Every so often, a movie announces itself while you’re watching it.

Steven Spielberg’s films more often than most.

Not in the opening scene or the first big twist. Not even during the climactic third act.

It’s that moment when you realize everyone in the theater is leaning forward at the exact same time.

“Disclosure Day” does just that.

There comes a point in Spielberg’s latest science-fiction epic where it’s clear something special is happening in real time. What begins as a gripping mystery-thriller gradually transforms into something far more profound, culminating in a final act that’s impossible to shake.

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“Disclosure Day” follows a cybersecurity expert (Josh O’Connor) who uncovers evidence of a decades-long conspiracy surrounding extraterrestrial contact. As governments, corporations, scientists and ordinary citizens race to uncover the truth, the world inches closer to a momentous event known simply as Disclosure Day.

The premise sounds like classic Spielberg territory. And in many ways, it is.

For nearly fifty years, Spielberg has turned to the stars. From the awe and wonder of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to the childlike curiosity of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and the fear-driven chaos of “War of the Worlds,” his filmography has repeatedly explored humanity’s relationship with the unknown.

But here’s the thing: it’s never been about the aliens.

It wasn’t about them then, and it isn’t about them now.

“Disclosure Day” feels like the culmination of Spielberg’s lifelong fascination with extraterrestrial life because it understands the same truth that powered his greatest science-fiction films. The aliens themselves are almost beside the point. What matters is what they reveal about us.

The film opens in media res, dropping viewers directly into the action with remarkable confidence. There are no lengthy exposition dumps, no laborious setup sequences and very little hand-holding. Spielberg trusts his audience to keep up, allowing information to emerge naturally as the mystery unfolds.

The result is one of the tightest-paced films of his career.

For much of its runtime, “Disclosure Day” plays as an action-thriller with mystery elements. The film is packed with tense set pieces and compelling investigative threads that constantly propel the story forward. Spielberg remains one of cinema’s greatest conductors of suspense, and his fingerprints are all over the film’s standout sequences, including a tense car chase and, because this is Steven Spielberg, a thrilling train sequence.

O’Connor makes for an excellent lead, bringing an earnestness that grounds the increasingly extraordinary events unfolding around him. His conviction is strong, and works brilliantly opposite Emily Blunt’s counterbalance. Her character, a news anchor somehow blessed and cursed with knowledge, injects much of the film’s humor while also serving as one of its emotional anchors. The chemistry between the ensemble allows the film to remain surprisingly funny even as it wrestles with massive existential questions.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Colman Domingo brings a calm, measured presence that helps stabilize the chaos, while Colin Firth delivers an effectively unsettling performance that operates from the opposite end of the spectrum. Wyatt Russell supplies several well-timed comedic moments, and Eve Hewson is particularly impressive in a role that demands significant emotional and physical range.

Beneath the thrills, “Disclosure Day” explores fascinating ideas about faith, science, fear and the ownership of knowledge. Set against the backdrop of escalating tensions between global superpowers and the looming threat of nuclear conflict, Spielberg presents a fractured humanity driven largely by fear and uncertainty.

The extraterrestrials may be the catalyst, but humanity remains the subject.

The film repeatedly asks who deserves access to knowledge, how societies react when their foundational beliefs are challenged and whether curiosity can overcome fear.

Remarkably, it tackles these themes without ever becoming heavy-handed or inaccessible. The balance of mystery, action, comedy and emotional sincerity is masterful.

And then comes the final act.

Without revealing specifics, Spielberg elevates the film into something else entirely. What had been an excellent thriller suddenly becomes something transcendent. The experience of watching Disclosure Day unfold feels startlingly real, as if you are witnessing a genuine world-changing event alongside millions of other people. The sense of wonder and emotional resonance is overwhelming.

John Williams’ score, while perhaps not as dominant as some of his most iconic Spielberg collaborations, still provides the perfect emotional framework for the story’s biggest moments.

By the time the credits rolled, it’s clear “Disclosure Day” encapsulates Spielberg’s career-long obsession with the unknown.

For all of the mysteries it presents, the film ultimately provides very few concrete answers about the extraterrestrials themselves.

Because it never needed to.

It’s never been about the aliens.

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Disclosure Day” releases in theaters Friday, June 12, 2026.

In November 2019, Disney struck “Star Wars” gold.

“The Mandalorian” debuted alongside the launch of Disney+, and with it, the galaxy fell in love with Baby Yoda… er, Grogu.

Weeks later, “The Rise of Skywalker” was panned by critics and fans alike, and Disney became paralyzed with fear. The big screen was their new Darth Vader – a terrifying enemy they couldn’t figure out how to defeat.

But hey, at least the Baby Yoda plushies and Funko Pops were flying off the shelves.

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After seven years of indecision, “Star Wars” is finally back in theaters with “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” and Disney is betting big on the little green guy.

But what the latest installment in a galaxy far, far away forgot is that it takes more than cute merch to make a good movie.

Three seasons of “The Mandalorian” got fans acquainted with Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter and his begrudgingly tender father-son relationship with his apprentice, Grogu. The first season and a half delivered strong serialized storytelling as the duo went from mission to mission, taking out targets and earning paydays, but the latter episodes highlighted the “Marvel-ization” of “Star Wars” as the show became increasingly hijacked to launch spinoff after spinoff.

Now, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn’t properly function as either a continuation of the TV series or a satisfying film on its own. None of the major plot lines from three seasons of television carry over into the movie outside of the two central characters — which is understandable in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience — but it also makes the film feel like three episodes of TV stitched together into a feature-length runtime.

Once again, we watch Mando and Grogu accept a mission, track down their target, and either take them out or capture them… over and over again. The repetitive structure prevents the film from ever truly establishing stakes, especially when viewers have been conditioned to watch the duo escape every close call unscathed.

There’s no escalation from the small screen to the big one, just more of the same — which makes the ending feel entirely underwhelming. What’s next for our heroes? Probably another mission just like the last one.

It’s truly impressive how Disney created an instantly sensational character in Grogu and, over the course of 3 seasons and now a movie, has done almost nothing with him beyond merchandising his existence. What has changed for this character since we first met him in “The Mandalorian” premiere? A bit more Force sensitivity, but that’s about it.

The stagnation of Grogu’s character growth goes hand in hand with the lack of evolution within “Star Wars” itself since “The Last Jedi” – outside of the miracle that was “Andor.”

Calling the movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu” also feels like cheating when your co-titular character doesn’t do anything of consequence until 95 minutes into the movie. Up until that point, Grogu is mostly reduced to comedic relief through cutely timed sneezes and snack time jokes.

Meanwhile, the Mandalorian is doing his best John Wick impression, taking out Stormtroopers, droids, and everything else in his way, but the routine gets stale when it lacks the combat creativity and visual flair of the Babayaga.

Yes, “Star Wars” movies are for children, but even when prior entries have leaned into juvenile entertainment with Ewoks, Gungans and cute droids, there were still elevated emotional arcs balancing out the silliness.

But this movie isn’t for children, and it’s not for “Star Wars” fans either. This one is for shareholders.

A Disney executive told The Hollywood Reporter, “The impact it [‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’] will have on Disney+ is critically important to us. Not only could it ultimately end up on the service and get tens of millions of hours of watch views, it will also have an impact on Mandalorian seasons one through three.”

This was not a movie made in good faith for the purpose of cinematic storytelling or even “Star Wars” fan service.

Instead, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is simply another cog in the Disney Industrial Complex meant to prop up its streaming service, push theme park tickets and move merchandise – and it shows.

Star Rating: 1.5 out of 5

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is now playing in theaters.

Heading into “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the expectations could not be higher.

“Avatar” reinvented blockbuster cinema in 2009. “The Way of Water” arrived 13 years later and somehow did it again, expanding Cameron’s world in ways that felt genuinely revolutionary – not just visually, but emotionally and thematically.

So when Cameron turned around a third installment, the question wasn’t “Will it be good?” but rather “How will he change the game this time?” And the answer, surprisingly, is… he doesn’t. At least not in the seismic way we’ve now been conditioned to expect.

“Fire and Ash” is still a great blockbuster. It’s thrilling, emotional, and visually jaw-dropping. But unlike the leap from forest to reef, this entry feels less like a bold new chapter and more like a remix of elements we’ve already seen.

Where “The Way of Water” leapt forward in time, “Fire and Ash” picks up in the immediate aftermath, with the Sully family still shattered by Neteyam’s death.

Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are coping in totally opposite, painfully human ways. Jake throws himself into action to numb the loss, while Neytiri buries herself in faith and festering resentment. Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), meanwhile, is quietly carrying the heaviest weight of all: the belief that he’s to blame for his brother’s death.

But on Pandora, grief doesn’t stay quiet for long. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), still fueled by his own brand of resurrected rage, is back on the hunt. And this time he’s not alone. The RDA has aligned with a brutal new Na’vi clan, the Ash People, a fire-scarred tribe led by the witch-like Varang (Oona Chaplin).

The introduction of the Ash People – and the marketing and title of the film – present what seems to be the next step forward for Cameron’s ever-expanding world. The “Avatar” franchise gets praised for its groundbreaking visuals, but behind the breathtaking images are incredibly rich characters, worlds and lore. The world building is unmatched, and also when the series is at its best.

The Ash People, led by Oona Chaplin’s chilling and magnetic Varang, initially promises a fascinating new corner of Na’vi culture. Their volcanic landscapes and fire-forged rituals bring a genuinely fresh energy. But once they are introduced and briefly explored, they end up mostly relegated to being a weapon for Quaritch’s use.

