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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
New Turtles For a New Generation
After the horrendous Michael Bay live action movies from a few years ago, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were due for another big screen revamp.
This time, they've gone back to animation, and the results are fantastic.
Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who were the kings of 'frat boy' comedies from 2007 to 2016), "Mutant Mayhem" starts from scratch.
There's an updated origin story - that's linked to the main villain Superfly (Ice Cube) - as Splinter (Jackie Chan) raises his four boys, protects them from humans, and teaches them to fight.
Always curious about life above ground, Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Raphael (Brady Noon), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr) meet April O'Neil (Ayo Edebiri) and team up with her to stop Superfly.
Hardcore TMNT fans may be upset about some changes: April is a Black teenager, there's a lot more modern technology and Gen Z slang (the logistics of why the Turtles and Splinter have smart phones isn't explained, but it doesn't matter), and the boys are familiar with modern music trends (though there's a quick Easter Egg of Vanilla Ice's "Ninja Rap" song). But they still love pizza.
"Mutant Mayhem" focuses on comedy along with plenty of action scenes. The balance works well. And there's a ton of appearances from classic TMNT mutants, including Bebop (Rogen) and Rocksteady (John Cena).
Stick around for the credits, as there's a wonderful tease of an iconic TMNT villain for the upcoming sequel.
South Park: The End of Obesity (2024)
Cartman Gets a Break
Six months after ripping into the Prime sports drink craze, South Park's back with another special, this time aiming at Ozempic weight loss drugs.
In true South Park fashion, Matt and Trey take a topical idea and ramp it up to absurd levels, culminating in a "Mad Max"-style road battle.
Firstly, let's get the one negative out of the way: the jokes at Lizzo's expense seem a little too cruel. While Lizzo's star has dimmed due to recent allegations over her behaviour, the shots at her 'body positivity' image and her music feels a bit lazy. Or, if you want to give Matt and Trey the benefit of the doubt, maybe their criticism is directed at all the keyboard warriors who love ripping into her on social media? Either way, it feels like Lizzo is an easy target.
The best thing about this special is Cartman's portrayal. We're so used to seeing the evil Cartman who cynically manipulates everyone to get his way. In this special he's genuinely vulnerable and almost resigned to a life of being teased about his weight. Even the rest of the boys - who usually love ripping on Cartman - do their best to help him, including navigating the almost impenetrable American healthcare system (with a nice little song from Butters) and Big Sugar (in the form of famous cereal mascots). And we get a nice happy ending with a genuinely satisfied Cartman.
It's also nice to see Randy in a different light. As one of the most popular characters, Randy can be massively overexposed (the Tegridy Farms stuff got old quickly), but here he actually grows: he starts out with selfish motives, and gets caught up in the Ozempic craze, but learns that he doesn't need that life. It's also nice to see him and Sharon actually being affectionate to each other.
The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team (2020)
The Spirit of Cricket
2023 was a big year for the Australian cricket teams: the Border-Gavaskar series in India, the World Test Championship Final and Ashes in England, a surprise ODI World Cup win back in India, followed by a dominant home summer against Pakistan and the West Indies.
While season 2 of "The Test" was underwhelming, season 3 makes up for it.
With only three one-hour episodes, the focus is on the WTC Final and the Ashes.
Not surprisingly, the dramatic Lord's Test dominates: Nathan Lyon's calf injury (when we see Garry at his most vulnerable), THAT Jonny Bairstow dismissal, and Ben Stokes threatening to pull off a repeat of the Headingley 2019 run chase.
Two moments from the Bairstow fallout stood out: the footage leading up the dismissal that showed Bairstow wandering from his crease multiple times (which Pat Cummins and Alex Carey took advantage of), and an overhead shot of the dismissal that proved the umpire hadn't called 'over' and the ball was still live. This footage alone showed Australia were justified in stumping Bairstow and all the 'Spirit of Cricket' nonsense from the England players, fans, and media was pointless.
Another thing that stood out was how mature the playing group was. Most of the players have children and Cummins, Lyon, Usman Khawaja, and Mitch Marsh all talk about how important their families are. Marsh is the highlight as he openly talked about how he was one of the most hated players in Australia and his efforts to turn that around with the excellent Headingley century. And there was concern over Alex Carey's wellbeing after the horrible abuse he copped from the English media. While the final 2-2 result (meaning Australia retained the Ashes) was disappointing, there was still pride at keeping the Ashes.
These player insights are supported by veteran cricket journalists Gideon Haigh, Peter Lalor, Alison Mitchell, Jonathan Agnew (who offers the England perspective on all the drama), as well as ex-player/commentator Ravi Shastri.
The Regime (2024)
Winslet Carries this Dark Political Satire
Known for her prestigious dramatic roles (and embracing grittier parts like the crime drama "Mare of Easttown"), Kate Winslet switches things up as a delusional dictator in this dark political satire.
