Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (2025)

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Perched high among my most anticipated films of 2025 is the latest Mission: Impossible extravaganza – “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”. This is the EIGHTH feature in the Tom Cruise led action spy film series and the fourth consecutive M:I movie written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The film has been teased as the potential swan song for Cruise’s long-running protagonist Ethan Hunt. As a proud fan of the franchise, I went in hoping that wouldn’t be the case.

Undercut by the cultural phenomenon that was “Barbenheimer”, the previous M:I installment (2023’s “Dead Reckoning”) made just over $570 million. That’s over $300 million less than 2018’s “Fallout”. Its underperformance combined with its enormous budget led to the film not reaching the box office numbers needed. Still “Dead Reckoning” was rightfully praised by critics and fans, setting the table for this latest entry – the biggest, grandest, and longest Mission: Impossible to date.

Cruise is at his charismatic and death-defying peak in this latest adventure for IMF agent Ethan Hunt. Picking up after the events of “Dead Reckoning”, we find Ethan hot on the heels of Gabriel (Esai Morales), a former liaison to a rogue information-consuming artificial intelligence known as the Entity. The megalomaniacal Gabriel is determined to gain control over the Entity while Ethan wants to destroy it in hopes of avoiding a nuclear apocalypse.

Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

To carry out his mission, Ethan will once again rely on the help of his longtime friends, Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg). Also back in his fold is Grace (Haley Atwell), a skilled thief turned IMF operative, and Paris (Pom Klementieff), a former assassin for Gabriel who switched sides after Ethan saved her life. But slowing him down CIA director Eugene Kittridge (a returning Henry Czerny) and his right-hand man Briggs (Shea Whigham) who see Ethan as a reckless threat.

As the Entity quickly gains control of the world’s nuclear systems, the President of the United States, Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett) goes against her cabinet and gives Ethan the resources he needs to carry out a secret mission in the North Pacific Ocean. Inside of an old Russian submarine lying at the bottom of the icy Bering Sea is a module containing the Entity’s source codes. When combined with a “Poison Pill” created by Luther, the module will give whoever possesses it the power to control the Entity and in turn world. But the Entity has its own plans that involve wiping out humankind.

Despite clocking in at just under three hours, “The Final Reckoning” zips by and features very little downtime. Written by McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen, the story is loaded with high-stakes buildup and strong payoffs. And while it takes itself more seriously than (perhaps) any other Mission: Impossible installment, it makes perfect sense considering the gravity of everything in play. McQuarrie and Cruise want us to grasp the magnitude and urgency. Together they put a ton of effort into submerging us in the perilous world they create. It works brilliantly.

But of course what would a Mission: Impossible movie be without the fearless Cruise once again putting it all on the line? “The Final Reckoning” has lots of great action. But it’s two jaw-dropping set pieces that will have people talking – one in the wreckage of a submarine lying at the bottom of the sea; the other involving two biplanes weaving through a canyon before climbing to 10,000 feet. Both easily sit among the very best action sequences ever to be put on screen. It may be tempting to dismiss that as hyperbole, but it’s far from it. Trust me when I say you’ve never seen anything like them.

While “The Final Reckoning” is a terrific entry into the Mission: Impossible franchise, it’s not without a few small blemishes. There’s a surprising early reveal (I won’t dare spoil it) that I’m still trying to make sense of. And there are a couple of threads that really could have used more time and attention. But aside from those ticks, the story had me riveted to the screen. The thrilling setup, the propulsive pacing, the cool callbacks, Fraser Taggart’s eye-popping cinematography, the nerve-shredding final act, the unexpected humanity at the core of it all – there’s so much to love.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is everything you want from a big-budget blockbuster, delivering an exhilarating big screen experience that reminds us of why we go to the theater. Cruise and company give it their all to create yet another insanely entertaining spectacular that accomplishes its mission to wow audiences. It’s a gloriously satisfying cap on arguably the greatest and most consistent action franchise of our time. It also happens to be one of the best movies of the year.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Gets Inspired New Character Posters

