cricketbat

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!

The Fantastic Four have definitely had their cinematic ups and downs, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a line drive right down the middle. I think Marvel Studios did a great job with building this retro-futuristic world. I also appreciate that this story is its own thing and not tied to other MCU movies. That being said, the runtime feels a little stretched out. There are some side plots that should have been made invisible. I don't mean to flame this film, though. It's got a rock-solid foundation. But The Fantastic Four: First Steps just wasn't as incredible as I was hoping it would be.