Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Roses - This is a perfectly fine 3 star movie. It could have easily been a 4 star movie if it were 90 minutes, and it needed more of a bite to it. They also show too much in the trailer (I don't watch a lot of trailers, but I think this played before The Materialists in the theater). But it also could have been a 2 star movie if it didn't have such a great main & supporting cast, and a believable central relationship. I really like that they spent the time to show why these two people are together and that they truly do love each other. But their lives flipped upside down, and things went south without them even really realizing it. It's sad to watch it fall apart. The story also does a good job of showing how difficult it is for women to be mothers & have a successful career. I hate when films/tv shows depict the women "can have it all!" story, but I just don't think it's true. You have to make sacrifices that men also have to make but aren't judged for it. The only way for both of them to have these big careers (she's a professional chef who hits it big and starts a seafood franchise called "We've Got Crabs" LOL. And he is an architect, who is successful until...he's not), they would have to have child care or a nanny (and they can definitely afford to). I think a lot of wealthy/successful couples choose that as an option, which I think is kind of shitty. Having strangers raise your child? Why have kids to begin with? I'm just saying that I appreciate that this film doesn't gloss over the sacrifice she makes by choosing her career - she basically misses her kids teenage years, and she regrets it. Anyway, as I said - this has a fantastic cast. I'm not really a Benedict Cumberbatch fan, but he's good in this (and finally not playing someone who is a genius but socially awkward - that's all he does!). Olivia Colman steals the movie though. She goes through every emotion and I feel for this character deeply. I love the supporting cast - Ncuti Gatwa, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney (in a scene stealing scene). I'm not listing Kate McKinnon in this though - I know she has a lot of fans, but I never find her funny and she is definitely not funny in this, and she is definitely trying to be. I remember the original film vaguely - The War of the Roses, with Kathleen Turner. But I was looking it up to see who else was in it and I was SHOCKED to find out that it was written & directed by Danny DeVito!! Anyway, I definitely liked this - I just think it could have easily cut 30 minutes (they don't even decide to divorce until an hour and 20 minutes in!). It's a good, satisfying adult dramedy. But what the Hell is that ending??? *MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD* *STOP READING* They fucking die at the end??? What the fuck? That's so fucking dark! They have kids!! 

2. Deep Cover - I had never heard of this movie, but my husband found it on Amazon. He and I are STILL sick (I'm going on 9 weeks of bronchitis and my husband had the flu and now a really bad sinus infection), so we are still trying to stay rested as much as we can (which is difficult because we are both in full holiday mode - we both work retail). So it's movie and early bed time. This movie looked like it fulfilled the dumb action movie quota, so we pressed play knowing nothing about it other than it being an action comedy starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom. That's an interesting pairing, for sure (it still blows my mind that there can be new releases thrown on streaming services starring ACTUAL MOVIE STARS, and I've never heard of it!). And I'm happy to say that we both enjoyed it! But the thing that really shocked me is that Orlando Bloom IS FUNNY!!! Why has he not been in an outright comedy like this before?? He's GREAT! Probably the best part of the movie and I just wasn't expecting it at all, and neither was my husband. He was like "does he do comedies? I've never seen him like this before - he's GREAT" and I was like "NO he does dramas and franchises, and he's terrible in them!" (except he is good in that movie that I just watched called The Cut, so maybe he's just good now???). He plays an out-of-work actor who is obsessed with being method - and it's just so funny. It also stars Nick Mohammad. The three of them actually work really together. The plot seems ridiculous - Howard is an improv teacher, who is teaching Bloom (as I said, a "serious" method actor) and Mohammad (who is a background character in his own life, who accidentally becomes an improv student). The three of them are recruited by police to infiltrate a small-time illegal tobacco ring that spirals out of control into a full-on criminal underworld. But they do a great job of sticking to this ridiculous plot by focusing on the characters instead of the plot. We get to know the "bad guys" - one played by one of the all time great actors - Paddy Considine! Yes HE'S in this too! And the "even worse bad guy" is Ian McShane! And did I mention that the police officer is SEAN BEAN?! Like I said, actual MOVIE STARS! They fully sell this plot because they all can ACT! I'm not trying to oversell it - it's a dumb action comedy, but I was fully entertained and I laughed a lot, and that's exactly the kind of movie I was in the mood to watch. 

