Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill) and SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
Long since the original animated series debuted in 1999, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ has become one of the most popular and successful franchises in pop culture. And it has been putting out movies since 2004, in theaters and on Netflix.
So any new ‘SpongeBob’ movie naturally has the challenge of appealing to the various different fan bases –– with, as usual, a focus on younger audiences who spark to its manic energy.
Script and Direction
Gary (Tom Kenny), Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
With a script by ‘South Park’ veteran Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman (‘The Christmas Chronicles’), the new movie also benefits as always from a storyline cooked up by series creatives Marc Ceccarelli and Kaz.
Essentially, if you’re already a fan of this one (particularly a young one), it features pretty much everything you’d hope for –– silly jokes, wild cutaways, zany energy and more –– and if not, you might wonder what the fuss is all about.
Cast and Performances
Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill) in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
The regular main cast are all back in their roles, and the usual energy between them is present and correct.
New this time are Mark Hamill (he replaced Brian Doyle-Murray, the usual actor for the Flying Dutchman), who brings just the right spark to the role, and Regina Hall, who has a nice edge as the Dutchman’s second-in-command, Barb.
Final Thoughts
Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) and SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
Given that this one originated as a streaming-only title headed for Netflix, but has ended up with a theatrical release, it’s an encouraging sign. And the movie has enough entertainment power to be worthy of the jump.
‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ receives 65 out of 100.
SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) and Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill) in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
What’s the story of ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’?
Desperate to become a “big guy”, SpongeBob, setting out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs, travels to the deepest depths of the ocean to follow the Flying Dutchman.
Who is in the voice cast of ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’?
Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the Snail
Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) and SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants’ from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
(L to R) Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch, Garrett Wareing as Stebbins, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, David Jonsson as McVries, Ben Wang as Olson, Tut Nyuot as Baker, and Joshua Odjick as Parker in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate.
(L to R) Joshua Odjick as Parker, Jordan Gonzalez as Harkness, David Jonsson as McVries, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, and Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate.
Stephen King began writing ‘The Long Walk’ in 1966, at the age of 19, while a student at the University of Maine, and eventually published it 13 years later under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Rediscovered after his Bachman cover was blown in 1984, ‘The Long Walk’ has since been acclaimed as one of King’s finest early novels and a frightening depiction of a totalitarian future in which citizens are mere fodder for the regime (at the time King wrote it, it was an allegory for the Vietnam War).
A film version has long been in development, but has now finally arrived from director Francis Lawrence, who has been traversing similar territory with his adaptations of the ‘Hunger Games’ books (which owe a clear debt to this and King’s other early dystopian work, ‘The Running Man’). We’re pleased to report that ‘The Long Walk’ is easily one of the finest King-based films ever, capturing the harrowing intensity of the narrative as well as the camaraderie that develops between its characters, especially the warm friendship between its two leads that gives the story a powerful emotional gut punch.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Mark Hamill as The Major and Director Francis Lawrence in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo Credit: Murray Close.
At some point in the indeterminate (but not too distant) future, the United States has been taken over by a totalitarian regime that annually stages a contest called the Long Walk, in which 50 young men must walk from Maine to Florida without stopping. If you stop for any reason or fall below the required pace of three miles per hour, you are given a warning. If you reach three warnings and do not resume walking at the correct speed, you are executed. The last walker alive wins, and is given a lifetime of freedom, riches, and opportunities.
‘The Long Walk’ focuses in particular on two of the boys thrust into this hellish marathon: Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson), who quickly forge a friendship that McVries in particular extends to a number of the other contestants. Even as others on the Walk try to sabotage them, and despite the malevolent presence of the Major (Mark Hamill), the mysterious figurehead who presides over the Walk, a group of the boys manage to keep each other going – all while the Walk takes a horrific and increasingly fatal physical toll.
In theory, ‘The Long Walk’ might not work onscreen, given the straightforward nature of the narrative and the ever-tightening if repetitive cycle of death as more and more contestants succumb to their doom. But Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner (‘Strange Darling’) keep the focus squarely on the characters, particularly Garraty and McVries, as we learn more about them and watch them turn from frightened, uncertain pawns into something resembling, of all things, a resistance.
Roman Griffin Davis as Curly in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo: Murray Close.
It’s the human element that powers ‘The Long Walk,’ although the horror of the situation is never far away. And while we don’t gain very much knowledge about this version of the U.S., the bleak, decrepit, empty homes and storefronts we see along the way – along with the scattered, hollow-eyed observers on the side of the road – tell us all we need to know about a dying nation ruled by cruelty and distraction. Lawrence and Mollner make some cosmetic changes to the material – and alter the book’s ambiguous ending in a way that we’re not sure is totally successful – but capture the tone of King’s work perfectly.
While some of Lawrence’s movies have left us cold in the past – particularly the later ‘Hunger Games’ entries – ‘The Long Walk’ is suffused with a sense of sadness and loss, coupled with the utter brutality of the regime and the way it mercilessly dispatches the walkers who can’t go the distance. But there’s also the warmth of friends and the bond of a shared experience, brought achingly to life by the cast.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Cooper Hoffman as Garraty and David Jonsson as McVries in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo Credit: Murray Close.
David Jonsson has been on viewers’ radars thanks primarily to his main role on ‘Industry’ and his standout work as the android Andy in last year’s ‘Alien: Romulus,’ but he comes fully into his own here as McVries. His mix of optimism, cynicism, courage, and bravado makes the character incredibly appealing and watchable, and his performance is moving enough to be awards-worthy down the line.
