Movie Trailer Reviews
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Episodes
Dumbo Review - Movie Trailer Reviews
March 29, 2019 11:30 - 25.4 MBBrandon, Ro and Kriss review Tim Burton's live-action Dumbo film from Disney. This film had potential but is squandered by poor script decisions and direction. The biggest issue is making a film about a flying magical baby elephant about the humans (and then not fully developing them). Burton's choices on what to focus on and then direction given to some of the actions really hampers this film. When the film focuses on Dumbo, it works and captures the magic of the original animated film. Unfo...
Us Review
March 22, 2019 02:55 - 34.3 MBKriss, Ro and Brandon review Jordan Peele's latest film, Us. This is a film that's difficult to process after just one viewing. Peele plays with the horror genre that feels both as a homage and something completely new. It's a contradiction of a mainstream yet niche film. The weird and confusing parts don't distract from the entertainment value and great performances. Lupita Nyong'o puts in one hell of a performance and she's not alone. We dive into what we enjoyed about the film, what gave...
Ruben Brandt, Collector Review
March 18, 2019 12:43 - 16.7 MBKriss, Ro & Brandon review the weird but entertaining and engaging film from Milorad Krstic, Ruben Brandt, Collector. This is Krstic's first feature film and it's pretty damn good. It's also weird. Very very weird. The use of famous artwork and the animation style to tell a heist story is innovative. The film is like an animated version of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. Yeah...it's that crazy. It's definitely not for everyone but if you're up to the challenge, it's definitely worth checking o...
Ladies Night with Captain Marvel - Spoiler Review
March 17, 2019 01:55 - 33.6 MBLike Nicholas J. Fury, Shanna has assembled a team of Carol Corps experts to discuss the new Captain Marvel film. We talk moments that inspired and thrilled and put our vaginas right up in the controversy surrounding Brie Larson (how's that #AlitaChallenge going?). Don't forget to follow our special guests, Sarah (@Roborangutang) and Maria (@solusandra) on Twitter for great comic book insights. Follow us on Twitter: @TheMTRNetwork @InsanityReport Want more podcast greatness? Sign up ...
Captain Marvel Review
March 08, 2019 03:55 - 26.2 MBKriss, Ro, Brandon and Ashley review the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel. This is Marvel's first solo film for a female character and they do a pretty good job. Brie Larson does a great job (despite all the white fanboy hate prior to the film) and really owns the role of Carol. We also talk about how Lashana Lynch and Akira Akbar should be getting more praise for their roles in this film and how their characters help this movie avoid some tropes that happen wi...
L.L. Kinney Author of A Blade So Black - I Talk Sh*t and Read #2
March 06, 2019 13:00In the second episode of I Talk Shit & Read, I spent some time with L.L. McKinney (aka Elle) about her debut novel A Blade So Black. Guest: L. L. McKinney Because the Twitterverse has no chill, we started off discussing an online controversy surrounding a YA novel, Blood Heir, the author eventually decided to pull in order to address racially problematic elements in the writing. (I wanted to hyperlink to an article about the issue but damned if I'll promote clicks to skewed hot-takes that j...
L.L. McKinney Author of A Blade So Black - I Talk Sh*t and Read #2
March 06, 2019 13:00 - 30 MBIn the second episode of I Talk Shit & Read, I spent some time with L.L. McKinney (aka Elle) about her debut novel A Blade So Black. Guest: L. L. McKinney Because the Twitterverse has no chill, we started off discussing an online controversy surrounding a YA novel, Blood Heir, the author eventually decided to pull in order to address racially problematic elements in the writing. (I wanted to hyperlink to an article about the issue but damned if I'll promote clicks to skewed hot-takes that j...
Greta - Movie Trailer Reviews
March 01, 2019 12:16 - 17.7 MBThis week due to Brandon traveling, it is just Kriss and Ro on this week's review and boy do they have one. This week's film is Greta and it is an early contender for the dumbest movie of the year. While their scores are different, Kriss and Ro agree this is not the film that Neil Jordan thought he was making. Ro's score is only as high as it is because she got enjoyment out of laughing at the ridiculous moments in this film that weren't supposed to be funny but absolutely are. This film wast...
