Every year has its share of hits and misses at the theater, and while I try to see everything Hollywood sends to audiences, sometimes there’s a few that slip through the cracks.
Wanting to make sure I give 2025 a fair shake, I’ve decided to go back and look at some of the less-than-well received flicks of the year. I figure I’ll give everything their shot before the end of the year. So here are Hollywood misses in 2025 that I missed.
K-Pop is entertaining enough by itself, but throw in some glowing weapons and action, and things really get dialed to 11.
That’s the case with this new animated flick from Sony. Released on Netflix, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” follows a trio of singers who moonlight as fierce warriors. Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) make up a wildly popular group who regularly sell-out concerts.
At the same time, they spend time ridding the world of demons who threaten to steal souls from the unsuspecting public. The three have gotten exceptionally good at both of their jobs. However, a new threat arises in the form of a group of demons who take the form of a boy K-Pop group, which begins siphoning their fans for a nefarious plot.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘KP Demon Hunters’ has infectious energy despite pedestrian story”
Who would have guessed we’d have two films this year with a guy pretending to be a member of a family? It’s like “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” again.
OK, in reality, unlike “Roofman” with Channing Tatum, the lead character in this movie isn’t a criminal on the run. Instead, Brendan Fraser stars as actor Phillip Vandarploeug. Once able to get steady work in Japan, acting in commercials and TV, Phillip’s job prospects have dried up.
Looking to keep his career rolling, he decides to take a gig with a different type of agency. Rather than acting in media productions, the company he starts working for has him portray relatives of family members. Skeptical at first, Phillip begins to build connections in the role.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Rental Family’ succeeds thanks to Fraser and sincere writing”
Art, family and generational experiences spectacularly collide in this multilingual picture.
“Sentimental Value” centers on a pair of sisters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), who are navigating life after the death of their mother. During this time, they’re approached by their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard), a celebrated director who left the family when the two women were kids.
Gustav is looking to make a new film after a hiatus in his career, and also wants to reconnect with his daughters. In particular, he wants Nora, a stage actress, to star in his new project. However, after she turns him down, he hires a film actress, Rachel (Elle Fanning), to take the lead role.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Sentimental Value’ is a gripping, powerful family drama”
Broadway buzz is back on the big screen with a second round of “Wicked,” and the experience in the sequel surpasses that of the first.
“For Good” picks up a short while after the events of “Wicked.” Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is working to disrupt the actions of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), who she’s found out has no magic at his disposal. In response, He and his associate, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are slamming her with propaganda, labeling her the Wicked Witch of the West.
Glinda (Ariana Grande), meanwhile, has been put forward as Glinda the Good, with Oz presenting her as a positive witch to rally around against Elphaba’s efforts. While the two are pitted against each other, though, their friendship remains. Yet its strained as the situation in the realm grow more dire under the leadership of Oz and Morrible.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Energized ‘Wicked’ sequel largely enthralls”
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel if Will Arnett wasn’t available for this flick, Jason Sudeikis probably could have filled in well enough.
Anyway, Arnett lends his talent in this flick to play Alex Novak, a man whose marriage appears to be coming to a complete end. Alex agreed to separate from his wife Tess (Laura Dern), and a divorce appears to be on the horizon.
With his relationship likely over, and subsequent strain on being a dad to his two boys, Alex finds himself struggling to process the situation. He finds a way to channel his thoughts, though, in going to an open mic night and giving stand-up comedy a try. Fortunately for him, it ends up working fairly well.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Is This Thing On’ mostly works, though doesn’t stick landing”
This sequel to “The Beekeeper” is wild.
Kidding, this is not a sequel to the 2024 action vehicle for Jason Statham. Instead, the beekeeper in this film is Teddy (Jesse Plemmons), a paranoid conspiracy theorist who believes aliens have infiltrated Earth for nefarious reasons. The dastardly plot of the aliens, he thinks, is the purposeful destruction of bee colonies.
To put a stop to this effort, Teddy and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) decide to kidnap who they believe to be a high-ranking extra-terrestrial. That individual is Michelle (Emma Stone), the CEO of a large pharmaceutical company. The duo is successful, and they hold Michelle with a demand that she help negotiate an end to the aliens’ occupation of Earth.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Bugonia’ is a hard-hitting riot”
Four years after the line was disconnected, the ring has returned.
That’s true both in and outside of this movie. “The Black Phone 2” is a sequel to the 2021 picture, and inside the film, four years have also passed. Finney (Mason Thames) is now a teenager and isn’t in the best place since his experience surviving the Grabber. He gets into fights and is dabbling in drugs, worrying his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).
That’s not her only concern, though, as she begins having vivid dreams of murder victims at a secluded camp. Feeling an urge to learn what the dreams are trying to tell her, she enlists Finney to join her in going to the camp, telling the staff there that they’re interested in being counselors. When they get there, in the middle of a blizzard, they soon encounter a terror from their past.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘The Black Phone 2’ misses unique shine of first film”
Raise a glass of Blue Moon to this one, because its charm earns a toast.
A film mostly in a single location, “Blue Moon” centers on lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke), a musician known for hits on Broadway and the song that shares the film’s name. Hart begins the film at the opening night for the production of “Oklahoma” before going to a nearby lounge where an after-show party will be taking place.
While there, he begins speaking with others at the establishment, from the bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) to American author E.B. White. As the night progresses, he shares his vision of where music should go, his creative clashes with former partner Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) and his infatuation with a young woman he made a connection with, Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley).
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Blue Moon’ is an enchanting look at a tortured artist”
After several battles in supernatural and bombastic spaces over the last decade Dwayne Johnson now plays a character fighting on a much smaller scale.
In this biopic, Johnson stars as Mark Kerr, an athlete who leveraged his success in college and amateur wrestling into a fighting career. After some initial smaller wins, his abilities attracted promotions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships.
The film follows a portion of his career, mostly from about 1998-2001, and in the process, shows the ups and downs in his life. While he had success in combat sports, Kerr also struggled with an opioid addiction and a turbulent relationship with girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt).
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Smashing Machine’ has some success, but is not a knockout”
Matthew Liedke on Film 