Lionsgate Entertainment is bringing the action-packed “Ballerina” to home video. “From the World of John Wick”, Ana de Armas stars in this universe-extending action movie that fully embraces what fans love about the franchise while bringing along its own unique flavor. Beloved names like Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Keanu Reeves himself all play roles in this new chapter. But it’s the ferocious de Armas who drives the film with her charisma and physicality. It’s a must-own for fans of John Wick. You can read my full film review [HERE].
The 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD Steelbook editions of “Ballerina” come with as assortment of special features and will be available to purchase on September 9th. See below for a full synopsis of the film as well as release information and a list of special features.
About the Film:
Year: 2025
Runtime: 125 Minutes
Director: Len Wiseman
Screenwriter: Shay Hatten
Cast: Ana de Armas, Gabriel Byrne, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, Norman Reedus, Lance Reddick, Keanu Reeves, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sharon Duncan-Brewster
Rating: R for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language
The next chapter from the World of John Wick follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Eve seeks revenge for her father’s death and finds herself crossing paths with John Wick himself (Keanu Reeves).
Special Features:
“Ballerina” Digital, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:
The Making of Ballerina ― Witness the rise of Eve (Ana de Armas) as the filmmakers discuss the intricate process of creating a new character in the world of John Wick.
Building A Frozen Underworld ― Step into the bold new locations that serve as the latest hunting grounds for these talented filmmakers, eager to face and overcome fresh challenges.
The Art of Action ― A Dance Between Fire and Ice: Discover how the teams behind the stunts, fight choreography, and weapons devised even more ruthless and creative ways to kill in some of the most intense action sequences in the entire John Wick universe.
The much anticipated first trailer for James Cameron’s third Avatar feature made a splash playing exclusively in theaters ahead of “The Fantastic Four”. Now everyone gets their first look at “Avatar: Fire and Ash”. Admittedly, 2009’s “Avatar” blew me away as a technical achievement but left me cold and indifferent with its story. But its sequel, 2022’s “The Way of Water”, reshaped the way I looked at the entire franchise. Not only did it make the first film better, it expanded on it in some incredible ways both visually and narratively. I was immediately looking forward to a third film.
“Fire and Ash” looks to follow the mammoth success of its predecessors which each made well over $2 billion at the global box office. With a $250 million budget behind it, “Fire and Ash” expands Cameron’s epic world even further, introducing new parts of Pandora, new tribes, new creatures, and new threats. But at its core remains a family-centered story which follows the tragic events of the second film. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and many others return in what is sure to be one of the biggest motion picture events of the year.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” soars into theaters on December 19th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Way back in the 1990s Adam Sandler had a breakout run of movies that transformed him from a Saturday Night Live cast member to a big screen star. Among them was 1996’s “Happy Gilmore”, a silly but endearing comedy about a rough around the edges hockey player who shakes up the prim and proper world of golf. The film didn’t blow up the box office but it was a commercial success. Even more, it gained and has maintained a loyal and vocal cult following.
Since then, Sandler movies have slid into a frustratingly redundant but undeniably lucrative routine. They’re often lazy exercises that recycle the same humor and are stuffed with nonstop cameos from the actor’s many friends. Nevertheless, there apparently remains a demand for these movies as evident by the enormous deals Sandler has made with Netflix. And that leads us to their latest collaboration.
“Happy Gilmore 2” arrives nearly thirty years after the original film released. At its core is a fairly basic feel-good comeback story with occasional scenes that tease a beating heart. But Sandler and director Kyle Newacheck drown their story in nostalgia, flooding the movie with constant callbacks. Far worse, “Happy Gilmore 2” is plagued by some of the worst tendencies from the more recent Sandler movies. In other words, it smothers out the few good gags with waves of unfunny low-bar humor. And it wedges in endless cameos that leads to one embarrassingly bad scene after another.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
For Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, a lot has happened since winning his first championship in 1996, A ridiculous narrated prologue tells us Happy would go on to have a successful professional career, winning five more titles. Meanwhile at home, he and his wife Virginia (Julie Bowen) had five children together. But everything changed in 2014. While playing in a Mother’s Day golf tournament, Happy shanks a drive which ends up striking Virginia in the head, killing her.
