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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How far would you go for friendship?
The relationships between friends are an integral part of many movies. In Friendship, Nonnas and Another Simple Favor, friends are everything. 'Men shouldn't have friends' is the tagline for the comedy Friendship, which follows a lonely man named Craig (Tim Robinson) in his attempt to befriend his charismatic neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd). Kate Mara plays Craig's often-ignored wife, whose many meaningful friendships are showcased in a pivotal party scene to contrast how bizarre and alone Craig is. Mara told Yahoo Entertainment that the movie feels so funny because its absurdity is strangely accurate, especially in its portrayal of male friendship. 'My relationships with my girlfriends are so honest and we talk about our feelings all the time,' she said. 'With men, conversations are much shorter and less emotional. … I think some of that is probably beneficial! Men move on very quickly from quarrels.' All that Craig's male acquaintances seem to want to talk about is 'the new Marvel' movie, which he hasn't seen yet, so he goes all in on Austin, who takes him to explore underground tunnels and introduces him to his ancient tool collection. Craig pays $100 to lick a toad in the back room of a cellphone store to investigate Austin's interest in ayahuasca. Ultimately, Craig's investment in furthering their bond threatens to ruin both of their lives. Men weren't laughing as much as women at the screening of Friendship that Geoffrey Greif attended, he told Yahoo Entertainment. Greif is a social work professor at the University of Maryland who has written widely about male friendship. He described it as 'cringey,' but also felt that it accurately portrayed how 'men have shoulder-to-shoulder friendships and women have face-to-face friendships.' 'Men get together and do things facing out, while women feel more comfortable sitting down and talking and looking at each other while they do this,' he explained. Friendship takes that to the extreme, but Greif said that 'extremes often get at what's going on.' 'Men do not feel comfortable pursuing other men for friendships. … They don't like for other men to come across as too needy,' he continued. 'Whether or not it will have universal appeal to all men, I doubt it. But if you move the needle 5 or 10% for men who see the movie and say, 'You know what, this helps me understand my friendships a little better.' … I think that can have a benefit.' Another recent film, Nonnas, shows men going to extremes for friendship, though it has a much more lighthearted tone. The movie centers around a man named Joe (Vince Vaughn) who hires real-life Italian grandmothers to make home-cooked meals at his restaurant. His relationship with his best friend, Bruno (Joe Manganiello), is central to the success of his business venture, though he struggles to express that at times. 'Men are terrible communicators, especially Italian men who have machismo. They have to kind of battle against that, but I think Italians have great capacity to have heart,' Manganiello told Yahoo Entertainment. 'They've got to kind of like wear themselves out before they get to the heart.' Bruno and Joe are longtime pals, and they see each other constantly, but they rarely go deep on their feelings. That makes it hard for them to reconcile after they fight. 'They don't even know how to look at each other,' Nonnas director Stephen Chbosky told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Just being a guy from Pittsburgh, it was very easy for me to relate to.' Though they struggle to communicate fully, their love for one another transcends their social conditioning. At the end of the movie, Bruno makes a major sacrifice for Joe to be able to keep the restaurant in business. Nonnas screenwriter Liz Maccie told Yahoo Entertainment that she wanted to show 'how good we can really be to each other.' Vaughn is something of an expert on male friendship, given how many buddy comedies, including Swingers and Wedding Crashers, he's starred in, . 'A good friend is loyal. … You can trust a friend,' he told Yahoo Entertainment. 'But a real friend will also let you be who you are. They're not trying to make you fit into your life. They'll accept you for whatever you are.' Nonnas aims to break the stigma that male friendships face onscreen and off. Sekoul Krastev, a decision scientist, told Yahoo Entertainment that the intimacy gap in male friendship 'isn't innate, it's learned.' 'Studies show that boys are just as emotionally expressive as girls until around age 6,' he said. 'After that, societal norms begin nudging boys toward independence and emotional restraint, leading to adult friendships that are often less verbally intimate.' Media portrayals can reflect and reinforce these friendship norms, he explained, 'sometimes encouraging closeness, and other times stigmatizing it.' In contrast with the male friendship movies of the moment, Another Simple Favor goes all in on exposing the many bizarre, unspoken rules of female friendship — especially between moms. In the original movie A Simple Favor, Anna Kendrick plays a mommy blogger named Stephanie who offers to help Emily (Blake Lively), the fabulous parent of her son's friend, with a basic task. It spirals out of control and Stephanie ends up putting Emily behind bars. That's why it's so bizarre when, in the sequel, Emily shows up at Stephanie's book signing to ask her to be her maid of honor at her destination wedding. Stephanie agrees, saying it'll be great content for her fans, but it's clear that she also feels an emotional bond with Emily that makes her willing to go to great lengths — in this case, a possibly mob-affiliated wedding in Capri — to uncover what's really going on with her. Paul Feig, who directed A Simple Favor, Another Simple Favor and other seminal works about female friendship like Bridesmaids and The Heat, told Yahoo Entertainment he became fascinated with the concept because he grew up with mostly girls and women as friends, and as an only child, was very close to his mother. 'I just find female friendships to be really wonderful and interesting,' he said. 