Avatar: Fire and Ash

 

Greetings from the movie theater depths once again. We’re in the wanning throws of the holidays, the year is quickly coming to an end, and I used my last freebie to take in my final film of the year. This week I polished off 2025 with James Cameron’s third installment in his Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash.

While I’ve been a fan of the Avatar movies since seeing the original's opening weekend in 2009 (damn, I’m old) I admit that I’ve always found these films a bit basic and lacking in the actual stories themselves. I suffer from the ability to see/figure out the unfolding of most films (down to actual dialogue) from the jump more often than not and these haven’t been the exception. Enjoyable, yet highly predictable. However, Avatar: Fire and Ash really stands out for me as the best film yet.

As expected, the cinematography, visuals, SFX are stunning. The colors, textures are next level and in 3D really pull you into the world of Pandora like never before. Even with only a three-year gap between Fire and Ash and Way of Water the improvements in technology and technique are stunningly evident. Alone making it worthwhile to make a trip to the theater to see on the big screen as intended. 

Better still is Cameron really hitting his stride this go round in every aspect of the story telling. I wasn't painfully aware of where the story was going and was able to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

For 3 hours and 17 minutes I wasn’t just transported to Pandora, I was fully engaged and invested in the lives of the Sully family like never before. AFA picks up shortly after 2022s Avatar: The of Water dealing with the fallout from those events (be caught up on this one prior to seeing this). While there’s plenty of thrilling action, the characters take center stage with the focus on their relationships, emotions, and conflicts. The quieter moments' drive the film like never before.  

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a much deeper, much richer, much more impactful and devastating film in the best way possible. There are twists and turns, callbacks, returning favorites, hard hitting dialogue, and intriguing new characters. Everything and everyone (even the kids) work in harmony bringing the story alive. Characterization is king and had me glued to the screen from start to finish with more than a few verbal utterances along the way. Fire and Ash is a more personal and memorable film that’s elevated by the high-tech aspects instead of sacrificed for them. Cameron’s world-building has hit its stride, and it pays serious dividends.

 Avatar: Fire and Ash is bold, brash, and a cinematic statement. You’re immediately pulled into an immersive experience filled with vision and heart. It’s darker and more mature. Perfectly balanced between spectacle and substance. This is what the franchise has been missing but building towards and I’m all for it. 

Easily the best film of the franchise for me.

 Avatar: Fire and Ash finishes off the 2025film year with a 10 from me. 

#AvatarFireandAsh

Zootopia 2

Back in 2016, Disney delighted audiences with the animated hit Zootopia. Nine years later they’ve released the sequel Zootopia 2 just in time for the holiday season. Loving the original and wanting to hit the theaters before they’re overrun with young kids on break, I headed to my fave theater to see if the return of two of the three original writers/directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard and the bulk of the main cast could catch lightning in a bottle once again.

Lightning does indeed strike twice here but isn’t as finely targeted. 

Zootopia 2 is fun and enjoyable for sure overall, but I found myself struggling a bit to get into it for the first third of the film. The story doesn't grab you from the jump and struggles to find its footing figuring out how to expand the relationship between Judy and Nick and the world of Zootopia itself.  The story falls flat here. The pacing of the front third of the film is frankly clunky. The characters don’t completely mesh, the writers seem lost on how to get the ball rolling, incorporate the new with the original and it’s more of challenge to sink your teeth into and be invested in the story. 

Some of the new notable actors lending their voice talents in addition to the original cast members are Patrick Warburton, David Strathairn, Ke Huy Quan, Andy Samberg, Macaulay Culkin, Quinta Brunson, Fortune Feimster, and Danny Trejo just to name a few. All great in their own right, however, this may be where Z2 goes off the rails a bit. Having the same running time of an hour forty-eight minutes but adding so many voices both figuratively and literally becomes unwieldy. You feel cheated with some characters and underwhelmed with others.

Fortunately, once Zootopia 2 does find its footing and starts firing on all cylinders the ride does pay off in the back 2/3 of the film.

Tons of pop culture references. Great animation with attention to detail and eye-popping color. Nice world building. Solid soundtrack. Action and humor.

Zootopia 2 works well as a sequel and is definitely worth a viewing. The storytelling isn’t as strong as the original and the emotional weight/core of the film is more lackluster; it does pay off in the end. And yes, there is a small bonus scene after the final credits roll so stick around for that. It's another nice throwback as well as gives an idea where the franchise will go next.

Zootopia 2 gets a 6.5 from me.

#Zootopia2

Wicked: For Good

Oh chile, it’s been a minute for sure.

But as the 2025 movie season winds to a close and the film studios take advantage of the holidays being upon us, I once again found myself heading to my local movie theater. This time around it was to take in the Wicked: for Good the second half of last years’ movie version of Wicked. Given that I wasn’t one of the many completely blown away by the first film (I did enjoy it but was also disappointed) I went in more out of curiosity in how things were going to tie together with both the first half of the film and the original Wizard of Oz than anything else. So, with free ticket in hand, snacks successfully smuggled and surprised by the mostly empty parking lot and just under half full theater I took in the first matinee of the day.

