Today on "Words On Film", Dan Burke reviews "Red One", "A Real Pain", and "Hot Frosty". Mr. Burke also runs down the movies subject to being released into theaters for the weeks of November 18th - 22nd and November 25th - 29th, 2024.
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(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to Words on Film, the spoken word show dedicated to moving pictures. I'm Dan Burke, your host and movie critic and you're listening to Words on Film on WBCALP Boston. I will be reviewing some of the newest movies out right now. - So I got some good news and I got some bad news. The good news is that for this show, I'm reviewing three new movies that came out for the week of November 11th through 15th, 2024. Some of them came out at least here in Nashville on November 15th itself. Others, not quite the same date, but I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself. But now for the bad news. The bad news is that I will not be doing my show for the next two weekends. I usually record the show on a Saturday and for the next two Saturdays, I will not only not be doing my show, I'll also be out of town. So I love doing my show, but also I gotta spend some time with some loved ones during the holidays and there are more holidays coming up after Thanksgiving, of course, which I will be out of town for and for which I will not be doing my show. But I love doing my show, so it's kind of bad news for me. If you don't like me, it may not be bad news for you, but at the same time, if you don't like me or my show, you probably wouldn't be listening to it either. So I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself right now. But three movies, I'm gonna start with the biggest one or the one that's probably going to be the most talked about and/or make the most money this weekend. The first movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Red One. This is a holiday comedy that also doubles as a satire and an action adventure that is directed by Jake Kasdan. And Jake Kasdan, for those of you who are not familiar with his work, has been directing movies and TV shows since 1998. He directed five episodes of "Freeks and Geeks" and amongst the movies that he's directed include "Orange County" from 2002, "Walk Hard the Dewey Cox Story" from 2007, and the two most recent "Jumanji" movies, "Jumanji" welcome to the jungle from 2017 and "Jumanji" the next level from 2019. And "Red One" is the first film that Jake Kasdan has directed since "Jumanji" the next level. And the style of this film has a lot in common with those later "Jumanji" films that didn't have Robin Williams in them, but did have "Dwayne Johnson." And one of the biggest things that "Red One" has in common with the "Jumanji" films is that it stars "Dwayne Johnson." And "Dwayne Johnson" plays the North Pole's head of security, who is assigned to protect Santa Claus, whose code name is "Red One." And Santa Claus in this film, who is never referred to as Santa Claus, by the way, or at least not to his face, is played by J.K. Simmons, who is a really good choice actually to play Santa Claus. He may not be jolly or, I mean, I guess he's as jolly as you would expect from J.K. Simmons, especially after seeing him in movies like "Whiplash" and TV shows like Oz, I guess he's a little jollyer than that. But he's not exactly round and he doesn't have a belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly. For a guy his age, this "Red One" is quite jacked. And the movie makes a very valid argument that you would have to be if your job is going around the world and delivering presents to all the Christian children who celebrate Christmas in one night. So that's probably one of the better parts of this movie "Red One," where it actually explains to kids today who might be kind of jaded how Santa Claus could possibly go around the world delivering presents, especially when not a lot of people have chimneys anymore and a lot of people live in condos and apartments nowadays. And it makes a very valid argument, not only that, but it also combines some technology with magic to make "Red One" actually a very fun ride. But this movie does take a plot point that is very similar to a lot of Christmas stories and Christmas specials in the sense that in this film "Red One," also known as Santa Claus, gets kidnapped. Unfortunately, that's probably where the movie deviates a little bit from originality. But I think it makes up for that originality by having Dwayne Johnson be the head of security and take his role very seriously. And also take it credibly seriously. And there's also some other characters who work for an organization that's known as ELF, which is enforcement logistics and fortification, including the director, whose name is Zoe Harlow, and she's played by Lucy Liu. And Lucy Liu is one of those actresses who's not known for being charismatic exactly. As a matter of fact, I've always said that Lucy Liu has ice water running through ravades, which probably serves her very well in this film. But I'm actually kind of glad that Lucy Liu wasn't the antagonist in this film. Instead, the antagonist is a witch by the name of Grilla, played by Kiernan Shipka, who actually kidnaps St. Nick on Christmas Eve. And it is up to Dwayne Johnson's character, Callum Drift, to get Santa Claus back to the North Pole and ultimately save Christmas. And he enlist the help of a white hacker by the name of Jack O'Malley, who's played by Chris Evans to track down St. Nick and rescue him from being kidnapped. In the meantime, the witch, Grilla, has some tricks of her own to ruin Christmas. So