Safdie
Rated: R
Running Time: 123 minutes
A24

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Every now and then, a film comes along that isn’t great in the traditional sense, but it features a performance that redefines how we view an actor. “The Whale,” “The Wrestler” and “Leaving Las Vegas” are the gold standard here. These films are remembered as much for their raw performances as their narratives. Add “The Smashing Machine” to that list.

Set between 1997 and 2000, the film follows real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson), a powerhouse trying to stay relevant through the early days of the UFC and the Japanese PRIDE league. While Kerr trains and fights with intensity, he also battles drug addiction, feelings of inadequacy, and a volatile relationship with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt).

“The Smashing Machine” doesn’t reinvent biopics. The cinematography and storytelling are fairly standard, even pedestrian at times. What elevates the movie is Johnson and Blunt’s fully committed performances. Their love is messy, obsessive, and often toxic. Every confrontation, every long silence, feels lived in. These are career-best moments for both actors. Blunt may actually be the true powerhouse of the film with her wild emotional swings, but Johnson isn’t too far behind. Even in his quieter moments, we sense and see the tension building inside the gentle giant.

Those expecting a deep dive into Kerr’s addiction or the psychology behind his relationship may leave disappointed. For that, you’ll need to queue up the 2002 HBO documentary “The Smashing Machine.” Director Benny Safdie clearly admires Kerr, but he often chooses mood over clarity. The film hints at trauma and dependency, but rarely explores them with depth. Johnson’s moments of vacant staring and trembling silence, while sometimes excellent in their own regard, beg for more context.

Still, as far as sports biopics go, this one makes a compelling choice: it zooms in on an inherently unheroic and specific three-year window. Most sports films focus on triumph or redemption, because that’s how a good sports movie is supposed to be, right? “The Smashing Machine” is more interested in the fracture point, when greatness begins to crumble. It’s a quiet descent from invincible to vulnerable, and Johnson sells every inch of that slide. While it may not be Safdie’s strongest effort, “The Smashing Machine” could be a defining moment in Johnson’s acting career. It’s not a knockout of a film, but it lands where it counts.

Starring: Panos Papadopoulos, Juli Katsis and Aris Balis
Directed by: Yannis Veslemes
Rated: NR
Running Time: 88 minutes
Dark Sky Films

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

Lovecraftian. Horny. Bizarre. Carnal. Those are probably the four most prominent words that popped up in my mind during “She Loved Blossoms More,” a time-travel fever dream filled with vaginal-looking creatures, Freudian brothers, drugs, and enough “what the hell am I watching?” moments to last the rest of the year. Writer-director Yannis Veslemes takes a deceptively simple premise and goes absolutely hog wild with it for 88 minutes. Throughout its runtime, Veslemes refuses to tell you what’s going on while daring you to look away.

The plot, if you can call it that, revolves around three oddly-named brothers: Hedgehog (Panos Papadopoulos), Dummy (Juli Katsis) and Paris (Aris Balis). They’re attempting to bring their mother back-to-life with a time machine. Of course, we pick up towards the tail end of their experimentations, which involve a lot of unfortunate livestock. They live together in what feels like a gothic mausoleum of maternal obsession. The time machine? Looks like they borrowed design tips from “The Fly.” 

But what actually happens in this movie? A lot of inexplicable imagery is treated as disturbingly normal. One brother chats with a vulva snake. Another has sex while his sibling fingers a chicken (and not in the way you think). I’m not spelling cherrypicking out of context scenes either, the whole movie feels like this. If I gave any more examples, I’d be accused of watching a serial killer’s wet dream laced with mommy issues.

Is that what the film is ultimately about? Mommy issues? Maybe. “She Loved Blossoms More” doesn’t hand over answers easily. It demands your sharpest attention and maybe multiple viewings, but ironically, the shock of the visuals is also what makes it hard to revisit. Once that novelty wears off, you’re left hoping the film had given you more narrative breadcrumbs the first time around.

That’s my biggest gripe: Veslemes keeps you at arm’s length, withholding just enough to frustrate. Maybe there are culturally specific metaphors or symbols I’m missing as an American viewer. At one point, a trollish goblin pops up that looks like something out of Epcot’s Norway Pavilion. Does it mean anything? Is it just another weird detour? Who knows.

