Jeff Bridges, Allison Janney and Jesse Eisenberg will voice characters in ‘Minions & Monsters’.
It’s the latest ‘Despicable Me’ spin-off featuring the chattering creatures.
The movie will arrive on July 1.
There’s no keeping those Minions down. The chattering characters from the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise who have had a few of their own spin-off movies are back later this year for another new entry, ‘Minions & Monsters’.
A prequel to 2010’s ‘Despicable Me’ and sequel to 2022’s ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru,’ the newest adventure is set in the world of 1920s Hollywood as the yellow underlings work to find the lead of their monster movie.
Described as “rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true,” the story follows how the Minions conquered the entertainment industry and became movie stars… only to lose everything and unleash monsters onto the world before they banded together to save the planet from their mayhem.
When will ‘Monsters & Minions’ be in theaters?
Universal has confirmed a July 1 release date for the new animated outing.
In theaters on August 29th is ‘The Roses’, the new adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel about a married couple whose relationship descends into frustration, deception and all-out war.
Jay Roach and ‘The Favourite’s writer Tony McNamara go a different route for ‘The Roses’, which for much of its running time is a portrait of a seemingly blissful couple whose public façade hides simmering resentments, but is more cold war until it truly ignites in the third act.
McNamara has long shown a talent for writing believably toxic relationships with enough of a farcical edge to keep it all from being too brutal –– except when it needs to be. His screenplay for ‘The Roses’ is the perfect fodder for two British stars (American audiences may sometimes react the way their marriage counsellor does in the first scene, taken aback by the sheer comic vitriol on display) to trade barbs like consummate pros.
And Roach, who has blended comedy and drama to winning effect (but also knows how to make farce serve story), was a solid choice to make this, keeping out of the cast’s way and working with them to develop the dynamics in very funny, sharp ways.
While you do sometimes wonder whether the film would have been better set in the UK, the disconnect between the leads and their American friends/co-workers does add some spice to the story.
This one really works because of its firecracker central pair; Cumberbatch and Colman may not totally convince as a couple deep in the throes of love and family, but when it comes to subversive, scathing dialogue, they are experts.
As Cumberbatch’s character sees his professional architect career (and ego) crumble even as his wife’s chef ambitions flourish, they craft excellent performances, bouncing off one another.
There is a deep bench of comedy performers backing them up, but the standouts here are certainly Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon as Amy and Barry, friends of the couple whose own marriage has seen better days. Credit also to Allison Janney, who pops up for one scene as Colman’s ruthless divorce lawyer, stealing every moment she’s on screen.
‘The Roses’ may be more a skirmish than a war, but it is also a reboot that justifies its existence with a very different type of caustic relationship clash and superlative performances from its leads.
It may not always be a feel-good movie, but that’s not the intent. And it’ll certainly make you laugh.
Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids.
But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing –– as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.
Bryan Cranston and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.
‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on June 20th is ‘Everything’s Going to be Great,’ which chronicles the ups-and-downs of a family who (mostly) work behind the scenes in a local Ohio theatre.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.
The sort of small-scale, yet big-hearted comedy drama that looks to carve out space among the bigger movies at the box office, ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ looks to mostly draw attention from its two leads and a quirky blend of coming-of-age misadventures, family tension and, just to mix things up, visions of long-dead entertainment figures.
It’s something a little different from director Jon S. Baird, who is better known for the more vulgar likes of police comedy ‘Filth’, but has certainly dipped into theatrics before via his biopic ‘Stan & Ollie.’
Script and Direction
Allison Janney and Chris Cooper in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.
Scriptwriter Steven Rogers has been cranking out screenplays for decades –– his resume stretches back to the 1990s likes of ‘Hope Floats’ and ‘Stepmom’ and his most recent produced screenplay was 2017’s ‘I, Tonya’.
With all that experience, you might have hoped for something a little more solid and unique from his latest, which, while it is far from a failure, meanders along through some mildly entertaining moments but never really seems to come alive. Which is disappointing for a movie about characters whose lives are mostly lived in theatrical fashion.
