The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

First Steps is the FOURth attempt to bring Marvel's first family to the big screen successfully and it appears they may have finally found the FOURmula. By keeping it simple stupid, The Fantastic Four have found their groove. I've always felt the criticisms of previous FF films were overblown and I feel First Steps, being very standard superhero film fare, is perhaps being treated rather generously comparatively. Still the film works and is pleasant, if light, entertainment that doesn't take any risks.  

My favourite part is likely what you'll hear the most about, the film's retrofuturist art direction and design. I felt it walked just the right balance without overdoing it. It makes it stand out and gives it some character without being draining on the audience. The story here is all set on an alternate earth which no doubt will be pulled into the main Marvel timeline in upcoming Avengers movies but for now these four get their own little corner of the universe to exist in. 

Again this is a big part of what makes it work. It just gets to focus on its simple story and characters and have fun with them. And so we get to have some fun. The film's special effects felt a bit wonky at times, especially the poorly rendered Silver Surfer, but the nostalgic vibes make up for much of that giving it such an appealing appearance. The film keeps to a rather tight timeframe and keeps its story within predictable guardrails so audiences shouldn't find anything too objectionable. Mainly my critique is how safe First Steps feels, like its designed to be as widely appealing as possible never attempting to step on any toes. 

But to be fair being widely appealing is still appealing. Maybe Marvel will give this team another shot with some more interesting takes after they have played their planned role in the next big Marvel cross-overs coming up. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson, Mark Gatiss, Robert Downey Jr.

Director: Matt Shakman

Writers: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer

Sorry, Baby (2025)

Writer/director Victor has made an incredibly impressive debut with her film Sorry, Baby, a surprisingly moving and entertaining reflection on surviving sexual assault and the essential connection of friendship. Early into Sorry, Baby I knew I was watching something special and excited about a new film maker.

Despite the description of the film I just gave, please understand Sorry, Baby is a very funny, very watchable film, that despite dealing with some quite significant themes, is engaging and cathartic. Victor, who also stars, brings what turns out to be a delightful, if exceptionally dry, sense of humour to her character allowing us to digest everything without dismissing it or being overwhelmed. Her handling of the narrative, through some non-linear jumps in the timeline work well without feeling gimmicky, and help bring us full circle to the climax, a rather hopeful and promising ending that the title reflects. 

Victor focuses on her friendship with Ackie’s character, cantering the importance of this friendship despite their careers and separate romantic relationships. She carves out a space for her own sexual connection with Hedges’ character which isn’t handled in a rom com meet cute way, but finds a wonderful level of humour with it, and a wonderfully honest look at how romantic/sexual relationships can be clumsy and far from perfect without being bad which is remarkable in a film about a truly bad sexual experience her character experiences elsewhere. 

Victor’s handling of the assault, which is not depicted on screen and is recounted to the audience and Ackie through her own description, is deft and sensitive. It is an extremely banal sexual assault, which also allows the film to explore the impacts of such an event despite it not being the sort of explicitly violent incident we often associate with the concept. The film has the space to acknowledge just how much this moment, both the actions of the perpetrator, and the subsequent reactions that followed, took from her and so much of what makes Sorry, Baby work.

Sorry, Baby was quietly revelatory, a sweet surprise of a film that truly grabbed my heart and gave me hope. It made me laugh and reflect on painful things at the same time. Victor has truely broken onto the scene in an exciting way with this very lovely little film. 

Sorry, Baby

Starring: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges, John Carroll Lynch, Louis Cancelmi, Kelly McCormack 

Writer/Director: Eva Victor

Eddington (2025)

I’m not a fan of Aster and Eddington, his meandering reflection on the COVID pandemic, did little to change that. Like his previous effort, Beau is Afraid, Eddington dragged and plodded along somewhat aimlessly, masquerading as profound. His films have always felt performative to me in how they offer so little in substance while putting on an air of significance. 

He’s not an untalented film maker. I find many of his choices as a director to be interesting. For me it’s his writing. His stories mostly have no there there. Eddington, which takes only the most surface scan of pandemic issues and boils them down to the most cliched tropes, is more focused on its increasingly absurdist plot which continually jumps in intensity. There are a number of escalations in violence and intensity which often come from nowhere. In fact the climax depends on a literal, unexplained, come from nowhere party that is never explained.

But for me the worst part is that it is boring. As I started with, the film drags. As it becomes sillier throughout I found it harder to be engaged with the characters (none of whom are developed more than 2-dimensionally) or the film entirely. 

Eddington

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, Emma Stone 

Writer/Director: Ari Aster

Brick (2025)

I'm a sucker for a high concept mystery thriller. Brick has all the elements: a confounding premise, layers of meaning within its plot, and a cast of diverse characters. I like figuring out these puzzles and enjoying the ride to get there. Brick ends up getting to an ending I appreciated, but a lot in the middle feels filler. Often these sorts of films work really well through most but end up not sticking the landing. For me Brick was the opposite, strong set up and finish but middling middle. 

