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The World Is Not Enough Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

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Written by: Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein (screenplay by), Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (story by), Ian Fleming (characters, uncredited)
Directed by: Michael Apted
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
James Bond uncovers a nuclear explosives plot while protecting an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.

Verdict
It's an action focused Bond movie and that's to cover up for the lack of story. We get a bad guy that can't feel pain, and I wondered what kind of fight we'd get out of that. The answers is absolutely nothing. While Bond seduces two women and a second villain appears, it's all to obscure the fact this movie is basically a collection of action scenes with a several regrettable one liners.
Skip it.

Review
Brosnan's third Bond film, the previous two started with planes and this changes it up with boats. An oil tycoon is killed with money James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) recovered, forcing Bond to chase the assassin by boat. Bond's boat impresses as it dives and flies all while chasing the assassin. The sequence can't stay out of the sky as the assassin steals a hot air balloon.

Bond is tasked with protecting the tycoon's daughter, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau). Bond is smitten with Elektra, what a shocker. She's attracted to him because every woman is. Bond also feels really bad that her father was killed during his operation. He does get a BMW Z8 which eases the pain. This car is more fun looking than the 750 in the last movie.

Pierce Brosnan plays Agent 007 James Bond

The villain, Renard (Robert Carlyle), can't feel pain. It's a great attribute that's absolutely wasted. Renard wants to steal a nuclear bomb. I'm not sure why other than it's a villain thing to do, and he'd rather not disappoint anyone. Bond begins wondering if Elektra is helping Renard. He had kidnapped her previously, and they may have a connection no one realizes.

What helped Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) is a villain with a clear goal. What is Renard after, a bomb to extort money? He exists just to give Bond someone to fight. While this tries to create a twist to the villain, I ultimately don't care. Bond goes to the most likely location where Renard could steal a nuclear bomb. That entire setup seems way too easy to exploit, and Renard does just that. Bond tries to stop him while also wooing scientist Christmas Jones (Denise Richards). It's a blatant case of fan service, even for James Bond movie standards.

Robbie Coltrane, Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau play Zukovsky, James Bond, Elektra King

I didn't like Renard, but it turns out he's not the real villain. The actual twist provides motive, something Renard sorely lacked. I did expect the movie to capitalize on a bad guy that can't feel pain. You could delete that detail and it wouldn't change anything which makes it an utter waste.

Bond has to save the world as he does in every movie. He also saves Dr. Christmas. Unfortunate as it leads to the movie concluding with Bond asking, "I thought Christmas only came once a year." It's worse than it sounds. It's not a great movie, and it manages to get even worse with only one line.

Tomorrow Never Dies Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

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Written by: Bruce Feirstein (written by), Ian Fleming (characters, uncredited)
Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
James Bond is sent to disrupt a media mogul's plot to foment a war between China and the United Kingdom.

Verdict
Another exciting introduction starts the movie. This provides a villain with credible goals instead of existing solely to give Bond something to do. A media tycoon decides to start wars and create news to enrich his brand. The franchise overall can be a bit pulpy, but this movie leans into it more. A villain with a purpose gives the entire film a better foundation and a reason for Bond to succeed that's more than just stop the bad guy because he's mean. All of that makes this more fun.
Watch It.

Review
Brosnan's second Bond film, opens with Agent 007 infiltrating a military base, escaping in a jet before the base is bombed, and even defeating another jet that follows him.

Media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) wants to create news by starting a war between China and UK. By creating the news he can be the first to cover it. He's also so powerful that he can blackmail world leaders as it suits him. Bond is suspicious of Carver as he knew about the crisis between the countries before MI6. Only someone that caused the event could have the information so quickly. As it happens, Carver's trophy wife, Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher), is Bond's ex-girlfriend. She's mad upon initially seeing Bond, but no woman can resist Bond's charms. She's with him that very night.

Pierce Brosnan play Agent 007 James Bond

When Bond infiltrates Carver's facility, it's revealed that Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) is also an agent looking for information on Carver.

This feels like a Bond movie. He has gadgets for very specific situations, like the wire cutter that's part of his car's hood ornament that manages to be the exact right height to cut wire that was supposed to stop the car. That's in addition to his remote control car. I like the story of this movie. Media feels predatory, and this movie just assumes that those corporations are. I don't mind James Bond movies leaning into being pulpy. That's the fun. GoldenEye never leaned into it enough. A media mogul controlling the news seem ahead of its time. That's an apt villain even now.

Pierce Brosnan Michelle Yeoh play James Bond Wei Lin

Bond and Wai Lin are captured by Carver's henchman. They're handcuffed together but manage to escape despite the predicament, even riding a motorcycle together and fighting off more goons simultaneously. Bond's charms don't work on her, and she ditches him, stating she works alone. It's a great in-joke in a franchise where Bond always gets the girl.

With Bond movies, a villain with a good goal helps, even if it is completely delusional. With some of these movies, the villains seem to exists just to give Bond something to do. If the story isn't going to give us a completely over the top bad guy then making them interesting like Carver helps. Bond isn't just bringing down Carver, he's attacking the media at large.

GoldenEye Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

GoldenEye (1995)

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Written by: Ian Fleming (characters), Michael France (story), Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein (screenplay)
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
When a powerful secret defense system is stolen, James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using it.

Verdict
Great opening action scenes start the film, but the rest of the story is lacking. Part of that is this supreme secret agent Bond doesn't have much agency. Things happen to him but not because of him. That's evidenced by how he doesn't even defeat Xenia. That happens for him. His main job is to seduce everyone woman he meets and dish out the occasional one liner. He's set up as too masterful as many scenes lack any tension. All of the thrills happen in the first ten minutes. The villain's role is to be an adversary to Bond, they don't have a true purpose. Giving them more motivation provides a better reason to root for Bond that's more than just defeat the bad guys.
It depends.

Review
This Bond movie released after a six year hiatus. The franchise hadn't gone more than three years without a release dating back to 1962. The only film franchises with more movies are Godzilla and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It was Brosnan's first turn as Bond, after Timothy Dalton, and I'm pretty sure it's the first James Bond movie I ever saw, best that I can recall. I remember playing the Nintendo 64 inspired video game GoldenEye 007 for hours on end.

Typical for Bond movies, the opening scenes are action packed. Agent 007 James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) breaks into a chemical facility by bungee jumping off of a dam. He's got cool gadgets and he even teams up with 006 to destroy the site. That's capped with his death defying plane stunt that nearly makes the movie worth watching for this scene alone. Next is a car race, Bond in his Aston Martin versus a Ferrari. Even during a mountain carving drive Bond is ever the flirt.

Pierce Brosnan plays 007 James Bond

The woman Bond raced on the mountain, Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), happens to be at the casino where they meet again. That's quite the coincidence. Her actual purpose is to steal an advanced helicopter. Xenia flies to to a Siberian base where she and a Russian general initiate a space laser to destroy the base. It's the GoldenEye satellite defense system. Bond is sent to chase them down.

Bond's car in this movie is a BMW Z3, with the movie revealing the car months before it released to the public. Producers agreed to a three-picture placement agreement with BMW in 1994.

While the opening scenes are fun, the rest of this is muddled. Bond meets with a few contacts to find the leader of this secret group, the Janus syndicate, that now controls the laser. Brosnan's confidence borders on smugness, but with the character that's not a complaint. The movie excels in Bond being Bond, but the story is thin. There's a lack of tension as we know Bond will find the truth or escape any traps. He does get trapped in a helicopter, but he uses the ejection seat to escape. I wasn't sure how that works with the 'copter's blades. Bond chases the general in a tank down city streets which is fun. It's maximum destruction.

Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan play 006 Alex Trevelyan, 007 James Bond

With the basis of the movie being Bond will find a way to succeed, this gets a bit long. Bond's one liners also grow old. Bond seems like a spectator more than a powerful spy. What does he do? It's mostly what's happening to him. He flies to Cuba to follow Xenia, but she's stopped not by anything Bond does.

I've only seen Brosnan, Craig, and a couple of Connery Bond movies. Based on that, these really are a product of their time. Bond's adversary's in this outing are paper thin. All of them could have been more interesting. Revenge is just a boring basis for the events of this movie. Xenia is an agent of Janus for no real reason other than chaos. Developing the villains better gives us more reason to root for Bond.

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The Rocketeer Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Rocketeer (1991)

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Written by: Dave Stevens (graphic novel "The Rocketeer"), Danny Bilson & Paul De Meo & William Dear (story), Danny Bilson & Paul De Meo (screenplay)
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Starring: Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, Terry O'Quinn
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jet pack that allows him to become a high-flying, masked hero.

Verdict
This was a super hero movie before we were inundated. I love this premise, and the art deco style makes this unique. The design of the costume remains iconic. The early setting lends itself to the earnestness of the characters. Unfortunately the rest of the movie is mostly by the numbers. Nazis are used as a shortcut to create bad guys and the characters are mostly flat, but the poster for the movie sure is cool.
It depends.

Review
It's such a simple yet effective premise. What could one man do with a jet pack? The answer is become a super hero.

Cliff's (Billy Campbell) stunt plane is destroyed during a police chase forcing him to land prematurely and in turn completely destroy the plane. The police are after a pair of brothers that stole a rocket that turns out to be a jet pack. The thieves happen to hide the jet pack in Cliff's hangar before they're apprehended. Cliff finds it and wants to use it as part of their new show to recoup the loss of the plane.

Billy Campbell plays Cliff Secord

It's quite the coincidence that the guy that ordered the jet pack stolen, Sinclair (Timothy Dalton), is also a movie star working with Cliff's actress girlfriend Jenny (Jennifer Connelly). Sinclair even manages to hear Cliff tell Jenny about the jet pack he found.

The Rocketeer is born when Cliff must save a friend in a faulty plane. I'm pretty sure in reality Cliff would have crashed spectacularly while learning the controls. Instead he make a death defying rescue. Sinclair and the FBI knows someone in the area has the jet pack, and they soon trace it to Cliff. Sinclair uses his position as a movie star and invites Jenny on a date.