Best Director & Best Picture 2018 - Black Critic Roundtable #3
February 23, 2019 15:14 - 27.4 MBWe're back for our final Black Critic Roundtable before the 2019 Academy Awards (not the last time we're getting together though). Unfortunately the ladies (Ro, Shanna & Joi) couldn't join us for this episode so it's just Kriss, Brandon and Tim on this episode. 2018 was a really GREAT year for films and directors, unfortunately the nominees for Best Director and Best Picture don't really reflect that. There are some glaring omissions here (The snub of Barry Jenkins and A Beale Street Could Ta...
How to Train Your Dragon The Hidden World Review
February 22, 2019 12:35 - 27.8 MBBrandon, Ro and Kriss are review How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Branon and Ro talk about the how the third is a fitting continuation of the first two movies. This is a franchise that has grown so much since the first film debuted. There is some really good character development for all the characters (even Toothless) and should be really enjoyable for the whole family. When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn't the only Night Fury, he must seek "The Hidden World", a secret Dragon Ut...
It's All About the Ladies - Black Critic Roundtable #2
February 20, 2019 17:07 - 42.1 MBWe're back with another Black Critic Roundtable. This time we're discussing the actresses and actors nominated for the Best Lead and Best Supporting categories. We go through the list of nominations and discuss who we want to win, who we think will win and who we think should have been nominated. One thing that stands out this year is that Lead Actress and Supporting Actress are super competitive this year. Listen as we give our thoughts on the race this year. Let us know who you are rooting ...
Happy Death Day 2U - Movie Trailer Reviews
February 15, 2019 12:51 - 13.8 MBKriss, Ro and Brandon review Happy Death Day 2U, the sequel to the 2017 Happy Death Day. We really do enjoy these films and while the sequel isn't as tight of a story as the first, it's still pretty good and enjoyable. The secret to this film is that, like the first, it doesn't take itself too seriously. Jessica Rothe is once again great in this film and knows when to switch from physical, silly comedy to portraying more serious and heavy emotions. It also helps that they seem to be pulling a...
Alita Battle Angel Review
February 15, 2019 12:38 - 32.2 MBKriss, Ro, Brandon and Shanna get together to review Alita: Battle Angel. So full disclosure, Kriss is NOT happy about this film and he's not necessarily wrong. But it really comes down to what you're looking for in this film. If your only focus is a film that looks beautiful (probably one of the best looking films you'll see this year) and some really kick ass action sequences, this might be worth checking out. The problem is, it's still a James Cameron script and with that comes all the iss...
What Men Want - Movie Trailer Reviews
February 08, 2019 12:40 - 15.8 MBBrandon, Ro and Kriss review and discuss What Men Want. After a bit of Kriss slander, Brandon and Ro discuss what surprised them about this film and why they enjoyed it so much. A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men's thoughts. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork Our shirts are now on TeeP...
LEGO Movie 2 The Second Part Review
February 08, 2019 12:36 - 14.8 MBKriss, Ro and Brandon review LEGO Movie 2 The Second Part. Brandon and Ro saw the first film while Kriss is coming in with this being the first LEGO movie he's seen. Since Kriss never saw the other films, he wasn't bothered by some of the issues that Ro and Brandon had. The film does feel like it's trying to hard and is a bit forgettable, but it's still an overall good movie. The songs can be annoying though, so be prepared. It's been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens...
Untogether Review - Movie Trailer Reviews
February 05, 2019 15:07 - 27 MBBrandon, Ro and Kriss review the directorial debut of Emma Forrest, Untogether. This film is definitely an acquired taste. It focuses on Tara (Lola Kirk) and Andrea (Jemima Kirk) who play two sisters who are dealing with their own varying issues in terms of getting their lives together. The film is shot extremely well and has some really great performances. But the story can make it hard to connect to or feel for any of the characters involved. Listen to our review as we discuss the various ...