If I had to gamble (which I wouldn’t because this movie’s too chaotic to bet on), I’d say the message is that life is a deliriously silly thing to be enjoyed before it overwhelms us with grief. These brothers are trapped in memory loops, maybe even false ones fed to them by their father, who might be the brains behind the time machine. The boys aren’t remembering their mother. They’re recreating someone else’s haunted idea of her. They make off hand remarks like, “She loved horror movies.” That’s about as deep as her characterization goes, yet the boys appear to be hungry for something more tangible.

Still, for viewers looking for a cinematic challenge that aren’t afraid of grotesque sexual imagery, “She Loved Blossoms More” is a delight. It’s proudly alienating, arguably clever, and defiantly uninterested in mainstream attitudes, even the horror conventions that it’s clearly marketing to. It doesn’t care whether you like it or understand it; and that’s kind of the point. It feels like Veslemes is trying to decode his own nonsensical dream while letting you watch, gape-jawed.

Directed by: Mike Figgis
Rated: NR
Running Time: 107 minutes
Utopia

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

I haven’t yet rewatched Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” which I really want to do—just to figure out whether it’s pure nonsense or a manic artistic vision. Right now, it’s unavailable for streaming and you can’t buy it online (at least legally). The closest I could get to watching 2024’s most ambitious disaster was “Megadoc,” a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Coppola’s passion project.

“Megadoc” follows the film’s multi-year production, plagued by walkouts, firings, clashing egos, and chaos at nearly every turn. For a lot of people, this will immediately call “Apocalypse Now” to mind. But while “Hearts of Darkness” deepened the mythos of that film, “Megadoc” feels more like an obituary for a movie that bombed so hard it cost Coppola over $100 million of his own money.

It starts off promising, showing Coppola rallying the cast and crew for what’s clearly going to be a strange ride. And I say strange because his directorial style seems deliberately murky. At times, it’s like he waits for someone to make a decision just so he can reject it. The most fascinating dynamic here is between Coppola and Shia LaBeouf. They come off like an old married couple who’ve given up on divorce and settled into bitter codependence.

Amid the madness, there is a real creative passion. Coppola is hell-bent on realizing a sprawling vision that might not even be fully formed in his own head. But as months turn into years, you start to wonder if the real world is evolving faster than Coppola can keep up. Watching him wrestle with something this big, something that may no longer even make sense to him, is compelling. But I couldn’t help wondering what the documentary left out.

Sometimes it feels like the camera kicks in after the storm has passed, or just before it breaks. At times, it mirrors the messiness of “Megalopollis” itself, jumping through time, glossing over tension, and ending right at the film’s premiere. It’s long, yet still feels like it had more to say.

Still, “Megadoc” is a compelling watch. Not perfect, but for people like me who are drawn to stories about cinematic trainwrecks, it hits the spot. It plays right into the narrative that “Megalopolis” is some kind of creative Frankenstein; confused, misunderstood, and borderline delusional. If you haven’t seen the film, “Megadoc” might seem like an exercise in self-inflicted wounds. If you have, it’s a chaotic but necessary companion piece.

Starring: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers and Julia Fox
Directed by: Justin Tipping
Rated: R
Running Time: 96 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Before walking into “HIM,” I had a simple question: has there ever been a football horror film? I couldn’t find one. Even the broader category of “sports horror” is practically empty. So right out of the gate, “HIM” earns points for originality.

Football, as the film’s opening reminds us, is already horrifying. The violence, the obsession, the broken bodies; it’s all there. The movie starts with a gruesome on-field injury, echoing Joe Theismann’s infamous leg break. The victim? Football legend Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), who somehow recovers to lead the San Antonio Saviors to eight championships. Witnessing that trauma is a young Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers), who goes on to become a rising star and, eventually, White’s successor. But first Cam has to prove his worth as he’s invited to train at White’s mysterious desert compound. That’s when the real nightmare begins.

“HIM” takes big swings at the intersection of religion, fame, and athleticism. Sometimes the metaphors overlap. Sometimes you wonder if the movie is talking about sports, God, trauma, or all of the above. The confusion is intentional. Football’s fanatical culture and Sunday rituals mirror organized religion. When Cam arrives at White’s compound, he finds unhinged White fans tailgating outside the gates. They also don’t appear to ever leave, as if these paint covered loons are living in a kind of sports-themed purgatory.