3. KPop Demon Hunters - I really didn't want to watch this, even though I knew full well that I would probably enjoy it. I know that it's become a cultural phenomenon among young kids, but it also got fairly solid reviews among film nerds, so I convinced my husband to watch it with me since he likes animated movies (and we're running out of movies to watch!). And - not surprisingly - we both liked it. It's cute and the songs are super catchy! The girl-group are called Huntrix, and they sound like a mix of Katy Perry, Sia, and Lady Gaga (complimentary). I'm not above a good pop group - I was an *NSYNC fan. I get it. I also grew up with Jem and the Holograms, so again, I get it. I don't really get how adults still have these teen-like obsessions (in the same way that I don't understand the whole Disney adult thing), but to each their own! You only get one life - spend it how you want to! I think the reason that film buffs rallied for this is because the animation is really strong and the story structure is really well written. I also like the horror elements - the ending is a kids version of Smile 2. Overall, it's solid! On a sidenote - the one girl sounds exactly like Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine - even my husband thought so. I had googled it to see if it was her, and then 1/2 way through he asked "that's Rosa, right?". Haha!

4. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) - First of all - I will always be astonished that they got away with naming a kids movie How to Train Your Dragon (you don't even have to change the name for the porn version!). Second, I've never watched the animated version, and I had no plans of watching this version, but it was my husband's pick and we are running out of options (he also wants to watch the Lilo & Stich live-action. And I've also not seen the original). I actually thought this was decent. The weakest link is the kid who plays the main character (oddly named Hiccup?). I actually really liked him in The Black Phone - even comparing him to the late Brad Renfro (which is the highest of compliments coming from me!). So I think this was just a case of miscasting. I feel like the character is supposed to be a bit more loveable?? But, I really enjoy the rest of the cast - Gerard Butler (not even attempting to hide his Scottish accent, even though it makes no sense) is always great, I LOVE Nico Parker, and Nick Frost provides some nice comedic touches. I also think it's hilarious at how multi-cultural this group of Vikings are (I don't think a film like this has to follow historical accuracies, but it's also SO FUNNY to just erase tribalism/nationalism/racism because it will certainly piss off the racists). I also think Parker is given a speech about not being given anything and having to make your own opportunities and work hard, which is WILD coming from a nepobaby. Anyway, I think this is cute, it looks pretty good for a fantasy movie, and I was entertained. However, kids movies should never be 2 hours - this should have been 90 minutes tops. And on a random sidenote - even though I've never seen the original, I've been saying how my cat Mazie looks like the dragon from "that kids movie", and now my husband realizes I've been talking about this movie and now he can't unsee it. She looks like Toothless!!  

