T BIRD Starring: Trevor Simms, Tom Sizemore, Andy Dick, Bas Rutten, Isabella Racco, Derek Warburton, Don Harvey, Mikaylah Jo-Mae, and Troy Rettino Director: Trevor Simms QUENTIN Although the pacing could have been better, T Bird proves to be a surprisingly effective redemption tale. The day-in-the-life approach to the drug-addled and discarded-by-society T Bird (a weirdly charismatic Trevor Simms) provides incredibly covert character development, so by the time the actual narrative kicks in, you’re fully invested. Simms, who also co-writes and directs, (seemingly) uses a shoestring budget and guerilla filmmaking tactics to portray Los Angeles’ homeless community in a way that is so grounded and grimy you can nearly smell the stench. It’s quite remarkable, and often reminiscent of director Harmony Korine, which means that Simms is a filmmaker to keep an eye on. KATIE T Bird is a wild ride. Featuring unpredictable violence, rampant crime, and vigilante justice, it stars (and is written and directed by) Trevor Simms, who plays a homeless man struggling with issues impacting the entire area, as well as his own past. He also is just as self-destructive and unhinged as he is compassionate and righteous. This deeply engaging character is more than meets the eye, taking us on a chaotic journey to get rid of the perpetrators of child exploitation. The film offers a starkly realistic representation of life on the streets of Los Angeles blended with glimpses of genuine human connection and empathy. PRESTON Bum fights, Bas Rutten, L.A. riots, gold teeth, Bruce Lee, and sweet justice. Now, if those words don’t motivate you to watch T Bird , then I’m not sure why you are reading my reviews. Trevor Simms writes, directs, and stars as a homeless street fighter who becomes an unlikely, self-sacrificing vigilante in order to crush a child trafficking operation. The film features a very realistic view of street life and the difficulties that permeate throughout the community that must endure it. Surprisingly, I found myself rooting for the troubled underdog as he faces his demons and, simultaneously…umm, saves the day?

HOW TO HAVE SEX Starring: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Laura Ambler, Enva Lewis, Samuel Bottomley, and Shaun Thomas Director: Molly Manning Walker ADRIANO In the beginning, How to Have Sex presents us with a lucid and fun coming-of-age sex comedy, and a very energetic one at that. Eventually, however, the film takes a drastic turn into a fascinating study of modern hook-up culture and the dynamic young women have when approaching it. In her feature debut, writer/director Molly Manning Walker announces her arrival to the scene with devastating nuance and astounding visuals. The film also features a performance that I hope turns Mia McKenna-Bruce into a star. How to Have Sex is a stomach-turning accomplishment that must be seen to believe. PAIGE How to Have Sex is one of the most honest and accurate depictions of young adult rebellion, the impacts of peer pressure, and the blurred lines of sexual consent that I’ve seen. This evocative coming-of-age tale surprised me by being incredibly relatable and genuine. I attribute this to director Molly Manning Walker and the cast's authentic performances, especially that of Mia McKenna-Bruce, who is definitely someone to watch. And while the film overall would have benefited from better writing, its realistic portrayal is what will draw you into this story. KATIE How to Have Sex is a powerfully raw film, driven by the extraordinary turns from its young cast. Director Molly Manning Walker explores the nature of consent, complicity, and societal pressures on young girls without ever treading into exploitative territory, and sensitively yet realistically tackles the issues from the protagonist Tara’s (Mia McKenna-Bruce) perspective. Despite Tara’s inability to articulate her experiences, her emotional battle is shown through her impeccable performance as well as the amazing use of sound, lighting, and poignant cinematography. After this triumph and having been the cinematographer for last year's Scrapper , I cannot wait to see what Walker does next. This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