Bumbling along as patriarch Buddy (Bryan Cranston) struggles and schemes to score a contract at a new bigger theatre venue, it’s also partly focused on youngest son Lester (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), who has his own dreams of stage stardom, but must first figure out more basics aspects of life, such as fitting in at middle school.
Older brother Derrick (Jack Champion), meanwhile, has his own issues –– he’d prefer to live a more normal life, comprised of playing football and dating girls, and is sick of having to perform in musicals.
Then there’s Macy (Allison Janney), who is really hoping things change for the family, but worries that she doesn’t have the same enthusiasm for theatre that her husband does, and is turning more and more to religion to find comfort.
Bryan Cranston in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.
I won’t spoil the big change that happens about a third of the way through the film, but it does at least spark some interesting, dramatic material for the characters, even the narrative doesn’t quite leave itself enough road to deal with everything effectively.
As director, Baird mostly stays out of the way of the performances; aside from the occasional drop in from deceased creative people who offer advice to Lester from the great beyond, it’s a largely straightforward movie, visually.
He does decent work coaxing good performances out of the younger cast in particular, but little stands out.
Cast and Performances
Allison Janney in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.
As patriarch Buddy Smart, Cranston goes all in on the quirky, enthusiastic but humane theatre producer whose big Broadway dreams have been curtailed but whose spirit is undamped. It’s a fun performance, and he works well off of Janney and the two actors playing his sons. Even if his bushy mustache is doing half the work for him.
As Macy, Buddy’s slightly more tamped-down wife, Janney’s always good at finding nuance in a role such as this, and when Macy moves more into the spotlight, she brings some depth of feeling and extra comedy levels to the part.
Playing Lester Smart, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has a few more levels to access, including the teen’s conflict between his theatrical side and the realities of young life in 1980s small-town America. He’s solid in the role and never showy, even when Lester chooses to be.
Jack Champion manages to stay away from most of the jock/big brother cliches, and finds a good vibe with Ainsworth for a convincing sibling dynamic.
Chris Cooper is fine as Macy’s brother, who the family has to move in with at one point, but he’s not given as much to do as he might.
Elsewhere, Simon Rex has a good supporting part as Kyle, an actor who starts working for Buddy and Macy but causes some friction within the family.
Jack Champion in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.
While the movie is unlikely to burn up the box office or enter the cultural consciousness, ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ is a decently funny and touching, if fairly slight, comedy drama.
A fine cast and some good moments don’t really add up to a truly memorable movie.
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What’s the story of ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’?
As the Smart family wrestle with their over-sized dreams, they come to realize that the struggle to find your voice and your place in the world can happen no matter what stage of life you’re in.
Who is in the cast of ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’?
Allison Janney as Macy Smart
Bryan Cranston as Buddy Smart
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Lester Smart
Jack Champion as Derrick Smart
Chris Cooper as Walter
Simon Rex as Kyle
Jessica Clement as Selena Roach
Mark Caven as Noël Coward
Laura Benanti as Tallulah Bankhead
Poster for ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Other Movies and TV Shows Directed by Jon S. Baird:
(L to R) Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in ’10 Things I Hate About You’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
Preview
A new trilogy of movies spun off from ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ is planned.
Director Gil Junger is behind the new development.
The 1999 original starred Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.
It might not have run with the popular crowd at the box office, but fizzy, witty comedy ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ certainly made an impact in the popular culture, riding a wave of Shakespeare-to-modern times adaptations (see also: ‘Clueless’) and helping to boost the careers of stars Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, who both brought considerable charisma to the roles of unlikely high school sweethearts.
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There have been some minor developments since the original (more on that lower down the page), but if original director Gil Junger has his way, there could be much bigger ideas on the horizon. He’s working with original producer Andrew Lazar to develop a new movie called ’10 Things I Hate About Dating’ based on the original that could launch a potential trilogy.
“‘ 10 Things I Hate About Dating’ is definitively in the works as a feature film. We’re developing it right now. We have some pretty good ideas.”
If all goes to plan, Junger, Junger — who is currently co-writing the script with Naya Elle James — plans to make it the first in a trilogy, with two more subsequent installments titled ‘10 Things I Hate About Marriage’ and ‘10 Things I Hate About Kids.’