The film chooses absurdism over realism, and that choice mostly works. The criticism isn’t directed squarely at football. European soccer fans can be just as rabid. The criticism seems to be more directed at our broader cultural obsession with sports and spectacle. And visually, “HIM” gets a lot right: the soundtrack hits, the aesthetics pop, and the editing leans into the madness. It sometimes leans heavy into the style over substance, much like “American Horror Story” has.

At the heart of it all is Cam, caught between the powers of the football machine and the pleas of his family to simply be careful. Withers is a decent lead, but Wayans is absolutely electric as Isaiah White, delivering unhinged lines with just enough restraint to make you lean in. There’s a mania behind his eyes that sells the idea of a man completely consumed by sports, by fans, by power.

“HIM” doesn’t always know how to weave its themes cleanly, but it’s still a hell of a ride. It’s smart, surreal, and timely. With football season in full swing and America’s appetite for violence still unshaken, this is a horror story tailor-made for our times. It could’ve dug deeper, sure. But what’s here is bold and unforgettable. It’s a first-of-its-kind football hellscape that makes the gridiron seem toothless.

Chain Reaction written and directed by Alexandre O. Phillipe is a documentary about The Texas ChainSaw Massacre’s impact on 5 completely different artists Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King and Karyn Kusama. It’s cleverly edited with the respective interviews intertwined with clips of the film, and some outtakes that even the biggest Chain Saw fans (like myself) have never seen before. Each one of them tell their experience of seeing the film for the first time, some by choice and some by accident, and how the movie had left a lasting impression on them.

Pleasantly surprised by comedian Patton Oswalt’s fandom of the film and just like myself we both saw the film on VHS. Stephen King makes a point that on how the film is nearly a short film because of it’s run time. I personally have been flying that flag for decades. When a movie wastes no time and it gets to the point like TCM does, it’s hard not to respect a film like that. Regardless if you are fan of the horror genre.  King also says something that is very true about what you see vs what you don’t see in movies and how the power of suggestion is stronger. The unseen and the unknown can play a psychological game on your mind and leave you wondering was that there or not?!

Writer and Director Karyn Kusama says something that stuck with me and puts my feelings of the film into perspective. “It’s hard movie to watch and it’s a hard movie to rewatch yet i keep on returning. It’s as big American film as any American classic. How lucky we are as cinephiles to have Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

4 out of 5 Revving Chainsaws

Starring: Jennifer Seward, Nicole Hall and Matt Leisy
Directed by: Patrick Rea
Rated: No Rating
Running Time: 87 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

In a world where Art the Clown is known for brutality, Pennywise for childhood trauma, and Frendo for generational dread, what exactly do we get from Jenn-O? In “Super Happy Fun Clown,” director Patrick Rea and writer Eric Winkler introduce us to a very different kind of killer clown. Jenn-O (played with unnerving charm by Jennifer Seward) isn’t supernatural or fueled by rage; she’s a wide-eyed dreamer whose love for clowning masks a much darker undercurrent.

From the jump, we see that Jen’s childhood was marked by trauma and abuse. Clowning starts as innocent escapism, but that coping mechanism calcifies over time. As an adult, she uses that same cheery persona to endure a deadbeat husband, a judgmental mother, and a bleak reality. But behind the smiles, pantomiming and pastel makeup is darkness. Her room is a shrine to serial killers like Ted Bundy and Aileen Wuornos. And soon, her fascination with them turns into something much more hands-on.

Jen is oddly relatable, but there’s a lingering sense of evil that slowly builds throughout the film. As “Super Happy Fun Clown” shifts from psychological character study to full-blown slasher, the tonal change feels slightly off. It’s not clear whether it would’ve worked better as a straight-up descent into madness or a traditional bloodbath. But the unease in Seward’s eyes and Rea’s direction helps build a tension that is undeniable.

Seward is the glue holding this bloody mess together. She embodies both Jen and Jenn-O with a startling range. In one moment, she’s childlike and hopeful, and in the next, she’s disturbingly gleeful in her kills. Her performance makes you question whether you’re supposed to root for her, even as the body count rises. That ambiguity is what elevates “Super Happy Fun Clown” above most B-movie slashers.

• CAUGHT STEALING
• Starring:  Austin Butler, Regina King and Zoe Kravitz
• Directed by:  Darren Aronofsky
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 47 mins
• SONY/Columbia Pictures

Our score: 2 out of 5

If there is one thing that the pandemic and the advent of streaming have not changed about the entertainment industry, it’s that any movie entering the marketplace around Labor Day is going to be lacking.

