219. Super/Man, Red One, A Real Pain, and Carry-On

It's a short but sweet one this week, as it's just Kevin and Lauren and they cover Super/Man, red One, A Real Pain, and Carry-On.

Unlike last week where it was sour and glum on reviews, this week is almost entirely positive. Lauren opens the episode with a review of the wonderful and insightful documentary about Christopher Reeve, Super/Man, currently streaming on HBO Max. It's a journey through the up and down life of arguably everyone's favorite Superman before, up to, and after his life altering accident. It's a story of perseverance, family, and friendship that is well worth your time.

Next up, Kevin takes on a sleigh ride with his review of Red One. The film stars The Rock and Chris Evans and had a catastrophic showing at the box office. But don't let that sour your opinions on this one. Watch the trailer. It's exactly as advertised and very predictable, as most Christmas films are, but it really is a lot of fun, if maybe a hair too long. But if you know what you're walking in to, it really is a solid film and a good one for the holiday.

Lauren swings us back to the dramatic with A Real Pain. It's a story of two cousins who have drifted apart and are now finding out how to be close again, in no small part to the loss of their grandmother. Kieran Culkin is a troubled man with a dark sense of humor, not unlike his character on Succession. Jesse Eisenberg is a married man who seems to have it all together, but finds he might just need his cousin more than he thinks. It's a great story gently wrapped in the story of a woman who survived horrible tragedy and how that brings these two men closer together. It's a great film, and maybe a little more fun that it has the right to be, so give it a watch!

Kevin takes us back to Christmas with Carry-On. Though this film is as much a Christmas movie as Die Hard is (it IS a Christmas film!!) but it takes place on Christmas eve and has holiday music in the credits so I think it's set in stone. Taron Egerton plays a young TSA agent who is trying to make a life for himself, his wife, and their in-the-womb child. Of course you can't be happy in an airport, so Jason Bateman shows up with an ultimatum - allow a package through the gate unabated or your wife dies. And just like that we are off to the races with a pretty solid thriller. It doesn't quite have the "yippy kay yay" moment or anything that will make it genre defining but, just like Red One,  if you go in knowing watching you're watching (think Speed or Die Hard) and that's your jam, you should be very satisfied with this one!

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