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Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Screenwriter: Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison

Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush

Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

Synopsis: The origin story of the Predator in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. Naru, a skilled female warrior, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.

Prey does something that is very rare: It is the prequel to a cult classic that is released decades later that turns out to be....really really good. Prey is the best Predator film out of all the Predator films. And that's not a "grading on a curve score". This film is really good on it's own and then gets an added bonus for being a Predator film. There are so many things to love about this film. It does a great job of balancing homage with telling its own story without compromising the characters and development. It also turns the Predator back into the scary, unstoppable Boogieman that loves the challenge of the hunt. Add in the respect for indigenous culture and the cast and this is a top tier film that everyone should fire up in Hulu as soon as they can. 

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Life has gotten really busy for Kriss and Dpalm so the regular Character Corner schedule has been a bit hectic these last few months. But thankfully Marvel has swooped in for a rescue by announcing a bunch of things for their next few phases of movies so that gives us a lot to talk about. 

In this episode we'll talk about some of the trailers and announcements made for movies and TV shows coming out of SDCC. Not all of them involve Marvel and DC. We got the first teaser for the new John Wick and Amazon dropped a new trailer for their really really really expensive Lord of the Rings show. But of course, this is a comic podcast so we're gonna want to focus on the comic book movies and TV shows that we got a look at. Unfortunately for DC fans, WB didn't really bring a lot. We all knew we weren't gonna hear anything about The Flash because...reasons. But WB only showed Shazam Fury of the Gods and Black Adam in a puzzlingly light presentation. They didn't even lean on their successes like Peacemaker or even The Batman (which dropped this year but it seems like everyone has just forgotten about). No Aquaman either. It's all just really puzzling.

And then Marvel came out and it was the complete opposite. A firehose of information about the end of Phase 4 and what's planned for Phases 5 & 6. And boy is it a lot. Then there's "that trailer". The Wakanda Forever trailer is a rollercoaster of emotion and we can't wait until November to see it.

Listen as we break down what we saw and have some light speculation.

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Director: Jordan Peele

Screenwriter: Jordan Peele

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott

Runtime: 2 hour 10 minutes

Synopsis: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Jordan Peele's latest film, Nope, will probably be his most polarizing with audiences but that's a good thing. The reason being is that Peele seems to really enjoy proving that he really has no lane that he's staying in and he's going to continue to make ambitious films that are never exactly what you might think the film will be after watching the trailers. Peele's MO is to inject blackness into situations that folks might not initially think about. With Nope you basically get black cowboys, UFOs and then commentary around the modern idea of getting famous/rich by any means necessary. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer have a great chemistry as brother and sister and are surrounded by a cast that is also very solid.

Where this film might lose people is first with the editing. In typical Peele fashion, he purposely cuts between some scenes in awkward, weird ways to mess with the audience. Peele is king of showing something in his movies that seems completely unrelated but requires the audience to make the connections because he's not going to just flat out say it himself. The second thing that might be jarring for folks is that this film leans into some of that "high strangeness" that isn't typical for mainstream audiences and might honestly just be too weird for some audiences. 

Overall, Nope is another win for Peele. It shows that he refuses to be pigeonholed into a particular lane and that he views all of horror as his bag. Peele has always been very good with visuals and audio and Nope is probably one of his best in that category. This is definitely one of those films that warrants a second viewing, especially if the first viewing left you a bit lukewarm. 

 

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Kriss and Dpalm wrap up this last season of The Flash. Overall we liked what they did here but there are definitely some moments that felt rushed towards the end. It's also very clear that they were taking some big themes from the Williamson run. 

We also talk about the latest in the Ezra Miller saga and just how much of a bind WB is in with the Flash movie.

Kriss and Dpalm record the Mailbag at the end of every month. If you want to send in your own questions and thoughts, email us: [email protected]

 

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Director: Taika Waititi

Screenwriter: Taika Waititi, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe

Runtime: 2 hour 5 minutes

Synopsis: Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster to fight Gorr the God Butcher, who intends to make the gods extinct.

Kriss, Ro and Brandon are back to talk the fourth Thor film in the MCU, Thor Love and Thunder. This film is very much a product of its director Taika Waititi. If you had a problem with Thor Ragnorok then you'll probably have a problem with this film and how it blends humor with some really dark themes. Waititi's take on Thor has been to take the God of Thunder and show how much tragedy he's gone through and frame it in humor on the surface and pain and sadness underneath. Christian Bale's Gorr is straight out of a horror film and also is a character built off of sadness and tragedy. 

Listen as we talk about what works and what doesn't work for this latest MCU film.

