The Brothers Sun (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Brothers Sun (TV 2024): Brothers raised an ocean apart are reunited when a gang war in Taiwan spills over to L.A. Michele Yeoh is the mother, both nurturing and steely. Lots of choreographed fights. Lots of violence leavened with humor and meet-cute romance. B-

The Wheel Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures

The Academy Awards will be given out Sunday, March 10, 2024. I've seen all the nominees for Best Picture. That means my opinion means something. Right? Regardless, I've ranked the movies in order of my preference for "Best Picture."

Dumb Money (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Dumb Money (2023): Dramatization of the 2021 short squeeze by an army of Reddit users on the hedge funds who were shorting GameStop. Movie strives to make audience root for the little guys, but in the end, whose pockets all the money ends up in is a bit murky. Movie-wise, it's so-so. But it's a fun watch. B-

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Anatomy of a Fall (2023): French. Could be titled Anatomy of a Marriage. It was troubled, but enough to murder? Was it an accident instead, or suicide? A courtroom drama where there's not enough evidence to know, so the audience has to read people, which puts a premium on fine acting. This movie has that. A-

I do have niggling questions regarding French court trials. Are people allowed to interrupt testimony and give soliloquys repeatedly? Are prosecutors allowed to use more time explaining their theory of the crime than asking witnesses to testify as to the facts of the case?

The Zone of Interest (2023)

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The Zone of Interest (2023): German. Within earshot of the horrors of Auschwitz, the commandant's family go about a happy, normal German life. For Rudolph, running a death camp is just a logistical challenge. For Hedwig, life is good. Both are indifferent and insensitive to what's happening next door. Chilling and cautionary. B+

Echo (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Echo (TV 2024): One of the better Marvel efforts. A deaf Choctaw woman whose super power is channeling the spirits of generations of female ancestors must deal with anger issues left by the sins of the man who raised her. There's still plenty of violence but this is more of a character study. B+

Oscar Snubs

The 2024 Oscar nominations, as always, snub some worthy movies. This year, however, only one movie that received an "A" grade from The Wheel didn't make the Oscar Best Picture list. More on that later.

Role Play (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Role Play (2024): Kaley Cuoco plays a suburban mother who moonlights as a killer for hire, without her family's knowledge. Cuoco is unconvincing in the role, even more so when she is exposed and the movie turns into an action thriller. They should have tried a comedy. C+

Rustin (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rustin (2023): Biopic of Bayard Rustin, the organizer of the 250,000-person March on Washington in 1963. Highlights history as it's seldom told — while fighting racism, the civil rights movement had elements of sexism and homophobia within its own ranks. Colman Domingo is excellent. B+

Blue Beetle (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Blue Beetle (2023): DC superhero movie. Teenager accidentally gets handed a package with an alien bot that gives him super powers. Rest of movie involves warding off villains who want to recover the bot. Some humor, some budding romance, lots of fighting but no guns. Biggest plus is the extended Latino family love. C-

A Murder at the End of the World (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Murder at the End of the World (TV 2023): Whodunnit set in Iceland. Billionaire who made fortune in AI invites 12 people to an isolated retreat when murders start. Tension rises as the host gets more controlling and a young hacker gets close to solving the murders. Emma Corrin is superb. B+

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023)

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Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023): Star Wars ripoff, with a motley assortment of rebels fighting a galactic empire. It even has light sabers and a bar full of weird aliens. What it lacks is the original's humor, cockiness, and rousing score by John Williams. C-

American Fiction (2023)

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American Fiction (2023): Satire about a black author named Monk fighting a stereotype of what's considered authentically black. Subplots dealing with his mother, his brother, and a romance provide counterpoints to the plots Monk is asked to write about. Does Monk change? Does anyone? B+

The Little Mermaid (2023)

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The Little Mermaid (2023): Probably unnecessary remake of 1989 animated favorite, with live action humans this time, at least their heads. The story is problematic. Is Ariel even old enough for Eric? And why does a prince fall for a girl who has no voice? For me, the songs were by far the best part. More of that, please. B-

The Color Purple (2023)

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The Color Purple (2023): Worthy remake, inspired by 2005 stage musical, 1985 movie, and 1982 novel. This tale of overcoming poverty, racism, sexual discrimination, and family abuse needs retelling to each generation. For me, the musical numbers were the most uplifting; the discordant violence was the hardest to watch. A-

Lessons in Chemistry (TV 2023)

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Lessons in Chemistry (TV 2023): A prematurely modern woman in the 1950s deals with sexism, grief, and her own ambition. Sets and clothing capture the period well. Scripts tend to have too modern a feel for the times. Brie Larson is fantastic. A-

Fast X (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Fast X (2023): First time viewer of this aging franchise. It helps if you know the backstories, but probably not much. Lots of violence. A few contrived car races because that's its m.o. What I didn't expect was how important "family" is to this franchise. Jason Mamoa as the campy villain saves the movie. C+

Poor Things (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Poor Things (2023): Emma Stone plays a 19th century woman who grows from naively childish to experienced and worldly. Surreal sets give this quirky black comedy a fantasy feel. The subject (to say nothing of the sexually explicit scenes) will provoke conversation, with many not "getting it" and many finding it distasteful. A-

Expend4bles (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Expend4bles (2023): Sylvester Stallone leads a scruffy bunch of ex-military on a special ops mission to keep an arms dealer from getting a nuclear weapon. A buddy movie with lots of wise-cracking and lots of violence from a lot of retreads. Maybe for aging Rambo fans who never grew up. C-

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Haunting in Venice (2023): A ghost story turns into a classic whodunnit set in an old house in Venice with a large cast of suspects. It's watchable enough but Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot has nothing new to offer. B-