Black Critic Roundtable: The Black Films of 2018
February 03, 2019 15:05 - 47.4 MBKriss, Ro, Brandon and Joi come together for this first of a series of Black Critic Roundtables episodes where we discuss this years Oscars and films from 2018. For this first episode, we talk about the range of black films that came out in 2018. Last year was a really good year for black films. We talk about our favorite (and least favorite) films, ones we think should get more recognition, makes makes a "black film" and more. Give it a listen. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't mis...
Tasha Suri Author of Empire of Sand - Talk Sh*t & Read #1
January 29, 2019 17:00 - 31.5 MBIn the first episode of I Talk Shit & Read, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tasha Suri about her debut novel Empire of Sand. What started out as a convo about the inspiration behind her story turned into a chat about everything from the Mughal Empire (think Taj Mahal), recognizing her own history in her writing, owning her voice, colonialism, a short geography lesson, my thoughts on the themes and relatability of her world and characters, the difficulty of fan-casting a movie when coloris...
Doctor Who Season 11 Finale – Meet Her Best Friends
January 19, 2019 14:41It's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you, without a podcast ep...well you get the point. The Doctor, Joseph and Parrish are back to wrap up season 11 of Doctor Who. We discuss our impressions of the last two episodes, the New Year Day episode, and the development of the companions. While we love how the series book ended Ryan and Graham's story, we did feel that it ultimately wound up being at the expense of Yaz, who we hope gets more to do in the 12th season. Confirmed for 2020...
Glass Review
January 18, 2019 05:13Kriss, Ro and Brandon review M Night Shyamalan's conclusion to his "Unbreakable" trilogy, Glass. This movie had an opportunity to be something but just doesn't live up to the expectations and hype. The first problem being that for a film called 'Glass', it take too long to get the title character doing anything which is what audiences wanted to see. Unlike Unbreakable and Split, Glass doesn't stand on it's own and it's very clear that it's the end of a trilogy that was never supposed to be a...
2019 Movie Preview
January 12, 2019 16:41It's that time again: Time for the MTR Network Yearly Movie Preview. Kriss, Ro and Brandon go through the list films coming out n 2019 and discuss what they're looking forward to (and what they're not). There's actually a pretty good number of interesting films coming out in 2019 and we know there will be more even outside of this list. List of film (not the entire list of films we talk about): January Glass Stan & Ollie February What Men Want The Lego Movie 2 The Prodigy Col...
The Upside Review
January 11, 2019 11:38Ro reviews The Upside with Kriss. The film stars Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman. Those last two names probably explain why Kevin Hart is currently on his non-apology apology tour right now for his previous homophobic jokes. Ironically The Upside is one of the first films to show Kevin Hart with a bit more depth in his acting and with a character that actually grows. Too bad Kevin Hart took none of that character growth and applied it to his own life. Overall the film is okay. R...
Destroyer Review
December 31, 2018 03:40Kriss, Ro, Brandon and Joi get together to discuss the film Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman. This film...is a film. No but seriously, we have some serious issues with this film. There seems to be some really bad choices from top to bottom: From the script to who was cast and for which roles. Director Karyn Kusama did make some good choices when shooting this film to really drive home the noir feel but overall the we couldn't help but want to see more of what the film could have been (from ...
On the Basis of Sex Review - Movie Trailer Review
December 28, 2018 13:01Kriss, Brandon and Ro review On the Basis of Sex, the film starring Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and is supposed to show her struggle for equal rights on her way to becoming a Supreme Court Justice. Instead we get a shell of a film that doesn't leave up to the legacy of Justice Ginsburg. This film feels like it was made by someone who didn't watch RBG (The documentary on Ginburg) and then didn't bother to watch any TV shows or movies that dealt with court cases. Legally Blonde does a...
