Movie Trailer Reviews

The team-up of Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham for Wrath of Man comes together as a very solid film combination of revenge mixed with heist. Is the film perfect? No. But there's a solid enough story with intense, bloody action that it makes a pretty entertaining pre-summer film. The film follows the mysterious H (Statham) who joins an armored cash truck company in order to find the thieves who ended up killing his son as part of a prior robbery. H uses his own seedy background and connections to try to hunt down who the inside man in the cash truck company is and who the crew is that lead to the death of his son.  Wrath of Man has all the elements we've come to love (and hate) about a Guy Ritchie film. Between this film and The Gentleman, Ritchie really is in his wheelhouse when it comes to this type of film. The suave, nearly-silent, focused and deadly man who can exact ruthless revenge on those that wrong him is clearly something Ritchie does right. He also loves making his protagonist someone who isn't necessarily a good guy but rather a bad guy with a moral code that the audience can get behind. And it works. What doesn't work is the fact that Ritchie still has problems with directing/writing female characters. Niamh Algar's Dana is criminally underused in this film and in many ways her character almost feels like a backslide for Ritchie.  Wrath of Man is a film worth checking out. Jason Statham is...well, Jason Statham and who doesn't love Jason Statham? The action scenes are intense with the final one being so intense it makes up for the anti-climatic ending. Still, there's enough here to overcome the flaws.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

If Without Remorse's purpose is establishing Michael B Jordan as the covert operator the spy genre's desperately missing then this action-packed thrill ride rolls out one hell of an origin story. Given director Stefano Sollima's (Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero) kinetic shooting-style that leaves little room for stunt doubles and cutaway scenes, Without Remorse is an introduction to edgy John Kelly it's not too hard to get behind.  If you're a fan of Tom Clancy novels (or the Rainbow Six games) put everything you think you know about John Clark/Kelly to the side. Especially the book, Without Remorse. While the movie adaptation has its flaws, let's just say it does a very good job of steering clear of all the problematic elements of that particular Clancy novel. In that respect, Without Remorse is a breath of fresh air. Jordan's John Clark is active duty and finds himself knee deep in a conspiracy that causes the death of not only members of his SEAL team but also his wife and unborn child.  Where Without Remorse struggles is with giving the story the room it needs to be told. Honestly, fair or unfair, its hard not to watch this under 2-hour film and not think of what could have been if it had gotten the Jack Ryan series treatment. This movie is so fast paced that story elements and characters don't really get a chance to settle in. While watching this film, there were several parts where audiences will feel disappointed they didn't get to spend more time to develop. You couldn't easily break this film up into three 8-episodes seasons like the Jack Ryan series and it would be a hit. Instead there's a rush to the finish at break neck speeds and it sucks some of the air out of the room for the characters and the conspiracy story.  If the sole purpose of Without Remorse was to give a quick introduction to the character of John Clark/Kelly into the Jack Ryan world that Amazon is building, then it works. It builds anticipation for what could be and setting up a future meeting between Jordan's John Clark and John Krasinski's Jack Ryan. If the idea was to make this the start of its own stand alone franchise, then there may be a bit more work to do to sell this on its own. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Everyone out there has something that is widely accepted as bad and not good that they like. You know that show or movie you can't defend as being "good" but nonetheless you can't help but watch it. In a way. Snowpiercer is what we (Kriss & Ro) consider their "trashy TV". Is it good? Probably not. But it's also very very entertaining and well, who is going to turn away from the (no pun intended) train wreck.  