The Bad Guys 2 (2025)

It's always a good sign when everyone returns for a sequel, and I cannot spot anyone major missing, either behind or "in front" of the camera, from The Bad Guys 2. Considering I enjoyed the first movie enough, thanks in no small part to the style and the voice cast, I was optimistic about this. That optimism was not misplaced.

Some time has passed, of course, and the bad guys are spending their time trying to be good guys. That's hard when you have earned the kind of reputation that they have earned though. It's even harder when someone is pulling off the kind of robberies that would seem to be very much in line with the M. O. of the bad guys. Hoping to crack the case and change the opinions of people who won't let them move away from their past, Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Shark (Craig Robinson), Tarantula (Awkwafina), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Snake (Marc Maron) quickly put themselves in a situation that makes them look even more guilty than ever, much to the frustration of Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz).

Just as fun and lively as the first movie, The Bad Guys 2 is a pretty perfect sequel. It may not surpass the first film, but it's a very close call. And it made me laugh hard with a couple of perfectly-executed fart gags I assume will go down equally well with younger viewers. Pierre Perifel is now happy to share directing duties with JP Sans (who worked in the animation department for the first film), and Etan Cohen is now happy to collaborate with Yoni Brenner on a screenplay once again born from the books by Aaron Blabey.

The central cast remain perfect in their roles (as well as those mentioned, Richard Ayoade and Alex Borstein also reprise roles from the first film) and there are equally entertaining performances from Omid Djalili, Colin Jost, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, and a few others. Is the plot a bit obvious and predictable? Yes. It's also easy enough to let wash over you as each sequence packs in a fantastic selection of action and gags. 

Perfect for kids (and those as childish as me), The Bad Guys 2 once again nicely reworks the standard  heist movie tropes, adds even more peril, as happens in many sequels, and provides a very nice excuse to spend some more time with some very entertaining and cool characters.

And look, just in case anyone misunderstands how old or mature I actually am . . . let me just emphasise that it was a VERY good fart gag. Otherwise I wouldn't have felt the need to mention it here. Honest. 

7/10

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Prime Time: The Order (2024)

With Justin Kurzel in the director's chair, a cast that includes Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, and Marc Maron (in a small, but pivotal role), and some gritty subject matter that relates to dangerous idiots who want what they see as a more pure version of their country, I was absolutely certain that The Order was a film to put high on my list of viewing priorities. I wasn't wrong.

Law plays Terry Husk, FBI agent, a man who believes that a number of robberies are being committed with some extra motivation. The robbers want the money, of course, but that money is for a very specific purpose. Sheridan is Jamie Bowen, a young officer who ends up helping him in his investigation. There are a number of bad people needing chased down here, but the one who ends up being the most dangerous ring-leader is Bob Mathews (Hoult), a white supremacist who plans to declare war on what he sees as a misguided and damaged America.

Based on a book, "The Silent Brotherhood", by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, The Order benefits from a great screenplay by Zach Baylin that ties everything together and shows how these ignorant racists have spent decades working from the same playbook (literally, considering how a work called "The Turner Diaries" seems to be a common link between a number of acts of domestic terrorism). It also has an excellent main cast doing some A+ work.

Law is as good as he's ever been, playing the standard cop who won't stop following the trail that we've seen many times before. He doesn't really care about himself, but he soon shows that he does care about how others around him may be hurt, especially if they're unprepared. And almost everyone around him seems relatively unprepared. Hoult does well to feel constantly dangerous and menacing without turning himself into a moustache-twirling villain. He's undoubtedly the big baddie, but he's also a normal man who believes that he's doing something for some noble purpose. Sheridan is a pleasing mix of good instinct and vulnerability, and Jurnee Smollett does well to shoulder her way through all of the testosterone for one or two little moments. As for Maron, his casting is perfect, and his voice is used well for a number of scenes before we see him, briefly, in the moment that made his character, Alan Berg, a shocking chapter in the ongoing history of white supremacist violence in the USA.

Kurzel seemed to lose his way slightly after making such an impact with his phenomenal feature debut, Snowtown, but he's certainly found his way back in over the past few years. I hope that he continues to make films as good as this one (I've also heard great things about Nitram, but have yet to see that one), which has a great blend of commentary, tension, and even standard action thrills here and there. I may even forgive him one day for the two major mis-steps he made with Michael Fassbender as his leading man.

