Yesterday Reviews Are Up, See What Critics Are Saying

Yesterday Reviews Are Up, See What Critics Are Saying

Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle has been praised over the years for his films, including Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours and Trainspotting. What happens when he teams up with legendary writer of Love Actually, Notting Hill and About Time, Richard Curtis, for a fantasy musical comedy about a struggling musician who wakes up one morning as the only man in the world who remembers the Beatles?

Yesterday premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in New York City over the weekend, which means critics have how seen it ahead of its summer release. Do they recommend a ticket to ride this release? Their reactions are mixed among them, as they waver between glowing and dissatisfying. Let’s take a look at some of their thoughts starting with CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes, who absolutely loved it. In his review, he awarded the movie with a near-perfect score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Here’s a bit of what he had to say:

Yesterday is an uplifting triumph of heartfelt comedy, believable drama, and just the right amount of quirk to remove this film from any sort of mundane reality. In its own way, it even ponders how successful The Beatles's material would be, and the challenges it would face, if it were coming up in the modern music industry; which only adds to the film's sly thoughtfulness.

The film is framed around Jack Malik, played by Himesh Patel, who gets into a bus accident during a global blackout and finds he alone who knows the words to “All You Need is Love” among the Fab Four’s iconic discography. Reyes felt the bizarre premise worked - all while charming him with an exciting story with a mix of romance, lightness and drama. He also enjoyed how Yesterday uniquely presented the Beatles music in a refreshing way.

Empire’s Helen O’Hara also raved about this aspect of Yesterday in her 4 out of 5 star review. There’s been an uptick of musical films lately, and she felt this movie did it right where others have left something to be desired. Here’s what she said:

There’s something profoundly disturbing about the idea of a world without The Beatles, whether you’re a die-hard fan or someone known to drunkenly chant the “la la” bit of ‘Hey Jude’, and that’s true even if the world’s loss is our hero’s gain. So while Danny Boyle’s new film is still a largely warm and frequently surprising affair, its unusual premise gives it an edge that other jukebox hits – Bohemian Rhapsody, for example – have lacked.

O’Hara thinks just about everyone can enjoy this flick, even those unfamiliar with the band’s significance. This is a noteworthy positive for David Crow of Den of Geek who said the following about Yesterday:

His film is a crash course in remembering the importance of the Beatles’ legacy. That might sound trite, but the movie finds a much more creative and earnest way to honor a pop star act than the myriad of empty-headed musical biopics we’ve been inundated with for decades.

Yesterday will follow the success of Bohemian Rhapsody and upcoming release of Rocketman, and thankfully it has something else going for it, since it will follow a modern-day premise of Jack using his knowledge of Beatles’ songs to create a successful career for himself today. However, not all critics were impressed with it. The Verge’s Adi Robertson had these comments for example:

Boyle and Curtis are making an alternate history film that’s not primarily about alternate history, which is a completely valid choice. But the film’s central romance is badly underwritten, and its slapdash, joke-driven worldbuilding pokes holes in a plot that was fantastical to start with. Yesterday is a story about the pure and timeless nature of music — but it often comes off as more rote than heartfelt.

It’s understandable that while some would be able to swim in the fantasy of Yesterday’s quirky premise, others will be put off by it and Robertson wasn’t alone in the problems she found through her review. Take a look at a bit of Owen Gleiberman’s review for Variety:

In “Yesterday,” the greatness of the Beatles is like a trump card that Jack, and the filmmakers, keep playing. Yet the greatness of the Beatles is never something the film invites us to discover. The songs, to be fair, are iconic — but that said, some Beatles songs are more iconic than others. And “Yesterday” features nothing but the Beatles tracks that you would put on a “12 All-Time Greatest Songs of the Beatles!” collection.

The movie doesn’t look to convince everyone that the Beatles’ music would be as popular today, in the way that Yesterday showcases anyway. Dan Callahan with The Wrap similarly bashed the movie for its delivery of its plot with these words:

If you’re going to make a film with a plot like “Yesterday,” the least you can do is probe it somewhat and push it as far as it will go. But Curtis and Boyle offer up pretty much what you would expect given this premise, which basically amounts to Patel doing passable karaoke versions of these famous songs and very little else.

