Looking Back at the Films of 2025 Part 3 - Queen of the Ring, Novocaine, and Popeye the Slayer Man

So it's another edition of you know what. Let's get to it.

Why Didn't I See Queen of the Ring?

I honestly didn't know this movie existed. I mean it. I don't recall seeing a single ad both on TV, streaming services like Tubi, or a pop-up ad on YouTube. I didn't know about it until I saw the DVDs and Blu-Rays.

What is Queen of the Ring?

Queen of the Ring is a biographical sports drama about female professional wrestler Mildred Burke, more specifically the biography book The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds and the Making of an American Legend. Sumerian Pictures distributed but also produced along with Intrinsic Value Films. The movie was both written and directed by Ash Avildsen.

The story is, Mildred Bliss dreams of getting into the professional wrestling to only do something more in her life but also provide for her son. After changing to her ring name Mildred Burke and wrestling in some carnival sideshows, Mildred is setting the world on fire. But her greatest battles won't be fought just inside the ring, but in her personal life and trying to get women's wrestling unbanned.

My Thoughts

The Good: Now since this is a movie about pro wrestling how are the wrestling matches. Whether the scene is about the matches being staged or a "shoot" (aka real) the scenes are actually pretty fun to watch. They're very visceral and exciting. Another thing to praise is the atmosphere. The 1940s to 1950s setting from costumes to sets to the cinematography is incredible. The 40's setting feels authentic without being too flashy. The last thing I'll praise is Emily Bett Rickard's performance.  Rickard's was amazing whether the moment had to physical or emotional for Mildred Burke. She's very convincing playing the role of a women who was just a simple waitress working at a small diner to trailblazing wrestling star. Rickard's performance is the movie's greatest and biggest strength.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: This is something you probably saw coming a mile away, but the story does have some familiar sports bio beats. You get relationship complications that can get really dark, setbacks around every corner, etc. A lot of underdog story elements. However I still think the story will interest you because you get this bit of pro wrestling history from the women not allowed to wrestling because it's the law to seeing pro wrestling being more of a carnival show and far remove from what you see from something like WWE. 

Final Verdict: Good.

Why Didn't I See Novocaine?

Simple, I was far more focused on The Electric State and The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. So I couldn't do a review for Novocaine and had to save it for this segment.

What is Novocaine?

Novocaine is an action-comedy that was produced by Infrared Pictures, Safehouse Pictures, and Circle of Confusion with Paramount Pictures distributing. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen directed while Lars Jacobson wrote the screenplay.

The story is, Nathan Caine is mild-mannered introvert assistant manager with a rare genetic disorder called CIPA which doesn't let him feel pain. One day he's life changes for the better when he finally goes out on a date with Sherry a woman he's been in love with. Then before he knows it bank robbers not only steal the money from the trust union he works at, but also take Sherry as a hostage. Now, Nathan uses his inability to feel pain to his unexpected advantage to save Sherry.

My Thoughts

The Good: I know some people are tried of Jack Quaid's vulnerable yet charming shtick, but I think he was perfect for this role. Not to mention he perfectly balances the movie's romantic side, the comedy side, and the action side. Speaking of comedy, I did get a kick out of the humor. Sometimes Nathan's CIPA can wear thin is some areas, but you also have other get bits of comedy like the truth of Roscoe's Harley Davidson. That was a pretty good gag. The last thing I'll praise is the action. The action has a lot of brutal scenes. Like using the glass that was impaled into hand as a weapon, using broken bones as a weapon, or just some exciting chase sequences and shoot outs.

The Bad: It's the villains. There's nothing really much to say about them other than they are generic.

The Okay: It's the story. We've seen this kind of set up before. Guy falls in love with the woman, there's some romance, and then next thing you know Guy has to save the woman. It's very simple and has been done before and will continue to be done till the day you, me, and the rest of our generation is long dead. Having said that, I do feel as thought the ride we got on with the dark comedy and bloody mayhem do save the movie quite a bit. Because yet again, I'm firm believer even if your story is predictable the lease you can do is make it's never boring.

Final Verdict: Okay.

Why Didn't I See Popeye the Slayer Man?

It's the same story as why I didn't see Popeye's Revenge. I was keeping track then I forgot as other things were on my mind.

