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Welp, I don’t know if there’s any way I can do this review without getting cancelled by someone. This latest biopic from the most beloved/controversial musician of the past 50 years in Michael Jackson was always guaranteed to be a total success or failure in the eyes of many. For those that just wanted to be reminded of the good old days of little MJ and put themselves in the shoes of someone that was able to experience pure pop rock peak in the man’s prime, Michael (2026) will be seen as an absolute W! For those that were hopping it would dig a deeper dive into MJ’s personal life, hard hitting dilemmas, and even ask the million dollar question as to whether or not those allegations that hauntedly followed him throughout his career would be addressed, Michael (2026) will be seen as a massive L!
And I almost just want to stop the review right there! Similar to 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael (2026) is not interested in revealing things about Michael Jackson that you didn’t already know and would rather handwave any noticeable cracks on the man’s legacy in favor of delivering the cinematic equivalent of a greatest hits album, playing through the songs that everyone knows and loves while making everyone in the theaters feel like they were with the man’s musical journey all along. This is strictly the Michael Jackson you remember on the big stage and NOT the one off of it.
If all of that sounds okay for you, then you are going to dig this movie. If not, then you are better off watching Leaving Neverland, the biggest scam of a “hit piece” ever conceived outside of whatever the hell Fox News was saying about Fred Rogers back in the day. It’s not entirely free of criticism when judging by it’s own merits, with a rather underutilized supporting cast and the most abrupt ending from an entertainment medium since The Last of Us, but for what it’s worth, Michael (2026) is able to put up song and shut up about everything else to make for an enjoyable musical montage that is worth seeing in complete IMAX for anyone that is a fan!
Premise: The story of “King of Pop” Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson). From his childhood as the star of the Jackson 5, through times of abuse by his father Joe Jackson, to breaking away and making the hit album Thriller and claiming his independence as a solo artist.
There are PLENTY of ways you can look at Michael through some rather cynical lens. Even if you take away purposedly leaving out anything about the so-called allegations (which was originally planned until they decided to completely re-shot the ending, causing the film to be delayed from it’s initial October 2025 release date), this is a biopic you can easily mistake as being more in-line with a typical concert movie. Oh sure, you get your backstory about Michael’s troubles with his father and within his own family and how that contributed to this rise to stardom, as well as one big life-changing event that nearly took a hit on his legacy (Again, NO, it’s NOT the allegations!). However, as the very last sequence that got added in through re-shots showcases, this is all about Michael Jackson: The Musician and NOT Michael Jackson: The Person. This is a musical biopic that wants nothing more than to put up song and shut up with anything else.
The good news is that the music is still so damn good! Nearly every scene where Michael sings each one of his iconic songs is a joy to watch and a treat for the ears! The sound design is outstanding, Antoine Fuqua directs the hell out of every single musical sequence, the scenes specifically designed for IMAX makes the whole experience worth that price of admission alone, and it’s able to perfectly capture the atmosphere and pure aura of Michael Jackson in his prime! Even if Michael Jackson: The Person is barely presence on screen, Michael Jackson: The Musician still slaps just as hard all these years later.
The other good news is Jaafar Jackson is able to perfectly slip into his uncle’s shoes as the legend himself. He makes you buy that he is Michael Jackson about as well as anyone possibly could, being able to capture Michael’s mannerism and star power in ways that I don’t think anyone expected when he was casted. Even the dramatic scenes that might feel very surface level and emotionally cold to the cynical mindset, he’s able to add his own unique certain layer to it that feels in spirit with his uncle and in spirit of himself as his own actor. He’s able to perfectly convey the whole journey of every hoop and leap of faith that Michael Jackson had to go through to get to what he is known as today. Quite simply, if it wasn’t for Jaafar Jackson being so good in this role, this film would have failed big time.
It’s unfortunate how the rest of the cast gets quite the short stick. Outside of Colman Domingo’s terrific performance as Michael’s abusive father, Joseph, there’s not much material for the rest of the star studded cast to make an impression. The rest of Michael’s family feel like they are only there due to absolute obligation (outside of Michael’s sister Janet, who declined to be portrayed in the film) and the relationships that Michael has with his agency with the likes of Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Laura Harrier feels like a complete afterthought. I understand some of that has to do with personal and legal reasons but the film could have done a much better job at representing them even with the limited material they are given to work with.
There’s also the way the film concludes. It’s no secret that the ending of the film had to be changed significantly. Not just to reshot the entire third act so it did NOT cover the allegations against Michael Jackson that had already been resolved and proven to be false but also find a way for the film to end on a complete note after scraping the initial plans to have the film be split into two. While the song they chose to end it with was perfect, it is rather anticlimactic to have the final word of dialogue shown being about how Michael Jackson’s story will continue. Whether that is referring to another film being made or Michael’s legacy continuing beyond his early days will be determine by the box office but man, it almost feels like things were just getting started and then the film just…..stops.
Michael (2026) will be seen as a success or failure depending on what you are going to this film looking for. Do you just wanna see a mild sneak preview of Michael’s beginning and having his nephew perform your favorite songs on the big screen? If you do, then you will be happy. Do you want to see an extensive look of what went on from behind the scenes of Michael’s life and how that contributed to his rise to fame outside of just songs? If you do, then you will be disappointed.
If I were to judge Michael (2026) based on the entertainment scale and the experience I had listening to his songs performed in pure IMAX. I say it’s a solid three out of four stars.
If I were to judge Michael (2026) on standing on it’s own as a biopic and extended look of perhaps the most famous pop singer of all time. I say it’s a in-the-middle two out of four stars.
I guess if I were to combine both ratings. It would average around to a two and a half out of four stars.
Make of all that what you will!
Other comments:
Sorry that this took me a while to upload! I was busy for the past week with attending a wedding and covering from a mild cold! I have plenty of more pieces in the works for next month and onwards! Be on the look out for all of those!
We are approaching May, which means we are officaly enterting the summer movie season! The time of the year where the big blockbusters of the year are front and center in movie theaters everywhere now that the kids are out of school! Because of that, it’s time to do a list of what I believe will be the top highest grossing films of the summer!
With Hollywood continuing to struggle in the movie theater business post-covid, only God knows how many more summer movie seasons await. Although, theaters have been picking up great momentum in the box office as of late with the likes of Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s unclear how long they will be able to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the year and even the future.
I think the 2026 summer movie season will give a big indication as to whether or not Hollywood is still recovering from the post-covid era of struggling to get people’s butts into theater seats or will this be the beginning of a resurrection for summer movies! We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best!
And considering I’ve been seeing multiple people put their own predictions of the top 10 biggest summer movies in terms of profit, why not throw my own hat in the ring and do my own list of this?! Keep in mind, these are the movies that I believe will be the highest grossing of the summer, not the ones that I desperately want to be at the very top. This list is not a matter of anticipation or movies I think will be objectively the best, this is a list of the movies that I believe will be the most to least successful in terms of the top 10 movies of the summer.
Also, this is a ranking based on box office numbers worldwide and NOT domestic. That list would be harder and more complicated for me to judge. This is how I feel the box office numbers will hold for summer movies WORLDWIDE from late April to mid August. Could I be dead wrong on every single one of these? Absolutely! But hey, it’s fun to be able to make predictions, right?!
And yes, I am throwing Michael in there. Even though it’s a movie that’s coming out in April, I think that gives up more “summer movie season kick off” vibes than The Devil Wears Prada 2. Just like how Infinity War and Endgame gave off more “summer movie season kick off” vibes….than whatever the heck released in the first week of May in 2018 and 2019!
Time to jump right in and put my predictions on what I believe will be the top 10 highest grossing films of the summer!
10.) Supergirl
Release Date: June 26th
Box Office Projection: $350+ Million
It’s very difficult to find any positive signs here. From it’s questionable release date to it’s lackluster trailers to it’s already nightmare PR, Supe’s cousin will have a hard time finding any sort of audience in the theaters come June. Even Jason Momoa won’t be the selling point that DC is hoping he will be. Unless the quality of the film ends up being nothing sort of stellar, with Elemental-like legs to help pull it through, I expect Supergirl to be one of the more heartbreaking bombs of the summer, falling into the same “female-led movies made for men” wheelhouse with 2024’s Furiosa and last summer’s Ballerina. Mr. Gunn and company better hope that Man of Tomorrow delivers next summer or else this new DC Universe might just be over before it even got a chance to settle in, (and that’s not even mentioning the GIANT elephant in the room that’s about to swallow Warner Bros Discovery up).
9.) The Mandalorian & Grogu
Release Date: May 22nd
Box Office Projection: $400+ Million
Who in their right minds thought that Star Wars’ first trip back to cinema since 2019 should involve an extension of a streaming series that ended three years ago and peaked in quality over five years ago?! With the near non-existence marketing and a very vague plot synopsis, The Mandalorian & Grogu looks more in-line with the The Clone Wars animated film from 2008 than any of the “official” Star Wars films (And that’s totally NOT because both films where originally meant to be several episodes of their own respective shows and JUST so happens to have Jabba the Hutt’s son in it). The good news is that it will have two weeks to itself, including Memorial Day weekend, before having to go up against any real competition, and if the budget is tight enough, it won’t need to make a fortunate to avoid a Solo: A Star Wars Story-level financial disaster. It looks harmless enough with the fan favorite characters from the Disney era in Mando and Grogu at the forefront, with the G.O.A.T. Sigourney Weaver thrown in there for good measure. If this doesn’t make any noise once June rolls around, it might be up to good old Ryan Gosling to salvage what’s left of the Star Wars IP come this time next year with Star Wars: Starfighter.
8.) Discourse Day
Release Date: June 12th
Box Office Projection: $475+ Million
This could easily come back to burn me later on down the road but every summer, there’s always tends to be one original film that’s able to break out at the box office in ways that nobody expected. Last year, that film was F1. This year, I can see Discourse Day being that film. Maybe it’s because it’s a Steven Spielberg film and the whole “Are aliens real or not?!” question that the film is asking has become strangely relevant in recent months (Thanks, Obama!), but I can see this shocking everyone in amazement to at least edge around the half billion dollar mark. This film’s potential level of grand success is all about the timing of it’s release and if the word-of-mouth is able to be on the level of Project Hail Mary. Films like Sinners, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and the two others I mentioned has shown that audiences are indeed hungry for more original stories/experiences on the big screen, the solid quality just needs to be there. And if the quality is there, don’t be surprised to see Discourse Day defying every expectation this summer.
7.) The Devil Wears Prada 2
Release Date: May 1st
Box Office Projection: $625+ Million
If there’s one thing we should all learn by now, it’s to NEVER underestimate the power of women. Films like Barbie, Wicked, and last winter’s The Housemaid has shown that the ladies will ALWAYS show up in drones to see films in theaters that are specifically made for them. The original Devil Wears Prada turns 20 years old this year and has gained a MASSIVE cult following throughout the past two decades. With the return of the OG cast of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, it’s strong marketing, and massive trailer hype/viewership, I fully expect The Devil Wears Prada 2 to kick off May on a high note and be the big film to beat next month.