Where “The Way of Water” completely redefined the series through its shift to oceanic culture and environment, “Fire and Ash” blends the franchise’s greatest hits: forest tribes, reef tribes, aerial combat, sea battles. Major story arcs are recycled, with children once again being kidnapped and Tulkun still being hunted. The third act – while still thrilling – feels like a “Can I copy your homework? Yeah, just change it so it’s not obvious,” rip off of “The Way of Water.”

An early air raid is the superior set piece in the film, largely due to the fact that, you guessed it, it features new elements we’ve never seen on Pandora before.

Again, the set pieces and visuals get people in the door, but the real magic happens when Cameron slows down.

Quiet, intimate moments like Jake and Neytiri’s marital strain, Lo’ak challenging his father’s authority and grappling with guilt, or Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) wrestling with the fear of her own power, land with real emotional weight. These scenes prove the franchise’s biggest secret: beneath all the performance-capture magic and VFX, the “Avatar” series is, at its core, about family.

Introduced in “The Way of Water,” Jack Champion’s Spider plays an increased role in the third film. Champion is given the most compelling storylines as the lone human ingrained with the Sully’s Na’vi family. Whether he’s trying to manage Neytiri’s hatred towards him, having an identity crisis opposite his villainous father, or confronting Eywa with Kiri, Spider is at the center of “Fire and Ash.”

Stephen Lang remains the franchise’s secret weapon. His resurrected Miles Quaritch is both intense and unexpectedly funny, and “Fire and Ash” pushes him further toward a morally gray, “can he be saved?” arc. The problem is it never fully commits.

The movie repeatedly gestures toward deeper introspection across the board – with Quaritch, Kiri, Spider and more – before pivoting to the next crisis, leaving the most interesting parts of the movie feeling incomplete.

At the midpoint of a five-film generational saga, you’d expect a major shift to tee up the latter half of the overarching story. Instead, it’s hard not to look at where most of the characters stand at the end of the film and wonder how truly different they are than their status 3 hours earlier.

It’s fun. It’s satisfying. It’s just not transformative.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is absolutely not a misfire. It’s not even close.

It’s emotional, exciting, visually immaculate, and full of characters we genuinely love spending time with. Pandora remains a place worth revisiting again and again.

But after two paradigm-shifting entries, it’s hard not to feel the weight of unmet expectations. Cameron has trained us to expect revolution, and here he delivers refinement. Spectacular refinement, yes, but refinement all the same.

Star Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” releases in theaters December 18, 2025.

“Wicked: For Good” arrives with all the expectations that come with closing out one of Broadway’s biggest cultural touchstones, but this second half of Jon M. Chu’s two-part adaptation struggles to justify its existence.

While “Part One” at least delivered bursts of spectacle and a star-making comedic turn from Ariana Grande, this follow-up feels surprisingly empty. The pacing lags, the narrative momentum sputters, and the emotional beats that should land with impact instead drift by without much weight.

Even with powerhouse talent like Cynthia Erivo, Grande, and Jonathan Bailey, “Wicked: For Good” never quite clicks into place, resulting in a finale that’s more muted than magical.

To be fair, expectations were already tempered. The first installment had plenty of issues, but at the very least it boasted energy, excitement and big dance numbers. And yes, it ended with the iconic moment, Erivo’s roof-shattering “Defying Gravity,” which gave that film a big screen climax.

It’s no secret the second act of the stage production is less memorable than the first, which meant the sequel already had its work cut out to justify its existence as a standalone film – let alone a 138 minute one. Instead, the first hour of “For Good” is slow, choppy, and shockingly pointless. Momentum never arrives, scenes meander and feel stitched together at random.

It doesn’t help that the movie’s big “climax” is, well… “For Good.” And yes, it’s a beautiful song. Erivo and Grande’s harmonies are stunning, delicate and emotional. Their chemistry is as strong as it was in Part One, and the moment captures the bittersweet heart of the story. But cinematically? It’s shockingly subdued. The entire second half builds to a single static number, sings it beautifully, and then moves on. Granted, it’s an entirely different vibe than “Defying Gravity,” but where that felt like building to a climax, this was limping to a conclusion.

Ariana Grande once again proves she’s the film’s not-so-secret weapon, delivering a Glinda that evolves far beyond the laugh-out-loud physical comedy of “Part One.” Her first outing was a masterclass in chaos with toss-toss theatrics. But in “For Good,” Grande shifts into a more emotionally grounded mode, using physical acting in entirely new ways. The comedy is still there, but gives way to nuance: micro-expressions, softened gestures, and a kind of deliberate stillness that conveys heartbreak, jealousy, hope, and loyalty all at once.

Cynthia Erivo continues to ground the story, but even her incredible voice can’t overcome the movie’s sluggish pacing and oddly hollow emotional beats. Then there’s Jonathan Bailey. After being front and center in “Part One,” he’s underused in the sequel with only one musical sequence. And when he does sing – with raw, soulful power – it makes you retroactively wish the movie had given him more to do all along. Unfortunately, his turn as the Scarecrow looks so distractingly bad the film hides him for as long as possible. When he finally appears, you immediately understand why they avoided showing him.

The casting issues that plagued the first film are only magnified in the second. Marissa Bode’s Nessa gets expanded screen time that does her no favors; her performance is flat, awkward, and distractingly weak. Meanwhile Michelle Yeoh, a titan of nuance and gravitas, continued to disappoint as Madame Morrible. Every line reading feels out of place, and the singing… it’s best not to mention that.

And then there are the additions. When you stretch a two-and-a-half hour stage show into nearly five hours of cinema, you’d hope that new material would deepen the story, or at least justify the runtime. Instead, the handful of newly written songs are lifeless filler – musically bland, narratively meaningless, and clearly engineered for one purpose: Oscar eligibility. The tradition of musical adaptations tossing in a new number to snag a Best Original Song nod has never felt more transparent.

Ultimately, “Wicked: For Good” never shakes the feeling that it’s stretching thin material far past its limits. The emotional beats don’t land, the pacing never improves, and the new additions only weigh the film down further. Even with flashes of strong work from the cast, the movie can’t muster the momentum or impact needed to justify a two-part adaptation, or even its own runtime. For a story that has resonated with audiences for two decades, this conclusion feels disappointingly muted, leaving the world of Oz with far less power than it deserves.

Star Rating: 1.5 out of 5

“Wicked: For Good” releases in theaters November 20, 2025.

If there’s one thing more inevitable than life finding a way in the “Jurassic” franchise, it’s Universal finding a way to reboot this dinosaur money machine every few years.

"Jurassic World Rebirth" is the latest effort to revive the franchise – or dare I say rebirth it – and while it’s more coherent than the genetically spliced nonsense that rounded out the Pratt-saga, it still struggles to justify its own existence beyond “Hey, remember dinosaurs?”

After hitting theaters in June, “Rebirth” is now available on digital and releases Sept. 9 on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray with over one hour of exclusive bonus content, including never-before-seen deleted scenes, an alternate opening & behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Set five years after 2022’s "Dominion," the film trades theme parks and corporate sabotage for something more expeditionary. A scientific crew, led by no-nonsense survivalist, Zora (Scarlett Johansson), ventures into remote equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric beasts. The mission? Use their genetic material to unlock a groundbreaking medical cure. But all that pales in comparison to the multi-million-dollar payday – except for altruistic scientist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey).

At the helm is Gareth Edwards, who is known for one thing: spectacle. From “Godzilla” to "Rogue One" and "The Creator,” the man knows how to take your breath away on screen. "Rebirth" leans firmly toward the latter when it comes to narrative, though. Visually? Impressive. Dinosaurs stomp through impossibly lush landscapes, and one standout set piece at sea genuinely had me invested. But once the dino dust settles, you’re left with a very pretty shell of a movie that doesn’t have much soul under the surface.

The structure becomes the biggest offender. The core narrative of retrieving DNA from three beasts starts off strong, but when you’re seeing it take place for the third time in 90 minutes, it gets a bit stale. And just when you’re ready to sink into a rhythm with the crew led by Johansson, Bailey and Mahershala Ali, the story keeps cutting away to a secondary crew who contribute little besides runtime. These cutaways zap the momentum every single time and deliver little payoff.

Still, the central cast keeps things afloat. Johansson is in full action-hero mode and gets to flex her physicality in a way that feels more grounded than her Marvel days. Bailey brings some levity and warmth, while Rupert Friend slots in nicely as the group’s morally ambiguous wildcard.

There’s enough to enjoy in "Jurassic World Rebirth" – some solid horror inspiration, beautiful visuals and the fact that dinosaurs still kick ass – but it never feels like it has anything new to say. It plays the hits, and it plays them just fine. But once the credits roll and the roar fades, don’t be surprised if the details already start slipping from your brain.

If the past is any indication, this is probably the peak before the inevitable nosedive of any future sequels. So enjoy this brief moment of dino-clarity while it lasts. Just don’t expect it to evolve beyond serviceable popcorn entertainment.

Star Rating: 2.5 out of 5

“Jurassic World Rebirth” is now available on digital and releases Sept. 9 on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.

Bonus Features:

• Alternate Opening

• Deleted Scenes

  • Raptors

  • Mutadon Attack

• Jurassic World Rebirth: Hatching a New Era

  • The World Evolves - Journey into a reimagined Jurassic World with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali and the rest of the cast and filmmakers.

  • Off the Deep End - Dive into the thrilling ocean sequence and learn about the challenges of shooting on open water, the one-of-a-kind gimbal used to toss around the Essex and Mariposa, and the VFX wizardry that brought the Mosasaurus and Spinosaurs to life.

  • Trekking Through Thailand - Follow the cast and crew’s footsteps as they navigate the challenges of shooting in exotic jungles, beaches, and tall grass fields that become home to the Titanosaurs.

  • Rex in the Rapids - Brace for a T. Rex encounter that’s different than anything experienced before with a nail-biting river chase recreated from Michael Crichton’s original “Jurassic Park” novel.