Cooper Hoffman has only a handful of credits since making his debut in 2021’s ‘Licorice Pizza,’ but ‘The Long Walk’ may also represent his finest work so far. Garraty is the critical character in the sense that he’s the protagonist who changes the most over the course of the Walk – prodded along by McVries. But his naturalism as Garraty and the chemistry that he and Jonsson share is the engine of the story.
The rest of the cast, almost to a man, step up even when they have little more than an agonizing death scene. But standouts include Garrett Wareing as the villainous Stebbins, Charlie Plummer as the dissolute Barkovich, Ben Wang as the irritating (but heartbreaking) Hank Olson, and Joshua Odjick as the noble Collie Parker. Judy Greer is excellent in her relatively small screen time as Garraty’s mom, and while we appreciate Mark Hamill showing up in his second King movie of the year (after ‘The Life of Chuck’), we wish his work as the Major was a bit more subdued in its menace than over-the-top.
Final Thoughts
Mark Hamill at The Major in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Stephen King is having a banner year on screen: with the acidic ‘The Monkey’ and the excellent ‘The Life of Chuck’ already released and Edgar Wright’s version of ‘The Running Man’ due out in November, ‘The Long Walk’ will nevertheless be difficult to beat. It may well be one of the best movies of 2025, in addition to being possibly the best King adaptation of the year.
Francis Lawrence and JT Mollner have not forgotten that King’s work is not just about the scares or the premise, but the people. ‘The Long Walk’ poignantly chronicles how human beings can find hope and comfort in each other in the darkest of circumstances, a theme that’s even more bracing and timely now as the United States slips terrifyingly toward the kind of scenario postulated in the film. Even as it doesn’t provide answers, it does offer a glimpse of a light in the darkness – and what people will endure to keep walking toward that light.
‘The Long Walk’ receives a score of 90 out of 100.
Judy Greer as Ginny Garraty in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate.
What is the plot of ‘The Long Walk’?
In a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian regime, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest in which they must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour or risk execution. The contest ends when only one walker remains alive.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Long Walk’?
Cooper Hoffman as Raymond Garraty
David Jonsson as Peter McVries
Garrett Wareing as Stebbins
Joshua Odjick as Collie Parker
Tut Nyuot as Arthur Baker
Charlie Plummer as Gary Barkovitch
Ben Wang as Hank Olson
Roman Griffin Davis as Thomas Curley
Judy Greer as Mrs. Garraty
Josh Hamilton as Mr. Garraty
Mark Hamill as The Major
‘The Long Walk’ opens in theaters on September 12th.
.(L to R) T. Mollner, Tut Nyuot, Roy Lee, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill and Garrett Wareing attend “The Long Walk” panel at San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at the San Diego Convention Center on July 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
Preview:
Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk arrived at Comic-Con.
Mark Hamill and Garrett Wareing were among those on the panel.
The movie will be released in September.
‘The Long Walk’, just the latest adaptation of prolific author Stephen King’s work –– in this case, a dystopian tale of an annual event that ends with the death of everyone competing save the winner.
(L to R) Cooper Hoffman as Garraty and David Jonsson as McVries in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Every year, fifty teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as “The Long Walk.”
Among this year’s chosen crop is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty (Hoffman). He knows the rules: that warnings are issued if you fall under speed, stumble, sit down. That after three warnings… you get your ticket.
And what happens then serves as a chilling reminder that there can be only one winner in the Walk. The one that survives.
What happened at ‘The Long Walk’s panel?
Mark Hamill speaks during ‘The Long Walk’ panel at San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
The movie’s panel opened with the latest trailer and then a soldier taking the stage with a loud hailer to explain the premise of the walk to the audience.
Producer Roy Lee and writer JT Mollner were first up on the panel, with Lee praising Mollner’s script for getting the movie made after years in development.
For his part, Mollner recounted underlining dialogue from the book he wanted to use –– suffice to say, he underlined a lot!
Joining them on stage were the likes of Hamill, Wareing, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot and other cast. The early banter between the young actors in particular was mostly enthusiastic descriptions of their characters’ arcs and praise for their co-stars’ skills.
(L to R) Anthony Breznican, Eric Vespe, Mark Hamill, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, Roy Lee and J.T. Mollner speak during ‘The Long Walk’ panel at San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
Hamill revealed that Stephen King had casting approval –– and specifically wanted him to play the character of the Mayor, who oversees the Walk. For his part, Hamill wanted to dehumanize the character as much as possible.
Lawrence and Ben Wang weren’t present at the panel –– they’re both at work on ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ –– but they sent a video praising their colleagues and hyping ‘The Long Walk’.
The panel wrapped up with a screening of the first 22 minutes of the movie. Tense stuff!
When will ‘The Long Walk’ be in theaters?
The new Stephen King adaptation marches into theaters on September 12th.
‘The Long Walk’ opens in theaters on September 12th.
Tom Hiddleston stars in ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
Mike Flanagan is not only one of the premier horror auteurs of the 21st Century, with films like ‘Oculus’ and limited series like ‘Midnight Mass’ under his belt, but he also has a flourishing sub-career as Director Of Difficult Stephen King Adaptations. From ‘Gerald’s Game’ (which was mostly about a lone woman chained to a bed) to ‘Doctor Sleep’ (a sequel to both one of the most iconic horror movies of all time and the very different book it was based on) to, now, ‘The Life of Chuck,’ Flanagan keeps excelling at bringing King stories to the screen that at first seem like insurmountable cinematic challenges.