'There's something fascinating to me about it versus male friendship, which … can be great too, but there's a 'bro-iness' about that kind of thing that I'm not interested in.' 'I'm such a sensitive person that I think I just enjoy [female] relationships — I find them very fun and funny. The way women bond and interact with each other is really lovely. … It doesn't tend to be as aggressive as male friendship and bonding can be,' he added. He's not the only person who sees the gender divide. As a clinical psychologist and mental health researcher, Ehab Youssef sees how deeply friendship can shape people's emotional well-being and how differently it plays out for men and women. 'Female friendships tend to be emotionally expressive, built on shared vulnerability and verbal connection, while male friendships often emphasize shared activities and loyalty through action rather than words,' he said. 'Neither is better, just shaped by cultural norms and socialization.' Seeing these dynamics portrayed onscreen — even if they're taken to extreme lengths — 'reflect or challenge what we experience in real life,' he said. 'When films capture the raw honesty, humor or heartbreak of real friendships, especially ones that defy stereotypes, it resonates,' Youssef said. 'It helps us feel seen, and sometimes, it even shows us new ways of being with the people we love.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme' in theaters, rent 'The Prosecutor,' stream 'Captain America: Brave New World,' plus more movies to watch this weekend
Hello, Yahoo Entertainment readers! I'm Brett Arnold, a longtime writer and editor at Yahoo and film critic at my 'Siskel & Ebert' tribute podcast, Roger & Me, and welcome to Trust Me, I Watch Everything. I'm here to recommend what you should see in movie theaters, rent from the comfort of your couch or queue up from a streaming service you may already subscribe to. I watch it all so you don't have to. This week, there are two great options in limited release theatrically, The Phoenician Scheme and Tornado. There's also a super-fun rental in The Prosecutor, a moving one-man show on Apple TV+ Bono: Stories of Surrender and the box-office smash Captain America: Brave New World makes its way to Disney+. That's not all — there's something for everyone so keep reading for the full weekly what to watch guide. What to watch in theaters Movies newly available to rent or buy Movies debuting on streaming services you may already have Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Wes Anderson and his trademark aesthetic are back just two years after the profoundly moving and deeply personal Asteroid City. This time, the writer/director is delivering perhaps the silliest movie he has ever made, or at least the goofiest one in a long while, and I mean that as a compliment. In fact, the movie is as sincere and emotional as anything he's ever made! Benicio Del Toro is sublime as 'Zsa-Zsa' Korda, an industrialist and arms dealer who, after surviving his sixth assassination attempt, finally realizes he needs to appoint an heir to his fortune. He has nine sons he doesn't pay attention to, but he also has an estranged child (played by Kate Winslet's daughter Mia Threapleton in a wonderfully deadpan performance) and decides that she's the one to take on his business dealings, which amount to the very specific and titular scheme. This has to be the first Anderson movie to feature a fighter jet sequence and it's every bit as delightful as that sounds. The joys here, and some of the film's biggest laughs, come from not only the eccentric characters and beautiful compositions we've come to expect from Anderson, but also from the surprising things you don't expect to see in a movie like this. I didn't know I needed to see a man violently (and bloodily!) explode in Wes Anderson's signature style, but I absolutely did, and I likely haven't laughed harder at anything this year. The cast features a ton of A-listers and Anderson regulars like Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch, with the standout supporting player Michael Cera, who fits perfectly into Anderson's overall aesthetic. Fans are in for a hilarious treat! 🍿 What critics are saying: They're mostly on board here, with Rolling Stone's David Fear calling it one of his best films and William Bibbiani at the Wrap praising its leading man, saying "Del Toro hasn't had a role this juicy in ages, and he's captivating at all times." The BBC's Nicholas Barber, however, says "it feels as if Anderson and his team were enjoying it more than audiences ever will." 👀 How to watch: The Phoenician Scheme is currently playing in limited release and expands wide next week. Get tickets ➕ Bonus recommendation: Why you should watch it: Tornado is just your average Scottish samurai-western ... wait, what?! Clearly inspired by Japanese cinema (with a side of Quentin Tarantino), Scottish filmmaker John Maclean returns with Tornado, a decade after his 2015 indie debut, Slow West, with Michael Fassbender. Actress Kōki stars as Tornado, a Japanese puppeteer's daughter who gets caught up with criminals when their traveling circus show crosses paths with an infamous gang of criminals, led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) and his son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden). It's as riveting as it is efficient, running a brisk 85-minutes and wastes no time setting up the stakes. The story is familiar but imbued with enough specific quirks and eye-catching style that it feels entirely unique. 🍿 What critics are saying: Critics largely agree that it's worth a look. IndieWire's Josh Slater-Williams dug it and praised the performance of Takehiro Hira, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on Shōgun while Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian praised the distinctive "film-making language." On the other side of things, David Jenkins at Little White Lies says that ultimately "we're left with a film which leaves only a superficial impression and little sense of purpose." 