6.) The Odyssey
Release Date: July 17th
Box Office Projection: $750+ Million
To be sure, a film like this making at least 750 million dollar signs in this day and age should be seen as a MAJOR accomplishment! There is no other filmmaker working today other than Christopher Nolan that could generate this level of excitement with a project like this! However, I don’t see The Odyssey being on the same level as Oppenheimer (which made $975+ million in 2023), as it won’t have the “Barbenheimer” hype attached to it despite it tackling a more “universal” story. Not to mention, the potential loss of its IMAX screens after it’s first two weeks due to Spider-Man: Brand New Day could greatly affect repeated viewings for its theatrical release! Christopher Nolan is perhaps the one director working today to where his name attached to a film alone will guarantee box office success (Every film that Nolan has directed since 2008’s The Dark Knight has been able to achieve this mark, even Tenet in 2020, A.K.A. the covid year!) and The Odyssey should be no exception! However, the road to doing Oppenheimer level numbers will be much tougher for Mr. Nolan this time around!
5.) Moana (2026)
Release Date: July 10th
Box Office Projection: $800+ Million
Moana is undoubtedly one of the most popular Disney brands right now, with the original animated film being the most streamed movie ever on Disney Plus and its sequel making a billion dollars just over a year ago! What will likely hold this live-action remake back other than the crowded family summer movie season is its lack of nostalgia factor! Live-action remakes like The Lion King (2019) and Lilo & Stitch (2025) were able to be the billion dollar grossers they did BECAUSE of the nostalgia attached to those films, which gave kids enough time to grow up, become nostalgic for the original animated Disney classics, and have raised kids of their own to share the theatrical experience with! Moana (2026) will be coming out at a time where the original animated film won’t even be fully 10 years old yet (It released in November 2016 btw) and just a year and a half after its animated sequel came out! It will still be a big success since the Moana brand is still strong but the lack of the nostalgic hook will prevent this from making a billion dollars!
4.) Minions & Monsters
Release Date: July 1st
Box Office Projection: $850+ Million
Since 2010, Illumination Animation has been able to crack the code on how to make crowd pleasing animated flicks for young kids, forcing their parents to take them to the movie theaters every other summer to see the newest Despicable Me and Minions movie that comes out. In regards to the installments that have come from this franchise post-covid, Minions: The Rise of Guru was able to make $940+ million in 2022 and Despicable Me 4 made $971+ million in 2024! Due to a much more crowded summer than in 2022 and 2024, having to compete with other family flicks such as the one-two Mickey Mouse punch of Toy Story 5 and Moana (2026), I do expect Minions & Monsters to take a decline as well, in a similar way that last summer’s Jurassic World: Rebirth was a slight decline with the other Jurassic Park/World movies. Even if this one ends up being slightly inferior to it’s predecessors and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie isn’t the $1.5+ billion juggernaut I predicted (Silly me!), Illumination and Universal should be eating just fine with their animated feature films in 2026!
3.) Michael
Release Date: April 24th
Box Office Projection: $950+ Million
I don’t care if the pre-sales numbers have been iffy thus far and the behind-the-scenes drama will put a giant raincloud throughout the press release, THIS is one that I can see being a global phenomenon. Michael Jackson is no doubt the most popular musician of all time, gaining worldwide appeal from all across planet Earth. With the high trailer numbers and the multiple generations of fans that MJ has gained throughout the course of several decades, there should be no reason to doubt his annual biopic will be a huge theatrical success. If the legs are strong and it ends up pleasing the masses enough, I can see Michael topping Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest grossing musical biopic of all time. This seems like the kind of film that will get people who don’t go to theaters anymore off their couches, similar to the likes of Top Gun: Maverick and Barbenheimer. Even though this film will be released in April, this will likely be seen as the true kick-off to the summer movie season of 2026!
2.) Toy Story 5
Release Date: June 19th
Box Office Projection: $1.1+ Billion
Although I was harsher on this one in my initial box office predictions earlier this year, this has grown on me quite a bit in recent months. To compare the box office numbers of the last two Toy Story movies, Toy Story 4 made $1.073+ billion about nine years after Toy Story 3, which made around $1.066+ billion. That’s less than a seven million dollar increase between these two films despite being nearly a decade apart! However, with it’s iPad storyline being very timely and the trailers seeming to promise a more traditional Toy Story adventure than Toy Story 4 did, I can see Toy Story 5 surpassing the previous film just enough to take the crown as the big family film of the summer, even from Disney’s own Moana (2026). Even if the film stumbles in quality or ends up being a punching bag on the internet like Toy Story 4 became after it’s release, there will still be plenty of kids and families that will go see this film in theaters to make it at least flirt with the billion dollar mark!
1.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Release Date: July 31st
Box Office Projection: $1.3+ Billion
Even in an era where superhero fatigue is at an all-time high, Spider-Man will ALWAYS be a box office draw no matter what! Him and Batman have proven themselves to be perhaps the lone superhero IPs that can still draw box office hits in the most uncertain times of the genre, at least if the successes of 2021’s No Way Home ($1.9+ billion), 2022’s The Batman ($772+ million), and 2023’s Across the Spider-Verse ($690+ million) is anything to go by. And NO, this will NOT be a No Way Home box office juggernaut but that should be expected considering this will (likely) not have the nostalgia of the good old days with William Dafoe and Tobey Maguire attached to it. I expect similar numbers to Far From Home (which made $1.1+ billion high off the heels of Avengers: Endgame), if not a bit more. Between the additions of notable Marvel characters such as The Punisher, Hulk, and whoever the heck Sadie Sink is suppose to be playing along with there being a decent amount of time since the last Spider-Man movie came out to build hype (No Way Home turns HALF a decade old this year btw!), Brand New Day will stand proud as the #1 film of the 2026 summer movie season, proving Spidey can defy ANY realms of superhero and Marvel fatigue!
1.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day- $1.3+ Billion
2.) Toy Story 5- $1.1+ Billion
3.) Michael- $950+ Million
4.) Minions & Monsters- $850+ Million
5.) Moana (2026)- $800+ Million
6.) The Odyssey- $750+ Million
7.) The Devil Wears Prada 2- $625+ Million
8.) Disclosure Day- $475+ Million
9.) The Mandalorian & Grogu- $400+ Million
10.) Supergirl- $350+ Million
As for other movies that missed the list:
Masters of the Universe (2026)
$325+ Million
I went back and forth between Supergirl and Masters of the Universe for the #10 spot but I went with Supergirl because I believe superheroes still have more appeal with Gen Z and Millennials than Masters of the Universe has with baby boomers. Even if the quality is on the level of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves like I expected to be given it’s Travis Knight taking the wheel here, He-Man just doesn’t seem like a popular brand in the year 2026. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film ends up losing Amazon quite a bit of money.
Mortal Kombat II
$175+ Million
Even if the first film was a bomb in 2021 (when half of movie theaters around the world will still closed), Mortal Kombat II should do quite well, with it being giving a more proper theatrical release and the trailers promising to deliver the goods the fans wanted that they didn’t get from the first film. Even if it will do numbers closer to Five Nights At Freddy’s than Minecraft, Mario, or Sonic, I don’t think WB will be too upset with the box office results. I only wonder if it was wise to delayed the picture from it’s original fall release from last year.
Scary Movie (2026)
$200+ Million
If Scary Movie is able to be on the same level of quality as last year’s The Naked Gun, then I can see the sixth entry riding the successful wave of Scream 7, opening the doors opening for more raw horror/politically incorrect comedies for the immediate future.
Evil Dead Burn
$50+ Million
Evil Dead Burn will likely end up being as buried and forgotten as ME3AN 2.0 was last summer. Again, what is it with these horror films getting the most bizarre release dates imaginable?!
Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie
$150+ Million
This will prove that Paw Patrol is still….a thing that exists for kids. But, it’s also coming out at the tail end of summer and when kids start going back to school so….yeah.
Jackass: Best and Last
$100+ Million
Johnny, please take us ALL home with Jackass: Best and Last! Just take us all home!
Gen Z gets a lot of flack nowadays. From spending 99.99% of their free time on the internet instead of at malls to inventing corny slangs and memes that everyone IMMEDIATELY becomes addicted to making sure you are held accountable for EVERY single thing you have said in the past 25 years and to NEVER be forgiven for it, they really have changed the way everyone has gone on about their social and cultural lifestyles for quite some time. However, every once in a while, they can be kinda badass. In this case, they are doing everything in their power to bring back proper physical media.
Having getting sick and tired of streaming platforms getting more expensive every year and removing beloved content on their service every now and then for effectively no reason, Gen Z (and pretty much everyone else) are taking matter into their own hands. Instead of waiting for their favorite movie or show to come out on whatever streaming service they use or their favorite singer or musician to release their latest album digitally, they are now seeking out hardcore physical copies of what they want to watch or listen to. They want to actually own their personal favorite media instead of letting other companies own it for them. Gen Z is making a statement and everyone is hearing it loud and clear.
There’s been articles and reports for the last several months of DVDs, Blu-Rays, CDs, and record albums seeing a solid increase in physical media sales and a much less decrease from several years prior. Retro video stores are being resurrected and are immediately having booming business while well known businesses such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Barnes and Noble who had either abandon or drastically reduced their electronic physical media sections in recent memory are looking to bring back or expand these sections, especially if this trend continues.
While this is all great and good, I think the main question everyone has is why is this all happening now? What is it about digital and streaming now that has finally broke the camel’s back among Gen Z and everyone else that it has encouraged them to take a stand and just buy physical copies of their favorite movies, shows, games, and music that they can fully own?
While I previously mentioned inflated streaming prices and favorite movies/shows getting removed left and right each month because companies just love to troll their consumers, I think it’s more because that Gen Z (or at least the older half of it) are looking to recapture that special feeling they had as kids. Just the simple feeling of being able to own your own physical copy of something, have exclusive special access of the item they own, and even be able to add that to a nice collection. Instead of just being able to watch whatever they want on their phone or laptop, they feel like getting a full complete version of their entertainment along with extra bonuses that come along with it that you can fully watch on your own television is how you get your full money’s worth.
While there are always posts every now and then on Twitter/X about Gen Z never being able to experience the same magic that Millennials and Baby boomers did with physical stores and owning physical media, there actually is a good chunk of them that have already done just that. Gen Z literally advocates from those that were born between the years of 1997-2012, with Zillenials (a mix between Gen Z and Millennial, mostly those born in the mid to late 1990s) and Gen Alpha (Born from 2010-2024) being thrown in there for good measure. So for those that were born in the late 1990s to the early or mid 2000s, they basically got to experience that same warm feeling of owning the movie, show, game, or CD that you love literally when they were young children. Heck, even a handful of individuals got a glimpse of that among the last wave of it in the mid 2010s.