Finally, let’s go to Digital Spy’s Ian Sandwell who gave the film 4 stars out of 5 and brings to attention what element in the movie sold him despite some oddity in the film’s idea. Check it out:

A large part of this is down to the engaging performances of Himesh Patel (in his first big-screen role) and Lily James, who share great chemistry. You're fully behind their friendship and feel all the heartbreak. Neither of them are the cool kids, and their endearing characters help sell the outrageous concept.

The story between the two core characters was enough for him to fall in love with Yesterday. Despite some mixed reviews from critics, the movie looks to charm music fans, especially of the Beatles if you can push aside some of the particulars of the concept.

Will you be checking out Yesterday on June 28? Let us know in the comments.

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Brigitte Nielsen Was Super Pregnant Filming Creed II

Brigitte Nielsen Was Super Pregnant Filming Creed II

In a surprise cameo, actress Brigitte Nielsen appeared in last year’s Creed II, reprising her role as Ludmilla Drago from Rocky IV. The years made Ludmilla even colder as she had abandoned her husband and son and at the film’s end, left ringside when it became clear that Viktor was going to lose. For Brigitte Nielsen, she had to play Viktor’s unsympathetic mother while being super pregnant herself, as she explained:

It actually helped me a lot, having four grown-up boys and having been through a divorce when my youngest boy was eight. I had a 10-year-old, a 14-year-old, and an 18-year-old. ... I was making that choice to leave again — it was a hell physically and emotionally because Ludmilla was in me. Of course it was tough, but it was overwhelming and it was purifying at the same time. I don't know why, but it’s so magical to be pregnant. I had so much inner energy, and thank god again that I’m almost 6’1 tall, because I was 7-and-a-half months pregnant and you couldn’t tell. I could still get away with it. But that was because of my height; had I been 5’2, it would show in a different way, obviously. But it was amazing, and very emotional.

Brigitte Nielsen wasn’t just pregnant while filming Creed II, she was super pregnant. As in third trimester, 7-and-a-half months pregnant. But as we’ve heard, the actress was excited to come back to the franchise and like the stone cold badass she was in Rocky IV and Red Sonja, Brigitte Nielsen was still up for the challenge of returning to the character that she first inhabited over 30 years ago.

It sounds like hiding her pregnancy onscreen wasn’t a major issue either because, as Brigitte Nielsen told The Hollywood Reporter, she wasn’t showing so much that her condition was super obvious. That meant that she could get away with appearing in the film without needing to make her character pregnant or using major movie magic make her look not pregnant. She attributes this to her over 6’ height. Apparently that made her pregnancy less noticeable than if she was not Amazonian in stature.

Despite being very pregnant with her fifth child during the filming of Creed II, that didn’t slow down Brigitte Nielsen who enjoyed the experience of being pregnant, and was full of life and energy to return to the character of Ludmilla Drago. It fits, because I don’t imagine former Soviet swimmer Ludmilla would let pregnancy slow her down either.

Brigitte Nielsen also brought some real-life experience as a mother into her role as Ludmilla. Having multiple children and having been through divorces like her character in the film, it was a tough emotional experience for the actress to play the callous character, a trophy wife whose investment in other people, even her own family, extends only as far as they can provide her with status and luxury.

Despite being nervous to reunite with ex-husband Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen’s return in Creed II was a boon for the film. More than just a fun cameo, it just added further connective tissue between Creed II and Rocky IV and the two franchises. The return of Ludmilla and her story in the film also added some motivation and pathos to Viktor and Ivan’s story. Like Rocky and Adonis, Ivan and Viktor were real people who had real struggles, they weren't just some cudgel of an oppressive regime.

The same story could have still taken place without Brigitte Nielsen, with the dialogue explaining her absence. But by appearing in the film we were able to see who Ludmilla was now and that in his hour of need, she abandoned her son. In that Viktor and Ivan learn to live without her and for themselves.

Creed II is now available on digital, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies headed your way this year.