The best thing about this show is watching Chancellor Elena Vernham (Winslet) lose all grip on reality as her country fights back against her stranglehold. Even towards the end, when she's on the run, the rebels have overthrown her, and she's stripped of her luxuries, she still believes 'her people' need her.
Matthias Schoenaerts is excellent as Corporal Herbert Zubak (Elena's sidekick/lover). He's genuinely terrifying at times as he has a short fuse, is violent, and can snap at any moment.
But the ending is strange: it feels it's going to be an underwhelming 'it was all a dream' finale, but it's simply a time skip to when Elena is back in power in Europe. The good thing is the audience is free to work out how Elena returned to her old ways: one theory is she bided her time with the Americans and struck at the right time, using all her political cunning.
If you like political satires like 'VEEP', 'The Thick of It', or 'The Death of Stalin' (but darker, more violent, and more serious), then 'The Regime' is worth watching.
Chucky (2021)
Chucky's Carnage Continues
After nearly 40 years, seven movies (not counting the 2019 reboot), and three seasons of the TV series, the "Child's Play" franchise - like Chucky himself - is seemingly immortal.
While the third season of "Chucky" again features Chucky up against Jake, Devon, and Lexy, the stakes are raised as high as possible, with Chucky in the White House.
At times it feels like the "Child's Play" franchise is finally coming to an end: Charles Lee Ray finally confronts his mortality as Chucky grows visibly sicker and older (which allows Brad Dourif to play Ray in human form again) and there's a seemingly permanent end for Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany Valentine.
But the final episode - with the White House set on fire during a violent final set piece - leaves no doubt that the series will continue (at some point).
The "Child's Play" franchise has a deep love for its history and its meta humour, so it's appropriate that Wendell Wilkins (John Waters) is introduced as the creator of the Good Guy dolls. Tiffany not only survives but she and Chucky are given a fresh start in new dolls. And - to add to the anticipation - Jake, Devon, Lexy, and Nica Pierce are placed in genuine danger by the end.
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story (2024)
Legendary
Still going after 40 years, Bon Jovi are one of the most enduring bands in rock 'n' roll history.
"Thank You, Goodnight" not only celebrates the band's legacy, but the fight to keep performing. While there's only four episodes, they run between 60-90 minutes each, so there's plenty to enjoy.
Even the most hardcore Bon Jovi fans will find something new in the archival footage and old band interviews. There's even an unreleased song 'Cadilliac Man', which was intended for the '90s Robin Williams movie of the same name.
The structure of the documentary switches between the band's preparation for their 40th anniversary tour and looking back at their career - going right back to Jon Bongiovi's early years in the '70s. Even Jon's acting career is briefly covered, as well as the impact of 9/11 and Covid.
While this is a celebration, the documentary doesn't skip over the darker moments: the focus is on Jon's battles with a failing voice. Jon does everything in his power to stay at his peak, and even contemplates retiring if he can't perform to his satisfaction. At one point, Jon gets emotional when talking about the band's legacy. That's how much it means to him.
Though Jon is - expectedly - front and centre in this documentary, there's also contemporary interviews from the surviving members of the band and some of their managers. Richie Sambora explains the real reasons why he left the band in 2013 (a combination of addiction problems and family issues). Bruce Springsteen - who Jon became good friends with - is also interviewed, as well as Jon's wife Dorothea.
While most of the albums are covered, I was disappointed that the excellent 'These Days' album was skipped over. It was a big departure from the band's usually optimistic, working-class anthems; it would have been interesting to hear the band discuss why they chose that bleaker path, but sadly it's not to be. And Jon's second solo album 'Destination Anywhere' (recorded in the break between 'These Days' and 'Crush') is barely mentioned: though considering it was a middle-of-the-road album, it was probably a wise choice.
But the documentary ends on a positive note, with the band recording their new song 'Legendary' from their upcoming album.
Conan O'Brien Must Go (2024)
One for the Podcast Fans
Based on his "Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan" podcast (a spin-off from "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend"), "Conan O'Brien Must Go" sees the veteran comedian meet his fans in Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland.
If you love Conan, you'll know what to expect: lots of silliness and lots of Conan happily acting like a clown for various people.
Full credit to Conan though, he's up for anything: singing multiple times (including singing on a Thailand reality/talent show), going indoor rock climbing, trying spicy street food, making a cameo on an Irish soap opera, starring in an animated short film, learning how to be a viking, learning to knit, playing soccer in Argentina, and learning Muay Thai boxing. He fully immerses himself in every stunt.
While some of his fans are overwhelmed when they see him, Conan manages to bond with them (and their families) and find a connection: he genuinely cares about his fans.