To be fair, Snowpiercer isn't really a bad show by any stretch of the imagination. However, by the end of season 2 we can't help but some things were rushed and handled poorly which would have made this show much better. I don't know if COVID affected the end of season 2 of Snowpiercer or not. We've seen this happen before with The Flash. But this is a season that felt like we should have either ended at episode 8 or gone a full 13 episodes. The last two episodes feel like they rushed through some of the set up for the very end. After seeing Wilford take over the train and see all the support he had on Snowpiercer, it seemed a bit odd we didn't get more of the other side and those on Big Alice that support Layton. Because he got back across the border way too easy after he escaped the swamp. Also the stuff with Audrey was a big miss and disappointment. If you're going to do a storyline with a female abuse victim being manipulated back to being under the spell of her abuser, you have to treat that way more delicately than this season did.  Overall, we did find this season entertaining but we do think it's time for the show to make a decision as to whether it's trying to live in the shadow of the movie and have a story that leads to that. Or if it wants to blaze its own trail. Right now it feels the show is being hampered by the indecision of what the show wants to be. We hope that next season gets back on track and doesn't lose sight of things (like the Tail). Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

The lead character of NOBODY, Hutch Mansell, completes the trifecta of "Dudes You Should Have Just Left Alone". He joins the likes of John Wick and Robert McCall. You know, the guy who was a secret assassin/government BlackOps/Cleaner that is trying to retire and settle into a "normal" life but people just have to fuck with them. And it all goes horrible wrong (for the dumbasses that mess with them). This is a sub-genre of the Impossible White Man genre of films that also is one of the hardest to make. See, everyone wants to make vigilante films and they think they're man character is Batman when in reality they're making a super problematic Punisher. Think the Death Wish remake (or originals for that matter) or Peppermint. Poorly done, these films just turn into torture porn with a (usually) white lead killing an abundance of people of color because of some horrible tragedy. When done right though, these films become the story of a highly capable individual, using their skills to fight for those that can't fight for themselves and take down the bad guy. John Wick (all over killing his dog) and Robert McCall (fighting for those that are victims). In NOBODY, the catalyst is Hutch defending a young girl. It actually goes out of its way to have him NOT harm some people of color. That's how you do these types of movies.  On the surface (and the trailers), NOBODY probably looks like a John Wick clone with Bob Odenkirk seeming like odd casting. If that was what this film was, it would probably still be pretty good because well, John Wick was a sleeper hit that's turned into a whole ass franchise. But NOBODY isn't a John Wick clone. More like, John Wick adjacent. And what that does is turn that into its own GOOD movie, that by the end of it, audiences will probably be asking to become it's own franchise as well. This film has great action, a great cast, an appropriately applied soundtrack and even sprinkles in some over the top humor for good measure.  Odenkirk fully commits to the role of Hutch Mansell both physically and personality-wise. Hutch has settled into his boring, quiet life that seems typical of man who just seems to be sleep walking through life. He works for his Father-in-Law and his Brother-in-Law is a wannabe tough guy. His wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) is the breadwinner and her and Hutch have grown apart. It seems like Hutch has hit that late, mid-life crisis and has completely checked out. Then you slowly start realizing, it's all a mask and that Hutch isn't some "Beta male" but rather someone you really don't want to piss off. What works for this movie is how the story unfolds. The way the film gives Hutch's backstory to the audience is pretty ingenious, hilarious and honestly...pretty morbid. The supporting cast is great (This might be Christopher Lloyd's best appearance in a film in years). And as mentioned before, the end will have you wanting them to continue on with this series. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.