‘The Life of Chuck’ (which first appeared in King’s 2020 collection ‘If It Bleeds’) reads on the page like one of the author’s strangest yet sweetest stories, with events taking place in three different timelines – and possibly more than one reality – of which the connections only become apparent as the story unfolds. Its centerpiece sequence involves two strangers doing an impromptu (and spectacular) dance in the middle of one of those outdoor shopping and entertainment destinations, and its three parts are told in reverse order.
It’s a strangely affecting story with a widescreen canvas and universal theme, and Flanagan effectively and faithfully translates it to the screen, helped by Eben Bolter’s gorgeous cinematography and moving performances from much of its cast. If some of its parts don’t work – such as an over-reliance on narration and a supernatural aspect that seems tacked on (as it did in the novella) – those are minor distractions from what is, for the most part, a compelling story that fits comfortably alongside other non-horror King adaptations like ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’
Story and Direction
(L to R) Director Mike Flanagan and Tom Hiddleston on the set of ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
‘The Life of Chuck’ begins with ‘Act III – Thanks Chuck,’ the most overtly frightening section of the film. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Marty, a high school teacher who is trying to hold his class and life together as the world starts to literally crumble from some unexplained apocalypse. As California falls into the sea following a 9.1. earthquake, and other disasters wreak havoc worldwide (followed by the loss of the internet, which may not seem as such a bad thing), Marty and others start to see and hear strange billboards and commercials thanking someone named Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz for a ‘wonderful 39 years’ – although who ‘Chuck’ is remains a complete mystery.
‘Act III’ ends with Marty and his ex-wife, an exhausted, despairing nurse named Felicia (Karen Gillan), reconnecting as events around the world grow even grimmer. It’s during the final moments of this segment that we also get our first, flickering images of Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) himself, in ways both inexplicable and melancholy. Both scenarios give way to ‘Act II – Buskers Forever,’ in which a middle-aged, suit-and-tie-wearing Chuck – an unassuming, mild-mannered accountant, as we find out from the narration provided by Nick Offerman – sits quietly on a bench at that downtown destination following a day at an out-of-town bookkeeping seminar.
It’s on his way back to his hotel that Chuck is drawn to a busker (Taylor Gordon) who is banging out a beat on her drum kit. Something stirs within Chuck and he begins to dance – and not just a little tapping of the feet and swaying of the shoulders but a full-fledged, spectacular routine like something Fred Astaire might take on. He’s joined by Janice (Annalise Basso), a complete stranger who’s just been dumped by her boyfriend, but who finds connection with Chuck and the busker through this one random moment together.
It’s in ‘Act I – I Contain Multitudes’ that we learn the origin of Chuck’s skills on the dance floor, as we meet a younger version of him (played primarily by Jacob Tremblay) as well as his grandfather (Mark Hamill) and grandmother (Mia Sara). The Krantz family goes through both remarkable tragedy and simple moments of happiness together – but we also learn why dancing was not in the cards for Chuck’s future and why his grandpa (or ‘zayde’) keeps the upstairs cupola in their house locked up tight.
It’s in this third segment that the pieces of the story fully fall into place, but it’s also where the movie’s heavy emphasis on narration (as good as the wry, always slightly sardonic Offerman is) and the secret of the cupola mix unevenly with the movie’s shifting tones and a late supernatural element that seems randomly dropped into the proceedings. No spoilers here, but Flanagan’s slightly off-balance juggling of these elements slightly dilutes the film’s drive to tie together its themes and narrative into a coherent whole, leading ‘The Life of Chuck’ to wind down into a moderately affecting conclusion instead of a poignant, universal crescendo of emotion.
Cast and Performances
Mark Hamill in ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
Although the movie is called ‘The Life of Chuck’ and it’s that central image of the title character that represents the film, Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz is very much part of an ensemble here. Tom Hiddleston makes the adult Chuck a bit of a cipher in some ways, a man who seems almost inconsequential – until he does his dazzling dance in the middle of the square. Hiddleston gives his all during this sequence (and is tremendous in it), while also showing how Chuck comes fully alive here for perhaps the one time in his adult life.
He’s very good, but the work from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay as the teen Chuck (and the younger actors portraying him as a little boy) hits harder. Ejiofor and Gillan are believable and poignant as two people trying to find their way back to each other with barely any time to lose, while other minor characters are given brief but textured life by veteran actors like Matthew Lillard and Carl Lumbly.
And then there’s Mark Hamill and Mia Sara as Chuck’s zayde Albie and bubbe Sarah. The latter (of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ fame) brings warmth and light to the role of Chuck’s grandma, while the former is equally warm but also a man living with the pain of knowledge he’s not supposed to have. Hamill – appearing in the first of two Stephen King adaptations this year (he has a quite different role in September’s ‘The Long Walk’) – is engaging and sensitive, especially in a scene where Albie, an accountant his whole life, expounds to Chuck on why math is the bedrock for everything in existence, guiding his grandson to a decision that will have repercussions for the rest of his life.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan in ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
Stephen King has always been a deeply humanist writer, and it’s his empathy and compassion that Mike Flanagan seems drawn to and able to capture. Like predecessors such as Rob Reiner and Frank Darabont, he gets King in a way that many other filmmakers don’t. That’s why he aims for the same profundity found in earlier King classics like ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ even if ‘The Life of Chuck’ struggles to hit the exact same high mark.