What is Popeye the Slayer Man?

Popeye the Slayer Man is a horror retelling of Popeye. It was produced by Millman Productions, Otsego Media, Ron Lee Productions, and Salem House Films with Vantage Media being the distributor. Robert Michael Ryan directed and wrote the story along with John Doolan, Cuyle Carvin, and Jeff Miller.

The story is, a group of friends set out to film a documentary about the legendary Sailor Man before the cannery he supposedly haunts is torn down. But they quickly find out the legend is true. Now the friends must fight for their lives and get out of the cannery before the Sailor Man kills them all.

My Thoughts

The Good: I've got nothing.

The Bad: Once again we got a problem with the portrayal of Popeye. Sure the filmmakers were a bit committed to the bit what with the previous one I reviewed [Popeye's Revenge]. What with this one being an actual sailor, saying at least one of his iconic catchphrases, and even having spinach be part of his story. But his still being treated as a monster who primarily speaks through grunts and small sighs, okay scratch that, he had three lines and then it's primarily just grunts and sighs. But still, if you're gonna do a horror version of Popeye go all in and don't just slap a sailor suit and put on the cartoonish proportions and call it a day.

The Okay: Now there are a couple of decent things. Such as the practical effects. There are times when it's pretty obvious but I'll take those over some of Popeye's Revenge's bad CGI any day. Then there was the pacing. Sometimes the movie goes along at a fairly decent pace and it's easy to sit through. But then you have moments where things just drag on. I'll also give slight credit to the use of humor. The filmmakers knew this was ridiculous so they put in a few humorous moments. Sometimes it wasn't as balanced as it should've been but it worked for the most part. The last thing I'll touch on is the acting. Sometimes the actors and actresses were actually pretty decent. Which was an improvement compared to Popeye's Revenge and the acting in that. But there were moments where the actors came off as wooden. Although that wasn't the cast for Jason Robert Stephens who plays Popeye or "The Sailor Man" as the character is called in this. Stephens did a pretty good job with all of the physical acting whether it was kills or just standing around being intimidating. So props to Stephens.

Final Verdict: Okay.

Okay that's going to do it for me. Come back on Thursday, Apr 2nd, for a brand new Raiders of The Lost Media. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Review

We had to have wait seven years but the sequel is finally here.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a horror comedy and the sequel to 2019's Ready or Not. The studios in charge of production were Vinson Films, Mythology Entertainment, and Radio Silence with Searchlight Pictures being the distributer. Return to write the screenplay is Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy and also returning to direct is Matt-Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

The story is, immediately after the events of the last movie Grace believes she not longer has to worry about anymore deadly games. But this quickly changes The Council kidnaps both her and her estranged sister Faith in another hide-and-seek. Now Grace has to no only survive until dawn yet again but she also needs to make sure her sister survives with her. But just how far will Grace go to protect her sister?

Initial Reaction

It's a pretty simple reason as to why I wanted to see this, the first movie was a lot of fun and I was hoping the sequel would be too.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

Now while I did enjoy the movie after leaving the theaters I did realize something on my home. While the kills, humor, and etc. were fun I realized the movie wasn't as intense as the first movie. With the previous movie everything had this claustrophobic feel to it, where any wrong no matter how small would cost you your life. With Ready or Not 2 there's still some solidly pressure what with Grace and her sister at odds with each other and there were some chase scenes that felt intense, but the sequel definitely felt more like it was leaning towards chaos and carnage. Which again, wasn't a bad thing it was entertaining.

Pros

It's time to get into the good stuff! Starting with the dark humor. Without going into too many details, we once again get some great dark comedy. Although not all of it is dark, there was this one great bit where a wife pretty much took everything from her awful husband. And the best part of that gag is the guy's got nobody to blame but himself. Then there was the world building. We're introduced to more elements of The Council. This time we learn what happens when you survive one of their games. We're introduced to rival families, and the more satanic ritualistic side of the cult. The last thing I'll praise is Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton. Weaving continues being a great scream queen, once again showing she can handle the physical aspects while also showing her charisma. And Newton provides a great amount of chemistry with Weaving. The pair provide humor, sisterly banter, and a good amount of heart to an otherwise crazy movie.