It’s only when digital and streaming started to dominate the entertainment landscape in the late 2010s that everyone began to take physical media for granted. You didn’t need to own any physical copies of whatever you watch, play, or listen to when you have a streaming service that will do it for you or you can just purchase it and watch it online on your computer from the comfort of your own homes. Plus, it’s cheaper just to pay 10 bucks a month or 15 bucks for digital to watch your favorite thing multiple times than paying 20 to 25 bucks to own a physical copy.
This cultural shift from the past 10 years really started to take a big hit on big physical media companies such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and especially Red Box (RIP!) and the big major entertainment studios began to create their own answers to Netflix, resulting in the likes of streaming services such as Disney Plus, HBO Max (or whatever it’s called now), Hulu, Peacock, Apple TV, Paramount Plus, and several others. Because of that, more focus was put on digital and streaming and less on the likes of physical media and cable/satellite television. However, things are starting to change.
People have become increasingly frustrated with the amount of streaming services they have to keep up with to watch their favorite movie or show. People are sick to death of streaming services taken away content they like watching for no reason and only bringing it back whenever the company feels like it. And of course, people are growing pure annoyance on monthly subscriptions fees going up every single year, with more ads and freeze ups being added in for dreadful measure. Because of that, everyone is just wanting to go back to simpler times, back when you can actually own something and physically own it for all eternity with no one stopping you. Such a novel concept in this day and age, isn’t it?
Granted, we are still a little while away before physical media becomes ANYWHERE near as dominant as it was throughout the 1990s to early 2010s and we probably will never reach THAT level of peak every again. Digital and streaming is always going to have a major presence and will still be a preferred preference for a good chunk of people out there. It also remains to be seen if this physical media shift will go towards the likes of gaming, especially considering how ridiculous expensive video games and consoles has gotten in recent memory. And I don’t even need to mention how your average lazy Joe would much prefer to do their daily shopping online on Amazon than dragging his butt out to Walmart. However, this is a sign that the way we consume our favorite entertainment is changing just as it did around this time ten years ago. The difference is this time, I think this change will be for the greater good for the future.
Between resurrecting physical media and being the main dominant driving force of the movie theater going experience, i seems like Gen Z is just looking to have fun again and enjoy entertainment in the way that the older half of their demographic strongly remembers them doing back in the “good old days”. Whether it’s because of inflated streaming prices or finally wanting to come out of their rooms in a post-covid world and talk to someone other than their AI chatbot buddy, this is strongly encouraging of for the future of not just what we physically own but also potentially the way we socially interacted with one another in the near future. Although the current generation leading the charge can give themselves the bad reputation, it’s always nice to see them do some genuine good.
And I should know because I’m technically apart of that generation (I still lean towards Zillennial, goddamn it!)
Now, if Gen Z can please resurrect cable and satellite television already so I no longer have to own 10 different streaming services to watch my favorite sports teams! Please and thank you!
When The Super Mario Bros Movie came out around this time in 2023, I was generous enough to give it a free pass. Yes, it was fan service galore and had as much substance as a happy meal from McDonalds but it was cute and a faithfully surface level adaption of the gaming plumber bros we all know and love while working well enough as a simple story about the powers of brotherhood and how being small can actually be cool sometimes. And with the way the post credit scene gave a glimpse of the potential arrival of Yoshi for the sequel, you would think Illumination would follow through on that teaser by continuing to expand upon this cinematic world with yet another basic and direct adaption of the classic 2D Mario games (most notably Super Mario World) and call it day. However, it seems as though Nintendo and the Minions company had other plans.
Instead, the cast and crew are looking to take things 10X further and jump straight to Super Mario Galaxy! Not only acting as an adaption of some of the most beloved video games of all time but also introducing many more fan favorite characters such as Yoshi, Bowser Jr. & Rosalina (We’ll get to here LATER!), double down on all of the easter eggs, callbacks, references, and even some surprise cameos from not just Mario but also other known Nintendo franchises, AND also acting as a celebration of 40 years of the Super Mario Bros franchise. Oh, and also are looking to do all of this in the spam of just 90 minutes because….god forbid we let children watch a movie that’s more than 90 minutes in the year of our lord and savior 2026!
If what I just told you makes the movie sound too crowded and overstuffed and gives the impression that the actual Galaxy elements feels like an complete afterthought, you would be 100% correct. If this all sounds like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is nothing more than one brief sugar rush that feels more like a collection of cutscenes, gameplay videos, and YouTube shorts of the very best Mario games compiled together than an actual feature film, you would be 100% correct. If that all sounds up your alley, then it will be up your alley. If that sounds like a miserable nightmare to you, then this will be a miserable nightmare for you. But there is one thing everyone will agree on, at least it has Yoshi in it! And Yoshi makes EVERYTHING better!
Premise: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and newcomer Yoshi (Donald Glover) as they journey into outer space to rescue Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) from Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). Bowser Jr. captures her to harness her power to fuel a super-weapon, free his imprisoned father Bowser (Jack Black), and conquer the galaxy.
Now, I know what everyone and their Yoshi is about to type away in the comments, “IT’S A MARIO MOVIE! OF COURSE THE PLOT IS GOING TO BE SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD! WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING, FAM?!” But, I have a PERFECT counter argument to that!
While, YES, the first Mario movie (and most Mario games in general) did have a very simple and straight forward plot, you could at least follow what’s going on and mostly can summarize what happens in the story in one or two sentences. It was a classic Mario tale with a few new modern tweaks to it about a plumber from Brooklyn going on a journey with a powerful princess to save his brother from the clutches of an evil dinosaur and save a magical kingdom on top of that. Was it great storytelling? Heck no! But it was easy enough to understand and get behind without too much hassle!
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t so much have a simple and straightforward plot but rather no plot to speak of. It’s jampacked with so many different characters, coincidences, and contrivances strung together, trying desperately to gloss over any glaring structural issues and give you the impression that it’s perfectly acceptable storytelling…..just because it’s Mario. There’s no coherent end goal, no fully realized character arcs are given time to flesh out, and there’s not a single moment where you will find something you didn’t already find in any other form of Mario media. It’s all about getting certain characters from Point A to Point Z and checking off all the boxes that the filmmakers believe they need to check or else they will get hate mail thrown at them from hardcore Nintendo fanboys for the rest of eternity.
And even if you look at the film from an adaption of the much beloved Super Mario Galaxy, it’s not a very good one. While the Galaxy features does help showcases some of the most gorgeous animation and impressive set pieces that Illumination Animation has EVER shown on the big screen, it’s only faithful on the surface level and NOWHERE else. The Lumas don’t serve much purpose other than being cute little star children that will make for great merchandise to sell and the traveling through planets sequences only exist to get characters from one location to another, almost feeling like you could’ve replaced it with any other detour from any other game and there wouldn’t be much difference.
The most wasted element however has to go to Rosalina. Despite being a fan favorite character and casted by longtime Nintendo superfan Brie Larson (THE MVP of the film’s marketing btw), she barely has any presence in the actual movie. She only exists to be a plot device and be a driving force to motivate the main characters (mostly Peach) throughout the entire movie….and nothing else. There’s even a SUPER long stretch in the movie where the character doesn’t even get to appear on screen. If it wasn’t for the fact that the characters kept mentioning Rosalina by name during that long stretch, I would’ve COMPLETELY forgot she was even in the dang movie until the last 20 minutes.
While some would argue that Rosalina’s role in the Galaxy games were also in small doses, you at least felt her presence throughout the entire experience. You still had Mario checking in on her every now and then with friendly exchanges once you completed each world that made you remember she’s still around whenever you might’ve forgot where she was. Because The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t seem to be that interest in the Galaxy elements that it’s suppose to incorporate (until it suddenly does towards the tail end of the film), Rosalina ends up being casted away harder than even Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away!
It makes me wonder why Illumination thought they had to make Princess Peach a “girlboss” in the first movie because the damsel in distress trope is so problematic and outdated….only to then turn around and make Rosalina a damsel in distress in the very next movie. It’s like they just swapped the characterizations of Peach and Rosalina just because one might be more marketable than the other. (And don’t even get me started on the bizarre retcon between them that gave me the same reaction I had when it was revealed in the Wade Whipple show that Knuckles now has the flames of destr…..I mean disaster!)
On the other hand, at least they did my boy Yoshi justice. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m the biggest Yoshi shill in the world!) He has a very unique and welcome presence on screen with a surprisingly good vocal performance from Donald Glover (Easily the best “WTF!” casting in any movie since Vin Diesel as Groot!). He’s not treated like a dumb animal or an incompetent dog that Mario and Luigi has to take care off. He’s cute, funny, useful, resourceful, gets plenty of great moments, and he constantly proves throughout the movie that there is NOTHING he wouldn’t do for his friends. If there’s one thing that even the worst of Mario franchise gets right, it’s Yoshi and that is no exception here.
If we are to go more into the positives. The visuals are as amazing as they were the last time around, if not even better. There’s so many stunning sequences that you can tell the animators went to hell and back for to make them look as good as they did. The best moments are easily the ones where the characters are flying through outer space and any scenes that take place on the other planets separate from the Mushroom Kingdom. There’s so much love and care put into every single detail throughout the film that it makes you wish there was anywhere near as much passion from the writers of the film as there was from the animators.
The soundtrack from Bryan Tyler is still as stellar this time around with plenty of new and unique remixes to classic Mario toons, helping give the film it’s own unique beating heart and theme that you wouldn’t expect from a composer. The licensed music is (thankfully) used much more sparingly this time around and only when the scene absolutely calls for it, the voice cast are as adequate as they were before, and there is one surprise extended cameo, while gaining more screentime than Rosalina (Seriously, Illumination! WTF!), that makes me SLIGHTLY curious to see them in their own future film in the hands of a more capable studio (Please DreamWorks! Find a way to make it happen!).
Say what you will about the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movies from Paramount but at least those films work perfectly well from a “have your cake and eat it too” perspective. They stand well enough as not just faithful adaptions of the games but also as cinematic experiences for mainstream audiences who are not aware of prior Sonic material. It’s got filmmakers who clearly have a huge passion for the speedy blue blur, doing everything they can to make each new installment better than the last one while addressing fan feedback and criticism in satisfactory ways.
With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s clear that Illumination cares more about milking as many sequels and spin-offs to beloved Nintendo properties as they can before the will runs dry instead of making movies that work in every way a video game adaption should. I will most certainly NOT say that the passion from the cast and crew aren’t there or they didn’t at least have a huge amount of fun in making these films, you just don’t get the sense that the higher ups at Illumination see this series as anything more than water down jokes and paper thin storylines for little kids and key jingling and nostalgia bait for grown adults. And….that kinda sucks.
But again…it does have Yoshi in it!