RESURRECTION Starring: Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth, Grace Kaufman, Michael Esper, and Angela Wong Carbone Director: Andrew Semans JACOB Resurrection is a deeply unsettling horror film and one of the most disturbing releases of the year so far. Director Andrew Semans’ disquieting tale is precisely so because there are no big moments and no obvious scares to jolt the audience. It simply shows us horrifying images, asks us horrifying questions, and then has us sit with both as we await what’s next. Rebecca Hall is excellent per usual, but it’s Tim Roth who ends up being the scariest part of it all. Even with the briefest of screen-time, he’s terror-inducing. The ending could have been less ambiguous, but it’s not detrimental. QUENTIN I don’t want to take anything away from Rebecca Hall, who has proven herself so capable at playing traumatized white women that one must wonder if it’s even an act anymore, but her great performance in Resurrection can’t save this slow burn of a movie that goes so far off the rails that it elicited an audible groan from me. The start is strong, if maybe a little too deliberate, building strong tension and a compelling gaslighting mystery, but the silly payoff is not worth the patience. I can’t in good conscience recommend this movie, even to the strongest of indie horror film buffs.

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE Starring: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Micheal Peña, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple, and Asim Chaudhry Director: Gore Verbinski AMARÚ If you believe you know where Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is headed, I promise that you don’t. Not in the opening, when a potentially patronizing sermon becomes engrossing due to Sam Rockwell’s innate charm, director Gore Verbinski’s kinetic direction, and composer Geoff Zanelli’s outstandingly quirky score. Not in the thick of it, when our depressingly disheartening reality gets soberingly spotlighted. Not in the end, when it’s a mindfuck. A never-ending mindfuck. I haven’t felt satirical hilarity like this since Shaun of the Dead , and while not exactly the same, the vibes are on the Cornetto Trilogy’ s similarly brilliant wavelengths. PAIGE Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is an insanely imaginative ride. While it may not be the first of its kind, it does present many original ideas that make this bizarre journey such a delight. The film takes a stupendously fun approach to tackling issues such as AI, doom scrolling, and where this all is leading our society. It won’t be for everyone, as it’s very zany, drags at points, and isn’t as impactful as I hoped. But its wacky and fun performances, specifically from Sam Rockwell and Haley Lu Richardson, make it worth watching another weird and innovative movie. NICK Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die doesn’t waste any time as director Gore Verbinski instantly sets a tone and drops you right into the chaos. It’s hilarious – thanks to a terrific Sam Rockwell and a well utilized supporting cast – and yet, terrifying due to its potentially prophetic nature. Verbinski has crafted a film that feels both larger-than-life and relatable as it tackles the trajectory of our screen-obsessed lives and the takeover of AI in a fantastical, yet alarmingly possible way. If a film like Mercy 's AI angle left a bad taste in your mouth, then this one is bound to wash it out. ROBERT I truly believe originality in storytelling doesn’t exist anymore. Unique films, however, are those that build a cogent story from a mosaic of past works that feels fresh despite all the obvious references; that sums up Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die . Dawn of the Dead ’s themes are pushed forward from 1978 to the world in which we currently reside and the future we fear. Sam Rockwell is a supernova: some parts Phil Connors from Groundhog Day and other parts James Cole from 12 Monkeys while the writing is incandescent with snappy dialogue and unexpected twists. I wanted to live in this world to no end. ADRIANO If you’re going to throw every single modern grievance into a melting pot, can you at least have something more interesting to say about it beyond self-satisfying nihilism? It’s a ton of fun to see Gore Verbinski going full stylistic overload again, but Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die operates with the same logic as a South Park episode, except not as funny and much too long. That said, I enjoyed a large chunk of this movie's zaniness, and even if it elicited more eyerolls than laughs, there’s a charm to Verbinski’s confidence, despite the empty script. BODE Perhaps some time in “director’s jail” is exactly what Gore Verbinski needed as the hard-to-define Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die finds the visionary director seemingly throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. From grievances about AI and the ubiquity of gun violence, to wacky concepts that include a minotaur with about a thousand kitten heads, it’s undoubtedly a mess. Yet and still, I had plenty of fun parsing through the muck due to Verbinski’s lively filmmaking, Sam Rockwell’s trademark charm, and affecting supporting turns from Juno Temple and Haley Lu Richardson. A much-needed return-to-form. Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick, Paige, and Adriano join Amarú to take A Bigger Bite out of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die HERE .

THE QUIET ONES Starring: Gustav Giese, Reda Kateb, Amanda Collin, Christopher Wagelin, Jens Hultén, Granit Rushiti, and Amin Ahmed Director: Frederik Louis Hviid NICK The Quiet Ones , based on the largest robbery in Denmark's history, handles the heist elements with the level of high-octane, immersiveness that you'd hope. It has a realism similar to last year's How to Blow Up a Pipeline . Unlike that film, however, director Frederik Louis Hviid fails to get you invested in either the characters or the planning process, which makes for an opening hour without much tension. It also doesn't help matters that the motivations for the heist itself are murky at best. Unfortunately, one scene does not make a film, but it IS enough to bump up the rating a bit. BODE During the 2008 financial crisis, a number of men pulled off the biggest heist in Danish history. Frederik Louis Hviid’s solo directorial effort, The Quiet Ones , chronicles how they did it and what happened with a precision (one of the real-life robbers served as a consultant) and intensity that makes it clear that the style of Michael Mann is of great influence. In fact, his influence is so noticeable that The Quiet Ones unfortunately lacks a distinct personality all its own, especially in regards to its characters. Still, it’s gripping enough that it should please most heist film fans. QUENTIN It's heist time, baby! Unfortunately, The Quiet Ones barely gets a middle-of-the-road rating, which probably can be mostly attributed to my biased love for the genre. Falling more in line with gritty bank robbery movies like The Town than glossy capers like Ocean’s Eleven , this Danish film about the biggest heist in Danish history fumbles everything outside of the actual robbery. The characters and motives aren’t fully developed, so there just isn’t much to connect with (I admit that subtitles could be a factor here, too). That said, the robbery sequence is decently action-y and intense, but in a hollow video game kind of way. This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

PSYCHO THERAPY: THE SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER Starring: Britt Lower, Sydney Cole Alexander, John Magaro, and Steve Buscemi Director: Tolga Karaçelik KATIE Psycho Therapy is full of good ideas and has the talent of its incredible cast at its disposal, but it ultimately doesn’t utilise either to their full potential. John Magaro (Keane) and Steve Buscemi (Kollmick) are a genuinely hilarious comedic pairing, but good ideas are abandoned in favour of a contrived plot that is far less interesting. I was also elated when Britt Lower came onto the screen, and she proves to be fantastic at dark comedy, but I was so let down when it ended right after introducing one of its most interesting and compelling ideas. QUENTIN As a massive fan of The Coen Brothers, it’s kinda wild how much I didn’t care for Psycho Therapy since it has major Coen vibes. It’s billed as a black comedy thriller, but almost none of the dry and absurdist humor works, especially when it comes to Keane (John Magaro), who is extremely annoying throughout. With the comedy not hitting, one would hope the thriller aspect would pick up the slack, but nope. The clunky story, almost sleep-inducing indie tone, and abrupt ending make for a movie that also lacks thrills. Steve Buscemi does good work, as usual, but that just isn’t enough, unfortunately. ADRIANO If you want a movie with squandered potential, look no further than Psycho Therapy , because although it starts very intriguing with its weird concept and domestic turmoil plot, it very quickly spirals. I laughed a lot, and the performances from John Magaro, Britt Lower, and Steve Buscemi are amazing; however, I don't like when a movie just confuses me, even when I can follow what's happening. I also don't like character decisions that progressively make less sense, resulting in a plot that is almost entirely lost – not lost enough to make the movie not worthwhile, but enough to drown out its impact.

FAIR PLAY Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, and Eddie Marsan Director: Chloe Domont NICK At the start, Fair Play is an erotic thriller that is neither erotic nor thrilling. As it goes through the motions in its early going, I settled in for what I assumed would be a standard workplace-relationship power struggle, akin to a spur-of-the-moment Blockbuster rental. Then, everything changes. The story evolves into something with more teeth, and the highly praised Alden Ehrenreich performance I’d heard about kicks into gear. I wish it had gotten there sooner, but Fair Play pays off with heaps of tension and great lead showings, particularly from the underrated Ehrenreich. ADRIANO I found myself really loving Fair Play , something I did not expect to say before seeing it. It starts as an erotic thriller, which I had mixed feelings about, but the psycho-sensual tension between Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor kept me on my toes. As the film goes on, however, it makes a 180 and begins to really captivate as it viciously examines domestic and gender dynamics in the workplace. And Ehrenreich, in particular, really gets to shine. Fair Play went places I had no idea it was gonna go, and it made the movie for me. QUENTIN Fair Play is a modern-day twist on 90s erotic thrillers like Disclosure and the works of Paul Verhoeven and Adrian Lyne. However, with a woman, Chloe Domont, behind the script and camera, it puts a fresh spin on gender dynamics and workplace relationships. Both Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich are terrific, but Ehrenreich gives a career-best performance as he slowly gives way to his bitterness, jealousy, and inadequacy. Admittedly, the financial jargon threatens to derail the viewer’s interest at times, but it’s generally in service to the story, so it never becomes less than engaging. It’s a great debut for Domont, and a win for Netflix. AMARÚ With Chloe Domont’s intense direction and a pulsating score accentuated by New York’s bustling ambiance, Fair Play is the right amount of unnerving during Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor’s dark and seedy journey through the film. With a heavy focus on both their personal and professional relationship, it runs the risk of disengaging the audience if you can’t connect with the two leads, but both Ehrenreich and Dynevor play their shifting power dynamics to an uncomfortably entertaining tee, creating enough heart-racing moments to make up for the drudge of jargon-heavy, financial sector work scenes that weigh down the script. PAIGE Fair Play is a cut-throat psychological drama that’s captivating from beginning to end. It plays extremely well with power and gender dynamics both in the workplace and in relationships. The battle-of-the-sexes jealousy and rage unravels so flawlessly throughout, creating plenty of juicy and tender moments of tension. I loved how the intensity never stops building between the lead couple (Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich) who, in my opinion, both deliver some of the best performances of the year. This is a must watch on Netflix, and a big win for first time writer/director Chloe Domont! PRESTON Fair Play masterfully wields surprising uneasiness as a tool for building suspense right from the beginning, then never lets off the gas. The film is mercifully original, with its narrative featuring modern-day gender politics, feminism, ambition, family relationship dynamics, and a complicated dichotomous male psyche that dangerously vacillates between chivalry and chauvinism. It is a nuanced approach that sets itself apart from its finger-wagging contemporaries by recognizing the gray space in which the world operates. Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, and Eddie Marsan aid director Chloe Domont in turning in one of the better Netflix original thrillers I have seen. This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

VOICEMAILS FOR ISABELLE Starring: Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman, and Ciara Bravo Director: Leah McKendrick PAIGE Voicemails for Isabelle is definitely one of the better Netflix rom-coms. While it has its cliché moments and follows the same formulaic tropes of films that have come before it, like You’ve Got Mail or Sleepless in Seattle , it’s still got a heart of its own. The movie does a great job of maintaining its lighthearted and charming tone while also sprinkling in some heavier themes to allow the emotional beats to hit you. Not to mention, its two leads, Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson, have effortless chemistry. All in all, it’s a cute and quirky romcom that certainly isn’t soulless. ROBERT Without knowing the plot of Voicemails for Isabelle beforehand, I guessed it in the middle of the first trailer. When that happens, I figure its predictability will be its downfall. However, the tropey nature doesn’t undercut its emotional heft and relationship portrayals. I found Jill (Zoey Deutch) and Isabelle’s (Ciara Bravo) sisterly bond to be one of the freshest and most aspirational takes on familial connection ever. My emotions were stretched and folded more than I expected from the Netflix feature of the week, which is its superpower, beyond the unrelenting chemistry of Jill and Wes (Nick Robinson). Crying begets laughter begets crying here. BODE Voicemails for Isabelle is essentially You’ve Got Mail , but with a dead sister. That’s probably not the easiest sell on paper, and credit to writer-director Leah McKendrick because she seems aware of that, to the point that it’s (amusingly) called out. That is also why she seemingly works overtime to make the tricky balance between rom-com and tearjerker work, and by God, it actually does. The expected beats effectively land, and stars Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson have the type of chemistry that really make this worth watching. Even a Benson Boone needle drop couldn’t bring it down for me. A real charmer.

HAPPY GILMORE 2 Starring: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Benny Safdie, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Philip Schneider, Ethan Cutkosky, Conor Sherry, Sunny Sandler, John Daly, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, Haley Joel Osment, and Ben Stiller Director: Kyle Newacheck NICK It’s no surprise that Adam Sandler (known for featuring his friends and family in his films) can still bring sincerity into his trademark comedies. But Happy Gilmore 2 is infused with more heart than we’ve seen from him since the underrated Click , nearly 20 years ago. Unfortunately, some of the other “mores” don’t work as well. The film is far more vibrant than the original, to the point it sticks out, and there are just too many cameos. Yes some hit, but they’re unnecessary since the core themes surrounding family and the love letter to golf are all that’s needed to make this one work. ROBERT If you had all the money in the world and could give jobs to your wife, kids, and all your friends and their family, wouldn’t you? Watching Happy Gilmore 2 , that is what I imagine was the impetus for its existence. Previous Adam Sandler comedies were always quirky and goofy with outlandish characters, but they were buoyed by a modicum of heart and likeability, and this film sorely lacked that tether. It mostly felt like meeting contractual Netflix obligations with a hint of nostalgia; even Ted Sarandos’ daughter is in it. A funny joke will land here and there, but this is the definition of superfluous. AMARÚ Maybe it’s a win to say there are small victories in Happy Gilmore 2 , starting with the clear joy everybody and their momma had making this legacy sequel. And when I say everybody, I mean EVERYBODY is in this movie. That joy manifested some chuckles out of the hundreds of call backs and cameos. But those tiny positives barely dragged me to the end of a movie with a horrible inciting incident, tons of unfunny end-of-scene stingers, and head-scratching goofball scenarios. So is it worse when Adam Sandler films are outright bad, or when there’s heart and misplaced hope amongst the trash? You decide that one. QUENTIN All things considered, including the overall quality of Adam Sandler’s direct-to-Netflix catalog and the typical success (or lack thereof) of decades-later sequels to classics that no one really asked for, Happy Gilmore 2 is about as good as it could be. Yeah, it’s little more than a forced, nostalgia-driven cameo parade of callbacks (complete with clips to remind you exactly what they are calling back too), but for those of us who saw the original in our formative teen years, there is enough heart to carry the day (or at least two hours, anyway) and enough charm to let one overlook the very obvious flaws. KATIE I don’t relish writing this as someone who really likes Happy Gilmore and Adam Sandler’s earlier comedies in general, but Happy Gilmore 2 may be one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Aside from the mind-numbingly stupid story, terrible dialogue, and the fact it's offensively unfunny, the worst thing is that it’s just soulless. It lacks anything that would suggest anyone who made it cared about anything other than making money in the laziest way possible, and the reliance on nostalgia and onslaught of cameos only adds insult to injury. I wish it were better, but it just didn’t work for me. ADRIANO The charm of Happy Gilmore is the acknowledgement that it's not very good, but Adam Sandler's sensibilities make it one of the most quotable comedies ever. With Happy Gilmore 2 , some of that is there, but not enough to save the film's instant reversal of the first film’s course and a nonsensical "new golf" narrative. Worst of all, the movie desperately needs to remind you of what you liked about the original, even shoving clips of the first film in your face to a degree that would make The Final Reckoning roll its eyes. Yet even with all that, it could've been worse… I suppose. BODE Even if Adam Sandler’s longtime Netflix deal has yielded more bad than good, I still greatly anticipated Happy Gilmore 2 . Yes, it’s out of my love for the original, but I was genuinely curious to see how Happy (Sandler) fits in a new era. The answer gave me more than I expected. On one hand, it’s overlong and chockfull of lazy nostalgia. On the other, I laughed more than I thought I would, and much of the film’s surprising self-reflection of life and death admittedly got to me. This isn’t great cinema, but for what it is, it passes the time reasonably.

UNCHARTED Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, and Tati Gabrielle Director: Ruben Fleischer AMARÚ The makeup of Uncharted is as follows: cue the lost family member storyline from Tomb Raider , add history lessons that would fit right into National Treasure , and top it off with Mark Wahlberg plucking quips straight out of The Italian Job . The filmmakers tried banking on the chemistry between Wahlberg and Tom Holland, but it falls flat when the entire movie is a collection of poorly edited scenes jumbled together from other movies. Meanwhile, you're left wondering if Holland is actually playing Nathan Drake or Peter Parker. In the end, I’m more interested in seeing how many reviews mention Nathan Fillion. QUENTIN Uncharted is not a great movie, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of fun to be had. You’ve certainly seen this movie before, as it plays out like Tomb Raider’s Last Crusade for The Goonies’ National Treasure . That said, if you like treasure hunt movies (which I do), this one will scratch the itch well enough despite action sequences that lack suspense and the barely there chemistry between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg that causes all the witty banter to fall flat. Again though, I didn’t hate it, and I’ll probably even watch the inevitable sequel.

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS Starring: Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, Wah Yuen, and Florian Munteanu Directors: Destin Daniel Cretton ADRIANO Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a blast that demands a big screen. That said, it does share some of the same shortcomings as other MCU films. The visual effects are very shoddy, while the final act is a muddled CGI slugfest. However, what comes before that helps solidify it as one of the MCU’s best. This is mostly due to its style, which creates an undeniable distinction from other MCU entries thanks to the cultural references and wicked choreography. Its themes of growth and family also are very welcome and well written. A definite must-see! JACOB While its quality may vary for many, Shang-Chi is wildly different from anything the MCU has done before. It's closer to a martial arts film with a superhero spin than the other way around. The fight sequences are fantastic and easily the highlight of the film, while each performance commits wholesale to the spirit of the story. Simu Liu and Awkwafina carry most of it admirably, but the standout here is Tony Leung. Although it is a bit too long and lacks the deeper exploration of its characters, it remains a refreshing change of pace for Marvel at this stage. AMARÚ Looking back, there was always this feeling one would get when watching a 90s Jackie Chan martial arts film: eyes-wide, constant smile, and intermittent giggles at the perfect combination of great fight choreography and purposeful silliness. With the addition of mesmerizing mysticism, you get Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Simu Liu is a star, Awkwafina bounces well off him well, and Tony Leung is masterful. A few moments drag and there are some (not great) silly plot points, but those flaws don't dampen this well-crafted movie. QUENTIN Going into Shang-Chi , I was the most unexcited for an MCU movie as I had ever been, mostly due to my unfamiliarity with the character and cast. However, I was pleasantly surprised! It's not flawless, mind you: Awkwafina's character is entirely unnecessary and the film's climax is shot in a dense fog, making it hard to see what is happening. But the fight choreography is the best since The Winter Soldier , while the addition of mystical Chinese influences cover for most of the "Marvel formula" issues. Overall, you've got a solid palette cleanser for the disappointment that was Black Widow .

CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET Starring: Zachary Levi, Thandiwe Newton, Bella Ramsey, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Miranda Richardson, David Bradley, Nick Mohammed, and Peter Serafinowicz Director: Sam Fell KATIE Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a strong sequel to the 2000 original, bringing everything I’ve come to expect from Aardman Animations: a distinct animation style, quirky comedy, slapstick humour, and endearing characters. There is something that's so wonderfully charming and creative about its unique handmade quality that makes the action set-pieces and visual gags even more entertaining. It even retains some of the darker humour from the original, using it to highlight thought-provoking themes about the realities of factory farming. Overall, this is a fun and crowd-pleasing film, perfect for family viewing. ADRIANO The first Chicken Run was never my favourite movie, but I always admired its quirkiness and innovation. Dawn of the Nugget offers essentially the same as what the first had to offer, and that's kind of the problem. There is some new interesting world-building, but beyond that, the central plot and ideas are more or less the same, just with less laughs and more plot lines that lead to nothing. The Aardman signature stop-motion animation style is as charming as ever, but in terms of a sequel to a classic, it falls too short for comfort.