When it comes to their Marvel properties, there’s this slightly morbid insistence by Disney to tie every teeny tiny detail of previous movies, television shows, and character arcs together in obsessive fashion. It’s becoming such an uncontrollable urge by the studio to engage in this behavior that the cause-and-effect is resulting in disasters like “Eternals,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” and now, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Trying too hard to force a non-story into the already lame Ant-Man mythology, the film reunites superhero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) as Ant-Man and the Wasp. The pair find themselves thrust into the dangerous Quantum Realm along with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), along with Scott’s teenage daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton). As they explore the unusual terrain and alien society filled with strange creatures, Janet reveals that she didn’t quite tell the group everything about the three decades she spent trapped in the realm. Facing new dangers from supervillan Kang the Conquerer (Jonathan Majors), the family must unite to stop a worldwide disaster. Very little about this project feels like a satisfying superhero movie and instead, it’s more like an assemblage of other (and far better) science fiction films. If not for the titanic budget and big-name stars, it could almost be mistaken for a Redbox “mockbuster” of “Star Wars,” “Mad Max,” “Avatar,” and “Godzilla” combined. The film takes place extensively in the Quantum Realm, which provides an unsightly setting of muted, dark brown, washed-out visuals. It’s an ugly place, so who why would audiences want to spend time there? The Realm is a melting pot of exotic creatures and peculiar inhabitants that appear to have waltzed right out of the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine. They’re cool to look at I guess, but was the point to make the film more appealing to children, or was it Disney’s way of appeasing the animators by letting them have some fun? The first third of the film seems like it’s Janet’s show, as she keeps bringing up the fact that she has all these secrets that she won’t spill to Hope and Hank (even though they’re all stuck in the Realm together). There’s no compelling mystery nor reveal. Screenwriter Jeff Loveness is grasping at straws to craft a somewhat cohesive story while also struggling to make it fit into the MCU mythology. At some point, I wish someone would just make a damn standalone Marvel superhero movie and quit worrying about who and what goes where and how. The story is frequently erratic. There’s plenty of energetic CGI action, but there also some moments that play like a touching family drama, some that create an anti-climatic post-apocalyptic narrative, and lots of failed attempts at comic relief. The film also has recurring (and awkward) socially conscious messaging that doesn’t entirely feel out of place, but it is aggressive (there’s even a direct mention of socialism by one of the characters, which will really aggravate already-angry conservatives). The screenplay is peppered with dreadful one-liners like “it’s never too late to stop being a dick!” and “ants don’t give up!” I really, really wish I was joking about this. The remainder of the movie features a lot of talk about time, the desire to get home, and — Marvel fans, you know what’s coming — the multiverse! It’s that one little word that means endless movies, endless stories, and endless money. It’s also the easy way to guarantee that all of these films in the canon always have a cop-out to lazily excuse away any inconsistencies (not that many of us could keep up or remember anyway). Another major problem with the film is that it can only chug along on Rudd’s likeability (and the cast’s talent) for so long. It’s barely tolerable until Kang shows up, but he’s a wickedly delicious character portrayed by a terrific actor (it’s a real shame that this had to be the film for Majors’ MCU debut). In fact, the entire cast deserves better. Despite all of them turning in strong performances, they still feel mostly wasted here. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” lacks the memorable spectacle that most superhero films need in order to succeed. There’s no massively rousing, crowd-pleasing moment, and it’s one of the more unremarkable entries in the MCU. By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