There’s no specific word yet on how closely the movie would link to the original, but it appears Junger has plans for cast cameos from the first film:
“If it resonates with the original cast and I can have some cameos or even real parts, I’d love that. I’d love Larry Miller to come back because he’s so great.”
And while the original had Shakespearian DNA, the new movie is inspired by Molière’s 1666 play ‘The Misanthrope.’
Julia Stiles in ’10 Things I Hate About You’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
The 1999 teen comedy, based on William Shakespeare’s spiky romantic comedy play ‘The Taming of the Shrew,’ follows teen Kat Stratford (Stiles), a high-achieving, sharp-tongued loner who is constantly compared to her perky, popular younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) by their overprotective single dad, Walter (Miller).
But Kat’s world is soon turned upside down by Patrick Verona (Ledger), an edgy new student who changes her life.
Until, that is, he hatches a plan with Patrick to sweep Kat off her feet –– no easy task.
While the movie, made for $30 million, only ended up with $53 million at the worldwide box office, it still sparked a healthy fanbase.
Here’s what Junger told People about appreciating the movie following a 25th anniversary screening:
“I thought, ‘God, I was so on my game.’ I remembered exactly where I was standing, what notes I gave there and what I did. And then I look out to the audience during my Q&A, and my 22-year-old and my 19-year-old were sitting in the front row with their dates. And they weren’t born when the movie came out. They weren’t even a thought.”
What else has spun off from ’10 Things I Hate About You’?
(L to R) Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in ’10 Things I Hate About You’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
There have been follow-ups since the original movie. A ’10 Things’ TV series landed on ABC Family in 2009, featuring little of the original cast save Larry Miller, and seeing Kat and Bianca navigating other high school challenges. It only lasted one season.
Even now, as has been the case for a variety of movies, a Broadway musical is in development with musician Carly Rae Jepsen co-writing the score with Ethan Gruska, and filmmaker/ ‘Girls’ creator/star Lena Dunham working on the book with playwright Jessica Huang.
Jepson took to Instagram recently to enthuse about working on the stage show:
Junger himself has had sequel ideas before now, admitting that he offered Ledger a role in a follow-up he was developing shortly after the original movie called ‘10 Things I Hate About Me.’
He’s confident that any new movie would feature a nod to the star, who died in 2008 aged 28:
“I think that’s a beautiful idea, and the answer is now going to be yes. He deserves to be loved.”
When might we see the first new ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ movie?
There’s the rub right now –– since the movies are only in development, we’ll have to wait and see if it makes it to the greenlight stage.
But given rights holders Disney’s love for classic IP it can exploit (see: the TV version, the musical, etc.), we’d say this could be more than love’s labour’s lost.
Heath Ledger in ’10 Things I Hate About You’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers in ‘Another Simple Favor’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
‘Another Simple Favor’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Arriving globally on Prime Video on May 1st, ‘Another Simple Favor’ throws us back into the knotty dynamic of mommy vlogger-turned-crime sleuth Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and mysterious, murderous fashion plate Emily Nelson (Blake Lively).
This sequel to the 2018 murder mystery brought to screens by director Paul Feig, looks to amp up the mystery even further, throwing in new family members and some luxurious Italian island locations.
On television, there’s a common trick of sitcoms and other shows usually anchored to one place to goose things up by taking the characters on holiday. ‘The Brady Bunch’ went to Hawaii. ‘Friends’ brought us “The One in Barbados” and the usually hospital-bound ‘Scrubs’ splashed out for a destination wedding in the Bahamas.
‘Another Simple Favor’ tries a similar trick, albeit in movie form (though it is premiering on Prime Video), moving its murder mystery machinations to the picturesque isle of Capri in Italy. But is it enough to elevate everything? That’s a more complicated question, one whose answer is both yes and no.
Script and Direction
Paul Feig attends the Amazon MGM Studios ‘Another Simple Favor’ New York Special Screening on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York City. Photo: Prime Video.
Together, they have concocted something that feels as though it has a similar energy to the original movie, while looking to heighten things to an even more absurd degree. Which is saying something, given that the 2018 effort had more turns than a corkscrew.