Left alone to raise their five kids, a (supposedly) devastated Happy quits golf and drowns himself in booze. He ends up broke which leads to him losing everything including their home. Still he refuses to get back into golf, instead taking a job stocking produce at a local supermarket. But then his lone daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler) is offered a spot in an exclusive $75,000 a year ballet school in Paris. Determined to help her realize her dream, Happy dusts off his clubs and heads back to the Tour.
The film’s big bland baddie is Frank Manatee (Benny Safdie). He’s the CEO of the Maxi Golf League, a raucous reimagining of the game of golf. Manatee approaches Happy about joining his tour but Happy declines. This inspires an angry Manatee to seek out Happy’s old rival Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) who has spent the last 29 years in a mental institution. Manatee’s plan is to railroad Happy’s comeback and catapult Maxi as the world’s premiere golf league.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
For reasons that are never really explained, golf’s future suddenly hangs in the balance. And it will be decided by a tournament pitting the five top Maxi golfers against the five top Tour golfers. It all leads to a chaotic final act that stands out most for its haphazard directing and editing. For a stretch it frantically bounces all over the place before finally settling down for an attempt at an emotional payoff that it never quite earns.
To no surprise, the movie is littered with bad performances, mostly from nonprofessional actors who are just there to be recognized. Others like Safdie, Bowen, Steve Buscemi, and Margaret Qualley do what they can while being handcuffed to bad material. Meanwhile Sandler is solid enough in a familiar role he can do in his sleep. If there is a standout, it has to be McDonald who has a lot of fun bringing back Shooter McGavin.
“Happy Gilmore 2” throws so much at the screen that die-hard fans are sure to find something they’ll enjoy. But no matter how much nostalgia Sandler and company employ, this mostly uninspired and imagination-free sequel lacks the spirit and charm of its predecessor. It’s a half-hearted effort that attempts to find humor in running jokes about alcoholism, dopey bare butt gags, and celebrity non-actors saying and doing silly things. The results are mostly witless, crude, and borderline humiliating. But at least they had a better time making it than I had watching it. “Happy Gilmore 2” is now streaming on Netflix.
2025 hasn’t been the best year for superhero movies. Yes, I know we’re still drowning in the flood of unbridled (and often wildly hyperbolic) adulation for James Gunn’s “Superman” reboot which has certainly raked in the money at the box office. But while some fiercely defend Gunn’s overstuffed and underdeveloped concoction, neither it or Marvel’s two early 2025 releases (“Captain America: Brave New World”, “Thunderbolts*”) have come close to matching the genre in its heyday.
That brings me to the latest film from this inexhaustible genre, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. As most people know, this isn’t the first attempt at bringing Marvel’s First Family to the big screen. Roger Corman’s doomed 1994 project aside, most will remember director Tim Story’s 2005 film “Fantastic Four” followed by its 2007 sequel “Rise of the Silver Surfer”. Both had their strengths, but neither film is especially memorable. Then there was 2015’s “Fantastic Four” – a disastrous attempt at a reboot that is best forgotten.
So considering the rocky history of the Fantastic Four on the big screen and the MCU’s rockier post-Endgame track record, it’s easy to see why some would be skeptical of “First Steps”. But it quite honestly thrills me to say that this new iteration of the classic First Family is easily the best we’ve been treated to. Even more, “First Steps” is the best Marvel movie in years and a nice reminder of the MCU’s glory days. Don’t get me wrong, the movie has some issues. But considering the shaky state of the MCU, this was an exciting step in the right direction.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Studios
While I’m not a big fan of the multiverse crutch which the MCU seems fully committed to, here it allows for a story that feels refreshingly self-contained and detached from any interconnected baggage. That immediately gets the movie started on the right foot. But perhaps most surprising (and satisfying) is how “First Steps” brings to mind what was once great about the MCU. Its distinct style helps to give the film its own identity. And while it bypasses the conventional origin story, “First Steps” does a great job introducing these characters and their world.
Set on Earth-828, Reed Richards (the current everywhere man Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Reed’s best friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Sue’s brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) are four years into their time as the Fantastic Four. Since an accident in space left the four with their own unique special powers, they have invested their new abilities into protecting mankind which has made them the toast of an adoring New York City.