Billy Campbell plays The Rocketeer

Cliff uses the rocket to escape Sinclair's thugs after him and in turn attempt to save Jenny. It turns out the Nazis are after the jet pack. They want to create a company of flying soldiers, and they need that jet pack that was designed by Howard Hughes.

This culminates with Cliff on a rigid airship facing off against the main bad guy. Cliff is forced to give up his jet pack in a difficult decision. A crash, as part of the finale, explains why the Hollywoodland sign is now just Hollywood. It's a fun movie, and the setting adds a nice dimension. A jet pack in the 1930s is the perfect technology for the time. This early setting also lends credibility to the earnestness of the characters. Set in the modern day, I'd expect the characters to by a bit more cynical. While I like the idea, I wish there are more to this. More development for any of the characters would add emotional stakes.

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Death to Smoochy Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Death to Smoochy (2002)

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Written by: Adam Resnick
Directed by: Danny DeVito
Starring: Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Danney DeVito, Jon Stewart
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A kids' show host, Rainbow Randolph, is fired in disgrace while his replacement, Sheldon Mopes, aka. Smoochy the Rhino, finds himself a rising star. Unfortunately for Sheldon, the business of kids' television isn't all child's play.

Verdict
It's a great idea, it just doesn't go anywhere. I'd argue this squandered the premise, but I don't think this had any idea of where it wanted to take the story after the first thirty minutes. This could explore two show hosts fighting and in turn revealing what happens behind the scenes and how petty television can be. It could also feature increasingly dramatic confrontations, but this never takes the time to create emotional stakes. It had more than a few good one liners, but the second half drops this by trying to include gangsters, the mob, and thieves. It completely loses focus.
Skip it.

Review
Kids' show host Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams) gets busted for taking bribes to put children front and center on his show. The network must quickly pivot, trying to find a host that doesn't have a criminal history. They land on Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), Smoochy. While he's currently playing at drug rehab clinic, he's been preparing his entire life for the role.

Edward Norton plays Sheldon Mopes, Smoochy

It's such a silly premise, and I thought that would be the joke. This split between how things appear and how they are, as well as the hypocrisy. Despite the purpose of a kids' show, the network just wants to make money and exploit it.

Mopes is too wholesome. He thinks the network wants to create great content, but they're just greedy. They don't care about making the world a better place. They want to exploit the Smoochy brand for all it's worth. Everyone is after Mopes so that they can enrich themselves. It's antithetical to everything Mopes believes and counter to the very reason they hired him.

Edward Norton, Robin Williams play Sheldon Mopes, Rainbow Randolph

Randolph is desperate to get his show back. he attempts to sabotage Mopes, but he only embarrasses himself. He then sets Smoochy up to perform at a Nazi rally. Mopes's reputation is ruined and he loses his job, but Randall inadvertently admits he set up Smoochy who in turn is exonerated.

Mopes is out of his depth in trying to negotiate with everyone after his valuable brand, and it seems the message might be that the network can corrupt even the most benign person. Mopes has a moment with executive Nora Wells (Catherine Keener) as they reminisce about old television.

Edward Norton plays Sheldon Mopes, Smoochy

This keeps coming back to the same idea. Randall commits to half baked plans to get his show back that fail spectacularly. Mopes is the innocent victim. Then we have a corrupt agent and network executives that want to capitalize on Smoochy. They could legitimately make money off the brand, but they'd rather take a shortcut and cheat to make even more money. It's just never enough and not soon enough.

The problem is that these characters are underdeveloped comic relief. Smoochy isn't even fighting them directly. They're after his brand, not him. Since the movie is committed to Mopes remaining untainted, there's no development for him in this movie. There's one scene where he's about to cross the line before he's talked out of it. Everything happens around him. All the characters meet at the end, but it's clearly a way to end this movie rather than to provide a proper conclusion.

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Resident Evil (2026) Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Resident Evil (2026)

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Written by: Zach Cregger & Shay Hatten
Directed by: Zach Cregger
Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Houser
Rated: R

Plot
A hapless courier tasked with delivering a package to a remote hospital soon finds himself caught in the middle of an outbreak and must fight through hordes of mutated creatures to survive.

Verdict
Despite being horror, or even because of it, this movie is a lot of fun. It expertly creates these intense moments while dividing them with moments of humor. It allows the audience a chance to recover before diving right back into the tension. The protagonist is thrown into a dangerous situation, his commentary providing running thoughts on the events. That consists of mostly fear and shock, which is completely understandable. This is a regular person in an extraordinary situation. The pacing and escalation is perfect with the full scope of the issue slowly revealing itself during the run time as we get closer to Racoon City. So many scenes are a class on how to build tension and a setup for scares. Few horror movies manage to balance horror and humor so well. I loved this from the beginning, and it never falters.
Watch It.

Review
This is Cregger's follow up to Weapons (2025) after his break out Barbarian (2022). This is the eighth movie based on the Capcom Resident Evil video game. The movie franchise started in 2002 with the seventh movie being a reboot in 2021.

This trades on the Resident Evil franchise name, which taps into an existing fan base, but this lacks a direct connection. It does fine standing on its own as it's one of the few movies that I wanted to watch again as soon as the credits started. This can be incredibly intense, but it also has moment of levity that makes it even funnier amid the terror. I was frequently impressed with the choices made in the film. It's well done.

This begins with a medical courier, Bryan (Austin Abrams), at the end of his shift. He's just dropped off an organ for transplant, and he's trying to find the recipient as well as then getting a sign off. Both prove more difficult that you might expect. Just as he's about to leave, he's solicited for one more delivery. He refuses until he's told it pays double because he has to get it all the way to Racoon City. It's not much background for the protagonist, but it's enough.

Austin Abrams plays Bryan

Bryan is driving in the dark on an icy, wooded road while talking to his girlfriend on the phone as the car tries to maintain traction. You know something is going to happen on the road. This does a great job of drawing you in and cranking anticipation to the maximum. When the moment arrives, Bryan is shocked, we're shocked, and the question is what's next. Bryan has more than one encounter on this road, though I don't want to spoil it. He ends up in the dark, trying to render aid. That soon becomes afraid of what might be lurking around him in the darkness. He obtains a gun, which is more comic relief than is typical for this genre. A series of events lead him to a nearby farmhouse. This does a great job with pacing and escalation as it slowly builds to the end.

At the farmhouse, frequent wide shots show the flashing lights in the background to provide a sense of space, emphasizing how Bryan's isolated. It's at the farm house that Bryan realizes something is seriously wrong. Throughout the movie we're privy to his running commentary. His reactions are often comical, refusing to engage in a dangerous situation or frustrated that nothing is going his way. Movies have conditioned us to expect the protagonist to jump right in and save the day. Bryan doesn't want to be in the middle of this. He's just a regular guy trying to survive an outrageous situation. A lot of this is him trying to get away and encountering obstacles, both environmental and monster as well as several padlocks.

Bryan ends up near Racoon City, and as he gets closer he thinks he's saved. We're introduced to Maxine (Kali Reis), the security. She's trained for this. The movie shows us it's better to be lucky than good when dealing with monsters. Bryan also learns what he's transporting is vital to stopping the monsters. He was a backup, but now he's the only plan. Bryan ends up in the sewer, and that's a great sequence as it builds to a monster, but my favorite scene might be next as Bryan finds himself walking along the street towards the hospital. He's soon running for his life. It's amazing not just because of what happens, but also what's built to this scene and even the camera work. With so many scenes this movie manages to impart to the audience exactly what it wants.

Austin Abrams plays Bryan

Bryan gets to the hospital, on the verge of giving up as the hospital seems overrun. He gets one more push to get to the top of the hospital where the lab is located. Throughout this movie, Bryan has told anyone he's encountered he's not a gun person. His fumbling only proves that. It's funny, but lends a sense of realism to the genre where so many movies depict everyone as experts. Even the one gun person he sees doesn't fare well.

Down to the final sequence, I wasn't sure where this would go. We know the stakes both large and small scale, but that doesn't help answer how this ends.

This movie is well crafted. The direction and camera work, like the first person shots, have to be a call out to the game, though it's not intrusive. I'm not sure I've seen a horror movie that manages to be so humorous. It's a result of building the tension and allowing for a release before setting us up again. It's a fun ride from beginning to end, full of scares, gore, and quite a bit of humor. With each scene, it's clear the writers and director know exactly what they're doing.

Timeless Series Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Timeless (2016-2018)

Season 1 - 16 episodes (2016-17)
Season 2 - 12 episodes (2018)
Rent Timeless on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Eric Kripke, Shawn Ryan
Starring: Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, Paterson Joseph, Sakina Jaffrey, Claudia Doumit, Goran Višnjić
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer

Plot
A team chases a rogue time traveler across history to stop him altering key events, uncovering hidden agendas, and personal ties to the conspiracy.

Verdict
It's a throwback adventure show that balances episodic adventures in history with an overarching story about a clandestine group seeking control by altering the timeline. Each episode explores popular history, though certain aspects aren't always extremely realistic, altered to benefit the story. I wish it was deeper as this group just wants to control the world and for the most part they're faceless. They exist to give the main characters something to do. Despite how much both groups meddle in events, it surprisingly doesn't seem to affect much. It does offer the main characters a chance to wrestle over whether they should try to change things for their own benefit.
It depends.

Review
NBC canceled the series after the first season, but negotiations led to a second season which was canceled again with the possibility of a movie to conclude the series. That led to the two-part finale.

It's a light hearted adventure through time, though I wasn't sure initially what this would be as Shawn Ryan worked on The Shield (2002) and Eric Kripke worked on Supernatural (2005) and later The Boys (2019). It's in the vein of Quantum Leap (1989) where the characters have to orient themselves in a new time period with each episode also being a history lesson.

Season 1
Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić) steals a time travel device from Mason Industries and goes back to the Hindenburg in 1937. The founder Connor Mason (Paterson Joseph) in turn hires historian Lucy (Abigail Spencer) and soldier Wyatt (Matt Lanter) to accompany his employee the pilot, Rufus (Malcolm Barrett). They luckily have a second device so they can pursue Flynn. He wants to use the Hindenburg to attack the fledgling U.S. Lucy manages to confront him, and he tells her Mason Industries knows more than they're telling her. When Lucy returns to the present, she discovers she's changed the course of time. Her mother is no longer bedridden and her sister doesn't exist.

