MORTAL KOMBAT. But that review is like a Johnny Cage finisher, and you’ll see it after a flawless opening weekend
Here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: The Sheep Detectives
Watchlist Worthy: Anthony Michael Bourdain
ICYMI Pod: Project Hail Mary
This week’s movie - The Sheep Detectives
Letterboxd Description:
A new breed of mystery.
George Hardy is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.
Best Watched With
Capricorns, Aquariuses, and Pisces.
End Credit Thoughts
We truly had no intentions of covering this movie. It was hardly on our radar. We even had a hard discussion with the producers and editors about at least doing a double feature. Mortal Kombat II is also releasing this weekend, and at the very least, it will be a hell of a good time of kick action. But “we” couldn’t make it happen (boo, Josh). BUT with Hugh Jackman's filmography, we couldn't pass up watching his highest-rated movie of all time.
Knives Out meets Ratatouille, The Sheep Detectives is a fun and playful murder mystery, whodunnit, with themes of anyone (or sheep) can be anything, and everyone belongs somewhere. No, no sheep is controlling a human, but it is a wonderful display of finding where one belongs and finding ultimate significance in a greedy, hurtful, and violent world.
The movie sets up the world and life of shepherding well. In the first ten minutes, we knew about life as a sheep, life in a flock, and what a good life looks like in the English countryside. In the fictional village of Denbrook, it is lush and green, and a small population where everyone knows everyone. The last place where violent crime would take place, making this the perfect setting for a murder mystery.
The sheep are a blast, and the movie leans into the assumption that sheep are dumb. It does a great job of using this both as a prop for humor, and as a site for unexpected surprises. It was a lot funnier than we anticipated, and while the setup felt templated (nothing wrong with a cookie-cutter setup if it is done well), there were plenty of parts of the story that caught us off guard.
Hugh Jackman is an excellent cast as the warm-hearted shepherd who will do anything for his flock, making his murder high stakes since we cared so much for him and the well-being of his woolly family. The most fun comes from the voice actors. Brett Goldstein voicing twin rams, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Chris O’Dowd, Bella Ramsey, Rhys Darby, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Bryan Cranston, to name a few of the STACKED and high-profile voice actors.
There are several folks capable of leading acts; however, it was a pleasant experience to see everyone share the stage harmoniously, whether with their voices or physical presence. With so many powerhouse names, we can imagine how quickly scenes can become stuffy, but all we get here is clear air and a clear path for the story to take the spotlight.
We didn’t drop tears, but we could easily see this being a full movie for some of you out there. It was enjoyable to follow along the mystery and participate in guessing who it is (we were SUPER wrong, not even close). We had some good laughs, and man, oh man, for a murder movie, it was such a warm and wholehearted flick. Give us a few movies like this, where we get to address grief but also feel good and comfy by the end, every year, and we’ll be satisfied (easy for us to say this year when we know we’re also getting a Nolan, Gerwig, Iñárritu, and Villeneuve film).
In March, we received a text in the Sweet & Condensed group message that read, “Who the hell is this movie for??” We love being proved wrong, because it turns out the real question is, “Who the hell is this movie not for??” This is one of those rare movies that can be enjoyed by all ages. Murder can be an adult topic, but it is handled with care and without gore. Take the family, watch alone, or go on a date. It won’t be mind-blowing, but you won’t regret spending the money either.
Matinee tickets for everyone, anytime tickets for theater lovers.
Josh Jump Scare Count: 0
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Practical Magic 2 by Susanne Bier
Letterboxd Description:
The Owens sisters must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all.
Practical magic was one of those movies where the aesthetic made the entire movie. It was a warm, hazy 90s fever dream. Having margaritas at midnight and singing at the top of your lungs with the women in your life is something every female needs to experience. This movie made me so mad. And so sad. And so happy. As the profeshs (Eric and Josh) would say “a full movie”. When a second one was announced I was sad because this movie is so perfect by itself. BUT after seeing this trailer OH MY LAAAAWWWRD. I. AM. SEATED. PUT THE LIME IN THE COCONUT AND SHAKE IT ALL UP BABY
-Kelly
Also Directed by Susanne Bier:
Birdbox (2018)
The Perfect Couple (2024)
Project Hail Mary: Spoilers #72
🎧 Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube
Eric describes seeing the film twice, praising Ryan Gosling and saying the long runtime never felt slow; both say they laughed and cried, especially when they thought Rocky might die. They highlight Rocky’s effectiveness as a largely practical puppet voiced and puppeteered by James Ortiz, and they discuss how the movie’s length helps build the friendship between Grace and Rocky through comedic and heartfelt moments.
When we discuss that this movie is a full movie, we are talking about the Jimmy V 1993 ESPY Speech rubric – Did it hold them in thought, make them laugh, and move their emotions to tears?
They praise the film’s hopeful tone—cooperation between governments, a non-malicious threat, and two species sacrificing to save their worlds—along with visuals, music, and specific scenes, then encourage listeners to see it in theaters and tease a future book episode while plugging their newsletter and subscriptions.
00:00 Eric Falls Asleep
01:05 Baby In The Room
02:22 Spoiler Warning Setup
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