New Movies to see at the Theatre
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
That’s not my own synopsis; it’s an actual line of dialogue from the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog, which was released in February of 2020, or about 10 years ago in pandemic time. That one was a decent timewaster – I gave it a barely passing grade of 2.5 stars – featuring Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, James Marsden as his human father figure, and Jim Carrey living it up as the villain, Dr. Robotnik.
Sonic 2 gives us more of everything, but mostly computer-generated video game characters, since this time the cobalt blue speed demon is joined by two primary colour companions, the good-natured Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and the evil Knuckles (Idris Elba). Though from the start it seems as though Knuckles might be merely misunderstood. -National Post
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Everything Everywhere All at Once isn’t the kind of film anyone could possibly describe as generic. It’s a mind-bending journey across the multiverse that somehow follows the most prosaic of protagonists: a middle-aged laundromat owner named Evelyn (played by Michelle Yeoh). Her life has become as mundane and messy as a load of soiled clothing spinning in a washing machine—her marriage is crumbling, her daughter is pulling away, and her business is being audited—but she is the only person who can save all of existence. The story is wildly inventive, juggling romance, action, comedy, sci-fi, and horror elements, despite largely taking place inside an IRS office building. The plot also contains a Ratatouille parody, a fake end-credits reel, and a lot of googly eyes. Oh, and did I mention that an everything bagel—actually topped with everything—plays a pivotal role? -The Atlantic
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ earliest trailer strongly implied that a Stephen Strange variant is going to be the movie’s big bad, the Scarlet Witch’s presence in the story and the way that WandaVision came to a close has also implied that Wanda Maximoff may have something to do with the multiverse shattering into a million pieces. While Multiverse of Madness’ newest ad spot doesn’t explicitly spell out how reality comes undone around Earth’s magical heroes, it may explain why by confirming the return of two interesting characters.
Despite Wanda and Strange not having spent the most time on screen together up until this point, the new trailer establishes that the pair have quite a bit in common. For example, they both have recurring dreams of (what appear to be) other universes only to wake up in their home realities, which feel like nightmares. In contrast to Strange’s night terrors that all seem to revolve around apocalyptic scenarios and his love for Christine Palmer, Wanda’s dreams are haunted by visions of her twin sons Billy and Tommy, who still exist in other dimensions apparently. WandaVision’s finale made it clear that, even though Wanda was forced to undo the magic that made her sons exist in that particular dimension, they were still out there somewhere in the multiverse and able to call to her. -The Verge
Father Stu
Mark Wahlberg is reaching a point in his life where it’s becoming harder and harder to leave his family behind for months-long projects, which explains why the actor says the curtain is slowly inching to a close when it comes to his career in Hollywood.
The 50-year-old actor spoke with ET’s Cassie DiLaura at his hometown screening in Boston for his latest film, Father Stu, where he opened up about family, faith and his acclaimed career as an actor and producer. Father Stu, the real-life story of a washed-up boxer who finds new purpose as a priest, is a passion project for Wahlberg, a devout Catholic himself who, as a father of four, says he’s toeing the line between imparting his faith on his teenage children and not being assertive. And it’s projects like Father Stu, drenched with substance, that really gets Wahlberg going these days.
“I feel like this is starting a new chapter for me in that, now, doing things like this — real substance — can help people,” he said. “I definitely want to focus on making more. I wouldn’t say necessarily just faith-based content but things that will help people. So, hopefully this movie will open a door for not only myself but for lots of other people in Hollywood to make more meaningful content.” -Entertainment Tonight