  • Don’t Look Down - Soar into the Quetzalcoatlus sequence with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Bechir Sylvain as they train for and shoot their cliff rappelling scenes.

  • Mini-Mart Mayhem - Go inside the heart-stopping third act of “Jurassic World Rebirth” and witness the process of crafting sets that allow the movie’s mutant dinosaurs to step out of nightmare-inspired designs and stop on an exhilarating rampage.

  • Gag Reel

  • Meet Dolores - Meet the animatronic Aquilops with an extraordinarily lifelike personality.

  • Munched: Becoming Dino Food - Get a victim’s firsthand view inside the frightening jaws of deadly dinosaurs that munch, chomp, and chew their way into creating unforgettable death sequences.

  • A Day at Skywalker Sound – Actress Audrina Miranda guides a personal tour of Skywalker Sound in California to meet the audio editors, foley artists, and mixers who design the movie’s wide array of sounds.

  • Hunting for Easter Eggs - find out where to look for cleverly hidden Easter eggs that pay homage to everything from the first “Jurassic Park” film to other Steven Spielberg classics.

  • Feature Commentary with director Gareth Edwards, production designer James Clyne, and first assistant director Jack Ravenscroft

  • Feature Commentary with director Gareth Edwards, editor Jabez Olssen, and visual effects supervisor David Vickery

What do you mean I saw Taylor Swift perform at a bowling alley on a random Tuesday night???

Last week, I was one of the blessed few to witness a real-life fever dream: Taylor Swift performing at “Tight Ends & Friends,” the concert arm of Travis Kelce’s Tight End University. Yes, that is a real sentence.

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Imagine telling a Swiftie two years ago that Taylor’s red carpet debut with her NFL boyfriend would happen at an event sponsored by *checks notes* Dude Wipes and Jersey Mike’s. It’s a love story, baby just say... what?

After a few cocktails in the crowd, Swift surprised fans – and herself – by hopping on stage for an impromptu performance of “Shake It Off” with Kane Brown.

We know there are no accidents when it comes to Swift’s scheming, but there’s just something poetic about her first live performance since regaining ownership of her masters being in an intimate venue in Nashville – back where it all began.

Not that I’m counting or anything, but it’s been 204 days since her last Eras Tour show. Seeing her back on stage? A literal serotonin injection.

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⏪ Rewind: ‘F1 The Movie’ may just be ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ on land, but that’s all it needed to be

Okay, wait, there’s actually more to this.

In reality, Joseph Kosinski’s new racing drama, “F1 The Movie,” is actually “Top Gun: Maverick” meets “Moneyball,” by way of “Ted Lasso.”

Hear me out… Kosinski brings the high-speed action of “Maverick” to the race track, while Brad Pitt’s leading man Sonny Hayes has the pragmatic “do more with less” mindset from “Moneyball.” All the while, Apple funds the project about an unconventional outsider coming in to right the ship of a failing sports team desperate to avoid relegation. Sound familiar? Damson Idris might as well be named Jamie Tartt instead of Joshua Pearce.

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“F1 The Movie” is an amalgamation of Very Good™ things which means it is also a Very Good™ movie.

Yes, it’ll hit Apple TV soon. But trust me – catch it in theaters to make the most of the thrilling racing sequences.

Tune in to the full episode:

▶️ Play: The ‘Love Island’ Villa has me in a chokehold

Zach: Until nine days ago, I’d never seen a single second of “Love Island.” I knew vaguely that “hot new bombshells” stormed into something called “the Villa,” but I had no idea the sheer joy that comes from watching beautiful idiots flirt, fail, and full-on swap spit for hours on end. Now? Nine days, 23 episodes, and one completely ruined attention span later, I’m locked in. Season 7 might be catching heat from the veterans, but as a first-time viewer? I’m thriving in the chaos. Biggest takeaway: justice for my king Jeremiah. He truly deserved better.

For more “Love Island” thoughts, tune in to this week’s podcast.

“Love Island” streams every night except Wednesdays on Peacock.

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⏸️ Pause: Denis Villeneuve is here to save James Bond… just don’t tell Tom Holland

In what is quite possibly the biggest movie news of the year so far, Denis Villeneuve is officially stepping into Her Majesty’s Service to direct the next James Bond film.

It’s a genius move to use the mastermind behind the “Dune” franchise and hits like “Sicario” and “Arrival” to reboot the franchise with gravitas and grit. Suddenly, Amazon’s acquisition of Bond from the Broccoli family actually seems promising.

But while the director choice is a shaken-not-stirred victory, Amazon’s reported wishlist for a new 007 is giving… mocktail. Tom Holland? Jacob Elordi? Harris Dickinson? All under 30 and more internet boyfriend than Bond.

Villeneuve’s Bond deserves a full-grown man, not a barely-legal license to kill.

May I counter with Aaron Pierre? Go check the tape. Watch Pierre kick ass and take names in “Rebel Ridge” on Netflix and tell me he’s not the perfect 007.

⏩ Fast Forward: Quick! Go see ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ before ‘Superman’ steals the show

It’s summer, which means it’s blockbuster season — and with “Superman” still a week away, “Jurassic World Rebirth” is looking to roar.

If you know the “Jurassic” playbook, you know the drill: one iconic original, followed by a parade of increasingly chaotic dino slop. That trend held for the OG trilogy and the “Jurassic World” era.

Now, “Rebirth” is looking to do just that for the franchise – a reboot/sequel/spinoff hybrid clawing its way out of the billion-dollar dino print left by 2022’s “Dominion.”

Early reviews are… mixed. But Gareth Edwards is at the helm, and if “Rogue One” and “The Creator” proved anything, it’s that the man can deliver scale. Emotional resonance? TBD. But at the very least, expect some stunning visuals.

“Jurassic World Rebirth” releases in theaters Wednesday, July 2.

Other Recs This Week: “Love Island” (Nightly, Peacock) “The Old Guard 2” (Wednesday, Netflix), “Smoke” Ep. 3 (Thursday, Apple TV+)

That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!

Do us a favor and forward this to two of your movie and TV-obsessed friends and tell them to subscribe.

Stay tuned for more!

This week on the pod Zach and Johnny are reviewing “F1 The Movie,” the new racing drama from Joseph Kosinski starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. Does it deliver more than just “Top Gun: Maverick” on the track? (54:37)

Plus, instant reactions to the groundbreaking news that Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film – and who we want to see take over as 007. (33:33)

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And it’s not summer without “Love Island.” We’re halfway through Season 7 and diving into all the chaos in the villa – from messy recouplings to standout Islanders and everything in between. (1:37)

Let’s get into it.

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The Rewind: By Inside The Film Room

Recapping the latest in movies, TV and pop culture

By Zach Goins

Make sure to follow Inside The Film Room on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest movie news (@insidefilmroom), and be sure to subscribe and rate/review five stars wherever you get your podcasts!

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This week on the pod we’re talking love triangles and existential reflections on life in a double header episode.

First up, Celine Song is back with her follow-up to “Past Lives,” and she’s trading in quiet heartbreak for even messier love triangles – or so it seems? But is “Materialists” a rom-com blast from the past, or something else entirely? (30:30)

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Then, we’re switching gears with the latest from horror maestro Mike Flanagan. But his new film “The Life of Chuck” trades in the jump scares for something a little more existential — and a lot more Stephen King. Starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill, this one’s all about mortality, memory, and heartbreak... (47:16)

So whether you’re here for the doomed lovers or the dying timeline, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get into it.

Subscribe to The Rewind:

The Rewind: By Inside The Film Room

Recapping the latest in movies, TV and pop culture

By Zach Goins

Make sure to follow Inside The Film Room on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest movie news (@insidefilmroom), and be sure to subscribe and rate/review five stars wherever you get your podcasts!

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Three years ago, Ana de Armas pirouetted into “No Time to Die” for all of 10 minutes, swirled through a ballroom in a tuxedo gown, lit up the screen with a submachine gun, and left just as quickly. It was a breathless, unforgettable jolt of charisma – the kind of scene that screams give this woman her own action movie.

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So when news broke 20 days later that de Armas was in talks to star in a “John Wick” spinoff, the casting felt inevitable. Of course she belongs in that universe. Of course she should be taking out henchmen in stilettos. Of course she’s trained by the same shadowy Ruska Roma organization that molded Baba Yaga himself.

But “Ballerina” isn’t the clean, kill-first-ask-questions-never kind of thrill ride it should be. Instead, it’s a spinoff that gets tangled in its own lore – as if it forgot the whole reason people show up to a “John Wick” movie in the first place.

De Armas plays Eve Macarro, an assassin with a tragic past whose father was murdered when she was just a girl. Taken in by the Ruska Roma, aka the ballerina-slash-assassin-training-academy from “John Wick,” Eve spends the next dozen years turning grief into a kill count. But when she finally uncovers who’s responsible for her father’s death, she sets off on a path of revenge that plays like... well, “John Wick,” if you swapped out the puppy for a parent and hit pause on the momentum every 10 minutes for an unnecessary lore dump.

Interestingly enough, writer Shay Hatten initially penned “Ballerina” as its own action flick simply inspired by the “John Wick Chapter 2.” But once Lionsgate got their hands on it, the script was retrofitted to slot into the Wick-verse – which explains why all the Ruska Roma deep dives and criminal underworld lore feel so wedged in. Because, well, they are.

To be fair, the Wick-iverse was never built on groundbreaking storytelling. What made “John Wick” work so well was its simplicity: a man, a loss, a mission – all delivered with brutal efficiency and style. “Ballerina” seems to understand the formula, but can’t resist stuffing itself with expository filler. It’s set in the midst of the third “John Wick” film and yes, Keanu Reeves makes a few cameos to remind you of that – but mostly so his face could help sell the trailer.