5. Caught Stealing - So in my quest to avoid trailers and spoilers from movies, the only thing I knew about this movie was that it's a Darren Aronofsky film starring Austin Butler. A few months ago, my husband said that his friend/co-worker (who is a big movie buff) told him about a "new action movie that is about this guy who gets caught in a gang war because he was watching his friend's cat" and he wants to watch it. I had NO IDEA what movie he was talking about. I googled that exact description and this movie came up, and I said "there's NO WAY you would enjoy a Darren Aronofsky movie". I mean, his movies are full dramas! And serious! And weird! All things my husband hates! But I started reading some reviews calling it the lightest and most accessible Aronofsky movie, and it's also described as a "crime-comedy" film, so I added it to our list (it's separate from my movie list). I was still nervous when we finally sat down to watch it, because I was still convinced he was going to be bored and annoyed by it. But the reviews (and his friend) were right - it's a fun film! Completely unexpected! Who knew Aronofsky had this in him?? (That's not a dig - I love his films!). This is maybe the first time I didn't mind Austin Butler, also. I still feel like he's a try-hard, but he does a good job in this. There's some unexpected actors in this too - like Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio as Hasidic Jewish mobsters, and Laura Dern in a mostly voice role (weird! But I instantly recognized her voice and waited for her to have a bigger role, but nope!). I think the film isn't as twisty as it thinks (it's obvi who one of the "bad guys" is as soon as they are introduced), and how the film is going to end (there's too much foreshadowing). But, there are some shocking moments - I certainly did not expect the death of one of the characters. There's definitely a lot to like about this - it moves really quickly, features a very cute cat, and has some interesting characters. But I will never like Matt Smith. And him as a punk rock drug dealer is hard to stomach. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. After the Hunt - This movie is...fine. I'm not the biggest Luca Guadagnino fan (I think Challengers is his best film, and I still didn't love that). I don't really understand the praise that he receives, but that's not a new feeling for me. There are so many directors/actors/movies/shows that are SO overrated because people throw the word "masterpiece" around all willy-nilly nowadays. I think this might be his worst reviewed movie, but I think it's better than a lot of them (still a 3 star movie, for me). The story has been done before with Doubt, The Hunt, Tar, etc. with a teacher being accused of something and dealing with the fallout. I don't think this film offers anything new, perspective-wise. It's told from the perspective of a friend/co-worker of the accused who has to choose whether to support her friend/co-worker or the victim, and I think that's supposed to be an interesting vantage point or something, but it's not. You can believe the victim and support your friend as well and bow out of the problem that you know nothing about. And this is what causes people's heads to spin - TWO things/ideas can conflict with each other and both can still be true. Yes, we, as a society, need to believe women and treat victims of abuse better, but there are still two sides to every story. And unless you were present, you will never know which is true. But this character doesn't bow out - she involves herself and is also given an underlying motive for wanting her friend/co-worker to be guilty (she will get the better job). They also say the line "if it's real to you, then it's real", which is such a bullshit line. People convince themselves of things all the time and memory is very inconsistent. They should have pushed into these ideas more. I just don't find anything about this provocative (maybe if it were released 15 years ago), but it's definitely trying to be. It's way too long, and I already know how it's going to end. Also, the way scholars talk is so fucking dull and and elitist - I would kill myself if I had to be around that all the time. I do love this cast, though. I've always been a big Julia Roberts fan, and it's nice to see Andrew Garfield act again (it's been a while!). Ayo Edebiri is finally in a decent movie (it's been rough with Opus and Omniloop). Plus, the cop from Bad Sisters! I love her! And Chloe Sevigny with a bad haircut and very little to do! I also like the sound design. It's not a movie that I'll remember a year from now, but it's fine. 

2. A Minecraft Movie - I didn't plan on watching this, but I've been very sick for the past 7 weeks and my husband also got the flu last week so in our bid to rest, we watched a movie after dinner and then went to be early every night (it's still ongoing so we've watched a LOT of bad movies and a few good ones). He's not a "movie person", so picking movies that he will want to watch is a tough challenge. Especially when he's sick - he wants to be able to laugh or zone out with a dumb action movie (which explains the next 3 films on this list). And he doesn't want to pay for anything since we have so many streaming services. He would just pirate them if I didn't object to that. So instead we wait for films to be available on one of our streaming services, but that also limits our choices. After scrolling through our apps for an hour, I came across this and he was like "fine" and I suddenly found myself watching the worst film of the year (and maybe one of the worst films I've ever seen?). There is a way to make videogame films accessible to an audience who might not be familiar with it, and they don't even attempt to do this. I did not understand what was happening at all. And it's definitely trying to be funny and I laughed, mildly at two lines (and I couldn't for the life of me tell you what those two lines were). I do appreciate Jason Momoa being silly though. He was so good in Fast X, and I feel like he brings a part of that character to this - a flamboyant silliness that a lot of big, tough guys would shy away from. I also like the girl from Wednesday (it took me the whole movie to figure out what she's from...haha!). And of course, Danielle Brooks (although I feel bad that they make her wear that very unflattering track suit for the whole movie). Overall, the cast is actually great - and they have fun chemistry together. It's just the story and dialogue that are lacking. And the effects are horrific - this did not make me want to play this game at all, either. In fact, it looks like the dumbest shit imaginable and probably a cause of the downfall of the next generation (and there is a significant drop in intelligence and street smarts with gen z. I work with loads of gen z 20 somethings and I can count on one hand how many will be successful. It's disturbing!). 