Again, let me take a moment to mention I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing the stage production of Wicked, so I went into Wicked: for Good with no knowledge of what would happen in part two, only suppositions, of what was going to unfold. I enjoyed Wicked: for Good: slightly more than Wicked.

WfG’s darker tonal shift definitely spoke to me more. This probably says more about me than the actual film. One of the sticking points for me the first time around was Ariana Grande’s performance not resonating with me. She came off to me as rather artificial/shallow and I never really got into it when she was on the screen. An issue I didn’t have here. Yay! The depth I felt was lacking is present and I wasn't distracted or disinterested this go 'round. Ditto for Jonathan Bailey. Jeff Goldblum’s wizard being more integral also brought joy. Once again, Cynthia Erivo slays and delivers a riveting performance across the board.

Another pro this time around is the films’ running time of 2 hours 17 minutes. Without the bloat I didn’t feel the film dragged unnecessarily with padded fluff to justify the splitting the movie in two. The pacing felt good and I never lost interest or got restless. It was easier to remain invested in the story from start to finish. The music soared and delivered. There are apparently two new added songs, but I can't tell you what they are. Nice callbacks to the first film make for nice connective tissue. The sets and costuming dazzle.

A few things remain that I have questions about/feel got glossed over (mainly with Tin Man and Cowardly Lion) and I still feel a bit of a disconnect, but all told I enjoyed Wicked: for Good and feel it was worth the trip to the theater to see.

Wicked: for Good gets an 8 from me.

#WickedForGood

The Long Walk

 

I hit the theater early this week to check out The Long Walk based on the 1979 Bachman book (Stephen King) of the same title. I read this story back in high school one summer after visiting my sister on vacation. It really messed me up for weeks. It also helped cement my status as a lifelong Stephen King fan. Going into this one I was both really excited and quite nervous. Hoping that director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise) along with writers JT Mollner and King himself would successfully encapsulate the story in this big screen adaptation and do it the justice it deserves.

Let me start by saying if you haven’t read the book or are already familiar with the story, fair warning: this movie is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. The Long Walk is one of King's most disturbing stories set in a dystopian near-future America ravaged by totalitarianism.  It’s bleak, brutal, intense, and graphic AF.  Like the book this film doesn’t pull its punches. You don’t so much as enjoy the story as endure it over its hour forty-eight-minute runtime.  The physical and psychological toll the competition takes on the participants becomes yours, step by grueling step and man it’s a rough. 

Even having read the book, knowing what to expect, this film stressed me to my limits and had me flinching, agonizing, dreading with anticipation, shocked and shook. The timing, brutality, and blocking of every ticket punch plays out masterfully.

The Long Walk is about as far from a summer popcorn movie as you can get. 

The harsh exploration of these young men's desperation, trying to cling on to life in hope of a better and more fulfilling existence on the other side of the finish line, and the knowledge that such a life may not be possible is grim. The atmosphere hangs heavy seeing people at their ugliest and most desperate.  Yet the fleeting bonds of friendship, brotherhood, and laughter make these personal, intimate stories of everyday people grappling with questions about mortality, religion, and what makes life worth living bearable. 

The cast is phenomenal. 

Other than Mark Hamill I had no idea who any of the actors are, save for a passing “he looks vaguely familiar” for Ben Wang (Karate Kid Legends). But after this movie, call me a fan of each one with Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman) as Ray/#47 and David Jonsson Peter/#23 topping the list. They absolutely dazzle in their performances, and their chemistry is electric.  Garrett Wareing /Stebbins #38, Tut Nyuot/Arthur #6, Charlie Plummer/Barkovitch #5, and Joshua Odjick/Collie Parker #48, wow. Just wow. Amazing performances all.  

Strong direction. Great pacing, editing, and cinematography. The makeup and effects people worked their movie magic. 

The Long Walk is a relentless, tension filled, anxiety producing gut punch, misery that explores why we bother getting up each morning. To survive? To push others forward? To have a purpose? Because that’s all we know how to do? It’s bleak, harsh, emotional, cruel, and beautiful much like life itself. You laugh, you cry, you love and you lose. 

All in all, The Long Walk follows the book until it doesn’t but still delivers an amazing film worth watching, even with the Hollywoodification. I'm not sure I'd have been able to walk out of the theater if they stuck with the book. It may have been one blow too many.

I can’t say I loved, enjoyed, or was entertained by The Long Walk in a traditional sense because it’s not that kind of film. It's engaging for certain. Never boring. And damn good, I’m glad I went, it lived up to the original source material, and I’m more than satisfied with the end product. 

The Long Walk gets a 10 from me.

#TheLongWalk

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

 

Keeping this one short and sweet.