In the movie’s early moments, Sue gets some wonderful news. After trying for two years, she reveals to Reed that she’s pregnant. As the family and the city celebrate their soon-to-be new addition, the mysterious Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) appears as the herald for Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic planet-devouring entity tortured by an insatiable appetite. Silver Surfer proclaims that Earth has been marked for destruction which sends the city into a panic.
Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny vow to protect their world. They head into space, following a trail of missing planets across different star systems, eventually encountering the massive Galactus. Reed attempts to negotiate and Galactus gives him one option – he will only spare Earth if Reed and Sue pledge to him their unborn son. They reject his offer and barely escape with their lives. Shortly after Sue goes into labor and delivers baby Franklin on the trip home.
Upon arriving to Earth, the team is greeted by an anxious and frightened public who quickly turn on their once beloved heroes after hearing of their failure. But with the arrival of the terrifying Galactus looming, the desperate yet determined Fantastic Four scramble to come up with a plan. And as with any good team, it will take all of them committing their power, bravery, and sacrifice if they’re to have any chance at saving their son and their planet.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Studios
In many ways, director Matt Shakman keeps things noticeably simple and his movie benefits greatly for it. Unlike so many recent superhero movies, he and the screenwriting team of Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer tell a tighter, more focused, and more human story where the characters are the centerpieces, their relationships are authentic, and the personal stakes are through the roof. Meanwhile they exist within a visually stunning world, flavored by a rich 1960s retro-futuristic aesthetic. There’s always something to admire on screen.
Meanwhile Galactus makes for a formidable villain. Interestingly it’s not because he gets a well-told backstory or is given some well-defined motivations. Galactus has very specific reasons for what he does which (unfortunately) are mentioned rather than explored. Still, his sheer size and scale make him a petrifying threat. Shakman does a good job relaying his enormity which is especially effective on the big screen. There are some size consistency issues, especially later in the film. But for the most part Galactus delivers as he needs to.
The movie has a few issues – some minor holes in the story, a shaky vision of Silver Surfer, and occasional instances of wonky CGI. But as a whole, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the Marvel movie I’ve been wanting for years. Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach, and Quinn have great chemistry and are key reasons why the themes of family, devotion, and sacrifice resonate so strongly. Best of all, “First Steps” looks and feels different than any of the more recent MCU assembly line productions. It hearkens back to the ‘good old days’ when MCU movies felt special and left you excited for more. And for the first time in a while, I find myself excited for more.
Tim (Matthias Schweighöfer) is a video game designer; his wife Olivia (Ruby O. Fee) is an architect. The relatively young couple have made good memories together. But their relationship hasn’t been the same since losing their child in a heart-shattering miscarriage. Since then, a grieving Tim has lost himself in his new game, prompting Olivia to propose a getaway to Paris for a much needed reset. But Tim resists, telling her he can’t leave work.
The next morning Olivia wakes Tim with news that she’s leaving him. As she attempts to walk out she makes an alarming discovery. She opens the door to find it walled in by a mysterious black brick-like material. They check the windows and even drill through the walls only to learn their apartment is completely encased in the impenetrable and indestructible matter. That’s the setup for “Brick”, a new German thriller from director Philip Koch.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
In many ways the movie stands out for its simplicity, but it’s not without something to say. “Brick” uses its high-concept premise to explore themes of isolation, survival, misinformation, and grief. Many of these themes play out in Tim and Olivia’s relationship which is helped by the solid performances from real-life couple Schweighöfer and Fee.
But the others take form with the introduction of other characters. With no cell phone signal, no wi-fi, and no water, a desperate Tim and Olivia discover that they can break through walls to other apartments. First they make contact with their next door neighbors, the whacked-out Marvin (Frederick Lau) and his more composed girlfriend Ana (Salber Lee Williams). Later they encounter the elderly Oswalt (Axel Werner) and his plucky granddaughter Lea (Sira-Anna Faal). Finally there’s the mysterious Russian named Yuri (Murathan Muslu), a cryptic former cop with some wild ideas about what’s happening.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
Each new character comes with their own strength and weakness. Some are considerably more impactful than others and certain fates are pretty easy to predict. The inevitable interpersonal conflicts manage to muster up some drama but nothing we haven’t seen before. Outside of Tim and Olivia, the characters simply aren’t given enough depth to stand out. And despite the good performances, they too often feel like plot devices rather than meaningful additions.