Every time we review an episode in season 2 of Snowpiercer, we end up saying the same thing: Layton is out of his depth here. And episodes 4 through 8 really hammer that home. Mr. Wilford executes his long game and literally takes Snowpiercer away  from Layton so easily. Now it would  be easy to get frustrated with this show for how Layton is being portrayed here but we actually like it. It's more realistic. When you look at the timeline of how things have transpired, we're looking at a few months. Layton was never equipped to be a leader of a society like Snowpiercer. He's still stuck in survival mode (understandably) from his time in the tail. He also suffering from the affliction that infects most men: The inability to listen to the women around him. Or more specifically, the right women. He has no problem listening to Zarah, but still is keeping Ruth out of the loop. And Ruth is really make us warm up to her. If Layton had listened to Melanie before she left, perhaps Layton wouldn't find himself in the situation he does at the end.  Episode 6 also works very well to give us flashbacks on the lead up to Melanie stealing Snowpiercer from Wilford. Also gives a bit more context for why she ended up doing what she did. It also plays well to contrast with Layton and how he messed up. We really look forward to the last 2 episodes to see how all this plays out.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter:   @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

"Coming 2 America" is a reset but not a redo  Thirty years later and we've returned to Zamunda just in time for Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and Princess Lisa's (Shari Headly) anniversary and the King Jaffe (James Earl Jones) to tell his son - from his sick bed - that he has  a son who must be found. Not because it's terrible that this son's grown up outside the family, but because the country's antiquated laws demand a male heir to secure the throne. Never mind the fact Akeem and Lisa have three fierce and talented daughters, Princess Tinashe (Akiley Love), Omma (Bella Murphy), and their oldest, Meeka (KiKi Layne). Akiley Love, Bella Murphy, Shari Headley, Eddie Murphy, and KiKi Layne star in COMING 2 AMERICA Photo: Quantrell D. Colbert © 2020 Paramount Pictures After his father's passing now King Akeem and his trusted aid Semmi (Arsenio Hall) rush back to Queens in search of his long-lost son, Lavelle played by Jermaine Fowler. If it feels like a familiar starting point (with a twist), it's absolutely supposed to.  Tradition, Tropes, and Wasted Opportunities  The jokes are so "inside" this time around and it feels like Prince Akeem, despite having three children, has been frozen in amber since his wedding. "Coming 2 America" is almost immediately hampered by its seriously shallow narrative. Despite a cast chocked full of talent, little effort's made to dig into the multitude of characters, new and old. Thankfully, it's still obvious that Zamunda is a kingdom out of time; this afrofuturistic country is bright, whimsical, and has little "connection" to the reality on Continent.  It's clear, no effort's ever made to get into why Zamundan woman are still so disenfranchised after 30 years. So expect Princess Lisa and her magnificent daughters spend the majority of this romp sidelined. It's sadly indicative of a trend that never ends every time the film runs up on an issue even slightly serious.   The comedic bits and blending of homages and cameos (of which you'll be tripping over by the end) do a serviceable job building a story to vibe with and enjoy. But the inexplicable rushing and decision not to subvert a single trope to make new "inside" jokes makes for a good time.  But it could've been a new classic... Listen as Ro and Phenom discuss "Coming 2 America" and then get that crew together for that watch party.    "Coming 2 America" premieres on Amazon Prime Video March 5, 2021 Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness?

Shatara Michelle Ford’s directorial feature debut “Test Pattern” is a definite conversation starter, potentially divisive ones. This 82 minute drama centers Renesah (Brittany S. Hall) in the aftermath of a night out with her friend Amber (Gail Bean) that ended with her waking up in the bed of a man not her live-in boyfriend Evan (Will Brill).  The audience's perception of Renesha and Evan's relationship through witnessing a meet-cute in a bar that morphs into an awkward encounter at a grocery store that leads to a first date. This pair of opposites (Renesha is outgoing, high-achieving executive and Evan is a laid-back but charming tattoo artist) come together quickly but seem to connect deeply. A quick time-lapse shows this evolution via subtle changes; a new tattoo for her, a new mustache for him coupled with in-story flashbacks (from her) to pivotal moments.  All of this emotional building runs beneath the creeping horror of realizing the opening scene showing Renesha sitting on the side of a bed in a darkly lit room precariously holding a glass of water but visibly blurry and muddled is leading up to exactly what you think it is, her rape. Don't worry, "Test Pattern" isn't about to show her violation.  The Trauma's in the Details  Thankfully, Ford focuses on Renesha attempting to work through both her feelings and a staggering number of roadblocks to being able to preserve the proof of her assault and report her rape to the police. Her boyfriend Evan struggles with being supportive, understanding and controlling his mounting fury. Watching this unraveling in the context of a soul crushing slow burn turns the volume up on hurt simmering between the two.  