Muppets from Space (1999)

Gonzo, the lonely, misunderstood, self-described "weirdo," contemplates his place in the world and where he belongs. Continuing off of a seed planted in The Muppet Movie ("I'm Going to Go Back There Someday"), we finally get our Gonzo-centric movie. While logic would dictate that this movie takes place in space, the majority of it is actually set at a top secret government facility, which captures Gonzo, prompting the rest of the Muppets to break him out.

While technically a well-made Muppet movie, the poor reception of this film led to the brand scaling back and being relegated to TV and direct-to-video productions for awhile, and it wasn't until 2011 that the Muppets were given another chance at their next big theatrical outing.

2½ whatevers out of 5

Note: If you get ahold of the DVD, it contains the most fun audio commentary I've ever heard with the Muppets themselves in a special MST3K silhouette style. It actually ends up being more entertaining than the movie itself.

Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)

AKA: National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1

Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson team up in this spoof of the buddy cop genre that takes aim at Lethal Weapon and 48 Hrs, as well as Basic Instinct, Silence of the Lambs, Die Hard, Wayne's World and other hit films of the day.

I always found it amusing that Emilio did this while his brother Charlie was dicking around with Hot Shots!, but he capably takes up the comedy mantle. As always, you have to be in the right mood for this kind of silly humor, but if you're in particular playful spirits, this stuff hits hard. Conversely, if you're in ill spirits, this could just as easily be described as exhausting and boorish.

Chock-full of so many B-list cameos, I couldn't even fit them all in the tags.

3 gratuitous beaver shots out of 5

Note: Despite the number in the title, they never made a sequel.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

(Psst...the "hidden world" is sex)

Time has passed, Hiccup is now the chieftain of Berg, and Toothless is ready to spread his wings in the third and final entry in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy (not counting 6 short films, 3 TV spin-offs and a live-action remake).

On the brink of war against those who would do away with all dragons, and on the lookout for a new homeland, Hiccup goes on a quest for the long-rumored secret dragon haven. Meanwhile, Toothless has found romance in a Light Fury playing hard to get. It's all about letting go, and this is Toothless's story just as much as it is Hiccup's. While it doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights of the series, it does offer a worthy parting glance for this colorful world of wonder.

3½ awkward mating rituals out of 5

Mother, Couch (2023)

Some movies are so inscrutable, sometimes you just have to tackle it head on. Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans and Lara Flynn Boyle play estranged siblings whose mother (Ellen Burstyn) refuses to get up off the couch at a furniture store. No, this isn't some body horror/fusion-type deal. It's a 'thinker.'

If you sit to the end, the answers don't become much clearer. Its logic is ripped straight out of a fever dream. If I had to take a stab, I'd say this movie is about the process of letting go, moving on, or something or other. It just doesn't do a very good job of keeping its audience invested throughout. The performances are compelling, which is all that saves it from getting a much lower score.

2 dressers out of 5

Last Action Hero (1993)

A satire of the action genre that starts out with genuine promise but gradually pisses it away, to the point where I found it almost insufferable.
It mocks movie cliches playfully, but is itself reliant on them. The situation was perhaps intended to be further commentary on the same, but it fails to be convincing onscreen and instead of being deeply ironic feels astonishingly stupid. It doesn't help that the script ignores its own rules when in a setting that's supposed to be governed by logic. A final nail in the coffin is that the movie didn't seem to know who its target audience was; it's Rated 15 but more often feels awkwardly assembled to fit the template of one closer to 12. Ultimately, it's a mess of half-baked ideas and poorly-defined intentions.

2 ticket stubs out of 5

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL [2014]

When speaking of a Wes Anderson film it becomes redundant to gush over the beautifully colored and framed visuals, but I'm going to anyway because The Grand Budapest Hotel is all that and more.
With it's delightful miniature sets, hilarious camerawork and dollhouse-esque set decoration a film-lover is sure to be in hog heaven.  Not only that but the off-kilter but humorously precise editing, character quirks & movements and all around zaniness had me giggling and chuckling from beginning to end.  Heavily inspired by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, Hotel never takes itself too seriously but has enough substance to make you love it's characters and where the story will eventually end up.
Juggling silly and sophisticated at the same time, Anderson's latest is simply a delight that's ever so sweet.

4 bisexual, fucking faggots out of 5

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS [2013]

The Coen Brothers paint a dreary haze over a depressingly funny story, loosely inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk, with Inside Llewyn Davis.
Oscar Isaac is absolutely fabulous in the title role and with any luck he will gain the acclaim he's deserved for years.  Isaac's Drive co-star Carey Mulligan display a dark yet charming performance that matches the rest of the magnificent cast, particularly Justin Timberlake, who's made a smooth transition from pop star to actor.  With The Coen's O Brother Where Art Thou? music producer T-Bone Burnett on board I don't even have to tell you how great the music is.
It's a compelling gem of a film that is sure to please fans of the brother's more difficult films and probably baffle others with it's odd style of storytelling and miserable characters.

5 folk singers & a cat out of 5

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Data goes apeshit. Picard and his crew make it their business to find out why. The film is a mixed bag. The good bits are exciting and sometimes funny, but for long-time fans it's obvious that it's treading old ground. If you can forget that you've seen this kind of thing a dozen times already in the weekly TNG television series, then the story is entertaining enough.
It's less action-filled than the last film, with more quiet, reflective moments, but production values are high, and aside from one face-palm moment involving Commander Riker and a joystick it's worth watching.

3 haystacks out of 5

MIMIC - The Director's Cut [2011]

Visionary director Guillermo Del Toro disowned his 1997 creature feature Mimic after too much studio meddling ruined the final product. Nearly 15 years later, Del Toro was given the chance to recut his film into something closer as to what he had originally envisioned.
Unfortunately most of Del Toro's original ideas were never filmed so he was left to work with what he had. The first hour of the film is a vast improvement with just a couple minutes of extra character and atmosphere development making a world of difference. However it's the second hour that falls apart and exposes the film's weaknesses.

3 Daryl Dixons out of 5