3. The Family Plan 2 - I watched the first one, my husband did not, but he picked this movie because it filled the "zone out to a dumb action movie" quota. I mean, I would never watch a sequel to a movie without having watched the first, but that's just me. But, if I'm honest, which I always am, do I remember the first one??? No absolutely not. And that's not all because of my bad memory, I think a lot of it has to do with it being an unmemorable movie. A movie in which a sequel was not necessary at all, but everything is given a sequel nowadays. I guess it's not really a hard plot to pick up quickly (it's basically the same movie as Nobody and this has the same plot as Nobody 2, it's just the same movie set in a different place!). Oh wait!! I do remember loving Michelle Monoghan's character in the first one and she had a very memorable fight scene with Maggie Q. There is really nothing memorable here. It doesn't help that I can't stand Kit Harington. And why does he look so tiny in this?? He actually looks very different in this and I can't really pinpoint why, but his tininess really stuck out. Him and Marky Mark are the same height and yet he looks so small in comparison. And he's just really laughable as a menacing villain (and also 1/2 brother to Marky Mark??? Ok, sure.). The kids are good in this, and I like the way they include them in the action in a realistic way. I knew the boyfriend's dad was someone important the very second he said "let me call my dad". It's such obvious foreshadowing that makes me groan. But I get that this is not made as a thinking movie - just turn your brain off and try to have fun with it. 

4. Relay - I liked this movie a lot, but my husband ruined this for me because he guessed the plot twist within the first 20 minutes. And as soon as he said it, I was like, "oh yeah, that is probably what's going to happen" and then it did (it's ok, I got him back by guessing the twist of Poker Face season 2 ending. I called that WAY before there was any indication). But I wish I didn't watch it with the twist already in the front of my mind the whole time. Anyway, I still really enjoyed this - mostly due to the cast. Riz Ahmed AND Lily James???!!! WOW what a pairing!! I love Riz so much - he is such an incredible, thoughtful actor. Never too showy, but always hits every emotion. And I have a super crush on Lily James. There's also Willa Fitzgerald who is a very cliched "badass" character who doesn't have much to do but snap her gum and say sarcastic things (I don't actually know if she chews gum in this movie, but that's what the character feels like). And Sam Worthington, which is weird because my husband and I also FINALLY watched the second Avatar movie right before this so we did an accidental Sam Worthington double bill. He's such an inconsistent actor though. It's so weird how he really nails a role and then in the next movie I see him in, he's the worst actor I've ever seen. But he's good in this! I don't think it's a hard role to play, but at least he doesn't ruin the movie like he sometimes does! I like the shots of NY/NJ - you can tell it's actually filmed on location and it does a great job of making the city feel gritty but also hopeful at the same time. It feels like a classic 70s thriller, which is getting rarer and rarer these days (rarer is such a weird word to say and type lol). It also feels a bit different with the plot heavily relying on technology made for deaf people. The protagonist utilizes a relay service to communicate with whistleblowers to help them make deals and disappear. I've used a relay service once to interview a deaf candidate for a job. It's an interesting service - and it is a completely secure service. Although, I'm sure that if there are crimes being admitted to - they have ways to still charge and convict people. But it's an interesting device used in this little thriller - it's not something that I've seen used before, so that automatically makes me go "okay, this is cool! This is fresh! Something new! It can still be done!". 