8/10

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Mubi Monday: Sword Of Trust (2019)

Life is funny. One little extra bit of knowledge can completely reframe and recontextualise everything around you, from childhood incidents to relationships, from societal problems to art. I decided to watch Sword Of Trust because I am quite the big fan of Marc Maron nowadays, and have been a full-time listener to his podcast for a couple of years now. But checking the credits made me almost slap myself in the face for my ignorance. Maron has spent a lot of time on his podcast discussing the pain and grief he went through after the death of a loved one, Lynn Shelton. Despite being aware of her work over the years, I never did think of the Lynn Shelton that I'd seen in various acting and directing roles as THAT Lynn Shelton. Now I know better, and I also know that I am a fan of her work.

Shelton is the director and co-writer (with Michael Patrick O'Brien) here, as well as appearing onscreen in a small role, and what she delivers is a wonderful and gently amusing look at, well, how profitable it can be to cater to those who have chosen to believe in conspiracy theories, and how some people can be sold on conspiracy theories as they are fooled into thinking themselves smarter and more open-minded than others.

Maron plays Mel, a pawn shop owner who ends up heading down quite the rabbit hole when Cynthia (Jillian Bell) and Mary (Michaela Watkins) walk into his store. Cynthia has inherited a sword, and she's looking to sell it for a good price. In fact, she wants to sell it for a very good price, considering the fact that it seemingly proves a very different interpretation of American history. Mel smells a load of crap, of course, but decides he could work with Cynthia and Mary when it becomes clear that there are some sellers who are ready to believe in what the sword seems to represent. The main buyer (Dan Bakkedahl) starts the ball rolling via his middle-man, Hog Jaws (Toby Huss), but everyone will have to trust one another when it comes time to actually complete the negotiation.

You really should watch Sword Of Trust for the same reasons I watched it. Anyone who is aware of, and likes, Maron will enjoy this, particularly in the many moments when his character feels very close to the persona he has presented to the public for a number of decades now. It isn't just the Maron show though, and there's plenty of enjoyment to be had with the work of Bell, Watkins, Bakkedahl, Huss, Jon Bass (playing a shop assistant, Nathaniel, who seems to have been retained for the few times when he can help his boss with tech), and Al Elliott (as Jimmy, a friendly owner of a neighbouring business). Even the much smaller roles are cast well, guaranteeing that viewers are never more than a moment or two away from a chuckle.

Everyone is assisted by a great script, of course, and both Shelton and O'Brien do a fantastic job of taking their slight, and slightly ridiculous, central idea and turning it into something that allows for some great commentary mixed with great character moments. Shelton may have a simple and straightforward directorial style, through personal choice or budgetary necessity, but it works perfectly with the tone and pacing of the whole thing.

Although it was making a very specific point back when first released in 2019, Sword Of Trust manages to feel even more relevant and critical of the conversations and discourse happening all around us right now. That's a shame, in terms of how society has continued to slide further into decline, but it makes the film feel very close to essential viewing.

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: To Leslie (2022)

Like most people, I first heard about To Leslie when there was some minor scandal about how it started to get more notice in the run up to the 2023 Academy Awards. It was a strange affair, mainly because I assumed that all movies without a huge marketing campaign behind them would end up being noticed and discussed in the same way during awards season, but, despite no Oscar going to Andrea Riseborough for her performance here, I am thankful that I was at least made aware of the film.

I would also be aware of it nowadays from the times that Marc Maron has discussed it on his podcast. Arguably still known best for his stand-up comedy, despite putting in some great acting performances, whatever size the role, over the past decade or so, Maron has been podcasting for about 15 years now, and throughout that time he has been incredibly honest and insightful about addiction issues, which adds a sweet layer to the role he plays here.

Let's get to the actual film though. Riseborough is Leslie, a single mother who finds her life changed completely when she wins a large sum of cash in the lottery. That doesn't last as long as she thinks it will though, and some years later we see that Riseborough is destitute, can't really maintain a relatonship with her now-grown son (James, played by Owen Teague), and seems unable to drag herself out of the bottom of whatever glass or bottle full of alcohol she can get her hands on. She is given a chance to turn things around when offered a cleaning job by Sweeney (Maron), but an addict can only ever be helped if they want to change.