👀 How to watch: Tornado is now playing in limited release theatrically. Get tickets 🤔 If those aren't for you... : A legacy sequel that's basically just another remake as the plot is the exact same one we've seen twice now, in the original 1984 and the 2010 flick, not to mention the other sequels and the massively popular Netflix spinoff series Cobra Kai. It attempts to unite the two main entries in a very perfunctory way and the movie is so briskly-paced that there's no real time spent setting up stakes, yet somehow it still finds time for strange subplots. It's a shame the movie is such a mess because the new karate kid Ben Wang is great and the fights themselves are entertaining, but the inclusion of both Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio feels forced. Kids, however, will likely be entertained, but nothing here touches the original, which is a classic for a reason. — Get tickets. :The filmmakers behind A24's hit horror film Talk to Me are back with another unsettling genre flick about a foster mother with a terrifying secret. The Philippou brothers again prove their ability to craft genuinely shocking moments, but this is pretty familiar stuff. — Get tickets. : A gripping ripped-from-the-headlines spy drama about a Syrian refugee pursuing the regime's fugitive leaders. It's quite good! — Get tickets. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Hong Kong action star and martial arts legend Donnie Yen stars in this super-fun hybrid of an action movie and a courtroom thriller. Yes, Donnie Yen is a lawyer and yes, he kicks people's butts as well. He also directed the movie — a triple threat! The inspired silliness here is pitched in exactly the right key, the fight scenes are impressively choreographed and shot innovatively and the wrongly-accused man plot goes down smooth. Imagine watching a serious, earnest courtroom drama like A Few Good Men, and then imagine if that movie stopped every other scene to feature an insane action sequence that was relevant to the plot. It's a riot and has plenty to say about what justice actually means. 🍿 What critics are saying: They dig it! Indiewire's David Ehrlich says its "perhaps best enjoyed as the meta story of an action star who refuses to be aged out of his metier" and Richard Kuipers at Variety similarly praised the "top notch" action prowess of its 61-year-old star. 👀 How to watch: The Prosecutor is now available to rent or buy on digital and on-demand. Rent or buy 🤔 If that's not for you... :Kerry Washington and Omar Sy star in this action flick from veteran of the genre Joe Carnahan. An estranged couple with a bounty on their heads must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer, a unit of shadow ops that has been sent to kill them. — Rent or buy. : Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter star in this adaptation of the book of the same name. Muriel and her husband, Lee, begin a new life together after he returns home from the Korean War. Their newfound stability gets upended by the arrival of Lee's charismatic brother, a gambler with a secret past. It features great performances but is a little too restrained to have much impact. Rent or buy. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: As someone who knows very little about U2, I wasn't looking forward to this self-indulgent-sounding one-man show from Bono, the band's frontman, but I walked away from it impressed by the filmmaking, the music and by Bono's skills as an orator and his vulnerability. Andrew Dominik's film is a movie version of Bono's Stories of Surrender, a filmed version of shows that took place at the Beacon Theater in New York City. It's a very striking-looking production, making a meal out of what could have easily been a lazy "point the camera at the stage and shoot" job,and I found myself moved by Bono's stories about his lack of a meaningful relationship with his father as well as tales of the band and their years of activism. And the songs sound great! As a firm non-U2 fan I enjoyed this, but I feel safer saying that fans of the man and the band will love this, and more casual observers will likely get something out of it. 🍿 What critics are saying: Reviews skew positive with the Wrap's Steve Pond calling it it "bombastic" and "extravagant" in a good way and the Hollywood Reporter praising its "arresting cinematic quality." 👀 How to watch: Bono: Stories of Surrender is now streaming on Apple TV+. Stream 'Bono: Stories of Surrender' 🤔 If that's not for you... : What if the hit HBO show Succession was a feature-length broad comedy that allowed no time for any real character development and instead stuck with archetypes about billionaires ruining the world via AI? It would be pretty annoying it turns out! I found this to be insufferable, but you may not; it's a new original movie from Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession. Starts streaming Saturday night on HBO Max. : A Korean animated movie set in the year 2050 in Seoul, following an astronaut with dreams of exploring Mars who must leave the love of his life when chosen for an expedition. Now streaming on Netflix. My not-quite-a-recommendation: Why you should maybe still watch it: Marvel's latest Captain America was the highest-grossing movie of 2025 until A Minecraft Movie dethroned it faster than you can say 'chicken jockey' and then Sinners' success pushed it to number three. In the film, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, sporting the superhero's suit and shield) finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. Ford turning into Red Hulk was the centerpiece of the film's marketing campaign, which is a real shame considering the movie treats it as a late reveal and most of the audience is likely already aware that's what's happening. That means that for most of the movie, it's just Ford taking pills to stop from Hulking out, which isn't very exciting to watch. It's also a bizarre artifact in terms of how it fits into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe — not only is it a stealth sequel to 2008's The Incredible Hulk, but it also requires you to have watched the Disney+ series The Falcon & Winter Soldier to fully grasp who some of the key characters are. The final product is poorly assembled and visually muddled, but fans of the MCU who missed it in theaters and want to stay up-to-date ahead of Thunderbolts* now have their chance to see it "for free." 🍿 What critics are saying: Reviews were not kind, with Mashable's Kristy Puchko labeling it a "wasted opportunity" and Wendy Ide at the Guardian dubbing it "a humorless drag of a picture." Even a somewhat positive review from USA Today's Brian Truitt includes this reprimand: "Captain America deserves better." 👀 How to watch: Captain America: Brave New World is now streaming on Disney+. Stream 'Brave New World' 🤔 If that's not for you... :Based on the beloved series of kids books from the author of Captain Underpants, it's about a police officer and his dog becoming a hybrid dog man after an accident, which sounds like R-rated body horror flick but is actually cute and made for children. Now streaming on Peacock. That's all for this week — we'll see you next Friday at the movies!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme' in theaters, rent 'The Prosecutor,' stream 'Captain America: Brave New World,' plus more movies to watch this weekend
We independently evaluate the products we review. When you buy via links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read more about how we vet products and deals. Hello, Yahoo Entertainment readers! I'm Brett Arnold, a longtime writer and editor at Yahoo and film critic at my 'Siskel & Ebert' tribute podcast, Roger & Me, and welcome to Trust Me, I Watch Everything. I'm here to recommend what you should see in movie theaters, rent from the comfort of your couch or queue up from a streaming service you may already subscribe to. I watch it all so you don't have to. This week, there are two great options in limited release theatrically, The Phoenician Scheme and Tornado. There's also a super-fun rental in The Prosecutor, a moving one-man show on Apple TV+ Bono: Stories of Surrender and the box-office smash Captain America: Brave New World makes its way to Disney+. That's not all — there's something for everyone so keep reading for the full weekly what to watch guide. What to watch in theaters Movies newly available to rent or buy Movies debuting on streaming services you may already have Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Wes Anderson and his trademark aesthetic are back just two years after the profoundly moving and deeply personal Asteroid City. This time, the writer/director is delivering perhaps the silliest movie he has ever made, or at least the goofiest one in a long while, and I mean that as a compliment. In fact, the movie is as sincere and emotional as anything he's ever made! Benicio Del Toro is sublime as 'Zsa-Zsa' Korda, an industrialist and arms dealer who, after surviving his sixth assassination attempt, finally realizes he needs to appoint an heir to his fortune. He has nine sons he doesn't pay attention to, but he also has an estranged child (played by Kate Winslet's daughter Mia Threapleton in a wonderfully deadpan performance) and decides that she's the one to take on his business dealings, which amount to the very specific and titular scheme. This has to be the first Anderson movie to feature a fighter jet sequence and it's every bit as delightful as that sounds. The joys here, and some of the film's biggest laughs, come from not only the eccentric characters and beautiful compositions we've come to expect from Anderson, but also from the surprising things you don't expect to see in a movie like this. I didn't know I needed to see a man violently (and bloodily!) explode in Wes Anderson's signature style, but I absolutely did, and I likely haven't laughed harder at anything this year. The cast features a ton of A-listers and Anderson regulars like Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch, with the standout supporting player Michael Cera, who fits perfectly into Anderson's overall aesthetic. Fans are in for a hilarious treat! 🍿 What critics are saying: They're mostly on board here, with Rolling Stone's David Fear calling it one of his best films and William Bibbiani at the Wrap praising its leading man, saying "Del Toro hasn't had a role this juicy in ages, and he's captivating at all times." The BBC's Nicholas Barber, however, says "it feels as if Anderson and his team were enjoying it more than audiences ever will." 👀 How to watch: The Phoenician Scheme is currently playing in limited release and expands wide next week. Get tickets ➕ Bonus recommendation: Why you should watch it: Tornado is just your average Scottish samurai-western ... wait, what?! Clearly inspired by Japanese cinema (with a side of Quentin Tarantino), Scottish filmmaker John Maclean returns with Tornado, a decade after his 2015 indie debut, Slow West, with Michael Fassbender. Actress Kōki stars as Tornado, a Japanese puppeteer's daughter who gets caught up with criminals when their traveling circus show crosses paths with an infamous gang of criminals, led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) and his son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden). It's as riveting as it is efficient, running a brisk 85-minutes and wastes no time setting up the stakes. The story is familiar but imbued with enough specific quirks and eye-catching style that it feels entirely unique. 🍿 What critics are saying: Critics largely agree that it's worth a look. IndieWire's Josh Slater-Williams dug it and praised the performance of Takehiro Hira, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on Shōgun while Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian praised the distinctive "film-making language." On the other side of things, David Jenkins at Little White Lies says that ultimately "we're left with a film which leaves only a superficial impression and little sense of purpose." 👀 How to watch: Tornado is now playing in limited release theatrically. Get tickets 🤔 If those aren't for you... : A legacy sequel that's basically just another remake as the plot is the exact same one we've seen twice now, in the original 1984 and the 2010 flick, not to mention the other sequels and the massively popular Netflix spinoff series Cobra Kai. It attempts to unite the two main entries in a very perfunctory way and the movie is so briskly-paced that there's no real time spent setting up stakes, yet somehow it still finds time for strange subplots. It's a shame the movie is such a mess because the new karate kid Ben Wang is great and the fights themselves are entertaining, but the inclusion of both Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio feels forced. Kids, however, will likely be entertained, but nothing here touches the original, which is a classic for a reason. — Get tickets. :The filmmakers behind A24's hit horror film Talk to Me are back with another unsettling genre flick about a foster mother with a terrifying secret. The Philippou brothers again prove their ability to craft genuinely shocking moments, but this is pretty familiar stuff. — Get tickets. : A gripping ripped-from-the-headlines spy drama about a Syrian refugee pursuing the regime's fugitive leaders. It's quite good! — Get tickets. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: Hong Kong action star and martial arts legend Donnie Yen stars in this super-fun hybrid of an action movie and a courtroom thriller. Yes, Donnie Yen is a lawyer and yes, he kicks people's butts as well. He also directed the movie — a triple threat! The inspired silliness here is pitched in exactly the right key, the fight scenes are impressively choreographed and shot innovatively and the wrongly-accused man plot goes down smooth. Imagine watching a serious, earnest courtroom drama like A Few Good Men, and then imagine if that movie stopped every other scene to feature an insane action sequence that was relevant to the plot. It's a riot and has plenty to say about what justice actually means. 🍿 What critics are saying: They dig it! Indiewire's David Ehrlich says its "perhaps best enjoyed as the meta story of an action star who refuses to be aged out of his metier" and Richard Kuipers at Variety similarly praised the "top notch" action prowess of its 61-year-old star. 👀 How to watch: The Prosecutor is now available to rent or buy on digital and on-demand. Rent or buy 🤔 If that's not for you... :Kerry Washington and Omar Sy star in this action flick from veteran of the genre Joe Carnahan. An estranged couple with a bounty on their heads must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer, a unit of shadow ops that has been sent to kill them. — Rent or buy. : Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter star in this adaptation of the book of the same name. Muriel and her husband, Lee, begin a new life together after he returns home from the Korean War. Their newfound stability gets upended by the arrival of Lee's charismatic brother, a gambler with a secret past. It features great performances but is a little too restrained to have much impact. Rent or buy. My recommendation: Why you should watch it: As someone who knows very little about U2, I wasn't looking forward to this self-indulgent-sounding one-man show from Bono, the band's frontman, but I walked away from it impressed by the filmmaking, the music and by Bono's skills as an orator and his vulnerability. Andrew Dominik's film is a movie version of Bono's Stories of Surrender, a filmed version of shows that took place at the Beacon Theater in New York City. It's a very striking-looking production, making a meal out of what could have easily been a lazy "point the camera at the stage and shoot" job,and I found myself moved by Bono's stories about his lack of a meaningful relationship with his father as well as tales of the band and their years of activism. And the songs sound great! As a firm non-U2 fan I enjoyed this, but I feel safer saying that fans of the man and the band will love this, and more casual observers will likely get something out of it. 🍿 What critics are saying: Reviews skew positive with the Wrap's Steve Pond calling it it "bombastic" and "extravagant" in a good way and the Hollywood Reporter praising its "arresting cinematic quality." 👀 How to watch: Bono: Stories of Surrender is now streaming on Apple TV+. Stream 'Bono: Stories of Surrender' 🤔 If that's not for you... : What if the hit HBO show Succession was a feature-length broad comedy that allowed no time for any real character development and instead stuck with archetypes about billionaires ruining the world via AI? It would be pretty annoying it turns out! I found this to be insufferable, but you may not; it's a new original movie from Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession. Starts streaming Saturday night on HBO Max. : A Korean animated movie set in the year 2050 in Seoul, following an astronaut with dreams of exploring Mars who must leave the love of his life when chosen for an expedition. Now streaming on Netflix. My not-quite-a-recommendation: Why you should maybe still watch it: Marvel's latest Captain America was the highest-grossing movie of 2025 until A Minecraft Movie dethroned it faster than you can say 'chicken jockey' and then Sinners' success pushed it to number three. In the film, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, sporting the superhero's suit and shield) finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. Ford turning into Red Hulk was the centerpiece of the film's marketing campaign, which is a real shame considering the movie treats it as a late reveal and most of the audience is likely already aware that's what's happening. That means that for most of the movie, it's just Ford taking pills to stop from Hulking out, which isn't very exciting to watch. It's also a bizarre artifact in terms of how it fits into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe — not only is it a stealth sequel to 2008's The Incredible Hulk, but it also requires you to have watched the Disney+ series The Falcon & Winter Soldier to fully grasp who some of the key characters are. The final product is poorly assembled and visually muddled, but fans of the MCU who missed it in theaters and want to stay up-to-date ahead of Thunderbolts* now have their chance to see it "for free." 🍿 What critics are saying: Reviews were not kind, with Mashable's Kristy Puchko labeling it a "wasted opportunity" and Wendy Ide at the Guardian dubbing it "a humorless drag of a picture." Even a somewhat positive review from USA Today's Brian Truitt includes this reprimand: "Captain America deserves better." 👀 How to watch: Captain America: Brave New World is now streaming on Disney+. Stream 'Brave New World' 🤔 If that's not for you... :Based on the beloved series of kids books from the author of Captain Underpants, it's about a police officer and his dog becoming a hybrid dog man after an accident, which sounds like R-rated body horror flick but is actually cute and made for children. Now streaming on Peacock. That's all for this week — we'll see you next Friday at the movies!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I took 7 tweens to see 'Lilo & Stitch.' Tears were shed, blue snacks were eaten and fart jokes were enjoyed.