But there’s no question that the message of this story, while in the end quite simple, is still a moving one: that every moment in a life is precious in some way, and that every life is made up of those moments, which we must recognize for what they are and hold onto. We do contain multitudes, King and Flanagan seem to say, and they’re all beautiful, rich, and worthy in some way, no matter how fleeting. In a world that seems to be coming unglued on a daily basis, that is a message worth repeating. Whether it’s Chuck’s life or yours, it’s important.
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What is the plot of ‘The Life of Chuck’?
Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Hiddleston about his work on ‘The Life of Chuck’, his first reaction to the screenplay by Mike Flanagan and the way he adapted Stephen King’s source material, and the challenges of preparing for and shooting the massive dance sequence.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan.
Tom Hiddleston stars in ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the way Mike Flanagan was able to adapt Stephen King’s source material?
Tom Hiddleston: I remember it so clearly. It was Easter of 2023 and I read it in a single sitting. In the UK, the Monday after Easter is a public holiday, so it’s a day off. Bank Holiday Monday, we call it. I was so moved and inspired by what I read because initially I felt like, I was so intrigued by the first act. It felt like a film about the end of the world, but with such tenderness and such truthfulness about the uncertainty of that experience through Marty and Felicia, the characters played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan. Also, because I had the letter from Mike, I knew he’d asked me to play Chuck and just like everybody else, I was like, well, who’s Chuck? Who is this guy? Then when it was revealed, what was happening, in terms of the narrative, and I don’t want to spoil too much. But when the stars started to be extinguished and I understood what that meant for Chuck’s life and how it turned into a meditation on joy and an exploration of the magic of the ordinary life of every human being, that none of us are one thing. We all contain multitudes, which is to say that inside the soul of every ordinary human being is an internal world of infinite possibility. That infinite possibility can create a universe in every life, a universe of connections, of people, of experiences, of memories. That when that life comes to an end, so does that universe. It sums up the way I think about life and that sometimes the small moments aren’t small at all, and they end up, in your mind becoming the big moments, in your memory. Really, in the last hours of our lives, all we will carry in our hearts and our minds are the people we loved, the memories we shared with them, the connections we made. That is all that matters. I was so struck by it and so moved by it and so inspired by how Mike had put the film together, and I just immediately wanted to get on the phone with him and say, please, can I do this with you? It was a very special experience and a film that’s very close to my heart.
(L to R) Annalise Basso and Tom Hiddleston in ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
MF: Finally, can you talk about rehearsing for the dance sequence and how many times did you have to shoot it to get it right?
TH: Well, I had, in my own life, less formal dance training than Charles Krantz had. I’ve always loved dancing, but I’ve never danced like this. I had about five weeks and the brilliant, extraordinary Mandy Moore, our choreographer and her assistant, Stephanie Powell, who was working with me in London, we worked every day, and we did salsa, swing, Charleston, Bossa Nova, polka, samba, and jazz. I mean (we did) every dance under the sun, you name it. We put the thing together. It was so thrilling to do it, but by the time we got to set, I think the first four days of principal photography on the entire picture, we shot the sequence in the mall when Chuck starts dancing to the beat of those drums. It was me and Taylor Gordon on the drums and Annalise Basso. We shot it consistently across the same stretch of time so that the light matched, essentially. So, it was between about 11am and 3pm across four days. We just did it from every angle. Every camera was wide, it was high, it was dancing with us, it was Steadicam, and it was on a crane. But I will say, the very last take we did, because we’d do the whole sequence from start to finish every time, was on the fourth day, the Thursday. We went back to a setup we’d done before. It was almost an homage to the great musicals, which contained the entire thing. It wasn’t close-up; it wasn’t a mid-shot. It was both Annalise and me and the drum kit and Taylor and the crowd. We played it from start to finish. It was a moment I will never forget. It was a kind of magical take, and a lot of the sequence is from that take. Mike knew it. I knew it. Annalise knew it. The crowd knew it. Mandy knew it. It was like a perfect thing. That’s where we stopped.
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What is the plot of ‘The Life of Chuck’?
Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
The tale of a robot whose delivery container crash lands on an isolated island populated entirely by animals, it embraces themes such as figuring out who you really need to be beyond who you’re told to be, and kindness as a survival method.
DreamWorks has, like every other animation studio of late, been a little hit-and-miss when it comes to its output. Recognizable properties such as the latest ‘Kung Fu Panda’ offering and ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (the latter showing a healthy willingness to experiment, particularly with animation style) have been successes while branching out into newer territory such as ‘Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken’ have seen less of a profitable return (it didn’t help that the latter was more blandly generic than even the latest ‘Shrek’ spin-off).
So it’s good to see that the studio is still willing to take risks, including this adaptation of Peter Brown’s book. It’s a relatively simply narrative, but it does have a lot of heart. A few issues here and there aside, ‘The Wild Robot’ is a welcome, stylish addition to the company’s roster, though seems less likely to generate multiple spin-offs (but don’t count out the franchise-happy team out entirely, particularly if this scores at the box office).
Chris Sanders is a reliable, experienced filmmaker for both DreamWorks and, before that, Disney, and here his talent for finding relatable stories in offbeat places remains fully intact. After all, this is the man who (along with Dean DeBlois, who would run the franchise) helped turn ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ into a sensation.
‘The Wild Robot’ also feels of a piece with one of Sanders’ earlier movies –– ‘Lilo & Stitch’ with its combination of family themes and physical comedy. It’s not as anarchic as that film, but there are plenty of entertaining characters, and while the writer/director’s script sometimes falls into schmaltziness, there’s enough of an edge that it is largely undercut by something funny.