If Sony suspected that this offering from auteur director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) with an A-list cast had awards potential, they’d probably have released it in the summer or later in the fall.

They know this won’t be much competition to a holiday cookout or the more focused movies coming down the pipeline.

The script by Charlie Huston, working from his novel, features a menagerie of colorful New York lowlifes who torment a lowly bartender named Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) simply because a Mohawk-sporting Cockney named Russ (Matt Smith) has left the Big Apple for his hometown of London without informing anyone else.

Because Russ is out of town, his business partners in illicit trades want a return on their investments. Because Hank is around but Russ isn’t, a pair of sadistic Russian leg breakers (Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kololnikov) pummel Hank inches from death even though he has no idea how Russ affords to feed his violent cat or get his gets his well-maintained punk hairdos.

Hank’s smarter paramedic girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Zravitz) picks him up at the hospital and suggests that he call the cops. The detective who arrives on the scene (Regina King) loves making wisecracks but does little more than warn Hank he’s inadvertently crossed two Hassidic brothers (Liev Schriber, Vincent D’Onofrio) so devout they won’t drive on Shabbos but will deal in chemical recreation and lethal force.

While Huston compiles a formidable body count from his ensemble cast and gives them lots of excentric and sometimes off-putting things to do, Aronofsky’s tone varies from gritty to eye-rollingly silly. When the actors seem to be playing a scene for laughs, Aronofsky dishes out some gore that might make David Cronenberg blush.

In Elvis and The Bikeriders, Butler has proven himself to be a formidable leading man, but here Huston and Aronofsky haven’t given him much of a role. For much of the film, he seems like a hapless bystander who inadvertently invites the fatalities that accumulate in his path.

With the possible exception of Schriber and D’Onofrio’s sibling drug mongers, who manage to be both funny and threatening, most of the oddballs in Caught Stealing aren’t engaging enough to make viewers wonder if they’ll make it to the end. Griffin Dunne as an aging hippie poet and Carol Kane Scriber and D’Onofrio’s matriarch are sadly underutilized. Aronofsky’s frantic pacing may be a disservice to his performers because it reduces their chance to shine.

The central McGuffin isn’t that well-conceived, and Hank’s eagerness for never making it into Major League Baseball can only carry the film so far.

Because this is Labor Day, we can take comfort that all involved will be working on something better soon. It’s a shame they wasted their talents on such an unworthy grift.

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Caught Stealing” ★★   

Starring: Chloe Levine, Will Peltz and Peter Vack
Directed by: Rachael Cain
Rated: NR
Running Time: 92 minutes
Yellow Veil Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

Humans spend a lot of time trying to decode our dreams. We may hesitate to admit why something as surreal as an ex’s head on a goat’s body matters, but we still wonder why our brains conjured it up. That’s why when we meet Gemma (Chloe Levine), we’re immediately drawn in. She’s a small-town girl who’s come to LA to become a star. Until that happens, she’s pulling graveyard shifts at a sleep clinic called Somnium, where her job is to monitor and record the dreams of strangers.

But Gemma starts seeing something in those dreams. At first it’s just a shadow. Then it appears more frequently. Sometimes it creeps from one patient’s nightmare to another, until it begins to seep into her waking life. Or maybe she’s still dreaming. Imagine if Adult Swim’s Dream Corp LLC turned into an evolving psychological horror and you’ve got “Somnium.”

The film would work better with fewer characters outside of Gemma. Many side characters feel introduced without clear purpose or payoff. An aging actor offers her a shortcut into the industry—whether sincerely or as part of some mass dream manipulation is never made clear. Noah (Will Peltz), Somnium’s leader, is treated like a pivotal figure, but we never get close enough to him to understand who he is or what he wants. The film keeps pulling us back to Gemma’s perspective, which is a smart anchor, but giving these supporting characters more shape might’ve enriched her internal conflict without needing so much exposition.

That’s the film’s biggest flaw and unfortunately it’s not a minor one. “Somnium” sometimes feels unsure of its own narrative focus. These detours dilute the tension and stretch a lean story longer than it needs to feel. Still, Cain delivers a solid, at times chilling thriller. Levine carries the film with quiet intensity, which feels fitting for a character unsure of her own abilities. And Cain, in her directorial debut, crafts genuine unease from familiar genre elements. The shadowy antagonist may not be wholly original, but the way it’s framed and escalated within dreams gives it a fresh edge.