Vice Review
December 28, 2018 12:56Kriss, Brandon, Ro and Joi review Vice and talk about why they actually loved this film when so many seem to hate it. Christian Bale does a terrifyingly great job of becoming Dick Cheney. And this film takes the seriousness of what Cheney and Republicans set in motion decades ago, and puts a tongue-in-cheek spin on it to make sure everyone looks horrible. This is a film where the villain wins. We know this because Dick Cheney is still out and about in the world today. But it's important to re...
The Favourite Review - Movie Trailer Reviews
December 28, 2018 12:52Even if you're not a fan of period pieces, The Favourite should still be entertaining enough to be one of your favorite watches this year. The three main actresses Olivia Coleman (Queen Ann), Rachel Weiz (Lady Sarah) and Emma Stone (Abigail) are absolutely fantastic in this film. They're perfectly cast for the roles they play and we can't see how anyone else would fit. If you're still feeling a bit burned by Emma Stone & La La Land (we go on a bit of a tangent about that film), rest assured s...
Welcome to Marwen Review
December 21, 2018 12:07Steve Carell has been acting his ass off this year. Welcome to Marwen could have been the film that got him an Academy Award nomination this year but the choices made in the script really hold him back. Much like Beautiful Boy and Boy Erased, there's a much more interesting and nuanced story to tell in this movie but instead of that, the film focuses on the fictional world of "Marwen" that Mark Hogancamp creates. This is based off a true story and what happened to Hogancamp is truly horrific ...
Aquaman Review
December 21, 2018 11:50There really isn't a greater sin when it comes to comic book films than having an actor play a character but their portrayal is nothing like any iteration of the character that has ever been written.Jason Momoa isn't Aquaman, he's just Aquabro. And that comes with all the problematic hyper masculinity "Look Arthur Curry isn't a punk. He's a man's man" bs that comes with it. And that's just the first problem that Aquaman has. The score and soundtrack is bad. The dialogue is bad. The story trie...
Bumblebee Review
December 21, 2018 05:07Here's what you have to ask yourself with Bumblebee: Do you believe you deserve better Transformers FILMS or do you just want to see better looking transformers in a film? That's the real question. Because if you're only going into Bumblebee to see G1 accurate looking Transformers and to get the typical 15-20 minutes total of Autobots vs Decepticons action, then you'll be satisfied. But if you want to see a complete Transformers films that focused on Autobots and Decepticons...then this is ju...
Mortal Engines Review - Movie Trailer Reviews
December 14, 2018 17:00So...Mortal Engines happened. It continues the trend of studios attaching a big name as a producer (Peter Jackson), handing the directing off to someone with little experience, shoveling boat loads of money into it, only for it to abandon the source material and turn into a steaming pile of garbage. So who is to blame? And why do studios do this? Mortal Engines will get terrible reviews and flop this weekend. The cliff hanger ending in the movie will never be followed up on. What's it going t...
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse Review
December 14, 2018 12:15You already know what it is. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not only the best comic book films of the year, but it's one of the best films of this year. There is an amazingly talented voice cast for this movie and the script nails what it means to be Spider-Man. Make no mistake, this is Mile Morales' movie but you'll love all the other characters too and want to see more of them. Stan Lee's cameo is probably his best and most relevant cameo. Run do not walk, to see this film this weeken...
Mary Poppins Returns: Emily Blunt Makes Her Case for Best Actress This Year
December 12, 2018 17:00Here is its. The review we hinted at in our If Beale Street Could Talk and Three Identical Strangers reviews, the problematic review itself: Mary Poppins Returns. Kriss, Ro and Brandon break down why this new Mary Poppins film is the perfect continuous from the original. Emily Blunt IS Mary Poppins and dominates the screen. But everyone else is pulling their weight as well. Lin-Manual Miranda really takes to his role as Jack and the film does a great job of blending an all new story and song...
If Beale Street Could Talk Review - Movie Trailer Reviews
December 11, 2018 12:46Barry Jenkins does it again. This time with his adaptation of James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. This film will hit you right in the feels (as expected). Just like with Moonlight, the way black people are filmed in this movie just makes us look magical. And the story is one that is both relevant to the time and doesn't have your typical "happy ending". We discuss how that might be a problem for some white critics that don't understand the significance of how this story ends. We also ...
