The movies are back! With long delays and hesitation from crowds to resurface at the theaters, it was unknown when movies would be back. But, with Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings reaching major box office milestones, the movie industry has come roaring back. The return of movies calls for the return of movie reviews.

The Many Saints of Newark

The prequel to the acclaimed television show The Sopranos was one of my most anticipated movies of 2021. With the creator of The Sopranos, David Chase, returning to direct the journey of a young Tony Soprano, under the mentorship of his uncle, Dickie Moltisanti, The Many Saints of Newark was a major opportunity that fell flat. 

The Sopranos is one of the best television shows of all time for its ability to capture the struggles of a family who have a leadership position in the mob world. However, The Many Saints of Newark misses out on this opportunity to expand the familial bonds of the already rich characters by attempting to make the same progress with new characters over a two-hour run-time. The weakest points of the movie are its attempts to imitate Goodfellas or The Godfather. 

One of the things that made the television show very strong even with the influx of mafia-driven stories was that it took place in the early 2000s, a time when the mob’s power was weakening. The Sopranos asked the question, “What does it look like for the mob now?” Yet, the movie takes place in America during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. The correlation becomes diluted because the subject matter of the 1940s to the 1980s had already been covered by the two previously mentioned movies.  

The strongest points of the movie are the nostalgia-driven aspects. Seeing a young Tony Soprano and his mother’s connection throughout certainly helped create a deeper insight into the relationship. This movie won’t ruin the television show for you, but it is simply a weaker entry into the excellence that is The Sopranos. 

The Many Saints of Newark is available in theaters.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

The sequel to the 2018 movie, Venom, is a strong return of the symbiote to the big screen. Starring Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, and Michelle Williams, one wouldn’t think this movie was about two alien monsters fighting against each other. Yet, here we are. 

As someone who was a mild fan of its predecessor, surprisingly,  Venom: Let There Be Carnage is one of the rare movies where the sequel is better than the original. The movie finds the unique rhythm and humor that worked best in the first movie. With a “buddy cop” feel between Eddie Brock and Venom, the movie allows for a more lighthearted feel. The biggest thing going for the movie is the one-hour and 38-minute run-time. Venom’s run-time was two hours and 20 minutes, which left a slower-paced, more vague storyline. In the sequel, the logic is simple. Say something, then do something. 

The movie is far from perfect. It has a generic storyline, basic writing, and average to bad CGI. Yet, the movie benefits by embracing these characteristics. Instead of propping itself up as a “serious film” that has a message about humanity, it understands the silliness that it thrives off . If you enjoyed the first movie, you will certainly be a fan of this one. If, like me, you weren’t a fan of the first movie, you might want to still give it a try. 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is available in theaters. 

Halloween Kills

From one sequel to another,  Halloween Kills is the sequel to Halloween (2018) which is a direct reboot of John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978). Simple enough? 

The original Halloween is one of the most foundational horror movies in history and reinspired the “slasher” horror genre. After many failed reboots and remakes, Halloween (2018) was a direct continuation of the original film, bringing Michael Myers and Laurie Strode to face off once again. Halloween Kills picks up directly after Halloween (2018), and surprise, surprise, Michael Myers is still alive (he seems to make a habit of it). 

Halloween Kills struggles with balancing the Michael Myers’s story with Laurie Strode’s. Halloween (2018) did a very good job of illustrating the trauma that Laurie was struggling with and the fear that still haunted her, which the audience further identified with. This movie, on the other hand, drops the humanity that connects the audience with the characters who are in danger. So although there are certainly a lot of people that die, there are very few victims that have any significant connection to the audience. 

The positives from the movie are that it will certainly make one feel much smarter than everyone in the movie. A trope in horror movies, and certainly present in this case, is that every character makes the worst possible decision. Although the movie doesn’t live up to the original and doesn’t capture the same elements that made its predecessor such an enjoyable watch, Halloween Kills has Michael Myers who will always garner attention, especially since his character captivates everyone. The same product delivers the same terrifying feeling. It’s important to note that Halloween Kills is the middle of the rebooted Halloween trilogy which will conclude next year with Halloween Ends.

Halloween Kills is available to stream on Peacock, and is also available in theaters.

Dune

One of the most anticipated movies of 2021 is also one of the best so far. Dune, based on the book by Frank Herbert, details the science fiction story of the house of Atreides. With a star-studded cast, director Denis Villeneuve, and a major budget, the movie has “wow” factor after “wow” factor. If you are worried that not reading the book will affect your understanding, I can say, as someone who hasn’t read the book, it won’t… at least not towards the end. 

Starting with the negatives, I found that the movie starts slowly. As many Villeneuve films do, it eventually turns into a sprint that takes the audience along for the ride. I went into this movie with absolutely no knowledge of the story. Even after watching the film, I may not be exactly sure what some of the names or politics of the fantasy world mean, but that doesn’t affect the film. There have been enough sci-fi movies that the “patterns” of this genre are understood by the audience. Therefore, even if the audience doesn’t have a deep understanding of the commerce of spice in the world of Dune, the overall message still comes across. 

This movie has been receiving much deserved praise for its cinematography. With immaculate shots that capture both the desert environment where the movie takes place, as well as the futuristic technology that the movie uses, the movie is an A+ film from the end of the first act, to halfway through the third act. The beginning of the film has to create the world and characters which certainly pays off, but those who need background beyond the movie to understand everything may not enjoy this part. The end of the film also is slightly underwhelming considering the scale of the earlier events that occur. 

The title sequence of the film is stated “Dune Part One.” The only issue was that there was no Dune 2 scheduled. It was just announced last week that there will be a Dune 2 and that it will be released in 2023. So it might be important to know this heading into the movie. 

Dune is available to stream on HBO Max, and also is available in theaters. 

October was the biggest month for movies since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Hopefully, it will signify the end of delays and will restart the return to theaters. If you are looking forward to the rest of the year, there are still plenty of major movies releasing soon. In November,  Marvel’s Eternals, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Disney’s Encanto are all set to hit theaters.