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is not trying to win anyone that wasn’t won over by the first film nor is it trying to make a new Mario fan out of anyone. It’s just trying to scratch the nostalgic itch out of longtime fans and scratch the easter family movie for kids that will drag their parents to see the film this weekend and nothing else. I just wish we can expect better from not just one of the most popular characters in all of gaming but children and family films in general. And considering, we currently have two other very good animated kids films in GOAT and Hoppers that are still playing in theaters right now, there simply shouldn’t be an excuse for this.
Still, I can’t say I was bored by the movie nor found anything overly offensive from it. And with all the chaos and mayhem that is going on in the world right now, it never hurts to be drowning in pure cartoon delight as pure escapism. And again, it has Yoshi in it! And Yoshi makes EVERYTHING better!
I sure can’t wait though until Sonic The Hedgehog 4 sidelines Amy Rose for 90% of the film and reveals she’s actually Sonic’s *SPOILER*, while giving more screentime to Ryo Hazuki of all characters. **
Unfortunately, Yoshi will NOT be there to save the day! (Or will he?!)
** That’s actually gonna happen in Sonic 4, isn’t it?! F**K!
Sequels always have a daunting task! It has to offer everything that everyone loved about the original but deliver it in such a way that sets the second chapter apart from the first one! You have to give the audiences something familiar, throw in a few new elements for good measure, and cross that fine line between being the same but different without losing your balance. However, there are some sequels that benefit from staying right on that fine line with no means of trying to differentiate itself from the original or separating itself from it’s own formula, even if it does occasionally flirt with what it would do if it chose to cross that path. Since the new burger tasted so good the first time you had, why bother changing the ingredients when you have it a second time? And that is where sequels like Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come come in!
While it is no doubt more of the same and doesn’t even try to be as fresh as Radio Silence’s original magnum opus, it still contains most of the same old ingredients that audiences loved about the first movie with a few new elements sprinkled in that does enough to justify it’s existence. The cast is much bigger and adds more to the established lore of Ready or Not, there’s a much larger scope and more expansive setting to explore, there’s more bloody kills and guts spewing everywhere than before, and there’s even more beautiful blondes kicking butt this time around. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel nor is it trying to win over anybody that were not fans of the original. It just wants to have a gory, fun time and it certainly succeeds at that.
Premise: After surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game, and this time with her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), by her side. To survive, Grace must keep Faith alive and claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Four rival families are also hunting her for the throne, and whoever wins will rule it all.
Throughout Ready Or Not 2, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olphin and Tyler Gillett make it clear that their #1 goal with Here I Come is to have more fun this time around rather than trying to play a brand new game from seven years earlier. Going bigger, not bolder. Expand the mythos, not deepen them. Be with the grain, not against it. Deliver on expectations, not subvert them. (We even get to see Samara Weaving wearing the exact same bloody wedding dress she had in the first movie!) While that is certainly well and good because the duo are well aware of their own interests as well as the audiences, you can’t help but be mildly frustrated at the intriguing subtext and ideas that the film chooses to handwave.
The film states that the rich families that Grace and Faith are fighting against are these insane religious supremacy overlords that are using their money, wealth, and power to control all the world’s resources. And if they are not successful in killing Grace, then they will lose all of that money, wealth, power, and control over everything. Yet aside from an occasional line or two, Here I Come never really dives deep into that, feeling like it only exists to give the rich families new motives for needing to kill Grace.
And that is where the shortcomings for Ready or Not 2 come into place. Even though it’s longer than the first film and has more locations and set pieces than before, it wants to add more subtext and character dilemma than before. However, because the pacing is so break-neck and Bettinelli-Olphin and Gillett are in such a hurry to get from one glorious kill to the next, these moments never have time to breathe.
There’s the goals of the rich elites to control everything but it never goes into why they want to achieve these goals other than Satan told them so. You got a rivalry set-up between Grace and her ex-husband’s previous finance that doesn’t go anywhere aside from an awesome climatic fight between the two. You also got a sister bondship which includes scenes, while good and well-acted, forces the pacing of the film to come to a screeching halt and suspense of disbelief needed for these moments while the two girls are fighting for their lives. There’s these doors opens for Here I Come to be bolder and risker than the original but it’s clear the film would rather just close it and stay in the house that it’s clearly comfortable in.
Thankfully, none of that detracts from the entertainment value here because all of the successful elements that made the original Ready or Not so fun are still good here. The kills are fun, the blood and gore are turned up to 11, the set pieces and chase sequences, while extremely over-the-top and nonsensical, make for some of the film’s exciting and delightfully amusing moments, and the supporting cast all make for fine additions to these series of films, with the main highlights of the rich families being Sarah Michelle Gellar as the well-intentioned but morally handcuffed rich daughter, Elijah Wood as the straight as an arrow lawyer, and also whoever the heck that guy who was playing the Nintendo Switch 2 (Seriously, what’s his name?! I can’t find him on Google or Wiki!).
The real glue that holds Here I Come together is Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton playing two long distanced sisters. Samara Weaving is able to kick just as much ass as she did the first time around (and does so in that same bloody dress) while being able to match every moment she can with her effortless charisma and mighty war scream (That NEVER get old!). Kathryn Newton, who has already proven herself to be a reliable Scream queen with Freaky and Abigail, has really sold chemistry with Weaving, really buying the core relationship between two sisters who thought they wanted nothing to do with each other but deep down they really do. Even if the more character driven moments between the two sisters did come at the expense of the film stopping dead in it’s tracks, the film wouldn’t have worked as well as it does if it weren’t for these two actresses trying to work out their problems with guns, swords, and pure wits.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is the textbook definition of a sequel that is basically, “What you see is what you get!” Do you want to see more heads and bodies exploding with creative and satisfying kills?! Do you want to see more gorgeous looking locations, well-suited costume designs, and a more expansive world to spend time in?! Do you want to just have fun for 105 minutes with two super hot blondes and the OG Buffy the Vampire Slayer?! If your answer is Yes to any of those, then I can’t see how you won’t enjoy another round with Radio Silence’s most unique original series to date.
As much as I can nitpick about the glossed over subtext and lore, that’s a small price to pay for everything else it does well. Is it more of the same? Sure? Does it taste just as good as the first time around even though you’ve already had it? Absolutely!
You know how sometimes whenever a new movie comes out and the studio decides to NOT lift the review embargo until the exact day the movie comes out? That’s usually a sign that the studio has ZERO faith in the film they just poured millions of dollars into and hope they could swipe it underneath the rug from any kind of negative publicity in the hopes of making any sort or profit of said film before it hits digital and streaming. There might always be an exception (*cough* Oppenheimer) but whenever a studio usually does that, NINE times out of ten, they know they got a dud on their hands.
Project Hail Mary has been the exact opposite of that. Amazon has given the film PLENTY of attention and early press releases before it hit theaters everywhere this weekend. Only this time, it’s not just for film critics but for film audiences as well! There has not been one but TWO special screenings that has come from AmazonMGM, a studio which absolutely needs a hit after several underwhelming films (Mercy, Crime 101, and that one documentary that shall not be named) to start off 2026. Regardless if this is an act of faith or desperation, you can’t say anyone involved is afraid to show everyone what they got with this latest motion picture.
However, giving a film too much exposure can easily backfire. It can generate overhype and set the film with completely unrealistic expectations of it’s quality harder than any film that wins Best Picture at the Oscars ever could! Or there can be times where all that hype and buzz is absolutely worth it and the film just ends up being a perfectly executed version of the film that it inspires to be that there’s not much to complain about. And I can said with good pride that the film I’m just about to talk aboutis exactly the latter of what I’m talking about.
Project Hail Mary is an incredibly well made, extremely well acted, and very well paced sci-fi thriller that works (I imagine) not just as a faithful adaption of the critically acclaimed book from Andy Weir (The Martian) but it also stands strongly as it’s own cinematic experience and a thematically moving think tank surrounding art and science . There is not a single second that is boring or uninteresting, Ryan Gosling is pitch perfect in the lead role as Grace and has great chemistry with his so-called co-star (which I’m not going to spoil in case no one is aware of that character yet), it has a perfectly controlled tone that knows when to be funny, serious, and moving when it’s absolutely required, and even if you can see the inspiration from your favorite sci-fi flick from the 2010s (Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, Arrival, Mr. Gosling’s own First Man! Take your pick!), it is able to have it’s own unique identity while telling a distinct story about the importance of loyalty, friendship, unity, and sacrifice. While it’s certainly not the most flawless film I’ve ever seen and I’m sure there will be nits to be picked from fans of the book, I can’t imagine Project Hail Mary being a better version of itself than what Mr. Lord and Mr. Miller was able to deliver here.
Premise: Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he soon discovers he must solve the riddle behind a mysterious substance that’s causing the sun to die out. As details of the mission unravel, he calls on his scientific training and sheer ingenuity — but he may not have to do it alone.
I will say straight off the bat that I have NOT read the book that this film is based on. I’m well aware that Andy Weir’s 2021 spiritually successor to The Martian is one of the more beloved books in recent worry, being a New York Times’ best-seller for 28 weeks in a row. However, I purposedly choose to hold off on reading the book BEFORE seeing the movie in order to not spoil the cinematic experience for myself! Even so, while I’m sure there were some changes had to have been made and plot elements that had to be reworked or cut out in order for it to qualify as a feature film, I really get the feeling that is indeed a very worthy adaption of it’s source material.
The main reason I believe that is because it’s clear how much pure confidence is on display from the cast and crew with the making of this film. You really get the sense that it’s trying to capture a special lightning in a bottle that you don’t get from films these days. They are trying to offer you an experience that you possibly couldn’t get from any other film besides this one, even including the other recent sci-fi flicks that it’s clearly inspired by. It’s trying to engage you in ways that you probably never expected, especially when you discover what the main driving force of the film is suppose to be. And it’s even trying to tell a tale about finding that spark of hope within yourself when it seems like no else can. Even if Grace himself is doubtful that he can complete his mission, the cast and crew have more than enough trust in themselves with Project Hail Mary.
As much as comparisons are going to be made with The Martian (and rightfully so…..in good ways), the main protagonist Ryland Grace is NOT Mark Watney! He’s not someone who has had major experience with space travel or being an astronaut. He’s just a simple teacher who is sent on a mission that can determine the fate of humanity and earth because he simply has nothing left to lose. Project Hail Mary isn’t strictly a story about a man working his way back home, it’s a story about a man working his way so that billions of other earthly live forms (and a very special friend) might have a chance of going back or staying home for the foreseeable future. Even if it’s not a full on direct sequel of The Martian, screenwriter Drew Goddard is able to properly expand the themes of Andy Weir’s work involving sci-fi and space operas once again in ways that will certainly put a smile on the author’s face.