Doctor Who Season 11 Social Commentary Done Right - Movie Trailer Reviews
December 05, 2018 11:09So the podcast episodes are getting shorter-and there is a reason for that. People need to be watching this show! To that end, we are giving our impressions and broad takes on episodes 6-8: Demons of the Punjab, Kerblam!, and Witchfinders. For those who were concerned about needing to watch past seasons of Doctor Who to follow along and worried about the overwhelming task that might be-fret not. Chibnall this season has given us a Doctor and a T.A.R.D.I.S. team that is the perfect startin...
Roma Review
November 23, 2018 13:15Kriss and Brandon review Alfonso Cuarón's latest work, Roma. A couple things to know about Roma before watching: It's in black & white It's in Spanish and is subtitled Now most people will not sit through Roma but it's definitely at the top of the list of films to beat for Best Picture this year. The film is beautifully shot, emotional and is a great snapshot of what this family went through, particularly their housekeeper Cleo. https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=7664144 A story...
Green Book Review
November 23, 2018 13:12Kriss, Brandon and Ro discuss Green Book and the controversy surrounding it. Is it a white savior film? Does it water down racism? We think Green Book is definitely a film audiences should check out. It's not a perfect film and probably would be better (or at least delve more into Dr. Don Shirley's personal life) if it had a black director. But it's definitely not a comedy and it doesn't make the racism of the 60's easier to swallow. https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=7664117 A working...
Creed II Review
November 21, 2018 12:21We have a full show this episode as Kriss, Brandon, Ro and Shanna get together to review Steven Caple Jr's Creed II, starring Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Sylvester Stallone, Florian Munteanu and the return of Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago. This is a great film that feels more like part 2 of Ryan Coogler's Creed and not just a sequel. Caple manages to keep the same realness of the first film while also exploring the characters even more. This film does a better job of fleshing out Ivan Dr...
Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald Review
November 16, 2018 12:46Brandon and Ro review Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. After some brief slander of Kriss for not going to see this film, Brandon and Ro talk about worked and didn't work for the latest film in the Harry Potter world https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=7585466 Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork Our shirts are now on TeePublic. This Weekend get 30% off: https://teepublic.com/sto...
Doctor Who Season 11 Review E2- 5 It's Fun Again!
November 11, 2018 01:44Doctor Who is back and fun again! We discuss episodes 2-5, the fun and strong pacing of the series, the diversity in the writer's room and director's chair, and the penchant for individuals expecting historical accuracy from a science fiction property draining the fun from the enjoyment of the series (Two words: Take Naps). The dynamic between the companions and The Doctor is lovely, and we appreciate the time Chibnall is taking to flush them out as fully realized individuals and not just ...
Widows Review
November 09, 2018 13:12Kriss & Phenom are joined by new MTR Network member Ro to discuss Steve McQueen's highly talked about and anticipated film, Widows. This film is a lot and we mean that in a good way. Widows doesn't hold the audience's hand and expects them to pick up on certain things throughout and the result is a masterfully put together film. McQueen does a great job of setting scenes and framing shots in order to bring the audience right into the film There's an entire political subplot that happens in t...
Boy Erased Review
November 09, 2018 13:08On this episode of Movie Trailer Reviews, we welcome Ro to the MTR Network family as she joins Kriss & Brandon to review Boy Erased. This film is based off the memoirs of Garrard Conley and tells his struggles growing up as a gay child in a Christian fundamentalist household after he's outted to his parents. While the film is good, what keeps it from being great are underdeveloped supporting characters and not delving deep enough into just how terrible the lead character's parents and the cam...
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Review
November 02, 2018 10:44The Nutcracker and the Four Realms should be called Clara and the One & a Half Realms. The movie is dry and feels like only the bare minimum attempt was put into making the film. The story feels completely trimmed down (may come from the replacement of the director and most of the film being reshot), the ballet number (signatures of the Nutcracker) aren't shot in a way to draw the audience in and even the look of the film doesn't stand up to the typical Disney standards (Beauty and the Beast,...
