Analyzing the Daniel Craig James Bond Film

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

“The name’s Bond, James Bond” is one of the most iconic film lines of all time.  First uttered by Sean Connery in Dr. No, it has been said by more than 6 actors, throughout more than 24 films.  Very few characters have had the lasting impact and staying power that James Bond has had in cinema. Each actor has brought a new element to the long running franchise but Daniel Craig may have made the greatest contribution to the franchise since Sean Connery.

Regardless of what fan theories will have you believe, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan are meant to be the same James Bond.  James Bond isn’t a time lord and the name “James Bond” isn’t meant to be a codename.  While Daniel Craig’s Bond is familiar, he’s not the same man as the others, and in many ways, he can’t be. After Die Another Day was released, and in no small part thanks to the Austin Powers franchise (a very popular James Bond parody), Eon Productions, the production company that owns the rights to Bond, felt that the character should go in another direction. So instead of moving forward with a fifth Pierce Brosnan film, they recast the character and decided to tell the story of how he became 007, with Casino Royale.

Le Chiffree played by Mads Mikkelsen, Felix Leiter played by Jeffrey Wright, Madame Wu played by Tsai Chin and Jame Bond played by Daniel Craig in Casino Royal 2006

Casino Royale was a huge shift for the franchise when it was released in 2006. The film removed much of the tropes that had become a huge staple to the franchise: no over the top gadgets, no over the top action sequences and for the first time since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond fell in love.  For the first time in a long time, James Bond was a more relatable human character.  The producers wanted the film to be more realistic and bring Bond into a post Jason Bourne world.  Just six months before Die Another Day was released, The Bourne Identity redefined the spy genre that had been dominated by James Bond for many decades. Audiences were clearly hungry for this new take on the spy genre and not all that interested in Bond surfing a tidal wave to escape a space laser.

Sean Connery as James Bond in Thunderball 1965

For many years, the Bond franchise were the spy films to beat.  Tons of spy movies tried to copy the Bond formula to no success (The MCU currently sits in a similar place).  In many ways the Mission: Impossible and Kingsman films owe something to James Bond, but what happens when the student surpasses the master?  Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond has been the best received since Sean Connery in the 60s but they have clearly been influenced by other films. For example; The Bourne Trilogy, the last four Mission: Impossible films and, even The Dark Knight.  They all have played a hand in shaping the last four James Bond films.

Javier Bardem and Daniel Craig in Spectre 2015

Much like a long running comic book universe, James Bond had a “sliding scale continuity”, which allowed him to remain the same age for more than 50 years.  Major characters would remain the same (like M or Q), and sometimes they would call back to a previous film adventure. An example like when Roger Moore visited the grave of Bond’s wife who was killed in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  While loose, there was a continuity for long-time fans, but each adventure was standalone so newer audiences could always find a way into the franchise. Quantum of Solace was the first film to break that trend, following up a loose end from the end of Casino Royale.  While Skyfall brought Bond “back to basics” in some ways, it’s sequel Spectre decided to run with a “it has all been connected to Spectre” plot-line, leaving Bond in a place where he’s never been before: locked in a set continuity. 

As it stands, the Bond franchise seems to have limited options in regards to moving forward.  It’s unlikely they’ll be able to move on from the Craig era as they have before.  So what could be next for James Bond?  Eon Productions has shown interest in spin-off films before, with Haley Berry’s Jinx from Die Another Day, moving forward with a new 00 agent or even Lashana Lynch continuing as the new 007 is an option.  If they decide not to go that route then another complete reboot would be the next best option.  Recasting Bond is nothing new but continuing in the manner they previously did, went out the window by the time Spectre rolled around.  Casting a young up and coming actor (Henry Golding for Bond) and setting it in a different time period and could give the franchise the fresh perspective they’ve been chasing.

Halle Barry as Jinx & Pierce Brosnan as James bond in Die Another Day 2002

The final option on the table would be to just let the franchise rest.  This is the most unlikely option since Bond is really the only thing that Barbara Broccoli and Eon Productions have, but it might ultimately be their best option.  They’ve just been chasing the success of other spy franchises since 2006, and maybe letting the franchise lie for a few years and waiting for the right idea to come along is what Bond needs.  Bond is a relic of the Cold War and has been struggling to survive in the modern era for more than 20 years (that’s the point of Skyfall), so perhaps it’s time to let it go.

Daniel Craig as James Bond n No Time To Die 2021

FUN FACTS:

• George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton were both attempts to bring the character more in line with his book counterpart, but Craig is the only one to do it successfully.  Guess audiences weren’t ready.

• Lazenby and Dalton were also the second choices to play the character and were only cast because their first choices, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan were doing successful TV shows. When Lazenby and Dalton didn’t reprise the role, the TV shows were cancelled and Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan would go on to play the role anyway

Random Thoughts / The Addams Family Movies Cast Revisited

MOVIE: The Addams Family (Part 1 - 1991) & Addams Family Values (Part 2 - 1993)

STARRING: Raul Julia, Anjelica Houston, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, Jimmy Workman, Carel Struycken, Christopher Hart

By Patrick Nagy

Getting into the spooky season here and I had the most random thought. The Addams Family films in the 90’s were cast perfectly! Haven’t seen them in a while, but I remember really liking those films. Yes, I even liked Addams Family Values. The only random one is Pugsley, but then again how hard is it to find some random Bobby Hill looking kid?

Okay, getting down to brass tacks!

First up is Gomez. I remember thinking when they cast the late Raul Julia it was a bit confusing. I only remembered him vaguely from a few dramas and a thriller or two in the 80’s. The only comedy I can think of was 1988’s Moon Over Parador with Richard Dreyfuss (also it felt weird not seeing John Austin after years of Addams Family re-runs, but I digress). Anyway, Raul Julia killed it! Just the right amount of suave vs odd and the pencil thin mustache was a nice touch. He played the character very Peter Lorre-esque.

Raul Julia as Gomez Addams

Next up was Uncle Fester. Originally played by silent film child actor Jackie Coogan, Fester is by far the strangest of the strange when it comes to the Addams’. Bald, dumpy, pale, can light a lightbulb with his mouth…who could've played such a mad-cap character better than Doc Brown, and Reverend Jim himself?! I mean Christopher Lloyd in that role will be tough to beat. He had the quirks, and the child like mischief that Coogan brought to life so many years before, down to a science. A bonus is fellow Taxi co-star Carol Kane playing Grandmama in the sequel.

Christopher Lloyd as Fester Addams

One of the more interesting Addams that the films focused on was the daughter Wednesday (played by up and coming star Christina Ricci). The cynical (and slightly psychotic) Wednesday was the perfect foil for any outside forces trying to get the best of the fish out water family. Whether it was trying to steal their fortune, kill her beloved uncle, or getting sent off to summer camp, Wednesday with Pugsley in tow always seemed to get the better of their opponents in the most dark and hilarious way.

Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams

There are many other fun and slightly off family members appearing here and there that help keep the story moving. Such classic oddballs like their monstrous butler Lurch, the ever helpful bodiless hand simply named “Thing”, and the bowler cap wearing talkative hairball Cousin Itt are all in there, but there is one Addams whom is the most perfectly cast…

Dana Ivey as Margaret Alford with John Franklin as Cousin Itt

Anjelica Huston playing the sultry dark matriarch Morticia Addams. Even before the internet and social media you could just feel the buzz coming out of Tinsel Town, this was the perfect cast! I don’t know if there has ever been a better choice for an actor to play a classic role. Huston is Hollywood royalty, and her Oscar winning portrayal as a Mafia daughter in 1985 Prizzi’s Honor gave her the sex appeal. Her turn as a veteran con-artist in 1990’s Grifters added to her mystique, and her take on Roald Dahl’s The Witches sealed the deal. She could be all the things that make an amazing Morticia. I would argue she was better than the original.

Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams

So there you have it! No point or reason to this article, I just wanted to say The Addams Family films from the 1990’s, are some of the best cast films in history!

Headlines / Black Widow vs The Mouse

Covered by: Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure)

In any other year, a film like Black Widow would have done huge numbers at the box office. Since this isn’t any other year, the 24th film in the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled in theaters, only making around $368M, and is predicted to unlikely gross much more in its theatrical run. No doubt, one of the facts related to this low box office gross was due to Disney deciding to release the film same day on Disney+ for a premium price. Now Scarlet Johannson, the film's star, has decided to sue the House of Mouse for a breach of contract.

