How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

DreamWorks decides to try their hand at the recent Disney phenomena of remaking all their animated hits. The premise remains unchanged: A Viking village is under attack from dragons. A boy is hungry to prove his worth. He manages to capture and befriend an injured dragon and realizes they're both misunderstood in their own way, etc. It worked the first time, so it stands to reason it would have the same effect, except less so, because it's no longer novel. Luckily, it manages to be faithful enough that it doesn't piss anyone off.

There are a number of reasons why this turned out so well. Dean DeBlois (director of the originals) adapts his own material, Gerard Butler inhabits the same role (and looks perfect doing so) and Toothless's CGI design remains essentially unchanged. Not to mention, we still have the same powerful musical score from John Powell which gives it all its heart. The whole thing feels very recursive (what's next, an animated version of the live-action remake?) and pointless if you've already seen the original since it doesn't offer much else except another bite of the apple, with a bit of added fluff.

It mostly works because, well, who doesn't dream of having their own dragon?

3 prosthetic fins out of 5

Y2K (2024)

Gen Z portray Millennials in a recreation of the Y2K hysteria that occurred towards the end of 1999. This time, the threat of a looming robot apocalypse is real and the computers start enslaving humanity. It's a weird movie, but not nearly good enough to secure itself as a future cult classic. It tries hard to evoke comedies such as Superbad and This is the End, but fails on all counts. Somehow, it all still feels too safe and sanitized. This is a far cry from the 1999 of my memory. I can't figure out if it's supposed to be bad on purpose because it's trying to imitate a '90s movie, but everything about it feels off, from the awkward casting to the overall tone. SNL's Kyle Mooney (Brigsby Bear) writes and directs. That's probably why the whole thing feels like a bad sketch that goes on for too long.

1 half-pipe gone wrong out of 5

Deadpool 2 (2018)

The Merc with the Mouth returns in this demented step-brother to the X-Men franchise. What happens when someone who can't die loses the will to live? This installment introduces the time-traveling Cable who arrives from the future in order to murder a kid who will eventually grow up to be a villain. Can he be redeemed? Also in tow is the entire X-Force team, including Domino (whose superpower is "luck") and Peter. Yep. Just Peter.

This sequel is not quite as iconic as the original, but still above-average comic book fare that is better than it has any right to be. I like to think of these movies more as parodies of the genre because they're chock full of hilarious sight-gags and subversive meta humor. It also manages to pull off that rare balancing act of being side-splittingly funny while tugging at the heartstrings in unexpected ways. Watch it all the way through for some very satisfying credit scenes that are essential to the plot (and the future of the franchise).

3½ grotesque baby legs out of 5

Note: A (bleeped) PG-13 version of this movie was released called Once Upon a Deadpool, which features a brand new wraparound story with Fred Savage, spoofing his role in The Princess Bride, that's well worth your time. An extended unrated cut was also released, with 15 additional minutes, which is the preferred edition to seek out—although all three versions contain alternate takes/jokes, so you can roll the dice.

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE [2016]

Kiwi director Taika Waititi's delightfully hilarious wilderness comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the type of film where once you start grinning you just don't stop until it's long over.
It's a simple story about an orphaned troublemaker and his foster uncle go into hiding in the New Zealand bush as they find themselves at the center of a national manhunt.
It's a pretty low-key little film but it manages to be consistently funny, surprisingly touching and all around good for the soul with it's tale of two lost souls teaching each other a thing or two about themselves.  There might be plenty of kiwi in-jokes but it stands with enough honest sincerity, belly  chuckling warmth and universally funny moments it can be enjoyed from all over the world.

4 haikus out of 5