Nothing in Project Hail Mary could have worked as well as it does without Ryan Gosling’s masterful performance as Grace! Much like the tone in the film, he is able to expressive himself exactly the way that the script demands for it whenever he is needed. He has great comedic timing, knows when to transition to being serious and emotional, makes every single dramatic and character beat feel earned, and makes for a overall engaging screen presence that is able to hide any sort of jarring shortcoming that the film might have. And yes, he does have absolutely perfect chemistry with that one special character that I will not mention because it’s a spoiler free review. But, all I will say is this…..Baby Yoda has some SERIOUS competition!
The other MVPs of the film goes to co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. This film makes for the duels’ first directorial feature credit since 2014’s 22 Jump Street. While it’s certainly crazy that it’s been 12 years since these guys have fully directed a film (It’s a shame that Solo: A Star Wars Story didn’t work out but the Spider-Verse films were co-written and produced by the duo, NOT directed!), they make their cinematic return feel worth it. Just like they did with films like The Lego Movie and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, they are able to take this odd and far-reach concept of a man trying to achieve the literal impossible while including it’s own unique brain in it’s head. They know how to get their universally relatable themes about the need for connection and working together in a time of crisis while not being afraid to be funny and moving along the way.
In terms of other technical and productive achievements, Project Hail Mary is the complete package. While there’s not a direct sequence that is as aspiring as the very best scenes from Gravity or Interstellar, this is a very beautiful looking motion picture, making the extra bucks for IMAX actually feel worth it. Any shot in space is a treat for the eyes and the transition from IMAX ratio to normal ratio is surprisingly never jarring. The cinematography by Greig Fraser is on-point, the score by Daniel Pemberton is able to be as equally mesmerizing as it is moving with some truly inspiring song choices, and even though this is a story which the events are told out of nowhere, the superb job from editor Joel Negron has every scene flow together very well and makes this daring narrative choice from Mr. Lord and Miller feel completely justified.
It may seems like I’m scratching underneath the surface with this review but that’s because there’s so much AURA here that I don’t want to spoil it for anyone that is curious to see Project Hail Mary this weekend. Not necessarily because there’s any game changing spoilers to be found (outside of the obvious elephant in the room) but because I want your experience to be as fresh and surprising as it was for me.
Project Hail Mary is sci-fi, adaptions, and cinema as it’s absolute best! It’s able to find the best of every possible world that it can and is able to stand strong on any merit that you chose to measure it with. I can nitpick about there being one or two many “funny” scenes and the way the film continuously teases what ending pathway it will chose to take by the end of Act Two and leading into Act Three is a tad jarring but when a film is this well put together, entertaining, and filled with so much optimism despite taking place in a literal dying Earth, how can you let ANY kind of flaw distract you from everything else?!
This will likely go down as one of the best films of the year, an early frontrunner for Best Picture at Next Year’s Academy Awards, and proof that cinema in Hollywood can evolve without the need of a Marvel superhero or a remake of an animated film from 30 years ago to carry theaters for the future. It’s become rarer every day to recommend a film that fully justifies the $15 to $20 ticket price but Project Hail Mary is exactly that!
You ever seen that meme that says “Never Kill Yourself”? I like to imagine the person that came up with that meme was describing the experience of watching Project Hail Mary!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna pre-order the novel now!
There is a lot of bad stuff going on in the world right now. The US is at war with Iran, gas prices and electricity bills are skyrocketing like crazy, AI is cutting people’s jobs at an alarming rate, Access Hollywood just got cancelled, the government is covering up creepy people right in front of your eyes thinking that nobody is noticing, and we are just one bubble burst away from a global recession like we’ve never seen before. However, instead of having a serious conversation on anyone one of these deadly serious topics (especially in regards to Access Hollywood being cancelled), we are throwing a fit over what Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet recently just said in regards to ballet and opera. Not only has this statement gone so haywire, it has caused so much controversy that it might just cost Mr. Chalamet an Academy Award for his star-turning role in Marty Supreme at the Oscars this Sunday. And let me tell you, this is all dumb as s**t!
In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, Timothée Chalamet recently made a comment in regards to ballet and opera and how he believes that’s an art form that “no one cares about anymore”. A few weeks ago, he sat down in a interview with CNN and Variety with Matthew McConaughey (who he co-starred with in 2014’s Interstellar, the second major film he ever stared in). In that discussion about preserving cinema as an art form, Mr. Chalamet and McConaughey talked about the importance of keeping the theatrical experience alive, which the former has done with recent box office smash hits such as Wonka, Dune/Dune: Part Two, and Marty Supreme.
He was quoted saying, “I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theaters alive, we’ve gotta keep this genre alive,’ and another part of me feels like if people want to see it, like Barbie, like Oppenheimer, they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it.”
However, it’s the very next comment that Chalamet chose to follow up on that has got on everyone’s nerves. He then compared trying to save the theatrical experience of film and cinema to that of trying to save the theatrical experience of ballet and opera.
The Academy Award nominee went on to say, “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore,’” he says with a laugh. “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there … I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason.”
And that has caused everyone and their mother to initiate outrage culture like no other mainstream related thing in recent memory, at least since Mr. Tarantino decided to take shots at Paul Dino and Matthew Lillard for no reason (Seriously, WTF Quentin?!?! Shut up and make your final film already!).
Never mind the fact that he IMMEDIATELY followed up that comment with a jab at himself, knowing he spoke a bit too harshly there. Never mind the fact that Mr. Chalamet has come from a dance family (his mother and sister went to the School of American Ballet), grew up in Manhatten Plaza (a special residence for artists and dancers), and probably knows more about ballet and opera than over half the people on the internet. Never mind the fact about at least 75% of folks that are triggered by this can’t even recall the last time they have ever sat through a ballet or opera from beginning to end. Never mind the fact that there are MANY others issues going on right now in the entertainment industry and real world that are worth having serious discussions over. It’s this one distinct moment that has everyone stepping up to the plate in the hopes of hitting enough dingers to take down Timothée Chalamet’s time of fame and possibly his Oscar along with him. And I can’t not believe we are all making one big effing deal out of all of this!
I will say straight up front that I don’t love what Timothée said here. It’s not wise to take poke fun at another art form when the art form that you are a part of is currently struggling mightily with a future that is very clouded. While I do appreciate he took a jab at himself for making comments that he had to have known would get blown out WAY of proportions, it’s not smart to insert juicy, click-bating quotes like that in this day and age that we live in, especially when you are in the middle of Oscar season. However, I still can’t say he’s 100% in the wrong here.
Don’t get me wrong, I have NOTHING against ballet and opera! It makes for a very fine art form and for very fine entertainment when you need to take your mind off the rest of the world. And it’s not even that it’s on life support in the same way the film industry is. It’s just not as relevant to our mainstream culture has it once was. Before tomatoes get thrown at me, let me explain.
Outside of big film adaptions of theater such as Hamilton or In The Heights, can anyone tell me the last time that ballet and opera have existed in the same bubble as film and television? When was the last time that both of these particular art forms have existed side-by-side and was view directly under it’s own merits as oppose to each other? When was the last time that both of these art forms were held to the exact same standards about preserving their futures? And most importantly, when was the last time that one of these art forms was seen as more alive than other or even considered alive and well at all? I don’t think I know the answer to these questions and I don’t think YOU do either.
There is a lot of compare and contrasting about the niche appeal of ballet and opera and film and cinema. While we tend to see a popular clip or two of either one of these art forms in the realms of TikTok and Twitter along with plenty of well-informed insiders and elite perceptions of these two particular mediums, it’s very hard to tell how each one of these art forms can exist in it’s own vacuums now in the same way they were able to in the past. Ballet and opera and film and cinema need to thrive in ways that only they themselves can for these art forms to evolve and not in ways that can compliment one another. And I think Chalamet knows this.
As I mentioned before, Timothée comes from a dance family. He has a mother and sister that went to ballet school, he grew up in a plaza that is very complimentary of artists, talent, and dancers, and he probably has plenty of experience of his own in this particular art form. I am certain he knows the ins and outs of that industry and how different it is compared to the film industry. He knows how he can help one art form preserve in troubled times and not so much the other. Because of that, he is taking upon himself to help uplift the art form that only he can do and NOT the art form which he can’t.
Ballet and opera is thriving under it’s own sphere. And if Chalamet’s background is any indication, I’m pretty confident he believes so too. However, just like many traditional media forms over the past decade such as film, television, and radio, it is NOT what it used to be and Timothée has taken notice of it. Not in the sense that he’s trying to be rude but is trying to be brutally honest. And as we’ve seen from time to time, the truth can sting quite a bit, especially when we hear it out loud.
If you disagree with what Timothée Chalamet said, you are welcome to disagree! However, it is NOT worth the outrage that it has gather over the past couple of weeks. We have far bigger issues to deal with in terms of entertainment and quite frankly the world that we should be able to move on from what was a rather tone-deaf quote and put the focus on something that actually matters.
And if you really believe ballet and opera is thriving in ways that I or Mr. Chalamet can’t see, then feel free to spread the word on how amazing the art form is. Go to as many different showings as you can, tell your friends and family about it, spread the word on social media, and have this motivate you to make ballet and opera the best and most well-known art form that it can possibly be. Make every hater eat their words and make them look like the most foolish people ever!
That being said, this is NOT worth all the discourse it has gotten over one guy’s opinion of the state of ballet and opera. And as much as I loved Michael B Jordan in Sinners, if this really ends up costing Timothée the Academy Award on Sunday, then all actors might need to just not a say a single word during awards season. Because ANYTHING you say can be held against you in the court of the Academy! And unfortunately, you will NOT have the right to attorney in this case!
Today is Mar10 day, A.K.A. Mario Day! Because of that, why not celebrate this lovely day by sharing my top 10 personal favorite Mario games?!
I’ve always been a fan of Mario! When I was kid, the first ever gaming system I got from my parents was the original Gameboy and the first game they got for me with it was a remastered version of Super Mario World. Mario has no doubt been a top tier gaming franchise since the beginning and is what got me into gaming as a whole.
This was quite a tricky list to pull off just because of how there are SO many ridiculously good Mario games they are. I do want to make a disclaimer that this list will in fact include any game that Mario himself was attached to outside of Super Smash Bros. This list will not only refer to the main installment of the series but also spin-offs such as Mario Kart, Mario Party,Paper Mario, etc. I didn’t just want to do a ranking on strictly the main series of games or spin-offs, I wanted to list all of my favorite Mario-related games at once. Without further a do, let’s get into this list starting with the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
Mario Party 64
Spoiler alert: This is the only Mario Party game mentioned. This is just the one I remember having the most fun with friends and family. I never owned a Nintendo 64 myself but I do remember going to my aunt’s house who had one and would always play the Mario games she had with it. Nothing like having a blast playing this with everybody while laughing, screaming, and just having the best time imaginable. Just don’t play these games too much with your friends or else you’ll regret it! And I may or may not be speaking from experience.
Mario Kart 64
One of the more iconic Mario Kart games and an absolute fan favorite. This was the first kart game in the series to be fully 3D which allowed players to play as their favorite Mario characters in a 3D world. This introduces some of the very best tracks such as Rainbow Road and Bowser’s Castle and gives you that full sense of nostalgia whenever you play it. Not quite the best Mario Kart game in the series but it nevertheless, deserves a mention.
Paper Mario
The first installment in another successful spin-off in the franchise, Paper Mario acts as the plumber’s first jump into the world RPGs. With a great supporting cast, a creative battle system, and a ton of fun features added, this makes for a really strong start for one of the better RPG series out there. Some aspects of the game are dated and it’s not quite my favorite one but it’s still very good nonetheless.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Hard to believe this game is already over 10 years! I didn’t get to play this game until it came to the Switch in 2021. While this is not the best Mario game, you can certainly make the argument that it’s one of the more “fun” ones. This is the one that would introduce one of the most fun power-ups in all of Mario with the catsuit allowing you to climb walls and use a scratch attack. It’s also nice to have Princess Peach be a playable character this time around who joins Luigi and Toad to save the day and not just be a simply damsel in distress. The only thing holding it back is perhaps the level design being too easy and simplistic without not much challenge. Also, Bowser’s Fury is fine….just fine.
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
What this? Another successful RPG that happens to have Mario characters in it? You shouldn’t have! While it’s not quite the most well know Mario game out there, it’s definitely one that deserves your attention. The gameplay is fun, the dialogue is hilarious, the graphics are good for a Gameboy game, and the music is just fantastic. Not sure what more that needs to be said. If you can find a copy of it, go ahead and try it out.
Luigi Mansion’s Dark Moon
I’ve never played the original or even the third game but this game along with the series itself makes for a very intriguing one for Mario’s lovable younger brother, Luigi. There’s something so genius about creating a game where Luigi has to navigate through a haunted mansion and face his greatest fears, that being ghosts. A really entertaining action-adventure game all around that provides a very unique spin and giving Luigi the perfect spotlight to shine. I’ll be sure to play the other two games at some point.
Mario Kart DS
The Mario Kart game that basically made the blue turtle shell the bane of my existence is still one I have a lot of fond memories for it. Whether it’s playing on my own with racing tournaments and minigames or playing against my friends and cousins, there is not one Mario Kart I always enjoy playing through with a group of my pals or family members. Even if it’s not quite my favorite Mario Kart game and it won’t be until a few other games down the line that would be able to fully utilized the elements which this game help start, Mario Kart DS is still one of my favorite kart game in the series.
Super Mario Bros. 3/Super Mario Galaxy 2
Probably will be my biggest hot takes as I know these are two of the most beloved games in the franchise. I acknowledge them both as being two very good games that are perhaps a tad overrated, mostly because it retreads the same ground as it’s predecessors, not feeling as fresh as the originals, and at times feeling more like Super Mario Bros 2.5 and Super Mario Galaxy 1.5. These are still really good games and better than most other gaming sequels out there but I do think it falls short when it came to pushing their perspective series forward and instead just put it in neutral. While that’s not enough to ruin either game, it is enough to prevent it from being on the top 10.
Now, here we go to the main top 10!
10.) Super Mario Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is another superb and quality Mario game, making for perhaps the plumber’s finest 2D outing since at least New Super Mario Bros Wii. It’s able to expand on it’s level design, worlds, and power ups further than any prior 2D Mario game while acting as one that can stand perfectly on it’s own two feet.
The levels are fast paced and fun, all characters are a delight to play as, the music is amazing, the graphics are beautiful, the new voice cast does a find job, and the Wonder Flower power-up stands out as one of the best and most unique power-ups in any Mario game. Even the difficulty spikes to certain levels/challenges along with the often repetitive level theme that constantly plays throughout isn’t enough to bring this game down in any way.
I don’t know why it took Nintendo this long to put out a new and fresh 2D Mario game or just a new Mario game in general but it was absolutely worth the wait. Even I can’t live to see the next true 3D Mario Game that is the successor to Super Mario Odyssey, I can at least say I had Super Mario Bros. Wonder which will make me die not only happy but trippy!
9.) Mario Kart: Double Dash
This might be seen as the oddest entry on this list but I can’t help having completely fond memories of Mario Kart: Double Dash. One of the Mario Kart games that tend to get the most short shrift happens to be one of my favorite ones in the series.
The two-driver gimmicks was a genius idea and helped introduce a new layer of strategy as you switch between characters and juggle items, the courses themselves are greats, and the fully 3D models were able to translated very well for the first time. There’s just a certain way this game sticks out compare to the other kart games that just appeals to me for some reason.
I’m not gonna say it’s overflowing with new ideas but Mario Kart: Double Dash is an absolute gem that offers some of the best gameplay mechanics and strategies in the series. I can honestly see this one getting a cult following if it hasn’t already. If it has, then I can gladly say I’ve been on this game’s side since the very beginning! Rock on, Double Dash!
8.) Super Mario 3D Land
Being the one main Mario game made exclusively for the 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land still holds up strongly as being one of the most purely entertaining Mario titles. This entry brings the right amount of entertainment and challenge with it’s uniquely designed, bite-sized Mario levels and being loaded with intriguing content and extras.
It was also nice to have a game based off of a handheld system that was able to add in levels designed for 3D gameplay along with a handful of retro-style levels in 2.5D. (Although I NEVER would use the actually 3D features to save my life on the Nintendo 3DS!) The platforming shines, it looks great, the sound is a treat for the ears, and it’s able to be fairly challenging without ever being to frustrating due to poor game design.
While there definitely can be a strong debate among many if this is truly the best handled Mario adventure, Super Mario 3D Land is one very fun and enjoyable title that should be a must-have for anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS.
7.) Paper Mario: A Thousand Year Door
While the original Paper Mario is certainly more iconic, there’s not a single game in this series that was able to execute it’s RPG formula in the best possibly way with The Thousand-Year Door. If you take everything that worked about the previous Paper Mario games, trimmed down the things that didn’t work, and add in fresh and new elements of it’s own to give itself a true identity, this is basically what you get.
It’s a lively, colorful adventure filled with exciting battle systems, fun gameplay, clever callbacks and references, and being able to stand well as it’s own unique thing in the series compared to Mario’s other platformers. From the story to the battles to the core gameplay to the core presentation, it’s able to get everything right about a Paper Mario adventure.
I don’t know how much of a hot take it will be to have this in the Top 10 and not the original Paper Mario but sorry to those that disagree because The Thousand-Year Door is my definite Paper Mario game.
6.) New Super Mario Bros Wii
The Wii edition to the somewhat controversial New Super Mario Bros series is far in a way the best of these batch. While nostalgia might play a factor into that (And to be fair how could it NOT?!), it’s able to make best use of taking traditional Mario levels and zones of old and remaking them to feeling something fresh and new.
With brand new power-ups and the introduction of co-op play, New Super Mario Bros Wii is able to provide new and exciting ways for players to enjoy the traditional style of 2D Mario games. While also including some of the best boss fights and music in the whole series, it makes for another colorful and fun adventure that will bring joy to anyone playing it.
It’s far from being the most “original” Mario game and maybe it could have benefitted from just being Super Mario Bros 4 to save face, or at least not having the word “New” from the title. Even so, regardless if you are playing this game by yourself or with a group of friends, New Super Mario Bros Wii is still a blast all these years later!
5.) Super Mario 64
When it comes to the Mario game that had the biggest impact on 3D platformers, very little would argue that Super Mario 64 is what helped set the golden standard of exactly that. Being the very first Mario game to be fully 3D, everything about Mario 64 just screams fun, adventure, excitement, and nostalgia.
I’ve played multiple versions of this game and every one of them provided me with the exact same experience. The level design is top notch, the environments are perfectly translated into 3D, the controls, while at times stiff, does feel about as good as it could be for one of the very first 3D platforming games ever made, the hub worlds are addicting and fun to explore, and the soundtrack is so beautiful that it’ll make you want to cry.
While there are certain elements of the game that are dated such as the graphics, character models, and wonky camera, I don’t think Nintendo could have made a better start to Mario in the 3D world if they tried. Even to this day, I still have the theme of Princess Peach’s castle living rent free in my head.
4.) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
If you wanna see a kart racer that is able to offer just about everything with immense satisfaction, this is how to do it. While the original Mario Kart 8 released on the Wii U in 2014, it was eventually able to get a remastered version on the Switch which many would argue makes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the definite version of Mario Kart 8 but the very best Mario Kart game to date!
From the breathtaking advanced graphics to the fantastic track design to the rose gallery of nearly every notable Mario character ever, it’s able to give you anything you could ever want in a Mario Kart game and so much more. It doesn’t matter if you are playing single player or multiplayer, offline or online, race mode or battle mode, the main game or the DLC, there is not a single instance where the game is a chore to play.
Not only is this far in a way the best Mario Kart game but there’s even an argument of this being one of the best kart racing games out there. It’s able to take everything fans have loved about the previous Mario Kart games and is able to add in plenty of old and new elements to make this basically the top-tier Mario Kart experience. I can not recommend this game enough to anyone who is a Mario fan or a fan of good racing games.
3.) Super Mario World
The very first Mario game I ever played was bound to make this list one way or the other but I strongly believe Super Mario World represents the very best of Mario in 2D form. As someone who respects the old 2D Mario games than he truly loves them, this is the one exception where I feel it’s reputation perfectly matches it’s quality.
The gameplay is fast and tight with plenty of thrills and difficulties that greatly rewards speed runners for superb memorization. It’s able to build upon the framework that Super Mario Bros. 3 did and expanded upon it and made it arguably even better than before. The overworld map is much bigger with more power-ups to unlock and challenges to try out, each level contains multiple different paths and exits that always enhances replay value, every single secret/reveal/place/level/world is always interesting to explore, and it has my boy Yoshi to go along with it.
While I still mostly prefer Mario in 3D as that allows for more freedom and expansion with each game, Super Mario World shows 2D Mario at his absolute best. No matter which version you play, you will always be in for quite a ride. Thank you Super Mario World for not just getting me into Mario but getting me into gaming in general.
2.) Super Mario Galaxy
If you want the Mario game that shows when the series became at it’s very best in terms of the sheer amount of scope, wonder and creativity, that would be Super Mario Galaxy. For the longest of time this was my favorite Mario game and the fact this is only number two on the list should not discredit the fact that this is a truly fantastic game.
Taking the direction of levels from worlds to galaxies was a brilliant movie, with tons of planets and open space for you to explore in. Each area of each galaxy you visits offers plenty of enjoyable challenges that help pushed the limits of what the Wii hardware could possibly do. It’s the kind of game that even after you beat the main story, you will wanna go back to 100% the whole thing and feel truly rewarded by the end. Throw in a beautiful orchestral soundtrack, impressive visuals that looks great even for the Wii, and the introduction of instant fan-favorite Rosalina, you got a geninuely terrific Super Mario experience.