it does have that well-worn Christmas story to its name, but it makes up for that by having some great action sequences and also having Dwayne Johnson and Lucy Liu in particular take their job very seriously, while also not lacking in a certain amount of charisma that they would have to have for this role. But I'm actually very surprised, pleasantly, from watching this film, how Dwayne Johnson and Lucy Liu in particular can just say that this could be in the end of Christmas and not have it come off as cheesy. As a matter of fact, there are some parts in this movie that are played straight, although Chris Evans is probably the more comic relief one because he's the more jaded person who lives in the real world and hasn't believed in Santa Claus since he was a kid. And he plays his role very well. I'm sure there could have been some other actors who could have played Jack O'Malley probably more funny, but Chris Evans does a pretty good job here. And there's also a subplot with him reconnecting with his estranged son, with whom he has a relatively rough relationship, but he's at least decent enough to come by and actually pick him up from school when he promises to do so. But it's one of those movies where you know that Jack O'Malley's character doesn't believe in the spirit of Christmas and eventually from connecting with Dwayne Johnson's character, Callum Drift, and trying to track down Santa Claus as well as getting some help from some other potential antagonists, like Santa Claus's brother Krampus, who's played in this movie by Christopher Hiviju. And there are some fun sequences in addition to some that make the most of this big budget without seeming overly bloated. So I came into Red One preparing to be disappointed because just because a movie is a big budget one with good intentions that has a stacked cast doesn't automatically make it a good film. As a matter of fact, there are some Christmas films that have come out that have combined holiday comedy in addition to action and adventure that have surprised me very much pleasantly, I might add, like Violent Night, for instance, where Dave Harbor plays Santa Claus and also plays him in kind of a way where he is John McLean in diehard. It's a promise that sounds incredibly stupid on paper, but Violent Night made that premise actually work. Not only was it funny, but it was also very thrilling. On the same token, there was a movie that came out last year directed by John Wu that was called Silent Night, which was a straight-no-chaser action-adventure film that wasn't funny and also was jam-packed with action, and that movie completely sucked. In fact, it made my list of the worst films of 2023 earlier this year. But Red One is indeed a very pleasant surprise. It is very well-cast. And even some of the actors here who I didn't think might have been well-cast, like for example, Lucy Liu and also Chris Evans worked really well here. Also, Dwayne Johnson plays it straight here, and he doesn't exactly come off as somebody who is full of holiday cheer. But he also takes holiday cheer very seriously, which I could most certainly appreciate. And J.K. Simmons made a very credible Santa Claus that wasn't scary like he was in Whiplash, for example. But he has the physical capacity to also pull off being a believable Santa Claus to kids who grew up looking at their iPhones. But Red One is certainly a very pleasant surprise. It knows when to be funny. It also knows when to be taken seriously. And it is a film that I most thoroughly enjoyed. And Red One gets my rating of a knockout. There are some great action sequences, as I would have expected from the director of the last two Jumanji films. But there were also some other parts in this film that made me laugh. And there were both lampunish parts that made me laugh, as well as some deadpan parts that made me laugh as well. But Red One is certainly a really good holiday treat for this holiday season, upon which we are embarking. And it's a film that I could probably see again, most certainly on Blu-ray or 4K when it eventually comes out. But I also might see it again in theaters. Who knows? Maybe some of my cousins would want to see this during Thanksgiving, and I would be more than happy to take them. [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word show dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is A Real Pain. This is a film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, specifically on January 20th, 2024, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 1st, 2024. Here in Nashville, where I live and I view movies, it was released to my favorite Nashville movie theater, the Belcourt Theater, on November 15th. And all the better for it because it is an excellent film about mismatched cousins who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couples' old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. And this film not only stars Jesse Eisenberg alongside Kieran Culkin, but this movie was also written by and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, and this is his second film that he directed after you're done saving the world, which starred Julianne Moore and Vin Wolfhard. And in that film, Jesse Eisenberg just sat solely in the director's chair and did not appear in the film in a major role. Here he is front and center, although it could be argued that Kieran Culkin might be the lead actor in this film, but Jesse Eisenberg's character is the one to whom you're introduced first. And Jesse Eisenberg plays the role of David Kaplan, who is obviously an introvert, but he's doing pretty well for himself. He lives