NOBODY 2 Review — Action Packed Punch
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Nobody 2 review says the sequel is a bit lighter and fluffier than 2021’s surprise hit, but the humble guy beats bullies comedy is a kick all the same. No one saw Nobody coming. The original 1921 hit starring Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell, a humble family man with an explosive temper…
AND JUST LIKE THAT Review and THE RESIDENCE Review — 2 Overrated Comedies
Critics Lisa Johnson Mandell and Tandy Culpepper disagree on their And Just Like That review and The Residence review, as they go head to head on The Hollywood Beat. And Just Like That Review And Just Like That came for a third season, covering the continuing saga of Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda as they navigate…
FREAKIER FRIDAY Review — Crazy Cute But Shamelessly Sloppy
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Freakier Friday review notes that all the fabulous fun and frolic can’t make up for lack of attention to detail that results in mind-numbing audience confusion. Splashy colors and setups, slapstick comedy, actors we know and love plus a gorgeous and talented supporting cast, and the glories of L.A. at its glamorous…
TOGETHER Review — Bad Choices Make for Good Horror
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Together review reveals that this real life couple knows how to take a terrifying tale to the limits and beyond. Well. I didn’t see that coming. Together starts out with a co-dependent, self awareness-free couple making really bad choices about their lives together. Real life mates Dave Franco and Alison Brie play…
THE NAKED GUN Review, THE BAD GUYS 2 Review — Big Fun for All
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Bad Guys 2 review and The Naked Gun review says the two comedies, one of them animated, usher in August with big laughs and lots of fun. The Naked Gun Review You need to keep your eyes wide open, think fast and stay alert, just like Frank Drebin Jr does, to…
THE FANTASTIC 4 FIRST STEPS Review — Retro Future Fun
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Fantastic 4 First Steps review say the latest Marvel film is a welcome addition, in spite of a strategic flaw or two. The Marvel Universe is in peril. Can the Fantastic 4 save it? Pun fully intended, the latest superhero offering is a step in the right direction. Which is not…
SHRINKING Review, NOBODY WANTS THIS Review: 2 Emmy Rivals
In their Shrinking review and Nobody Wants This review, Lisa Johnson Mandell and Tandy Culpepper explore two top Emmy contenders, on their The Hollywood Beat podcast. Shrinking Review What if your therapist stopped following the rules—and actually started telling you what they really think? That’s the high-concept (and high-risk) premise of Shrinking, a surprisingly…
YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS Review, THE DAY OF THE JACKEL Review — 2 Good!
The Your Friends and Neighbors review and The Day of the Jackal review podcast on The Hollywood Beat finds TV critics Tandy Culpepper and Lisa Johnson Mandell agreeing that the lead makes the show. Your Friends and Neighbors Review Apple TV+’s limited series Your Friends and Neighbors delivers a sleek, morally fractious descent into…
SUPERMAN Review — The Year’s Best Blockbuster So Far
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Superman review says this is the most fun Man of Steel movie ever, mostly thanks to Jame’s Gunn’s cheekiness and Krypto’s gleeful debut. For the past couple of decades, I’ve been of the opinion that there are too many Spidermen, too many Batmen, and I was about to add Supermen to the…
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH Review — What’s In a Name?
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Jurassic World Rebirth review says that although this movie is strangely void of anything resembling a rebirth, it’s entertaining enough to please fans. Jurassic World Rebirth begins with sobering images of what looks like a brontosaurus slowly and painfully dying…in the middle of a major city. The poor guy is annoying the residents…