“Somnium” ends on a note that’s mildly satisfying, though still loaded with unanswered questions. Whether that’s intentional ambiguity or not, it leaves the story feeling just short of fully realized. But as a debut feature, Cain’s control over tone and visuals suggests a promising future, but with a more focused script next time, something great might follow.

• JAWS
• Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss
• Directed by:  Steven Spielberg
• Rated:  PG
• Running time  2 hrs 4 mins
• Universal  

Simply stated,  let’s just say it’s the greatest movie ever made!

• CAUGHT STEALING
• Starring:  Austin Butler, Regina King and Zoe Kravitz
• Directed by:  Darren Aronofsky
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 47 mins
• SONY/Columbia Pictures

 Our Score:  3 out of 5

The following is from my review of Darren Aronofsky’s last film, “The Whale” –

“As a filmmaker, director Darren Aronofsky can be very hit or miss.  On one side of the spectrum, he created a masterpiece with “Requiem for a Dream.”  On the other hand, I give you “The Fountain.”  “The Whale” is another fine achievement and one that should be seen and appreciated.” 

The above line holds true still with the director’s latest film, “Caught Stealing.”

Hank Thompson (Butler) is a one time baseball phenom whose bad decision making has led him to his present stage of life – working as a bartender.  When he comes home one night he is met by his friend Russ (Matt Smith) who tells him he must leave town to take care of his ill father and asks Hank to care for his pet cat.  When Hank comes home the next night to find a couple of tough guys looking for Russ – and giving Hank a terrible beating – Hank begins to realize there is more to the story then Russ is letting on.

Mr. Aronofsky directed Brendan Fraser to an Academy Award winning performance in “The Whale.”  The star of “Caught Stealing” was Mr. Fraser’s biggest competition for the award, Austin Butler, whose portrayal of Elvis Presley is one of the best biographical performances ever put on film.  Mr. Butler is well cast here, playing Hank as an easygoing person whose past continues to haunt him while he now deals with both the police and the criminals who are convinced Russ gave him something besides a cat.

The story is one of deceit and double cross and you’re not really sure who is who as the film progresses.  Peppered throughout the film are references to Hank’s baseball glory days, though except for giving the film a clever title, they really offer nothing to the story.  Hank could have been an up and coming scientist and found himself in the same situation due to his bad decisions.

The cast is strong, with Butler and Ms. King giving storng performances.  Special mention to Mr. Smith, whose mohawk adorned Russ gives the film a kick in the pants every time he is on screen.

The story is a little formulaic but the biggest problem I had with it was Hank’s almost superhero like ability to run, dive and hang off buildings despite recently having a kidney removed is pretty, well, you know what I’m saying.

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Caught Stealing” ★★★   

• NOBODY 2
• Starring:  Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd
• Directed by:  Timo Tjahjanto
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 29 mins
• Universal

Our score:  3 out of 5 

Bob Odenkirk…action star?  That’s the first thing I thought when I saw 2021’s film, “Nobody.”  Could Saul Goodman actually kick some ass?  Yes he could, and he was very good at it.  Four years later he’s still good at it, but looking for a break.  He takes his family on vacation to his favorite childhood water park, where no one will bother him.  Right?

Action packed, “Nobody 2” follows Hutch (Odenkirk) and his family, including his bad ass father David (Lloyd) enjoying the sites and sounds of small town America when Hutch’s son gets into a scrap with the son of the town sheriff.  Hutch is given a dressing down and thinks the situation is over, but some people just never learn.  The more involved Hutch gets the more he discovers that his childhood memories may not have been all good.

The action here is well staged and Odenkirk does indeed prove to be a fine action star.  However, unlike Arnold or Sly, Odenkirk plays Hutch as a real man, one who isn’t bullet proof and gets winded easily.  A fine presentation.  It’s always great to see Christopher Lloyd on screen and he has more to do here then he did in the first film.  The big surprise here is Sharon Stone, who plays the criminal mastermind of the town with a coolness she hasn’t shown since “Casino.”

The film is quite short, but it doesn’t feel rushed.  Some times less is more.  That certainly applies here.