Less talking more action has always been a good strategy for the “John Wick” films and the same applies for “Ballerina.” Len Wiseman may be the director, but OG “Wick” genius Chad Stahelski came in for additional photography and the action sequences prove it. Ana de Armas is fully game – flipping, stabbing, and flamethrowing her way through a series of inventive, gory showdowns. We all know John Wick once killed a man “with a pencil,” but let me introduce you to Eve Macarro and her ice skates, grenades and flamethrowers.

One set piece finds Eve out of firearms but never out of ideas and getting innovative with grenades, while another sees her shooting fire in a flamethrower-on-flamethrower shoot out. If anyone on the “House of the Dragon” production team watches this, take notes.

Still, you can only ride so far on spectacle.

For all the brutal ballet on display, “Ballerina” lacks the emotional stakes and pacing precision of the original franchise. Eve never quite feels as sharply defined as Wick, and the film’s first half is bogged down by a script that confuses world-building with word-vomiting.

Ana de Armas is a movie star. That much is clear. But “Ballerina” can’t get out of its own way to let her takeover in the same way Reeves once did. The result is a film that lands a few strong punches but can’t quite stick the landing.

Star Rating: 2.5 out of 5

“Ballerina” is now playing in theaters.

This week on the podcast we’re talking about exactly what The Entity wants us to talk about: it’s “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” time!

That’s right, we’re asking you to trust us one last time as we dive deep into the explosive finale of Tom Cruise’s epic action spy franchise.

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After eight films and almost 30 years, we know Ethan Hunt can dangle from the side of a plane and jump out of a plane, but does he have what it takes to land the plane? Let’s find out. (17:54)

Plus, we can’t say goodbye to one of our favorite franchises without looking back at the best “Mission: Impossible” has to offer, so we’ve cooked up the “Mission: Impossible” Draft where Johnny and I will see if we can defeat The Entity once and for all. (1:01:30)

The president has initiated Hell Yeah Protocol, grab your popcorn, it’s time to dive in.

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The Rewind: By Inside The Film Room

Recapping the latest in movies, TV and pop culture

By Zach Goins

Make sure to follow Inside The Film Room on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest movie news (@insidefilmroom), and be sure to subscribe and rate/review five stars wherever you get your podcasts!

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Everyone knows the Greek myth of Icarus, right?

In his hubris and ambition, Icarus flew too close to the sun, and his waxen wings melted. He fell into the ocean and drowned.

The 2010s were a dicey decade for Tom Cruise.

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Apart from “Ghost Protocol” and “Rogue Nation,” it was littered with box office-bombs (“Edge of Tomorrow”), critical mediocrity (“Jack Reacher”) or both (“Oblivion,” “The Mummy”). Re-teaming with Christopher McQuarrie on “Fallout” proved to be an inflection point, with the film becoming the most critically-acclaimed and highest-grossing entry in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

It allowed Cruise to finish the decade back on top, but the pandemic looked to derail his next act: the long-gestating “Top Gun” sequel, primed for a 2020 release. It was even considered as a potential booster for Paramount+ subscriptions. Instead, it became Cruise’s greatest box-office success ever, and he earned his first Oscar nomination in 23 years as one of its producers.

So, how does a man who is constantly pushing himself to the limits – cinematically and personally – try to top that one-two punch? Well, with a one-two “Mission” mega-project. “Dead Reckoning” was set to follow in the footsteps of two-part conclusions, as “Harry Potter,” “Twilight,” “Hunger Games” or even “Avengers” before it.

Unfortunately, it was immediately hamstrung by pandemic shutdowns, and the option to shoot back-to-back immediately disintegrated. Production on “Part One” lasted the better part of two years, and the release was overshadowed by Barbenheimer. The pic cost $100 million more than its predecessor yet yielded a global box office that came in over $200 million behind “Fallout.”

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The box office phenomenon of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” can only take so much blame, however. “Dead Reckoning” is proof positive that the third time sometimes isn’t the charm, with McQ spinning his wheels on everything from Ethan Hunt and Ilsa Faust’s relationship to a thinly-sketched criminal backstory for our hero. That backstory is ever so loosely tied to the film’s antagonist, Gabriel (Esai Morales), who is a marked step down from the franchise high of “Fallout” baddies. Morales was a woeful recast (and miscast) after scheduling issues caused Nicholas Hoult to drop out.

Gabriel isn’t a lone wolf, though, with McQ and Cruise setting their sights on using their favorite franchise to take a defiant stance on A.I., with The Entity being the faceless, almost symbolic foe. Unfortunately, this leads to multiple monotonous scenes of characters in rooms talking about its limitless power and its perceived threat to the world. While “Fallout” moved like a supersonic freight train, “Dead Reckoning” grinds to a halt to tell us about this great new threat, too infrequently showing us what makes it so powerful. Pom Klementieff’s Paris, despite having little to no dialogue, is the only memorable threat in the film for this exact reason. She’s a force of nature, rumbling through Rome, spraying machine gun fire and eventually going toe-to-toe with Ethan in Venice.

Two other key elements that speak to the spinning tires-feel are the new brunette for Cruise to smolder at and the usually show-stopping stunt work. When Rebecca Ferguson made the wise decision to dedicate her time to leading other projects (“Dune,” Apple TV’s “Silo”), that meant she had to be unceremoniously written out. Her limited screen time and undercooked send-off here opens the door for Hayley Atwell. Unfortunately, the disparity between the two in terms of natural charisma and the quality of the writing is too substantial to ignore. After Ethan’s respective arcs with Julia (Michelle Monaghan) and Ilsa, was it really vital to introduce another woman for him to fixate on? It’s simply too familiar for a seventh entry.

Speaking of familiar, who doesn’t love a vehicular chase through a European city? The motorbike sequence through Paris in “Fallout” with a last-ditch escape was exceptional, so let’s just run it back in Rome, but this time with a comically small car. If that doesn’t get your juices flowing, maybe a half-assed fight and foot chase through Venice, which pales in comparison to the electric foot chase through London in “Fallout.”

The finale, which includes the motorbike BASE jump and train crash/climb, is plastered with shoddy CGI and blue screen work. The BASE jump stands in the shadow of the HALO jump from “Fallout,” while the work on the train has the most egregious effects in maybe any of these films.

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“Part Two” production was struck by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, and the financial failure of “Part One” piling on top of that resulted in a delay and retitle. The filming of “The Final Reckoning” dragged all the way to the beginning of 2025, and the marketing campaign since then has made it crystal clear – this is us going on a mission with Cruise’s Hunt “one last time.” After the disappointment of “Dead Reckoning,” surely McQ and Co. would pull themselves together one last time, right? With all the time to rewrite and replan and reshoot this as a grand finale, this series can only go out with a bang that an iconic, 29-year-old franchise deserves.

Unfortunately, after years of getting away with writing and rewriting on the fly, building plots around stunt set pieces and figuring out the rest later, hope as a strategy has failed. The better part of this film’s first hour has TikTok-level editing, showing us countless (almost random) clips of prior “Mission” films. This is partly an attempt to underscore the film’s ambitions as a grand finale, which is extremely heavy-handed, and partly to clumsily reintroduce certain plot points and character threads. This maddening editing continues throughout the film, though, with McQ sometimes showing us events that happened only minutes ago – sometimes multiple times. It’s as if they realize the plot has been so shoddily pasted together and over complicated that they don’t trust the audience to keep up.

Speaking of editing and poor plotting, this is the longest “Mission” at just shy of three hours. That’s already daunting on paper, but in practice it’s one of the most egregious blockbuster missteps in recent memory. The first true set-piece – where Ethan finally accesses the Sevastopol submarine that crashed at the start of “Dead Reckoning” – doesn’t take place until around the two-hour mark.

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The film is once again overpopulated with droll dialogue scenes that threaten to explain the plot to within an inch of its life. Even worse, the typically electric supporting cast is reduced to Ethan Hunt apostles, spending most of the film regurgitating why we “have” to trust the hero. Even Grace (Atwell) and Paris (Klementieff), who were both at odds with Ethan on some level in the last pic, are almost religiously devoted to his cause. It’s mind-numbing writing like this that might put you to sleep well before the first big stunt sequence arrives. I won’t bother getting into the half-hearted killing off of Ving Rhames’ Luther as it’s treated with about as much significance as Rebecca Ferguson in the last entry.

As for the villain, we’re once again confronted with Gabriel, but this time he’s been cranked up to Looney Tunes-levels of laughable. He briefly appears in the opening act of the film to remind the audience that he even exists, although now he’s trying to harness The Entity rather in cahoots with it. The next time we see Gabriel in any meaningful capacity is in the film’s final 30 minutes, as he maniacally leads Ethan on an aerial chase, while the rest of the crew defuse a bomb.

Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the exact ending of “Fallout,” but with biplanes instead of helicopters. It’s a fun novelty but once again proves that recycling the bones of past “Mission” moments fails to reach those original heights. The buzz generated by viral marketing and behind-the-scenes clips calling it the most dangerous stunt yet can only carry us so far.

Tom Cruise has starred in, produced – and on some uncredited level, written and directed – the great American action film series. Across three decades, he’s managed to rehabilitate and reinvent the franchise, just as he’s managed to do the same with his public image. Cruise’s ability to endure alongside “Mission,” regardless of his real-world or cinematic failings, stands as his greatest achievement.

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Becoming the “President of Movies” in the eyes of cinephiles and entertaining millions around the world into his 60s, it’s easy to see why it’s hard to walk away. But at a certain point, leaving the game while you’re on top needs to outweigh the temptation to raise the bar to an unachievable level. Watching Cruise blaze across the sky before plummeting to the earth, putting a final nail in the coffin of this franchise, is a fitting final image.