There's an exacting attention to the detail in this narrative. Watching this couple try to navigate a system that feels purposely design to discourage will absolutely try your patience. It may even leave you wondering about some of Ford's choices. But by the midway point, it'll  be clear testing the audience is absolutely deliberate.  "Test Pattern" is built on a breadth of interconnected (and deeply emotional) issues like being frustrated, demoralized, repeatedly re-victimized, and dejected. Between cinematographer Ludovica Isidori and music by Rob Rusli sonic and visual contributions, Ford's script and the strength of Hall and Brill's performances tackling the shortfalls of the medical and criminal justice system on sexual assault victims and how it can expose the cracks in even seemingly idyllic relationship lead to a highly impactful story. Buckle up because this slow-burn relies heavily on body language, inference and (an inevitable) lack of resolution.  Listen to the crew work through the highs and lows of "Test Pattern"  By now you know, Ro is notorious (I accept this moniker) for suggesting films outside Kriss and Phenom's wheelhouse. We're still in a whole pandemy but that didn't stop her from suggesting the crew tackle a serious film while on the edge of exhaustion. The end result is, a conversation that questioned some narrative choices while diving into the complexity of trying to figure out what being supportive to someone in the midst of trauma might actually look like.  Now playing in virtual cinemas. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!

Raya and the Last Dragon is another hit for Disney. There are a lot of things to like about this film but the first thing that will catch everyone's eye will obviously be the visuals. Disney really isn't playing fair on the animation side when it comes to piecing together very real-like animations. For their first Southeast Asian animated feature, Disney went super vibrant with the colors and a world that really pulls you in from the beginning. The character animations are smooth and very life-like. This makes the fight scenes between characters pretty intense for an animated film. Overall the cast works really well. Awkwafina voices the dragon Sisu and while she can be hit or miss for some people, works really well in this role. Also it's great that Kelly Marie Tran can officially be called a Disney princess for her lead role as Raya. The entire cast does a great job together and help bring these characters to life. The only real downside to any of this is the lack of actual Southeast Asian representation in the cast. For a film that is as good as this, it really is an unfortunate oversight on the Disney side and I hope Disney looks to do better in their future films.  Kids are obviously going to love Raya and the Last Dragon. It has dragons in it. But what about the adults? Well, this is another animated film that sits perfectly as an entertaining film for kids while being an enjoyable satisfaction for adults as well. Sitting at just under 2 hours, this is a rather long animated feature but doesn't feel like it. Sure, it's a bit heavy handed on the messaging but aren't all Disney films? It also keeps the long Disney tradition of hitting the audience in the gut emotionally early and often. Let's just say, Disney hasn't met a parent they haven't wanted to kill or separate from their child. Someone there clearly needs a hug. Raya and the Last Dragon is definitely a film to check out. Disney clearly saw some promising numbers with the release of Mulan on their Disney+ premium since they're also releasing this film there as well (as well as theaters that can be open). Considering the runtime, its probably definitely worth it if you have kids and need a couple hours of time to yourself.  Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Ro & Kriss are back to review and discuss the last three episodes of season 2 of Snowpiercer. As usual, Layton is showing how out of his depth he is when it comes to being in charge of Snowpiercer. Part of that could be that there really hasn't been any time for Layton or the people of Snowpiercer to catch their breath since the war to take the train. But it's also because Layton is hard headed and doesn't want to listen to anyone, particularly women. Melanie tried to help him and tell him that he needs to keep Ruth in the loop and to not lie to her but he then immediately goes about shutting Ruth out. That leads to her to go to Zarah and well, she's a whole ass Lakeith right now (for that reference listen to our Judas & the Black Messiah review).  There's a lot of moving parts going on and while Layton thinks he's on top of it all, it's clear he's being outmaneuvered. He's also not listening to Bess who he made train Detective about the fact that there are clearly dangerous Wilford loyalists on Snowpiercer. Again, more proof that Layton doesn't listen to women. Or at least, not the right ones.  We're enjoying this season so far but we do have some gripes. We don't think they needed to go as far as they did with Wilford and Audrey. It was pretty reckless and unnecessary. Also this season is oddly paced. Like the last season of The Expanse, this season is focusing more on politics (which is really relevant) but the episodes feel more conducive to watching in 2 or 3 episode chunks versus episode by episode.  Listen as Ro & Kriss discuss these episodes and then join us after the next three to discuss those.