S1E3: Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett play Wyatt, Lucy, Rufus

Lucy helps them fit into the time period while Mason foots the bill for whatever they need. With each episode Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus are tempted to influence history. They encounter Abe Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. They try to stop Flynn to no avail, while he claims he's saving America.

They keep changing history, and I wondered if that would add up at some point. In just the first episode Lucy erased her sister, but none of the changes after that are anywhere near as drastic.

S1E14: Goran Višnjić plays Garcia Flynn

The name Rittenhouse keeps appearing. Rufus claimed he was unfamiliar, but he does know that name. It seems that's what Flynn opposes. The show keeps Flynn ambiguous to lead us on. He's not the terrorist as portrayed. In episode nine Flynn steals a key from Bonnie and Clyde that they stole from Henry Ford. It opens a box with a wax sealed letter that leads Flynn to Benedict Arnold. In the next episode Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus agree to help Flynn to catch Arnold. Rittenhouse was a person that has spawned a group that wants to rule the world by manipulating history.

A new NSA agent joins Mason Industries, and they plan to eliminate Flynn before he's born. It certainly seems like a Rittenhouse plant. By the end of the season Lucy agrees to help Flynn stop Rittenhouse when she realizes the group has been manipulating her.

Season 2
This season takes a crazy leap. Flynn is captured, Rittenhouse abducts Keynes from the past who happens to be Lucy's great-grandfather. They think he's their key. Lucy is embedded in Rittenhouse and playing along. The group has also placed sleeper agents throughout history. Several episodes this season have the team fighting the agents to preserve history

If you were shipping Lucy and Wyatt, and the show made it clear that's where this was headed, they get their moment in episode three. That becomes complicated when history is altered to save Wyatt's wife.

S1E1: Abigail Spencer plays Lucy

The second season explores more obscure historical references which I appreciate. Who knew blues music would be influential and the key to the future? Flynn begins working with the team to stop Rittenhouse. The team now has to chase down Rittenhouse agents.

In the final episode the team tries to save Rufus, aided by help from future Wyatt and Lucy. The problem is the the show told us you should never be in the presence of yourself from another time. While it makes for a big moment, it does undermine the series.

In the additional two episode finale, future Lucy gives her current self a journal. It's the journal Flynn used throughout the series that he claimed Lucy gave him. Saving the future relies on saving Rufus, and Wyatt has to make a sacrifice to ensure that. The team finally manages to defeat Rittenhouse and then live normal lives. The last thing Lucy does is travel to the past and give Flynn the journal that started this entire adventure.

I like the sci-fi history adventure, but the story can get too cute to set up reveals and twists. This never explores the underlying question of whether you can alter history. The first episode makes a big change to the present, but after that the team ensures history remains unchanged despite making many changes. That doesn't even factor in how many people Rittenhouse has added into the timeline. I like that the second season explores more obscure lessons in history, but at the same time with how much meddling happens in the past, that would severely alter the present. How much is changed corresponds directly to how necessary it is to that episode's plot. This doesn't really develop the characters, instead making the plot more complicated.

The Terror Season 3: Devil in Silver Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Terror (2018-)

Season 3: Devil in Silver - 6 episodes (2026)
Rent The Terror on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Created by: Victor LaValle
Starring: Dan Stevens, b, Hampton Fluker, John Benjamin Hickey, Judith Light, Aasif Mandvi, CCH Pounder, Stephen Root
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this supernatural, semi-historical horror anthology series, the first two seasons were inspired by different infamous or mysterious real-life historical tragedies while the third season is contemporary fiction.

In the season three, rudderless musician Pepper is wrongfully committed to the decrepit New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital.

Verdict
It's not a bad premise though certainly not unique. This never manages to develop anything interesting. The best parts are when it's referencing something else, and that's not a compliment. None of the characters are developed farther than generic stereotypes. Initially I questioned what this was before then wondering how it would end, and eventually I just wanted it to be over.
Skip it.

Review
This must be inspired by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), putting a horror spin on it. The series directly references the movie. Pepper (Dan Stevens) is the divisive new patient that will either bring them together to fight the entity or become consumed himself.

The first episode establishes Pepper's lack of judgement. He's jobless, planning to start teaching students to play the drums. To do that he buys a four-thousand dollar drum set after his girlfriend tells him not to. Then he loses his temper at the sight of his girlfriend's ex, flying into a rage and attacking the man. He also attacks the three plain clothed cops that step in to break up the fight. It's ridiculous, an extreme reaction precisely to get him arrested. The cops, wanting to avoid paperwork, take him to a mental institution, New Hyde. Pepper was supposed to be held for two days, but ends up unconscious for four. After an outburst, the doctor wants to keep him for another two weeks. New Hyde is full of odd patients, one even telling Pepper he's been summoned.

E1: Dan Stevens plays Pepper Coffin

To further isolate Pepper, his girlfriend is contacted by his estranged son she didn't know about. She cuts ties as Pepper learns the facility is truly haunted. He's attacked, and no one seems to care. The staff attribute it to self harm. The other residents know what it is, but they're unconcerned. We know something is strange about the building, but half way in it's unclear what's going on. A person we saw killed approaches Pepper for no other reason than to add intrigue. The core of this mystery seems to reside behind the "silver door." There's a patient locked in that room.

Pepper initially plans an escape before he decides to fight this 'devil' that plagues the facility. Patient Dorry (Judith Light) cautions Pepper against any kind of attack. The facility's original doctor, Dr. Walter is or is part of the entity. He lures Pepper into a trap to try and gain control over him. This entity is trapped and wants out. Pepper is the way, using him as a new host.

Episode five is Dorry's backstory to mostly fill time. By the end of the season, we get answers to what's going on but by that time I didn't really care. It's a big show down between the residents, staff, and the entity.

This doesn't develop the characters well. Other than Pepper, everyone in this facility is content with staying put. This entity is trapped in the building, but it's only goal is to get out. If we knew more about what it would do after escape that would add some tension. This show took the inherent fear factor of being trapped and isolated in a mental institution and failed to go anywhere with that idea. The concept smolders for most of the season before finally going out.

I Will Find You Mini-Series Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

I Will Find You (2026)

Mini-series - 8 episodes (2026)
Created by: Robert Hull
Starring: Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, Chi McBride, Milo Ventimiglia, Jonathan Tucker, Logan Browning
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
A father imprisoned for his son's murder receives evidence suggesting his child may be alive, compelling him to escape and uncover the truth.

Verdict
The show provides cheap thrills. Outlandish is an apt descriptor, from how characters behave to the situations they find or put themselves in. It's a soap opera and thus works best if you don't think too much about its relationship with reality. The core is a twisting mystery that eventually involves all the characters to some degree. Nothing is quite what it seems. It's enjoyable enough, but it's also easy to start poking several holes into the plot.
It depends.

Review
David Burroughs (Sam Worthington) serves a life sentence for murdering his son, but he claims he didn't do it. When his ex-sister-in-law Rachel (Britt Lower), a disgraced former reporter, visits him, she shows him a photo of someone that could be his son. David is convinced it's Matthew and that he's alive.

There's a lot of heightened drama. A prison guard seems to be monitoring David. The warden is a family friend and wonders, with David's father, if there are any loose ends from the night of the murder. A serial killer approaches David, apparently with the intent to kill him. David also finds a discrepancy with a witness. Wouldn't he have pored over those files when this first unfolded? This show is designed for maximum drama. I would argue to a fault.

E2: Sam Worthington, Britt Lower play David Burroughs, Rachel Mills

David stages a jail break with a lot of help. Rachel picks him up, and they head to the guard, Wesson, that tried to kill him. Why would Wesson stay put at his own house? If he's afraid, wouldn't he try to run? He tells David they've been watching him since the beginning, but we don't know who. Everything is so cryptic. What kind of conspiracy merits this level of cover up?

David heads to the witness. She didn't exactly lie as David's family feared he was guilty and tried to cover up the crime. Despite that, someone else intimidated the witness to further incriminate David. It's convoluted to say the least. David meets with Skunk who pressured the witness and somehow has a role in this. Skunk tells David it's his father's fault, and that his ex-wife's current husband is also mixed up in all of this.

E5: Britt Lower, Sam Worthington play Rachel Mills, David Burroughs

Rachel's ex Hayden (Milo Ventimiglia) seems to be involved, but he's also been helping David because he still loves Rachel. That and I assume he's so rich he's bored and needed something exciting to do.

Then you have two FBI agents, Greer (Logan Browning) and Williams (Chi McBride), that are tasked with apprehending David. Even they begin to wonder if David was falsely imprisoned as there are so many things that seem amiss in this case.

David thinks he'll finally get answers from Nicky Fisher who it's implied killed David's kid as revenge. Nicky blame's David's father for the death of his son, though that's only part of it. This conspiracy spans the globe all the way to a Swiss orphan. Hayden isn't as selfless as he seemed. Rich people, am I right?

E5: Logan Browning, Chi McBride play Sarah Greer, Max Williams

This is a story built on unlikely scenarios and coincidences. I wasn't sure why Hayden had a part in this other than to build this big moment for the show. We discover a person helping David and Rachel has a completely different agenda.

The final episode is the wild face off where all is revealed, a convoluted and twisting maze that is much simpler than it appears. It's absolutely unhinged behavior, but it has to be to create a plot like this. The story's first goal is to entertain, and it does that by bending reality.

SPOILERS

The Seventh Seal Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Seventh Seal [Det sjunde inseglet] (1957)

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Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot
Rated: Not Rated [PG]
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this Swedish language movie, a knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.

Verdict
Older movies can often feel outdated, as they've been recycled and copied endlessly. This movie, despite how influential, still offers a lot of depth. A crusader that hoped for glory returns to a land that's decimated. This is a man searching for meaning, for an answer. What he hoped and what he got are completely opposite. While he seeks, death looms large both in physical form and as a pestilence engulfing the land.
Watch It.

Review
It's not the earliest film to depict death, but it's probably the most significant.

Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) returns from the crusades. Death (Bengt Ekerot) approaches the knight, having followed him. Block states he's not ready, in turn challenging Death to a game of chess to prolong his life. Block wagers that if he wins he should get to live.

Block is disillusioned, returning to an area ravaged by the plague. While death looms in periphery, Block encounters distinct reminders along the way. At a church a painter creates an image featuring death and the plague, stating it will draw more interest than a beautiful woman ever could. The knight confesses at the church, mentioning how he plans to defeat Death in chess just before he realizes it is Death taking his confession.

Max von Sydow plays Antonius Block

Block seeks meaning in life, an explanation and justification for what he's done. He wants to reconcile the violence of the crusades with what they were supposed to be and the reason he went. He was convinced by a theologian to go, and now that man is a thief. He further undermines Blocks search for meaning.

Block encounters a woman condemned as a witch. He beseeches her to reveal the secrets of death, but he realizes she has no such knowledge. His search for answers remains fruitless. Central to his questions are the ruminations of God's nature; from the purpose of the crusades to the violence and then the plague that's killing people in the land. Where is the justice? Block searches for hope through other humans, but he doesn't find much of it. The answer to life is to find fulfillment. Block searches in vain.

Max von Sydow plays Antonius Block

Death is inevitable. The game of chess represents life. Block tries to maneuver the pieces the best he can, but he knows what approaches. The game will eventually end. It's inevitable. The image of Block and Death playing chess is an indelible image in cinema history.

Old movies often are a product of their time as customs, natures, and styles are so different from modern movies. This focuses on a simple, timeless story; the search for meaning. That's combined with the ominous presence of death. The one thing no one escapes. The result is a timeless story than endures.

Title Card

Event Horizon Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Event Horizon (1997)

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Written by: Philip Eisner
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A rescue crew is tasked with investigating the mysterious reappearance of a spaceship that had been lost for seven years.

Verdict
The perils of advanced space travel mean that sometimes you open a portal to hell. The crew attempts to retrieve a ship that experienced an unknown accident and vanished. We don't know the machinations controlling the ship, but the mission becomes a nightmare. It's unsettling as fears manifest in reality. The crew must fight the ship and in turn each other. The second half of this movie is a rather generic escape, undermining the initial setup.
Skip it.

Review
I always mix up this and Sphere (1998), likely as both have spheres at the core of the ship. This one is the sci-fi horror movie.

This begins in 2047 where Earth has a colony on the Moon and a mine on Mars. Seven years earlier a deep space research vessel disappeared beyond Neptune. It just reappeared.

Weir (Sam Neill) developed the experimental warp drive for the ship in question, Event Horizon. This is sci-fi horror from nearly the beginning as Weir has nightmares. It seems his wife died. While Weir is excited to see his ship, the rest of the team drafted to accompany him led by Miller (Laurence Fishburne) don't share the same fervor. They were on break and called into action on emergency orders.

Sam Neill plays Weir

The Event Horizon seems abandoned, but the warp drive activates, unleashing a shock wave that damages Miller's ship. The crew is forced to board the Event Horizon during repairs. While none of them like it, they don't have a choice. The warp drive uses a black hole to travel across space and time, at least that's the concept. Just after the ship activated the drive, it disappeared. Weir assures the crew the drive is safe despite all the reasons to the contrary. If the ship disappeared on the first use of the warp drive, I have to strongly disagree that it's safe. Miller points out their ship is damaged and a crew member is unconscious. I wasn't sure if Weir was in denial or had an ulterior motive. He's not stupid. He has to know there's danger. Does it come down to ego, wanting to prove his invention worked?

Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Sean Pertwee play Weir, Miller, Smitty

After two crew members have hallucination, we know something is up with the ship. It has to be the warp drive. Weir denies he saw anything, but everyone is on edge as they've all had a vision of something that isn't real even if they don't admit it. Weir knows more than he's telling them.

This reminds of of a Stephen King short story, The Jaunt (1985). Instantaneous travel is developed, but it only works if you're unconscious. Conscious mice sent through die, sedated they're fine. If you attempt to transport while awake it feels much longer, driving you mad. The character at the center of the story that went through the portal conscious madly screams on the other side "Longer than you think!" before clawing out his eyes. It seems like inspiration for this movie.

The warp drive

One of the crew members talks about the darkness inside himself, feeling compelled to stop it. A message from the original crew talks about the darkness and Hell. This warp drive opens up some kind of portal to hell where it taps into the crew's fears. Weir completely loses touch with reality. While it's never stated, I feel like he had an inkling of something amiss. I wonder if once he realized what the drive did, he saw it as a way to reunite with his wife in some depraved way. The question is at what point he realized the ship opened a portal to another dimension. Through him, we can guess what happened to the original crew of the ship. The visions of his wife break him. He's already feeling guilty, and from there he blindly embraces what this ship has become.

What's left of Miller's crew has to either stop Weir or destroy the gravity drive. By that point, Weir might as well be some kind of monster from a horror movie.

The Book of Eli Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Book of Eli (2010)

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Written by: Gary Whitta
Directed by: The Hughes Brothers (Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Michael Gambon, Tom Waits
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A drifter fights his way across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book that holds the secrets to humanity's salvation.

Verdict
I'm a fan of post-apocalypse movies, and this has a neat concept. A drifter and a warlord fight over the last copy of the Bible. The drifter wants to preserve history, the warlord wants to use it as a weapon for control and to expand his meager empire. This builds an interesting world in a short time with a several great details. The movie is good, but even if it was sub-par the conclusion would make up for it. It's a great conclusion that's going to make you want to watch the entire movie again. It's a lot of fun.
Watch It.

Review
Whitta began his career as a video game journalist. This was his debut film, though he had contributed to various television shows.

In this post-apocalyptic world ash always seems to be floating in the air. We follow Eli (Denzel Washington) across scorched roads and through abandoned houses as he scavenges for supplies. We know he's a good guy as he feeds a mouse that appears near his fire one night. His downtime is spent listening to an old iPod with a rudimentary charging device.

It's a scrappy world. When bandits try to steal his pack, Eli refuses despite being outnumbered six to one. We get an amazing scene of Eli dispatching them, silhouetted under a bridge. He later witnesses an attack but doesn't get involved, telling himself it doesn't concern him and he needs to stay on his own path. Eventually he enters a town and the shop keeper wants to see his hands. Eli claims he's not one of them. One of what? He's allowed to trade and in this world, wet wipes are currency. Hygiene products and water demand a premium.

Denzel Washington plays Eli

The leader of the town, Carnegie (Gary Oldman), searches for a book. We don't know what it is yet, but of course Eli runs afoul of Carnegie's thugs. When Eli manages to subdue all of them, Carnegie takes an interest in the adept fighter. They are two of the few that can remember times before "the flash." Carnegie seeks the Bible, and Eli just happens to have what is likely the only copy in existence. Eli knows enough to get out of town, but he's going to face opposition as Carnegie really wants that book. It's a means of control, and while he says he wants to save people, Carnegie just craves power. The book will be used as a weapon to extend his authoritative regime. Eli can't give it up as he has a mission to fulfill.

Denzel Washington plays Eli

Solara (Mila Kunis) follows Eli out of town. She's not happy with life in the town. You can't blame her. While he tells her she's not built for the road, she doesn't listen. She's soon attacked, and I don't know how Eli found her. She wouldn't have caught up to him, and he doesn't seem like the type to waste his time just to see if she didn't listen. It's plot service. Why did the movie saddle Eli with Solara? It's so he can explain the war and the book to her and in turn the audience. Eli claims the war was over the Bible and all copies were destroyed. He has the last copy, directed by a voice that compelled him to find it. We also find out why people are so worried about shaking hands.

Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis play Eli, Solara

Carnegie catches up to Eli and Solara, forcibly taking the book as Eli refuses to let Solara die over it. While Carnegie's team endured several casualties, he finally has the book. Eli continues his mission west despite having lost the book. Eli is headed to Alcatraz which has become a museum and hub of civilization. They grant him entry as he claims to have a copy of the King James Bible. Concurrently, Carnegie tries to get into Eli's locked Bible. It's not what he thinks. Eli has one more trick up his sleeve.

It's a conclusion that's a complete surprise, and it also makes me want to re-watch this movie to see if I can find the seams. The movie is worth watching without the conclusion, but the final sequence is a big 'wow' moment. This conclusion gives the movie such a boost, it could elevate a sub-par movie, but thankfully this is a solid film.

The Last Temptation of Christ Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

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Written by: Nikos Kazantzakis (novel), Paul Schrader (screenplay)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
The life of Jesus Christ, depicting his journey through life as he faces typical human struggles and his final temptation on the cross.

Verdict
This explores the dual nature of Jesus Christ, both human and God. It helps to have a knowledge of the Bible as that's the basis for many events. This explores the mindset of someone facing human temptations yet sent to save the world; how do you cope with such a task? Jesus fights selfish tendencies that detract from his calling to create change. His choice to sacrifice himself is made all the more powerful as he has the power to stop it, considering the ramifications of that path. This also rewrites the common story of Judas. He wasn't a greedy traitor. He was a man committed to Jesus, willing to bear the burden of fulfilling Jesus's prophecy by taking the first step on the final path.
Watch It.

Review
Based on the controversial 1955 book, this caused outrage in certain groups due to the depiction of Jesus Christ struggling with doubt, fear, and lust. A disclaimer at the beginning states this is not based on the Gospels but focuses on exploring spiritual conflict.

Jesus Christ (Willem Dafoe) talks about the rituals he employs to keep the voices at bay. It's his struggle with temptation. He's criticized in the community for constructing crosses the Romans use to kill Jews, his own people. Judas (Harvey Keitel) considers killing Jesus for helping the Romans. He relents, moved by Jesus's conclusion that maybe God would rather have Judas help than kill. That's prophetic. Jesus is also tempted by Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey). He talks about wanting to save her, but that's not the only reason he goes to see her.