in New York City, he has a wife and a daughter, and he works in online sales by way of the advertisements that come up on websites that you visit for free. And Kieran Culkin plays Benji Kaplan, who is not too far removed from David Kaplan in terms of age. In fact, they say they're only a couple of weeks apart, but as this movie shows, they could not be further apart when it comes to personalities. And Kieran Culkin's character, Benji, is a lot more outgoing, a lot more extroverted, but unlike his cousin David, he's not doing particularly well in terms of his life and his career. In fact, it's presumed that Benji Kaplan is between jobs, but their grandmother died recently, the same grandmother on their same side of the family, and the two of them were close to their grandmother in different ways. And the two of them go on this guided tour where they are going through Poland, and they're not just going through Poland as a sightseeing tour, they're also going on an educational tour where they're both learning about some of Poland's checkered past, in addition to the fact that their grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. And of course, she immigrated to the United States, had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and lived a very prolific and noteworthy life. And they're going along in this tour along with some other people, including a retired married couple named Mark and Diane, who were played by Daniel Oreskis and Lisa Sadovie respectively. My apologies for screwing up that name. A Rwandan refugee by the name of Elojay, who's played by Kurt Egeowan, and also a recent divorcee by the name of Marcia, who's played by Jennifer Gray, the same Jennifer Gray, who was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Dirty Dancing. Although, you wouldn't recognize her from those movies because Jennifer Gray had a nose job, which she needed, but at the same time, the consequence of her having that nose job is, she's not as recognizable as she was in the 80s, but still, she's a good supporting actress in this film. And also, there are scenes in this film where the group goes on a guided tour, which is guided by a young British man who is studying the Holocaust, particularly in Poland, by the name of James, who's played by Will Sharpe, and they go to a lot of areas that are great sightseeing tours, but then they go to other ones that may not be on the high list of places to bring your family, but they're still noteworthy for being educational and also learning about your heritage, as Benji and David Kaplan ultimately do. But they also have their differences to work out as well. Growing up, they were best friends in terms of being cousins, but as time went on, they grew further and further apart, and this is a plot thread to which I can absolutely relate, especially since the holiday season is coming up, and I'm going to be seeing some cousins, some of whom I'm close to in age, and I was very close to them when I was kids, but as we grew up and went our separate ways, we also grew apart. Granted, we didn't have any falling outs, which is great, but at the same time, they've become people that I used to know, and it's kind of sad when that happens, but at the same time, life goes on and people grow and they change, and that's precisely what this movie deals with as well. One of the most powerful parts of this movie, emotionally, there are certainly some very funny moments, and Kieran Kalkin probably turns in his best performance here as Benji Kaplan, because you know he's very charismatic, you know he has a lot of talent, but he also has parts of his life that he can't quite get together, and some of them you can see for yourself and extrapolate, but there are other parts that Jesse Eisenberg's character, David, actually reveals during some very tense moments. For example, there's one particular choice that Benji Kaplan made a little while before this movie starts that could have had disastrous consequences for himself and his extended family. I'm not going to tell you exactly what it was that Benji did, but once it's revealed in this film, it does explain a lot about Benji's mood swings and also his view of the world, but at the same time, he has that personality to which people, particularly those who are on the tour of Poland, are particularly drawn, and I could probably relate a little bit more personality-wise to Jesse Eisenberg's character than Kieran Kalkin's character, but rest assured, Kieran Kalkin's character is probably the one, if I were in this movie and going on this tour, he would be the one to whom I would probably gravitate the most, and I probably wouldn't be the only one who says that, but kudos to Jesse Eisenberg for playing someone who's weaknesses are particularly evident, but also his strengths are those to which people are not necessarily drawn. He does create very intriguing and real characters here, and I absolutely credit him for doing that, and he also, Jesse Eisenberg, in terms of his acting, certainly knows his strengths and weaknesses, and Jesse Eisenberg is one of those actors who, even if he's in a bad film because he's in it, kind of like Anna Kendrick, it can't be a terrible film with him in it. As a matter of fact, he played Lex Luthor in the Batman v Superman movie, which was a very flawed film, and a lot of people had problems with Jesse Eisenberg's sort of Mark Zuckerberg take on Lex Luthor. I didn't actually have a problem with that, and if Jesse Eisenberg had appeared in more DCEU films as Lex Luthor, and I think he only appeared in one or two more after Batman v Superman, I think that Lex Luthor could have been a more complex character to which people were ultimately drawn, but to other people it was a failed experiment. But a real pain doesn't have the kind of credibility or fanbase that the DCEU films have. It is a film that feels very real, there are some screamingly funny moments in it, largely thanks to Kieran Culkin and the role that he plays in this film, but there are also some parts that are gut bustingly or rather heart wrenchingly dramatic, particularly the scene where the tour visits a concentration camp in Poland. And very much like other films that show a concentration camp without actually showing a working concentration camp, there's a lot that is seen, but you can definitely extrapolate what is beneath the surface, and what's beneath the surface of seeing a concentration camp in present day is harrowing. Very much like the film The Zone of Interest, a lot of the horrifying parts take place off screen, and there are some scenes that actually take place in a concentration camp present day where it's more of, I guess a tourist attraction, although a tourist attraction makes it sound a lot less heavy than it ultimately is, but it is most certainly a place where tourists go to learn about their past, and this movie definitely shows no exception to that. But a real pain is a title that can be extrapolated in a lot of ways because these two are going on a tour that's not for pleasure, but it is for education, but there is some real pain that goes with learning about their past. At the same time, Karen Culkin's character feels like a real pain as well, in a way that people can be extroverted to a fault. And there are other real pains in this movie as well, so a real pain can be interpreted and extrapolated in a lot of other kinds of ways, but a real pain is a film that is probably one of the best of the year, and a real pain is a film to which I give my rating of a knockout. Jesse Eisenberg and Karen Culkin act so well in this film. Karen Culkin in particular has had a lot of great roles in his adulthood, both in films most especially, but also on TV and shows like Succession. And I haven't seen an episode of Succession, but I've heard great things. And Jesse Eisenberg also is great in this role in the role he usually plays as somebody who is an introvert, as to be expected, and I believe you've seen the Squid and the Whale, Roger Dodger, and the Social Network. And that's just naming a few great films in which Jesse Eisenberg has acted, but Jesse Eisenberg as an actor knows his strengths and weaknesses, and he plays them very well in a role that he wrote for himself. And I could certainly see Karen Culkin being nominated for Best Actor, and Jesse Eisenberg being nominated for Best Supporting Actor, maybe vice versa, maybe they both could be nominated for Best Actor, I don't exactly know. But I do know that a real pain is a movie that you should not miss. [MUSIC] Welcome back to Words On Film, the spoken word show dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Hot Frosty. And this is a Netflix original film that premiered on the platform on November 13, 2024, a Wednesday. And as of the date that I'm recording the show, this is the number one most streamed movie on Netflix. And chances are it will probably be the most streamed movie for about another month. And I think this is one of those films that a lot of people, especially women, are going to want to watch again and again, and probably will. And I say that because about six years ago, Netflix had a film that came out that was called The Christmas Prince. That was also a Netflix original, and it was also a Christmas themed romantic comedy. And at first I ignored it because I knew that it was going to be a movie that was going to be like a lifetime Christmas movie or one made by Hallmark or one of those films that's very formulaic, that's very predictable. And I saw it and I was absolutely right. The reason I saw it for my show though back about six years ago was because somebody at Netflix tweeted that there had been customers who had watched A Christmas Prince 13 times. And they asked, "Who hurt you?" And of course, that tweet caused a lot of controversy before Elon Musk bought Twitter, made it X and made Twitter even more controversial. I thought it was hilarious, but I also thought, "I have to see this film." And I saw it, and it was predictable, and I gave it my rating of a strikeout. I think I had that rating system back then, but I also knew that it wasn't a film that was made for me. The same can be said for the movie Hot Frosty. As a matter of fact, the name of the movie Hot Frosty sounds like something you'd buy at Dunkin' Donuts. Make your holiday bright by buying a Hot Frosty right here at Dunkin' Donuts. Kind of one of those things, but Hot Frosty is a fantasy romantic comedy that takes place around Christmas time where there is a widow by the name of Kathy who's played by Hallmark Christmas film Veteran Lacey Shabair who magically brings a snowman to life. And the way she does is, as you might expect, but his innocence helps her heal and find love again. They bond before the holidays, but he's doomed to melt. And that is not me exactly spoiling the movie. You kinda know that's the way the movie is going to go. And you're introduced to the character of Kathy as she is struggling to keep her house in order. There's a leak in the roof, the heating hasn't been fixed yet, and she also works at a diner. Although it's implied that she also co-owns the diner, but either way she's struggling. And one night, some neighbor gives her a scarf, which she doesn't need. So she goes to the town square and sees the various snowmen that are on display in the town square. And there are some snowmen that look like as you predict that somebody takes a snowball and keeps rolling it until it looks like Frosty the Snowman. But there was one particularly ambitious snow sculptor who made their snowman look like Michelangelo's David sculpture. And by sculpture, I mean the snow actually looks pretty sculpt. So, Kathy doesn't exactly make a wish to bring the snowman to life, but he comes to life anyway as Dustin Milligan, who ultimately adopts the name Jack and is also very childlike in his way of thinking. He remembers that Kathy kind of brought him to life accidentally, and he's got a front grasp on the English language, but he doesn't exactly know how the world works. So, it's one of those kind of fish-out-of-water comedies as well. In addition to the fact that there are some bigger actors in this film than you would see in a Hallmark film. Now, I do speak of Hallmark Christmas films pejoratively, but I do respect that Hallmark, in terms of its channel and also its brand, certainly knows how to market to people. They do make the same film over and over again with different actors here and there, but the people who normally star in the film, like, for example, Lacey Schabere, as I mentioned, in addition to other actresses like Jody Sweetin or Holly Robinson-Pete, they may not be A-listers, but they're millionaires from being in this film, or being in these kinds of films. So, I could probably rip them a new one for being in the same kind of film over and over again, but I also acknowledge that they're also laughing on their way to the back. But Netflix, I think, has a bit more to lose in terms of making these kinds of films. They're also trying to get the audience away from Hallmark, and they do that in this film by having a noticeably bigger budget, as well as some moderately better known actors who are in this film, including but not limited to Craig Robinson, Joe Lutrulio, Katie Mixon Greer, and Lauren Holly, amongst other people. Again, not A-listers, but bigger names than you would expect in supporting roles in Hallmark films, but Hallmark makes millions, if not billions, from these movies, so they know what works for them. So, the movie "Hot Frosty" is not exactly funny, although I did find myself chuckling a few times, but it does have some predictable plot lines. For example, Craig Robinson plays the overzealous sheriff of this small town that most certainly looks like one of those idyllic small towns that you would see in a Christmas display set, and he takes his role as a sheriff almost as seriously, maybe even more seriously than David Caruso did in CSI Miami. And also, Craig Robinson is obviously emulating David Caruso's very well-worn trick of saying something prolific and putting sunglasses on while he does so. And Craig Robinson plays this part very hamfistedly, as you might expect, but to a particular comic effect. And Dustin Milligan, I guess, is okay as this snowman, but of course you can inevitably compare this role to Will Ferrell playing Buddy the Elf in the movie Elf, and this movie was probably undoubtedly inspired by Elf, as well as other films about fish out of water, and sometimes the Elf formula works for other films as well. For example, I think Barbie borrowed heavily in terms of its plot from Elf, but nobody had a problem with that film. I might have had a little bit of a problem, but I did give it a check out, and I did appreciate it for its charm. And Hot Frosty is a film I also kind of appreciate for its charm, although they could have gone edgier with this film. They could have gone a bit more R-rated, especially since when Dustin Milligan's character Jack comes to life, he's completely naked. They could have gone an R-rated way, or a TVMA way with this film, but they did keep it clean and they kept it TVPG, although this film might inspire some otherwise NC-17 rated fan fiction, but largely this film is very predictable. I do think that Lacey Schabaire is a better leading actress than a lot of people give her credit for being, and it is kind of mind-boggling to me how she's in films like Lindsay Lohan is right now, but not the same kind of films that Rachel McAdams or Amanda Seifred, her other co-stars in the movie Mean Girls have been. But she does know what works for her, and she is believable in this film, and this movie does take some predictable roots, but I did enjoy it for what it was, and I know that a lot of lonely women this holiday season will most certainly enjoy it a lot more than I will. So I do give Hot Frosty my rating of a checkout. It is a film that is very predictable, it certainly doesn't have a lot of brains behind it, and I do think with a little more effort it could have differentiated itself from other Hallmark films, especially since Netflix has released several Academy Award-nominated films over the last couple of years. But I do have to say that Hot Frosty is a film that is very much like a glass of eggnog or some other holiday treat you might enjoy. It's not going to last very long, but for what it is, it's enjoyable, and it all depends on whether or not you love these kinds of films or not. And if you're one of those people who gets some guilty pleasure out of Hallmark films, you're probably going to love Hot Frosty. As for me, I appreciated it for what it was, but it's still not great. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word show dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. And now that I've reviewed all the movies that I have to review for this show, it's now time for me to get into my final segment, which is What's Coming Up Next. This is a spoken word preview of movies that are subject to being released in theaters and/or on streaming for the week of November 18th through November 22nd, 2024. And I'm not going to be doing my show next week or the week after, but I will be back to do my show on December 7th, 2024, which means I've got a long backlog of movies, or I will have a long backlog of movies to which to review for you. And there are a ton of big movies that are coming out the weekend of November 22nd. And there are also some other noteworthy films that are coming out on November 27th, which is the day before Thanksgiving. So I'll get to those films as well, kind of breaking my rule about reviewing movies that are coming out the next week. But honestly, the week of Thanksgiving, there aren't a ton of new films that are coming out, but there are a lot of them that are coming out the weekend before Thanksgiving, including the hotly anticipated Gladiator 2. And if I tell you why Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix are not coming back for this film, that will ruin the ending to the original Gladiator, which came out 24 years ago. And actually, the original Gladiator, which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and won Russell Crowe an award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, way back when, has a distinction for me because after I got my driver's license when I was 17, the very first film that I drove myself to see in theaters was Gladiator. Now, I had been to the movies by myself a bunch of times, but I had usually relied on my parents to give me a ride to the movies. But this was the first one where I drove to Augusta, Maine, which was the nearest large city from where I live. And I actually saw the movie at the Regal Cinema there, although when I went, it was known as Hoyt's. But anyway, so Gladiator holds a special place in my heart, plus it was an amazing film for a lot of reasons. So even though Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix are not coming back for this movie, Ridley Scott, the director of the original Gladiator is. And this movie is about a different Gladiator, which takes place in the same cinematic universe. And the Gladiator in this case is a man by the name of Lucius, who, after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past and find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people. Now, I hate to be one of those people who just immediately dismisses a film for having a similar plot to another film, but that plot of Gladiator II sounds very similar to the original plot of the original Gladiator. But I would imagine that there are some ways in which this film would differentiate itself from the original Gladiator. For example, not only are Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix not coming back for this movie, but also, Iman Hanso isn't coming back for this movie as well. And the movie could have used him, but they also have another supporting actor in none other than Denzel Washington, who probably plays an ally to Lucius, who's played by Paul Mescal, who's not nearly as well known as Denzel Washington, so that's why I mentioned Denzel Washington first. Also co-starring in this movie is Connie Nielsen and Pedro Pascal, in addition to some other actors as well, but none of whom I know. And I also could have said that Oliver Reed isn't coming back for this film as well. Oliver Reed is dead. And there's the very good reason for not coming back. Oh my gosh, I think I set myself down a couple of IQ points from mentioning that very obvious fact. But Gladiator II, even though I can't guarantee that I'm going to love it, I can't guarantee that I'm going to love any of these films. It's a film that I will see and I'll probably review it for you on the show that I record on December 7th. Rest assured, I will review it for you on a future show. Another movie that is going to give Gladiator II a run for its money on November 22nd and that weekend is the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. And this movie has a lot riding on it. The movie is about El Faba, who is a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, who become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with a wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads. This looks particularly interesting and I am excited for this because the El Faba character, who ultimately becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, I believe, is played by Cynthia Erivo, who I love. I have loved Cynthia Erivo, not only her acting, but also her singing voice, ever since I saw her in the movie Bad Times of the El Royale. That was a star-studded film, but Cynthia Erivo stood out very much in that movie. And also, Ariana Grande can sing very well, everybody knows that. And she has some acting experience from her days at Nickelodeon, where she was the co-star of the film Sam and Cat, and she was of the film, of the TV show Sam and Cat. So I know that Ariana Grande can act, and I've seen her act in films where she hasn't been playing herself. I think she's done serviceably well. And as Glinda the Good Witch, I suppose she's well cast in this film. So this movie does give me hope. But as demonstrated by the movie Cats from 2019, which came out a few months before the pandemic, a movie that's based on a hit Broadway musical is no guarantee for being a great movie. Cats is certainly not the only example of that, but it is the most recent example of that. But this movie Wicked is promising, I'm not promising it's going to be a great film, but it does have a star-studded cast. I mentioned Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. And also, I should mention that Michelle Yeo is in this film, and Jeff Goldblum plays The Wizard. That is a very curiously cast role there, because Jeff Goldblum is a good actor and he certainly is very funny. As The Wizard of Oz, I don't exactly know. I think actually James Franco was better cast in the movie The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that was directed by Sam Raimi. But nobody's going to cast James Franco now because of certain things that James Franco did. But Wicked is a film that I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm not exactly saying I'm going to love this film, but with Cynthia Erivo in the lead role, it is promising. And it's kind of interesting that the movie didn't cast Edina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, but they might be a bit too old to play younger versions of The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch, respectively. But this is a film that I do look forward to seeing, but I'm going to go in cautiously because this film may disappoint me as much as cats did. I don't know, but I think it has, but judging from the stills that I've seen of it, it does have a bit more going for it than cats did. So, Wicked is a film that I will see and I will let you know what I think on a future show. Another movie that is not probably going to do well as either Wicked or Gladiator 2, but is still slated to come out on November 22nd, is a film that's called Armor. And this film stars Sylvester Stallone in addition to Jason Patrick, and the two of them play father and son security guards for an armored truck company who encounter a team of would-be robbers while on a bridge. They become trapped and must come up with a plan to escape and ensure their survival. So, this film definitely doesn't look like it's going to be nominated for any Academy Awards, but action films are Sylvester Stallone's Bread and Butter, and Jason Patrick is an actor we haven't seen for quite some time. He was a hot ticket in the 80s, and then in the 90s, even though he was in some high-profile films, he didn't become as big a name as Brad Pitt, for example, his co-star in the movie Sleepers. But, I don't know how this film's going to be, it's a film that I might see, it looks like it's going to be coming out in limited release. It does certainly have some predictable action movie fare, but if I see it, I'll let you know what I think on a future show. Another movie that is subject to be released in theaters on November 27th is a drama thriller by the name of Bonhoeffer, Pastor Spy Assassin. So, right off the bat, they tell you who the main character is, and what his jobs are. And that's not necessarily a bad fit for a movie, after all, there are some hilarious films that have come out that have had name occupation in their title, like Ace Ventura Pet Detective or Austin Powers International Man of Mystery. And there have also been some movies that have absolutely sucked that have had that name and occupation title, like Duce Bigelow, Male Jiggalo, and Bucky Roberts, Born to Be a Star, but those latter films were happy Madison films. But anyway, this movie, Bonhoeffer, Pastor Spy Assassin, is about this Bonhoeffer character, whose full name is Daedric Bonhoeffer, and as the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Daedric Bonhoeffer joins a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler, risking his faith and fate to save millions of Jews from genocide. Now, this film is described as a drama and thriller, but not described as a biography, which means it is probably fictitious. It was written and directed by Todd Comarniki, and stars Jonas Dassler, Phileus Haebloom, August Deal, and Moritz Blevtru, amongst other actors. So it sounds like one of those underdogs, particularly coming out the same weekend as Gladiator 2 and Wicked, but it also seems like one of those films that is full of surprises. So it's a film that I might see, depending on whether or not it's coming out in the theater near me, and I want you to know what I think on a future show. And the final film that is subject to your recent theaters on November 22nd is a film that's called Never Look Away, and this is not only a biography, it is also a documentary about CNN camera woman Margaret Moth, who fearlessly captures footage of war zones. And it is a Sundance premiere that features Christiane Amunpour, who used to be on CNN. I'm not sure if she still is now, but she's still a well-refuted journalist, telejournalist, I might add. And it is directed by Lucy Lawless, who played Xeno Warrior Princess. So, very interesting choice of who directed this movie. It's great that a woman directed it, but Lucy Lawless, I wouldn't have expected to have directed such a documentary. I think this might be Lucy Lawless' directorial debut, but don't quote me on that. I'm actually looking that up right now. But Never Look Away is certainly one of those films that looks like it could be very educational and very inspiring, but I can't guarantee whether or not it is going to be a great film, and I also can't guarantee if it's coming out in the theater near me. But just a little bit of fact-checking that I did right now, this is Lucy Lawless' directorial debut. So, Lucy Lawless is a woman who is full of surprises. She certainly had her share of acting roles and not just on Xeno Warrior Princess, but I'd be very interested to see this documentary if it's coming out in the theater near me. But if I do, I'll let you know what I think on a future show. And on November 27, not November 22, Wednesday, November 27, 2024, there is a Disney animated film that came out and it probably needs no introduction, but I'm going to give you one anyway because otherwise you wouldn't know what I'm talking about unless you've seen the movie posters. The movie that's coming out, the Disney animated feature that's coming out, is Moana 2. And of course that is the sequel to the much celebrated Moana film that came out back in 2017. And the movie stars Alil Cravallho, who is reprising her voice role as Moana. So Dwayne Johnson is coming back as the God Maui. Also, co-starring in this film or providing their voices for the film include Alan Tudic, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Tamura Morrison, and others. But those are the most well-known names besides Dwayne Johnson. And of course, when you have Dwayne Johnson in a movie, I'd think any other well-known name sort of pales in comparison. But let me tell you the plot of this movie, Moana 2. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys to the fair seas of Oceana and into dangerous long lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced. So that's kind of a vague plot description. It does sound a little bit like the original Moana, but I hope that Disney can add something new to this sequel. My guess is Disney holds itself to a much higher standard when it comes to sequels. And as demonstrated last year with Wish, that was a low point for Disney and its animated films. That was a movie to which I gave a strikeout. I didn't think it was a terrible film, but man, it was underdeveloped and I expected better from Disney, but now Disney is kind of on the upswing in terms of its movies, particularly its animated movies. Although all the animated movies that came out with this year, or at least its Disney or Disney Pixar films, not necessarily its 20th Century Fox animated films, have been sequels. But Disney knows what works for the company, and I was pleasantly surprised by Inside Out 2. Again, it's one of those films where I went in sort of preparing to be disappointed and expecting the worst, and Inside Out 2 turned out to be amazing. So, Moana 2 has a lot to live up to in terms of coming after Inside Out 2, but it is a film that I will see, and I'll let you know what I think on a future show. Because again, I'm not coming back for November 23rd or November 30th, where I normally record my show. I will be out of town then, and spending time with family in addition to that. But Moana 2 is most certainly a film I will see probably around the time that it comes out as well. And I might as well mention to you a movie that's subject to be released in theaters the day after Thanksgiving, which is November 9th, 2024. And there is only one film, one, that is subject to be released in theaters on Friday, November 29th, because let's be honest, there are going to be some other films like Red One, Moana 2, Gladiator 2, and Wicked that are going to be taking up a lot of box office space. And also, there are going to be films that a lot of people are going to be catching up to see. That's just the way it happens. But the movie that's coming out on November 29th, which probably should have come out a couple of months before, and you will know why, as soon as I say the title of the film, is September 5th. So what happened on September 5th? Well, the movie takes place on September 5th, 1972, and during the 1972 Munich Olympics, those notorious Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes. So there was a missed opportunity to have this film come out in theaters nationwide in September, and that probably would have fared better for its box office chances, but then again, you never exactly know. But this is a film that is directed by Tim Felbaum and stars Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leona Benish, amongst other people. So there are some familiar names, obviously I know Peter Sarsgaard and Ben Chaplin from several other movies, but the other names who are in the roster of actors here I don't exactly know, but this does look like a film that is nail biting. After all, it's not only based on a true story, it's also a thriller. After all, you're talking about Israeli athletes that are being held hostage, so of course that's going to be particularly thrilling. And especially with the news that's coming out these days about the Israeli-Palestinian continuing conflict, this is a hot button topic here, but it probably would have been more hot button if it had come out either in September or around the Olympics. But September 5th is a movie that looks particularly intriguing, I hope it's coming out in a theater near me. Chances are probably well, but it has a lot of competition ahead of it, but competition has never stopped me from seeing a film and telling you what I think about it on this show. And I will tell you, I imagine that I will eventually see this film, and I'll let you know what I think on a future show. That just about does it for this episode of Words on Film. Words on Film is the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures, and I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke, reminding you that the views and opinions expressed on words on film about movies or other topics are solely those of your host and movie critic Dan Burke. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of any employees or volunteers who are working at WBCA or the station as a whole. Until I watch a whole bunch of brand new movies, this is Dan Burke saying I'll see you at the movies. [MUSIC PLAYING]