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @BookBlerd @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Judas and the Black Messiah will (or at least should) make you angry. Not because of the quality of the film or the acting in it. No, it's beautifully shot and the acting is top notch which should catapult this to the top of the runnings for the Oscars. No, it will make you angry because it does a fantastic job of exposing just how diabolical the FBI was in trying to stop and murder any rising Black revolutionary. For those that might think that this film's depiction of the the FBI and agent Roy Mitchell (Played by Jesse Plemons) are an exaggeration, I implore you to go watch the documentary MLK/FBI that exposes how FBI Director J Edgar Hoover was fixated on discrediting (and yes even killing) any Black revolutionary seeking to empower the people. Black people's distrust of Federal agencies isn't born out of conspiracy theories but rather the actual terrible history of these agencies and the roles they've played in oppression. Judas and the Black Messiah does what a lot of films like it (think 2017's 'Detroit') try to do but either couldn't or were unwilling to do. It paints the picture of a Black revolutionary (Fred Hampton) from the point of view of the man who betrayed him (William O'Neil), while not trying to place O'Neil in a more favorable light. We've seen that before where there's an attempt to humanize and soften the history a bad person to try to explain and rewrite their history. Judas and the Black Messiah doesn't do that at all. I think it is important to note that this isn't a Fred Hampton film or biography. This film is about the betrayal of not just Fred Hampton but of the people (hence the title of the film). The whole theme of this film is that white supremacy is frightened by the idea of a "Black Messiah" which is who they deem any Black person trying to rally the community to fight for their freedoms and rights. There's a scene early in the movie where Agent Mitchell is trying to convince O'Neal to be an informant and Mitchell compares the Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers and other Black revolutionaries to the KKK. It's diabolical and ahistorical but also mimics the language you hear today from those that want to downplay white supremacist groups while painting Black Lives Matters activists as terrorists.  The entire cast of this film is fantastic. Daniel Kaluuya should be a shoe-in for at least a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons play their roles of despicable characters so while you might actually start hating the actors themselves because they're almost too convincing. I'm elated that Dominique Fishback got this opportunity to play Deborah Johnson.  She was great in Project Power even if that movie wasn't good and she should have been the lead in The Hate You Give. She's been great in her roles in not great films for a while so it's great to see her finally land something that matches her performance. It's ironic that Judas and the Black Messiah got delayed for release until Black History month. Even more ironic because this lines it up with the annual tone deaf tweets and wishes of a "Happy Black History Month" from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies that have decades of Black blood on their hands. At some point this country will have a reckoning with that disconnect and have a real conversation. Unfortunately until then, films like this are all we have to drive home the point. Due to COVID the Oscars have been delayed until April which makes Judas and the Black Messiah eligible for this year's awards (technically the 2020 awards). Not only do I think it's going to change the conversation but it also highlights how many great Black Films came out during the last year. This is definitely one you don't want to miss. Judas and the Black Messiah opens in Theaters and on HBOMax on February 12th  

There is a good movie somewhere in The Little Things, unfortunately it's just not included the 127 minute runtime of the film. Which is a shame considering the talent put together for this film. How does one waste Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Michael Hyatt and so many other talented actors? To be honest, I would have to say it actually takes talent to be that wasteful.  The Little Things feels like director/writer John Lee Hancock got the Cliff Notes of the Se7en script, binged a season of NCIS, listened to some true crimes podcasts and said "my job here is done". The film starts off a disappointment with a scene that feels like it's straight out of a cheesy 80's horror film, right down to a female character written to do the most illogical and absolutely dumbest things possible. If the film continued down this cheesy, horror/serial killer route, it might not have been a good film but at least it would have been entertaining. Instead it's just a boring, slog of a film that thinks it's smarter than it is and doesn't earn any of the payoff it thinks it's delivering at the end. Denzel is Denzel. I'm never going to say that a Denzel performance is bad. Even his worst performance runs circles around many actor's best. But it's obvious when he's phoning it in and this is one of those times. Malek is fine but if you're expecting a chemistry like Freeman & Pitt from Se7en, you'll be disappointed. It's not bad but it feels forced. Jared Leto puts in the best performance of the trio but at times it feels like he's overacting because the script just isn't strong enough. Since WB is putting all of its 2021 films on HBOMax, you'd think this is at least a no brainer to check out. Problem is, with a runtime over 2 hours, that still feels like a lot of commitment with little entertaining reward.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!  

Looks like that "12% of a plan" that Layton had last season is turning out to be even more poorly thought out than we expected. Sure, he got the revolution he wanted and took back control of the train. But with Mr. Wilford reappearing and latching his "Big Alice" train onto Snowpiercer, Layton is starting to realize how poorly thought out all this was.  Honestly, gotta give Layton credit, not many people could be as incompetent as Layton this quickly with this many consequences. It's almost a skill.  Here are a few things we noticed with this season premiere: * It's funny how quickly Layton has already started compromising on his promises of Democracy on Snowpiercer. It hasn't even been 12 hours and he's already declared Martial Law. I guess he's starting to realize it's much easier to be a revolutionary than actually being in charge and running a functional government * Ruth is setting Layton up and enjoying every minute of it. The minute she realized Zarah was pregnant with Layton's child, she jumped at the opportunity to give Layton and Zarah special treatment, knowing it could drive a wedge between Layton and the rest of the former tailies. As one of them said "This personal shit is making your democracy harder to believe in" * Speaking of Zarah, she's annoying and really should have been thrown off the balcony. She's also a traitor and can't be trusted and the more that Layton makes excuses for her the more everyone else is gonna get fed up with him * Layton is really an idiot. The first time they saw that big Frankenstein dude they should have thought twice about any plan to "take" Big Alice. Even outside of that, it was pretty stupid to plan an infiltration without doing any kind of recon up front. Especially after lying to people and saying that he was going to try diplomacy first. * There's not a lot right now but it'll be interesting seeing where the plot with the potential that it's not as cold as everyone thinks is going. The fact that Melanie saw snow might mean that maybe the earth isn't as lost as the people think it is. * Sean Bean as Mr. Wilford is great cause now all of us are thinking about all the ways he has to die. * Between this show and The Expanse, there really needs to be a "It's okay to kill your sociopath kids" rule. Melanie was all smiles at the end of the episode, bonding with Alexandra but she really should be concerned that her daughter was gonna look here right in the eye as she killed an entire train of people. This little girl might be a problem And there's plenty to more to talk about. Listen as Ro & Kriss discuss this episode then come back after episode 4 as we'll be reviewing these episodes, 3 at a time going forward. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @BookBlerd @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic. 

The Doctor, Parrish and Joseph are coming in hot on Chibnall's absolute fumble of the bag with the New Year's episode.  Even Keenan Ivory Wayans would agree this is too much messaging for him.  We did not need our Trump stand in.  We needed more close out for departing companions and an intro to the new dynamic with Yaz and the Doctor.  Instead we got a repeat of what we are currently living with in modern times-which we don't need an allegory for because we are living it both here and in the U.K.  Additionally, the new companion is inciting great fury in all of us...why can't they just let it be Yaz and The Doctor (Jodie, not me) traveling the universe together?  Follow us on Twitter: @TheMTRNetwork @TheDrIsIn2015   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!

Full disclosure: When Phenom and I sat down to record this review we waxed poetic about how unrealistic it is to have karate gangs roving the streets of the Valley but after the events of January 6th, that doesn't seem like such an unlikely prospect.  Season 3 of Cobra Kai marks the show's official move from YouTube to Netflix and while the show never struggles to deliver on the fun and the laughs, the pacing of this season leaves a lot to be desired. There's a lot for the fans who love the nostalgia of the original films, we just wish the show swapped out some of the nostalgia to focus on the young people who are falling victim (literally and figuratively) to the sin of the previous generation. Even though, Miguel is on the road to recovery, Robbie and Tory continue to slip further from the light under Kreese's manipulations. And while the introduction of Kreese's backstory leads up to the return of a fan favorite, there's no amount of storytelling that can make up for that man's machinations.  Overall, Cobra Kai remains insanely binge-able but we both wished the writers had kept the fast, driving pace the show perfected while on YouTube.  You can watch all 3 seasons of Cobra Kai, streaming now on Netflix.    Like what you hear? Subscribe To Movie Trailer Reviews to hear our Non-Spoiler, Non-Premium Reviews!      Follow us on Twitter:   @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic:  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!

Over the past decade, Pixar's excelled at building deep existential dilemmas into touching animated feature films. Director Pete Docter (Inside Out, Up), in particular. Docter's known for his skill in blending weighty themes into emotionally charged, yet charmingly joyful, treks through the human psyche. So, it only makes sense that Pixar paired him with Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami) as co-director and co-writer on his passion project Soul.  You'll be pleased to discover that Soul leans into what Pixar's best known for, creating an immersive world of visual and sensory delights woven into a thoughtful and emotional journey.  Teaching, Dream Chasing, and all that Jazz  Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a jazz musician making his living as a middle school music teacher. Jazz feeds his soul but it doesn't pay his bills. Gardner dreams of performing onstage. But it's starting to look like that's a dream he'll never realize. His mother, Libba (Phylicia Rashad), wants him to accept an offered permanent position teaching and give up on pursuing jazz as a career.  Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner in Soul. Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar Just as he's losing hope, a call from Curley (Questlove), a former student leads to an unexpected audition. Gardner secures a spot playing with renown jazz musician Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). It's his chance to play at the world-famous Half Note jazz club. On the cusp of realizing his dream, he rushes towards home. One moment of inattention leads to an accident that jettisons him out of his body and on his way to the Great Beyond.   Gardner comes to in his spirit form and, upon realizing he's no longer among the living, refuses to accept his fate.  Refusing to Give Up and Discovering Your Spark The meat of this film encompasses Gardner's attempt to avoid going into the Great Beyond. The visuals for the hereafter, by the way, are startling and more than a touch mesmerizing. The blend of a soft color palette and sharp angles creates a stark contrast to an Earth pulsing with life in such bold color it's almost tangible.  Rachel House voices Terry in Soul. Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar Gardner's escape efforts land him as accidental mentor to a seemingly cynical 22 (Tina Fey), an unborn soul, in the Great Before. As 22's latest mentor, it's Gardner's job to help them discover their spark and earn their pass to a life on Earth. From this point on, expect hilarity, tear-jerking moments, and pithy banter.  Shortcut Back to Earth Gardner just knows his reason for living is jazz. It's hard for him to see his life from any other perspective. Until he's forced to. Inspiring 22 to want to have a life proves a daunting task. But guiding the reluctant soul to their own "spark" is secondary. It only matters as a means to get him a pass back to Earth in time for his gig. Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey voice Joe Gardner and 22 in Soul. Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar And this is where Soul really finds its footing (and will lose a bit of ground with some). Watching as this pair blunder their way through life's turns, is both hilarious and ironically enlightening.  Throughout, a non-corporeal Joe is still distinctly himself. He's also still self-involved in a way that's well past obsessive. The bedrock conviction that jazz is his life blinds him to the fact he's not really been living. A never-been-born 22's convinced they've seen enough of life to skip it altogether. What each discovers, about themselves, and each other,