Could the Marvel Cinematic Universe be getting back on track? I don’t want to get my hopes up, especially after the steady flow of sub-par movies and streaming shows. But “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has the potential to be something we haven’t seen from Marvel Studios in a while – a really good MCU superhero production. The film’s earlier released teaser left me more curious than excited. Well now we have the first full trailer, and despite some lingering concerns, “First Steps” looks like it could be the movie many of us have been waiting for.
In the film, Marvel’s first family live in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic New York city located on a parallel Earth. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are beloved by the people of their planet. But their role as Earth’s defenders is challenged with the appearance of a world-consuming being known as Galactus. The slick style of the world is an immediate draw and seeing all four team members in action is exciting. On the flipside we get our first look at Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer and it leaves a lot to be desired. That aside, the new trailer is a blast and here’s hoping the movie is too.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” soars into theaters July 25th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star in the upcoming black comedy “The Roses” from director Jay Roach. Perhaps known best for the “Austin Powers” movies and “Meet the Parents”, “The Roses” is Roach’s first feature film since 2019’s “Bombshell”. It’s said to be a reimagining of the 1989 film “The War of the Roses” which was an adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel of the same name. Yesterday Searchlight Pictures dropped the first trailer and this could be a lot of fun.
Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Olivia Colman) appear to be the perfect couple. Both have successful careers (he’s an architect, she’s a chef) and wonderful children. But it’s all a facade. Their marriage is actually a toxic tinderbox that eventually explodes for all to witness. Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and Allison Janney also star. The script is from Tony McNamara who surprised with “Cruella” and frustrated with “Poor Things”. But this material is pretty ripe with potential and who can turn down an on-screen Cumberbatch/Colman union?
“The Roses” comes to theaters August 29th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
“Drop” is the latest from writer-director Christopher Landon, the filmmaker who helmed both “Happy Death Day” movies. He also penned the “Paranormal Activity” series and the slasher comedy “Heart Eyes” from earlier this year. His latest serving is a much different dish. “Drop” is an old-school Hitchcockian thriller that is firmly planted in our modern era of social media, memes, iPhones, and AirDrops.
Written by the duo of Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, “Drop” begins by introducing us to a widowed single mother named Violet Gates (Meghann Fahy). Since the traumatic death of her husband, Violet has poured all of herself into helping survivors of abuse and most importantly taking care of her young son Toby (Jacob Robinson).
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures
At the urging of her supportive younger sister Jen (Violett Beane), Violet reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a hunky photographer named Henry Campbell (Brandon Sklenar). The two have never met in person but connected three months earlier on a dating app. They finally agree to meet up at the Palate, a swanky restaurant on the 38th floor of a downtown skyrise. The evening starts nicely as the two navigate their mutual nervous attraction. But it changes after Violet starts receiving a flood of anonymous messages on her phone.
The messages start as obnoxious pranks but quickly turn more sinister. They’re sent to her through Digidrop (the movies version of Apple’s AirDrop) which means the sender has to be somewhere within the restaurant. Henry tries to help Violet figure out who’s doing it but to no avail. Then she receives the most terrifying message at all – she’s ordered to kill her date.
Violet immediately refuses. But when the mysterious antagonist shares an image of a masked henchman inside her house, she’s caught between two horrific outcomes – agree and murder an innocent man who seems to genuinely care for her or disagree and risk the lives of her son and sister. From there “Drop” blends mystery will thrills as Violet tries to figure out the identity of her terrorizer while doing everything she can to outsmart him or her.
Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures
There’s a really throwback quality to “Drop” that comes through in its straightforward entertainment value as well as its silliness. Not everything holds up to scrutiny, especially the holes in the plot’s logic and some slight pacing issues. But Landon leaves us with little down-time to overthink things. And he knows what he has in Fahy and Sklenar whose commitment and chemistry helps to elevate the sometimes shaky material.
“Drop” is an efficient and fun date-night thriller that doesn’t ask or expect too much from its audience. It’s pure, straight-shooting entertainment and I can’t help but appreciate it for knowing exactly what it is. Landon does a good job keeping everything on track while Fahy and Sklenar keep us involved enough to actually care about their characters. The movie may not have the staying power to stick with you long after the credits, but you’ll have enough fun watching it to make it well worth the price of a ticket.
Among the most intriguing films of the still early movie year is “Sinners”, the latest collaboration between writer-director Ryan Coogler and his favorite star Michael B. Jordan. Coogler and Warner Bros. have done a terrific job promoting this period action horror feature starting with their ferocious trailers. Now the studio has dropped yet another new poster which once again fits right in with everything they’ve shown us so far.
DIRECTOR – Ryan Coogler
WRITERS – Ryan Coogler
STARRING – Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, Yao, Lola Kirk, Helena Hu
RELEASE – April 18, 2025
Check out the sizzling new poster below and let me know what you think.
Last week Hollywood lost the great Val Kilmer, a fascinating and immensely talented actor whose career spanned 40 years. Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles, California and passed away on April 1st at the age of 65. Kilmer’s lengthy battle with health issues dates back to his 2015 throat cancer diagnosis. He would undergo numerous procedures, rounds of chemotherapy, and two tracheotomies. Many of his successes and struggles are documented in his extraordinary 2021 documentary “Val”.
Kilmer’s movie career began with the raucous 1984 comedy “Top Secret!”. But he would take off two years later after appearing in one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, “Top Gun”. Kilmer would star in several other box office hits, but he also took on a number of challenging independent roles. His career hit a speed bump in the 2000s but he continued to work, making his final big screen appearance in the blockbuster hit “Top Gun: Maverick”.
Val Kilmer’s memory lives on through a number of movies loved by many. Whether he was playing Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Doc Holliday, Bruce Wayne, or Jim Morrison, Val Kilmer brought a bit of himself to every role he played. And that made his characters and his movies better.
The Mission: Impossible film series has spanned nearly thirty years. Now series fans are wondering if this might be the last installment in what has been one of the best action franchises of all time. Several weeks ago Paramount Pictures released the killer first trailer for “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” which only boosted the anticipation. Now they’ve dropped the final trailer and it’s fair to say it ratchets up the excitement even more.
Producer and star Tom Cruise reteams with director, writer, and producer Christopher McQuarrie in the direct sequel to 2023’s extraordinary “Dead Reckoning Part One”. Joining Hanks is a host of familiar Mission: Impossible faces including Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Haley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, an Pom Klementieff. The story follows race to control a rogue artificial intelligence called “The Entity”. We can once again expect big action and big adventure. And with marketing like “Every Choice, every mission, has all led to this“, this might be the last impossible mission we take with this group.
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” comes to theaters May 23rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Keith & the Movies 