Johannson claims that she is owed money because she was guaranteed a percentage of that box office gross for the film. According the suit filed “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.” Shortly after this reached the news, Disney fired back with their own statement, saying “[this is] especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.” The company said it “fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

The statement made by Disney is an obvious smokescreen to turn the blame on the actress and away from Disney. Disney’s new CEO Bob Chapek has decided to stand by his decision to release the film on Disney+ at the same time. Chapek claims that Disney’s former CEO Bob Iger is behind him on this decision, something The Wrap has heard is not true, claiming that Iger has said they’ve “bungled” this whole thing. 

Among the parties supposedly not happy is Marvel CCO Keven Feige, who pushed hard for an exclusive theatrical release of Black Widow.  At the time of this writing, no official statements from either Iger or Feige have been released.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow with Taskmaster

On the surface it’s easy for the general consumer to look at this and say that it’s just a greedy millionaire suing a mega corporation but this could have far reaching ramifications. If Disney is willing to breach a contract and deny one of the biggest stars in the world the money she’s owed, then what’s to stop them from doing this to a smaller creator?

This could also set a precedent with other companies. For example, Warner Bros releasing their films on HBOMax for no extra cost (same day as in theaters) has forecasted doom for Dune at the box office. Perhaps what Johansson is doing could embolden Denis Villeneuve to demand the money he would have gotten had the movie had an exclusive theatrical run (of course depending on the verbiage of that contract or renegotiations).

So far during these unprecedented times, F9: The Fast Saga seems to be the exception and not the rule. That could be because Universal gave it an exclusive theatrical release, or it could just have been a random fluke. The narrative of what is a “flop” is going to have to change as we once again enter unprecedented times, that’s for sure. 

One thing is certain, if studios insist on releasing major tentpole movies, the filmmakers and stars need to get the proper compensation.

Movie Review / The Green Knight

MOVIE: The Green Knight

STARRING: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Erin Kellyman, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson, Sean Harris, Joel Edgerton

RELEASE DATE: July 30th, 2021 (Theaters) / August 19th, 2021 (VOD)

WHERE TO WATCH: Theaters / VOD Rental (Amazon Prime, Apple, Google Play, FandangoNow)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

The Green Knight is the latest film by David Lowery, whose other films up to this point have included 2016’s “Pete’s Dragon” and 2017’s “A Ghost Story”. This film is also an adaptation of the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In short, this film is probably one of the best films that have come out of A24’s library, in my honest opinion.

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", from the Cotton Nero A.x manuscript

As the title of the poem states, the film is about King Arthur’s nephew, Gawain (played by Dev Patel), who accepts to play a game by The Green Knight on Christmas Day.  The game is simple, strike a blow to the Green Knight and then you claim his ax. However, Gawain must return to the Knight’s castle in one calendar year's time and give the knight the same courtesy in letting him strike an equal blow to Gawain. 

Gawain played by Dev Patel

After Gawain beheads the Green Knight, Gawain waits almost the entire year until he decides to go on the adventure. Along the way, Gawain finds himself meeting interesting characters, each one being a test of the 5 virtues of what it means to be a knight; friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety.

This film is very beautiful in every way. Although it is a slow-moving film, it never feels like you are waiting for the next scene to happen. They give you time to take in the splendor of the scenery. They pull you in with the great score from Daniel Hart that accompanies the film. I don’t want to spoil too much about the film because I want everyone to go check it out. So, I highly recommend you check it out and see what you think.

Movie Review / Guilt, Grief and Self-Hatred: How three new female-directed horror films intersect

1 ) Saint Maud

DIRECTOR: Rose Glass

STARRING: Morfydd Clark, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Jennifer Ehle, Marcus Hutton, Carl Prekopp, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight

RELEASE DATE: January 29th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of August 2021): Hulu

2 ) Censor

DIRECTOR: Prano Bailey Bond

STARRING: Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Nicholas Burns, Vincent franklin, SophiaLa Porta, Adrian Schiller

RELEASE DATE: June 11th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of August 2021): Amazon Prime Video (rental)

3 ) The Stylist

DIRECTOR: Jill Gevargizian

STARRING: Najarra Townsend, Jennifer Seward, Lindsay Solomon, Angela Dupuie, Brea Grant, Davis DeRock

RELEASE DATE: February 21st, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of August 2021): Amazon Prime Video (rental)

by Dave Palamaro

The protagonist as the outcast/anti-hero used to be mostly the realm of male film directors (think Taxi Driver, Joker, Fight Club, Goodfellas etc.). But three new female horror directors are showing audiences that complex, emotionally damaged main characters need not be gender specific. Thank God for that because their films (Saint Maud, Censor and The Stylist) are a revelation.

***SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SAINT MAUD, CENSOR AND THE STYLIST***

Disturbed Heroes

Saint Maud, Censor and The Stylist all have one major element in common: they showcase female lead characters that are emotionally damaged, socially distant and possibly a danger to themselves or others. Where these characters differ, however, is why each of them reached such a state.

(Morfyd Clark plays Maud in Saint Maud)

In Saint Maud, directed by Rose Glass, Maud (played by Morfyd Clark) is a young nurse who experienced a traumatic event in her past that cost a patient their life. She blames herself for this death since the patient was in her care at the time. The shock and guilt she feels spins Maud out of her normal orbit and into a self-imposed extreme form of catholicism.

(Julie Ehle in Saint Maud)

She finds a new patient to save in terminal cancer victim Amanda (played by Julie Ehle). Saving Amanda’s soul soon becomes Maud’s mission. She believes that converting Amanda to catholicism before she succumbs to her cancer will make up for her failing to save the life of her previous patient. But Maud’s methods for this would-be salvation turn out to be...well, extreme.

(Niamh Algar as Enid in Censor)

Prano Bailey Bond’s Censor, Enid (Niamh Algar) is a seemingly emotionally healthy young woman. She works as a film censor in 1980’s England and spends her days watching endless “video nasties” (British horror films from the 1980’s). Her job is to determine which of these horror films are fit for public consumption, and if they are, which parts of the movies to cut out.

All seems normal until we meet her parents. We discover that Enid’s sister went missing years ago. It turns out that Enid blames herself for the disappearance of her sibling because she was with her sister when it happened. Enid’s parents want to move on and forget about their lost child (even presenting their missing daughter’s death certificate to Enid at dinner).

But Enid, not so much. She believes that her sister is out there somewhere and nothing her parents do will shake her from this belief.

(Niamh Algar in Censor)

Clearly, Enid’s personal mission is to find her lost sister. At some point she thinks she sees her sister (now an adult) in one of the “video nasties” she’s evaluating for work.

From that point on, any good intentions Enid has to locate her lost sibling quickly turns into an unhealthy obsession.

(Najarra Townsend plays Claire the stylist in The Stylist)

Unlike Maud or Enid, Claire (Najarra Townsend) in The Stylist isn’t given a reason (at least on-screen) as to why she is so damaged.

Director/writer Jill Gevargizian shows us who Claire really is in the very first scene.

Claire is a hair stylist who drugs and surgically scalps her clients. She then uses their hair as a macabre wig to act out her fantasies of being other people. In this way, Claire can be anyone she chooses. Anyone but herself. Why does she do this?

In several scenes it is very clear that Claire hates herself to an almost unimaginable degree. She puts up a good front to those in her public life but in private, she brings self-loathing to a whole new level.

(Najarra Townsend and Brea Grant in The Stylist)

When Claire is hired to do her friend Olivia’s (Brea Grant) wedding hair, it seems that she might finally be making a real connection with another human being. It appears that this just might be enough to break the murderous hamster wheel she’s trapped in. But director Gevargizian doesn’t give us such an easy way out of Claire’s psychosis.

Does anybody ever really get what they want?

So does Maud (Saint Maud), Enid (Censor) and Claire (The Stylist) get what they want by the end of their respective stories? Well, yes and no.

Directors Rose, Bailey-Bond and Gevargizian leave it up to the audience to decide if their damaged female protagonists achieve their goals by the end of their respective journeys.

Which is only fitting, as these films are as complex as their main characters. These three talented directors have shown audiences that mentally and emotionally challenging characters are not just for men anymore.

Ratings:

Saint Maud: 9.5/10

Censor: 8.5/10

The Stylist: 8/10

Dave Palamaro is a filmmaker known for Murder Made Easy (2019) and In Heaven There Is No Beer (2014).

Movie Review / JOLT

MOVIE: Jolt (Amazon Original)

STARRING: Kate Beckinsale, Jai Courtney, Laverne Cox, Stanley Tucci, Lili Rich, Bobby Cannavale, David Bradley, Susan Sarandon

RELEASE DATE: July 23rd, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime

By Animated Annie @hessian_hellcat

Jolt is my 2nd favorite action movie of 2021, seconded only to Nobody. The movie kicks off with our heroine, Lindy, as a child unlike any other. She’s overly triggered by mean people, and has some solid super strength and anger to boot. After some traumatizing years being experimented on and tortured, she finally finds a bandaid type treatment with the help of her shrink, Dr. Munchin, played by Stanley Tucci. 

Everything seems to finally be coming together for Lindy (played by Kate Beckinsale, who looks amazing as always), until it isn’t. She absolutely slayed every one of her action scenes. With every imagined & actual fight, I was grinning ear to ear, and fully engulfed. Some of her triggers had me cackling, and were very relatable. I’ve definitely dreamed of doing some of the same things.

Laverne Cox was my 2nd favorite character, as Detective Nevin. Knocking out some solid humor as a brutally honest, by the book detective partnered with the endearing Detective Vicars (Bobby Canavale).

I did have the story figured out less than halfway through, but that didn’t take any of the fun out of the movie for me. Jolt is witty, action packed, solidly casted, and well written. Hopefully we will be getting a sequel/franchise. The ending gave us our first onscreen view of the movies narrator (no spoilers), and a quick bonus scene in the credits with a character I really enjoyed that we only got a few minutes of. All of this makes me think we will, so I’ll be crossing my fingers!

Movie Review / Blood Red Sky

MOVIE: Blood Red Sky (A Netflix Film)

STARRING: Peri Baumeister, Carl Anton Koch, Alexander Scheer, Kais Setti, Gordon Brown, Dominic Purcell, Graham McTavish

RELEASE DATE: July 23rd, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix

By Patrick Nagy

Let me preface this review by stating, I’m not very into horror movies in general. Then again, I don’t know if I would categorize this film as “horror”. It’s more like an action flick with a supernatural twist. There will be a few spoilers, but trust me, there is still plenty of surprises to see.

The Netflix original film Blood Red Sky revolves around Nadja (played by German actress Peri Baumeister) and her son Elias (Carl Anton Koch) traveling from abroad to New York to seek treatment for Nadja’s “condition”. It isn’t fully explained yet what her issue may be as she sneaks off to the bathroom mid-flight to inject herself with some sort of serum, which appears to cause her much pain. The entire experience and journey seem to be very desperate for Nadja.

Somewhere over the Atlantic tragedy strikes when it is revealed some of the passengers and crew aren’t what they appear. In a very gruesome and violent takeover of the plane’s cabin and cockpit, this group of terrorists make their intensions clear that this plane is theirs, and there will be no shenanigans or heroes. The leader of the terrorist group is Berg (played by Prison Break actor Dominic Purcell) and they do an all right job of fleshing out his character, even though he’s a little two dimensional with your classic tropes. For example, forcing prisoners to read a written statement condemning a government or political group, planning to crash the plane in a populated area…you know…terrorist stuff. The more interesting part is his merry band of mercenaries. You have the sensible one, the angry one, the violent one, and then there’s Eightball (played by Alexander Scheer). He’s a real problem. The wild card. The psychotic killer that seems to enjoy inflicting pain and chaos. Unfortunately one of Eightball’s random targets is Nadja’s son Elias. During a scuffle for Elias, Nadja is injured and forced to reveal her secret she’s been fighting so hard to conceal.

Without giving away too much, you can picture the madness that ensues after a full blown Nosferatu style vampire is thrown into your classic hostage film! Picture the 1996 Kurt Russell film Executive Decision meets The Strain.

What I liked most about this movie and the character of Nadja, is the pain she’s going through to save her son and the plane. With every drop of blood, every kill, she’s loses herself a little. She’s afraid of Elias seeing her this way. No hair, fangs, pointed ears, and covered in blood…a monster. Her greater fear is losing him to the disaster that is unfurling.

We do get some flashbacks from time to time of a car break down and an old farm house in the German wilderness. Piece by piece these memories explain how Nadja became this way. They also reveal an ominous warning from an old farmer that she must end this vampire disease for good. This foreshadowing really helps explain who Nadja is (or at least was), and why she is fighting so hard to get back to some sort of normal. It adds a lot of sympathy and strife to her character. Imagine going through an uncertain future not even knowing what you’re becoming or how to stop it. Would you do anything and everything to just feel normal again?

During the battle it becomes very apparent everyone Nadja takes down or consumes her blood will also be infected. She does her best to stop the spread, but you can imagine what happens next. Now our anti-heroine has one more HUGE thing to worry about! How will Nadja save her son (without scaring the living daylights out of him), save the plane, and stop a vampire outbreak! This really takes anyone’s fear of flying to a ridiculous level.

Blood Red Sky may not be for the squeamish, but if you are looking for Action / Thriller plus Vampires, this is the film for you! It was done very well which is saying a lot because you can just picture how badly it could have gone from the pitch meeting to screen.

Shot in English and German overdub, Blood Red Sky is available on Netflix streaming now.

FOUR EYES REVIEW / Willy's Wonderland

Welcome back to another “Four Eyes” review. We take this moment to share 2 opinions on a single geek topic.

Below both Allan and Justin will each dive into what they thought about Nicolas Cage’s movie Willy’s Wonderland. Join us for a LOVE/HATE recap. Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on social media using #foureyesreview

MOVIE: Willy’s Wonderland

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Emily Tosta, Beth Grant

RELEASE DATE: February 12th, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH (as of July 2021): Hulu

FROM ALLAN DAVID:

Plot: An out-of-towner’s (Nicolas Cage) car runs over police road spikes. He is stuck in an old country town. To pay for the repairs, all he must do is spend the night cleaning up Willy’s Wonderland (a Chuck E Cheese/Five Nights at Freddy’s type of restaurant). The kids in this town sure know how to have a party. Oh, don’t worry, , that’s not blood on the walls that’s fruit punch.

My Thoughts: Nicolas Cage delivers an Oscar worthy performance as The Janitor. In one of his best roles since Raising Arizona, Nick (that’s what his friends call him) gives depth and complexity to the Janitor. He doesn’t utter a word throughout the entire movie. Which is fine by me.  The Janitor faces off against killer robots. No not the Terminator kind, but the soft fluffy kind. The kind you want to have at your kid’s party. Oh wait…

This movie has a little of everything. Angry townsfolk, blood, robots, superb acting by said robots, and lots of laughs, blood, and pinball. Lots and lots of pinball.

Should you watch it? Hell yes!!! Get off your computer right now and watch Willy’s Wonderland!!! 

FROM JUSTIN POMERVILLE:

I first need to preface that I am a huge Nicolas Cage fan. Cage has this uncanny ability to resurrect his career no matter what. With this ability, he has turned out such amazing and interesting films like Mom and Dad, Mandy, and Color Out Of Space. However, he also has been the butt of a lot of jokes because of the volume of films he has made that have been less than stellar. One such film is Willy’s Wonderland.

Willy’s Wonderland had a simple idea: What if Nicolas Cage was in Five Nights At Freddy's? Cage is the silent protagonist who’s vehicle is disabled outside of a tiny town. He is tasked to clean a run-down “Chuck E. Cheese” style joint called “Willy’s Wonderland”. But, what he doesn’t know is that he is locked in overnight with possessed murderous animatronics.

It’s a creative idea for sure but fails to be entertaining. I don’t mind if your main character is a silent, mysterious type. As someone who is viewing this film, usually by the end of the film we would have learned something about our hero. We learn nothing. He spends the whole movie cleaning, playing pinball, drinking a soda every hour, and killing animatronics. The only interesting element to his personality is that killing is nothing to him. He’s not even surprised that there are giant robotic murder machines. They are a minor inconvenience to him, at best.

Between the shaky camera fights, the illogical character choices and confusing dialogue, this movie is definitely not the worst in Cage’s repertoire. Would I watch it again? No way. However, for those of you who do enjoy it (Allan), I’m glad you do. And I have some amazing news for you, Aftershock Comics is making a prequel comic series this fall. Now you have something to look forward to (and hopefully finally some backstory on The Janitor).