I can see why people were discussing the performance from Riseborough here. It's pretty great, and more than enough to make up for the fact that the screenplay (only the second one from Ryan Binaco to make it to the screen) makes a number of surprisingly safe choices throughout. There's an ugliness throughout this, and a feeling of desperation and self-esteem that has been eroded into near-non-existence, but it holds back from some of the really dark depths that many addicts find themselves in, whether that indelibly stains their character or irrevocably damages their body. Director Michael Morris has some great TV work under his belt already, but his move to film is impressive. He stays focused on the characters, knowing when to push in further and when to move back a step, and uses his cast to really lift Binaco's solid writing.

Aside from Riseborough, who somehow also keeps you on her side even as she is at her lowest and most sickeningly selfish, Maron is allowed to be wonderfully sweet and funny as the one person, maybe the only person, that she needs to be given help from. Teague makes a strong impression with his limited screentime, as do the reliable Allison Janney, Andre Royo, Stephen Root, and James Landry Hébert, who all match the intensity and authenticity of Riseborough in a variety of ways.

Not an easy watch, especially for those (like myself) who may have direct, or even indirect, experience of dealing with addiction issues. It feels very well-handled throughout though, showing that there's not necessarily a point of no return for anyone who eventually realises the damage being caused by that very strong and heavy monkey they can struggle to shake off their back.

8/10

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Prime Time: DC League Of Super-Pets (2022)

While I don't consider myself any kind of expert on the vast history and array of comic books, I am aware that super-pets have been a thing for some time. Which makes this animated movie an obvious choice for those wanting to appeal to younger viewers wanting to continue, or begin, their journey through the landscape, one full of masks and capes, that has dominated the box office for most of the past decade. It should be an easy enough recipe, and it is, but it's a shame that those involved didn't add just a bit more flavour.

Dwayne Johnson voices Krypto, the pet dog of Superman (voiced by John Krasinski). All seems to blissful, until Superman starts to think more about making plans with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde). Meanwhile, a group of animals living in a shelter are far removed from bliss. Those animals include a dog named Ace (Kevin Hart), a guinea pig named Lulu (Kate McKinnon), and a few others we will get to see more of as the story plays out. Take some kryptonite, the fact that Lulu wants to impress the man who once ran tests on her (Lex Luthor, voiced by Marc Maron), and a bit of soul-searching, and you have the movie. Krypto loses his super-powers, but Ace and friends gain some, which leads to them trying to resolve some issues that will get in the way of them working together as a team.

Co-directed by Sam J. Levine and Jared Stern, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Whittington, this is strangely better than I expected it to be, yet also full of unrealised potential. If the writers had found a way to focus on the animals without even needing (super)human characters involved then it may have been a much more enjoyable experience, able to play around in the DC universe without feeling attached to anything else. Sadly, the other characters are given some time, even if it is limited in comparison to the animals. And there's a cameo at the end of the film that is both sad and hilarious for a reminder of the hubris that Dwayne Johnson had in 2022.

Johnson and Hart are both fine in their roles, both managing to use nicely intertwine their onscreen personas with the essence of their canine characters, and I cannot think of any of their many film collaborations that I have completely disliked. McKinnon is great fun as the nefarious Lulu, an evil mastermind contained within a decidedly non-evil-looking guinea pig physique, and Maron makes a very good Lex Luthor (so much so that I think he'd be great doing it in live-action form). As for the other main animals, you have Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, and Diego Luna having a lot of fun in their roles (playing, respectively, a potbellied pig, a short-sighted turtle, and a very nervous squirrel), and cameos from Keith David, Thomas Middleditch, and Ben Schwartz to listen out for. Krasinski and Wilde do fine, but the other superheroes are entertainingly voiced by Jameela Jamil, Jemaine Clement, and, best of all, Keanu Reeves (who is a surprisingly great fit for the Batman voice).

Younger viewers will enjoy the animal antics and silly jokes. Older viewers will enjoy the voice talent. I don't think anyone will enjoy everything about it though. The animation style is cute, but not on par with the seemingly effortless brilliance from other studios, the plot is as predictable as it is ultimately inconsequential, and it's the kind of thing you can watch and rewatch as a harmless distraction, rather than any beloved classic. 

But hey, no matter what I have said here, it still probably sits above most of the live-action DC features we've seen in the past few years.

6/10

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Genie (2023)

While I knew that Genie wasn't going to be anything too groundbreaking or unpredictable, I didn't realise that it was simply a remake of Bernard And The Genie, a 1991 TV movie starring Alan Cumming and Lenny Henry. And I doubt many others will realise it, considering how many people seem to have forgotten all about the original version of the tale.

