Tag: comedy

DAY SHIFT (2022)

What’s this 90s vampire movie doing, being released in 2022?

Genuinely, I thought this was some kind of relic that had just gotten a wide release.

It’s fine. The humour’s hit and miss, the action is hilariously well done, the story is serviceable.

It’s kind of inconsistent its worldbuilding, in that it explains a lot of what things are but then forgets to ask why or to connect them together or pay things off fully.

Still, it’s silly fun that never takes itself seriously at all, so it’s mostly forgivable.

Not going to shake the world, but it’s worth a watch.

by Thomas Scott Holland

BULLET TRAIN (2022)

A wild, bloody, ridiculous action-comedy from the guy behind John Wick and Deadpool 2.

It’s assassins on a speeding train, with multiple overlapping jobs, changing objectives and an escalating series of Chekhov’s guns.

Feels very antithetical to a lot of modern Hollywood action fare: the edges are rougher, the gags don’t feel like they’ve been run through a committee. It’s refreshing, loose, silly fun.

It’s kind of a hot mess, but in a good way — pinballing from one absurd scenario to another, juggling a big cast of goofball personalities, and never for a moment taking itself too seriously.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

MS. MARVEL (2022)

Among the better Disney+ Marvel series.

Super sweet and charming, plus it’s refreshing to have a completely different perspective in the MCU.

Strong emphasis on culture, history and family from a Pakistani/Muslim perspective, made accessible by an extremely charismatic performance from Iman Vellani.

There’s a bit of a change-up in her powers compared to the comic, but I kinda get why. It makes her a bit more unique in the MCU, since Reed Richards is due to arrive in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, and Marvel seems pretty much allergic to using The Inhumans for anything. It works here to tie them back to her heritage, and by the end of the season she’s using them in a way that’s practically the same idea, only done with sparkly gemstone type effects instead of stretchiness/Embiggening.

The villain arc is a bit weak, but it’s got youthful energy to spare, and a lot of fun production design.

Young Avengers lineup is looking promising!

Still, it’s fair to feel fatigue with the endless parade of superhero stuff, and it’s nice to have something lighter on the roster.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

SANTA CLARITA DIET // s01-03

Finding this post-cancellation was a damn shame, since it fairly abruptly comes to an end while it has so many balls still up in the air.

As a comedy, it’s perfectly written. There’s an expert balance with saccharine tone and dark subject matter that really works here — it’s a champion of the “yes, and” ethos in that it’s continually building off itself and reintegrating throwaway gags into the overall plot.

But, as mentioned, it died an unceremonious Netflix death while it still had a comfortable season or two worth of steam left in it, which is a damn shame. Not a lot of shows manage this level of sharp dialogue without feeling overwritten or trying too hard.

The practical effects are horrifyingly over the top, but it’s all anchored by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant’s brilliant comedic timing (the whole remainder of the cast is pitch perfect too).

If you can handle the fact that it doesn’t have a satisfying conclusion, this is a really fun one and well worth your time.

Two severed thumbs up.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THOR: LOVE & THUNDER (2022)

Good, but inconsistent.

I think this is the first time that an MCU film has been soundtracked by a single band, and Guns ‘n’ Roses fits the 80s Flash Gordon heavy metal kinda vibe perfectly.

Probably the most symptomatic of the Marvel “pandemic” phase, where things feel rushed to fit with unreasonable scheduling pressures.

Messy in tone, writing and pacing, BUT it’s also a lot of silly, irreverent fun. It’s choppy on both the micro and macro level — could have been improved with another pass on the script, less reliance on improv, and a bit more time given to the villain.

Still, it’s a light, campy escapade. Jane Foster gets a cool power set and a tragic arc, the production design is excellent, and the villain is creepy (even if Christian Bale is underused).

A good time, despite being undercooked and feeling like it was assembled too quickly.

Worth a watch.

by Thomas Scott Holland

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (2021)

There’s not a lot to say, really. It takes a leaf from Stranger Things (literally, if you factor Finn Wolfhard’s casting) by putting the focus on kids chasing a supernatural mystery.

It’s most interesting when it’s doing this, and kinda loses steam in the back half when it more or less becomes a beat-for-beat recreation of the original film, but with a few creative spins.

It’s weird to think of “how tasteful is the fan-service?” as common consideration in modern filmmaking, but here we are. And it’s fine. Lots of callbacks and cameos and references, nothing too egregious or eye-rolly.

Perfectly servicable legacy-quel, and not much more. Worth a watch, don’t think about it too much.

by Thomas Scott Holland

ATLANTA // s03

Another cracking season from one of the best shows on television.

It’s surreal, hilarious, meandering, thoughtful, unexpected, harsh and subtle, often all at once. Whenever you think you have a handle on things, it just zags around you in really wonderful and creative ways.

This season has the primary cast (Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Lakieth Stanfield, Zazie Beetz) on tour in Europe — this time tackling new success and the same old bizarre tics of humanity. There seems to be even less of a focus on Glover’s Earn this time around, which only gives the rest of the cast more time to shine.

Every episode is its own self-contained story, every one of them is a strange little gem. There’s no real moral lessons: it’s just odd and messy and human.

Oh, and there are some fantastic unexpected cameos throughout.

Really, the worst part about this show is that there’s only one season left.

Highly, highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

CHIP ‘N’ DALE: RESCUE RANGERS (2022)

Well this was a fun surprise.

Basically, it’s modern-day Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, all the way from blended animation/live action through to the Noir mystery detective story.

Cameos are an absolutely hilarious mix of unexpected cuts, absurd jokes and examples of just how deep Disney’s bench of IPs actually is these days.

Mulaney and Samberg are perfect casting, the animation is great, the concept and execution are excellent.

Solid comedy, well recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

RUSSIAN DOLL // s02

Unfocused but nonetheless enjoyable followup to a stellar first season.

Natasha Lyonne puts in an absolutely killer effort to a strange, meandering season of an overall great show. She’s a treasure.

The emotional through-line resolves itself much later and less clearly than the first season, choosing instead to reach for a broader scope and losing some of it’s razor edge as a result.

Still, it’s quick and punchy and all the performances are excellent at holding up a messy time-travel concept.

Loved it, even if it didn’t have the same kick of the first season. Third season welcome.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH // s01

OR: Rhys Darby & Taika Waititi’s Gay Pirate Show

It’s great. Takes a few episodes to properly reveal the true premise as a warm, ensemble comedy with strong queer undertones that turn to overtones of self-acceptance.

Once it gets going it’s a very sweet sort of romance set against a backdrop of classic pirate hijinks, but one of the captains is foppishly terrible at their job.

The whole cast is excellent, even if they’re slightly overshadowed by the charisma and chemistry of Waititi and Darby.

Highly recommended.

Hope this gets a second season, it’s a breath of fresh sea air. Kinda feels like an inevitability with all the (well deserved) positive buzz, so fingers crossed.

by Thomas Scott Holland