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We’re into August and we had a flurry of new releases, but which are worth your time? Check out my reviews on four new films that opened Friday. As always, you can follow all my film activity on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Dreamin’ Wild (Theaters)
Starring: Casey Affleck, Walton Goggins, Zooey Deschanel, Chris Messina, and Beau Bridges
Synopsis: We all have dreams. In some ways, that’s what it means to be human. Sometimes those dreams are realized and sometimes they aren’t. Often, it takes years and many different paths to realize your dreams. In the new film, Dreamin’ Wild, we see a tale of two brothers whose dreams took decades to be realized. The film appeared in festivals in 2022 but opens in theaters on August 4. In it, we meet Don (Affleck) and Joe Emerson (Goggins). As teens in the 1970s, they formed a musical group and recorded an album. That led to a solo career, of sorts, for Don, but decades later it hadn’t landed them a career in music. As we open in 2011, Don and his wife, Nancy (Deschanel), are trying to manage a recording studio, playing small band gigs to make ends meet. Don is still getting plenty of support from his father (Bridges), who has long tried to help his son achieve his musical dreams. When Matt Sullivan (Messina) reaches out, letting Don and Joe know their album from decades ago has found new life, it’s the beginning of a new musical journey. Can they finally realize their dream and find success in music? This film has a strong cast and some beautiful original music from the brothers. Affleck is solid in the lead role, while Deschanel, Goggins and Bridges are great in supporting roles. This is a tale of someone who never gave up and finally had their dream realized in a way they didn’t expect. I was drawn into the story, as crafted by Stephen Kurutz and Bill Pohlad, based on true events. The direction from Pohlad is also solid. I particularly enjoyed the flashback sequences, showcasing Noah Jupe and Jack Dylan Glazer as a young Don and Joe. It helps offer an emotional beat that pulls you in. We’re in a season of larger-than-life blockbusters at the theaters. While those stories can be fun, it’s nice to sink into these smaller, personal tales. Dreamin’ Wild is inspirational and a fun ride. Dreamin’ Wild is in limited theatrical release starting August 4.
Rating: Rated PG for language and thematic elements.
Verdict: Three Stars out of five

The Meg 2: The Trench (Theaters)
Starring: Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, Jing Wu, Page Kennedy, and Sienna Guillory
Synopsis: I’m a sucker for a good shark movie. If we’re being honest, I’m a sucker for a bad one, too. But it’s the good ones that stand out. Back in 2018 when I saw the trailer for The Meg, I was pumped. I was even more excited when I saw it. It was a solid and engaging film, one of the better shark tales we’ve gotten. So, naturally, it spawned a sequel. I was interested in the sequel but couldn’t help but wonder if it would live up to the hype. It doesn’t. This one tries to include more of a story of human betrayal, but it comes at the expense of the fun shark action that made the first film hum. The final half hour of the film is more of a fun ride. It’s more of what we saw with the first film, and it gets the action going well. But it’s the first 90 minutes or so that can, at times, be a slog. I still like Statham in the role, and the supporting cast is solid. Curtis and Kennedy are back from the first film and have some fun rapport. There are moments that work but it feels too dry and too plot-driven for a film of this style. That’s not to say good shark movies don’t have a plot, they just don’t let the plot distract from what people want to see—these characters fighting supernatural beasts. We don’t get enough of that here. The film is OK but fails to rise to the level of the original. If they indeed try to make another of these films, I hope we move back to what works—the man vs. shark elements.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images, language and brief suggestive material.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Shortcomings (Theaters)
Starring: Justin Min, Ally Maki, and Sherry Cola
Synopsis: Relationships can be tricky, especially when those involved have different goals and different dreams. In Shortcomings, the new comedy that opens on Friday, we see a couple that are on different paths, pulling each other in different directions. We begin with a film within a film. It presents a microcosm of how Ben (Min) and Miko (Maki) see the world. Ben is put off by the film and its rose-colored view of the world. Miko appreciates the story, but more importantly appreciates what a film like it means for future artists like herself and Ben. Their reactions have them at an impasse. It isn’t the first time. Soon, Miko is offered an internship in New York and suggests she and Ben should take some time apart. At first, Ben is fine. He moves on quickly but realizes the grass isn’t always greener. By the time he realizes what he had and makes a grand gesture by heading to New York, he finds it might be too late. Ben is the lead here, but he’s sort of a misanthropic main character. His flaws and the way he conducts himself sometimes make it hard to root for him. It makes it hard for Miko and even his best friend Alice (Cola). That leads to an ending that tracks with what we’ve seen but likely won’t be the most satisfying for some viewers. The script from Adrian Tomine has some fun moments but doesn’t do enough to make Ben likeable. Though, maybe that’s the point. I enjoyed the performances from Min and Maki, while Cola delivers another fun supporting performance this summer. Also, fun is Timothy Simmons, who appears in a sort of cameo role that made me laugh. The film comes from director Randall Park, a talented performer who also briefly appears. It made its debut at Sundance in January and now is going wide. I liked the direction well enough, as Park makes some interesting choices. Ultimately, it’s the story and our protagonist Ben himself that cause this one to come up a little short. Still, this film offers a bit of a respite from summer blockbuster season. It’s worth checking out for the performances.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout, sexual material and brief nudity.
Verdict: Three Stars out of Five

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Theaters)
Starring: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown, Jr., Nicholas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Jackie Chan, and Ice Cube
Synopsis: If you’re a viewer of a certain age, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been a big part of your formative years. That’s the case for me. I remember owning the action figures, watching the cartoon and owning the live-action films on VHS. So, I’m probably something of the target audience for a re-birth. It’s clear that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who worked on the script for this new film with director Jeff Rowe, felt the same. You can see the passion and love for the source material to this new adaptation, an animated film that brings audiences back to the world of the turtles. In the new film, we begin with Baxter Stockman (Giancarlo Esposito) working on a formula to create his perfect mutant creatures. He’s interrupted and some of his magic ooze makes its way down into the sewers. Flash-forward 15 years, and we find Splinter (Chan) playing father to four teenage turtle sons—Leonardo (Cantu), Raphael (Noon), Michelangelo (Brown, Jr.) and Donatello (Abbey). They live in the sewers, but the boys dream of the human world. Splinter is weary of a world that won’t accept them, but his sons want to go to high school and be part of the normal world. When the turtles come across a teenage journalist, April O’Neil (Edebiri), they form a plan to catch the criminal Superfly (Cube) and become heroes, gaining acceptance in the world. As you might suspect, things don’t go according to plan. Can the turtles save New York and come out of the shadows? That’s the premise of this film, which has a lot of fun with the teenage turtles and all the other characters. We get familiar faces like Beebop and Rock Steady, too. Superfly makes for a decent foil and its fun dropping in on these characters as teens—including April—making this something of a fun origin story. The action and the comedy blend work here, but it’s the heart of the story that sets it apart. This is about the most basic of longings—for friendship and acceptance. Those are universal themes that everyone can relate to, and they’re beautifully woven into the tapestry of a film that’s fun for audiences of all ages. It’s been a great summer for animated features with Across the Spider-Verse and Elemental already bowing. And, of course, the No. 1 film of the year so far at the Box Office is The Super Mario Bros. I suspect that Mutant Mayhem will join those ranks as being among the best animated films of the year. It’s a fun ride and one that’s full of heart. Hopefully it’s the start of a re-birthed franchise. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, language and impolite material.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five