With Halloween now behind us, Christmas is starting to fill the thoughts of numerous individuals. Consequently, the much-anticipated action comedy featuring stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black has had its first screening for critics. Early responses have been shared online, leaving fans wondering if this movie will end up on Santa’s nice list or the naughty one this year?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2At its core, The Last of Us is a story about loss and grief. It’s this profound sense of looking for connection wherever you can that makes it the most valuable item in this world. It also makes it the easiest to lose once you find it. What makes it even easier to lose is its fragility, the softness of these moments that does away with the artifice of apocalyptic survival. Music is just music. A few strums on an old guitar. But in a world haunted by the echoes of nostalgia and simpler times, music is enough to bring two people together. The simplicity of The Last of Us is found in these quiet moments, and its stellar live-action cast has already proven they’re the right people for the job.
2024’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” was one of the early releases on the schedule, but despite chilly critiques from critics, it was exciting to watch the series veterans get back into action. Among this stellar group was franchise original Ernie Hudson, who has portrayed Winston Zeddemore (the team’s finest member) since the 1984 debut film. More recently, Hudson shared a heartwarming story about how Bill Murray facilitated his return for the sequels, doing so in a thoughtful manner.
Tyler Perry’s connection with audiences seems to be stronger than his rapport with critics. His latest venture, “Beauty in Black,” has found favor among viewers on Netflix, and interestingly, his earlier movies have received better ratings from audiences rather than critics. For instance, his film “Divorce in the Black” garnered a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics but scored 73% approval from viewers on Prime Video. Similarly, his previous work, “Mea Culpa,” received a 17% critical score and a 37% audience score, yet it was popular on Netflix. This pattern is reminiscent of Adam Sandler’s career, as both are well-loved by audiences despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. These instances serve to question the validity and extent of critical reviews, suggesting that they may not always accurately represent public opinion.
This movie, once dismissed by many as the dwelling place for subpar or overlooked action flicks, is now gaining renewed attention due to its availability on Amazon’s Freevee platform. Originally panned by critics as a “fourth-rate imitation” of Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie’s best works, as well as Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, it received a poor 14% Tomatometer rating upon its August release. However, its current availability for free streaming has propelled it into the Top 10 most watched globally on Freevee.