Of course, Cruise wouldn’t dare let himself actually be killed off. Any real finality in “The Final Reckoning” is in name alone, and the legacy of these final two “Mission” pics will remain an unremarkable conclusion to an otherwise remarkable Hollywood saga.

Star Rating: 2.5 out of 5

“Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” is now playing in theaters.

Who amongst us hasn’t smuggled in a snack or two to the movie theater?

I’m all about supporting the theatrical experience, and I’ll even buy my Diet Coke and popcorn, but I’m not above stuffing some Sour Patch Kids from home into my pockets.

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That said, nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened when the lights dimmed at “Another Simple Favor”: the woman next to me pulled a full bottle of Pinot Grigio out of her purse like it was standard protocol. Honestly? That’s probably exactly how Blake Lively would want her movie consumed – tipsy, giggling, and blissfully unaware of what’s actually happening onscreen.

By the end, our neighbor called it the “best movie she’s ever seen.” I… did not. Turns out, no amount of Pinot can salvage a messy, try-hard sequel that thinks chaos equals comedy.

I don’t want to think about that movie any more than I have to, so if you need more details, check out the full review, but otherwise we’re moving on to The Rewind.

⏪ Rewind: Everybody loves ‘Thunderbolts*’ … except me?

If you ask Geek Squad Daily, Comics News Central, or any other cape-swooning outlet, Marvel is BACK, baby.

Even the major critics are riding high on “Thunderbolts*,” so why am I walking out of the theater feeling... nothing?

Sure, it’s a step up from the recent MCU slop – competent, fine, technically a movie – but I left the theater in a fog of indifference. I’ll hang around for “The Fantastic Four,” but after that? It might be time to call it.

Is it me? Is it Marvel? Or is this just what happens 36 movies deep?

We’re unpacking “Thunderbolts*,” Marvel fatigue, and the State of the MCU on this week’s pod.

Tune in to the full episode:

▶️ Play: I turned on ‘The Four Seasons’ ready for laughs, why am I sobbing???

Zach: Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Will Forte walk into a Netflix Original. That joke doesn’t need a punchline because those three comedy legends are funny enough to carry it on their own. But “The Four Seasons,” a series reboot of the 1981 Alan Alda rom-com, delivers more than just laughs.

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It’s not an outrageous, in-your-face comedy by any means, instead it relies on the wit and charm of its cast and sharp, sentimental writing to create something equal parts humorous and emotional. Colman Domingo is my MVP both onscreen as Danny and behind the camera, serving as director for the standout sixth episode.

“The Four Seasons” is now streaming on Netflix.

⏸️ Pause: We need to talk about ‘Survivor 48’

I’ve been rocking with “Survivor” since Day 1. It was a sacred text in the Goins household. I’ve seen it all – the blindsides, the betrayals, the Boston Rob eras.

Which is why it pains me to say: “Survivor 48” might be the most boring season we’ve ever had. No disrespect to Jeff Probst – may his button-downs remain forever unwrinkled – but what are we even doing out here?

Before the season started, I begged for more himbos and fewer superfans. But I didn’t realize that wish would backfire into a tribe full of protein shakes with no strategic brain cells.

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Every week, they dangle the idea of a big move… only to make the safest, most predictable choice possible. Newsflash: you don’t win by securing sixth place.

This “New Era” filled with never ending Immunity Idols and Lose-a-Votes made me yearn for “Old School Survivor,” but now that we’re seeing an “Old School” strategy based on loyalty play out in this modern game, it’s just boring.

If someone doesn’t shake things up soon, I’ll happily crawl back to my “Cook Islands” rewatch and pretend this season never happened.

“Survivor” airs Wednesday nights at 8/7c on CBS.

⏺️ Record: ‘Mission: Impossible III’ sets a new standard for Ethan Hunt

Part 3 of Johnny’s “Mission: Impossible” rewatch series:

Did someone order the J.J. Abrams Special?

Before he relaunched “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” Abrams revived this franchise with its first true blockbuster extravaganza, injecting the series with big-budget effects and action set pieces.

If this film had fallen flat, we never would’ve gotten the “Mission” franchise we know and love today.

Thanks, J.J.

Read the full breakdown + ranking:

⏩ Fast Forward: ‘The Studio’ simply cannot miss

Every week Johnny texts me to announce that the latest episode of “The Studio” is its best yet.

Not a bad track record to have if you keep outdoing yourself with each passing episode.

I’ve got to agree with Mr. Sobczak on this one, as this week’s Golden Globes-themed chaos is an all-timer packed with unhinged laughs, mortifying second-hand embarrassment, and enough celebrity cameos to trigger a SAG audit. And yes, that’s a compliment.

Episode 8 of “The Studio” releases Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on Apple TV+.

Other Recs This Week: “Andor” Ep. 7-9 (Tuesday, Disney+) “The Studio” Ep. 8 (Tuesday, Apple TV+), “Survivor” Ep. 11 (Wednesday, CBS), “Hacks” Ep. 6 (Thursday, MAX), “Friendship” (Friday, Theaters), “The Last Of Us” Ep. 5 (Sunday, HBO), “The Rehearsal” Ep. 4 (Sunday, HBO)

That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!

Do us a favor and forward this to two of your movie and TV-obsessed friends and tell them to subscribe.

Stay tuned for more!

This week on the podcast we’re talking rebellion, redemption, and the state of the MCU.

On the Marvel side of things, “Thunderbolts*” has arrived – a gritty, star-studded team-up featuring some of the MCU’s most traumatized leftovers. Does this mark a true return to form for the MCU? Or is it just another asterisk on the franchise’s slow descent into irrelevance? (37:48)

In a galaxy far, far away, we’re jumping back into the fight against the Empire with Episodes 4, 5, and 6 of “Andor” Season 2. The timeline’s jumped a year, the rebellion is taking shape, and everyone is spiraling. Tensions are rising. Bombs are dropping. (21:21)

Plus, Zach breaks down the disaster that is “Another Simple Favor” (4:48) and a new Netflix series “The Four Seasons.”

We’re breaking it all down this week – from Ghorman to The Void.

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The Rewind: By Inside The Film Room

Recapping the latest in movies, TV and pop culture

By Zach Goins

Make sure to follow Inside The Film Room on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest movie news (@insidefilmroom), and be sure to subscribe and rate/review five stars wherever you get your podcasts!

Spoiler Alert: This review contains spoilers for “Another Simple Favor.”

Within seconds of the lights dimming at "Another Simple Favor," the woman next to me pulled an entire bottle of Pinot Grigio out of her purse. I can only assume this is exactly how Blake Lively would want her new movie to be enjoyed — tipsy, giggling, and blissfully unaware of what’s actually happening onscreen.

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I can confirm the refills were flowing and our friend was having the time of her life in what she called “the best movie ever.”

For the rest of us, though, I’m not sure any number of bottles could make this messy, try-hard disaster tolerable.

“Another Simple Favor” reunites Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), the perky, overachieving single mom turned influencer-podcaster-sleuth, and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively), the chic sociopath with a closet full of secrets and martini glasses. Despite a 20-year sentence for double murder at the end of the first film, Emily’s fresh out the slammer and she knows who her first call will be to: her old bestie, Stephanie.

Naturally, it’s every girl’s dream to have the woman who landed you in prison beside you on your big day. That’s right, Emily is preparing to marry a wealthy Italian businessman (aka mobster), and she wants Stephanie to be her maid of honor. The catch? Well, there are plenty, but the wedding is in Capri, Italy, which gives “Another Simple Favor” an excuse to to try and channel its inner “White Lotus.”

As expected, things go off the rails with a murder, an investigation, and — plot twist — another few murders. We’re really going big this time around.

If “A Simple Favor” was a cocktail of camp and mystery, sleekly shaken with a twist of satire, this sequel is the same drink, left out in the sun, warm and diluted with way too much garnish. Director Paul Feig returns, doubling – maybe even quadrupling – down on everything that made the original a guilty pleasure, trying way too hard to be camp without understanding what makes camp fun in the first place. Only this time, it’s not guilty in the fun way. It’s guilty of being one big mess.

The chemistry between Kendrick and Lively, the supposed engine of this franchise, is totally stalled. Kendrick is operating at an 11 on the quirky dial, flailing through each scene with exaggerated cheekiness, while Lively plays a smoky, monotone seductress. They’re in two different movies entirely, and aside from a single scene late in the third act, they’re more dissonant than dynamic.

The original worked because it was stylish and self-aware, with one big juicy twist that paid off and a plot that was silly but controlled. This sequel throws that restraint off a cliff into the Capri sea. Plot twists hit every 10 minutes like clockwork – not because they’re earned, but because the movie assumes that constant chaos equals entertainment. Spoiler: It doesn’t.

But the big twist? If you thought long-lost twins were a stretch in the first film, buckle up – turns out there’s a third sister. They were triplets all along! Does it really count as a surprise if it’s the same twist you used last time? And with the ending teasing a possible third installment, don’t be surprised if we get a fourth sibling soon. Maybe they’re not triplets – maybe they’re quadruplets. Who’s to say? Certainly not the screenwriters, who clearly have a dartboard labeled “Next Plot Twist” in the writers' room.

The timing of this sequel doesn’t do it any favors, either. Seven years after the first film it’s not like speed was important for anyone when it came to a sequel, which makes this direct-to-streaming drop feel like a misfire considering Lively is still recovering from the public relations implosion of “It Ends With Us.” With public sentiment at perhaps an all-time low towards the Lively-Reynolds industrial complex, giving this film some breathing room from the chaos could have helped it out the slightest bit.

At its best, this movie is background noise for a wine-fueled girls’ night. At its worst, it’s a cynical attempt to squeeze one more drop of relevance out of a movie that already had its moment. “Another Simple Favor” tries to be sharp, sexy, and suspenseful – but it’s just sloppy.