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The Important Role Monarch Will Play In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

The Important Role Monarch Will Play In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

Naturally the main reason one goes to a Godzilla movie is to see the eponymous creature fight other monsters, but it’s also important to have human characters involved to anchor the story. In the MonsterVerse franchise, most of those humans are part of or affiliated with Monarch, which has studied these Titans for nearly three-quarters of a century.

While 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island provided some information on Monarch, this month’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters pulling the curtain back even further on this organization. I recently interviewed King of the Monsters production designer Scott Chambliss, and he explained that Monarch’s headquarters is representative of the clash between man and nature in the movie. Speaking about the inspiration for designing these headquarters, Chambliss said:

Our story boiled down to its most essential archetype is one of man vs. nature, and the Monarch HQ was the perfect environment in which to visually express this. Located deep in the heart of an oceanic mountain miles below the water’s surface, Monarch brought together all the human and technological engineering firepower conceivable to house its monumental and labyrinthine HQ within an utterly hostile environment...one that didn’t even exist until they created the initial negative void itself.

Although Kong: Skull Island’s post-credits scenes showed Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson’s characters being held inside one of Monarch’s interrogation rooms, that’s hardly a good look into the kind of work space the agency’s employees operate in. Fortunately, Godzilla: King of the Monsters will not have that issue, and clearly Monarch is not lacking for funds if it can set up its headquarters within an underwater mountain.

More importantly, though, is how Godzilla: King of the Monsters reflects the core archetype through both the artificial elements making up Monrach’s base and its natural home. Scott Chambliss provided additional details about what to expect from the headquarters, saying:

Within the compound you see evidence of both: the technologically advanced monitoring, scientific, and manufacturing floors expressed in the language of advanced fortified architecture within the larger and very visible raw volcanic rock volume that houses it. This isn’t the kind of metaphoric visualizing that is intended to be showily theatrical. It is instead a presentation of starkly contrasting ingredients- raw, powerful nature and utterly refined human engineering- which is by itself an interpretation of our archetype. I’m very curious to see if this translates into the final film in any meaningful way.

In the present day MonsterVerse, the two main representatives of Monarch have been Ken Watanabe’s Ishiro Serizawa and Sally Hawkins’ Vivienne Graham. Both will be back for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and in addition to meeting some of their other coworkers, we finally get to see the kind of environment they’re in when not doing fieldwork.

Scott Chambliss also confirmed that it was incredibly difficult to put together the Monarch headquarters set. As he put it:

The great volume of Monarch HQ made it by far the most demanding build of our movie. All the scenic and technical arts of set creation were employed here, down to robotic set dressing components. A large number of complicated parts working together comprised our final Monarch HQ world.

It’s hard to say just how much time Godzilla: King of the Monsters is spending inside the Monarch headquarters, and obviously the main draw of this latest MonsterVerse tale is witnessing Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah collide out in the open. Still, considering how little we’ve learned about the organization, it’s cool to see Monarch will have a bigger presence for this third entry.

Along with Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins reprising their roles, Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ main cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, g, Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson, David Strathairn and Zhang Ziyi. Michael Dougherty directed and co-wrote the script with Zach Shields.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters rampages into theaters on May 31, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, head to our 2019 release schedule to find out what movies are coming out later in the year.

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Rambo: Last Blood Trailer Has Sylvester Stallone Going Full Home Alone

Rambo: Last Blood Trailer Has Sylvester Stallone Going Full Home Alone

John Rambo has survived war, become war, and ultimately released himself from the bonds of war over the course of the four films we’ve already seen in the Rambo franchise. Now, with Rambo: Last Blood heading our way, the formidable warrior is about to embark on what should be his last mission; and you can get your first look at the battle field in the first trailer released for the film.

In what promises to be his big swan song, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo has retired to the family ranch that he returned to at the end of the previous film, Rambo. But just as he was ready to give up the ways of violence, a new crisis springs him into action.

In Rambo: Last Blood, the stakes are at their most personal, as John is waging war against a drug cartel that’s kidnapped the sister of one of his friends. And it’s going to spur him to become his most dangerous self, complete with a house full of booby traps that’d qualify Kevin McCallister for a spot on The Expendables.

