Sink your teeth into Renfield a story focused on Dracula’s secondhand man. Directed by Chris McKay, known for The Lego Movie, Renfield brings a gore filled and heartfelt story to the big screen.

The plot follows Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) through his journey to end his relationship with Dracula (Nicolas Cage). This does not bode well for Renfield because Dracula decides to retaliate. As the story continues, Rebecca (Awkwafina), a police officer, meets Renfield while seeking Tedward Lobo (Ben Schwartz) who is connected to the death of her father. Ultimately, Renfield and Rebecca will need to team up to take down Dracula and Tedward to stop their evil plan.

The underlying message in this film is no one should be afraid to stand up for themselves if they are in a toxic relationship. I think they portrayed that very well. Unfortunately, much of what happens in the movie, except for some moments during the action sequences, is not that engaging. The best part is Nicolas Cage’s performance as Dracula, and that’s what really made the movie for me.

Is this a movie to write home about? No. Is this a movie where you can sit down, eat a bag of popcorn, and enjoy the wackiness and gore? Yes. While not a great movie, Nicolas Cage as Dracula was worth getting the ticket.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The Italian brothers from Brooklyn make their way to the big screen with The Mario Bros. Movie (2023). Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, this is a fast-paced story based on family relationships and never backing down from a challenge.

Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) kick the movie off by promoting their plumbing business across Brooklyn. As they struggle to get business, a major event takes place that leads them to the Mushroom Kingdom. They are then split up. Mario meets Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), Princess Peach (Any-Taylor Joy), and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen). His new friends need to help him save Luigi from Bowser (Jack Black) who is destroying everything in his path.

The film overall is for the fans of the video game, and it includes many easter eggs and a lot of nostalgia. The film goes by quickly, and the story is straightforward. Also, Chris Pratt’s performance wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. I feel like they used Pratt as a marketing tool to draw more viewers given his popularity. The actor I believe stole the show was Jack Black, who was born to play Bowser. Also, Charlie Day did a great job playing Luigi, and I hope they do some type of spin off movie with him depicting the video game “Luigi’s Haunted Mansion.”

This movie is for video game lovers and families with small children. It will not make you think about what the plot really means or make you extremely emotional. It’s just a movie with two lovable characters who kick butt with well-groomed mustaches.

Rating: 3 out of 5