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Say what you want about the state of the now unwieldy Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the folks at Marvel Studios have done a bang-up job promoting what is easily the most compelling movie on their release schedule. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has the potential to overcome the MCU fatigue that has grown due to the oversaturation of subpar big screen and television projects. The film looks genuinely intriguing and the brilliant promotion is a big reason so many of us are looking forward to it.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the second reboot for Marvel’s First Family. Directed by Matt Shakman and written by a team of SIX, this 37th entry into the MCU is set on a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic Earth somewhere in the seemingly never-ending multiverse. Bypassing another retelling of their origin story, the family (played by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are forced to defend their world against a planet-devouring cosmic entity known as Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

The marketing has been fantastic from the early teases to the full trailer releases. But best of all may be the retro-styled poster campaign. Since the early days of the movie’s announcement Marvel Studios has delivered a series of cool posters and they’re still going strong. Recently they dropped new character posters inspired by classic bubblegum card packs. Check them out below and tell me what you think.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” releases exclusively in theaters on July 25th.

REVIEW: “Final Destination Bloodlines” (2025)

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I openly admit to not being well-versed in the “Final Destination” franchise. In fact, it legitimately surprised me to find out this was the SIXTH movie in a film series that began twenty-five years ago. “Final Destination 5” released in 2011 and was a modest commercial success. Enough so that plans for a sixth installment were quickly set in motion. It took fourteen years, but now we have “Final Destination Bloodlines”.

So did we really need another “Final Destination” movie? Was anyone really asking for one? Those are two questions that are often thrown around with movies like this and I’ve never liked them. Why restrict creatives with arbitrary ideas of what we “need” or limit them to giving us strictly what we want. Here’s a better question – Does the movie bring enough fun ideas and/or fresh energy to make it entertaining? To my surprise, “Bloodlines” does just that.

Image Courtesy of New Line Cinema

The movie kicks off with a bang. In 1968 Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) surprises his girlfriend Iris (Brec Bassinger) with opening night reservations at the swanky Skyview Restaurant. It sits atop a staggeringly tall tower that’s only reachable by a cramped glass elevator or an endless spiral staircase. Once at the top, the privileged patrons are met with top-quality dining, a fancy bar, a dance floor, and an energetic band. Paul is planning to propose while Iris is hiding that she’s pregnant. But any dreams for their future are crushed after a chain of events causes the tower to collapse, killing everyone inside.

Some 50 years later, college student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) suffers from gruesomely detailed reoccurring nightmares about the Skyview catastrophe. She hasn’t been able to sleep which leads to her being put on academic probation. Stefani ends up leaving school and going home in hopes of finding out what may be causing her terrifying dreams. But first she needs to reconnect with her family who she hasn’t been close to since she left for college.

But Stefani faces a bigger and far deadlier problem with the revelation that her family has a direct link to the Skyview incident. Without giving away too much, her estranged and reclusive grandmother (Gabrielle Rose) cheated death on that day and later had a family who should never have existed. Now death has come to collect and it has Stefani’s family in its grisly crosshairs.

Image Courtesy of New Line Cinema

Of course the movie’s gimmick is in how it shows the chain of seemingly chance events that can lead to a person’s fatal end. Co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein lean into the anxiety-ridden, gore-drenched craziness of it all, delivering some shockingly gnarly deaths that are often laced with twisted dark humor. Death proves to be a devilishly crafty antagonist with Lipovsky and Stein stoking our paranoia through tense and cleverly envisioned buildups before delivering some savagely satisfying payoffs.

I would be lying if I said I knew how all of the story stuff works. And I can’t say I found the characters all that compelling. But they’re defined well enough to make good victims for the merciless Death. It all makes for a morbidly fun and inventive horror feature that can make you laugh and grimace, often at the same time. And to top it off, we’re gifted with seeing the late Tony Todd in his incredibly fitting final big screen role. His brief scene alone makes the movie worth seeing. Rest in peace Mr. Todd.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Andor” Season 2 (2025)

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The first season of “Andor” caught many people by surprise. While it was very much a Star Wars installment, creator Tony Gilroy’s interests lied beyond lightsaber duels and spaceship battles. His vision was intensely character-driven, focusing on the human element at the center of the Empire’s tightening grip on the galaxy and the fledgling rebellion’s rise against their authoritarian oppressors. The results were pretty great.

