We’re moving through April 2024 and it’s definitely not a place where a lot of people thought we’d be. With the fall TV season being pushed back due to the strikes, a lot of films delayed and being adjusted, and of course just the nature of seasonal broadcasts, it’s been pretty light lately. We’ve had a number of things we’ve checked out but a lot of what I’ve been doing is rewatching older stuff or spending time on holiday programming. Which isn’t actually a lot to talk about when you get down to it. So, to kick off this latest week, we want to highlight some of the things we’re looking forward to this month.
The Argylle film recently got added to the Apple TV+ availability and while I didn’t jump at it right away it’s been on my list since I saw the first trailer ages ago. The film didn’t do well theatrically or critically but I’ve got an affection for Matthew Vaughn’s work, even as he’s on a downward slide the last few years. I enjoyed the first Kingsman film and have liked aspects of the follow-up works but Argylle is just a further example of someone that’s not getting told no or leaning so far into their excesses as to be really problematic. There’s always been a certain plasticity to his work because of the overexaggerated nature of what’s going on, taking the old James Bond lighter style and pumping it full of adrenaline, but Argylle is taken even further and – quite possibly worse – is just done poorly. There’s so much CG in areas where it was absolutely not needed that it looks even faker than usual. The disconnect from reality in terms of the visuals just makes it feel even less and that furthers the way you disconnect from investing in it. The actual story itself is fine writ large – it’s a very familiar one – but it’s probably 45 minutes too long and just too self-indulgent with nothing to actually say. There are flashy moments and I absolutely love Bryce Dallas Howard getting a chance at a role like this but the problems just make it a slog. The lack of any real grounding here and the attempt to make it part of everything else – and offer easy sequel potential at the end – just makes it not worth paying attention to. With a $200 million budget, I’d have rather seen Vaughn make four $50 million films instead and get back to the kind of filmmaking he’s best at.
After launching with two episodes, we’re now digging into the seventh episode of X-Men ’97. As big and crazy as things get with this, it’s no surprise that things just get even more so as it goes on such as the arrival of Cable at the end and the realization by both Jean and Scott as to who he is. It’s a lot of things thrown at us quickly here and with so much going on in different areas but it’s all still cohesive. I do still have the feeling of a speedrun of the original work so that hasn’t changed but there’s some good stuff going on with what Sinister is trying to do, how he’s being manipulated himself, and just the larger scale of events. I still miss the X-Men from my original introduction when they weren’t quite so big in the world and the things they faced were smaller, but this animated series is capturing a lot of the Big Idea stuff in a fun way. Plus, you know, Captain America.
Check out our full review.
This past week also saw the fourteenth episode of the final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. A big part of this episode is waiting to see how things come together since they’re all in or near the facility but at very different points and facing different things. Each has things that drive the tension but I particularly liked watching Echo as he moves through the base and as Emerie ends up coming across him and we see the conflict she’s facing amid all of this. It’s a good crossing of paths and puts Emerie on a new path that she has to really embrace to survive here. It’s a good balance to the more straightforward things that Hunter and his group are going through and what Omega and the other kids are trying to deal with. It sets up for a big final push in the finale next episode.
Check out our full review.
Movie reviews:
- SPY x FAMILY CODE: White’ Review
- Sometimes I Think About Dying Review
- Rascal Does Not Dream Double Feature Review
- The Marvels Review
- The Zone of Interest Review
- GREAT PRETENDER razbliuto Anime Movie Review
- Night of the Comet Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD Review
- Hayao Miyazaki Says ‘Farewell’ with “The Boy and the Heron”
- The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Review
- The Canterville Ghost
- Animation Is Film 2023: The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story
- Animation Is Film 2023: Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower
- Animation Is Film 2023: The Concierge Review
- Animation Is Film 2023: The Boy and the Heron
- The Inventor
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Film Review
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods Review
- Justice League: Warworld Blu-ray Review
- The Little Mermaid
- The Boxtrolls Review
- Kubo and the Two-Strings Review
- Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Review
- Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – The First Kiss That Never Ends Anime Movie Review
- Sword Art Online The Movie – Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night Movie Review
- Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan’s Island
- Missing Review
- The Whale Review
- Point of No Return Review
- Blonde Review
- Wendell & Wild
- Clerks III Review
- Luck Review
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
- Hustle Review
- Top Gun: Maverick Review
- The Bob’s Burgers Movie Review
- Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers Review
- Stu’s Show Review
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition Review
- Bubble Anime Review
- Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis Anime Review
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review
- Turning Red Review
- The Batman Review
- Belle Review
- Drive My Car Review
- The Power of the Dog Review
- Robin Robin Review
- BoxBallet Review
- Bestia Review
- Eternals Review
- Encanto Review
- 8-Bit Christmas Review
- Music Box: Jagged Review
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review
- Tick, Tick…BOOM! Review
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Review
- Free Guy Review
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission Review
- Dune (2021) Review
- Black Widow
- Jungle Cruise Review
- As the Village Sleeps Review
- Space Jam: A New Legacy Review
- A Quiet Place Part II Review
- Knots: A Forced Marriage Story Review
- School-Live! The Movie Blu-ray Review
- In the Heights Review
- Over the Moon Review
- Feeling Through Review
- Two Distant Strangers review
- Yes-People Review
- A Love Song for Latasha Review
- If Anything Happens I Love You Review
- Burrow Review
- Godzilla vs Kong
- Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story Review
- Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years Preview
- Raya and the Last Dragon Review
- The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Review
- The Little Things Review
- In Other Words Review
- Earwig and the Witch Review
What did you watch this past week?