While some might argue that Super Mario Galaxy 2 did this style of gameplay better, I still believe the original is the superior game as it felt more fresh, creative, and helped set the brilliant foundation for 3D Mario games going forward. I can not praise this game enough!
1.) Super Mario Odyssey
I’m probably gonna have some online buddies that are gonna fundamentally disagree with me on nearly every single level here but Super Mario Odyssey is to date my favorite Mario game! When it comes to that one Mario game that not only hits every single beat that I want it too but it does all with an absolute exclamation point, I can’t think of any Mario game that does that better than Super Mario Odyssey.
This works greatly as not just the perfect culmination of everything the Mario franchise has built up to this point but it evens works as a near perfect game that stands greatly on it’s own. The level design, whether it’s familiar or original, is superb in every sense of the world, the gameplay despite introducing so many elements at the same time all blend together beautifully without ever feeling disjointed or loose, the new worlds that are introduce is able to translate greatly to Mario and the characters, the new hat mechanic works like wonders, the boss fights absolute triumph, it’s gorgeous to look at, the soundtrack is one of the catchiest I’ve ever listen to, the story is one of the better ones in the series, and it has some of the best replay value out of any game I’ve ever played. It also has one of the funniest endings to a game I’ve played in recent memory. Seriously, if you did not at least chuckle at the end, you have no sense of humor!
I have wondered why Nintendo hasn’t bother to releasing a new and original Mario game since this one came out but I’ve come to believe because the bar this game set is so high that it will be nearly impossible to top it in the future. While I still look forward to anything Mario related in the future, I’m not sure how Nintendo will ever be able to top this one. Super Mario Odyssey is able to deliver on every single Mario goodies you can possibly imagine and something even more than that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna jam to Jump Up, Super Star!
Happy Mar10 day and look forward to my review of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie when it comes out next month!
There’s a line in Hoppers that is quite the eye roller. You might’ve already seen it in the trailers but it’s when the two doctors, Sam and Nisha, explain to Mabel, the main protagonist, what the actual concept of Hoppers is suppose to be. And it’s during that moment where Mabel says how the concept of a human using sci-fi tech to transferring themselves into a nocturnal animal in the hopes of forming a relationship within the inhabits of a forest and preventing a demise of that said forest from the government is just like the movie, Avatar! It’s in that moment where you think you know which movie you are getting with Hoppers because the film directly tells you it! And for the first half of Pixar’s latest original, that is basically the movie you get.
Yes, we get to see the main protagonist’s hivemind be transported into that of a realistic beaver robot. Yes, we get to see to see the main protagonist interacted with other beavers and animals among an enchanted forest, which she realizes they are all just as human as her. And yes, we get to see a town’s government try to destroy that forest in favor of their own personal wants and needs for that forest. While that is all competently done in an entertaining enough way, it’s when the second half comes around and pulls the rug from underneath you (everyone will know EXACTLY the moment that I am talking about) that Hoppers fully forms into it’s own unique identity. And that identity makes it the best Avatar movie since well…...Avatar. And even then, it might just be better than that!
Hoppers is a showcase of what happens with Pixar allows themselves to let loose and forge their own path to creativity. The film has it’s own distinct animation style that compliments the storytelling without it being too overbearing or “in your face”, the characters are all likeable with their own relatable goals that anyone can get behind, it’s easily among the funniest Pixar movie in years, and despite prior reports of Disney’s efforts to downplay the themes of environmentalism, it’s able to get that exact message across in as much of a profound way as Pixar was able to in 2008 with Wall-E. It may take it’s time in getting to that exact point in the ways that it was intend but the pay-off by the latter half makes it all the more worth it.
Premise: When scientists discover a way to transform human consciousness into robotic animals, Mabel (Piper Curda) uses the new technology to uncover mysteries of the animal world that are beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
Hoppers is an animated feature with a lot on it’s mind, not so much interested in pushing itself in one certain directions but multiple, imaginative directions. Director Daniel Chong is able to explore the wonders of it’s premise, trying to create a world with logical problems that ben solved with the most logical answers imaginable. We see that perfectly through the main protagonist Mabel, a college girl who is fighting for animal and environmental rights, who wants to make a positive change in her hometown. However, as the film constantly states over and over again, it’s not as easy as it seems because the world itself isn’t one for solving logical problems with logical answers.
As much as Hoppers makes it’s case of being a story about optimism and unity, it’s not naive. It’s able to have that right brain in it’s head throughout the actions made by the characters without needing to contradicts itself to get it’s point across (Alyas, Raya and the Last Dragon!) A good example of this is with the character of King George (Bobby Moynihan), the leader of the beaver monarch. King George is someone that believes that everyone is a good person deep down, something which Mabel clearly disagrees with because of her past experiences with people. As much as she wants to be on King George’s side, she can’t because she know deep down that the ideal world that King George has in his head doesn’t exist. There’s a difference between an idealist and being a realist (something which a certain silver hedgehog from another certain franchise led by furry animal can attest to).
However, just because everyone can’t be a good person doesn’t mean you can at least change who they are if you work hard to do just that. Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) may seem like a one-sided greedy mayor on the service but allow him to see a different perspective on the way things function and how it affects others and it might just lead him down a much better path than he expected. It’s further proof on how Hoppers isn’t just a story about how everyone should be kind and good-hearted when they are not but some might just be able to when they are given the perspective of someone from the “other side”, or in this case….a beaver.
This is basically what makes Hoppers a distinct animated parallel to that of Avatar, and in many ways is a better film than any of the three hugely successfully but ridiculously expensive sci-fi opera adventures. While James Cameron was able to use the premise of a human being leaping into the body of another species to tell a story of a man going against the grain of his own kind in favor of helping out an indigenous tribe, Hoppers uses that exact same premise to tell a more complicated and layer story about an interloper who wants to make a positive impact on a community and have it lead to the best of both worlds for both her kind and the endangered animals she is trying to save.
When it comes to the other aspects as well, Hoppers is still quite rock solid. While the animation style won’t be to everyone’s taste (especially if the “civil” reaction to the animation style of Turning Red had anything to go by), it has enough novelty in it’s own cartoony style that benefits the way it tells it story in ways that are both funny and effective. The voice cast is quite strong, with Piper Curda and Jon Hamm being the main standouts as the main protagonist and antagonist respectively, with other worthy work done by the likes of Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, and Merryl Steep respectively. And despite having plenty of moments of levity, emotion, and even some shock value (again you will know EXACTLY the one turning point scene I’m talking about, it’s able to have a perfectly controlled tone that never contradicts one scene or the other. Oh, and it’s ALWAYS nice to hear SZA’s voice when doing music.
I won’t said that Hoppers is an instant Pixar masterpiece on par with the likes of Up,Inside Out, Coco, or Soul. As I said, the film takes a while to get it’s engine going, playing like the standard “human turns into animal” premise the trailers depicted it as along with one or two cringeworthy lines about how aware and “meta” it is of the kind of premise it is taking inspiration off. It’s once things are put into place and the film starts throwing more twists and personal dilemmas into it’s conflicts that the film become more than meets the eyes. It’s a film you have to be patient wait but I assure you, your patience will be awarded by the halfway point.
After last year’s Elio, it seemed like Pixar was no longer able to make original and thought-provoking animated films with a distinct message of it’s own without it getting gutted like a fish by the higher-ups of Mickey Mouse. However, Hoppers, seems to prove otherwise. It’s prove that Pixar is still allowed to make original films that are smart, wacky, funny, complex, and enough relatable and charm that it might just become a hit among mainstream audiences. While it might fall just short of a classic, Hoppers is prove that perhaps we can make a difference! Enough said!
It’s been several weeks since the latest Super Bowl match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots! Just like I did at the end of the World Series last year, I’m gonna rank each and every Super Bowl match-up that has occurred since 2000!
For a few disclaimers, I will be referring to each Super Bowl that was played in the exact year that it did and NOT based on the regular season from a month prior of that Super Bowl match! Because of that, I will also include the Super Bowl match-up that took place in February 2000 between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans, even if those teams are based on a regular season that took place in 1999!
Also, since I’ve been making people wait long enough for this and wanted to get this piece out before March rolls around, I’m just gonna get straight to the point with each Super Bowl match-up! Just a sentence or two summary about how each SB went down and why they are placed where they are! This might change in the future if I’m still doing these rankings but for now, keeping it brief!
Let’s get right now to it!
27.) 2014- Super Bowl XLVIII- Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos
Champion: Seattle Seahawks
Score: 43-8
MVP: Malcolm Smith, Linebacker
About as uninteresting and as much of a blowout as you could imagine for a Super Bowl event! What was expected to be a tight match-up between two highly competitive teams between the Seahawks and Broncos ended up being a laugher, leading to Seattle’s first ever SB crown! This was a game that was over from the very start and lacked any suspense of any kind!
26.) 2026- Super Bowl LX- Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots
Champions: Seattle Seahawks
Score: 43-8
MVP: Kenneth Walker III, Running Back
Sadly, the 2nd SB victory from the Seahawks wasn’t a whole lot better. Going up against a young Patriots team who cakewalked their way to success thanks to having the easiest regular season schedule in over 20 years, this was expected to be a steamroller for Seattle and we got exactly that. New England did make some fireworks in the 4th quarter, which does keep it from being dead last, but they were simply no match for Seattle, who was bare none the superior team in every way.
25.) 2001- Super Bowl XXXV- Baltimore Ravens vs New York Giants
Champion: Baltimore Ravens
Score: 34-7
MVP: Ray Lewis, Linebacker
It’s nice to see Baltimore achieve ANY kind of sport success this century but their matchup against the Giants was quite a sleeper. Baltimore’s defensive lines absolutely dominated New York, leading Ray Lewis to winning the MVP, and the offense did just enough damage whenever it could to take away any kind of advantage for their opponent. Unfortunately for the Giants, Eli had yet to show up to help get them a ring.
24.) 2003-Super Bowl XXXVII- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Oakland Raiders
Champions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Score: 48-21
MVP: Dexter Jackson, Safety
Infamous known as the “Jon Gruden Bowl”, Chucky, A.K.A. the head coach of the Bucs, ended up beating his former team in the Raiders, demolishing them in every single aspect of play. It was more of the behind the scenes drama that took the spotlight here than the actual game itself.
23.) 2021-Super Bowl LV- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Champions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Score: 31-9
MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback
What was expected to be an absolute dream match between young Patrick Mahomes and grandpa Tom Brady turned out to be quite a snoozer! If somehow you weren’t tried of Mr. Brady winning half a dozen SBs in New England, you get to see him do it again for the 7th and final time in just one year with Tampa Bay! Oh, and this also happened to take place during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a half-filled crowd and more people watching the match-up alone through their streaming devices than actual television with their friends and families.