There are few surprises here in the storytelling about a robot who crash lands on an island, learns to interact with the local wildlife and ends up taking care of an orphaned runt of a gosling with the help of a fox. Bonding and learning new ways to live are at the forefront, along with overcoming prejudice.
Yet it’s in the visuals that the movie itself really soars. DreamWorks has, in the post-Spider-Verse world, shown a willingness to try new styles as first glimpsed with ‘The Bad Guys’ and with ‘Wild Robot,’ that is taken to the next level, its painterly beauty a thing to behold. It really does look like a beautiful children’s tome brought into animated existence and there are some jaw-dropping shots to be found here, not to mention some appealing character designs.
Performances
Built around a superb central voice role from Lupita Nyong’o, the film has a few performances worth noting…
Playing the robot of the title, Nyong’o strikes several sympathetic tones here, working with Sanders to modulate her performance to perfection. When we first meet Roz, she’s the enthusiastic corporate spokes-bot, eager to engage in any task and not realizing how much she’s freaking out the fauna surrounding her. It’s a role ripe with comic potential and Nyong’o fully embraces it. As Roz learns to better understand the animals and unexpectedly bonds with Brightbill the gosling, the story changes with her, maintaining its comic touch but also developing more authentic heart.
The actor also has a smaller, supporting part as Rummage, a fellow robot that Roz builds from the parts of the other machines that crashed with her, though that’s mostly a channel for exposition.
Brightbill the gosling forms the second pillar of the emotional triangle at the heart of the film, and he’s filled with goofy enthusiasm. Connor brings a freshness and real emotion to the role, able to handle the requirements of the young bird’s arc.
The crafty, yet ultimately good-hearted fox that Roz meets when he tries to steal Brightbill (while still in his egg) is another great role for an actor, one that Pascal brings to life with spirit and a cheekiness that works for the animal.
The possum parent constantly trying to teach her kids the value of a fake death is a comic highlight of the film who also has weary parenting advice for Roz once the robot starts trying to care for Brightbill. O’Hara, an expert at getting laughs, also infuses the part with some healthy heart and kudos also to the various young actors who play her mischievous kids.
There are various other standout voices to be found here –– Mark Hamill plays a grumpy bear who ultimately becomes more than that, Matt Berry’s imperious tones just sound right coming from a beaver who is obsessed with chewing down a giant tree, while Bill Nighy is great in a smaller role as Longneck, the wise older goose who takes Brightbill under his wing when it’s time to migrate. And finally, shout outs to Stephanie Hsu (as Vontra, the cheerily evil retrieval operative droid who arrives to take Roz back to her makers) and Ving Rhames as hawk Thunderbolt, who teaches Brightbill how to fly.
‘The Wild Robot’ may not completely push the boundaries of what an animated movie should be (a lot of the “believe in yourself and become more than you thought you could” messaging will be awfully familiar, particularly to parents or guardians who have brought kids to many of these sorts of films), but it has enough genuine heart and invention to succeed.
And visually, it’s absolutely stunning in places, letting the imagery do the work but never skimping on the storytelling.
‘The Wild Robot’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the plot of ‘The Wild Robot’?
‘The Wild Robot’ follows the journey of a robot –– Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” (Lupita Nyong’o) for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.
When you see the names Studio Ghibli and especially company boss/master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki attached to a film, it tends to be a stamp of quality that you can trust. Together they’ve put out some much-loved animated movies including ‘Spirited Away’, ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’.
But while not every title is a winner –– even Miyazaki’s most recent film, one he made after announcing his retirement (‘The Wind Rises’) wasn’t seen as in the top tier of the company’s productions.
Still, it’s good to be able to report that ‘The Boy and the Heron’ is one of the most entertaining (and moving) films that Miyazaki has made in years.
‘The Boy and the Heron’ is Miyazaki back at the height of his powers for sure, hitting themes and concepts that have weaved through his and other Ghibli Studios movies. We’re introduced to our young protagonist at a particularly traumatic time of his life –– his mother has died when the hospital where she works was bombed in the Pacific War –– and he’s moving with his father so his dad can take up a new job (oh and marry his dead wife’s younger sister which would be a lot for any child to deal with!)
As he explores his new home, he discovers family secrets and, somewhat naturally, a mysterious fantasy world full of strange creatures. But it’s all brought so beautifully to life that you won’t ever mind some familiar ingredients –– Miyazaki and his team have weaved another beguiling tale here that has lots of charm and a real emotional punch.
And, of course, the primarily hand-drawn animation (with a little dusting of digital magic here and there) is stunning to look at.
Miyazaki has described this as semi-autobiographical and while he puts the same level of care and attention into everything he makes, you can sense the extra levels of motivation here and the fact that he’s drawing from life again.
There is a lightness of touch to Miyazaki’s writing that even survives the translation process (for the record, we have seen the movie twice –– once in the original Japanese and in the dubbed version with the likes of Christian Bale and Willem Dafoe lending their voices). Opening in dramatic fashion, the film captures the horror of war but then gives way to more of a mystery story, our young protagonist slowly figuring out what is going on with the strange house he’s now living and the portal he discovers.
And while there are heavy themes of dealing with grief, loss and a seismic shifts in life, there is also room for humor, with the Heron in particular a fun character who causes no end of trouble for our hero when his otherworld form is revealed.