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Director: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val

Screenwriter: Matthew Fogel, Brian Lynch

Starring:  Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless

Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes

Synopsis: The untold story of one twelve-year-old's dream to become the world's greatest supervillain.

We talk about the latest film in the Despicable Me/Minions series, Minions: The Rise of Gru. Overall this movie does what it needs to do. It's entertaining enough for kids and is serviceable enough for adults. It is becoming clear that this franchise is starting to run out of runway. One of the biggest disappointments with this movie is the underutilization of the cast. There are some actors that are used for some of the villains that could have really been used better to play on the 80's time period. There's also some cring moments surrounding some Asian characters and themes that just seem like they were clunky and lazy. Again, the movie isn't bad but it's starting to feel like the studio is trying to capture the magic of the first film and keeps getting further and further away.

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Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!

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Director: Scott Derrickson

Screenwriter: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, Joe Hill (short story The Black Phone)

Starring: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransom, Miguel Cazarez Mora, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal

Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes

Synopsis: After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims.

We got the whole Movie Trailer Review gang back together to discuss the latest from director Scott Derrickson, The Black Phone. Blumhouse has been on a bit of a slide with some really questionable films as of late. Their last series of Welcome to the Blumhouse films on Amazon Prime Video were absolutely atrocious. And who could forget what happened when we all got together last time to discuss the travesty that was the Firestarter remake. So coming into The Black Phone, one couldn't blame audiences if they were a little apprehensive. Thankfully, The Black Phone 

A lot of things work for this movie. First, Scott Derrickson really knows how to capture horror elements in this film. It's a trend across all of his films but it really stands out in this one. The camera angles, sound editing, framing and everything comes together to really draw the audience into the situations in this film. It also helps that the cast is outstanding. Ethan Hawke has been on a tear lately with the characters and range he's been portraying in movies this year. He's perfectly cast as "The Grabber". He does a lot of "eye acting" that pairs very well with the various masks he wears. But it's not just him. This film has a really solid cast of young actors with Mason Thomas and Madeleine McGraw that pair off extremely well with the adults in this film.

The Black Phone has a mix of Stranger Things with your typical Horror Thriller that works very well for it. It can be dumb at times and even predictable but it's done in a way that feels like it pays off in the end so the audiences will enjoy it.

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We're back after a little bit of a break to talk about the last two episodes of the Flash. We get the guy that always makes Flash episodes better, Thawne. And this time what's better than one Thawne? Two Thawnes. I don't care if Thawne has lost his memory and found love, he's never to be trusted. Never. On sight. ON SIGHT. There are two more episodes left and we know that Thawne is going to be part of that. So that's going to be fun. It's a little sad that they seemed to close the door on Diggle becoming a Green Lantern but with CW being sold, we get it. 

Oh and we have to talk about the "other" Flash, Ezra Miller. What a dumpster fire that is. WB is in a tough spot to have a star that at the center of your multiverse plan being what seems like, a groomer. Can't be good. 

Kriss and Dpalm record the Mailbag at the end of every month. If you want to send in your own questions and thoughts, email us: [email protected]

 

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Director: Baz Luhrmann

Screenwriter: Baz Luhrmannn, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce

Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Runtime: 2 hour 39 minutes

Synopsis: From his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi to his rise to stardom starting in Memphis, Tennessee and his conquering of Las Vegas, Nevada, Elvis Presley becomes the first rock 'n roll star and changes the world with his music.

Ro is joined by Kriss and she talks about what worked and what didn't for the latest from Baz Luhrmann. This film is a mixed bag in terms of what it brings for telling the story of Elvis. It's interesting what parts and roads they do go down and which ones they avoid all together. The cast is really the standout with Austin Butler nailing the role of Elvis. This film is more about Tom Hank's Tom Parker and he does a great job in his role as well. The cast lives up to expectations, unfortunately the story just doesn't. 

 

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Director: Angus MacLane

Screenwriter: Angus MacLane, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Headley

Starring: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolinn, Uzo Aduba

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Synopsis: While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source.

Kriss and Ro review the latest from Pixar, Lightyear, a new movie in the Toy Story world of films. While the film doesn't break new ground, it's one of those films where it's good and entertaining enough for the whole family.  fBecause it's from Pixar, its competition is really itself. Coming off of Toy Story 4, this might not be up to that level but it's also more aimed at building up a new generation of fans in this world. There's a lot here to like and it's also sets up nicely for continuing the adventures of the Space Rangers in future movies.

Listen as Ro & Kriss discuss what worked for Lightyear.

 

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