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Nobody 2” ★★★   

• THE NAKED GUN (2025)
• Starring:  Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson and Danny Huston
• Directed by:  Akiva Schaffer
• Rated:  PG 13
• Running time:  1 hr 25 mins
• Paramount

Our score:  3.5 out of 5 

I think I’m one of the very few people that watched the original “Police Squad” television show.  Created by the comedy genius’ behind the film “Airplane” the short lived series starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebbin, a bumbling cop who still managed to get the job done.  Like “Airplane,” and their next film, “Top Secret,” the team of Brothers David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, immortalized as ZAZ, the show kept bombarding the audience with jokes.  Some stuck, some didn’t, but the results were always funny.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention writer Pat Proft, who also contributed to the humor.

“Police Squad” spawned three feature films, beginning with “The Naked Gun.”  Following the same formula as their previous projects, ZAZ (and Proft) gave audiences comedy gold.  Can Frank Drebbin, Jr. follow in his father’s hilarious footsteps?

The story line, as it were, finds Frank Drebbin, Jr. (a hilariously deadpan Neeson) foiling a bank robbery thanks to the power of disguise.  The opening moments set the tone for the rest of the film.  Yes, this is your father’s “Naked Gun.”  Frank’s partner, Ed Hocken, Jr (Paul Walter Hauser), like Frank, is the son of a former Police Squad detective, played in the original films by George Kennedy.  A great scene show the sons paying tribute to their fathers while the son of former officer Nordberg just dismisses his pop.  If you know, you know.

Neeson, who has shown his comedic chops in films like “Ted 2” and “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (both done my Seth McFarlane, who also produced this film) is perfect here.  His rugged face, and action film cred, make his character especially likeable.  Kudos also to Danny Huston, who is making an excellent living out of playing bad guys.  In a role where she is almost unrecognizable, Ms. Anderson proves herself to be a fine film comedienne.

If I have one issue, it’s that the film is quite short.  The 85-minute running time noted above includes the end credits. Hopefully the next one (fingers crossed) will be longer.

On a scale of zero to five, I give “The Naked Gun” ★★★1/2   

• SUPERMAN
• Starring:  David Cornsweat, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult
• Directed by:  James Gunn
• Rated:  PG 13
• Running time:  2 hrs 9 mins
• Warner Bros

 Our Score: 3.5 out of 5

47-years ago, several of my high school friends and I gathered at the Hillsboro Theatre in Tampa to catch the first show of “Superman: The Movie.”  We loved it.  As fate would have it, not only are we all still great friends, but I was back home in Tampa when the latest adventures of the Man of Steel hit the big screen.  We went.  We liked it.

As told by director/co-writer James Gunn, some things are different in the DC comic universe that I grew up reading about and watching.  We now find Clark Kent (Cornsweat) and Lois Lane (Brosnahan) in a committed relationship.  Of course, this means Lois knows his secret identity, which was always a bad thing in the past.  However, the chemistry between the two is such as you don’t mind that this fact is one of the many that are now apparently cannon for the character.  We are introduced to Krypto, the Superdog.  And a pretty amazing Fortress of Solitude.  Everything for comic book lovers to fawn over and discuss.  One blink and you’ll miss it line, which I won’t divulge, took me by surprise though I was assured after the movie by two of my true comic books reading chums that the fact in question was pointed out in a late 1970s edition of the comic.  OK, back to the film.

As usual, Superman is put upon by the evil machinations of one Lex Luthor (Hoult), who is quite good here.  For some reason, from Gene Hackman to Jesse Eisenberg, Lex Luthor has been played to laughs with his schemes.  In my opinion, only Kevin Spacey in “Superman Returns” really nailed the Lex Luthor I remembered from my youth.  Hoult is right up there with Spacey, giving Luthor the menace he truly exudes.

The rest of the main cast is strong.  Cornsweat has big boots to fill.  To me, the late Christopher Reeve will always be Superman, but I’ve had no issue with how the character was portrayed in later films by Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill.  Cornsweat is very reminiscent of the character the way he was portrayed in film serials by Kirk Allyn.  If I have one issue with the casting it’s that apparently James Gunn has never been to Kansas.  In the past, Superman’s adoptive father, Jonathan, has been a strong, simple man who offered advice when needed, be he played by Glenn Ford or Kevin Costner.  Here, as portrayed by Pruitt Taylor Vince, Pa Kent is a yokel in coveralls.

Still, the special effects are outstanding and there are enough Easter eggs – one character is named Otis Berg – to make longtime fans happy.