On the visual front, it’s naturally lush and lavish, creating some truly original shots. If there is any real criticism to be made, it’s that certain sequences are drawn out perhaps longer than they can, including a sequence of bubble-like spirits hoping to be born in our world (any similarities to Pixar’s ‘Soul’ on this front are entirely coincidental, and even here the Ghibli team makes it distinct).
A lot of the heavy lifting here is carried by main character Mahito (Soma Santoki in the Japanese version; Luca Padovan in the English-language translation), who goes on his fantastical journey and learns plenty of lessons about his own history and dealing with the world.
In Miyazaki’s careful hands, he’s never a bratty character even given his situation, and shows real growth as he makes his way through the alternate world and discovers his true potential destiny there.
Around Mahito, there is a big group of oddball characters, be they chatty, militaristic parakeets or the troublemaking Heron. In both the Japanese and English-language versions, the voice roles are wrangled well. Though animation, particularly anime, has the tendency to push the heightened voice performances to a distracting degree, in ‘The Boy and the Heron’, they really complement the visuals well and bring the characters to life with either stately grace or comic energy.
At a time when the likes of the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ are pushing the boundaries in the CG world, it’s reassuring to know that Studio Ghibli can still make masterpieces in the hand-drawn, 2D arena.
This is a beautiful, haunting and visually dynamic movie that is perfect for family viewing.
Mostly, ‘The Boy and the Heron’ just makes us glad that Miyazaki didn’t completely retire from the world of filmmaking. And if this is to be his swansong, it’s a wonderful movie to go out on.
‘The Boy and the Heron’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘The Boy and the Heron’?
The plot of the film follows a young boy named Mahito longing for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.
There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.
The movie is described as “a semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”
Who else lends their voice to ‘The Boy and the Heron’?
Landing on Netflix on October 12th, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ has Mike Flanagan –– who knows a thing or two about scary stories –– remixing Edgar Allan Poe (ditto) for a truly fun new horror limited series.
Combining a committed cast and some memorably nasty surprises, ‘Usher’ represents Flanagan working in a different style from some of his previous work, and the results are a superb blend of Poe imagery and ‘Succession’ style rich family shenanigans.
What’s the story of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Ruthless siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power.
But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman (Carla Gugino) from their youth.
The plot for this one takes its inspiration from various Poe stories and poems, including ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,’ ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘Annabel Lee’ and more, weaved in either as narrative elements, settings or character names.
Who else stars in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Ruth Codd as Juno Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Mike Flanagan has been making horror series (and the occasional movie) for Netflix for a few years now, but he and creative producer creative partner Trevor Macy are upping sticks and heading for a new deal at Prime Video.
Based on the quality of ‘House of Usher’, Netflix should be kicking themselves that they let this talented filmmaker slip from their grasp. The latest limited series from Flanagan finds him leaning almost into Ryan Murphy mode with its tale of spoiled siblings and the supernatural comeuppance that hunts them down.
‘Usher’ is Flanagan in a wilder, campier mindset than the mostly moody ‘Midnight Mass’, but that’s not to say that this new series doesn’t work. In fact, a blend of ‘Succession’ and the spooky justice that befalls people in Poe’s stories offers up truly entertaining snark and gore.
It’s even more impressive when you think that Frank Langella was cast as Roderick, only to be fired partway through shooting for inappropriate behavior. Flanagan called on one of his regulars in Greenwood, and he fitted in perfectly.
Not only that, but the clever use of different Poe tales for both the overarching theme and the separate stories is also effective –– it doesn’t come across as a splintered anthology series but functions as a whole.
Flanagan has also rounded up some of his regular cast and recruited some new faces (even if some of the “newcomers” are genre veterans such as Mark Hamill, who fits in perfectly as gruff, dangerous lawyer/fixer Arthur Pym).
Anchored by Greenwood, McDonnell and Lumbly, there are few weak links in the ensemble, who bring the various Usher children (plus spouses, offspring, victims and more) to life. Carla Gugino, meanwhile, is pure smoldering brilliance as Verna, the architect of all their pain.
Smartly, Flanagan never pushes the weird style to excess except in certain moments where it actually serves the story; he’s careful to keep the characters largely believable.
Credit also to his team, who bring all manner of locales to life, from the crumbling home that Roderick finds himself in, to the glossy skyscraper that houses Fortunato.
Are there any problems with ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Did the world, which has already seen a number of stories such as ‘Dopesick’ and Netflix’s own recent ‘Painkiller’ really need Mike Flanagan to come along and craft a meditation on the terrible harm caused by those (the Sackler family is the clear model here) who push addictive pharmaceuticals with little to no warning? Probably not, but that angle is just one facet of ‘Usher’.
And yes, given that ‘Succession’ has already brought a near-perfect story of spoiled rich spawn squabbling over control of a family company to screens, there’s the slight feeling of familiarity. Yet Flanagan predicted that, and thanks to the Poe connection, ‘Usher’ heads off in interesting directions.
You could be disappointed that Flanagan has chosen to re-mix and meld the Poe stories into this tale, so if you’re looking for more straightforward adaptations, it’s best to look elsewhere.
And if you’re a fan of Flanagan’s spookier offerings, such as his chilling ghost stories, this might not exactly be what you’re hoping for from him. But give it time; it’ll start to win your over with its audacious mix of classic horror and modern sensibilities.
