Reviewed by Alicia Glass
A beleaguered detective returns from suspension to form an unconventional team of very-special investigators to hunt down a serial killer!
So Detective Pitak (Surasak Wongthai) has a hell of a reputation at his local police precinct – absolutely ruthless and overpowering in his rage, Pitak charges in like an ox after whoever he’s chasing and bowls right over anyone who’s in his way, including fellow cops and his Lieutenant General Namchai (Surasak Chaiyaat), if necessary. And when the Rain Murderer, the serial killer who’s been terrorizing the city with his brutal stabbing slaughters of multiple women when it rains, as it does far too often in Thailand, joyously executes Pitak’s only beloved daughter, there will be literal Hell for him to pay. Pitak swore it, and fellow policewoman Lieutenant Aris (Chanya McClory) believes him, enough to not only get Pitak reinstated as a cop, but to also obtain permission for the unorthodox team Pitak wants to form to hunt down the Rain Murderer! It does also help that Aris happens to be the daughter of an old colleague of Namchai, one could easily say police work is in their blood.
First off for our team of extra-special investigators is Race (Jirayu Tantrakul), extensively trained and highly effective assassin. Orphaned when he was young, Race and his tiny gang of orphaned brothers were all adopted by the local executioner himself, generally known as Hem (Kajornsak Rattananissai), and trained to become assassins themselves, following in Hem’s shadow. As a grown man, Race is a hit man without equal, efficient, ruthless, methodical and frighteningly intelligent, excellent at his job and known for stoically accepting orders from Hem and carrying them out with fearsome precision – until the day he botches a job because of a pair of witnesses – the targets wife and screaming daughter. The cops finding Race sitting there in a scene right out of Kill Bill – surrounded by dead bodies, splashed head to toe with still-dripping crimson, Race perches holding a single devastating sword like a killer crow – and yet, he still surrenders to the police and goes in silence. Sometimes, even the best killers get tired of it, and want out.
Next is Yak (Yuan Kawinrath Yotamornsunthorn), at least initially considered to be the brainless muscle, the tank that can soak up all sorts of damage and deal it out x10 in return. It turns out, Yak actually worked for Hem too, in much more of a bruiser enforcer capacity, Yak can always be relied on to bull (or is it yak? LOL) his way through any obstacle. This doesn’t just apply to enemies in the way either, as the show progresses we see Yak demonstrate his blunt charge-ahead philosophy in all aspects of his life and he lovingly applies it to his friends and his erstwhile coworkers, cheerfully encouraging them to just go for it already, and we love him for it. Known for his near-constant eating, an adorable shtick for a very large man who needs to maintain his reserve for the near-constant ass-kicking Yak involves himself in, Yak is also smart, funny and kind, capable of leadership and other unexpected surprises. Anyone could understand why a character such as Yak is absolutely necessary to round out our trio of Bad Guys.
Lastly is the wild card, the enigmatic and difficult young savant known as Sky (Napath Vikairungroj). Denounced as a psychopathic murderer of multiple victims over a period of months, acknowledged genius Sky is actually a sensitive artistic soul who claims to be unable to remember killing anyone. Granted, his brooding hoodie-wearing presence, vaguely reminiscent (in my mind) to the ultra-strange character L from Death Note, would make most people suspicious but the cops probably triply so. Poor Sky is repeatedly told by everyone from his beloved girlfriend to his psychiatrist doctor that yes, he did in fact kill a whole bunch of people in horrific ways, so why can’t he remember any of it? Sky’s gifted genius brains are put to excellent use in the chasing of various villains besides the Rain Murderer, and as he gracefully defends or attacks with clubs or empty hands, we come to understand that while Sky certainly has the potential to be a serial killer, it is actually entirely possible that he was elaborately set up. So then, the question becomes why? And, by whom?
It’s not until the Bad Guys who hunt bad-der guys have gone through at least a couple of cases and more or less solved them with relatively minimal public damage, that slick and suspicious prosecutor Phadet (Than Thanakorn) decides he wants to join the gang. Initially the Prosecutor tells Pitak and the others that he wants to help get the villains plaguing Thailand’s streets from the law-related side in a prosecutorial fashion, but doesn’t hesitate in pulling rank when the others balk at his interrupting the repertoire they’ve begun to build, and he near immediately begins acting suspicious, especially towards Aris. Which turns out to be a mistake, given that Lieutenant Aris is just as tough as the rest of them, despite or perhaps because of, the lack of male genitalia.
It has to be said, despite clearly being a foreign show with subtitles and all the lush scenery of Thailand to back it up, that the show has clear, compelling storylines that are easy to follow, even for a series of murder mystery clues. We come to care about these characters – ox-like Pitak and his despair over his daughters death, big ole oaf Yak and his gigantic heart, the penitent assassin Race and his grief, graceful artist with the missing memory Sky, even Aris and her desire for justice at last – and cheer them on amidst an epic beat-filled club soundtrack.
Found on Netflix, Bad Guys (2022) is perfect for binging and can be cheered on by anyone!
We are now in a new season for the team, and they have started off on the wrong
foot. The team is broken up and Ted has his work cut out for him. The team goes
through a slump, and Ted is now doubting his coaching ability. Ted’s personal life
has also gotten out of control, and he discovers his ex-wife Michelle has started a relationship with their therapist. The wonderkid, Nathan Shelley, the former manager of West Ham has had a change of heart and leaves his job to be with his one true love, the waitress from his favorite restaurant.
She convinces him to return to the Richmond team he started out in and it’s quite evident that
everyone wants him back and held no hard feelings. All of Lawrence’s series he has worked on with others have just that right balance of slice-of-life drama with a little bit of ridiculous comedy that reality dishes us, normal folks, every day.
This all comes to a head in the potential series finale where Ted announced to
Rebecca that he will be returning to the States to his family after his mother tells
him that his son misses him. This puts the Richmond owner into quite a state of denial; doing everything from offering Ted the position of being the highest-paid coach in the league to selling the team after he leaves. The team is also affected by this decision as they perform a number from the musical The Sound of Music that is a more than touching farewell to this family.
This bleeds into their playing as in the final title match the first half is met with
bumbling and possible injuries to their star player Jamie.
After an energizing pep talk and a circle back to the first motivator in the
beginning, a sign Ted made up that said “BELIEVE”, the team dominate the second
half and win with a rousing closing scene that is reminiscent of any 80’s party
movie. It’s a fitting end for this pandemic darling that emotionally carried us through. It is
a must-see series even if you don’t like soccer (football).
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
Finally, the Cinderella story of the Richmond Greyhounds has come to an end.
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Crunnchyroll presents ‘BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense’: You’re not twinking!
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
An Askewed View Episode 7 Jay And Silent Bob Reboot