A lot of what does work is the chemistry between stars Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee (a real life couple). The levels I am referring to are the ways the story conflates a couple being stuck together with the premise of being physically stuck in their apartment. These two pull this off. Unfortunately most of the rest of the cast do not and leave much of the journey-to-freedom feeling like going through the motions. 

Also these sorts of thrillers need to pull off the gimmick. Generally I liked where it went but there was some (again in the middle... although closer to the end) where the "technology" bits felt a little too fantastic. I would have appreciated a but more of a grounded tech that they hacked on their way to freedom. Still, the thing that saved it from being entirely a write off was how Brick actually presents an interesting explanation in the end and answers just enough without over explaining, leaving some mystery in our minds as the credits roll. 

So Brick may not be a great fun film but it is also not so bad. As a fan of Schweighöfer, who has a tremendous screen presence, I was enjoying myself through most of it even when its plot got a little off the rails. 

Brick

Starring: Matthias Schweighöfer. Ruby O. Fee, Frederick Lau, Salber Lee Williams, Sira-Anna Faal

Writer/Director: Philip Koch

 

Superman (2025)

This is not the Reeve Superman of Superman the Movie. As much as many will try to connect it to Christopher Reeve's version, in the way that Superman Returns attempted to connect, writer/director Gunn has set out on his own path. This is also not Man of Steel. James Gunn has crafted a completely new (for film) take.  For comic fans, the best way I can describe it is "Silver Age". This is the Superman of the comic books and all that implies. While 1978's legendary film attempted to make us believe a man could fly and Man of Steel tried to ground Kal-El in the real world, Superman is about bringing the world of comic books to life, and it jumps off the screen like the books jumped off the page. 

Filled with comic accurate characters (including costumes and haircuts) and the pulpy sci-fi elements that defined the character for decades in the comics (Superman robots, and of coarse, as everyone is aware, Krypto) the film isn't afraid to lean into its comic bookish leanings. It boldly embraces its roots, even structuring its story in the way comics are written, like how it starts with the action already in play. 

Corenswet nails the role, both embodying the stereotypical look and presence of the Man of Tomorrow, while also carrying himself with a natural kindness and jovial energy that makes him feel like Superman. Brosnahan has incredible chemistry with him and balances a bit of the Kidder goofiness and Adams intrepidness. Gunn's writing shines most in the scenes of them together, crafting his signature snappy dialogue into an almost Sorkinesque banter than helps build the characters but also help us feel their love. Hoult was deliciously evil in what was the most obvious source nod. He plays Lex as a comic book villain through and through and it was infectious seeing him have that much fun. 

But who are we kidding? The real star of the show was Krypto!

Some of Gunn's personality comes through. The level of humour isn't as sophomoric as the Guardians films, but there is an inherent silliness to the writing that works better sometimes than others. There are times the characters seem to be explaining themselves, their powers, their motivations in ways that feel a bit forced. Perhaps this fits with the comic book feel. Also the themes, while moving (I'm getting to that), are a bit on the thin side. Gunn hands them to us on a platter in some moments and there aren't a lot of nuances. 

But for me Gunn nails a big part of what makes Superman Superman and that means the film worked wonders for me. Sure it was just a damn entertaining film that barely stops to allow any downtime. But it also captures what makes Superman so meaningful for me. I know it's cool to think Batman is the best superhero and supposedly Superman is unrelatable. But I've never related to a billionaire orphan trust fund detective. I've related to the adopted kid who feels different. Superman finally, more than any of the live action films before, gets what it means to be Clark Kent and be raised as he was. The ending for me had me tearing up. There is good stuff about Lex's xenophobia, the immigrant struggle, and Clark's ultimate humanity playing into this story too but it was the way he captures who Clark is that truly resonated for me. 

So this is a Superman film that leans into the fun, perhaps touches on silly, embraces its nostalgia, and yet still nails the pathos. It was a truly fun time at the movies. 

Superman

Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Wendell Pierce, Skyler Gisondo, Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Frank Grillo, María Gabriela de Faría, Milly Alcock, Sean Gunn, Alan Tudyk, Michael Rooker, Grace Chan, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, Michael Rosenbaum, Will Reeve

Writer/Director: James Gunn

40 Acres (2025)

I love a promising directoral debut of a film maker that I'm now excited to see what they will do. And that's just what I got with 40 Acres from R.T. Thorne. It's a tight yet beautifully filmed mix of post-apocalyptic morality tale and action film starring a strong cast, lead by the indomitable Deadwyler, that delivers both thought provoking drama and edge of your seat action. 

Thorne is very efficient with his story, working in the backstory without taking away from the action. He builds his characters and their relationships in a very organic way. There were only a couple of times I felt the script was cramming in some information. He gives us a great deal to think about in terms of how he builds our discomfort and mistrust, making us second guess our assumptions. I appreciated the way he used racial dynamics to infuse the story with relevance and layers of meaning. 