22.) 2025- Super Bowl LIX- Philadelphia Eagles vs Kansas City Chiefs
Champions: Philadelphia Eagles
Score: 40-22
MVP: Jalen Hurts, Quarterback
After a devastating SB loss just two years prior, Philly was able to get their revenge against KC, with an absolute dominant performance from QB and MVP Jalen Hurts! The Eagles defensive exposed a deeply flawed and aged offensive lines that had plagued the chiefs all season, securing Philly a championship they had been so desperately craving in recent years. Despite best efforts from Mahomes and Kelece, the Chiefs didn’t stand a chance this time around!
21.) 2019- Super Bowl LIII- New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams
Champions: New England Patriots
Score: 13-3
MVP: Julian Edelman, Wide Receiver
While this is easily among the most boring Super Bowls of this century, it still gets some credit from the incredible defensive lines from both New England and LA, which kept it a close game the whole way through. However, when you don’t score a touchdown until the last quarter and no points are on the scoreboard for a good chunk of the game, you don’t get much love from mainstream audiences! Oh, this also ended up being the last SB for New England through their near 20-year long dynasty!
20.) 2007- Super Bowl XLI- Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears
Champions: Indianapolis Colts
Score: 29-17
MVP: Peyton Manning
Talk about a game that started off in shock, giving Chicago all the hope and momentum in the world and then just…..died. After a magical kickoff return from Devin Hester, things went downhill from there for his team. The Colts under Mr. Manning was able to bounce back from a rocky start, taking advance of a sloppy and messy game from the Bears’ point of view. It’s like watching a perfect teaser trailer for a movie and then you watch the movie itself and it….kinda sucks.
19.) 2006- Super Bowl XL -Pittsburgh Steelers vs Seattle Seahawks
Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
Score: 21-10
MVP: Hines Ward, Wide Receiver
Ah yes! The one time where Pittsburgh was able to BS their way to a Super Bowl ring, more thanks to Refball and questionable calls rather than anything the Steelers or even Seahawks actually did on the field. Guess it’s time to take a ride on the Yinzermobile! *YINZER MODE ACTIVIATED*
18.) 2016- Super Bowl 50- Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers
Champions: Denver Broncos
Score: 24-10
MVP: Von Miller, Linebacker
Peyton Manning was able to end his career on a high note by helping the Broncos win their lone Super Bowl of the century! However, the real star here has to go to Von Miller, helping keep the Panthers defense in check and letting the offense do their business!
17.) 2010- Super Bowl XLIV- New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts
Champions: New Orleans Saints
Score: 31-17
MVP: Drew Brees, Quarterback
A super talented QB like Drew Brees had to grab at least ONE Super Bowl throughout his impressive career and he was able to do that for the Saints against the Colts! After a shaky first half, the onside kick by Sean Payton to kick off (no pun intended) the second half gave New Orleans all the momentum they need for their magical SB run! That in of itself knocks it up to around middle-of-the-pack!
16.) 2011- Super Bowl XLV- Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Champions: Green Bay Packers
Score: 31-25
MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback
Speaking of super talented QBs (at least ON the field) that deserves a ring, Aaron Rodgers was able to get the job done here for the Packs against Benny Boy and the Steelers, securing his legacy in Green Bay with the likes of Brett Favre and Bart Starr.
15.) 2020- Super Bowl LIV- Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers
Champions: Kansas City Chiefs
Score: 31-20
MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback
Back when the Chiefs were lovable underdogs that people wanted to see win, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid were able to secure their first Super Bowl ring in come from behind fashion in a solid and dramatic game. 49ers fans still probably don’t what the heck was going through the players’ heads in the 4th quarter and Shannon still continues to be the meme of the NFL!
14.) 2005- Super Bowl XXXIX- New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles
Champions: New England Patriots
Score: 24-21
MVP: Deion Branch, Wide Receiver
Any doubt of the New England Patriots NOT being a dynasty was put to rest here. Tom Brady was able to win his third Bowl in just four years, confirming that the Patriots were indeed the evil empire of the NFL! While Reid and the Eagles were left with disappointment, little did they know that they would find their own level of SB success later on down the road.
13.) 2004- Super Bowl XXXVIII- New England Patriots vs Carolina Panthers
Champions: New England Patriots
Score: 32-29
MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback
Damn, I’m ALREADY tired of talking about the Patriots and Tom Brady but here we go again! This was quite a tight match-up that made everyone thought it would go to overtime for the first time ever in a Super Bowl! But of course, Brady and company were able to take good care of business. Just how many more Super Bowls with Brady and the Patriots do we got here?!?!
12.) 2018- Super Bowl LII- Philadelphia Eagles vs New England Patriots
Champions: Philadelphia Eagles
Score: 41-33
MVP: Nick Foles- Quarterback
Welp, here we go again with the Patriots AND Eagles?! However, this time around, Philly was able to come through, with one of higher scoring SB match-ups this century. Despite Tom Brady’s impressive performance at throwing over 500 yards, he was still no match for backup Nick Foles, who won MVP and led the Eagles to their first-ever Lombardi trophy!
11.) 2023- Super Bowl LVII- Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles
Champions: Kansas City Chiefs
Score: 38-35
MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback
Easily the better of the two SB matchups between KC and Philly, Mahomes was able to throw the game of his life despite playing with a near broken ankle in 2023. A very tight and competitive that was decided by a last minute field goal and controversial ref ball, the latter of which is the main reason why this was kept out of being in the top 10! This victory for the Chiefs proved that 2020 was no fluke and that KC was indeed a legit threat to the rest of the NFL!
10.) 2022- Super Bowl LVI- Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals
Champions: Los Angeles Rams
Score: 23-20
MVP: Cooper Kupp, Wide Reciever
This SB came super close to being a great underdog story for Cincy but unfortunately, the LA version of the Rams were just too good to put away! Putting aside the completely utter contempt for the owner of the LA Rams, this was a likable bunch that came together to win a tight game that could have gone either way from both angles. Maybe next time Bengals!
9.) 2012- Super Bowl XLVI- New York Giants vs New England Patriots
Champions: New York Giants
Score: 21-17
MVP: Eli Manning, Quarterback
Speaking of underdog NFL teams making it to the Super Bowl, good little Eli was able to lead his New York Giants to a swift and decisive against the stormtroopers from New England in 2012! They defied expectations and prevented Brady and Belichick from getting their fourth ring at the time. While not quite as satisfying as that OTHER super bowl match-up victory against the Pats, this was still a very tight and rewarding game all around.
8.) 2013- Super Bowl XLVII- Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers
Champions: Baltimore Ravens
Score: 34-31
MVP: Joe Flacco, Quarterback
Here’s a match-up that had a little bit of everything. From personal family drama to shocking twists to numerous points on the board to even a power outage, the “Harb-Bowl” made for one of the more intriguing Super Bowls of this century. Despite all of the sports odds from Baltimore throughout the past 25+ years, they were able to make lightning strike twice by snatching another SB victory!
7.) 2000- Super Bowl XXXIV- St. Louis Rams vs Tennessee Titans
Champions: St. Louis Rams
Score: 23-16
MVP: Kurt Warner, Quarterback
Before they were forced back to LA due to crappy ownership, the Rams were able to grab a Super Bowl ring at St. Louis with an absolutely nail biter of a finish! Kurt Warner was able to rise to super stardom with an amazing underdog story, leading a Super Bowl that still is quite a classic! I’m sure Titans fans still cringe in horror of being a yard short from tying the game, LITERALLY!
6.) 2009- Super Bowl XLIII- Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals
Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
Score: 27-23
MVP: Santonio Holmes, Wide Receiver
In what has been the only Super Bowl that the Arizona Cardinals have played in, they gave it all they hard but not enough to beat the Steelers! Kurt Warner was able to beat Father Time and put together a heroic effort but not enough to beat Benny boy and Santonio Holmes to victory! This was a solid back-and-forth effort from both sides that Pittsburgh was able to come out on top on! Definitely one of the better Super Bowls this century!
5.) 2015- Super Bowl XLIX- New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks
Champions: New England Patriots
Score: 28-24
MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback
Over a decade before we would see a match-up between the two, the prequel to that remains one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory! Seahawks fans are still haunted by the baffling decision towards the tail end to throw the ball at the goal line instead of just running with Marshawn Lynch to win the Super Bowl! For the Patriots, this made for their first Super Bowl victory in a decade, proving that their dynasty still had plenty left in the tank and can defy any kinds of odds..
4.) 2024- Super Bowl LVIII- Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers
Champions: Kansas City Chiefs
Score: 25-22 (OT)
MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback
This might be just two years old but I still stand by the fact this was an instant classic in 2024 and still is now! Only the second Super Bowl match-up to go into overtime, the Chiefs and 49ers gave all they got, delivering the best kind of SB rematch you could possibly ask for. Just like what happened four years prior, San Francisco had a lead but just couldn’t hold it in the final minutes. For the second year in a row, the trio of Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce prevailed, winning their third ring and establishing themselves as the new NFL dynasty. Some might bark about this one being too high on the list but I don’t care, this was a great game altogether!
3.) 2002- Super Bowl XXXVI- New England Patriots vs St. Louis Rams
Champions: New England Patriots
Score: 20-17
MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback
This Super Bowl was quite iconic for two reasons: 1.) it was the first Super Bowl that occurred after 9/11 and 2.) it ended up being the first of many rings won by Brady, Belichick, and the Pats! In a tense game which saw the scrappy underdog Patriots going up against the juggernauts Rams (trying saying that when these two teams faced off again nearly two decades later), New England was able to get the job done, with a final field goal that gave the team their first Super Bowl victory in history and would just the beginning of many successful sport stories in Massachusetts to come!
2.) 2008- Super Bowl XLII- New York Giants vs New England Patriots
Champions: New York Giants
Score: 17-14
MVP: Eli Manning, Quarterback
If there was one person and team that managed to be the kryptonite of Brady and the Pats in the Super Bowl, that would be Eli Manning and the New York Giants! They were able to match every moment against New England, proving that any team didn’t have to simply roll over against the Evil Empire without a fair fight. If we are going by Super Bowl matchups that is favored by the haters of the Patriots, then this would likely be #1. However, if we are talking about Super Bowl matchups overall, then I think you know what #1 really is!
1.) 2017- Super Bowl LI- New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons
Champions: New England Patriots
Score: 34-28
MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback
Regardless of if you view this matchup as being the greatest comeback in sports history or greatest choke in sports history, there is no Super Bowl that even compares to what the NFL scriptwriters cooked up in February 2017! The Atlanta Falcons were up 28-3 and were on their way to crushing Brady and the Pats, securing their first Lombardi trophy in franchise history. But….then, Atlanta repeatedly shot themselves in the foot for the rest of the game, Brady took advantage of literally EVERY single opportunity that the Falcs through at him, and the Patriots pulled off a come from behind victory that is still shocking nearly a decade later! Even if you hate the Patriots or Tom Brady with a burning passion, you can’t deny that there is simply no Super Bowl matchup this century and possibly even all time that compares to this game-flipping masterpiece!