While not as strong as the first, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a very fun popcorn flick. So if you want to get back and watch some chaotic mayhem, go to your nearest theater and give this a watch.

My final rating is, Good.

Alright then, that'll wrap things up. Come back on Monday, Mar 30th, for part three of Looking Back at the Films of 2025. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Underrated Films - Midnight Run

 

Before we get into the review I do what to tell you a few things. Originally there was gonna be a Cinematic Disasters review, but due to a losing a family things got all jumbled around and instead you're getting another Underrated Films review. So I hope you enjoy.

Midnight Run is an action-comedy thriller that was produced by City Light Films with distribution being done by Universal Pictures. George Callo wrote the screenplay while Martin Brest directed.

The story is, bounty hunter Jack Walsh is enlisted find accountant Jonathan Mardukas who embezzled $15 million from a Chicago crime boss and bring him to Los Angeles. But things aren't gonna be easy on this road trip with not only the mob chasing them but also the F.B.I. and a rival bounty hunter are also chasing after them. While these won't be able to stand each other they'll soon start to become a strange pair of friends.

Why It's Underrated

Be honest with yourself, out of all the Robert De Niro films who know or heard of is this one of them? If you said no don't be ashamed. Like myself I didn't know this existed until doing research for this post.

My Thoughts

There is one downside to the movie and that's it's not at all groundbreaking. It doesn't really add too much to the whole buddy road trip flicks. However despite that I felt like the execution and it's charm does save it from it's otherwise familiar premise.

Since by the end of the day this is a comedy how well does it do in that department? I found it very funny. With these there's plenty of times I wish I could go into spoilers for these (along with my reviews for more recently released films) I won't to avoid spoilers that way you can go in fresh, so I won't give too much away. Having said whether it's psychical or dialogue the comedy is a joy. One of favorites is when Walsh is making a fake ID and he actually ask the kid next to him "How does that look?" It's a very simple moment but it's just funny he wanted the opinion especially to a kid of all people.

Then there's the plot. The story offers plenty of well-placed humor along with simple but enjoyable action scenes and twist and turns. But the strongest aspect comes from Jack and Jonathan. Their friendship going from antagonistic to reluctant respect to actually caring for one another was the movie's true driving force. It was a nice journey to see transport job turn into a hilarious odd-couples dynamic.

The last thing I'll praise is Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin's performances. De Niro perfectly brings out the Walsh's dry wit and simmering frustration and Grodin is offering a chatty annoyance but his performance is where the movie's heart is. Together their chemistry was a joy to watch and the back and forth banter was another highlight to the movie. These two are great albeit underrated comedy buddies but hopefully as time continues to go by more and more discover this movie and these two great ranked higher on some best of lists.

So yeah, Midnight Run, if you haven't seen it check it out. I wish I could tell you what streaming service it's on, but as it currently stands there's no way to stream it for free. So find a store or something. But the point is, Midnight Run is a great comedy movie.

My final rating is, Great.

That's all for now. Come back on Saturday, Mar 28th, for review of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at Daredevil: Born Again - Season 1

Season two is quite literally around the corner, so let's do the old tradition of reviewing season one.

Daredevil: Born Again is a tv series and a revival and continuation of the Netflix Daredevil series. It's produced by Marvel Televison and is distributed by Disney+. The show is created by Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, and Chris Ord. This season consist of nine episodes.

The story is, it's been several years since the events of Netflix's Daredevil and during that time Matt Murdock stopped being the vigilante known as Daredevil after someone close to him was killed. Now he's focusing on serving justice solely as lawyer while in the meantime his arch rival Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin is the newly elected Mayor of New York. Both men are trying to fight off their darker urges but they'll soon find themselves put on a collision course.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

Let's start off with the tone. When watching this and looking back at the Netflix series it's very noticeable that this isn't as intense as Netflix's. Sure there were plenty of shocking moments but I didn't get enough of that edge of your seat vibe like I did with the original show.

Then there's the fights. Now there pretty good but the major downside is there's not that many of them. I get it was because Matt gave up being Daredevil and he's story is about fighting off that urge, but it was still kind of a bummer. It also doesn't help there was some noticeable use of CGI.

Lastly there's the storytelling. Let's start off with the good, that being Matt & Wilson's arcs. I did really enjoy see these two try to be normal men but they just get help themselves when it comes to their darker sides. But sometimes we have story elements that aren't given full depth. One example being the villain Muse. He could've been used far more as the straw that broke the camel's back to make Matt come out of retirement but everything with his arc is wrapped up very quickly.

• Positives

The one praise I can fully give is Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio's performances. Despite the decent at best material these two were great. They brought intensity and nuance to the screen and they haven't lost their chemistry at all. They were truly carrying this season.

So yeah, Daredevil: Born Again, not bad but it definitely didn't capture that same vibe as the original Netflix series. Although I guess that tends to happen when a show is reconstructed from an original plan and has to be reshot and rewritten.

My final rating is, Okay.

Hopefully season two will be much better. But this is all for now. Come back on Thursday, Mar 26th, for an Underrated Films review of Midnight Run. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Project Hail Mary Review

 

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are back in the directing chairs after twelve years of being away from it and mostly being writers and producers. But the question is did they come back directing a hit or a miss?

Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi adventure film based on Andy Weir's 2021 novel of the same name. The companies that produced it are Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Pascal Pictures, Open Invite Films, Waypoint Entertainment and Lord Miller Productions with distribution by Amazon MGM Studios. As previously mentioned Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directed but it was Drew Goddard that wrote the screenplay.

The story is, Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up in a spacecraft with no memory of why he's there but after some time he pieces it all together. He learns he was sent to space to figure out what's going on with the sun's surface and prevent a global cooling disaster. It's a huge task but thanks to an unexpected friendship Dr. Grace won't have to do it alone.

Initial Reaction

If you read my Most Anticipated list then you know I've been looking forward to this because Lord and Miller are directing and they haven't done that since 22 Jump Street back in 2014. So I was curious what they'd be bringing to table but only this time as directors.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

It's the pacing. While some parts move along gracefully, there were also some sections that dragged. It also didn't help that scenes are go flashback, present, flashback, present.

Pros

At first I was gonna start off this review by praising Ryan Gosling's performance and I will later, but I gotta give the biggest praise to how the film looked. Greig Fraser has done amazing cinematography for films like Dune, Dune: Part Two, The Batman, and The Creator, but I think Project Hail Mary is just might amaze people more than those movies. There's rich textures, beautiful set designs, and gorgeous cosmic images. I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Alright now it's time to Ryan Gosling. He brought his usual charm and wit, while also providing great bits of physical comedy. But his best parts were vulnerability and being deeply human. Because of these aspects Dr. Grace is a very likable character. Now I did love the story for its scientific and adventurous feel, but what I loved most was the growing friendship between Dr. Grace and Rocky. While teaming up on the same mission was a great part of their story, seeing them interact and become friends was both moving and very heartfelt. The friendship was the story's biggest highlight.

While I had a slight issue with the pacing, I still think you should check out Project Hail Mary. It's a modern day sci-fi film worth watching.

My final rating is, Great.

So that's all for now. Sorry I didn't post this Saturday like I usually do for newer movies, but sadly yesterday I had to attend a funeral for a family member and it didn't feel right to be thinking about uploading a review when my main focus should be on something far more important. Sorry to just drop that on you but I just wanted you to understand what's going on.

But in more brighter news, come back on Monday, Mar 23rd, for A Look Back at review of season one of Daredevil: Born Again. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Scary Movie (2026) - Scary Movie 2 Review

 

As promised, two reviews for two Scary Movies in the same month. So let's get to it.

Scary Movie 2 is a parody film and the sequel to the 2000's hit, Scary Movie. Where as the first film made fun of slashers, the sequel pokes fun at supernatural and haunted house films mainly The Haunting, The Amityville Horror, and both the 1959 and 1999 versions of House on Haunted Hill among others. Shawn and Marlon Wayans return to write the screenplay but this time around they're join with Alyson Fouse, Greg Grabianski, Dave Polsky, Michael Anthony Snowden, and their nephew Craig Wayans. Keenen Ivory Wayans also returns to direct. This was for the longest time the final Scary Movie to have any involvement of Shawn, Marlon, and Keenen Ivory Wayans until Scary Movie (2026).

The story is, Cindy and her friends are tricked by their professor to spend a night in Hell House for a school project. Despite not being the brightest the gang quickly releases the house is haunted and the man who once owned the house is planning on tormenting then killing them. The friends must work together to find a way to put an end to this ghostly menace.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

Once again it stems from the humor. There were a couple of gross jokes that I found funny, the opening Exorcist scene was actually pretty good despite being a majority of gross out gags, and other jokes not so much. However I did found myself laughing a lot with this movie. Cindy's fight with the cat and Ray's assault on the clown doll had me dying. Those two scenes were just amazing.

After doing some research I found this movie was rushed into production because of the success of the first. Which really shouldn't be that shocking in hindsight considering this did actually come out a full year after the first movie. But because of that you'll notice somethings feel less polished than the first movie. In my eyes you get that sense with the cinematography. Granted you could argue the first movie didn't really have an inspired look to it, but with Scary Movie 2 everything looks even more generic.

• Positives

Much like the previous movie the pacing is perfect. The sequel never waste anytime. It's an easy watch through and through.

Another thing that's just like the original is the cast. Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans once again shine. They've got great chemistry. Even newcomers such as Tim Curry, Chris Masterson, David Cross, Tori Spelling, and Kathleen Robertson do great with the material and they also play off well with the previous cast members.

While I did have more issues with the sequel than the first, I still found myself having a lot of fun with this.

My final rating is a very low, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Sunday, Mar 22nd, for my review of Project Hail Mary. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Avengers: Doomsday - Fantastic Four: The Peril and The Power Review

Alright, we return to the Road to Avengers: Doomsday and we got yet another classic Doctor Doom story.

The Peril and The Power is a 1966 storyline published in the 1961 edition of Fantastic Four within issues #57-60. As always this was distributed by Marvel Comics, and our creative time is once again Stan Lee being the writer and Jack Kirby being the artist.

The story is, Doctor Doom has stolen the cosmic powers of the Silver Surfer. Now wielding unlimited power at his disposal, Doom sets out to do whatever he pleases. This leaves the Fantastic Four with a dangerous situation and one big question, how do the stop the unstoppable?

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

It comes down to the pacing. The first issue that being #57 is a big victim of bad pacing. Because we bounce from one story beat to another. First it's the Fantastic Four, then we jump to what Human Torch is doing, then we jump to the Fantastic Four, then we jump to see what Doctor Doom is up to. And so on and so forth. Thankfully it does get just a little bit better in the later issues, but man that first part guys, it's kind of drag.

• Positives

Let's get this one out of the way quickly while at the same time praise it briefly. Am I of course referring to Jack Kibry's art. Here's a couple of really great pics.

Even if you're not a fan of Jack Kirby or older comic book art and prefer more modern comic book artists like Jim Lee, Jason Fabok, David Finch, Marco Checchetto, Dan Mora, Jorge Jiménez, or maybe into more manga art styles, you can't deny that Kirby did amazing work here. The use of bright colors, the cosmic energy effects, the scope, and how dynamic it is, is all great stuff.

The last thing I'll praise is the story. Since the theme of this road is Doctor Doom, I gotta praise how this is the story that elevated him. Sure he was still a very threating villain, but this story turned him a dangerous earthbound tyrant into someone who is capable of getting his hands on godlike power. But what the story also did was up the stakes. For a majority of the story Doom is winning and the Fantastic Four are losing. And that situation makes the Four go down a road of thinking they may not win this, which also really tested their family bound. Then in the end we get a really fun climatic battle in the final issue. Granted I wish it didn't end with a deus ex machina-style solution, but a majority of this story still gives you a lot good so I can kinda brush that off, note that I said "kinda". But the point I'm getting at is the story is a must read as a Marvel Comics fan, a Fantastic Four fan, or a fan of Doctor Doom.

So yeah, overall a really fun story arc. I think you should give it a try.

My final rating is, Good.

So this is the final time I'll be reviewing a Doctor Doom story made by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The next part and afterwards will be by different creative teams. Anyhow, that's all for now. Come back on Thursday, Mar 19th, for the second part of the Road to Scary Movie (2026) with my review of Scary Movie 2. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.