Star Rating: 1 out of 5

“Another Simple Favor” releases on Prime Video on May 1.

It’s Tuesday morning and two banger trailers just dropped. What a day.

It’s hard to imagine a world in which the sentence “The Rock looks unrecognizable” makes any sense, considering Dwayne Johnson is one of the most recognizable men in the world, but “The Smashing Machine” has achieved the impossible.

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I’m fired up to see Johnson take on serious role, and based on this trailer, he’s really going for it. We’ve seen fellow wrestler-turned-actors Dave Bautista and John Cena flex their dramatic chops while The Rock churns out “Jumanji 7” and “Fast XIV: Even Faster.” Now it’s time for Dwayne to make the jump.

On the flip side, Zach Cregger’s “Weapons” dropped its first trailer after weeks of cryptic teases. You had me at “From the director of ‘Barbarian,’” but the footage sealed the deal – it looks like another twisted, gnarly thriller is coming our way.

Let’s rewind and take a look at what else went down last week.

⏪ Rewind: A galaxy far, far away feels a little too close to home in 'Andor'

“Andor” is back for its second season and through three episodes it is once again proving everything “Star Wars” has the potential to achieve.

It’s thrilling, it’s terrifying, it’s politically charged – it’s prestige TV disguised as a “Star Wars” show.

This week on the pod we dove deep into the first chapter of the new season, exploring some topics that may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but feel way too close to home in this galaxy.

Tune in to the full episode:

▶️ Play: Nathan Fielder, the man that you are

Zach: I’m not sure words can really do justice to the latest episode of “The Rehearsal” – but here we go anyway. Nathan Fielder somehow managed to cram a fake singing competition, the world’s worst pilot (seriously, keep him away from planes and dating apps), and a version of Paramount Plus headquarters straight out of Nazi Germany... all into one episode. I still can’t fully wrap my head around it – but at the same time, I’m certain of one thing: it’s brilliant. No one’s cooking like Fielder right now. Not even close.

“The Rehearsal” airs Sunday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

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⏸️ Pause: ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ makes major casting moves for ‘Hunger Games’ prequel

I’ve long been on the record saying that if they make 75 “Hunger Games” movies, I’ll be seated for all 75.

If “The Hunger Games” has a million fans, then I am one of them. If “The Hunger Games” has ten fans, then I am one of them. If “The Hunger Games” has only one fan then that is me. If “The Hunger Games” has no fans, then that means I am dead.

A few weeks back, I fully channeled my middle school self and tore through the latest prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping” – the story of Haymitch Abernathy’s original Games. (For the non-obsessed, that’s Woody Harrelson’s character from the originals.)

And we didn’t have to wait long to start fantasy-casting the inevitable film adaptation, because this week Lionsgate dropped major casting news for our next trip to Panem.

Read the full casting breakdown:

⏺️ Record: ‘Mission: Impossible 2’ turns up the action, steam and Tom’s luscious locks

Part 2 of Johnny’s “Mission: Impossible” rewatch series:

New millennium, new Mission! John Woo’s melodrama and unabashed romantic style swings the series to the other side of the stylistic spectrum. Who needs De Palma paranoia when you have Woo aura?

While the flick moves closer to the lighthearted fun of later entries, it does feel a bit too much like Woo’s take on James Bond. Ethan Hunt is smiley, sexy and as charismatic as ever, with the most suave locks of the series pairing well with Woo’s eye for glamour shots.

Read the full breakdown + ranking:

⏩ Fast Forward: So long, ‘Righteous Gemstones’

Jesus wept.

The time has come to say goodbye to our favorite money-hungry, God-fearing, chaos-courting megachurch pastors. This Sunday’s Season 4 finale marks the end of HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones” – and what a hell of a run it’s been.

Week after week, Danny McBride and Co. have delivered the most out-of-pocket show on TV, blessing us with a steady stream of unhinged plot twists and never-before-uttered expletives that feel like scripture in their own right.

Here’s hoping we get an Uncle Baby Billy spinoff – or at the very least a full-fledged “Teenjus” series – because I’m nowhere near ready to say goodbye to Walton Goggins’ iconic, batshit creation.

Other Recs This Week: “Andor” Ep. 4-6 (Tuesday, Disney+) “The Studio” Ep. 7 (Tuesday, Apple TV+), “Survivor” Ep. 10 (Wednesday, CBS), “Hacks” Ep. 5 (Thursday, MAX), “The Last Of Us” Ep. 4 (Sunday, HBO), “The Rehearsal” Ep. 3 (Sunday, HBO)

That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!

Do us a favor and forward this to two of your movie and TV-obsessed friends and tell them to subscribe.

Stay tuned for more!

I’ve long been on the record saying that if they make 75 “Hunger Games” movies, I’ll be seated for all 75.

If “The Hunger Games” has a million fans, then I am one of them. If “The Hunger Games” has ten fans, then I am one of them. If “The Hunger Games” has only one fan then that is me. If “The Hunger Games” has no fans, then that means I am dead.

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A few weeks back, I fully channeled my middle school self and tore through the latest prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping” – the story of Haymitch Abernathy’s original Games. (For the non-obsessed, that’s Woody Harrelson’s character from the originals.)

And we didn’t have to wait long to start fantasy-casting the inevitable film adaptation, because this week Lionsgate dropped major casting news for our next trip to Panem.

Haymitch Abernathy – Joseph Zada
The main event. Joseph Zada has a short résumé – a few TV spots, some indie work – but he’s set to play Cal Trask in Netflix’s “East of Eden” adaptation, which is no joke. Cal is one of Steinbeck’s most layered, tortured characters, and Zada’s sharing the screen with Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, and Ciarán Hinds. Translation: they clearly think he’s him.

Lenore Dove Baird – Whitney Peak
Whitney Peak will play Haymitch’s love interest, Lenore Dove. She’s a smaller presence in the book, but the announcement felt big, like they might be beefing up her role. Good news if so – Peak’s got the chops to run with a bigger part.

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Maysilee Donner – Mckenna Grace
The fans got this one right. Mckenna Grace is practically a fan-cast come to life as Maysilee – snarky, stubborn, fierce. Grace has shown off her range in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Ghostbusters,” “I, Tonya,” and more. She’s more than ready for the arena.

Plutarch Heavensbee – Jesse Plemons
Now this is the big one. Stepping into the shoes of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman is no small task – but if anyone can do it, it’s Jesse Plemons. Honestly, even if they’d gone the “legacy hire” route and cast Hoffman’s son Cooper, Plemons would still be the better actor. “Sunrise” shows us a younger, still-sharp Plutarch before his full-blown revolutionary days, and Plemons is the perfect pick to flesh him out.

The Rumors:

• Ralph Fiennes as President Snow – He already has Voldemort on his résumé. Why not add another iconic YA villain? Love the vision. That said, if we’re playing nepotism games, it would be kind of poetic to bring in Kiefer Sutherland to inherit the role from his late father, Donald.

• Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket – Perfect. No notes. Elizabeth Banks’ version walked so Elle Fanning’s could fly.

• Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman – This one’s giving me pause. I love Culkin, but let’s be real: he’s always Roman Roy, sometimes with a different name. Caesar needs a layer of glitzy showmanship that Stanley Tucci made look effortless. Culkin’s a wildcard – but hey, it’s called acting for a reason. Let's see if he’s got it.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” releases in theaters November 20, 2026.

This week on the podcast we’re headed to a galaxy far, far away as we are diving straight into one of the most anticipated returns of the year: “Andor” Season 2.

Now, if you thought Season 1 set a new gold standard for Star Wars storytelling, buckle up — because these first three episodes pick up right where we left off: intense, personal, and unapologetically political.

We’ll be breaking down everything that went down in Episodes 1, 2, and 3 (26:20) — the major moments, the subtle setups, and where this all could be heading as we barrel toward “Rogue One.”

Plus, we look back on “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” 20 years later (11:18), and Zach weighs in on the casting announcements for the “Hunger Games” prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping” (16:20).

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The Rewind: By Inside The Film Room

Recapping the latest in movies, TV and pop culture

By Zach Goins

Make sure to follow Inside The Film Room on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest movie news (@insidefilmroom), and be sure to subscribe and rate/review five stars wherever you get your podcasts!

We’re talking blood, blues, and bite marks.

Ryan Coogler is back with “Sinners” and he’s brought vampires with him. His new film just hit theaters, and let me tell you — it’s the kind of movie that demands your attention. We’re talking Michael B. Jordan playing twins, Ludwig Göransson going mad scientist mode, and full-blown vampire carnage. It’s bold, it’s bloody, it’s everything. (38:26)

But that’s not all that bites. We’ll also be checking in on “The Last of Us” Season 2. The first two episodes are out, and the emotional gut punches are already rolling in hot. (18:52)

Plus, we’re diving in to the Season 2 premiere of Nathan Fielder’s “The Rehearsal.” (2:32)

So buckle up. We’ve got original horror, prestige TV, and plenty of trauma to go around.

Subscribe to The Rewind:

The Rewind: By Inside The Film Room

Recapping the latest in movies, TV and pop culture

By Zach Goins

Make sure to follow Inside The Film Room on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest movie news (@insidefilmroom), and be sure to subscribe and rate/review five stars wherever you get your podcasts!

I’m not gonna lie. It’s been four days since I saw “Sinners” and I haven’t stopped thinking about it yet.

Ludwig Göransson’s score? On repeat.

Reviews and think pieces? Read.

Tickets for Round 2 in IMAX? Purchased.

Let’s dive in to all things “Sinners,” as well as everything else this week’s Rewind has to offer.

