cricketbat

The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) is a feast for the eyes. This French film is filled with lush sets, lavish costumes, and lovely cinematography. Built on the solid plot foundation of the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, this adaptation comes to life through the strong performances of Pierre Niney, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, and the rest of the cast. Even with a runtime of 178 minutes, the story sails along smoothly with very little drag. I'm a fan of the 2002 movie, but this version of The Count of Monte Cristo feels more faithful to the book and, as a bonus, it doesn't star Luis Guzmán.

The Naked Gun (2025) is easily my third favorite Naked Gun movie. I've been a big fan of the first two films for a long time. I even own the Police Squad TV series, so I was a little worried when they announced they would be rebooting the franchise. Especially since comedy sequels are usually terrible. However, this movie nails the tone set by its predecessors. It doesn't rely on shock humor (although there is one scene I'd skip over next time). The jokes are clever, and this movie comes fully loaded with them. We all miss Leslie Nielsen, but Liam Neeson does a great job stepping into his shoes.

From BYU's Divine Comedy to Studio C to JK Studios, this group of comedians have proven they have what it takes to make people laugh. With Go West, they've done what I always wished I could have done with my friends back in the day, make a feature-length film for a wide audience to enjoy. And while it's obvious that this movie was made on a shoestring (boot string?) budget, the writing is solid, the humor is plentiful, and the acting is entertaining. My family enjoyed watching this together to commemorate Pioneer Day and my kids have been quoting it even since then. You understand. Good job, gang!