‘A Simple Favor’ effectively blended its mystery and comedy tones together, and while the follow-up attempts the same trick with some new complications, it mostly manages it, while sometimes tipping too far into ridiculousness.
Still, there are the requisite laughs to be found here, and enough twists to keep you guessing. Once the new main mystery is revealed, it does rather start to deflate, and there is some egregious sequel baiting towards the end.
Feig, returning as director, proves he can adeptly hop between genres, and being let loose in the beautiful island of Capri certainly allows him to up the visual interest of the movie. He also capably manages the new cast recruits while keeping the focus squarely where it should be: the winning, sometimes overly catty dynamic between Kendrick’s Stephanie and Lively’s Emily.
Lively might be the superstar here, but it’s Anna Kendrick who really keeps the movie grounded and funny. As Stephanie, who is awkwardly trying to enjoy her newfound fame following the events of the original film (and capitalize on them by writing a book about the case), Kendrick remains the comic powerhouse of the film, whether she’s effectively narrating the movie through her video channel or trading barbs with Lively’s Emily (or, er, Hope, as she should really be called.)
As for Lively, she’s back in full-on comic-inflected femme fatale mode, as she struts around in outrageous clothing and gets passive-aggressive with Kendrick’s character. She once more makes an impact, whether she’s plotting her next move or proving more of a friend to Stephanie than she might have suspected.
There’s also a healthy vein of vulnerability in both the leads, which makes the characters as relatable in the past, even as the screwball murder mystery is dialed up into ever more frenzied levels of complexity.
Around them, a collection of returning and new performers add extra layers to the story.
Henry Golding is able to let loose more as Sean, Emily’s ex-husband (who had a dalliance with Stephanie in the original), and here is a drunken, sarcastic mess, throwing endless shade at his ex.
Of the newcomers, the highlights are Alex Newell, who steals moments and scenes as Stephanie’s enthusiastic assistant/book tour manager Vicky and Elena Sofia Ricci as Portia Versano, the powerful, calculating mother of Emily’s new fiancé Dante (Michele Morrone), neither of whom show up on google searches, but are clearly very rich and powerful –– it won’t take you long to guess why.
Less present, but still entertaining are Detective Summervile (Bashir Salahuddin, returning from the original) and FBI agent Irene Walker (Taylor Ortega), who help drive the plot while not forgetting to bring the laughs.
The really nutritious additions to the cast are Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins, who consume whole sections of scenery playing Emily’s grasping aunt and drunken mother.
‘A Simple Favor’ sometimes coasted on the power of its stars and some fun plot turns, and ‘Another Simple Favor’ falls into a similar trap.
Still, the idyllic countryside helps it feel different enough, and though it can’t quite keep the momentum up towards the end, watching it is not too much of an ask.
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What’s the plot of ‘Another Simple Favor’?
Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman.
Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
Arriving on Netflix on October 31st, the second season of ‘The Diplomat’ might not be the most Halloween-centric offering, but it certainly possesses enough to scare you about how the world truly works.
The political drama from ‘The West Wing’ veteran Debora Cahn continues the story from the first, as Keri Russell’s ambassador balances her learning curve while representing the United States in Britain with what she’s quickly learning about an unfolding conspiracy.
Early on in ‘The Diplomat’s first season, there were plenty of comparisons made between this series and ‘The West Wing’, given creator Debora Cahn’s experience on the writing staff of that show and the familiar environs of political chess moves within different administrations.
While those are still relatively fair (the show features a lot of walking and talking and the occasional spiky dialogue scene), ‘The Diplomat’ has long since evolved into its own thing, in ways both positive and negative.
It’s rarely as compelling as Aaron Sorkin’s classic series could be when it wanted to, but at the same time we can’t forget that the previous show had around 24 episodes per year to develop its characters, backstories and plotlines, as compared to ‘The Diplomat’s relatively skimpy eight-episode first season, which shrinks further to six episodes in Season 2 (though that’s because it was renewed for two seasons at once, and the third was shot back-to-back with the second for a total of 12 episodes, the next other half due next year).
Yet judged on its own merits, ‘The Diplomat’ has plenty to offer.