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⏪ Rewind: ‘Sinners’ is a genre-defying Southern epic packed with blood, soul, and spectacle

I can think of just a handful of times I’ve been sitting in a theater mid-movie and realized I was watching something truly special.

Plenty of times I’ve recognized walking out of a theater that what I just watched was the real deal, but it’s gotta be a certain type of special to cause that meta realization while the film is still rolling.

I’m talking “Oppenheimer,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the “Dune” films. Real deal big screen spectacle.

Now “Sinners” has joined that list. There’s a musical sequence about halfway through that made me AND THE TWO RANDOM PEOPLE NEXT TO ME hit the guy leaning forward in his chair meme all at the same time.

That’s when I knew we were really cooking.

Read our full “Sinners” review below:

Additional Recs:

• Read: ‘Sinners’ Is More Than Enough to Chew On – Adam Nayman (The Ringer)

• Listen: ‘Sinners’ Is for the Sickos, the Cinephiles, and You, With Ryan Coogler! – The Big Picture

▶️ Play: Going back to the start with Ryan Coogler

Zach: After watching “Sinners,” I knew it was finally time to check the last Ryan Coogler film off my list: “Fruitvale Station.” It’s not an easy watch. This is a gutting, deeply human retelling of the real-life murder of Oscar Grant III – and it’s essential viewing. Not just to honor Grant’s story, but to witness the origin point of one of the most vital creative duos working today. Coogler has never made a film without Michael B. Jordan, and “Fruitvale” shows exactly why. From day one, the two just got each other. Coogler unlocks something in MBJ that few others ever have – a rawness, a vulnerability, a kind of emotional access that feels almost too real. Like “Sinners,” “Fruitvale Station” devotes its early runtime to the small moments – the joys, the routines, the everyday resilience of Black life. Then the nightmare sets in. Whether grounded in reality or reaching into the supernatural, Coogler has always known how to strike that perfect, harrowing balance. And it all started here.

“Fruitvale Station” is available to rent or purchase on PVOD.

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⏸️ Pause: Johnny’s very possible mission: rewatching all the ‘Mission: Impossible’ films

My first IMAX experience was “the one where Tom Cruise climbs the world’s tallest building.” It was my first year of high school, and I was only a few years removed from the cinematic awakening that was “The Dark Knight,” but “Ghost Protocol” felt like the first full-blown action flick I ever loved. As a kid, Batman was my favorite hero, and “The Dark Knight” trilogy was my defining cinematic saga.

But it was in my high school and college years that Ethan Hunt became a hero for me on par with the Caped Crusader, and “Mission: Impossible” grew into my movie series of choice. With the seemingly final “M:I” installment upon us, I want to take a trip down memory lane in the weeks leading to “Final Reckoning” and give my definitive takes and ranking.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to follow along as we revisit and rank every "Mission: Impossible" movie before the series’ epic conclusion hits theaters on May 23.

⏺️ Record: ‘Star Wars’ past, present and future

If you’re a “Star Wars” fan, you know all about what went down last week at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo.

The biggest news was “Star Wars: Starfighter,” the upcoming film from director Shawn Levy starring Ryan Gosling. Details had been sparse on the project until now, with new updates revealing the movie will be set five years after 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” but it’s a standalone film not related to the Skywalker Saga’s core storyline.

“This is not a prequel, this is not a sequel,” Levy told the crowd. “It’s a new adventure.”

It’s hard not to be excited about the Gos God channeling a galaxy far, far away, but then I remember the Shawn Levy of it all. His early work helped define my childhood faves, like “Cheaper By The Dozen,” “The Pink Panther” and the “Night at the Museum” films, and “The Internship” is still an underrated gem. But since then… maybe he just gives me the ick because of all the insufferable Ryan Reynolds slop.

Here’s hoping Gosling can help guide this starfighter to another happy landing on May 28, 2027.

Enough of that. Kids had their fun already. Now it’s real men’s turn, aka “Andor” Season 2 kicking off this week and “Revenge of the Sith” returning to theaters for its 20th anniversary.

Season 2 of “Andor” premieres April 22 on Disney+. “Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” returns to theaters beginning April 25. “Star Wars: Starfighter” releases in theaters May 28, 2027.

⏩ Fast Forward: Hello, ‘You’ Season 5

Look, don’t judge me — I’m still riding for “You.” Joe Goldberg may have lost the plot a bit in Season 4, but we’ve come this far. We’re finishing the job.

The fifth and final season drops all 10 episodes at once, teeing up one last binge-fueled spiral as our favorite hopeless romantic/bookstore manager/serial killer returns to New York City. Back to where it all began. Back to the books.

That means a return to the show’s simpler roots could be on the table — but let’s be real, this trailer is promising full chaos. We’re talking mounting body count, sprawling police investigations, and a fresh slate of characters, aka potential victims.

Still, the biggest crime this show ever committed? Killing off Victoria Pedretti. Long live Love Quinn.

“You” Season 5 releases April 24 on Netflix.

Other Recs This Week: “Andor” Season 2 Premiere (Tuesday, Disney+) “The Studio” Ep. 6 (Tuesday, Apple TV+), “Survivor” Ep. 9 (Wednesday, CBS), “Hacks” Ep. 4 (Thursday, MAX), “The Last Of Us” Ep. 3 (Sunday, HBO), “The Righteous Gemstones” Ep. 8 (Sunday, HBO), “The Rehearsal” Ep. 2 (Sunday, HBO)

That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!

Do us a favor and forward this to two of your movie and TV-obsessed friends and tell them to subscribe.

Stay tuned for more!

My first IMAX experience was “the one where Tom Cruise climbs the world’s tallest building.” It was my first year of high school, and I was only a few years removed from the cinematic awakening that was “The Dark Knight,” but “Ghost Protocol” felt like the first full-blown action flick I ever loved. As a kid, Batman was my favorite hero, and “The Dark Knight” trilogy was my defining cinematic saga.

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But it was in my high school and college years that Ethan Hunt became a hero for me on par with the Caped Crusader, and “Mission: Impossible” grew into my movie series of choice. With the seemingly final “M:I” installment upon us, I want to take a trip down memory lane in the weeks leading to “Final Reckoning” and give my definitive takes and ranking.

Every film will be scored on five essential categories key to the success of any “Mission: Impossible” film: villain, Ethan’s crew, location, stunts, and, of course, the quality of Tom Cruise’s glorious, luscious hair.

Each week I’ll be updating this list after a new rewatch. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to follow along as we revisit and rank every "Mission: Impossible" movie before the series’ epic conclusion hits theaters on May 23.

Update: Read Johnny’s review of “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” as well as his thoughts on “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning”

“Mission: Impossible - Fallout” (2018)

The “Mission” pinnacle. Just as this film represents the “fallout” of Ethan’s entire life to this point, it’s the culmination of every stunt design, location shoot and stylistic choice that the franchise has completed to date. It’s no coincidence this marks the first time in the series that a director has returned to helm a “Mission” pic, with McQ doing his damndest to top the series-best entry of “Rogue Nation.”

Mission: accomplished.

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The most dramatic and emotional pic to date (without forgoing its wit and humor), it wisely returns all of the pieces in “Rogue Nation” that worked best, namely villain Solomon Lane and heroine Ilsa Faust. This is key to maximizing the punch of every story beat, as well as making “Mission” feel more desperate and high stakes than ever. Lane threatens everyone Hunt has ever loved, while Ilsa continues to fight for her freedom.

Lane is joined by double-agent August Walker (Henry Cavill), a.k.a. anarchist John Lark. For a guy who played Superman, this remains Cavill’s most charismatic and enjoyable character to date. He’s a one-man wrecking crew who has the honor of physically facing off with Hunt in the most spectacular “Mission” finale ever. He also makes for a great contrast to Lane’s more cerebral style of antagonist, and while the pair would be formidable opponents for Hunt on their own, the two together make for an even more potent mix.

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At this point, though, we know the stunts are undoubtedly the star. For my money, “Fallout” is the greatest action film of Cruise’s illustrious career. Completing a one-shot H.A.L.O. jump and destroying a bathroom with a brawl, motorbiking through Paris and sprinting through London, and, of course, seeing Cruise pilot a helicopter through mountainous terrain – it’s everything you’ve come to expect from “Mission” dialed to 11 and then some.

While the franchise has been constantly reinventing its tone and aesthetic via new filmmakers, McQ took the chance by returning to evolve the story of “Mission,” rather than just the style. “Fallout” is the first pic to genuinely examine Ethan’s history and what makes him tick, the closest these films ever come to a character study. Whether it’s his “doomed” marriage with Julia (in Michelle Monaghan’s welcome return), his unflinching loyalty to his best friends, or his supernatural determination to save the world, no stone is left unturned by “Fallout.”

The Scoreboard:

• The Villain: 4.5 out of 5

• The Crew: 5 out of 5

• The Location(s): 4.5 out of 5

• The Stunts: 5 out of 5

• The Hair: 4 out of 5

• The Final Score: 5 out of 5

“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation” (2015)

Enter McQ, the latest and greatest filmmaker to take the reins.

Despite not being a known action director, it feels like this was Christopher McQuarrie’s destiny, with him doing rewrites on “Ghost Protocol” before becoming one of the credited screenwriters on another Cruise film, “Edge of Tomorrow.” How could McQ supplant the likes of De Palma, Woo, Abrams and Birds? Well…

First, McQ and Cruise wisely chose to follow the tonal recalibration of “Ghost Protocol,” which is epitomized by giving Simon Pegg’s Benji an even more prominent role. In terms of substance, there is a distinct re-center on action, with hand-to-hand combat and chase sequences getting elevated. It doesn’t sacrifice the best spy elements of the series, though, keeping the gadgetry and sleuthing on the pedestal it deserves.