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Superman” ★★★1/2   

Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King and Zoe Kravitz
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Rated: R
Running Time: 107 minutes
Sony Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

It’s always hard to know what you’re going to get from Darren Aronofsky. Three years ago, he gave us a rough, intimate drama that won Brendan Fraser an Oscar in “The Whale.” Eight years ago, he gave us one of Jennifer Lawrence’s lowest career points in “mother!” 11 years ago, he managed to get Fox News riled up over “Noah.” So, what should audiences expect from his latest film, “Caught Stealing?” It’s a violent, offbeat misadventure through 1990s New York City; a genre mashup of crime, thriller, comedy, and an oddly specific love for the San Francisco Giants.

Hank (Austin Butler) tends bar at a grimy, hole-in-the-wall dive. He drinks with customers, stumbles home to his dingy apartment, keeps drinking, and sleeps with Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz), who genuinely loves him despite his downward spiral. Once, Hank was a rising baseball star with legitimate MLB dreams, but alcohol wrecked those plans, quite literally. His dear friend booze continues to derail his life, pulling him deeper into trouble when he crosses paths with both the Russian and Jewish mob.

Everything kicks off when Hank agrees to watch his neighbor Russ’ (Matt Smith) cat while Russ heads back to England to care for his ailing father. Unfortunately, Russ leaves behind dangerous unfinished business, and a string of furious mobsters want something badly enough to beat Hank within an inch of his life and start killing anyone around him. What exactly they want becomes Hank’s mystery to solve, and Aronofsky uses that hook to drive a steadily escalating spiral of violence, paranoia, and absurdity.

Most of “Caught Stealing” thrives on tension and intrigue: what’s hidden in Hank’s past, what’s driving the chaos, and how far he’ll go to survive. Aronofsky stages the violence with care by grounding the stakes when it matters but leaning into absurdity when the tone allows it. The film moves between gritty realism and pitch-black comedy, creating a sense of unpredictability even when the plot itself edges toward the familiar.

The ensemble helps hold it all together. Character actors like Vincent D’Onofrio, Carol Kane, and even Bad Bunny bring bursts of personality to every chaotic encounter. Butler’s brooding performance anchors the chaos, though the tonal mismatch between his straight-edged intensity and the stranger supporting turns occasionally clashes. Still, the off-balance approach mostly works, creating a sense of danger that feels earned rather than manufactured.

Ultimately, “Caught Stealing” is a pleasant surprise because it’s part “North by Northwest” paranoia and part “Big Lebowski” absurdism. It doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of either, but it refuses to play by genre rules, and there’s an admirability in that. It’s bloody, darkly funny, and weirdly endearing. Considering Aronofsky adapted this from a series of books, Sony might greenlit a sequel or two if the box office dictates it. If they do, I’m in for more breezy, violent fun.

• HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2025)
• Starring:  Mason Thames, Nico Parker and Gerard Butler
• Directed by:  Dean DeBlois
• Rated:  PG
• Running time:  2 hrs 5 mins
• Universal

Our score:  4 out of 5

In case you haven’t noticed, there has been, for the past few years, a trend in Hollywood.  Take a beloved animated film and do a live action remake.  It makes sense.  The studios already own the property so need to pay the screenwriter any more money.  And, if the animated film was a success, you already have a built-in audience.  When they work, like Disney’s latest “Lion King” films, they work beautifully.  When the don’t, well they don’t (and I’m looking at you “Snow White.”  I hope you’ve blinked since I last saw you.)  Another risk is that they spoil the affection fans of the original have.  I’m happy to say that that affection still runs deep in me after seeing “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Like the 2010 animated feature, the film tells the story of young Hiccup (Thames), a well-meaning lad who tries his best to impress his father, the head of the Viking village he lives in.  However, no matter what he tries, and how well intentioned his plans are, disaster usually follows.  Then one day he meets a very special dragon.  And his adventures begin.

Beautifully shot, with amazing visual effects, the film manages to capture the feel of its predecessor thanks to a strong cast.  As Hiccup, Thames is just quiet enough to hide his new-found skills and Ms. Parker is a strong asset to the group of youngsters hoping to become first-rate dragonslayers.  Butler, who also voiced tribe leader Stoick in the original animated film, is his usually blustery best.  Whether he’s fighting dragons or haunting Paris opera houses, Butler has never met a role he couldn’t yell through!

The visual effects are top notch though I will warn that some of the more intense scenes scared several of the little ones that attending the screening I was in.  However, children over the age of eight should enjoy the action.

On a scale of zero to five I give the live action version of ‘How to Train Your Dragon” ★★★★