This week I headed out for a solo movie night to check out the early release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.  While a rather late viewing for me since I normally take in a matinee, I was happy to see a good size and engaged crowd.  This is one of those films I was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time due to the absence of the late Dame Maggie Smith. While definitely felt, I’m happy to report writer Julian Fellowes and director Simon Curtis once again deliver the Downton experience I was hoping.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale lands us in 1930 and once again Mary (Michelle Dockery) is facing a public scandal and the family faces financial troubles, while both upstairs and downstairs grapple societal change and moving into the future.  Nothing new for anyone familiar with the series and the films but that’s a large part of why this film works.

The Grand Finale is comfort food for the soul, steeped in nostalgia and the familiar. Returning to Downton is a safe hug I didn’t realize I needed. All the main actors and characters return, bringing all the wit, charm, humor, and heartfelt emotions the series and franchise is known for. 

I hated on Mary and her BS (she always gets on my damn nerves). Reveled in Edith’s coming into her own like a house on fire. Cheered Tom (Allen Leech) being the voice of reason and laying the smack down on Hugh Bonneville’s Lord Grantham. Delighted in Lady Merton’s (Penelope Wilton) dogged determination to push the bounds of propriety in the new world order. Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess while gone is certainly not forgotten and her presence not only remains but is beautifully honored. 

And so on and so forth.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is a beautifully written and directed two-hour 3-minute love letter to and from the crew to the fans. A simple story expertly distilled in focus on characters, relationships, and their interplay.  A perfect ending and goodbye for all that’s come before, with enough wiggle room for a new future. I laughed, I cried, I left completely satisfied. 

Be sure to stick around for the first few minutes of the closing credits.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale gets a 10 from me.

##downtonabbeygrandfinale

The Roses

 

As August draws to a close so does the 2025 summer movie season. As I wait for the break in this relentless heat, I once again sought refuge in the cool confines of my local movie theater to check out this weeks’ latest release, The Roses. While being inspired by the 1981 novel by Warren Adler, The Roses is neither a direct remake or reboot of the 1989's The War of the Roses dark comedy classic starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. This time around we have Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch facing off as Ivy and Theo Rose.

The Roses while still a dark comedy is also tonally a different in its focus and approach. Over its hour forty-five-minute runtime this love story turned cautionary tale takes you from the initial “meet cute” through to the explosive end of a relationship highlighting how competition and unspoken resentments slowly erode the facade of a picture-perfect couple to no one's surprise but their own.  It’s a raw, powerful, heartfelt/heart breaking, whip smart, charming, delightful ride. 

Colman and Cumberbatch are perfectly cast/matched with undeniable chemistry and energy. These two British powerhouses deliver magical performances that I could and wanted to watch all day. The repressed sensibility of British humor combines well with the “American” humor highlighted through Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg. The only disappointment for me on the American front is Allison Janney not getting a bigger part to play. Janney kills with what she's given, but I wanted so much more. 

Beautiful cinematography, great direction, good pacing, stellar dialogue, mature comedy that can be a bit raunchy at times (be warned if you have an issue with that), good soundtrack that will definitely get Happy Together stuck in your head for a few hours. I also want to give a shout out to the costume department for the creations they came up with for Colman’s character. They really helped tell her story.

The Roses retains an element of the absurd but feels more grounded and relatable than The War of the Roses. The character development, motivations, and lives are richer and actually made me like this film even more.  It’s definitely worth seeing in the theaters if you have a chance. I sound this one highly enjoyable.

The Roses gets a 10 from me.

#TheRoses

Nobody 2

 

I once again braved the outside world and ventured out of the house to check out a new film release. This week I opted to see Nobody 2. I failed to see the original Nobody when it came out in 2021 for reasons I can’t recall now. Only seeing it about a year to a year and a half ago but loved it enough to want to see the sequel on the big screen this time around. 

I’m glad I made the trip.

Nobody 2 picks up four years after events in the original as Hutch Mansell is still dealing with the fallout from his actions. And he’s tired. Really tired and just wants to take a vacation and make memories with his family. Unfortunately for him (and the entire Mansell clan) but lucky for us viewers, that simple, relatable attempt goes horribly wrong. Think John Wick on summer vacation.

If you enjoyed the original film, you’re in for a treat. Nobody 2 doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel. In fact, it leans into the original formula. Hard. And it works beautifully. It’s one of those rare sequels that unabashedly takes from the original, expands upon it in a manner that’s both ‘more of the same” yet entertainingly “fresh”.   

Much to my delight all the key characters from the original film return. The added bonus of John Ortiz, Colin Hanks, and an unrecognizable Sharon Stone add to the chaos, mayhem, and body count in spades. 

Solid direction. Great soundtrack. Awesome well-choreographed action-packed fight sequences. 

With a run time of only an hour twenty-nine-minute Nobody 2 packs in all the over-the-top desperation, violence, action, and humor possible against the heartfelt backdrop of family into such a tiny package perfectly. 

Nobody 2 simply put it just plain fun and entertaining from beginning to end. A summer popcorn flick that’s simple, but not basic. Pure mindless, brutal escapism at its best. A sequel that’s as good as if not better than the original. They did this one right.

Nobody 2 gets a 10 from me.

#nobody2