There's also a guest appearance from Conan's long-time co-worker Jordan Schlansky. Jordan is so straight-laced and 'cultured' that it's hard to tell if he's a genuine snob or if it's all act to wind up Conan. In the Argentina episode, Conan and Jordan (jokingly) argue about the correct pronunciation of 'tango'.
The Irish episode is the best, as Conan not only visits his fans, but tries to learn the language and learn his family tree from a genealogist. Watching Conan discover more about his great-grandfather is the closest the series gets to a serious moment, as you can tell Conan's heritage means a lot to him.
If you're familiar with Conan's podcasts, then you'll love these specials. There's lots of cameos from co-hosts Sona Movsesian and Matt Gourley in the podcast interview segments and a special opening titles narrator that "Needs a Friend" fans will love.
John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023)
The Legend of the Voice...Up to a Point
John Farnham is rock/pop royalty in Australia and widely known as 'The Voice', with a recording career spanning nearly 60 years.
This documentary charts the first 20-odd years of Johnny/John's career: 'Sadie', the Little River Band, and breaking through with 'Whispering Jack'.
While the cream of Australian and international rock/pop music is interviewed, it feels like this documentary doesn't go far enough. After John finds fame with 'Whispering', it fast forwards to present day, with the death of Glenn Wheatley (which hit John hard), and John's own sad diagnosis.
There's nothing on John's time as Jesus in 'Jesus Christ Superstar' or his prolific solo career that lasted until 2015 (until the 'Two Strong Hearts' live album with Olivia Newton-John).
The highlights of the documentary are John's transition from lightweight pop star to genuine pop/rock icon (with the legacy of his early days haunting him as he tried to establish a career post-LRB), John's lifelong friendship with Wheatley, and John's tongue-in-cheek hatred of 'Sadie': it became a running joke in live shows that John would 'refuse' to play the song and playfully berate the audience for requesting it.
Though, as this documentary is called "Finding the Voice", maybe the point was to stop when John became a megastar after 'Whispering Jack?
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
An Entertaining Sequel
After the surprise success of the first film (thank heavens the studio listened to fan backlash and changed Sonic's design to be more faithful to the video games), a sequel was inevitable.
And the sequel is just as entertaining as the first one.
While there are silly elements (like Sonic's montage while he's home alone, and the Sonic and Tails battle), the movie works by staying faithful to the source material, with another wonderfully over the top performance from Jim Carrey as Dr Robotnik, and Idris Elba's excellent portrayal of Knuckles.
Fans of the video games will appreciate the references to the Choas Emeralds, the appearance of Super Sonic, the musical cues, and the teasing of Shadow in the credits scene for the third movie. And the hardcore fans will surely discover more Easter Eggs with repeated viewings.
Elba plays Knuckles as a serious and dangerous enemy, but adds touches of humorous naivety, as he adjusts to being on Earth. The good news is we'll see a lot more of him on the new Paramount+ series.
While most of the human actors are throwaway, Wade (Adam Pally) is by far the worst. He's there as comic relief, but the character is more embarrassing than funny.
Fortunately, Elba, Ben Schwartz (returning as Sonic and mixing the hedgehog's childlike fun with dashes of Jean-Ralphio from "Parks and Recreation"), Carrey (who seems to have a blast as Robotnik again), and Colleen O'Shaughnessey (who also voiced Tails in the video games) make this movie entertaining family fun.
Elvis (2022)
Spectacular
While glitzy music biopics can be hit-and-miss (either choosing style over substance or being woefully innacurate), "Elvis" is one of the best music biopics in recent times, even accounting for Baz Luhrmann's trademark colourful and frantic filmmaking style. Though Luhrmann wisely skips over Elvis' movie career, which was full of boring, cut and paste 'Elvis sings songs and gets the girls' films.
Austin Butler feels like the second coming of Elvis: not just in looks but with his voice. It reminds me of how Joaquin Phoenix nailed Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line".
Tom Hanks is also outstanding as Colonel Parker, veering between being a father figure to Elvis and ruthlessly squeezing the 'Elvis Presley' brand dry.
The highlight was Elvis' love of Black R&B/soul/gospel music. He grew up with it and the music gave him strength when Col. Parker was driving him to exhaustion. Elvis secretly turns a hackneyed and syrupy Christmas special into a tribute to the music he loves - it's a refreshing change from hearing all the classics songs we've heard a million times before.
Elvis also defied the conservative 'wowsers' of the early days who wanted to jail him over his 'obscene' stage moves (which seems awfully tame by today's standards).
The highlight of Butler's vocal performance is a cover of 'Unchained Melody' towards the end. By this stage, Elvis can barely move, sweating buckets as he sits at a piano and someone holds the microphone for him. But his vocals are absolutely powerful as he puts every little bit of energy into the song.
Even if you're not an Elvis fan, Butler and Hanks' performances might turn you into one.