5. Playdate - This was another film chosen out of pure exhaustion from scrolling. We saw an action/comedy starring the guy from Reacher (and we both love Reacher) and pressed play not knowing anything else. But I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did and the ONLY reason for that enjoyment is because of Alan Ritchson. HOLY SHIT. He is HILARIOUS. On Reacher he's more serious, introspective, etc., with some funny/dry humor moments, but he's, like, laugh-out-loud funny in this and it's so unexpected. His timing on jokes is the best. Sometimes the actual dialogue might not be funny, but if it's delivered correctly anything can be funny. Like, I would watch this again in a heartbeat just to laugh all over again. It helps that he's HOT too. I'm not usually into muscle men, but he's so handsome and tall. And I just LOVE when big muscly men are silly. I was practically drooling through the whole thing. Ritchson took a 1 star movie and made it a 3 star movie. I wish he had a better scene partner. Kevin James is fine, but I'm not the biggest fan. The plot is absolutely ridiculous but it also has some twists that you may or may not see coming so I'm not going to spoil it - just know that it's So Stupid. BUT, there are some lines that are so funny I had tears in my eyes, so the plot doesn't even matter. The big one is the "Run, Forrest, run!" line because it's a joke from 30 years ago but the way Ritchson delivers it is incredible. We had to pause the movie to finish laughing. There are some really good film references too - like the "Stuck in the Middle with You" homage (again, crying laughing!) and the "Give it Up" song plays with circular tracking shots like in Kingsman. There are also some other funny movie lines "You've seen The Departed, he'll be whacked!" and "Like the Yellowstone guy from Bodyguard" - both got me good. I probably missed a ton of jokes from laughing so hard. I highly recommend this if you want to watch something stupid with a hot guy being really funny. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Eddington - I like Ari Aster just fine, but I do think he's a bit overrated. Beau is Afraid is his best film and I know that's a controversial take (Beau > Midsommar > Hereditary). I would probably rank this slightly below Midsommar. It would have been a 4 star film if it were 30 minutes shorter (properly edit your films for the love of God!) and if it didn't go completely off-the-rails about 90 minutes in. I like what it attempts to do - and that is to show the radicalization of both sides of the political spectrum. But before I get into all of that, let's talk about this cast. Literally my first thought was "Jesus Christ, Pedro is in this too?!" It would be easier to list the films he hasn't been in over the past few years. I'm more excited by two of the best actors currently working - Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone - starring in a film together. It's too bad that Stone is completely wasted. She's given so little to do that I almost forgot she was even in this. I do like the casting of Dierdre O' Connell as her mother though (such a perfect mother/daughter match!). Joaquin is also a little weak in this - he seems confused by the character and by the end, I didn't buy him in this role at all. There's a lot of supporting actors who have very small roles (like Clifton Collins Jr.! I love him! and Austin Butler as the blandest cult leader ever). And back to the story - like I said, it's interesting to see this all play out, but I think it's very unfocused and tries to incorporate too many things. I'm pretty sure it's done on purpose to recreate the chaos of what 2020 felt like, but I think if the focus was *just* on Covid effects and how BLM protests spread across the country, it would have been more successful. The added cult subplot and the indigenous aspect feels disjointed. It's trying to comment on problems in America - but there are *too* many problems to fit into one story. I think the beginning is very strong though - showing how insane people became about masking. In the beginning of Covid, I had no problem masking because we had no idea what was happening. I would do anything to prevent someone from getting sick and possibly dying. But people took the masking thing to extreme lengths even after it's pretty reasonable to admit that it doesn't really work. I know so many maskers who got Covid multiple times and they still insisted (for years!) on making others feel bad for no longer masking. I think the solution was fairly easy - they should have kept the "social distancing" part for a longer period of time. And I think that essential services (grocery stores, medical buildings, banks, etc) should have adopted "masking times" each day where everyone had to wear a mask so that elderly people, immunocompromised people, and paranoid people could comfortably complete essential tasks. I do think that masks might work better if everyone wears them, but you can't force everyone to wear a mask every time they leave the house. It's just not practical. And don't get me started at the maskers who wouldn't cover their nose, or the ones who would take their mask off to eat in public (does Covid know not to infect you because you're eating??). It doesn't make a bit of sense. I also like how they show the BLM protests taking shape in small towns because it became such a media produced protest - people needed to show how "involved" they were by taking selfies at the protests and posting black boxes on their Instagram and it honestly became very sickening. Anyway, I'm on a bit of a tangent, but my point is that the evolution of someone's whole personality can be traced back to 2020 - and I think this is shown very well with a few of the characters here. It just takes everything a bit too far and becomes extremely unrealistic by the end with the whole murder and framing people for murder, etc. It's a shame. Still a solid movie, though. And will end up in my Top 10 because it's already December and I've only seen two 4 star movies (Sinners and Thunderbolts*). 

2. Nobody 2 - I enjoyed the first one - there were some great fight sequences and Bob Odenkirk is always fantastic. I didn't really remember the details though (like I forgot if his family knew who he was?? It seems like they do in this one, but they don't outwardly discuss it until the end). I also didn't remember the amazing supporting cast of Christopher Lloyd and RZA - what a fantastic combination (lol). The villains in this, though, are super ridiculous. Sharon Stone goes all out and not in a good way. And Colin Hanks? He's too much a babyface to be a scary villain! It's just weird casting. But the movie is entertaining, and once again, there are some really fun fight sequences. The ending is a bit Home Alone at a water theme park, but it's fun to see all the booby traps. I also enjoy the music choices - the cover of "Ring of Fire" is excellent and then the needle drop of Celine Dion's "Power of Love" during a key action scene is perfect. I laughed so hard. But, there's also not much else to say about it. It's basically the same movie as the first one. 

