Series Review: Stranger Things Season 5 (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

Few shows in recent memory have come along and reached the pop culture phenomenon status the way Stranger Things has (The Walking Dead comes to mind in comparison, although that turned out to be a case of not knowing when to quit while you’re still ahead for sure).

When Stranger Things first dropped on Netflix in 2016, it felt like this nostalgic little secret that the wife and I (and eventually our son) stumbled upon that was of course a fun ride, though none of us could’ve possibly ever predicated then just how huge this show created by The Duffer Brothers would become.

Fast foreword to season five, where audiences have by now seen the beloved group of friends enter the upside down and fight evil in more ways than one by now. I honestly had some doubts at the onset of the season, where many of our heroes are now looking far too old to pass as believable high school students still getting bullied the way Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is in the first episode.

But as things progress, the season gets steadily better. This time around, the entire town of Hawkins is under military control after the events of the fourth season, with the entire gang keeping a steady eye on both them, and the upside down while Hopper (David Harbour) prepares Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) for her ensuing final battle. Meanwhile, there’s another “bad guy” in the form of Dr. Kay (played by an over-the-top Linda Hamilton) trying to to catch El in the middle of it all.

There’s one subplot after another, as the evil Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), disguising himself now as “Mr. Whatsit” to a select few of the town’s children, imprisons a group of kids lead by Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) – Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) younger sister – who at one point finds herself in the same world as the still-comatose Max (Sadie Sink), who shows her the way to navigate through this new world.

This all leads to one final, huge confrontation with Vecna (who we also learn some more backstory on along the way), which I’ll stop at here before giving away any potential spoilers. (Though be advised, there are certainly a few tearjerker moments.)

Aside from all those previously mentioned, many other familiar faces return here, including (among others) Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Steve (Joe Keery), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Robin (Maya Hawke), and of course Winona Ryder returns as Joyce once again, though her character feels a bit pushed to the wayside here. And of course the “coming out” of Will (Noah Schnapp) has been much-talked about, which is fine and all because it feels like a natural progression for the character, but the moment itself just feels a bit forced and awkwardly placed. Newcomer Jake Connelly also adds some much-needed comic relief as Derek.

It’s bittersweet to watch the series come to its inevitable end after all that it’s meant to so many over the years (my aforementioned kid once went as Dustin for Halloween one year at the top of its hype, and I cannot count the number of collectible items that have since been accumulated in our household). Watching the finale on the big screen with the family among a packed theater felt like the only way to say goodbye to this show that has meant so much to so many, truly felt like the only way to do so.

The show that once filled countless minds with so much wonder and had us all united in longing for a bygone era known as the 1980’s, is now a part of the history books itself. And what a ride it has been.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Film Review: ParaNorman Remastered 3D with The Thrifting (Laika Studios/Focus Features/Universal Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

Back in the fall of 2012, I was still a single father of a six-year-old boy, and one of the easiest downtime activities to do back then was take him to the movies – that year’s ParaNorman was one of many we made it out to. So thirteen years later when my-now grown son expressed wanting to go see the 3D re-release with his old man again (with his girlfriend along for the ride this time too, of course), I couldn’t say “no.”

The original film centers around an 11-year old social outcast named Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who is misunderstood by his family and bullied by his peers for his strange and unusual behaviors – he can see and talk to ghosts that others around him cannot. But things change once the dead starts rising from their literal graves and scaring the locals.

With the help of his goofy best friend Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), his self-centered older sister Courtney (Anna Kendrick), the school bully (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and Neil’s older jock brother Mitch (Casey Affleck), Norman must stop the zombies roaming the town, while also uncover their secrets that ultimately lead to their arrival to begin with.

The new short film, The Thrifting, finds Norman, Neil, and Courtney (Anna Kendrick once again in the only returning voice role) attempting to locate a Halloween costume in a dark and desolate second hand store that has some built-in permanent ghostly residents. Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things fame also lends his voice as the store clerk in this entry.

Flyer for the all-new ParaNoman short film, The Thrifting.

All in all, each film in the ParaNorman universe is harmless family entertainment and fun in their own ways; the world needs more films like them right now.

Overall Series Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Film Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Columbia Pictures/Ghost Corps)

By: Jesse Striewski

I was already aware of some prior negativity being thrown out there regarding the latest fourth entry (we’re not going to include that dreaded 2016 reboot here) in the Ghostbusters franchise, and after catching it on the big screen this past opening weekend, for the life of me I just don’t understand why.

The latest chapter finds the Spengler family (McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Carrie Coon) and Grooberson (Paul Rudd) now all fully (and rapidly) established Ghostbusters in New York City via Oklahoma after their encounters in 2021’s Afterlife (I never said there weren’t a few plot holes here). Viewers are instantly thrown into their new chaotic lifestyles, and the adventure quickly begins.

Things seem all-too routine until a random slacker (Kumail Nanjiani) sells a strange orb belonging to his recently deceased grandmother to O.G. Ghostbuster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) in his occult shop, which just so happens to contain a trapped evil entity capable of being the catalyst to the end of the modern world as we know it.

Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts all return again from the older films, with even William Atherton reprising his role again as Walter Peck from the 1984 original (which admittedly felt a bit on the “forced” side). Blink and you might even miss the brief cameo of John Rothman as the library administrator from the first film as well. New cast members also include Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lynn, and James Acaster (among others). Curiously however Sigourney Weaver does not show up here even after her quick cameo at the end credits of Afterlife.

There’s moments of nostalgia (the nod to Ray Parker, Jr. on a television set in one scene is a nice touch), but it’s never too overly sentimental. It’s far from a “perfect” film, but I honestly felt like that kid again watching Ghostbusters II up on the big screen in the summer of 1989 (back when life was much more simple). For that, I don’t have all that much to say about Frozen Empire that isn’t positive; the “For Ivan” added on at the ending credits for late Director Ivan Reitman also shows a certain touch of class by new Director Gil Kenan for sure.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Series Review: Stranger Things Season 4 – Vol. 2 (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

By now I’m assuming most fans of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things are likely already caught up the entire fourth season of the show, so hopefully no spoilers can be found here for anyone. This season truly was a gift to fans of the series, and even though volume two consists of just a couple of episodes, there’s so much compacted in it it’s almost overwhelming.

The numerous storylines all feel like small movies that could stand alone themselves. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) isfinally forced to come into her own once the secret government facility she’s been regaining her “powers” at is ransacked and officially put out of business for good, leading to a tearful goodbye with her “Papa” (Matthew Modine).

Meanwhile, Eleven’s extended support system is broken off into three separate groups, each trying to fight the evil that’s threatening mankind, while making it back to each other. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Will (Noah Schnapp) make their way across state lines to get to her, while Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) and the rest plot to take on Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) himself head-on. Lastly Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour) escape their way out of Russia after fighting their own demons.

Each specific plot leads to its own satisfying conclusion, with enough twists and turns to make your head spin, often with emotional results. But what makes these characters so endearing is the ability to relate to them on a human level, which is ultimately a reflection of well-crafted writing. Thankfully, the door is left ajar again for another follow up, which all of us already engulfed in this little world created by the Duffer Brothers are already waiting for with much anticipation.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Film Review: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Columbia Pictures/Sony Releasing)

By: Jesse Striewski

It’s exceptionally rare for a sequel or reboot to an already beloved, established franchise like Ghostbusters to come close to comparing to its the source material. But Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the long-awaited third follow up to the first two films, both breathes life back into the series, and redeems the entire franchise after that painfully embarrassing reboot in 2016, which I hope we all can agree by now was a mistake no matter who was cast in it.

Produced by original director Ivan Reitman and directed by his son, Jason, Afterlife does its best to wrap up and explain many questions fans might have about the original characters’ whereabouts, as well as introduce a host of new, yet surprisingly likable ones.

The plot is no huge stretch of the imagination; the daughter (Carrie Coon) of recently deceased Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (originally portrayed by the late Harold Ramis) is forced to pick up the pieces of her father’s past life and move into his decrepit old farm house. Meanwhile, her genius daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and rebellious teenaged son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) slowly uncover their grandfather’s mysterious past, and the small town’s ghostly secrets, all with the help of some newfound friends (played by Paul Rudd, Celeste O’Connor, and Logan Kim, respectively). What ensues is all-out escapism entertainment that allows viewers to get completely lost in.

Along the way there’s numerous references and throwbacks to the original films that’s every die hard fan’s dream come true. And yes, there’s appearances from series alumni Bill Murrary, Dan Aykroyd, Erine Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver, and of course a beautifully constructed tribute to the late Ramis (and I’m pretty sure this is all already public knowledge by now, so technically those aren’t spoilers!). Blink and you might miss some of the many subtle throwbacks weaved within the ongoing proceedings, too (like a ghost from the old animated series that I actually had the action figure of when I was still young!).

I’ve heard rumbles from other critics that the film panders to fans. But what would you rather have, another heap of total garbage like the last misfire of a film, or something with some actual heart like Afterlife?! This is the film that fans have deserved for decades now, and the one I’ve personally been waiting for since I was a kid sitting wide-eyed in the movie theater during Ghostbusters II all those years ago. Check the bonehead mentality at the door, and just enjoy what has been put together for us here.

Rating: 4/5 Stars