But Koch deserves credit for constantly keeping us guessing. He introduces a plethora of possibilities, each with the potential to explain what is going on. Are they unwilling players in some kind of twisted Squid Game? Is the wall somehow connected to the strange explosion one day earlier? Is it meant to protect them from a cataclysmic disaster? Is it alien in origin? Clues are dropped throughout and finally bring everything into focus. And while it’s not the most mind-blowing payoff, it satisfies enough to make the journey worth taking. “Brick” is now streaming on Netflix.
Ron Howard’s “Eden” isn’t a movie I’ll soon forget. Ambitious and audacious, this thorny survival thriller is considerably different than anything Howard has done before. “Eden” comes on the heels of the filmmaker’s brilliant 2022 gem “Thirteen Lives”. And while this is a much different movie, “Eden” sees Howard once again exploring a side of human nature through the inspiration of true events. In this case – it’s a much uglier side.
“Eden” is inspired by an astonishing true story that’s told through a star-studded cast, each of whom bring precisely what their uniquely positioned characters need. Howard is joined by screenwriter Noah Pink to deliver a bluntly presented critique of humanity’s dark side. It’s a deceptively smart analysis wrapped in a slow-simmering drama that can be unsettling, amusing, brutal, and even campy. Yet it works and gets its point across surprisingly well.
Image Courtesy of Vertical
In 1929, as the world lies in chaos in the wake of World War I, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his partner, Dora Staunch (Vanessa Kirby) flee Germany to an uninhabited island in the Galapagos called Floreana. There the two battle harsh conditions and rugged terrain to create their own isolated utopia built upon Ritter’s radical and evolving philosophies. As the two relish their seclusion, Ritter works on his manifesto which he believes will help save humanity from itself. His only connection to civilization is a series of letters he sends through passing trade vessels.
Little does Ritter know, his letters stir up much interest back in Germany. Among those captivated by his writings is Heinz Wittmer (Daniel Bruehl), a former soldier broken from his time in the war. Heinz makes the decision to leave Germany with his noticeably younger wife, Margret (Sydney Sweeney) and their son Harry (Jonathan Tittel) and venture to Floreana. But the Wittmer family’s unannounced arrival annoys Ritter and Dora who don’t appreciate having their solitude interrupted.
But the Wittmer’s are nothing compared to the island’s next visitor – Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet (a gloriously campy Ana de Armas). She arrives with her two subservient boy-toys, Robert (Toby Wallace) and Rudy (Felix Kammerer), with a cockamamie plan to build an exclusive island resort for millionaires. But first she needs investors, and what better way to woo them than by showing them the island first-hand.
It doesn’t take long for tensions to arise between the three parties. The baroness is a hedonistic whirlwind of privilege and self-absorption. Meanwhile the Wittmers are trying to make themselves a home although some once dormant family conflict makes it difficult. As for Ritter and Dora, they find their philosophies challenged by the invaders and it threatens to drive a wedge between them.
Image Courtesy of Vertical
Howard and Pink take their time unwrapping their characters and establishing the conflicts between them. The buildup demands patience and it makes for good drama. But lying at the story’s core is an shrewd examination the ugliness of humanity. Jealousy, deception, and betrayal inevitably breeds animosity and violence. Before long we find ourselves observing a series of nasty psychological chess matches where everyone’s true self come to light.
Again, in numerous ways “Eden” is unlike anything Ron Howard has previously directed. Said to be “Inspired by the accounts of those who survived“, Howard takes us on a twisted journey that is both devilishly intriguing and strikingly audacious. And that journey is fueled by a terrific cast whose commitment can be seen every step of the way. It may be a challenge for some, especially with its deliberate pacing and unflinching final act. But both are vital ingredients that ultimately help give “Eden” its kick. “Eden” hits theaters August 22.
Keith & the Movies 