Is every performance up to the level of, say, Greenwood, McDonnell and Gugino? Perhaps not, but it’s never enough to ruin the fun.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ won’t be for everyone. But it stands as one of the best shows (especially in the wake of the slightly less-than-thrilling ‘The Midnight Club’) that Mike Flanagan and his repertory company have produced.
This feels like a show that could become an annual Halloween treat, assuming Netflix doesn’t vanish it from the servers after a few months in retribution for Flanagan daring to head elsewhere.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.
Mike Flanagan has developed a reputation as a great horror filmmaker (and TV creator) via movies such as ‘Oculus’, ‘Gerald’s Game’ and ‘Doctor Sleep’ and shows including ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Midnight Mass’.
Until recently, he’s been under a big deal with Netflix, where his TV output has been based. But last December, he and producing partner Trevor Macy made a move to Amazon Studios.
Yet the Netflix deal still covers his most recent limited series, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, which finds Flanagan –– who has adapted Steven King a few times –– here drawing from Edgar Allan Poe’s work.
What’s the story of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Ruthless siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power.
But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman (Carla Gugino) from their youth.
The plot for this one takes its inspiration from various Poe stories and poems, including ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,’ ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘Annabel Lee’ and more, weaved in either as narrative elements, settings or character names.
Some of them, such as Siegel (who happens to be Flanagan’s wife), Codd, Thomas and Gilford are Flanagan regulars who have popped in various shows.
Flanagan is directing half of the series’ eight episodes, while Michael Fimognari handles the others.
Here’s what Gugino told Netflix about the series and her character:
“It’s bats**t crazy in the best possible way. It has quite a lot of very dark humor, but also really touches the soul. There is a fantastical supernatural element to the story, and she is the manifestation of that. You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.”
The Frank Langella issue
Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Greenwood, who had worked with Flanagan on ‘Doctor Sleep’ and ‘Gerald’s Game’ (and makes a cameo as a ghost in the background of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’) took over the role.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ will land on Netflix on October 12th.
Mary McDonnell as Madeline Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Movies Similar to ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’:
What is ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story’ about?
‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story’ chronicles the life and career of classically trained actor and director Robert Englund, who has become one of the most revolutionary horror icons of our generation. Throughout his career, Englund starred in many well-known movies, but shot to super-stardom with his portrayal of supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger in the ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ franchise. This unique and intimate portrait captures the man behind the glove and features interviews with Englund and his wife Nancy, Lin Shaye (‘Insidious’), Eli Roth (‘Cabin Fever’), Tony Todd (‘Candyman’), Heather Langenkamp (‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’) and more.
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Who appears in ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story’?
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Robert Englund about ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,’ having a documentary made about his life and career, how he helped Mark Hamill get an audition for ‘Star Wars,’ why Wes Craven’s ‘New Nightmare’ was ahead of its time, and what playing Freddy Krueger has meant to him.
Robert Englund in the documentary film, ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,’ a Cinedigm release. Photo courtesy of Cinedigm.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about participating in this documentary and what it was like for you personally to look back on your life and your career?
Robert Englund: Well, I ran into these guys from Cult Screenings, and I’d been approached several times by different people, especially in this new world we live in with the blogosphere and everything, to do something. Almost instantly, Gary Smart and Chris Griffiths and I hit it off because they’re sort of like walking IMBD guys. They’re film fans. They’re fanboys like me. I don’t want to say I was testing them, but when I was getting to know them in a pub in the UK, I would be fighting for the name of an actor that I loved and they would go, “Strother Martin,” or, “Warren Oates.” Or I would be talking about a Hammer film and they would be saying things like, “Oh, you mean Herbert Lom.” It was great having them there to finish my sentences for me because, even though they’re younger than I am, they like a lot of the same films as I do. They’re not just into contemporary science fiction, superheroes, and horror. They liked the whole world of it and movies in general. So, I knew we had a simpatico going and I said okay to this. So, they began to follow me around and we would set up times. They were off doing research and looking for clips, or I would tell them something that they were intrigued by and they would look for that clip and colleagues that I’d worked with, independently of me. But COVID hit during all of this. I think they had more time to do their R&D while we were all sitting around with our masks on, but we kept getting together. I remember we were together in London a couple of times and in LA and, I think, in New York once, and we stayed in contact. But I just felt really comfortable with Gary and Chris. They really listened to me. I said, “I don’t want to be celebrated. If you want to celebrate somebody, do a documentary on Daniel Day-Lewis or somebody.” But I said, “I am a survivor.” This is, literally, as I sit here talking to you, this is 50 years ago that I was in Statesboro, Georgia, starring with one of the biggest stars of the ’70s, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Pamela Sue Martin from ‘The Poseidon Adventure,’ and doing this terrific film (‘Buster and Billie’) for Daniel Petrie, who directed ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ among other things, my first movie starring role. It’s 50 years since then, and I’m off to do another movie in October and I have a movie coming out this year. It’s this tale of a working actor, and the ups and downs and the misses. In fact, since we’ve done the documentary, I’ve gotten the question about what were the ones that got away and stuff like that. I’ve remembered a couple more. I realize, as actors, we beat ourselves up on those parts we didn’t get, even if they turned out to be flops, which in my case a couple of them did, and a couple of them weren’t made even though they were huge projects. You beat yourself up for months after that, and you don’t sleep well and then it’s gone. It’s in the ephemera. I realize that’s part of surviving too, is having to let go of that stuff. My wife berates me because I still complain about a film I directed and movies that I was up for before she even knew me and we’ve been together 35 years. I realize that’s an actor’s nightmare.