Season Two featured a much different (and notably better) release schedule than its predecessor. The show’s twelve episodes take place over the course of four years. Each week a block of three episodes were dropped. The show would jump ahead one year from week to week, leaving us with four blocks set over four years and leading directly into the 2016 Gareth Edwards feature film “Rogue One”. While I loved the three episodes per week cadence, the show’s attempt at covering four years left some significant gaps. More about them later.

Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm

Season One featured a single line of dialogue that really speaks to the heart of the series – “Oppression breeds rebellion.” Season Two attempts to explore that idea through the inner workings of the established Empire and the struggles of a young Rebellion. While it is named “Andor”, the series follows a number of characters who are cogs in a rapidly changing galaxy. Some are Imperial loyalists, some are rebels in the making, some are politicians, some are militant insurgents. The breadth of characters allow the show to explore a wide range of perspectives.

As for the storytelling, “Andor: Season Two” takes its time kicking into gear with the majority of its first six episodes dedicated mostly to table-setting. Without question there is some good character building as Gilroy and company reacquaint us with old players and introduce us to several new ones. Many (if not most) are spies, conspirators, or simply living double lives of some kind. And the majority are given plenty of screentime to develop.

Diego Luna reprises his role as the show’s namesake, Cassian Andor, a thief turned rebel who discovers his destiny over the course of the series. Following the tragic events of the first season, Cassian is still (sometimes reluctantly) carrying out missions for Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). When he’s not secretly igniting fires in the name of the nascent rebellion, Luthen poses as a high-end antiquities dealer on Coruscant. But as we see over the course of the season, Cassian’s relationship with Luthen is complicated at best.

Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm

Luthen remains one of the show’s most fascinating characters. He’s very much a behind the scenes power-player who is pulling the strings from the shadows. His actions and decisions sometimes color him cold and callous. And his tight control of information often puts him at odds with those he relies on. But it’s all out of necessity. He knows the stakes and is focused on the endgame. He also understands the hard choices and their consequences. He has sacrificed everything and is resigned to his fate as he knows it.

Luthen is one of many interesting characters who grow or evolve throughout the second season. Bix (Adria Arjona) takes an emotionally wrenching journey, haunted by trauma yet determined to find her place in the galaxy. We see a new phase in the relationship between Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). She is still an ambitious member of the Imperial Security Bureau and he is still a naively willing pawn in desperate need for acknowledgment. They make for a bizarre and darkly funny couple whose lives take a dramatic turn.

Of course among the show’s biggest players is Mon Mothma, played again by the wonderful Genevieve O’Reilly. Every facet of Mon’s life changes in season two, both at home and in the senate, as she moves from secretly funding the underground to leading the rebellion. O’Reilly gets lost in some of the earlier episodes as Gilroy and company slowly move all of their pieces into position. But she is a captivating force in the second half, giving one of the show’s several Emmy-worthy performances.

So many other superb faces fill out the incredible cast. Benjamin Bratt (filling in for Jimmy Smits) as Bail Organa; Ben Mendelsohn reprising his role as Orson Krennic; Forest Whitaker back as insurgent leader (and personal favorite) Saw Gerrera; Anton Lesser as ISB Commander Partagaz; the great Kathryn Hunter as Syril’s mother Eedy; Elizabeth Dulau as Luthen’s capable assistant Kleya; and so many others. It is a truly tremendous ensemble.

Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm

The first block of three episodes are a little erratic and struggle to find cohesion or momentum. And they’re hampered by the only case of on-the-nose writing in the entire season (specifically in episode one). The second block slowly begins pulling together the wandering storylines while giving us a strong sense that the show is building up to something big. And that ‘something big’ comes in the form of the Ghorman Massacre.