Movie Review: Bohemian Rhapsody
October 26, 2018 11:44Kriss & Phenom are back, this time to review the Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. So, first off, it's better to look at this film as a Freddie Mercury & Queen appreciation film, and less of a biopic. This film kicked off it's production with all kinds of issues and controversies (What part of Mercury's life were they going to focus on, how much of it would be in there, who would play Freddie, etc). Then, Hollywood piece of shit and director of the film, Bryan Singer decided he was just going ...
Halloween Review – No Black People Were Hurt in the Making of This Movie
October 19, 2018 10:43Michael Meyers is back and so is Jamie Lee Curtis. David Gordon Green's Halloween film is a direct sequel to the original 1978 movie. And it does that film justice. And that's both good and bad. If you were hoping for some out of the box thinking and some smarter characters, you might be a little disappointed. But as a Halloween film, this film does exactly what you were expecting. It also includes one of the greatest black characters ever added to a horror film, Julian, played by Jibrail Nan...
Bad Times at the El Royale - Movie Trailer Reviews
October 12, 2018 12:23Bad Times at the El Royale is what The Hateful Eight wanted to be without all of Tarantino's problematic issues. It has an ensemble cast that cover the entire spectrum and work extremely well together. You have Jon Hamm and Jeff Bridges being assholes and at their best. You have Cynthia Erivo putting in one hell of a performance both acting and singing wise. She's quietly the star of this movie. Dakota Johnson makes you forget she was in those terrible 50 Shades of Grey films. And finally, Ch...
First Man - Movie Trailer Reviews
October 12, 2018 11:57First Man is extremely boring. There's no other way to put it. It's like watching one of those movies IMAX museums put together that are like 2 hours of watching the Hubble Telescope. Yes the IMAX shot scenes look great but did the audience really need to be bored out of their minds for 2+ hours to get to that point. Phenom breaks down how many sleeps he got in while trying to sit through this movie. https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=7159289 Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don...
Doctor Who S11E1 Review - The Woman Who Fell to Earth
October 10, 2018 13:50The Doctor is back! Season 11 started off with a new, wittier, and more inclusive tone! Twelve remains my favorite Doctor, but Jodie Whittaker's first outing as our favorite Gallifreyan is making me a believer in her as a potential runner up to my favorite. She portrays the Doctor with a combination of Capaldi's wit and Smith's wonder, leading me to believe that she is the 13th version of those characters. This episode is told from the perspective of Ryan Sinclair, a 19 year old who we s...
A Star Is Born - Movie Trailer Reviews
October 04, 2018 11:47Believe the hype. A Star is Born has no right to be as good as it is. Bradley Cooper upsets us at how talented he is. The accent he uses in this movie sounds like the voice that enslaved our ancestors and yet we were emotionally invested in his character. Lady Gaga is not only spectacular in her musical performance in this movie but her acting performance is also going to get her an Oscar Nomination (and maybe win). Cooper and Gaga also performed the music in this film live which only adds to...
The Hate U Give - Movie Trailer Reviews
September 29, 2018 15:04Kriss is joined by Joi to review, The Hate U Give which is based off of a young adult novel by the same name written by Angie Thomas. The film is directed by George Tillman Jr and stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby. Now films based off of young adult novels don't have the best track record. Matter of fact, most are lazy and just downright awful. The Hate U Give isn't one of those films. It tackles some serious issues in the age of protests against police violence and Bla...
Night School - Movie Trailer Reviews
September 28, 2018 11:12You already know what this is. If you were thinking that Malcolm D Lee's Girls Trip would maybe make Night School, that includes Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart, would be a good follow up...you'd be wrong. This film is a mess and easily forgettable. It is also without a complete story. There are so many characters in this film and most of them have no character development. Characters are just there with no dialogue and no real purpose. The film just has no idea what it wants to be. Listen as...