When it comes to boxing movies, it can sometimes feel like there are few stories left to be told. What works so well about “Creed III” is that instead of being a laser-focused sports story, co-writers Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin‘s script leans heavily into a sincere family drama. It’s also a solid directorial debut from actor Michael B. Jordan, who reprises his role as the title character. Adonis Creed (Jordan) has retired from sparring in the ring. After amassing dozens of titles, he’s now a devoted husband to Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and father to Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), a loving son to Mary-Ann (Phylicia Rashad), and runs a successful boxing gym where he works with the latest and greatest talent in the sport. Things are going well until his former childhood friend Damian (Jonathan Majors) resurfaces after nearly two decades in prison, and a long-buried incident (which is eventually revealed) causes tension between them. Eager to prove himself and get the boxing career he always wanted, Damian asks Adonis if he can help get him a shot in a fight. Feeling guilty, he agrees. Damian is a skilled but dirty fighter, which creates even more problems. Things go from bad to worse, with an eventual title fight between the two men. The fight scenes are well directed and exciting, even if they are predictable. The film expects the audience to know the general rules of boxing so if you have no idea what’s an illegal or legal hit, you may be in over your head. (I have next to zero knowledge of the sport but I still enjoyed the fight scenes). The film’s strongest element is the robust character development, which has always been a huge part of the franchise. Learning the painful history between Adonis and Damian makes their narrative of friends turned adversaries even more compelling, and there are genuinely touching moments featuring Bianca, Amara, and Mary-Ann. The chemistry and talent of the cast are both terrific. That being said, there is a lot of story here. A lot. It makes much of the film feel too hurried as Jordan rushes through scene after scene. It’s good that the movie isn’t draggy, but this is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type of project. And although the characters and their relationships are detailed, parts of the script feel hollow and of course, predictable. For the third film in a franchise, “Creed III” is far better than reasonably expected. Despite a few stumbles, the strong performances, the compelling story, and themes of perseverance and the importance of family make this one a winner. By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

There’s a bear high on mass quantities of illegal drugs that is going on a murderous rampage in a Tennessee state park in “Cocaine Bear,” an absolutely awful action / horror movie from director Elizabeth Banks. I understand with a premise like that, it’s supposed to be stupid. The problem is that the movie isn’t just dumb, it’s actually bad, with poor direction, acting, CGI, writing, and storytelling. Loosely based on true events (yes, really), the film is inspired by the 1985 story of a drug runner’s plane crash. In order to save a large quantity of cocaine, the man threw out several duffel bags full of the stuff over Tennessee and then jumped to his death when his parachute didn’t open. A black bear got into the drugs, consumed most of it and, according to experts, immediately died. This movie imagines what could have happened if the bear didn’t die from ingesting all that booger sugar. In this bloody and gory version, the 500 pound apex predator goes bananas and kills everyone in sight. It’s a fictional story that is stretched too thin, especially with the meager subplots about a single mom (Keri Russell), her missing daughter (Brooklynn Prince) and friend (Christian Convery), a group of criminals (Ray Liotta, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich), two park rangers (Margo Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson), a police detective (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), and random tourists and teenagers that must think on their toes in order to avoid being the bear’s next victim. Jimmy Warden‘s script is atrocious because he’s trying to force a story that’s not at all compelling nor complex. The actors give clunky performances and character-wise, there just isn’t a whole lot to root for. Banks isn’t the most skilled director, and a film like this certainly doesn’t demand a whole lot of talent behind the camera. But there’s something that consistently feels “off” with her style and tone, especially in the random, mostly unsuccessful jokes. The humor didn’t work for me at all, and when I did muster a laugh, I wasn’t doing so because the movie was good — I was laughing because the movie was so dumb. I understand that a movie about a huge bear ingesting a bounty of blow is supposed to be dumb, but it also has to be good in order to work, and this movie is not. To become a cult classic, a movie must be one that you’d want to watch on repeat. “Cocaine Bear” is simply not funny enough, not campy enough, and not kooky enough to succeed. It’s nothing but a one-joke trainwreck. By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

It may still be early in the year, but “Mafia Mamma” is a definite contender for worst film of 2023. This vapid comedy (from director Catherine Hardwicke) feels like it was crafted by a soccer mom groupthink, with a ridiculous fantasy story that’s struggling to be hip and edgy. It’s a truly terrible movie that’s a complete waste of time for everyone but those who have the absolute lowest of low standards when it comes to their choice of entertainment. Like most women, American mom Kristin (Toni Collette) has a lot on her plate. She keeps her home running despite dealing with the double emotional punch of her son going off to college as well as discovering that her cheating husband is having an affair. Things aren’t going so well when she gets a mysterious phone call with a shocking message: she has inherited her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy. Guided by the firm’s consigliere (Monica Bellucci), Kristin must gain the self-confidence to become the new leader of the (mafia) family business. Admittedly, the fish-out-of-water premise is a good one. The story outline is fine, but the execution is a debacle. Although they are working within a very broad parameter of mass appeal, the screenwriting trio’s (Amanda Sthers, J. Michael Feldman, and Debbie Jhoon) script feels like a struggle to stay above water. The writing talks down to the audience and narrative includes dumb scenarios that feel like a sad sack’s fantasy (the worst being a hunky local guy (Giulio Corso) who is instantly smitten by Kristin the second she lands in Rome, and the eventual “twist” that anyone with half a brain can see coming from a mile away). It’s also filled with tired Italian stereotypes and has such a strong desire to be a “cool and different kind of comedy” that it earns an R rating with bloody violence and a bunch of cursing. Even worse is Collette’s performance, which is an overblown exercise in desperation and overacting. Her take on the timeworn goofy, gullible American shtick feels like a huge stretch, to the point where her character becomes a weak caricature of a real woman. Kristin is a complete clown, even in a film that is trying (but not exactly succeeding) to tell a story of female empowerment. It’s a tragic waste of Collette’s talent. She is so much better than this. I can’t think of anything positive to say about “Mafia Mamma.” Even your worst enemy deserves better. By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

I don’t need to tell you that the violent action in “John Wick: Chapter 4” is over the top. If you’re aware of the popular neo-noir action thriller franchise, you know that already. If you’re a fan of the smartly dressed, ass kicking antihero known on the streets as the Baba Yaga, you aren’t going to be disappointed in this rowdy, unrestrained fourth chapter. The bar has been raised and effectively met, as this fast-paced film traverses the globe, provides a dose of pure adrenaline, and leaves the franchise’s highest body count in its wake. After being excommunicated and on the run from a network of bounty hunters, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has had enough and just wants out of the criminal underworld forever. He tries to kill them all but in the process, discovers a path to defeating The High Table with the goal of finally securing his freedom. John visits former friends, alliances, and foes all over the world, bringing trouble to their doorstep. The lethal assassin fights his way through one by one, culminating in a final duel to the death. This is Reeves’ movie through and through, and he’s created what has arguably become one of the more iconic screen characters of the 21st century. It’s great to see old favorites like Winston (Ian McShane), Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), and Charon (Lance Reddick) return, but the addition of new characters Caine (Donnie Yen), Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), and the brutally cruel Marquis (Bill Skarsgård) breathes fresh life into the franchise. The story is weak and the performances not much better, but none of that matters if you’re a fan of pure action and cinematic spectacle. The stunt work (which is heavily influenced by martial arts) reaches absolute perfection, will impeccably choreographed fight sequences that are fresh, inventive, and exciting. The best of the best is a thrilling shootout in the middle of busy traffic by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It’s one of those scenes that makes you want to stand up and cheer. Director Chad Stahelski is an ex-stuntman himself, and he knows how to orchestrate exhilarating, handsome action sequences. This isn’t a film with rapid cutting where you can’t tell what is going on, and it’s a return to a classic style that should be welcomed by fans of the genre. You can clearly follow each blow to the body, every bloody gunshot to the head, and every sword through the back. Stahelski’s vision is as close to flawless as one can get, and this is a great looking movie from start to finish. Despite all of the things that are done right, the film’s excessive runtime makes it seem too indulgent. Even with the breathtaking fight choreography and stunt coordination, some of the action scenes go on so long that I started to lose interest. A few are repetitive and exhausting, but the short and well-placed breaks in the form of emotional storytelling bring a welcome respite and a bit of breathing room. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a film that over promises yet over delivers for action fans. It’s one rousing, wild ride. By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS