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2 Stars

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Not too long a time ago, in a galaxy not far away, The Mandalorian TV show was to Disney+ what Stranger Things was to Netflix.

With both shows being part of the select few I have had time to watch over the years (I really need to get going on season two of Andor), these two shows did manage to have their first seasons be borderline brilliant, only to falter in their third. Various ingredients were added to each (including the superfluous Boba Fett series), but at least The Mandalorian ended its TV run after the third season. Well, until now.

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3 Stars

Mortal Kombat II (2026)

In today’s world of IP expectation overload (as of this writing, the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is still not public), the reboot of Mortal Kombat has definitely gotten less fanfare in comparison, and I am glad for it.

While not as popular as the aforementioned MCU or the Star Wars universe, there are still plenty of fans for the MK verse (not sure if that is the proper term), including myself. Promise was shown after the 2021 reboot, leading to this sequel, which is everything a fan could truly hope for.

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3 1/2 Stars

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

When The Devil Wears Prada came out in 2006, I had just graduated from high school.

Looking back, the reason I never got around to seeing the film in the theater was a mixture of work (had to save up before college, obviously), still being under the spell of Roger Ebert (who did not like the original much), virtually no knowledge of fashion magazines, and other forgotten factors that led me to simply never seeing the films until…honestly, a few years ago. 

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2 Stars

Michael (2026)

As Michael started, I found myself guessing I knew no more than approximately 20% about the King of Pop. 

By the end, I would bump that up to roughly 25-30%.

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3 1/2 Stars

You, Me, & Tuscany (2026)

At some point, Netflix has really cornered the market on rom coms (more quantity-wise, not entirely quality-wise).

With an infinite amount in their library, a fair amount of these Netflix original rom-coms also have to do with exotic travel (the most recent one I remember seeing was People We Meet on Vacation). Looking back, the last of this type I remember seeing in the theater (not including last year’s regrettable A Big Bold Beautiful Journey) was 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians. Sufficite to say, these varieties of rom com getaways are rare in the theater setting, which is why I was surprised to hear about You, Me, & Tuscany, a film coated with everything those predictable Netflix movies are known for,…but is that a bad thing?

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2 Stars

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

“From the simplicity of sidescrolling and jumping to race karts and nearly every imaginable sport to galaxies and odysseys, Mario knows no bounds.”

This I said back in my review of the first film in 2023, and it still rings true today. One could say that the first film was a setup for this second film to be the payoff (T2: Judgment Day, The Dark Knight, etc.), but only in following the same formula as before: more fan service, less story structure.

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4 Stars

Project Hail Mary (2026)

I hold no secrets when I state that no other subject in school was more frustrating to me than science.

Whether it was my plant being the only one in class that didn’t grow, having two friends who were no help at all in dissecting a frog in middle school (looking at you, Scott and Steve), or just having too many bits of information going over my head without any chance to catch up, it was the subject that eluded me. This is all the more reason why it is rare for a film like Project Hail Mary to come along, as it is rare for a film to make me wish I were truly adept at science.

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"Top Tens", and others

My 2026 Oscar Predictions

I’m tired

Tired of playing the game

Ain’t it a crying shame

I’m so tired

In Blazing Saddles (1974), Lili Von Sctup (the late Madaline Kahn) was tired of all the romancing (among other things), I am tired of this Award season.

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3 1/2 Stars Movies

Hoppers (2026)

As Disney/Pixar now approaches their 30th film with Hoppers, it has me looking back at previous films revolving around animals (especially when it comes to human interaction).

Except for the two masterpieces Finding Nemo (2003) and Ratatouille (2007), the rest of them have been, at best, passable (I also exempt 2001’s Monster’s, Inc., due to those characters being more fantastical than realistic). Add in the fact that the last truly great classic was 2017’s Coco (though I can see defenders of 2020’s Soul, which I do need to rewatch), and you can see why Hoppers has a lot riding on its shoulders.

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3 Stars

GOAT (2026)

It has been three decades since the original Space Jam made a splash in my young life (and even more so in my little brother Jeff’s life). 

Nostalgia has blinded me from finding out if that film truly holds up or not (sorry to my nephews, but the same could not be said for the 2021 sequel), but it was, at the very least, a childhood milestone. Naturally, it made me interested in practicing basketball for a bit, yet my short height was holding me back (along with a childhood friend who, while talented, loved to showboat and win over me). Perhaps had GOAT come out in my childhood, things would be different.

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