Seriously though, take a look at the modifications that Rambo makes to his farmhouse in Rambo: Last Blood. Crossbows outfitted with trip wires, a tunnel system that has a pitchfork just waiting to meet some guy’s chest, and enough vantage points to give Rambo his best shot every shot are all part of Rambo: Last Blood’s house of horrors. All that’s missing are some explosive Micro Machines and mini wrecking balls made out of paint cans, and you’ve got an R-rated version of Home Alone that’s ready for you, the mature adult, to enjoy in theaters.

It’s not all about wanton violence though, as John Rambo is in quite a reflective mood in Rambo: Last Blood’s trailer. With his past weighing on him, and that world of death making him into the grizzled veteran that he is, Rambo looks mostly content with his new life. But he's ready to pay his past debts as they come due.

And while these debts don’t take American Express, they can surely be paid by rifles, crossbows, and pitchfork traps. If Rambo: Last Blood really is the final entry in the John Rambo saga, then rest assured, it looks like he’s going to close that book with his most chaotic chapter yet.

And looking at the film’s first teaser poster shown below, that theory only seems to be supported by the amount of smoke and flames obscuring John Rambo from frame:

Sylvester Stallone has done pretty interesting work when it comes to revisiting or even saying goodbye to his most iconic roles of movie making history. If his work on Rambo: Last Blood is as good as it has been on films like the Creed series, then you can pretty much count us in for an opening night seat. Though unless Rambo takes the big train to the sky at the end of this film, we’ll still be inclined to believe that Stallone will change his mind, as he’s been known to do now and again.

Rambo: Last Blood closes old wounds on September 20th.

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The Original Scooby Doo Actors Had A Mixed Reaction To The New Cast

The Original Scooby Doo Actors Had A Mixed Reaction To The New Cast

No pop culture property is going to remain dormant for too long when Hollywood has the opportunity to use it. It's been 15 years since popular 1970s animated character Scooby-Doo and his mystery solving buddies were on the big screen, and that's more enough time to justify a reboot. A new animated film is on the way, and some of the actors from the early-2000s live-action version have feelings. Matthew Lillard, who played Shaggy, is more than a little upset to discover that he's being replaced, and also annoyed he didn't get any sort of a heads up.

Last week it was announced that a new animated Scooby-Doo movie was being produced with names like Will Forte and Gina Rodriguez attached to voice the familiar characters that we all remember from the various versions of the cartoon show that started in 1969 and has existed in one form or another ever since.

Of course, for fans of a certain age, the most well-known version of these characters may have come from a pair of live-action movies. The first was released in 2002 and, while it wasn't exactly a critical darling, it ended up grossing over $270 million around the world. That was good enough to spawn the sequel, 2004's Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

While it seemed highly unlikely that we were ever going to get another live-action Scooby-Doo at this point, at least with the same cast, it wouldn't be the first time that a franchise was brought back after a long hiatus. The one thing a reboot does do is seemingly make that even less likely as we rarely see a franchise go backwards, though that can happen too.

As with any reboot scenario, there are fans that are less than thrilled to learn of it. There's often a feeling that a reboot, simply by existing, is a slight to whatever came before.

Not everybody, however, seems to be too bent out of shape over the reboot. Freddie Prinze Jr. who played Fred in the live-action film, alongside wife Sarah Michelle Geller as Daphne, seems to be taking it all in stride. He's glad Scooby-Doo is making it to the screen in some form for a new generation to enjoy.

While the new movie won't have any connection to the live-action films, it will be connected to the animated characters. Frank Welker has been the voice of Scooby-Doo himself since 2002, and he'll reprise his role in the new film, so this new movie isn't entirely without pedigree.

While the main cast of the new film has been revealed, maybe the previously actors could get voice cameos as a nice nod to their previous work. We'll have to wait and see. The new Scooby-Doo and company is set to bow in May of 2020.

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The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The absence of almost any plot details for Avengers: Endgame has led fans to run with their imaginations and create countless theories about how the biggest movie of the summer will end. Some are clever, others are outside-of-the-box, and the rest are fun. But there's one fan theory that is so ridiculous that it's become a viral hit. It involves Ant-Man jumping up Thanos' butthole, and the Russo Bros. can confirm its the silliest theory they've ever heard.