Hello there, Yahoo Entertainment readers. My name is Suzy Byrne, and I've been covering entertainment in this space for over a decade — and longer elsewhere, but … details! While I work with many A+ cinephiles here, I'm the first to tell you I'm not one of them. My dad tried hard by getting me to watch Hitchcock movies as a child, but — blame my seeing The Birds at age 5 — I've grown into the moviegoer who only goes to the big, buzzy films (bonus points for comedy) mostly, so I'm not left out of the group chat. Since I had a child, though, I've made it a point to see as many kid-friendly movies as possible. Maybe it's because I'm a big kid ✔ and I like a cheerful resolution ✔. But also, as a busy working parent, is there greater joy than getting two hours to turn off your phone, put up your feet and eat whatever you want — while your child is fully entertained?! So that's what this is — one entertainment reporter + her 10-year-old child + usually a group of friends (two words: silent playdate!) seeing family-friendly fare on the big screen, indulging in film-themed treats and replying all, to you, about the experience. Welcome to kids' movie club. An adult just walked into the theater wearing a full-on Stitch costume. I must be in the right place. On the day that megahit Lilo & Stitch opened, I gathered my ohana — or chosen family — to see Disney's live-action adaptation about an orphaned girl, Lilo (Maia Kealoha), raised in Hawaii by her under-resourced big sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong), after the death of their parents. Lilo, who's lonely and struggling with her new reality, befriends a house-destroying but adorable genetically engineered alien fugitive, Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, as in the original), who teaches them the meaning of family. This was one of those movies where everyone I invited said yes — thanks to that cute and fluffy little blue guy who's a sweeter and less demonic version of the Gremlins of my youth. We were a plus-size viewing party of 11 — seven tweens (ages 9-10) and four adults (my husband and two mom friends) — at a Look Cinema dine-in theater. The big humans were hopeful it would be good. We all knew the broad strokes of the story, based on the 2002 original animated film, and that director Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) knows how to tug at the heartstrings. Even the one Disney employee in our group was excited for the movie, not exhausted by internal company hype. The little humans expected it to be a masterpiece — well, based on the merch they rolled into the theater with. There were big-eared Stitch plushies all around for the kids and Pez dispensers featuring Stitch or his girlfriend, Angel. One girl in our crew wore a sweatshirt with Scrump, Lilo's rag doll. Upping our swag, a mom — who did not join for the movie — sewed all the kids custom Lilo & Stitch pouches that Etsy buyers, and probably the adult wearing the Stitch costume, would go cuckoo for. One of the girls made the others bracelets. We fit right in with our surroundings. The girl sitting next to me, who wasn't part of our group, had on a Stitch T-shirt and carried the same live-action plush as our crew. There was also a baby one row in front of us and mostly asleep (thankfully) during the movie in a Lilo & Stitch top. With the food dye ban coming, I greenlit as a last hurrah a Galactic Popcorn (regular popcorn with blue M&Ms) and an Aloha Blue Breeze (a mix of lemonade, Sprite and nonalcoholic blue curaçao). The popcorn was as expected, but the drink was surprisingly good. The one negative was the light-up ice cubes, which were unexpectedly bright, so the entire theater had a blue glow going. Though they were not bright enough to illuminate the QR on my tray table when I needed to reorder food in the dark, halfway through the movie. (Why is scanning those things so annoying?) My editor alerted me that the movie would be emotional — and it was. The kids expected the dead parents — the norm for, like, every Disney movie, am I right? — having seen the original movie and the TV series. There was a suspenseful near-drowning scene, but we knew the House of Mouse wasn't going to kill off a title character. The ending — which has been somewhat controversial — was a tearjerker, however. (What I'll say is: Thank goodness for portal guns and teleportation. And: Isn't higher education something to celebrate?) Throughout the film there's a looming social services caseworker (Tia Carrere, who played Nani in the original) reminding that Lilo could be taken from Nani at any minute. That came more into focus at the end — amid a pile of medical bills — so did the prospect of Lilo and Stitch potentially being separated, despite the 'family means nobody gets left behind' mantra. The end led to a household milestone when my daughter — who reached out to hold my hand, in front of friends, but spared of embarrassment by darkness — shed a tear for the first time watching a movie. That was nothing compared to my sweet adult friend, who was still crying after the credits (which are worth staying for) rolled and we walked to the lobby. She said it was a good cry though, a cathartic release. During the movie I had to accompany a child to the bathroom. During a slow handwashing, she informed me that she didn't need to rush because she was going to see the movie again that weekend. The interlude led to me missing the Angel cameo, among the many fun easter eggs. If I learned anything from this day, it's that the kids really like Stitch's little pink girlfriend and would have liked more of her. What got the most laughs from the kids was — no surprise — anything fart, burp or diarrhea related. I saw one of the kids we took to the movie four days later and the first thing she did was recite the Lilo line, 'The only superpower that I have is that sometimes when I run too fast, I fart.' The kids also loved mischievous Stitch's quest for cake and thirst for lava lamp juice, seeing the 'Ice Cream Man,' all animal sightings (goat, frogs), multi-eyed Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) being called a 'hairy potato' and one-eyed alien Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) becoming part of the family. This adult loved the music — Elvis, Elvis, Elvis. The soundtrack features almost all of the songs from the original movie. I learned that the young love of 'Uptown Funk' still runs deep in elementary schools, 10 years after its release. I was also a superfan of the use of the original voice actors, which shows the attention to detail and nod to nostalgia while still moving the franchise forward. Also, seeing Hawaii on the big screen was like a mini mental vacation. As one adult told me, every beach scene swept them a million miles away — if only temporarily, being snapped back to reality with near-drowning scenes and underwater goodbyes. Though another said: It also showed that it's not necessarily easy to live in paradise. My husband pointed out that this is the first film he's seen in which jumper cables saved a life — well, alien 626's life — and neither of us remembered breath spray being in a movie since the '90s. The folks who make Binaca must be delighted. While the kids couldn't stop laughing at the fart joke, my favorite line was more sentimental about how 'sometimes family isn't perfect' and that it's OK. I mean — that's pretty much the motto at our house. On the ride home, I tried to listen in on the kid convo in the back. They burst into laughter talking about all the dead moms in Disney movies ('I'm starting to think that all the people who made those movies were too lazy to add moms,' said one girl) and how so many of the early Disney princesses look alike. ('There are so many blonde ladies who wear pink, blue or purple,' said another.) My daughter talked about crying in the movie, comparing Lilo saying goodbye to Stitch recently losing a family pet. A friend supportively replied, 'I didn't shed a tear, but I was about to.' Another said, 'It's OK — we all cry from time to time.' Spoken like a kid in touch with their feelings — probably from seeing Inside Out 2. Both the big and small members of our group seemed most excited by the Zootopia 2 and Bad Guys 2 trailers. Makes sense — everyone in our group had seen the originals. Zootopia originally came out in 2016, so the anticipation for a sequel has been building. Bad Guys is also such a popular book series that the kids want more. No. 3 was Elio, about the boy who wants to be abducted by aliens because he feels like he doesn't fit in on Earth, which is relatable for all ages. There wasn't as big of a reaction to Superman (maybe if there were more boys?) or Karate Kid: Legends from the kids. Mom here was a different story about the latter, as Ralph Macchio's face covered the walls of my childhood bedroom. It's next on my viewing schedule. The theater didn't show the How to Train Your Dragon live-action trailer, unless I missed it while ordering seven popcorns, pretzel bites, mini pizzas and those blinding drinks my eyes are still adjusting from, but the kids talked about it nonstop on the ride there. Dragon love remains strong among tweens, so Universal must know: If they build it — in this case, the land of Berk — the kids will come. These ones will, for sure.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I took 7 tweens to see 'Lilo & Stitch.' Tears were shed, blue snacks were eaten and fart jokes were enjoyed.
Hello there, Yahoo Entertainment readers. My name is Suzy Byrne, and I've been covering entertainment in this space for over a decade — and longer elsewhere, but … details! While I work with many A+ cinephiles here, I'm the first to tell you I'm not one of them. My dad tried hard by getting me to watch Hitchcock movies as a child, but — blame my seeing The Birds at age 5 — I've grown into the moviegoer who only goes to the big, buzzy films (bonus points for comedy) mostly, so I'm not left out of the group chat. Since I had a child, though, I've made it a point to see as many kid-friendly movies as possible. Maybe it's because I'm a big kid ✔ and I like a cheerful resolution ✔. But also, as a busy working parent, is there greater joy than getting two hours to turn off your phone, put up your feet and eat whatever you want — while your child is fully entertained?! So that's what this is — one entertainment reporter + her 10-year-old child + usually a group of friends (two words: silent playdate!) seeing family-friendly fare on the big screen, indulging in film-themed treats and replying all, to you, about the experience. Welcome to kids' movie club. An adult just walked into the theater wearing a full-on Stitch costume. I must be in the right place. On the day that megahit Lilo & Stitch opened, I gathered my ohana — or chosen family — to see Disney's live-action adaptation about an orphaned girl, Lilo (Maia Kealoha), raised in Hawaii by her under-resourced big sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong), after the death of their parents. Lilo, who's lonely and struggling with her new reality, befriends a house-destroying but adorable genetically engineered alien fugitive, Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, as in the original), who teaches them the meaning of family. This was one of those movies where everyone I invited said yes — thanks to that cute and fluffy little blue guy who's a sweeter and less demonic version of the Gremlins of my youth. We were a plus-size viewing party of 11 — seven tweens (ages 9-10) and four adults (my husband and two mom friends) — at a Look Cinema dine-in theater. The big humans were hopeful it would be good. We all knew the broad strokes of the story, based on the 2002 original animated film, and that director Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) knows how to tug at the heartstrings. Even the one Disney employee in our group was excited for the movie, not exhausted by internal company hype. The little humans expected it to be a masterpiece — well, based on the merch they rolled into the theater with. There were big-eared Stitch plushies all around for the kids and Pez dispensers featuring Stitch or his girlfriend, Angel. One girl in our crew wore a sweatshirt with Scrump, Lilo's rag doll. Upping our swag, a mom — who did not join for the movie — sewed all the kids custom Lilo & Stitch pouches that Etsy buyers, and probably the adult wearing the Stitch costume, would go cuckoo