Willem Dafoe plays Jesus Christ

Jesus realizes he's called to change the world, but that doesn't make his plight easier. His mother questions if he's sure it's God. Could it be Satan? That's the conflict. As Jesus admits, he follows God's laws because he's afraid. He desires women but refuses them. That makes him proud, too proud. He states his god is fear. It's a lot of political discourse. Jesus talks about changing what's inside with love while Judas wants to overthrow the Romans. As Jesus states, if you don't make a fundamental change, someone else will replace the Romans and the cycle will continue unabated. Jesus hopes that God will give him the words. From there he worries about saying the right words and the wrong ones. He stops Mary Magdalene from being stoned to death, urging those without sin to cast stones.

Barbara Hershey, Willem Dafoe play Mary Magdalene, Jesus Christ

This isn't a retelling of the Bible, but it does recreate many scenes through the lens of a man caught between two natures. It considers what the text means and represents. What does the scripture mean in the context of the time? How would people approach someone so revered, and how does one person cope with that pressure? How do you handle being both human and God? We watch Jesus's rise to prominence as he embraces his spiritual side. It pains his mother as accepting his own Godliness comes at the expense of his humanness. Jesus realizes his purpose is for the world, not just his community. What does revolution mean? He realizes that he must die for the revolution to succeed. He needs Judas to help him fulfill the prophecy. He asks that of his best friend, Judas. It's not easy. Jesus asks him to betray him, admitting that the crucifixion will be easier than what Judas must endure. Judas's act wasn't betrayal, he fulfilled a commitment to his friend. It was a necessary act to save the world.

Harvey Keitel, Willem Dafoe play Judas, Jesus Christ

It's ironic that Judas initially wanted to kill Jesus when the movie began. It's not unnoticed that Jesus made crosses and eventually resides on one. Calling on his mother at the end, he apologizes for being a bad son. As he stated, he had a higher calling. On the cross an angel asks him why God would save Abraham's son but not his own. With that epiphany, Jesus escapes the cross and marries Mary Magdalene. That relationship isn't without consequence. Jesus gets to live an unencumbered life. For the first time he's happy, without all the burdens that plagued him. Much later in life he meets an older Judas who expresses his disappointment that Jesus didn't fulfill his promise. It was a selfish decision that undermined their mission.

For the entire movie Jesus struggles with his dual nature. He fights selfish tendencies until the end. He doesn't want to die on the cross. If he doesn't want to, he won't be forced. He has to choose his own fate. Jesus gets to see both paths unfold before him. That's what makes his sacrifice so powerful. He truly had a choice, and he saw how both paths would unfold. With that full knowledge he decided on a fate that would affect the world at his own expense.

The cross at Golgotha

Maniac Cop Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Maniac Cop (1988)

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Written by: Larry Cohen
Directed by: William Lustig
Starring: Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, Robert Z'Dar
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A killer dressed in a police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City.

Verdict
It's a shallow, vapid slasher. It's a great idea. A police officer, someone you inherently trust, is a dangerous killer. The problem is that there's no real motive, and the plot is incredibly flimsy. I can forgive the lack of explanation for the preternatural part of this, but what is this guy after? It's random killings. Without a foundation, this is a collection of scenes that only resemble a movie.
Skip it.

Review
This was followed by two direct-to-video sequels, Z'dar returned for both of them.

The opening credits portray a police officer getting ready, though we never see his face. With the over the top music, there's no mistaking this as a slasher. In the next scene a woman flees two creeps on the street. She sees a cop, thinking she's saved, but he's the maniac cop and she's killed. The police captain wants to keep it quiet so as not to alarm the public. Detective McCrae (Tom Atkins) wants justice, but as the fear of the Maniac Cop increases civilians become afraid of all cops.

Forrest (Bruce Campbell) is cheating on his wife with Mallory, and his wife catches him. She followed him wondering if he was the Maniac Cop. It's flimsy, but the entire movie is shallow with stilted dialog and in turn flat scenes. I like the core idea, tapping into the unnerving fear that someone you automatically trust like a cop could be a killer. The Maniac Cop kills Forrest's wife and frames him for it. I don't know why. The movie doesn't know why. It's just a way to pad the run time.

Bruce Campbell plays Jack Forrest

The Maniac Cop's killings have no reason or pattern. If he's out for revenge why is he killing random people? We see him shot multiple times at point blank range and he seems unfazed. The cops theorize he had a bullet proof vest, but he was shot in the head.

McCrae follows Mallory's friend Noland which leads him to a warehouse. Somehow Noland knows the Maniac Cop, but the only reason to connect Mallory and Noland is to save on actors. We know the Maniac Cop's identity and that he claims to have been unjustly imprisoned for police brutality. Now he's back killing random people because that does a great job of refuting the brutality charge.

If the Maniac Cop came back to kill everyone that wronged him, I could understand that. Otherwise this is a slasher just for the sake of it. A bit of motivation would provide stakes where even if we don't agree with his methods we can understand them. Just in case you're not paying attention, this provides a lot of dramatic music so you know when intense moments are happening.

Forrest is in custody and the Maniac Cop kills a bunch of people in the station like he's The Terminator. The cops conclude it must be Forrest. How could one man do that, especially when he was in custody?

It's a neat idea, and maybe on par for cheap slashers of the era, but there's just not enough to carry the plot. Why frame Forrest? Is this about vengeance? If so why does he target random people? Very little of the plot seems to follow any kind of logic. The Maniac Cop tries to kill Forrest for no reason other than an attempt at tension and to provide a face off at the end. The Maniac Cop escapes but drives right into the river. That's only so that we can see his hand rise from the water in an attempt to set up a sequel.

Ratatouille Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Ratatouille (2007)

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Written by: Brad Bird (screenwriter), Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco and Brad Bird (original story by), Emily Cook & Kathy Greenberg and Bob Peterson (additional story material)
Directed by: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava (co-director)
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Ian Holm, Brad Garrett, Peter O'Toole, Janeane Garofalo, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn
Rated: G
Watch the trailer

Plot
A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.

Verdict
It's a comical setup, a rat that cooks, but what this does is spend the first half setting the emotional stakes and shaping the characters. In the second half it uses that foundation as the basis for difficult decisions. We're rooting for these characters, and that makes the payoffs thrilling. While I often decry happy conclusions as easy, this movie earns it. It's such a great movie, and that's due to the strength of the story. It's a shining example of how a well designed plot is vital for making a great movie.
Watch It.

Review
Gusteau is the best chef in Paris and his restaurant has earned five stars. He believes that anyone can learn to cook. I bet he never expected that to include animals as well.

Remy (Patton Oswalt) is rat with a great sense of smell that loves to cook. It's his affinity for cooking that gets him and the rest of his colony in trouble when the homeowner finds Remy in her kitchen. He makes his way to Gusteau's restaurant. While he's knowledgeable about kitchens and cooking, he's still a rat. A great action scene unfolds as Remy falls into the kitchen and then must attempt an escape. Fraught with obstacles, the structure of the escape is something many action movies should study. It's part of what makes Pixar great. They understand story, pacing and development better than most. While action scenes are quick, pivotal scenes slow down enough to deliver a big impact. It's Pixar, so the animation looks great and the story has a lot of depth.

Patton Oswalt voices Remy

Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) is hired by the restaurant as the garbage boy. For some reason this kid begins surreptitiously adding ingredient to the soup, ruining it. Remy feels compelled to save the soup, halting his escape and fixing it. Remy is captured and Linguini is tasked with getting rid of him, but he realizes not only can Remy communicate, he's a great cook. That's the start of their partnership. Remy can't cook without Linguini, and Linguini flat out can't cook. They create a system where Remy controls Linguini like a marionette puppet. It's a partnership that works for them. Linguini gets credit for the soup. While the head chef doesn't like him for a variety of reasons, he's now stuck with him.

The head chef sets Linguini up to take a fall on an old Gusteau recipe that even the great chef couldn't perfect. Remy begins improvising much to Linguini's chagrin. It turns out better than expected, and the customers love it.

Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano voice Remy, Linguini

Remy gets to experience great success as a chef, but he's faced with continuing his cooking career or going back to his colony. It's desire versus duty. Meanwhile Linguini becomes incredibly successful which causes him to get arrogant and take all of the credit for Remy's work. That strife leads to a split on the eve of a notably harsh food critic's visit. Anton Ego's review could make or break the restaurant.

Remy returns to the restaurant in part because he loves to cook. It's what he was meant to do. Linguini makes a fool of himself when he admits to the entire kitchen that Remy is the real chef. They all walk out, but Remy's colony rallies around him to keep the kitchen open. Remy chooses to make ratatouille for the critic who's absolutely blown away. This provides a quick glimpse of the power food can have over people and the memories it generates.

Peter O'Toole voices Anton Ego

The problem with happy endings is that frequently they don't feel earned. This movie, and Pixar movies in general, they earn their conclusions. That's due to the story and pacing that culminates in that make or break moment where characters must make a choice or reconcile a mistake. While Remy chooses the restaurant over his family, his family realizes that Remy was meant for more. The ending completely delivers as it builds on everything we've seen.

Title Card

Bulworth Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Bulworth (1998)

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Written by: Warren Beatty (story), Warren Beatty & Jeremy Pikser (screenplay)
Directed by: Warren Beatty
Starring: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Oliver Platt, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, Isaiah Washington, Christine Baranski Joshua Malina, Sean Astin, Laurie Metcalf, Wendell Pierce, Michael Clarke Duncan
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and with his last days takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.

Verdict
For a brief moment this movie appeared to have a message. That's just a ruse. It's a movie that pretends to say something while draping itself in hip-hop culture and proving it's out of touch. Half way in I had grown rather bored as the movie chases its tail. It's stereotypical, and this doesn't even fulfill what appeared to be the goal. I thought this was going to skewer how out of touch politicians are, instead it confirms that Hollywood is also disconnected. The conclusion is muddled. At best, maybe the movie's overall message is the same as the politicians' statement. We know, we just don't care.
Skip it.

Review
Beatty stepped away from the film industry after this movie, returning once for the maligned Rules Don't Apply (2016).

Politician Jay Bulworth (Warren Beatty) seems to be in crisis as he watches his political ads over and over. He's disillusioned with hie life and political career. He's traded his ideals for pandering to corporations and the largest paycheck. He negotiates a sizable life insurance policy and then arranges his death via hit man so it won't void the policy.

Christine Baranski , Warren Beatty play Constance, Jay Bulworth

With no consequences, he's completely honest at a speaking engagement as he reveals the issues with the political machine. Politicians want to look good and love photo ops. They don't actually care about helping people as promised because it's not profitable. Companies pay so much better to oppose the very promises he makes to constituents. No one knows what to do with Bulworth's newfound candor. Journalists are shocked and his team panics.

While this is a little bit of politics, it relies heavily on racial stereotypes. There's no reason for it. This could make the same observations, but ultimately the movie's point seems to be an old, out of touch white guy mimicking hip hop culture as a joke. This doesn't have a message. It's one thing to have a politician that's completely honest, but it's another to stereotype as a springboard for a new persona.

Warren Beatty plays Jay Bulworth

Bulworth's rapping is ridiculous. It seems like this wanted to court contemporary culture. It's grandpa trying to be cool and utterly failing. I thought this movie had something to say, but after enduring Bulworth's prolonged rap about the problems of the world I'm beginning to doubt.

What is Nina's (Halle Berry) interest in Bulworth? While he hung out with her at the club, I don't believe that she'd have any romantic interest in him. I understand his side of it, and it's no surprise in the least that Bulworth no longer wants to die after meeting her.

Halle Berry, Warren Beatty play Nina, Jay Bulworth

This devolves into a rerun of Bulworth being incredibly candid, often punctuating that with a poor attempt at rapping. This seems like another misguided white man thinking he understands a culture he's only briefly encountered. That appears to be the case for Bulworth and Beatty. Bulworth ends up at Nina's house where he sees how her family lives. The movie relies fully on stereotypes. Bulworth's communication via rap undermines any messages this could have had, even if it did have something to say.

Bulworth's candor increases his popularity, bolstering a presidential run. I don't believe that would be true. People would think it's a stunt or that he's lost it. If people did vote for him, it would be a vote against the institution he's supposed to represent. The movie wears thin much quicker than the actual conclusion. My favorite part might be the credits featuring "Ghetto Supastar," that and it represents the end of this movie. The song doesn't appear anywhere during the movie's run time.

Bring Her Back Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Bring Her Back (2025)

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Written by: Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman
Directed by: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Starring: Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally Hawkins
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.

Verdict
If you like horror and can stand a few very gross and gory scenes, this is a great entry into the genre. The pacing and plot progression does a great job of drawing you in. This explains just enough to keep you intrigued without trying to over explain and grind the plot to a halt. This deals with a kidnapping, some kind of possession cult, and even trying to defy death. Children are caught in the middle of it. While we can't condone the foster mother's actions, as they're abhorrent, we can understand the why and that's important for any villain.
Watch It.

Review
With the poster of this movie, you know this thing is going to be weird.

Siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper's (Sora Wong) father passes which lands them in foster care. Their father's death is unclear, but it seems like it could have been an overdose. That leads to questions of their home life that aren't answered. They're sent to Laura (Sally Hawkins) who already has one foster child, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips).

Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong play Laura, Andy, Piper

Laura is weird, and in the horror genre we know that's a bad sign. At the kids' father's funeral, she takes a lock of his hair and forces Andy to kiss his father. He's visually uncomfortable and she persists. Then she kisses the body on the lips. Laura states she was a counselor, but I have a hard time believing it. After the funeral she parties with Andy and Piper which seems irresponsible. She had locked Oliver in his room before they left. How does she not check on him all day long? She hasn't even realized Oliver has escaped.

Laura is trying to separate Andy and Piper psychologically. She's making him think he's wetting the bed as a trauma response. She tries to stoke his grief over how his father beat him and Piper was his favorite. Andy has shielded Piper from that, never taking it out on her. Laura is using that. I wondered what Laura's goal is. This Oliver kid isn't right, and that gets gross. We know this is going to break down, it's just a matter of when and what will be revealed.

Sally Hawkins, Jonah Wren Phillips play Laura, Oliver

It's confirmed that Laura did lose her child, correction, her child died. She definitely is not lost. Laura has these videos that seem to be based in a cult. Where do you even get videos like that? She uses these videos to keep Oliver mute by casting some kind of spell on him. It's only a matter of time before she uses these chants on Andy and Piper.

The pacing of this is well done as it continues to increase tension. We're getting these new reveals as this situation becomes more fraught. Oliver continues to become more strange, but I began wondering what he actually is. Oliver begins consuming everything, even his own arm. I don't mind horror, but when it gets gross just for the sake of it, that steers me away.

Ultimately Laura's plan is to replace her daughter. Her grief has caused her to make a series of terrible choices. These cult videos provide a means of control and manipulation over people. The movie doesn't explain them, nor should it. There's no way provide a good answer. Trying would only stall the expert pacing. Even the conclusion gets it right, balancing tone, story, and expectations.

From Here to Eternity Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

From Here to Eternity (1953)

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Written by: Daniel Taradash (screen play), James Jones (based upon the novel by)
Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra
Rated: Approved [PG-13]
Watch the trailer

Plot
A wartime drama set in Hawaii just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, a principled Army private refuses to compromise his beliefs, a sergeant engages in a forbidden affair, and a group of soldiers lives and relationships are forever changed by the outbreak of war.

Verdict
Despite being an older movie, the themes remain relevant. Soldiers consider an uncertain future, and that's all the more poignant as this takes place during World War II. War isn't just imminent, it's underway. While we know about Pearl Harbor, this shows us people on that base struggling with war and relationships before the bombing. That makes the conclusion to this movie all the more powerful.
Watch It.

Review
Transferred to the Oahu, Hawaii base, Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) plays the bugle. He's asked why he requested a transfer, and he states because he was slighted. The Captain wants him on the boxing team as he's a former boxer, but Prewitt is adamant he won't fight. That leads to hazing and unjust punishment from everyone except Maggio (Frank Sinatra). Despite the intimidation tactics, he doesn't relent.

Montgomery Clift plays Private Robert Prewitt

While Prewitt is interested in a girl at the club, Lurene (Donna Reed), First Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster) starts an affair with the Captain's wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr). Part of that has to stem from Warden running the base for the inept Captain. Is it confidence or ego that he decides he'll take care of the Captain's professional and personal business? The scene of the two lying in the sand at the water's edge on the beach kissing was groundbreaking at the time, though it doesn't mean as much watching it now. It seems mundane, but it's just a sign of how times have changed.

Prewitt's punishment continues unabated. He's a rebel in a way, refusing to conform to a world of violence. While he's not refusing to fight enemies, he will not fight fellow soldiers. Part of this movie is coping with the military and war. Do you assimilate or do you do what's right? Warden's decision to pursue Karen is reckless, but it may stem from wanting to pursue a relationship while he can. Being at war in the military, tomorrow isn't promised. Prewitt refuses to be put in a position where he could injure a fellow soldier.

Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift play First Sergeant Milton Warden, Private Robert Prewitt

Lurene and Prewitt's relationship seems doomed to fail. She doesn't want to marry a military man, forced to move as required. She wants to leave Hawaii, while he plans to serve in the military until retirement.

It's easy to imagine what this would be like if made today. It's tame by today's standards, but it captures the emotions and feelings of soldiers wondering about an uncertain future. What makes this movie powerful is the conclusion. Pearl Harbor is bombed, and it's an event most of us know. This movie spends the run time making this base's inhabitants developed people with goals and problems. This concludes as their defense begins. While that seems like a great place to finish the story, this does provide a final coda for several characters.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Wed, 9 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Lee Cronin's The Mummy [The Mummy] (2026)

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Written by: Lee Cronin
Directed by: Lee Cronin
Starring: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Verónica Falcón, Hayat Kamille
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them. What should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

Verdict
It's a pretty typical demon possession tale with this demon being from ancient Egypt. That aspect adds some lore, but this frequently trades creepy or unsettling for outright gross and excessive gore. It's a cheap way to generate a reaction. It also ruins the mood, as I often wanted to look away. Blood and gore is not horror. The conclusion isn't all that interesting, pretty typical like the rest of the movie.
Skip it.

Review
Cronin is best known for Evil Dead Rise (2023), which is a series of gross outs more than a horror movie. The Mummy is only his third film.

The first scene tries to hook us by generating a lot of questions. A family returns home to a dead bird lying in a puddle of black liquid. Then there's a tomb underneath their house, and that's when this really gets wild. What is even happening?

Reporter Charlie (Jack Reynor), his wife Larissa (Laia Costa), and their two kid live in Cairo. His daughter Katie is lured away and kidnapped by the woman from the first scene. It's clear all this relates to the titular mummy, but how?

Jack Reynor plays Charlie Cannon

Eight years later, Charlie and his family live in New Mexico. Then they get the call that Katie (Natalie Grace) has been found alive, though she was in a sarcophagus and wrapped like a mummy. We know the woman from the first scene had a part in that, but what's the point? While they've found their daughter and finally have closure, seeing her like this is almost worse. She doesn't even look human. Then there is the question of why she was entombed in a sarcophagus. I don't know if the family realizes it, possibly blinded by the joy of her return, but this isn't Katie. She is more monster than human. Their judgement is clouded by the prospect of their daughter's return.

Watching the mom trim Katie's nasty, gnarled toenails is gross. Much like Evil Dead Rise, this relies on gross outs. This could explore the unsettling and creepy, but with every chance it goes for gore.

The parents lash out at each other. Charlie realizes they need help while Larissa disagrees. She's delusional. They trade barbs and blame each other about Katie's disapperance, how she was groomed for weeks or even months. Charlie finds an inscription on the strip of skin that was peeled off of Katie. He seeks an archaeologist for a translation. This demon is Nasmaranian. There's also a cop that investigated Katie's disappearance. She continues to search for answers, stumbling upon a video that explains everything. It's rather convenient.

This is demon possession with an Egyptian mummy twist. That's not a criticism. It provides quick world building. This mummy is a demon, a "family destroyer." As the demon's power increases while inhabiting Katie, she possesses others.

Jack Reynor, Natalie Grace play Charlie Cannon, Katie / Nasmaranian

What is absolutely wild is that Katie, their daughter, breaks through the upstairs floor, crawling on the ceiling. She attacks the dead body of grandma, and this is all during the wake. Charlie and Larissa's response it to bind her to her wheelchair. None of that is normal, and that response is underwhelming at the least. Why weren't the guests more alarmed? They take it as a sign that's the party is over. I'd have a much stronger reaction.

You know what I didn't want to see? This kid peeling off her skin. It's actually a binding to trap the demon inside the child's body, but that doesn't make it any less gross.

Of course there's a big face off. The demon at full power pummels this family, but it gets gory. Charlie manages to overpower the demon as a sacrifice to save his family, but how can he fight a demon that should be much more powerful? A demon can't fight off an average guy? He's aided by the cop that somehow memorized the chant to imprison the demon after watching the video a couple of times. I feel like it should take more than words to trap the demon. This conclusion is completely underwhelming. I don't think a better conclusion would have made this good, but it could have helped. A good horror movie should be unnerving, creepy. This never takes the time to create that emotion. Instead of pivots to graphic gore that turns the stomach.

Mayday Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Mayday (2026)

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Written by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Directed by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, David Morse
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Lieutenant Troy Kelly's reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive behind enemy lines while evading capture.

Verdict
It's the same Ryan Reynolds routine with a different setting. The emotional moments are undercut by sarcasm and snark. This tries to leverage the tensions of the cold war with two men at odds and from different countries forced to work together. This always feels likes it's desperately trying to land those moments. The action helps make up for the shortcomings as the plane scenes are especially great, though the fighting looks too scripted. In a movie with a less serious plot the setup would work better. With this, it seems like a mismatch.
It depends.

Review
This begins with a barrage of sequences. Troy Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) wakes up from a plane crash, then we see a flashback of a flight training exercise, and then we see Troy's sick father in the hospital. It's a quick introduction to the character that's also a shortcut to fit the first act into just a few minutes.

Troy is selected for a black ops mission, flying an SR-71 spy plane over Russia in 1987. He immediately doesn't get along with his co-pilot. It's the typical sarcasm and quips you'd expect in a Ryan Reynolds movie. The spy mission goes sideways and the plane is shot down. Troy does manage to take out an enemy plane despite his being nearly inoperable.

Ryan Reynolds plays Troy Kelly

While seriously injured, Troy is rescued by Nikolai "Nik" Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh). Nik is a huge fan of America, and it just happens that one of his favorite movies is Top Gun (1986). He provides shelter and tends to Troy's wounds. Despite the hospitality, Troy is in no mood to stay. He attempts an escape, and as he states Nik is surprisingly spry in the ensuing fight. Troy still gets away, but Nik catches up to him. There's more to this guy than being a big fan of America. It's revealed he's former KGB.

Troy needs to get to the American embassy or out of Russia. Either option poses a problem. Neither are close and the Russians are tracking him. Troy hopes to reach the embassy with Nik's help, offering him amnesty in return.

Kenneth Branagh, Ryan Reynolds play Nikolai "Nik" Ustinov, Troy Kelly

This is misadventures in Russia with the typical deadpan commentary from Reynolds. It's an uneasy alliance, accentuated by setting this during the cold war. Troy has to trust Nik as there isn't another choice. Their adventure even involves Nik blowing up an apartment and later stealing a missile transport truck. It helps that Nik is quite adept at evasion. The U.S. can't send a rescue team due to the black ops mission, so Troy must get to the embassy. While he promised Nik asylum, he doesn't have the authority and the U.S. isn't willing to grant that to Nik. The trust is broken when Troy doesn't reveal that to Nik despite risking his life to protect Troy.

Either way, they're both on the run from Russians. Nik continues to help Troy, and that eventually leads to another flight out of Russia. The pair really do encounter planes, a train, and an automobile. The action is a lot of fun, and the plane scenes are the best part as they're the most intense. Overall, this is just another Ryan Reynolds movie as he's plays his typical, overly talkative character. I'd think the life or death situation would make him more focused. His character's tone just doesn't match the movie. With Reynolds typically playing a variation of the same character in every movie, that makes this plot derivative. Maybe the solution was to make this more over the top. It feels strange with a wise cracking pilot thrust into this life or death situation amid political turmoil. This isn't the typical war movie, but Troy still feels out of place.

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

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Written by: Scott Rosenberg
Directed by: Gary Fleder
Starring: Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, William Forsythe, Treat Williams, Steve Buscemi, Fairuza Balk, Glenn Plummer
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Jimmy and his four accomplices face imminent death after botching a job, angering the local crime boss.

Verdict
It's gangster movie that turns solemn when a job goes bad and the crew is marked for death. It's a ragtag group, and the question becomes, how do you face that. Do you run, hide, or embrace it by going out on your own terms? What do you do when you know you're going to die? That adds a lot of depth to this. It's rare for the protagonist to accept their fate. There’s no big standoff or plot device that swoops in at the end. The end is coming, and it’s inescapable.
It depends.

Review
Former gangster Jimmy Tosnia (Andy Garcia) is called back into action by his former boss (Christopher Walken). Jimmy tried to run a legitimate business with people recording videos for their loved ones after they die. Unfortunately, the company is struggling and Jimmy's boss buys all the debt to force Jimmy into a deal.

Fairuza Balk, Andy Garcia play Lucinda, Jimmy

The boss's son attacked a young girl, and the boss believes that his son's desires can be tempered if he's reunited with his ex-girlfriend. The specifics don't matter as Jimmy doesn't have a choice. You can't say no to the boss. Jimmy calls upon his old friends to help him out. To reunite this couple. they need to get rid of the girlfriend's current boyfriend. The job is spectacularly unsuccessful. In turn the boss plans to take out everyone involved to eliminate any loose ends.

This could be a cult film with a boost or two. This doesn't squeeze enough action nor fun out of anything. Mr. Shh (Steve Buscemi) is the assassin tasked with cleaning everything up. That could be more of a character as Buscemi doesn't look like a hit man, but the movie doesn't do enough with him.

The movie is a a rumination on death and what you do when you realize the end is near. Members of the crew run, hide, or accept it. Jimmy pleads with the boss not to kill them to no effect. Unfortunately, the inevitable will not be delayed. It's ironic or darkly comical that Jimmy's business is recording peoples memories to share after death. The movie is punctuated with these clips of people imparting their last thoughts and wisdom.

Treat Williams, Bill Nunn, William Forsythe, Christopher Lloyd play
Critical Bill, Easy Wind, Big Bear Franchise, Pieces

Jimmy helps his friend Lucinda (Fairuza Balk), first by beating up a guy that attacked her. That seems more for him than her, his frustrations at his fate boiling over in the form of rage. He helps her again, this a much more personal favor. He also leaves his girlfriend and exacts his revenge on the boss before he calmly accepts his fate.

It's rare for a gangster movie where the protagonist doesn't fight back. Protagonists rarely die like this and that makes the movie unique. It just doesn't do enough with the characters. Even Mr. Shhh could be more interesting. There's not much of a chase, even for characters that would warrant such a thing.

In the Hand of Dante Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Mon, 7 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

In the Hand of Dante (2025)

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Written by: Louise Kugelberg, Julian Schnabel (screenplay), Nick Tosches (based on the novel by)
Directed by: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Louis Cancelmi, Sabrina Impacciatore, Benjamin Clementine, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Jason Momoa
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A handwritten manuscript of Dante Alighieri's poem "The Divine Comedy" makes its way from a priest to a mob boss in New York City, where it is taken by Nick Tosches after he's asked to verify its authenticity.

Verdict
Some movies are fun, and others are In the Hand of Dante. From nearly the beginning this feels like a movie that could have been much better with a different director and editor. Scenes are never as exciting nor as interesting as they should be. Some movies can be re-edited to improve the story and pacing, but this stumbles on a fundamental level. With the excessive run time, it only cements the artistic choices as indulgent. This movie should be better than it is, alas. I do think I might appreciate this more if I had a thorough understanding of "The Divine Comedy," but this movie, despite it's intention, doesn't encourage me to do any homework.
Skip it.

Review
Dante Alighieri wrote "The Divine Comedy" in 1321. The epic poem depicts the soul's journey to God through the afterlife, including Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. This movie depicts both Dante (Oscar Isaac) in the 1300s and author/journalist Nick Tosches (Oscar Isaac) in the present. By using the same actors and overlapping the stories, this seems like an attempt to make a connection.

I started wondering about the pacing during the title card sequence which reveals each letter one at a time. It takes thirty seconds, which is longer than you might think. Nick is a fan of "The Divine Comedy." He talks about wanting to rewrite it for a modern audience.

Oscar Isaac plays Nick Tosches

It's a meandering film that doesn't provide context for the characters introduced. We don't know who Louie (Gerard Butler) is or why he matters. Eventually we learn he's muscle for gangster Joe Black (John Malkovich). Joe thinks he's found a legitimate copy of "The Divine Comedy." Nick is tasked with authenticating the document. One he claims is priceless.

This wants to be an artistic movie. Twenty minutes in it's straining towards that goal with no results. Is there a statement in having Butler play both the assassin Louie and the Pope? It doesn't seem like it. So many stars in this pushes it to the verge of stunt casting. There's a flatness to the script. Louie kills the priests that hold the copy of the manuscript. It begins so suddenly and is over before we know it that we don't feel anything about what's happened. Even Nick just follows along despite being completely unaware that was going to occur.

Gerard Butler plays Louie

We see characters doing stuff, but it's not grounded in a situation where we can speculate on their thoughts and feelings, rendering it hollow. There's no way to connect to this. The flashbacks to Dante don't add much. I expected the movie to draw a distinct parallel with Nick trying to rewrite it as we see Dante's inspiration. That's not what this movie is. It definitely could be shorter, but it does include a surprise. The movie needed something, thought I don't know if that's exactly it.