Cahn leads her own writing team with aplomb, focusing more tightly on a core group of characters who all bring something to the table. And showing that she knows her way around a conspiracy plot, she builds an entertaining story full of twists and turns. Just when you think you know the truth, it pivots in impressive ways to show more layers.
The interpersonal conflicts between the characters also works well, particularly between Russell’s Ambassador Wyler and her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) –– the scenes heat up whenever they’re sparring about the latest situation.
And though there’s not as much for other characters to do outside of their jobs, they’re all fun to watch.
On the directing front, with the visual look led by Cahn’s fellow ‘West Wing’ alumnus Alex Graves, it’s glamorous enough, making good news of some very impressive British locations, including the chance to shoot outside the U.S. Embassy in London.
Performances
With Russell and Sewell as the main drivers of the drama, there are also other characters and performances who stand out.
Wyler is a fireball of a character, a woman who might seem an unlikely choice for an ambassadorial position given her temper, but who nevertheless is great in the job. Russell makes an already well-rounded character really work well, balancing her fury at what she learns with a need to employ her smarts on the job.
Sewell also shines as Wyler’s husband, the experienced diplomat who can’t help but meddle in her affairs and uses his own connections to dig up information and put out fires (though he occasionally causes them). He’s a great portrait of a powerful man who can’t quite let go of the idea that he’s no longer as essential as he once was.
Kinnear is more normally found as the sort of supporting character he excels at (see Tanner from the Daniel Craig Bond movies), but Trowbridge is his chance to embrace a powerful, conflicted figure and he grasps it fully. The British Prime Minister is a fascinating, insecure man and factors even further into this year’s plot line.
The chief of the CIA station at the US embassy and an ally to Kate Ahn’s Park is an excellent foil for the ambassador, eminently capable and yet also emotionally vulnerable when it comes to her on-again-off-again relationship with Ato Essandoh’s Stuart Heyford, the ambassador’s chief aide.
Janney, another ‘West Wing’ stalwart, sweeps into the show late in this season and lifts every scene in which she appears. The accomplished actor, like Russell and Sewell, really knows how to make Cahn and co.’s dialogue sing.
The supporting cast is populated with a quality group of actors who work in different levels. Essandoh does good work as Stuart, while the likes of David Gyasi (as the British Foreign Secretary) and Celia Imrie (as Trowbridge confidante-turned-whistle blower Margaret Roylin) brings all of her British national treasure chops to the fascinating role.
Picking up the story strands laid down by the first season effectively, the second season of the drama proves to be even more entertaining. Digging further into the conspiracy story but never losing sight of the personal stakes involved, ‘The Diplomat’ remains one of Netflix’s stronger titles.
‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2?
A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler’s (Keri Russell) world. Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and the team that split apart, Kate’s worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn’t come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government.
As Kate chases the truth, her only real ally is her almost-ex-husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), very much alive, and very much involved. She faces a fraught marriage, a complex dynamic with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), and a threatening visit from Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney).
Who else is in the cast of ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2?
Visionary director Gareth Edwards creates a futuristic world where humans have declared war against Artificial Intelligence, who has created a mysterious and powerful weapon that threatens the end of mankind.
‘The Creator’ had its world premiere screening on September 18, 2023, at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. It was released domestically on September 29 in various formats, such as IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and ScreenX.
The movie has been in theaters for over 60 days since its release and may no longer be showing in theaters. Missed its theatrical run? Don’t worry. ‘The Creator’ has already made its way to PVOD. You can purchase the movie digitally in 4K for $19.99 on mainstream services such as Amazon Prime Video, Google Pay, YouTube, Vudu, and Microsoft.
For those waiting on a home release, the movie will be available on December 12, 2023 on UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD, just in time for the holidays. The physician release will feature a variety of bonus features, including a 55-minute behind-the-sene featurette titled “True Love: Making The Creator,” where director Gareth Edwards, film crew, and actors talk about the filming experience and the film’s documentary-style approach.
The movie was released by 20th Century Studios, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. It was recently announced that the movie will debut Wednesday, December 20, on Hulu.