If you've been on the internet for the past few weeks looking up Avengers: Endgame news then you have almost certainly seen the "Thanus" Theory. According to the theory, the Avengers have a surefire way to defeat Thanos. If Ant-Man shrinks down and jumps up Thanos' asshole, he can grow to giant-size and explode Thanos from within.

It's an extremely goofy theory that obviously won't happen in the movie, but it's taken on a life of its own. It became a popular meme and anyone with access to Photoshop and some free time has found some creative way to joke about the theory. One fan even went as far as to create an animated video solely about the theory.

It's now gotten to the point where poor Paul Rudd is asked about whether he gets to know Thanos on an up close and personal level during every single interview. Honestly, the joke has worn itself really thin by this point, but it's funny to see how this has all exploded to such levels.

The Russo Bros. seem to agree. The duo hear a lot of fan theories, but Thanus is without question the most ridiculous they have ever heard. Here's what the co-directors had to say about the theory in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Anthony Russo: 'Thanus' is truly the most ridiculous fan theory we've ever heard.

Joe Russo: But it's a highly inventive one. I want to know who came up with it.

Paul Rudd: I've been asked about it a bunch. I am amused a bit at how widespread it seems to have gotten.

The Russo Bros. previously said that no fan theory has ever been 100% correct, so it looks like we've got our confirmation that Ant-Man won't be taking one for the team next week.

Either way, we will know for sure soon enough. Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters in less than one week (!!!) and all of our many, many questions will finally be answered. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend because we are going to have tons to say about this film. To learn everything that we currently know, here's our handy guide for one of the biggest blockbusters ever made. For everything Marvel-related, here's what films the studio has coming up.

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Don't Freak, But The Genie Isn't Always Blue In The New Aladdin Trailer

Don't Freak, But The Genie Isn't Always Blue In The New Aladdin Trailer

When the first pictures of Will Smith's Genie appeared, people were shocked and even slightly outraged that Will Smith looked like, Will Smith. He wasn't blue, and as all fans of the classic Disney Aladdin know, the Genie was blue. Will Smith told people not to freak out and when the first footage of Genie came with an early teaser, we saw the Genie being blue. And then everybody freaked out again. Now, the first full trailer is here, and get ready for everybody to freak out again, because the Genie is blue, and also not blue.

This morning we got out best look yet at Disney's live-action Aladdin and it may set a lot of people's minds at ease, because it looks pretty good. We got to really see Aladdin, Jasmine and Jafar in action. We heard a couple pieces of some popular songs and everything looks good. Except maybe the Genie depending on your perspective.

When He's Blue

The trailer shows us Aladdin making his way through the Cave of Wonders, finding the magic lamp and then rubbing it to release the Genie. As we saw in the last teaser, when he is released, the Genie looks how you might have expected. He's big and blue and looks like a pumped up Will Smith. If you're not a fan of the CGI job, this trailer isn't going to change your mind.

It's here we also get the first part of an actual musical performance, some of the Will Smith version of "Friend Like Me." Smith will remain blue throughout this section. The last time that we see him in full CGI mode is during the "Making Aladdin a prince" scene. After that, everything changes.

When He's Not Blue

We first see Genie looking more like normal Will Smith earlier in the trailer, during the scene where Al is asking Genie if he can be made into a prince. We also seem him looking that way later, after "Prince Ali" has made his way into the palace. This is actually the last we see of Genie in the trailer, so it's possible we could see him transforming back and forth several times throughout the movie, depending on whether or not anybody is looking.

What seems likely, and has been my theory from the beginning, is that Genie has made himself look human as a disguise. This way he can interact with the other characters of the film without raising suspicion.

It's what the Genie actually did in the animated movie during the "Prince Ali" song. Genie performed it, and looked like a normal person, before disappearing and keeping himself hidden from the other characters. This way, Disney gets their money's worth out of having Will Smith in the movie. He doesn't need to stay off-screen the whole time.

Whichever version of the Genie you prefer, you're going to have to deal with the other version to some degree, but this way it seems everybody should get what they want at least part of the time.

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