Nick tries to get the manuscript authenticated without revealing exactly what he has. He has a vested interest as he's studied Dante, almost obsessively. If he gets it authenticated, what then? It doesn't seem it's about the money. I wondered if he just wanted to be credited with what he would consider the greatest literary discovery, of finding the impossible. By all accounts this document didn't exist. Will he reveal it to the world or keep it for himself as the ultimate prize? It's also a direct connection between him and Dante. The movie doesn't expand on this, but "The Divine Comedy" talks about love and obsession, how those feelings become distorted and begin ruling people.

Joe Black wanted the document purely for the profit. Rosario (Jason Momoa) appears, though it's unclear how. He exists mostly for the plot. He's another opportunist that wants to profit off the book.

Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot play Dante Alighieri, Gemma Donati

This is a movie that could be better with a different director or editor. Since I haven't read the book, I don't know how authentic the adaptation is, but I can imagine what the Coen brothers or Fincher might have done with the script.

The ending implies some kind of reincarnation with the interaction between Nick and his girlfriend Giulietta (Gal Gadot). They seem to be a modern Dante and Gemma. It's also the most, or even the only, prominent connection between the two stories. In the end Nick sold a few pages, but he's abandoned his obsession over "The Divine Comedy" to live a life with Giulietta. The importance of this ties back to the book itself and how obsessions imprison people. The failing of this movie is that it expects you to have a basic understanding of the book at the center of the plot. That or it expects you to put in some homework. I expect if my understanding was even deeper, I might like this more.

Title Card

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

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Written by: Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt (screenplay by), Suzanne Collins (based upon the novel "Catching Fire" by)
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Alan Ritchson
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

Verdict
This hits a lot of the same notes as the first movie while also relying on that movie's foundation and trying to truncate an even larger story. Unfortunately it doesn't have the same emotional moments. It's clear this compacted the book's story as there are a lot of plot threads that don't conclude. This movie is more a teaser for the next more than anything else as the games end prematurely, lacking the intensity of the first movie. We're introduced to political turmoil, but that's not much more than a generic fascist regime desperate to hold on to power faced with a new threat.
It depends.

Review
This picks up soon after the first movie with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) on a victory press tour playing the part of a couple. Katniss must pretend to love Peeta while it's clear he really does love her. The ruling party in the Capital considers her a problem as her actions in the first movie sparked rebellion across the country. They also don't like her stunt in the first games where she threatened to poison herself, leaving the games without a winner. The Capital capitulated to her demands, and that irritates them that anyone was able to influence them.

Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence play Peeta, Katniss

Back in Katniss's home, District 12, a new peace keeper rolls in just to upset the locals and exert the Capital's authoritative rule. He threatens to kill Katniss and her mentor Haymitch (Wood Harrelson) when they intervene as he's beating a citizen, but he's forced to relent as you can't kill the Hunger Games victor without stoking a rebellion.

While the first movie hinted at the political undertones, this movie explores Capital President Snow's (Donald Sutherland) tenuous rule across the land. We see him maneuver to bend perception to his will, but he's terrified of the rebellious streak Katniss has created. He realizes how dangerous that is while fully aware that any false move to diminish her presence could have the opposite effect and cause a complete rejection of his regime. His scheme manifests with the next games comprised of former victors which ensures Katniss will have to play against much fiercer competition.

Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright, Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence play
Finnick, Beetee, Peeta, Katniss

The first glimpse of the competition is intimidating. These people are fierce. Katniss and Peeta get a week to train and earn sponsors, just like the first games. Haymitch encourages her to find allies. That's part of what helped her survive previously. I understand why this expands to include the political dynamics of this world, but this movie doesn't start the games until ninety minutes in.

This relies too heavily on seeing the first movie, both to set up the story and to satisfy the action. The games are cut short in this sequel, and it's nowhere near as effective. This never has the same danger nor tension, lacking the emotional moments of the first movie. I was supremely confident Katniss would survive. Also, Katniss and Peeta's fake relationship turns into a real romance. I get the games would illicit strong emotions, but it's a bit convenient and is an easy way to generate stakes. It's clear this movie is trying to fit a lot of story into the runtime. There's not enough space for it all, and truncating it doesn't work. This doesn't have a conclusion. It ends prematurely, teasing what comes next.

Title Card

The Sheep Detectives Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

The Sheep Detectives (2026)

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Written by: Craig Mazin (screenplay by, screen story by), Leonie Swann (based on the novel 'Three Bags Full' by)
Directed by: Kyle Balda
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Brett Goldstein, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Chris O'Dowd, Rhys Darby, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Conleth Hill, Nicholas Bruan, Molly Gordon
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
Every night a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found mysteriously dead, the sheep conclude they will have to solve the case themselves.

Verdict
It's a sweet tale that's part mystery mixed with a children's tale about sheep. While sheep try to solve a mystery, they also confront death, grief, and how to deal with it. I didn't expect such a poignant and emotional take, and on top of that this provides a solid mystery that's surprisingly coherent.
Watch It.

Review
George (Hugh Jackman) loves being a shepherd, opening the movie by stating how much he likes his sheep, taking care of them, and in turn his life. He even reads his sheep mystery books every evening. What he doesn't realize is that the sheep understand completely and can even talk among themselves.

Hugh Jackman plays George Hardy

I don't know how the sheep communicate without being audible, and they even talk with each other when a human is nearby. It's something that cant' be adequately explained, so it isn't.

The sheep are able to force themselves to forget upsetting or painful memories. They also believe sheep and people don't die but turn into clouds. That belief is challenged when they find as unresponsive George lying on the ground outside of his trailer. Faced with the uncomfortable truth, many attempt to will themselves to forget George so they don't have to face the pain. Lily decides not to forget, concluding it's murder and deciding to use what she's learned from mystery books George has read them to solve the crime. She's joined by Mopple and Sebastian.

Brett Goldstein, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tommy Birchall, Regina Hall voice
Reggie & Ronnie, Lily, Winter Lamb, Cloud

Reporter Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine) on assignment in the town to cover a meager festival also thinks George was murdered. While the local, inept policeman Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) tries to write it off as a heart attack, Elliot pushes him to investigate. The humans and police investigate in parallel. George had company that night. If he had a heart attack why would he go outside? Most mysterious, one hand is died blue and the other green. Blue makes sense as George invented a medicine for the sheep that turns his hands blue. The green is baffling.

George had two twin children, and it turns out he was incredibly rich despite being a shepherd. Daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon) recently arrived in town and the inheritance provides her motive. While the sheep find an important clue, they have to lead Tim to find it as he's out of his depth.

With Rebecca looking like the culprit, I guessed so early in the movie it had to be misdirection. Lily also has second thoughts. She teams up with others from the flock to find the truth. In turn they use various means to relay that information to Tim.

Molly Gordon plays, Julia Louis-Dreyfus voices Rebecca, Lily

With a lot of help from the sheep, Tim manages to 'solve' the murder just before Rebecca is taken away. This does a great job of providing all the pieces to solve the mystery. Often times movie resort to making it an impossible puzzle. This mystery is comparatively straightforward.

This is darker than I expected. Not only was Sebastian a circus ram forced to fight and later saved by George, this confront death and grief. The sheep will themselves to forget any difficult memories. While that helps them remain happy, as Lily points out forgetting George would mean losing out on many good memories in trying to erase grief. That's a message with a lot of depth, and the movie has a lot of heart.

Strange Days Movie Review

ward@fridaysonthefly.com (Ward) — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Strange Days (1995)

Buy Strange Days on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: James Cameron (story), James Cameron and Jay Cocks (screenplay)
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott, Vincent D'Onofrio, Glenn Plummer, William Fichtner, Nicky Katt
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
During the last days of 1999 in a gritty, futuristic Los Angeles, an ex-cop turned street hustler finds himself thrown into a conspiracy of murder and blackmail.

Verdict
It's a bit of a pulpy mystery with a black market hustler finding himself embroiled in the middle of all kinds of crimes. Initially he's asking why, but soon enough he's trying to escape. While the story isn't bad, it's the setting that makes this movie. It's a dirty, sleazy future Los Angeles that skews cyberpunk with a low class high technology world. I love that genre, and it's a fun setting we don't see often. It's a movie where I like what it wants to do more than what's actually accomplishes.
It depends.

Review
The story focuses on first person 'virtual' recordings. The opening scene depicts a robbery from that perspective, and it turns out Lenny (Ralph Fiennes) is buying the video. He's a hustler on the black market selling these banned videos. This is the future in 1999, and Los Angeles is a war zone with civil unrest and militarized police. Lenny is a former cop that sells his wares in the seedier joints of Los Angeles. Everything is dark, dirty, and covered in graffiti. Everyone seems depraved to some degree, but part of that is this is the world in which Lenny resides.

Ralph Fiennes plays Lenny Nero

He's still hung up on his ex, Faith (Juliette Lewis), and the videos he peddles allows him to relive their moments together. These videos also make him a target of one of Faith's friends Iris. She's in trouble, and trying to locate Lenny for help. She's too late, and someone gives Lenny a disc of Iris's murder. He's left another video, likely from the same person that killed Iris. It's clear they're trying to scare Lenny away from looking into this situation.

Lenny wants to find out what's going on, more for the movie's plot than anything else. I suppose being a former cop he has a sense of justice. We saw a pair of cops chasing Iris previously, and it's certainly plausible they killed her. Now they're after Lenny and the disc Iris managed to get to him. Is this just dirty cops trying to cover up their misdeeds? What did they do?

Juliette Lewis, Michael Wincott play Faith Justin, Philo Gant

When Lenny finally sees what was on the disc, he realizes how big it is. It's the reason the cops want that disc, but there's also another entity that wants to erase the video less they're exposed. This is a murder mystery that's made unique bet the setting and futuristic society. The answers get complicated, but it boils down to one death kicked off the events of a cover up. Lenny is chosen as the fall guy. He's just the wrong person in the wrong place. Since he's part of this depraved world, the people behind this decided it would be easy to pin everything on him.

The world building helps this stand out despite the middling mystery. Violence rarely feels this depraved as characters are forced to watch and interact with the crimes via these videos. Their strong reactions in turn make what we've witnessed worse despite this not being very graphic. Characters rarely have such strong reactions as they're usually at the center of events. Here they're detached, horrified at what's being witnessed.