Mark McPherson's Blog, page 23

“Tuesday” (2023) Review

Sometimes a film’s vibe can best be described by what can happen within its world. Roger Ebert once described My Neighbor Totoro as a world where little kids can stumble upon a big, fuzzy creature in the woods and curl up for a nap. By that same token, Tuesday is a film where a grim-reaper parrot can stop by to smoke weed and groove to Ice Cube. It’s that harping on the smaller moments that make this mature fantasy sore above its simple premise.

Perhaps the film works because it never slows ...

“X-Men ’97” Season 1 Review

Returning to the 1990s X-Men cartoon seems like a safe nostalgic bet for Marvel Studios to entice their Millenial fanbase. But sequel series of X-Men ’97 does not play itself safe at all. It’s a cartoon developed by people who grew up with X-Men and knew what made it work. They not only progress the story, but give it the teeth it deserves, serving up something that no other Marvel Studios TV show has yet to have: Stakes.

The tensions between mutants and humans continues onward in the show, ...

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” Review

There’s a certain groove that Ride or Die finds to make it a rather surprising Bad Boys entry. It doesn’t feel as stumbling with its comedy nor as chaotic with it action. The manic nature is still there, as are the intense shoot outs and offbeat blustering of the buddy cops. There’s a moment where the film seems to get lost in thought of some greater existential contemplation of life and death, but is quickly grounded with a firm slap and shout about what matters most.

That’s the strength of...

Unfrosted, Uncensored, Unwoke, Unfunny

Comedy changes over time. Most comedic elements in movies from 90 years ago would not be as funny today for one reason or another. After the civil rights movement in America, minstrel acts and blackface were not funny anymore. Well, for most people, anyway, you know, the non-racist folks.

When dated comedy acts are no longer considered funny, comedians evolve. They find better jokes that make people laugh. However, there must be a willingness to change to do that. But for older comedians who...

“Young Woman and the Sea” Review

The inspiring story of Trudy Ederle is given the standard sports biopic treatment. It swims to a familiar beat and has all the same trappings that make these types of movies more enticing for the info than the execution. During Trudy’s rise to fame as the first woman to cross the English Channel, she is warned about how her failure could mean the end of women swimming. On that level, it might please the core demographic that Young Woman and the Sea is on the same level as every lukewarm true-st...

“Unfrosted” Review

once wrote a comedy book called “Is This Anything,” the title referring to the question that comedians ask when trying out new material. The key to Seinfeld’s comedy, however, comes in bits and pieces, with the cliche “What’s the deal with…” opener to jokes. I’ve heard his breakfast cereal bits and they’re fairly funny in small doses. However, with a heavier portion in Unfrosted, the gag fails to hold itself together for 90 minutes. Is this anything? No, but I doubt anybody in th...

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” Review

Nine years after Fury Road, director George Miller returns to the world of Mad Max in Furiosa with more of, well, everything. He finds more to explore in its world, crafts more compelling characters, and loads up enough visual flair that demands to be witnessed as hard as the War Boys declaring their acts of violence. For being a prequel where we more or less know who is going to survive by the final frame, it’s astounding how engrossing this film becomes, making it easy to got within its eye-p...

“I Saw The TV Glow” Review

Television can provide an escape from the horrors of reality and provide comfort when you feel most alone and vulnerable. That sensation appears to be at the heart of I Saw The TV Glow. It’s a film that embraces the awe of being whisked from the suburbs and into a fantasy where there’s more freedom. Although the film wants to highlight that comfort and connection we form with media and how it relates to transgender individuals struggling to be themselves, this narrative spends more time gazing ...

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” Review

The Planet of the Apes movies have undergone one of the most astounding evolutions of any cinema franchise. For what started as a strange tale of man being ruled by apes, the saga has been revised in the 21st century to represent something grander about our relationship with nature and the dispute of technological progress and species dominance. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes builds beautifully off the reboot trilogy and feels like a uniquely different film while still carrying that gritty A...

“Spy × Family Code: White” Review

There a level of admiration I have for the mounting twists and comical misunderstandings that make Spy x Family fun. The antic of three people keeping secrets from each other, with their family unit being a perfect cover, has had its moments of charm. However, that charm is tested with Code: White, the first film for the show that plays out like an elongated episode without the same level of excitement and detours.

The best thing that can be said about the film, however, is that it doesn’t r...