Paapa Essiedu plays Bernard, a man who is about to have a miserable Christmas when his wife (Julie, played by Denée Benton) decides that they need a break. Bernard just seems to be too busy and inconsiderate, so she leaves, taking their young daughter, Eve (Jordyn McIntosh), with her. Bernard wants to fix things, and he wants to ensure that he and his daughter enjoy quality time together, but that is easier said than done. Things might get a lot easier, however, when Bernard accidentally released a genie (Melissa McCarthy). And there isn’t just three wishes to be granted. Oh no, you can have as many wishes as you like. But wishes have consequences, especially if you decide to do something like decorate your apartment with the Mona Lisa.

This should have been an imaginative and fun flight of fancy, especially as it seems to be a second go at the concept for writer Richard Curtis. I may be entirely wrong, although he is also listed here as a producer, but this appears to have been made precisely because Curtis realised he could get some star power and a bigger budget to showcase his central concept. Director Sam Boyd, helming only his second feature, feels like a hired hand, someone who will simply enable Curtis to get his words onscreen in the way he prefers.

There’s nothing here that works as well as it should though, with both the humour and the heart falling a bit flat. In fact, this struggles to improve upon the first version of this tale, especially when it doesn’t have the excuse of being a smaller production made for British television.

Essiedu is a bright spot, playing his character with the right mix of bewilderment and acceptance, and he is easy to root for when things start to go wrong. McCarthy is also very enjoyable, although she gives a performance here that isn’t going to win over any detractors. I like her onscreen presence, and always tend to enjoy her performances. Benton and McIntosh are fine, the former doing the essential job of providing the biggest obstacle that our lead has to overcome on his journey of personal growth, and there are very welcome supporting roles for Marc Maron (playing a concierge who takes a liking to the genie) and Luis Guzmán (a cop who ends up perplexed by an international incident).

Undemanding viewers will find enough to enjoy here, but only just. Someone should have really forced Curtis to sit down and work with someone who could improve the material, but the cast all do well enough in roles that don’t call for subtlety (and it’s particularly fun to see Alan Cumming, who played the original Bernard, being the mean boss this time around) and there are brief moments that have that pleasing sensation of Christmas magic. Very brief, but they are there.

5/10

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The Bad Guys (2022)

If there is one problem I have with The Bad Guys it’s the fact that a film featuring Sam Rockwell as a smooth and conniving thief should also be available in live-action form. But here we are, and this animated comedy crime caper should do enough to entertain most viewers.

Rockwell is Wolf, the head honcho of a crew that also includes Snake (Marc Maron), Tarantula (Awkwafina), Shark (Craig Robinson), and Piranha (Anthony Ramos). Busted during a big robbery, this group of baddies is allowed to escape jail time if they opt to place themselves in the care of the benevolent Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade). The Professor wants to show that baddies can change their ways, but a lot of other people are very doubtful, including Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) and Police Chief Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein). There might also be someone looking to frame our main characters for one big job. Or maybe they will trip themselves up, especially as they took the Professor’s deal to simply avoid jail time while they planned their next big score.

Based on books by Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys has a lot going for it. First of all is that voice cast, but I will get back to them in a moment. The script, written by Etan Cohen, with additional material from Yoni Brenner and Hilary Winston, is a great mix of cool and funny. Wolf is very much a charming gentleman thief, in the vein of Cary Grant or George Clooney, and he enjoys the thrill of each job, especially when it can lead to a long car chase. Each main character has an identifying prime trait, and many have a secret or two to be revealed by the finale. And if you have kids who don’t enjoy the energy or wit of the film, don’t worry, they will be amused by the upset tummy of Piranha leading to a couple of amusing fart gags.

Director Pierre Perifel has a nice body of work already, working as an animator on films such as the Kung Fu Panda movies and The Illusionist (to name just a couple of highlights). He certainly knows what he is doing. Every main sequence has just the right energy running through it, including a very enjoyable dance number, and there are lots of gags that make the most of the medium.

Let’s get back to that cast though. Rockwell has been a magnificent star for some years now and his voice is a perfect fit for the charming and fast-thinking lead. Maron, Awkwafina, Robinson, and Ramos all fit well with their characters, and they each make their scenes funnier in different ways. Ayoade, likewise, has a voice that fits his role perfectly, and both Beetz and Borstein are excellent as two authority figures who view Wolf and his gang very differently, the former hoping they can change their ways while the latter just really wants to lock them up.