for. One of the girls made the others bracelets. We fit right in with our surroundings. The girl sitting next to me, who wasn't part of our group, had on a Stitch T-shirt and carried the same live-action plush as our crew. There was also a baby one row in front of us and mostly asleep (thankfully) during the movie in a Lilo & Stitch top. With the food dye ban coming, I greenlit as a last hurrah a Galactic Popcorn (regular popcorn with blue M&Ms) and an Aloha Blue Breeze (a mix of lemonade, Sprite and nonalcoholic blue curaçao). The popcorn was as expected, but the drink was surprisingly good. The one negative was the light-up ice cubes, which were unexpectedly bright, so the entire theater had a blue glow going. Though they were not bright enough to illuminate the QR on my tray table when I needed to reorder food in the dark, halfway through the movie. (Why is scanning those things so annoying?) My editor alerted me that the movie would be emotional — and it was. The kids expected the dead parents — the norm for, like, every Disney movie, am I right? — having seen the original movie and the TV series. There was a suspenseful near-drowning scene, but we knew the House of Mouse wasn't going to kill off a title character. The ending — which has been somewhat controversial — was a tearjerker, however. (What I'll say is: Thank goodness for portal guns and teleportation. And: Isn't higher education something to celebrate?) Throughout the film there's a looming social services caseworker (Tia Carrere, who played Nani in the original) reminding that Lilo could be taken from Nani at any minute. That came more into focus at the end — amid a pile of medical bills — so did the prospect of Lilo and Stitch potentially being separated, despite the 'family means nobody gets left behind' mantra. The end led to a household milestone when my daughter — who reached out to hold my hand, in front of friends, but spared of embarrassment by darkness — shed a tear for the first time watching a movie. That was nothing compared to my sweet adult friend, who was still crying after the credits (which are worth staying for) rolled and we walked to the lobby. She said it was a good cry though, a cathartic release. During the movie I had to accompany a child to the bathroom. During a slow handwashing, she informed me that she didn't need to rush because she was going to see the movie again that weekend. The interlude led to me missing the Angel cameo, among the many fun easter eggs. If I learned anything from this day, it's that the kids really like Stitch's little pink girlfriend and would have liked more of her. What got the most laughs from the kids was — no surprise — anything fart, burp or diarrhea related. I saw one of the kids we took to the movie four days later and the first thing she did was recite the Lilo line, 'The only superpower that I have is that sometimes when I run too fast, I fart.' The kids also loved mischievous Stitch's quest for cake and thirst for lava lamp juice, seeing the 'Ice Cream Man,' all animal sightings (goat, frogs), multi-eyed Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) being called a 'hairy potato' and one-eyed alien Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) becoming part of the family. This adult loved the music — Elvis, Elvis, Elvis. The soundtrack features almost all of the songs from the original movie. I learned that the young love of 'Uptown Funk' still runs deep in elementary schools, 10 years after its release. I was also a superfan of the use of the original voice actors, which shows the attention to detail and nod to nostalgia while still moving the franchise forward. Also, seeing Hawaii on the big screen was like a mini mental vacation. As one adult told me, every beach scene swept them a million miles away — if only temporarily, being snapped back to reality with near-drowning scenes and underwater goodbyes. Though another said: It also showed that it's not necessarily easy to live in paradise. My husband pointed out that this is the first film he's seen in which jumper cables saved a life — well, alien 626's life — and neither of us remembered breath spray being in a movie since the '90s. The folks who make Binaca must be delighted. While the kids couldn't stop laughing at the fart joke, my favorite line was more sentimental about how 'sometimes family isn't perfect' and that it's OK. I mean — that's pretty much the motto at our house. On the ride home, I tried to listen in on the kid convo in the back. They burst into laughter talking about all the dead moms in Disney movies ('I'm starting to think that all the people who made those movies were too lazy to add moms,' said one girl) and how so many of the early Disney princesses look alike. ('There are so many blonde ladies who wear pink, blue or purple,' said another.) My daughter talked about crying in the movie, comparing Lilo saying goodbye to Stitch recently losing a family pet. A friend supportively replied, 'I didn't shed a tear, but I was about to.' Another said, 'It's OK — we all cry from time to time.' Spoken like a kid in touch with their feelings — probably from seeing Inside Out 2. Both the big and small members of our group seemed most excited by the Zootopia 2 and Bad Guys 2 trailers. Makes sense — everyone in our group had seen the originals. Zootopia originally came out in 2016, so the anticipation for a sequel has been building. Bad Guys is also such a popular book series that the kids want more. No. 3 was Elio, about the boy who wants to be abducted by aliens because he feels like he doesn't fit in on Earth, which is relatable for all ages. There wasn't as big of a reaction to Superman (maybe if there were more boys?) or Karate Kid: Legends from the kids. Mom here was a different story about the latter, as Ralph Macchio's face covered the walls of my childhood bedroom. It's next on my viewing schedule. The theater didn't show the How to Train Your Dragon live-action trailer, unless I missed it while ordering seven popcorns, pretzel bites, mini pizzas and those blinding drinks my eyes are still adjusting from, but the kids talked about it nonstop on the ride there. Dragon love remains strong among tweens, so Universal must know: If they build it — in this case, the land of Berk — the kids will come. These ones will, for sure.
