Filmlosophers

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, dust off their swords and take a few practice swings for this week’s review of The Kid Who Would Be King (2019). The film brings the myth of King Arthur, Excalibur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table into the present-day and caters strongly to the YA crowd in terms of both tone and complexity. Directed by Joe Cornish, the film stars a boatload of British youngsters including Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo, Angus Imrie, Rhianna Dorris and Tom Taylor alongside Rebecca Ferguson and Sir Patrick Stewart.

One part Arthurian legend and one part Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone” brought into the modern world, the movie works hard to court its young intended audience. In spite of its dismal North American box office opening, is there something worth watching after all?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get mental with this week’s review of M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass (2019), the trilogy-concluding sequel to Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016). The film unites Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy under one roof, as their respective characters are psychologically evaluated by franchise newcomer Sarah Paulson.

Will Jackson’s titular Elijah Price, aka Mister Glass, be able to outthink the shrink and cast his fellow patients as superheroes (or supervillains) in full view of the public? And will we care, once the time comes?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, take time to appreciate their surroundings with this week’s review of Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA (2018). Comprised almost entirely of scenes taken from Cuarón’s memory and shot on location in Mexico City, the film stars Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey and several others. Its gorgeous, panoramic cinematography provides a meditative look at the places, people and ideas that shaped a generation.

ROMA has been described as Cuarón’s most essential and personal work to date, and fellow director Guillermo del Toro has already listed it as one of his top five favorite films of all time. The Netflix-distributed film is also generating quite a lot of buzz and nominations during the current award season.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, wax a bit nostalgic as they discuss the highs (and lows) of the films of yesteryear. Perusing through the library of reviews they’ve done for 2018, the Trio find themselves relishing in some of the most memorable times -both good and bad- in cinema. Nothing is off the table, as the conversation veers from the most ridiculous and silly, to the most heartfelt and moving of instances we’ve shared on the show. How does our list stack up to yours? Are any of our choices ones you considered for best/worst of 2018?

Listen in as we chop it up casual-style and talk about which films moved us, and which ones needed to move out of the theater faster. Tune in to another episode of The Filmlosophers!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get a bit retro with this week’s spirited review of Bumblebee (2018). Set in the late 1980s, the film stars Hailee Steinfeld as the original teenage “owner” of the fan-favorite, speech impaired Transformer. Directed by Travis Knight from a script by Christina Hodson, this latest entry in the critically maligned franchise co-stars John Cena and features the voice talents of Peter Cullen, Dylan O’Brien, Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux. The big question this time around isn’t really about the storyline or characters...it’s whether or not audiences even want to spend money on a franchise that’s been the source of so much disappointment for a decade or more.

Listen in as we slice, dice, dissect and recombine our thoughts about the spinoff film, which is produced by Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay. Has it transformed us into true believers once more, or merely reminded us of the deceptions of the past?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get their “thwip” on in this week’s review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). The film features a generous assortment of Spider-Men, -Women and others from across the multiverse with a focus on solidifying the in-continuity origin story of Miles Morales as he takes up the heroic mantle from the Peter Parker of his reality. The unique animation style has been the subject of significant praise since before the film’s release. Now, will the film’s story prove to be as memorable as its form?

Featuring the voices of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, and Liev Schreiber, the film is directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get their steampunk on with this week’s review of Mortal Engines (2018). Directed by Christian Rivers, this cacophonous and nearly incomprehensible film stars Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, and Stephen Lang. Producers and co-writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fame) adapted children’s book illustrator and author Philip Reeve’s young adult book series for the big screen to questionable effect...but at least it helped us keep the run time of this episode sleek and slender.

Do yourself a favor and spend your time on more enjoyable holiday pursuits. But definitely listen to this episode because we had a great time sharing our review!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, man up and duke it out with this week’s review of Creed II (2018). The follow-up to Ryan Coogler’s critically-acclaimed expansion of the Rocky film franchise is directed this round by Steven Caple, Jr., and features returning stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone. The film also features the long-awaited return of Ivan Drago (played once again by Dolph Lundgren) and introduces Drago’s son, Viktor, who is played by real-life heavyweight boxer Florian Munteanu.

Curious to know if the sequel goes toe-to-toe with its predecessor, 2015’s Creed? Go ahead and place your bets, then listen to the episode to get our take!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, feel like they’re stealing from the poor with this week’s review of box office bomb Robin Hood (2018). Directed by Otto Bathurst, this latest retelling of the exploits of the popular English archer stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin, and Jamie Dornan. Given the film’s poor reception during its first weekend in theaters, it’s unlikely to inspire a sequel...but was the action-oriented story all that bad?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, experiment with a bit of augmented reality in this week’s review of Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). Starring John C. Reilly as the title character and Sarah Silverman as the lovable candy-car racer Vanellope von Schweetz - along with ALL of the Disney princesses in comfy cameos - the new film exposes the heroes to the ever-changing landscape of the Internet. Clever, self-referential comedy and heartfelt metacommentary collide in unique ways, representing both a return to form and an evolution of the franchise.