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Second, and most importantly, it finally introduces a woman to match Hunt, who isn’t purely here as a love interest or to serve as part of the team. Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust is an instantly iconic action hero. From her show-stopping yellow dress at the Vienna opera, to her saving Ethan from drowning and the subsequent motorcycle chase in Morocco, it’s the closest someone has come to stealing the franchise out from Cruise’s nose.

The opera sequence in particular is one of the all-time greats. It’s everything “Mission” does well, blending suspense, style, humor, gadgets and action, balancing between Hunt, Benji and Ilsa. It also does well to illustrate the power and scope of The Syndicate, Hunt’s latest antagonist, given a face in the form of Sean Harris’ Solomon Lane. He offers a legitimately sinister aura compared to the dullness of the last film’s villain.

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In retrospect, “Mission” sometimes doesn’t feel like “Mission” proper until Cruise allows Benji and Ilsa in to share the spotlight. “Rogue Nation” gives the former the most full-fledged arc of any character apart from Hunt yet, while introducing the latter like a lightning bolt to the heart of this franchise.

As fun as it would’ve been to continue with Tom Cruise as the one burning fuse of “Mission,” it’s the continued fleshing out of these characters around him that really keeps us choosing to accept.

The Scoreboard:

• The Villain: 3.5 out of 5

• The Crew: 4.5 out of 5

• The Location(s): 4 out of 5

• The Stunts: 4.5 out of 5

• The Hair: 4 out of 5

• The Final Score: 4.5 out of 5

“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” (2011)

With the 9/11-era, mid-2000s grittiness of “M:I3” five years in the rear view, who better to inject some magic and whimsy into this franchise than the man behind “The Incredibles”? Brad Bird brings us Ethan Hunt in his final form – unstoppable force and immovable object, all in one. The stage is perfectly set through his most iconic entrance yet – an almost slapstick, musical jailbreak in Moscow. It’s an apropos contrast to the torture scene opener from the prior entry.

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But this film isn’t just Hunt at his best. Benji in the field is emblematic of everything Bird aims to achieve from a tonal standpoint. Endlessly quick wit but with just enough messiness and bad luck to keep the audience on their toes. Flanked by Paula Patton as Carter and Jeremy Renner as Brandt, this trio is the best crew so far. The mysterious subplot tying Brandt to Hunt is a particularly nice touch.

This also really marks the first film to make a Tom Cruise stunt the focal point of its entire existence. The Burj Khalifa sequence might still be the crown jewel of the series: no CGI, no set, no doubles. Just the world’s biggest movie star on the face of the world’s tallest building, weaving another iconic Cruise stunt with a suspense-filled spy scene for the whole crew to shine.

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Nyquist is the most forgettable antagonist in the franchise, which is arguably worse than just being the worst antagonist. The lack of proper villains continues to distinguish “Mission” from “Bond,” although I’d argue it plays into the strengths of the series to operate this way, especially to ensure Cruise as Hunt isn’t outdone (see: any “Batman” flick).

Hunt doesn’t fire a gun the entire film, and the gadgets are constantly failing. It’s the franchise’s first subversive film – now that they have a solid foundation to subvert – and it pays off in spades. “The only thing that functioned on that mission was this team,” Hunt tells the crew in the film’s final scene. There is a heartfelt center to “Ghost Protocol” that the first three films never quite reach. Backs against the wall, on the brink of nuclear annihilation, Hunt and Co. don’t let us – or each other – down.

The Scoreboard:

• The Villain: 2.5 out of 5

• The Crew: 4.5 out of 5

• The Location(s): 4 out of 5

• The Stunts: 4.5 out of 5

• The Hair: 4 out of 5

• The Final Score: 4.5 out of 5

“Mission: Impossible III” (2006)

Did someone order the J.J. Abrams Special? Before he relaunched “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” Abrams revived this franchise with its first true blockbuster extravaganza, injecting the series with big-budget effects and action set pieces. It also feels like the first real globetrotting entry, with on-location shooting in Germany, Italy and China making for memorable sequences.

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Tonally, it’s not too dissimilar from Abrams’ other blockbuster fare, doing well to inject an appropriate dose of humor, which would really become the standard going forward. “M:I3” lets the banter between Ethan and his team shine, leaning into Cruise’s comedic chops. The introduction of Simon Pegg’s Benji is a particular standout as even with limited screen time, he is a marker for things to come. Michelle Monaghan offers the most interesting female character yet, even if it’s in service of Hunt’s story. Their romance is sketched well enough to keep the plot engaging, down to her shooting the final bad guy and literally bringing Hunt back to life.

What everyone remembers this one for isn’t for a specific stunt or the most-riveting plot. What this film has that every other in the franchise lacks is Philip Seymour Hoffman, fresh off his Oscar win and offering a level of menace and intensity that raised the bar for the series. Hoffman also gets to join in on the fun side of the flick, with the film’s central mask sequence offering the chance for him to play Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt playing Hoffman’s character. “Freaky Friday” eat your heart out.

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As a soft reboot, I appreciate the continuation of some past elements (Ving Rhames as Luther, the “drop in” stunt motif, the double-cross IMF narrative) while making new additions and expanding on its predecessors. Making Hunt less of a lone wolf and making the teamwork integral is what sets him apart from the likes of Bond. The exploration of IMF tech (i.e. mask making) and techniques (i.e. lip reading) does well to flesh out the reality of how this whole thing works in the first place. If this film had fallen flat, we never would’ve gotten the “Mission” franchise we know and love today.

Thanks, J.J.

The Scoreboard:

• The Villain: 4 out of 5

• The Crew: 4 out of 5

• The Location(s): 3.5 out of 5

• The Stunts: 4 out of 5

• The Hair: 3.5 out of 5

• The Final Score: 4 out of 5

“Mission: Impossible 2” (2000)

New millennium, new Mission! John Woo’s melodrama and unabashed romantic style swings the series to the other side of the stylistic spectrum. Who needs De Palma paranoia when you have Woo aura?

While the flick moves closer to the lighthearted fun of later entries, it does feel a bit too much like Woo’s take on James Bond. Ethan Hunt is smiley, sexy and as charismatic as ever, with the most suave locks of the series pairing well with Woo’s eye for glamour shots. Thandiwe Newton is a suitably stunning love interest.

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Unfortunately, after a thrilling meet cute, her thinly-drawn character gets sidelined for most of the pic. Still, Newton has really enjoyable chemistry with Cruise when the pair do get to be on screen, setting a high bar for the women to come (albeit plenty of room for better writing).

Unbelievable stunt work is where “M:I2” shines brightest, especially in the third act, buoyed by an amazing motorcycle chase and a surplus of Ethan Hunt kicks. The film overall is certainly less spy-centric and more action-oriented than its predecessor, with the most prominent gunplay of the series and no shortage of explosions. The most death-defying stunt Cruise handles himself is a knife spot, with the weapon rigged to stop just millimeters from his eye. Not particularly memorable, but that’s more complimentary of the film’s climactic 30+ minutes than anything else.

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Unfortunately, all this goodness is at the mercy of the film’s primary locale (Sydney, Australia) and more mediocre villain (Dougray Scott as… Sean Ambrose? Okay lol). Both are by-the-numbers for an early 2000s action film, marking a low point for the series in both categories. But when the taste the film ultimately leaves in your mouth is Tom Cruise’s best “Matrix” impression, with Hans Zimmer blaring in the background, there are certainly far worse action flicks out there.

The Scoreboard:

• The Villain: 1 out of 5

• The Crew: 2.5 out of 5

• The Location(s): 2.5 out of 5

• The Stunts: 4.5 out of 5

• The Hair: 5 out of 5

• The Final Score: 3.5 out of 5

“Mission: Impossible” (1996)

My birth year of 1996 gave Tom Cruise the opportunity to work with the legendary Brian De Palma, but I’m guessing he didn’t see this modest spy thriller evolving into the defining work of his life. It’s by far the most lowkey and least action-packed of the series, instead relying on De Palma’s voyeuristic perspective to drive the drama.

The colors and camera angles are probably never as good as they are here, but the key issue with this “Mission” in retrospect is that Cruise doesn’t truly become Hunt until the death defying stunts start. At the time this was made, Cruise was still a competent enough hero but was only just coming of age as a legitimately dynamic actor. To become the Ethan Hunt we all know and love, Cruise had to stop taking himself so seriously and become a more Indiana Jones-style action hero.

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The story told is serviceable enough, with Ethan being betrayed and framed, then and having to go against the IMF directly – sound familiar? It does a good job of establishing the more upbeat IMF team dynamics and bringing in a solid cast of characters for Ethan to work with, including the impeccable Ving Rhames as Luthor. The standout sequences are the restaurant confrontation between Ethan and Kittridge, which not only plays to all of De Palma’s strengths with paranoia but also provides Cruise’s first real stunt as Hunt – sprinting away from a massive, crashing tank of water.

The most iconic sequence, which really helped put “Mission” on the map, is the CIA break-in. It’s a beautifully orchestrated and layered set piece that balances sheer tension with satisfying comedic beats – this would become the “Mission” formula.

While this isn’t one of my favorites overall, there’s no denying it has a more unique look and feel, thanks to a true auteur like De Palma. I also won’t argue that sometimes less is more when it comes to action! For me, it just isn’t the series or hero I know and love yet.

The Scoreboard:

• The Villain: 3.5 out of 5

• The Crew: 3.5 out of 5

• The Location(s): 3 out of 5

• The Stunts: 3 out of 5

• The Hair: 2 out of 5

• The Final Score: 3.5 out of 5

The Final Rank-oning:

1. “Mission: Impossible - Fallout”

2. “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”

3. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”

4. “Mission: Impossible III”

5. “Mission: Impossible”

6. “Mission: Impossible 2”

7. “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning”

8. “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning”