Hot take: this movie isn’t bad and also not far off from the quality of the first film (but I also don’t see the first film as a heralded masterpiece).
Some stuff in this is really fun even though it looks like the visuals are weaker. Enjoyed more Rick Moranis.
Also, no need in changing the banger theme song.
This movie doesn’t hold the nostalgic piece of my heart like other 80s and 90s VHS staples of the era. But I can’t hide the fact that this works really well. Probably works better as a Murray and company sleaze comedy than the children’s franchise it created but still a hallmark of the era.
This may be the biggest surprise for me in quite awhile. Not gonna lie, I had no interest in seeing this in 2020 when it was originally supposed to come out or in 2021 or even going into this month. But every review or word of mouth tweet I saw seemed to say “you don’t think this is for you? It actually is. In fact it’s for everybody”
And by god they’re right.
My favorite part of this movie was…
I’m not sure if there has ever been a more layered take on the apocalypse and keeping life moving forward than this. Every scene had both a metaphorical and meta spin on it. I also loved the Lostian themes of fate and the interconnectivity of these characters’ lives and more importantly their trauma. Each character has another character who is either the cause of their reprieve from a trauma, and sometimes both. I’m not sure if Limited Series adaptations can…
