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It was a packed Memorial Day weekend with big theatrical releases and fun streaming options. Below are my thoughts on this week’s movies. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Fear Street: Prom Queen (Netflix)
Starring: India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, Katherine Waterston, Chris Klein, and Lily Taylor
Synopsis: The latest in the Fear Street anthology series based on the books from R.L. Stine takes the action to 1988. We’re still in Shadyside, this time at a high school prom. But, as you might imagine, things take a disturbing turn, as befits this cursed town. We’re focused on Lori Granger (Fowler), a shy girl who is hoping to earn the prize of Prom Queen, and Tiffany (Strazza), the popular girl determined to cement her social status by being named queen herself. As they do battle on the dance floor, and among voters, a masked killer begins hunting students. Soon, it’s an all-out race for survival. This is a pretty standard set up. There are some fun nods to the 1980s, including some fun musical numbers. But it feels more like a by-the-numbers horror film. The performances are fine, the twists are obvious, and the slasher part of the film is relatively uninteresting. I enjoyed the original three Fear Street films for what they were, but this feels like something of a letdown.
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, teen drug use, language and some sexual references.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Fountain of Youth (Apple TV+)
Starring: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, and Eiza Gonzales
Synopsis: The adventure film featuring a quest is a staple of the movies, particularly during the summer season. We’ve seen the formula time and again over the years, from Indiana Jones to National Treasure. And yet we remain captivated by these series. Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, we’re getting another of these adventure stories. Fountain of Youth, which streams on Apple TV+ this weekend, comes from director Guy Ritchie and, as the name suggests, features a quest for an iconic historical myth. But is it worth going on this adventure? Let’s dive in. The film centers on a pair of siblings—Luke (Krasinski) and Charlotte (Portman)—who are a bit estranged. They grew up with an adventure-loving father, and they used to partake in those adventures. While Luke still does, working with the same team, Charlotte moved on to a museum job and a family. But as we begin our journey, that family is falling apart. Now, Luke returns with a request that she join him on a new quest. A billionaire (Gleeson) with health issues has tapped Luke and his team to find the Fountain of Youth. If it really exists, it will require a lot of effort to find it. Luke wants Charlotte’s help, but also just wants her to embrace a life of adventure again. At first, Charlotte is hesitant. But when their new backer offers to help her with her legal troubles as she tries to get custody of her son, Charlotte reluctantly joins the journey. But it ends up going in directions neither of them ever expected. This is a familiar formula, matching some of the plot points of these kind of adventure films, including films like the classic 1999 version of The Mummy. The script comes from James Vanderbilt and features a fun enough adventure with a lot of humor. Ritchie does a nice job of crafting action sequences and fun set pieces around these characters and this journey. What really helps it hum along is the cast. Krasinski in particular is a lot of fun in this role. He brings that wry sense of humor that made him such a hit on The Office to this part. He and Portman have a good rapport, but he also has some fun rapport with Gonzales, who plays an agent charged with protecting the secret of the fountain. This is a deep cast—including Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, and Stanley Tucci—that are deployed well to craft a fun journey. There are great moments of humor and some fun action sequences. I also liked several set pieces, including a sunken ship that is raised to the surface and the discovery of a secret chamber in the Pyramids as well. For these types of films to work you need fun characters, a fun journey, and a bit of adventure. This film has all those elements and they come together in a satisfying way. I’d be happy to watch a few more of these with this great cast and winning formula. This is worth a stream this holiday weekend.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence and action, and some language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Lilo & Stitch (Theaters)
Starring: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnusson, and Chris Sanders
Synopsis: By this point, we’ve seen dozens of live action re-makes from Disney. It seems no animated film is safe from getting a new look. This year alone we’ve already seen Snow White, which earned a middling reception, and now we’re on to Lilo & Stitch. This film got a prime Memorial Day Weekend spot, but is it worth the hype? The film follows experiment 626, who comes to be known as Stitch (Sanders) on Earth, as he goes on an adventure. He’s been sentenced to exile, and instead escapes. He’s got great skills but also a wild personality that helps get him into trouble. He also struggles with water, which makes his crash-landing on a Hawaiian island less than ideal. Hot on his trail are a pair of wranglers that are tasked with finding him and bringing him back. One is Jumba (Galifianakis), the scientist who created 626. He has his own sneaky plans once reunited. He’s paired with Pleakey (Magnussen), an Earth expert and loyal employee of the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham). He’s interested in experiencing Earth, while trying to recapture 626 and keep a low-profile. Neither goal goes as planned. After wreaking havoc at a wedding, 626 ends up at an animal shelter. There, he encounters Lilo (Kealoha), a young girl in need of a friend. She takes him home despite the unease of her sister Nani (Agudong), who has become her caretaker after the death of their parents. Nani is doing her best, delaying her dreams, but their family hanging by a thread. The addition of 626—christened Stitch after a few incidents with the family—doesn’t make it any easier. If you’ve seen the animated film, you know in general where this is going. Sanders, who voices Stitch in this film was the voice of Stitch in the animated film and a co-director. He’s obviously quite fun in the role with some tender moments, too. That includes the iconic closing line about family, which hits just as hard in this version. The integration of animated/CGI features and live action is a credit to director Dean Fleischer Camp, who has some experience with this style. He previously worked on Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and brings the same level of fun, laughter, and heart to this production. It works together well and creates a heck of a fun ride. I really enjoyed Kealoha and Agudong in these roles. They have a great chemistry together and they are at the heart of the film. I liked the supporting cast here, too, and the way this film works in some of the voice actors from the original film—including Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, and Jason Scott Lee—and nice nods to that film. Since the summer season began it’s been mostly horror and action. This is the first big family release of the season and it’s worth the wait. This will please audiences of all ages. It’s a fun re-make that surpasses the original. Go check it out.
Rating: Rated PG for action, peril and thematic elements.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Theaters)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames
Synopsis: When you think of Mission Impossible, you likely don’t take a lot of time to consider the bigger picture. They’re all fun and entertaining, but mostly have all felt like their own individual journey. That is until The Final Reckoning, the eighth and possibly final film in the franchise. This is not only a continuation of the last film, but it also seeks to bring together Ethan Hunt’s whole history of saving the world. When you get to the end, it makes sense to be introspective. This film does that as it brings in callbacks to all the previous films, from the 1996 original to Dead Reckoning in 2023. But does it deliver on its lofty aims? Let’s dive in. We pick up a few months after the end of Dead Reckoning. Hunt (Cruise) still has the key but he’s yet to find the missing submarine. Meanwhile, the Entity has continued to wreak havoc on the world. Ethan receives a plea from the President (Angela Bassett) to come in and give the key to the United States before it’s too late. But he still believes no nation should have that much power. He’s still determined to destroy it. But the United States isn’t the only entity looking for Hunt. His old pal, Gabriel (Esai Morales) wants the key, too. He no longer is working for the Entity; he now wants to control the Entity himself. And he tries to put pressure on Ethan to find the source code to give him that control. Lastly, the Entity itself is after Hunt. It sees him as its best and ultimate partner, to help it gain control and rebuild the world the way it sees fit. All that leaves Hunt a popular man. He turns to Benji (Pegg) and Luther (Rhames) to help find a way to stop things. Can he get it done before it’s too late? These films are about the big set pieces. That’s the case for this last one, too, that features several creative and daring stunts. Usually, the plot falls in around those set pieces and, for the most part, that’s true here, too. But while the previous installment was nostalgic for what it meant to join the IMF, this one is nostalgic for Hunt’s personal career, and the work of his friends. Rhames has been a constant figure in this franchise. Apart from the fourth installment—which limited him to cameo role—he’s been at the heart of the action, and a voice of conscience and reason for Ethan Hunt. That’s the role he gets to play one last time here, and his contributions to the final act really worked for me. This film also had some fun callbacks to questions and characters from the early history of Mission Impossible. We have the return of a character featured in the first installment that was poignant and really added to this experience. The way this film and its mission ties back to the Rabbit’s Foot from Mission Impossible: III was also a lot of fun and interesting.  This is the fourth film in the franchise from director Christopher McQuarrie, who has been a great creative partner with Cruise on these films. While this final installment doesn’t reach the heights of Fallout or Rogue Nation, I found it a fun, engaging, and fitting final chapter in Hunt’s saga. It’s also a heck of a ride to kick up the summer movie season. If you’re a fan of Mission Impossible, or just a fan of a good summer blockbuster, this is worth seeking out.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Worth the Wait (Tubi)
Starring: Lana Condor, Ross Butler, Elodie Yung, and Sung Kang
Synopsis: As we head toward Memorial Day weekend, we’re getting a number of different kinds of films. We have some blockbusters in theaters, but also some counterprogramming you can stream from the comfort of your own home. One of those options is Worth the Wait, a new romantic comedy that is streaming on Tubi. The film is set mostly in Seattle and follows the loosely inter-connected lives of a group of people who are all dealing with their own relationship challenges. Among those are Kai (Butler), a lawyer who works for his family firm in Kuala Lumpur, and Leah (Condor), a nurse who is the caregiver for her high school-aged brother, Blake (Ricky-He). Blake has his own relationship challenges. He’s in love with Riley (Ali Fumiko Whitney), but her over-protective uncle Curtis (Kang) isn’t a fan. He’s taken care of his niece since she lost her parents and he’s got very demanding standards. Other stories include a couple (Osric Chau and Karena Ka-Yan Lam) who are dealing with fertility struggles and an actress (Yung) who is trying to balance her career and personal life. All these stories play out over the course of a year, but will any of them get a happy ending? This film feels like a tapestry of stories. The film follows a diverse cast, offering a glimpse into some different cultures and a different sort of representation. That’s intentional. But these stories and set ups feel familiar and relatable. I saw a description that said this gives off some Love Actually vibes. While the stories feel a little more conventional and restrained, that’s not a bad comparison. Of course, there isn’t a Christmas theme here, either. But it’s a nice show case of Seattle and a nice showcase of these actors and stories. You spend time investing in these characters and that leads to some good payoffs and an emotional third act. Director Tom Lin does a nice job bouncing back-and-forth among the narratives and the final script from Maggie Hartmans weaves all the stories together in a fun way for the conclusion. For those who are looking for a nice date night film, this is a great option to stream this long holiday weekend. Worth the Wait is worth the investment.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Three stars out of five