And all of this is under the surface of what is essentially an action/horror film that delivers on that. He plays with action tropes in a very clever way. At one point in the third act a character about to shoot someone makes a movie-style wise crack but it sort of backfires. I loved these little attentions to details that brought the fun into what otherwise is a serious movie. I felt Thorne's balancing of those ideas was well handled delivering solid and satisfying action along with the gravitas of a powerful story. 

Deadwyler is remarkable (not a surprise) in how she manages to build individual relationships with each of the other characters, and show a myriad of sides of her character in how she connects differently in each role. She shows strength and pain so powerfully and in the film's final moments she really brings it home summing up all that we just watched. 

40 Acres explores the tensions between what we do to survive and the reasons surviving is worth while at all. It explores the tensions between our responsibilities as parents and the love we have for our children. All of that wrapped up in an engaging action film that knocks it out of the park. I love it when a film can do a whole bunch of things all at once and a new film maker appears to be starting an exciting career. 

40 Acres

Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Kataem O'Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Leenah Robinson, Jaeda LeBlanc

Director: R.T. Thorne

Writers: Glenn Taylor, R.T. Thorne

 

The Old Guard 2 (2025)

To sum up my feelings about The Old Guard 2, the cast and the story are delivering what they can with this sequel but the production feels so corner-cut it always feels a bit off. The story in The Old Guard films is good but Netflix feels like they are only half-assing the execution, Netflix not the cast. So there are so many moments that you know would have come off even better if this had been treated like a major cinematic franchise. 

As someone who enjoyed the first film I still enjoyed this, enjoyed seeing the characters back, and enjoyed their further development. However I was disappointed in how much it felt like a second rate production. There are moments that would have likely had me cheering but everything had an air of low budget to it, and not in a retro-cool way. Do I still want to see more of this world? I do. I just hope they find it in them to really back this project and give it the trilogy it, and its cast, deserve. 

That brings me back to wanting to shout out to the cast for doing what they can with what they are working with. Theron and her troupe never phone it in, even if Golding and Thurman feel underused. 

*Spoiler*

The film boldly ends on a cliffhanger. And not just any cliffhanger. It doesn't even finish its story. This is like Wicked, Dune, Spider-verse, or Dead Reckoning level cliffhanging. This is really only the first part of the story and we end somewhere in the middle of the action. Without The Old Guard 3 greenlit this was an interesting choice. One that might leave fans hanging without any resolution. 

The Old Guard 2

Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Matthias Schoenaerts, Vân Veronica Ngô, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Uma Thurman, Henry Golding 

Director: Victoria Mahoney

Writer: Greg Rucka

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

I had a lot of fun at Rebirth. I'm not sure I can say it's a good movie. There are issues, which I will get to, that keep it from being great. But pound for pound this is one of the most fun Jurassic movies in the series. 

Okay lets get the bad out of the way. The script stumbles... a lot. Especially in the beginning the movie is so eager to get to its main plot that it really cuts corners on the development of characters and situations in the first act. Throughout there are a lot of oh-come-on-now moments like Johansson cutting the wire on a fence to climb through despite the wires being far enough apart any human could climb through. The characters are drawn paper thin and the plot is completely borrowed from JP3 and JW Fallen Kingdom but who's counting? Finally I bet you can guess who lives and who dies after the first 20 minutes of the film. It's all quite predictable. 

Okay, now that's out of the way let me talk about why I had a good time at Rebirth. The film, more than any previous instalments of this series, leans into its monster-movie roots. From the cold open, which is scored like a 50s science fiction b-movie, the film lays out what it is, a monster mash up, and it doesn't give up on that. The film is one scene of dino carnage after another and despite the predictability I mentioned, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The film doesn't spend time worrying about plot details or believability. It is wholly focused on mayhem and I am here for it. 

Rebirth also pays loving tribute to what's come before. There are not too subtle references to the original Jurassic Park (an early shot of a car review mirror with the "close than they appear" text, the famous museum banner that centred in the first film's money shot) and even some lifted dialogue. No this film never reaches the heights of that classic but perhaps it is better not to try and to instead just gives us a fun story, even if it doesn't always make much sense, about running from dinosaurs. 

And if we weren't convinced of the film's total embrace of its b-movie aesthetics, the end has the group facing off against a mutated dinosaur that looks like nothing something that would have evolved. It had rancor-monster from Star Wars written all over it. 

I'll give the movie one more credit and that's how it refused to shoehorn in a needless romance. Other than a teen couple (who were already dating before the story begins) no characters are flirting or falling in love. They are just trying to survive and maybe becoming friends. It is refreshing when these films don't feel the need to shove a false feeling romance sub-plot in where it isn't needed. 

Jurassic World Rebirth

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein 

Director: Gareth Edwards

Writer: David Koepp