Some people have commented on the little nods to Tarantino here and there, which is worth pointing out to film fans who may otherwise overlook this, but The Bad Guys is more interested in being an animal-centric riff on the “Ocean’s [Insert Number Here]” movies. And it completely works in that regard, with the stealthy thievery, action sequences, and gags all accompanied by a fantastic score from Daniel Pemberton (who has slowly become an absolute standout musical talent over the length of his career, and I hope we get plenty more from him).

Entertaining for all ages, especially if you can stay in touch with your inner child as easily as I can, this is recommended. It isn’t top-tier animated fare, but it is well put together and . . . well, it’s just a good bit of fun from start to finish. 

7/10

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Joker (2019)

Director Todd Phillips, who also co-wrote the screenplay for Joker with Scott Silver, isn't really someone you might associate with gritty and compelling psychological dramas. He sets out to change that here, and many people view it as an absolute success. I really like Joker, but there are two main points (maybe three) that drag it down slightly, which I will get to in due course.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a man with some serious mental health issues, and a pretty poor quality of life. He wants to be a comedian, but he's not good at making people laugh. He may, however, be good at laughing while he plans to get revenge on people around him. But his fortunes may change if he gets the chance to appear on the chat show hosted by Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro).

Okay, first of all, a lot of people have criticised Joker for being little more than a diluted mash-up/reworking of Taxi Driver and The King Of Comedy. I'm not going to wield those reference points as weapons in any criticism of the film, because I feel that other great films can come from directors hewing close to past classics. This does go VERY close to both of those films, but there are so many worse films that Phillips could have had in his sights.

What works here, and works so well, is the performance from Phoenix. His portrayal of a man pushed further and further into the black pit of a complete mental breakdown is absolutely compelling. He's a superb Arthur Fleck. What he isn't, to me, is a superb Joker. I just don't see enough of that character in this interpretation, which is entirely to do with my own experience of the character through the years, from the comics to the TV show to the various movies. I am all for all of the praise being heaped upon Phoenix for his performance here. I just can't agree with anyone who labels him as the new gold standard for interpretations of the Joker (although nobody will ever be worse than Leto, I think that low point is safe).

There's also a good world created onscreen, a Gotham that is teeming with people who are struggling to get through their everyday lives. This is a pre-Batman Gotham. Not so much dark and full of convenient shadows, it's more like an interconnected set of glass cubes, each one oppressive and reeking of nicotine and potentially-contagious diseases.

The rest of the cast also do a great job. I'd be tempted to call them flawless if the casting of De Niro in his pivotal role didn't seem so much like an obvious stunt. He is good though, and has fun in his small amount of screentime, as is Zazie Beetz, the third point in the central triangle that the film creates. Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Marc Maron, and Douglas Hodge are on par with one another, portraying a mix of new characters and some you may be familiar with, albeit in a different guise.

These positives are enough to make this a very good movie, and it remains a very good movie, despite my three main problems with it. So bear that in mind, and let's move on to the negatives.

First up is the script. It's not terrible, by any means, but Phillips and Silver rely on the cast to elevate their words. Which the cast manage to do, seriously limiting the damage that could have been caused here.

My second and third main issues stem from the same thing so I'll just bundle them together here. This film has been hailed as an interesting departure from standard comic-book movies, it has been described as a scathing commentary on some major problems in the current climate in America. It's not. It's neither of those things, and that stems from Phillips giving himself an easier option when the opportunities arose. He made much of the fact that this was a standalone film, this Joker was different from what you'd seen before, and it didn't necessarily have to tie in to any DC movie universe. So why, WHY, even bring in the characters who make up the Wayne household? Those scenes feel like fan-service, they feel out of place, and they feel totally unearned (I know that doesn't seem like the right word, but it is, somehow). And as for the scathing commentary, I don't deny that Phillips works some very good points into the movie, and even has them at the heart of the whole thing, but he gives himself an "out" by setting it in the early 1980s. That allows him to shrug, it gives him plausible deniability, it really dulls what could have been a sharp, relevant message for people who may squirm when forced to look at the mirror being held up to modern society. Phillips decides not to commit to holding up the mirror, instead settling for a kaleidoscope. And everything looks a little better through a kaleidoscope.

There's plenty to like here, even plenty to admire, and it does feel like a more interesting film from Phillips than anything else he has done, to date. It's far from perfect though, and I think people have forgiven some mis-steps because they were impressed by the kaleidoscope.

8/10

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