The third block is dedicated to the Ghorman Massacre and its massive fallout. It features some of the finest television in the Star Wars franchise and beyond, offering exhilarating yet horrifying storytelling through a brilliant mix of visuals, writing, and performance. The seed for the massacre was planted as early as episode one with the Empire’s interest in Ghorman centering around a precious rare mineral near the planet’s core. It’s needed for the secret construction of the Death Star, but mining the mineral would make the planet unstable and uninhabitable.

So the Empire ruthlessly goad the Ghorman people into rebelling, portraying them as unruly insurgents in an effort to justify their gouge-mining of the planet for resources. Ironically Luthen also wants rebellion on Ghorman but for a much different reason. He wants the Empire to overstep which will expose their oppression, causing them to lose support as other planets rise up against them. The brutal massacre that follows reverberates across the galaxy and changes the lives of nearly every character involved.

Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm

The final block brings most things to a fitting conclusion as it attempts to tie up loose ends and put things in place for “Rogue One”. With so many characters and story threads it’s inevitable that some are shortchanged. But Tony Gilroy has made it clear he’s not concerned with connecting every dot. This proves to be a strength of the show but also its one big weakness. It certainly affords Gilroy a certain creative freedom. But some characters and arcs needed more than a small spot in a final montage.

Regardless, the second season of “Andor” is an exceptional Star Wars entry that will be talked about for years to come. The thrilling spycraft, the array of compelling characters, the sublime worldbuilding – it all fuels this rousing accomplishment. As with the first season, it sometimes lacks the ‘feel’ of Star Wars which may appeal to the lukewarm casuals while being an adjustment for die-hard fans. And it takes its time out of the gate, slowly laying the groundwork for what’s to come. But (again) as with the first season, the payoff is well worth the wait. It not only brings together all the early table-setting, but it adds even more weight to “Rogue One” which you’ll immediately want to revisit once the “Andor” credits roll.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

First Glance: “F1” Main Trailer

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We’ve seen teasers and a first trailer for the upcoming film “F1”. Yesterday we were given what Warner Bros. has called the “Main Trailer”. And just like before, this thing looks terrific. Apple Studios has poured a ton of money into this action sports drama centered around the world of Formula One racing. Some have estimated as much as $300 million which is a lot of money to make back. I’m hoping it pays off because it would be nice to see a successful blockbuster that isn’t linked to existing franchises.

Brad Pitt gets top billing playing Sonny Hayes, a former Formula One driver who retired following a horrible crash. He’s convinced to return to racing after an F1 team owner and old friend (played by Javier Bardem) offers him a spot mentoring a hotshot prodigy (Damson Idris). The always compelling Kerry Condon also stars. The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski who’s coming off the enormous success of “Top Gun: Maverick”. There’s no way “F1” does those kinds of numbers. But hopefully people will give it a shot, especially after seeing the killer new trailer.

“F1” races into theaters on June 27th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass (awful pun intended).

New on Home Video: “Black Bag” on Blu-ray + Digital

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Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is bringing Steven Soderbergh’s exhilarating spy thriller “Black Bag” to home video. Released in theaters in mid-March, “Black Bag” remains one of the best films of 2025 thanks to David Koepp’s razor-sharp script and two dynamic lead performances from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. But ultimately it’s Soderbergh, whose signature style and pinpoint precision energizes every facet of the storytelling. And now you can bring this gem home.

This new Blu-ray edition of “Black Bag” comes with a digital copy and will be available to purchase on May 13th. See below for a full synopsis of the film as well as release info including a list of special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2025

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Screenwriter: David Koepp

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Pierce Brosnan, Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Kae Alexander, Ambika Mod

Rating: R for language including some sexual references, and some violence

From Academy Award-winning Director Steven Soderbergh, “BLACK BAG” is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Special Features:

  • Deleted Scenes
  • “The Company of Talent” – In the world of spies, there are no small players. Join the ensemble cast and learn about their distinct character motivations, secrets, and overall creative approach to bringing each role to life under the direction of Steven Soderbergh.
  • “Designing BLACK BAG” – Enter the world of espionage and collect intelligence on the production design, costumes, makeup, and special effects that came together to embody the looks of each character and the aesthetic of each space they inhabit.