3. Freakier Friday - I mean, I didn't expect this to be good but I thought it would be cute and light and funny. And not on my worst of the year list. But I was wrong. The only good thing I have to say about this is that I'm so happy that Lindsey Lohan looks so beautiful and healthy - I hope she continues to thrive. As you might have guessed, I have no recollection of the first one, but I assume that it was cute and light and funny. I was 22 when it came out, so I think I had aged out of the intended audience, but I remember liking it. I think my personal biggest problem with this one is that I can't stand Jamie Lee Curtis lately. I used to love her, but she's been over-acting her ass off lately. Her scenes in The Bear are really pushing me over the edge. She's AWFUL in this - watching her try to be funny as a teenager trapped in a older woman's body is PAIN. I also think having all 4 of them switch bodies is very confusing - Lindsey switches with her daughter and then JLC switches with her soon to be step-granddaughter?? It's so stupid! And then they have Manny Jacinto (you know, HOT Manny Jacinto) with the worst British accent ever put to film! And Mark Harmon looks like he's in his 70s!!! HE IS IN HIS 70s?! What a slap in the face. I know he's been on those NCIS shows for the past 20 years, but I still know him as Shoop from Summer School. Anyway, this all feels like a pointless exercise and I really want more for Julia Butters. It's almost two hours of the 4 of them yelling at each other and "let's change clothes" scenes. My 2 stars feels generous. And why do people keep wasting Sherry Cola??? She's so funny! Give her more to do, people! 

4. 28 Years Later -  I knew that I had to watch both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later before watching this because I have the WORST memory. I remember Cillian Murphy in a star-making performance and obviously that it's about zombies, but other than that - nothing. But I loved the rewatch. And then I actually don't think I've ever seen the sequel because I don't remember that cast at all (Jeremy Renner??? Idris Elba? ROSE BYRNE?!) and I actually assumed that it was bad - but I ended up thinking it was *just* as good as the first one. It feels like a completely different thing (makes sense with different writer/director), but still a strong story and some intense scenes (the helicopter scene!). It made me really look forward to this next chapter. I liked it a lot, but slightly less than both its predecessors. It starts off really great - with some stunning scenes. The whole bridge scene with them running from the alpha is incredible. But then it gets kind of old really quick. This kid takes his mom into a zombie infested area because there *might* be a doctor, but that doesn't seem like a logical thing to do. And Jodie Comer is completely wasted - she's barely conscious for half the movie. I'm not really the biggest Aaron Taylor-Johnson fan, but I do think he's best in roles like this (compared to action movies - please God do not make him Bond). But the star of the movie is Alfie Williams - he's an incredible newcomer who has a gigantic career ahead of him. But my other problem with this film is that I knew Jack O'Connell was in this, and Alfie has a resemblance - so I ASSUMED that there would be a time jump and O'Connell was an older Spike. So I kept WAITING for that to happen (as good as Alfie is, I'm a HUGE O'Connell fan) and *spoiler* it doesn't. Instead, O'Connell is only in the last few minutes (setting up for The Bone Temple), which is very disappointing. And his character is absolutely ridiculous. Anyway, there are a few good scenes along the way - the doctor scenes with Ralph Fiennes are great - it allows the story to settle and allows the characters to accept death in a really beautiful way. Overall, I did like this - I was just hoping for something a little stronger. And I thought I was watching a film starring Jodie Comer and Jack O'Connell and that's not the case at all. 

5. The Bad Guys 2 - I just realized that 4 out of 5 of these films are sequels (or trilogies), which is CRAZY. Not everything needs a sequel!! When people say "Hollywood is out of ideas" this is what they are referring to. This is definitely a movie that didn't need a sequel - it was a cute contained story about a group of criminals who turn good. The sequel would have to make them turn bad again, and that's stupid! They don't necessarily take that route - they aren't really bad, they are being framed - but it's still the same concept told over and over again. Aside from Awkwafina and Marc Maron (who still sounds like Danny DeVito in this), I love this voice cast - Sam Rockwell is so good! And I love the additions of Danielle Brooks and Natasha Lyonne. I'm still a bit "meh" on the movie though. It's cute and entertaining, but I will forget all about it in a few weeks. The plot is also really dumb with them literally stealing a space ship and using basically a magnet to steal all of the world's gold? What exactly is the plan after that? Who is going to buy all the gold that you stole? And then when the "bad guys" save the day, how is all that gold redistributed? LOL. I know I'm overthinking it, but it's just *so* stupid.