Robert Englund in the documentary film, ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,’ a Cinedigm release. Photo courtesy of Cinedigm.
MF: For years there has been a rumor that you auditioned for Luke Skywalker in ‘Star Wars,’ but the film confirms that you were actually considered for Han Solo and helped get Mark Hamill an audition for the movie, can you talk about that?
RE: I was never up for Luke Skywalker. I briefly went in the office, and I believe this is right around the time Tom Selleck or somebody had turned down the role, and they were looking at Han to be older, like the uncle that’s older than Luke. For a split second, I think they thought, “Well, maybe he doesn’t have to be the older uncle, maybe he can be more of a contemporary of Luke’s like a galactic jet jockey or something.” I was trying desperately to get into ‘Apocalypse Now.’ My agent had finally got me in the door and I had been told I was too young for the Frederic Forrest role, the saucier, which was the role I wanted to read for. But they did look at me for the surfer, went to one of the Bottoms boys (Sam Bottoms). I was a real surfer, and I was tan and had long blonde hair. I looked like William Katt’s ugly, older brother back then. But I was dressed very military because it was ‘Apocalypse Now,’ but it was my thrift shop assemblage. They said, “Well, maybe,” and I think it was (producer) Fred Roos or somebody that brought me across the hall. He says, “They’re doing this space movie. You might be right for it.” I didn’t think much of it. I just went across the hall real quick. They took my Polaroid, and that’s it. But I heard the name George Lucas and I idolized George because ‘American Graffiti’ really speaks to my generation. I also saw the sides for Luke Skywalker and that name, Luke Skywalker, it’s such a great name. I remember going back, I think I had a drink at the Formosa afterwards because I didn’t get in ‘Apocalypse Now.’ Then, I drove over the hill to my pad in the Hollywood Hills, and in front of my door were these old cowboy boots. Mark used to take his shoes off, Mark Hamill, and leave them out there because we had carpeting, precious wall to wall carpeting, my girlfriend and I. I think my girlfriend was down the hall working on a first draft of ‘The Lost Boys,’ Jan Fischer. I walked in and Mark was there. I said, “Mark, I don’t know, but this sounds like you.” I think he got on the horn and called his agent. I think his agent gets real upset when I tell this story because she may have already submitted him. I certainly don’t know about that. But I think I was the one that made Mark aware of the project. I mean, Mark was a big television star then. I tell that not as if I helped Mark get the role, but I tell it as a “once upon a time in Hollywood story.” Once upon a time in Hollywood, the guy that played Freddy Krueger lived with a girl that wrote ‘Lost Boys’ and hung out with the guy that played Luke Skywalker. It’s just one of those moments of time that I think the fans love, that we all crossed paths. The people back east that think that all the horror actors hang out together at Schwab’s or something. Like Freddy, Jason and Pinhead are all sitting around having a milkshake at Schwab’s together.
Robert Englund in the documentary film, ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,’ a Cinedigm release. Photo courtesy of Cinedigm.
MF: Finally, I’ve always thought that ‘Wes Craven’s New Nightmare’ was ahead of its time and one of the best film’s in the series. Can you talk about your experience working on that movie, having the opportunity to reinvent the character at that point in your career, and what playing Freddy Krueger has meant to you?
RE: Well, I’d love to talk about it intellectually. It took the release of ‘Scream’ for everybody to get Wes Craven’s ‘New Nightmare,’ and then it became huge on DVD. People understood that it was deconstructed, that we were making it and talking to the fans about them. We were kind of teasing ourselves, playing exaggerated versions of ourselves. A lot of that stuff was true, but exaggerated. I think Heather Langenkamp did have a stalker and, of course, we made it Freddy. It was Wes Craven wrestling a bit with his huge success at that time, and the fact that he’d exploited evil and what if the evil he exploited came back to haunt us all. It was this great kind of deconstructed meta movie. But at the time, what I took mostly from that shoot was I got to hang out every day at lunch because I would be done by 1:00pm, so I’d tear my makeup off and, even though we were all making money by that time, I’m never one to turn down a free lunch. I’d run over to the catering area and I’d sit down and John Saxon would just be coming in. John was coming in for his free lunch too. I was allowed a glass of wine because I wasn’t working anymore. John was going to have a nice long lunch and they would tell him when he needed to get in makeup. By that time, I’d worked with John three or four times and we’d been on international publicity junkets together. I got John to open up about his entire career. I got stories from John about working with Marlon Brando on ‘The Appaloosa.’ I got stories about his first movie ever with a young kid named Robert Redford, ‘War Hunt’ I think it was called, where he played a Native American and went out into the no man’s land and took scalps. I got to talk to John about Sandra Dee, and he dated Natalie Wood, and he knew Elvis Presley, James Dean, Sal Mineo and all of those stories, and what the golden age was like because he was right on the cusp of that. Then, he also segued into that kind of teen moment of time. But he worked with Jimmy Stewart on ‘Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation.’ He worked with Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, just everybody. He worked for Quentin Tarantino on a two-hour special episode of ‘CSI,’ and Bruce Lee on ‘Enter the Dragon.’ I got the Bruce Lee stories, and all the Hong Kong stories. It was getting all of this golden age of Hollywood gossip from the horse’s mouth. Now I can have a beer with somebody on location and share one of those anecdotes with them as well. It was just a great experience for me because I was getting this oral history from the late great John Saxon.
Robert Englund in the documentary film, ‘Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,’ a Cinedigm release. Photo courtesy of Cinedigm.
