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We made it through Thanksgiving weekend and got a slew of new releases. But what of them were worth checking out? See my thoughts on the week’s big new films below. It’s also For Your Consideration Season, so to keep up with all the films I’m watching, follow me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Genie (Peacock)
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Paapa Essideu, Alan Cumming and Marc Maron
Synopsis: The latest holiday release comes from writer Richard Curtis, who gave us Love Actually 20 years ago. This isn’t the same kind of film, but if you’re feeling nostalgic you could watch Love Actually again. Instead, this is a broad comedy about a husband and father (Essideu) who is down on his luck. He stumbles on a magic box and a Genie (McCarthy) who helps him get his priorities straight and reunite with his family. All this takes place around the holidays in New York. There’s some laughs and some decent moments. I enjoyed McCarthy and Essideu in these roles. The film started streaming on Wednesday, just before Thanksgiving, and feels like a perfect holiday season snack. It’s not deep and likely won’t become a seasonal classic, but it’s more fun than the premise would indicate. It was a decent watch.
Rating: Rated PG for some language and suggestive references.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Good Burger 2 (Paramount+)
Starring: Keenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell
Synopsis: Once upon a time, Thompson and Mitchell were Nickelodeon stars who parlayed that into Good Burger. That film, released in 1997, was a classic for a certain generation of young viewers. My guess would be those viewers are now adults with families of their own desperate for some nostalgia. That’s why Paramount+ released a follow up film, 26 years later, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The new film finds Dex (Thompson) as an inventor who is down-on-his-luck. Without any other options, he turns to his old friend Ed (Mitchell), who still works at Good Burger, which he now owns. When an investor (Lil Rel Howery) wants to buy franchise rights, Dex sees it as a means of climbing back and tries to convince his friend. But is it a deal that’s too good to be true? This film has plenty of nostalgia and references for fans of the original film. It’s an OK watch that moves fairly quickly. It’s not a great film though. It probably didn’t need to be made but hopefully it brings back the high school feels for the 40-something crowd.
Rating: TV-PG
Verdict: One and a half stars out of five

Leo (Netflix)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, and Cecily Strong
Synopsis: The latest from Netflix is an animated tale from Sandler, who stars as Leo, an aging lizard who has spent his life as a class pet for an elementary school. Now, worried his time is fading, he wants to get out and see the world. He tries to make a break during a series of home visits with his fifth-grade class but, instead, he finds himself bonding with and influencing the children. Can Leo realize that his impact is more profound than any adventure he might find on the road? Of course, we know the answer to the question. This type of film isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. And this journey was more fun than I expected. I enjoyed Sandler in the lead role and Burr is quite fun as his cage-mate, a turtle named Squirtle. The rest of the voice performances are solid, and the animation works for what it is. This was a fun little watch.
Rating: Rated PG for rude/suggestive material and some language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Napoleon (Theaters)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby
Synopsis: When you hear we’re getting a biopic on Napoleon from Ridley Scott to be released in late November, you expect something grand and epic. If I were just thinking of the larger battle sequences in this film, co-produced by Apple, you could make a case that it is epic. The score is epic. The battle sequences are fairly epic. There is some intrigue in those sequences. Unfortunately, as a biopic of a controversial and interesting historical figure, it falls beyond flat. The film has all the depth of a Wikipedia Page, providing little insight into the man or what fueled his rise to power and his fall. It doesn’t even do service to the central relationship in his life with his beloved Josephine (Kirby). In fact, it often doesn’t even seem like the stars are engaged in the roles or the world they are building. Scott has directed a few high-profile films of late but many of them have been under-whelming. This might be the most under-whelming of his recent offerings. There was potential in the premise and some truly well-conceived battle sequences but all in service of a final narrative that is little more than an overly long slog.
Rating: Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and brief language.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Saltburn (Theaters)
Starring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe, Rosamund Pike, Alison Oliver, and Richard E. Grant
Synopsis: A few years ago, Emerald Fennell delivered a crackling and unexpected film in Promising Young Woman. It captured audiences and won an Academy Award for its script. Her follow up film is another dark tale with some comedic moments and a script that, at times, crackles. It’s buoyed by a great lead performance from Keoghan, who sells out for this film and this role. He was incredible in the lead role, which required a lot of different kinds of sequences and a good deal of bravery. It’s not an easy watch, nor is it a warm story. This is a black comedy but some of the writing is crisp, and the ending sequence comes as quite a shock. It likely won’t work for everyone, much the same way that Fennell’s previous film had a twist ending. I didn’t love this film the same way, but I appreciated the craft. The performances were strong, and the production had a unique and compelling visual style. This is a film that will offer some strong competition in a few categories come this awards season. It’s worth checking out for the script and Keoghan’s performance alone.
Rating: Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some disturbing violent content, and drug use.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five