‘The Creator’ is an ambitious film with excellent world-building, interesting character designs, and the promise of an expansive original sci-fi film, the excitement around the movie continued to build. Edward’s vision for the film was inspired by his love of Vietnam war films, mixed with robotics and sci-fi. The budget for ‘The Creator’ cost around $80 million. Unfortunately, the buzz did not result in a stellar box office performance as one would expect. It opened at a little over $14 million, and has grossed $40.7 million domestically. For the global box office, the movie recently passed $100 million at the worldwide box office.
Watch the official trailer for ‘The Creator’ below:
“From writer/director Gareth Edwards (‘Rogue One,’ ‘Godzilla’) comes an epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence. Joshua (John David Washington, ‘Tenet’), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan, ‘Eternals’), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory… only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).”
Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and possibly mankind itself.
Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory… Only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child.
Gareth Edwards is more known these days for being the director behind such giant franchise movies as ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (more controversially on the latter, since there was plenty of talk about how the studio had Tony Gilroy come in and re-write/re-shoot chunks of the movie, and it’s telling that Gilroy would go on to create prequel Disney+ series ‘Andor, not Edwards).
But before both of those behemoths, he was the talent responsible for the excellent, grounded (despite the presence of giant alien creatures) ‘Monsters’ in 2010, which mixed a very human story of mismatched love with superbly realized effects. ‘The Creator’ leans much more into that style of film, with its shaky-cam guerilla shooting utilizing some beautiful natural backgrounds across Asia and story of a human being making a connection.
Yet while ‘Monsters’ was inspired by disaster films (and Richard Linklater for its central duo), ‘The Creator’ is feeding more from the output of filmmakers such as James Cameron and Francis Ford Coppola. This is a work of excellent world building, Edwards carefully assembling a reality where the West is engaged in a conflict against the artificial lifeforms it built to perform tasks which has since rebelled to secure its own freedom.
A nuclear strike on Los Angeles a decade ago left America going on the offensive, but in a nice twist of the usual man-vs-machine narrative, Asia has embraced the AI, offering sanctuary for the various synthetics. It gives the story echoes of Vietnam, the U.S. involved in a war it may not win.
To try and prevent that, the US government has built NOMAD, a giant orbital weapons platform that can target individuals and structures, launching devastating missile strikes. The technological terror makes for superb visuals, spectral lasers scouring the countryside and raining fire down upon mech-heads.
‘The Creator’ also looks great, the mostly natural settings (though a grubby industrial city glimpsed midway through the movie is just as remarkable) giving this a standout style.
Edwards also has a good eye for casting, with Washington giving another solid performance and bonding well with newcomer Voyles, who believably mixes childlike innocence with the flawless effects work of the character. Supporting them are the likes of Janney (as a gritty Colonel who will stop at nothing to track them down) and Watanabe, reuniting with his ‘Godzilla’ director and doing typically excellent work as an AI with a link to Joshua’s past.
This might be the most beautiful and technologically effective sci-fi thriller you’ll see this year.
There are some downsides to the movie, primarily that its world-building invention and affecting performances can’t quite overcome the storyline, which feels like the director (who wrote the script with Chris Weitz, his collaborator on early drafts of ‘Rogue One’) borrowing parts of other movies.
It’s possible to see elements of primarily James Cameron’s movies, especially ‘The Terminator’ (a U.S. Army vehicle deployed late in the movie reminded me of the tank-like Hunter Killers) and ‘Aliens’ (in the dynamic of the grunts Janney leads into combat), blended with something more along the lines of Alfonso Cuaron’s work.
Which is not completely a bad thing –– if you’re going to borrow, why not pick the best? Yet when you’re ticking off elements you’ve seen in movies such as ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Blade Runner’ and not completely concentrating on the tale that Edwards is looking to tell here, you know you’re in some trouble.
Likewise, the story itself, of Joshua’s connection to the young AI, is something we’ve seen several times before even with the various metaphysical and ethical trappings aiming to freshen things.
Add to that the fact that despite an early scene of them swapping banter, the bond between Washington and Chan’s characters is nowhere near as effective, with the various flashbacks to stages of their relationship coming across as the filmmaker trying to convince you to feel something and falling short.
The problems, though, don’t sink this one. It’s good to see Edwards back to his own sphere after a few years of running around in other people’s genre playgrounds. ‘The Creator’ is proof that he hasn’t lost his touch for sweeping sci-fi with relatable emotions at its core, and it’s certainly one I would recommend seeking out in IMAX formats to make the most of the love poured into the look of the movie.
This may not be the most original movie you’ll see this year, but it’s certainly one of the more impressive. Welcome back, Gareth Edwards: we’ve missed your viewpoints and your heartfelt humanity.
‘The Creator’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
‘The Creator’ opens in theaters on September 29th.
‘The Creator’ is produced by New Regency Pictures, 20th Century Studios, McFarland Entertainment, and Entertainment One, and will be in theaters on September 29th.
Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Gareth Edwards about his work on ‘The Creator,’ what fans can expect from the new movie, the themes of AI that he wanted to explore, the friendship Joshua and Alfie form, and working with actors John David Washington and Madeleine Yuna Voyles.
‘The Creator’ director Gareth Edwards.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to audiences sitting down to watch this film to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?
Gareth Edwards: If They’ve already decided to go and they bought their ticket, I would say nothing at all. If they haven’t, I would say, it’s very hard to talk about a film without doing any spoilers whatsoever. I’d just say, “It’s not what you think It’s going to be.” The title of this movie, when we were making it, was called ‘True Love.’ It’s a very emotional journey, I hope. That is the thing. The thing I’m most hearing about now as we’re starting to show the film to people, is how they are surprised about how they were affected, emotionally, watching the film. I mean, I love robots and explosions and spaceships, and that’s why I started making the film, but it’s all for nothing if it doesn’t give you the feels.
MF: Can you talk about developing the story and the themes of Artificial intelligence that you wanted to explore with this movie?
GE: I think when you sit down and go, “I want to make a movie about prejudice,” or whatever the theme is, if you do that, you’re going to make a terrible film. You lock onto something that super interests you. For me, it was the idea of, essentially, if you’ve seen the materials, there’s a little AI child at the heart of this movie. John David Washington’s character is essentially sent to kill it. He can win the war and save humanity if he just kills this kid. In the process of taking the kid to be assassinated, he starts to question everything he believes and gets very torn, and everyone is pursuing them and all those things. When you land on something that interests you like that, as you’re writing it, it starts to tell you what the theme is. You get themes about prejudice and about xenophobia or whatever, and then you try to help that, like a child who grows up and tells you what it wants to be when it’s older. It’s like a story does that too. You try to encourage it. But I hate films that preach to you and I love films with gray morally. I am going to be fascinated what people think when they come out and how it makes them feel about AI and everything, because I try to take people on quite a journey and I’m not sure everyone fully appreciates. I think they think they know what the movie’s going to do and I hope it doesn’t do that.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the very “human relationship” that Joshua and Alfie form together and creating that chemistry with John David Washington and Madeleine Yuna Voyles?
GE: Yeah, it was super important that the two of them had that chemistry. It was fundamental to the entire movie. Madeleine, she is beyond her years. She’s like a reincarnated brilliant actress from some other era, I think, because a six-year-old girl should not be able to do that kind of performance she did. Basically, she’s very introverted. You know what I mean? She’s very shy, and so it was hard to get into her bubble and become a friend of hers. She keeps everyone at a distance in a good way. Also, we were in the middle of nowhere in the jungles of Thailand shooting this movie. I couldn’t blame her. But then John David worked really hard to become her best friend and he cracked it. It was really hilarious to watch, because when you do a take and an actor needs to stay in the zone, they’re doing something emotional or something, and what happens, you say, “Cut,” and they go off into the corner and they won’t talk to anyone. They need their little space. He would go off into the corner. Madeleine would just get up, follow him, hold his hand, and start talking about some toy she really liked at home and that she played with, or tell him some random story, the way kids do, that’s completely just something only a kid can say. You’d be hearing this cracking up. John David was such a nice guy. He’d lean down and talk to her, and play, and get all enthusiastic with her. He became her big brother and best friend. They had had a long period of not seeing each other. It was her birthday the other week. We went to Disneyland with her and with John David. Her eyes, just the whole day, it was like she’d been reunited with her best mate. It was beautiful.
‘The Creator’ is produced by New Regency Pictures, 20th Century Studios, McFarland Entertainment, and Entertainment One, and will be in theaters on September 29th.
While attending with their mother (Allison Janney), Ben’s boyfriend (Karan Soni), and a man Alice meets on the plane (Dustin Milligan), they disrupt Eloise’s dream of a perfect wedding with their family drama.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kristen Bell and Ben Platt about their work on ‘The People We Hate at the Wedding,’ the film’s family dynamics, Paul’s difficult relationship with his mother, and Alice’s estranged relationship with her sister.
Kristen Bell stars in Prime Video’s ‘The People We Hate at the Wedding.’
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Kristen Bell, Ben Platt, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Dustin Milligan.
Moviefone: To begin with, Kristen, can you talk about Alice’s relationship with her family and could you relate to the family dynamics we see in the movie?
Kristen Bell: My family is very different. I would say that my family is definitely what keeps me grounded. The cool thing about my family is that there’s a few of them, and I’m talking close family members that haven’t seen anything I’ve been in because that is not my relevance to them. I am the little sister. I am not in ‘Frozen’ or in ‘The Good Place.’ They’re like, “Well, you don’t come watch me at work.” It’s not that they don’t love me, that’s not why I’m important to them. So, my family is very different, and I love that about my family.
But what I found so interesting is playing someone that has such a dysfunctional relationship with everyone because of a trauma that she’s experienced, and the fact that she just cannot seem to make her life what she thinks she wants it to be. I think that is very relatable to a lot of people, that stagnancy, that like, “Oh, why did I do that?”
Because the first 20 minutes of this movie, you’re just yelling at my character, “Why would you do that? That’s going to be terrible for you.” There’s something really entertaining, just to put it bluntly, about watching someone make terrible decisions. But we have 90 minutes, so we’re able to give everyone a beautiful arc to be able to realize why family is important.
(L to R) Ben Platt, Allison Janney, and Kristen Bell star in Prime Video’s ‘The People We Hate at the Wedding.’
MF: Ben, can you talk about Paul’s issues with his mother and how that affects his relationship with his boyfriend?
Ben Platt: I think something that a lot of queer people deal with is judging others before they are judged because I think we’re used to a lack of acceptance. I know that many people aren’t as privileged as I have been to have a family that has been fully, openly accepting of who I am.
Unfortunately, in the case of Paul and his mother, it’s such a misplaced anger and a distance that does not need to be there. Thankfully, spoiler alert, but you could probably tell by the vibe of the film, it does turn out okay and they can find each other again.
But I think it almost bonds him to his sister Alice, that Kristen plays, even more so. They have such a special kind of shared language and they really exist on the same wavelength, and theirs is my favorite relationship in the film.
But I think even more so when he feels on the outs with his mother, for the reasons that thankfully he finds are not true, I think he even burrows further into his connection with Alice as his lifeline and someone to commiserate with about it.
(Far L to R) Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Kristen Bell star in Prime Video’s ‘The People We Hate at the Wedding.’
MF: Finally, Kristen, can you talk about the relationship between Alice and her sister Eloise, and why they aren’t as close as they were when they were younger?
KB: I think in a family dynamic it’s very easy, especially when there are three siblings. I come from a family of three siblings and it always seems to be that two have teamed up and one is on the outskirts. Again, like Ben was saying, there’s this misplaced jealousy because of years and years of a lack of communication or miscommunications. I think the overall lesson of this movie was you have to be able to communicate clearly and be vulnerable.
Because there was a lack of vulnerability between these two sisters for such a long time that harbored all this animosity, and so they’re coming at their conflict from two completely different places. It’s just interesting to watch unfold, especially to play the sister that is so jealous of her older sister who seemingly has this perfect life, and everything put together, and everything is so easy.
That’s low hanging fruit to be able to be angry at. But if you really look at the older sister’s life, you realize it might not have been as easy. But those kinds of conversations are hard and thankfully we have them in this movie.
(L to R) Ben Platt and Kristen Bell star in Prime Video’s ‘The People We Hate at the Wedding.’
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